. . .
"Hello." "Player 1045B3."
A voice, utterly devoid of anything natural or familiar, sounded directly in Rex's mind, slowly tethering him to consciousness.
His senses offered no clue as to how much time had passed from the moment the pod sealed to this instant, where the artificial voice was rousing him. As his control over his thoughts sharpened, Rex slowly began to register his surroundings.
He was enveloped in a darkness so absolute, so overbearing, it felt almost physical. His only point of reference was a bright entity, a singular ray of light in the vast, oppressive emptiness. Its light seemed both intimately near and impossibly distant, all at once.
As Rex focused on it, he felt his grip on consciousness solidify. He could barely perceive his physical body; it was as if he existed solely as a point of awareness to interact with this luminous entity.
"Player 1045B3, state your name," the announcement resonated not in his ears, but in the very core of his being.
"Rex... Rex Axel," he answered, not through any familiar form of communication, but by thought alone. "Welcome to Cosmic Ascendance, Rex Axel," a response formed directly within his own mind.
. . . Silence prevailed for a moment. Then, a series of words began to manifest before his "vision," though he had no eyes to see with in the conventional sense.
+++++++
NAME: REX AXEL
AFFILIATION: EARTHBORNE
CLASS: -------
INSTINCT: 7
INTELLIGENCE: 6
SPEED: 8
STRENGTH: 7
VITALITY: 7
+++++++
"My base stats are being analyzed," he thought to himself, an internal observation that, in this realm, was akin to shouting.
"Yes, it is so," the entity confirmed.
"You will begin your Ascendance journey with the current stats of your mortal frame."
"Ohhh..." Rex projected, a slightly bashful feeling washing over him. He actively tried to quiet his mind, having now intimately experienced the peculiarity of conversing purely through thought. This was going to take some getting used to.
[Analyzing Moria's Thread… Threadpath found…]
The brightness of the light entity intensified marginally. Rex felt as if every single fiber of his existence was undergoing the most intense, invasive scrutiny. The intrusion was so profound, it was acutely painful, permeating every aspect of his being.
[Untangling thread knot….. Threadpath established…]
[Overlord Affinity established.]
As the last string of words appeared, his surroundings underwent a rapid transformation. The light from the entity blazed with overwhelming intensity, so potent that the darkness—which had seemed to possess a physical presence—completely vanished. All Rex could perceive was light, blinding and absolute.
[OVERLORD AFFINITY GREATER THAN 1%]
A single sentence materialized into view. Simultaneously, the piercing pain from the entity's intense analysis ceased. A deep, profound satisfaction flooded every fiber of his being in response—a satisfaction born simply from being freed from that invasive scrutiny.
"Player Rex, prior to your descent into the world of Cosmic Ascendance, you will challenge an Aspect Test," the entity announced. "This test is aimed at helping familiarize you with your potential class and ascertaining your class affinity."
Rex felt his non-existent brows raise. He was familiar with this development from his research; it was a brief challenge players faced before the game truly began. After the test, players were typically awarded a class and a useful skill or item that would be massively helpful during the initial stages.
"You can choose to challenge any of these three Paths:" > Path of the Warrior > The Specialist's Path > Summoner's Path"
"CHOOSE!!!!"
Rex's thoughts momentarily spiraled out of his conscious control. Based on everything he knew, there wasn't usually a choice at this specific point. Once a player's initial analysis was done, the Aspect Test was typically initiated with a brief, predetermined quest intro. This was new. This was… unexpected.
After a moment, Rex finally regained a hold on his extremely ecstatic thought process. He analyzed the three options.
The first, 'Path of the Warrior,' was straightforward—classes focused on combat.
The second, 'The Specialist's Path,' was far more intriguing; it led to the rarest class types. Edward was such a player, a herbalist with a completely different playstyle from the norm, capable of crafting potions and possessing unique abilities. Players who received a Specialist class often found their success in Cosmic Ascendance virtually certified.
His mind was already leaning towards the allure of the Specialist, but then his attention caught on the third option: 'Summoner's Path.' He knew nothing concrete about this path. From the name, it seemed to imply abilities related to summoning familiars or bonding with powerful creatures. But he had never, ever heard of such a playstyle existing in Cosmic Ascendance. The mystery of it tugged at him.
As Rex's mind wrestled with the dilemma—Specialist or Summoner, his desire strongly leaning towards the latter, the unknown—the light entity broke the silence once again.
"There is one more path available for you," it announced, the thought resonating with a new weight. "The Overlord Class Path."
"Overlord Class?" Rex repeated internally, the name itself sending a shiver of something powerful through his consciousness. "Yes," the entity affirmed. "But a penalty is attached to challenging this path." The next thought from the entity hit him like a physical blow. "Failure implies a ban from Cosmic Ascendance."
Rex's imaginary eyes widened to their utmost limit. "BAN?!" From all his research, there was no penalty attached to these initial Aspect Tests. They were more like assimilation gameplay, designed to familiarize players with the intense realism of Cosmic Ascendance.
But here he was, without ever having truly played the game or gotten a personal feel for its mechanics, being offered an Aspect Test where failure meant permanent expulsion.
Rex's mind raced, calculations and risk assessments flying. This wasn't just a game anymore; this was a monumental gamble. "After 33 seconds, the 'Overlord' option will be permanently erased from your play history," the entity stated.
Rex had an instinctive awareness that the phrase 'play history' was not as simple as it sounded. He felt that if this option were erased, he wouldn't even retain any memory of this unique, clandestine class path. It would be as if it never existed. His mind kicked into peak reasoning mode as a countdown materialized before him.
[31 >30> 29 . . .]
[7> 6> 5..]
"I choose the 'Overlord Path,'" Rex's thoughts finally consolidated into a single, unwavering sentence.
His decision wasn't impulsive. It was a culmination of who he was: a spark of desire for undeniable power, a significant measure of his perfectionistic personality that always sought the optimal or unique route, and a deep-seated, almost insatiable curiosity.
In essence, the choice was born from the very crux of his being. He had an inherent obsession with challenges, and a challenge so shrouded in secrecy, so laden with dire consequences, was 1000% irresistible to Rex. This was a test worthy of him.
[Overlord Path Chosen]
Establishing thread…
Thread Path 007 established for the Overlord Path
Establishing Ley line… . . . . . .
[Overlord Quest Initiated]
"Good luck, Rex Axel."
Rex perceived the unnatural voice for the final time—a voice that remained neither male nor feminine, neither endearing nor hateful, simply… other.
He was then assaulted by a grogginess several times more intense than what he had experienced when the Cosmic Pod first closed. This time, however, driven by the adrenaline of his choice, he managed to cling to his consciousness a little bit longer.
He felt an intense pull downwards, as if he were falling at a speed so massive it defied quantification. With his awareness being brutally assaulted by the encroaching mental fog, he forced his focus downwards, towards the direction he was being dragged.
He saw something that felt utterly alien to his current, disembodied self. A distant pulse of swirling colors. The vibrant, chaotic hues couldn't feel more foreign to the permissive darkness and the singular bright entity that had been his sole company for what felt like an eternity.
His final thoughts felt like wading through murky water as the profound grogginess finally, irrevocably, won.