Story by: Rhenhwa.
Virtual God's Online
Chapter 7: "Fragment fall"
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, organizations, and settings depicted are entirely fictional and created for storytelling purposes.
***
Inside a digitized dark space, Alcor stood silently as data flickered around him like falling stars.
[Deitronic Core // Akasha Simulation v.Ω]
› You have received a Deific-Ranked Invitation to join:
████[ DEICIDE PROTOCOL: FRAGMENTFALL ]████
[Preliminary Assessment Rank: CLASS V — Lesser Deity]
[World Fragment Loadout: 3 Realms | Entropy Timer: Adaptive]
[Simulation Risk: Irreversible Decompilation upon failure]
› Do you wish to accept this invitation?
[ Accept ] [ Decline ] [View Fragment Data]
The glowing prompts hovered, suspended in the digital void to which he answered with a nod.
"I'm ready."
[Acknowledge.]
[Game Set.]
[Decision Set.]
› Initializing: [DEICIDE PROTOCOL: FRAGMENTFALL]
[Simulation Host: Akasha]
[Here are the rules of the game:]
— Objective:
All participants must obtain the Key to the Seed to clear the simulation.
— Deployment:
Each Deity will be assigned to one of eight World Fragments.
— Qualification:
You must defeat a minimum of five Shadow Deities within your assigned Fragment to qualify for Seed Entry.
— Key Acquisition:
Upon qualification, you will receive one Key tied to your divine ID.
— PvP Clause:
There are no restrictions on intercepting or engaging other Deities.
Keys can be stolen, bartered, or forcibly taken.
— Entropy Collapse:
World Fragments are subject to Akasha's entropy override.
Remain too long, and the fragment will decompile—along with everything inside it.
[The first to reach the Seed with a valid Key clears the simulation.]
› All actions are monitored.
› Proceed with Intent.
[ Initiate Descent ] [Review Fragment Lore] [Abort Protocol]
[Do you understand?]
"I do."
Lute had already explained the game to him, so Alcor more or less accepted whatever was coming next.
[Alright. Syncing participants.]
[Participant Scan: Complete.]
[Total Deities: 28]
[Fragment Loadouts: Randomized]
[Syncing... Standby.]
[Sync Complete.]
› Best of luck to all participants.
[Initiating Descent Sequence in 3…]
2…
1…
[Entering Lobby.]
› Welcome to the Interfractal Lobby.
This is your final preparation zone before Fragmentfall.
You may:
[View Assigned Fragment]
[Inspect Known Shadow Deities]
[Preview Other Participants]
[Ready for Drop]
[Warning: Lobby time is limited. Akasha reserves the right to force deployment.]
His body broke down into particles of zeros and ones, before reassembling him elsewhere.
The new space formed around him with a synthetic pulse.
A massive facility with a ceiling stretching endlessly above, glass panels lining its walls and glowing pathways.
"Oh…"
Glancing around, he counted over twenty figures already scattered across the lobby, each occupying their own little zone.
Some seated, some standing, others casually inspecting the interface panels around them.
Yet despite the distance, one thing was certain: their eyes were all on him.
It felt like tension could explode into a fight at any moment if someone so much as coughed wrong.
'Let's… ignore them for now.'
Thinking that, he quietly made his way to an empty, dimly lit corner, where he could observe without being observed.
Settling down, he called up his interface.
[Time Left: 03:22]
A bright countdown ticked down seconds with unsettling calm.
More than just a timer, it was the prelude to chaos.
"Can't keep in touch with Lute. So simulations are a non-transmission zone."
A quick sigh escaped his lips.
He leaned back against the cold wall, his eyes shutting, allowing himself a moment of silence before it all began.
The lobby steadily grew louder as more deities began to arrive.
In the end, they numbered around fifty.
"Oh, so you're participating, too?"
"I got dragged into it, thanks to a certain someone."
"Geez, you're right."
A few had already begun forming cliques—loose alliances at best.
Their conversations were in low tones, yet now and then, he could feel their eyes flicker toward him.
'I really am at a disadvantage, aren't I…?'
He murmured internally, but a small, barely noticeable smirk curled at the edge of his lips for a moment.
Then the announcement echoed—
[Attention.]
› All participants, prepare for simulation launch.
› Final preparations will conclude shortly.
[Notice:]
You will be transferred once more—to the Loading Space—prior to deployment.
› Maintain cognitive stability during the transfer.
› Fragmentfall will begin upon Akasha's signal.
[System Pulse: Stabilizing Deific Mindspaces…]
[Standby for relocation.]
In unison, every figure in the lobby dissolved into a cascade of shimmering data—streams of glowing numbers.
Alcor, too, broke down into fragments of code, pulled into the void once more.
Darkness.
Then, a new interface glowed before him. A simplistic digital clock counting down from sixty.
[00:59]
"So, when it ticks down, the game starts…"
Muttering that to himself, he nodded. Everything was randomly chosen, including where he landed.
No visual maps would be given; everything would be at the deity's own authority.
That is, other than dumping them onto the battlefield, that is all.
[00:00]
The moment the countdown hit zero, his body broke apart again, decompiled by the system's will.
And then, the final directive came:
[Finishing Countdown…]
[5]… [4]… [3]… [2]… [1]
[Decision Protocol — Online.]
› Final Directive: DECIDE.
[ DECIDE ]
***
A rush of simulated wind struck his face. Rays of synthetic sunlight bathed his form.
An eerie, digital weight pressed on his chest like a false sense of gravity.
His eyes snapped open mid-descent; he was falling, free-falling.
[Location: Desert Plain]
From the stratosphere, with clouds beneath him and scorching winds racing past, Alcor witnessed the grand layout of the game's stage.
"Simulated Stars, huh?"
To the far left and right, he could see a different star, and beyond them were other stars lined up in a circular pattern.
"That would mean…"
Just as he thought.
Looking back, he saw a massive, golden tree on what looked like an elevated platform.
Though separated by planetary distances, divine eyes could perceive it all with clarity, as though it stood only a few steps away.
"Enough marvelling."
Responding to his own sense of balance, Alcor attempted to fly—only to immediately falter mid-air.
"A no-fly zone again?"
His brows knit in annoyance.
From the ground below, any observer would witness a black streak slicing through the sky before crashing down.
The landing shook the terrain—an audible THUD! echoed across the desert.
"Cough—bleh, bleh."
He groaned, spitting out grains of virtual dust that got into his mouth.
The area around him had caved in slightly from the sheer force of his impact.
Taking a brief moment to scan his surroundings, he scratched his head.
He had a general sense of how this game might unfold.
"If I can't fly, then…"
Tensing his legs and channeling strength through his body.
He launched himself forward with a burst of speed, darting away from the crater and deeper into the unknown land ahead.
The game had officially begun.
Shinto Star
"It has begun."
Inside a traditional Japanese-style room, complete with tatami floors and sliding doors.
A girl wrapped tightly in a straightjacket squirmed on the floor.
That girl—Ageha—wriggled like a worm, bouncing off the ground in pure, uncontainable excitement.
Too much excitement, if anything.
Watching alongside her were Amaterasu and Susanoo, both seated calmly, letting out synchronized sighs at her antics.
But it wasn't just them.
Lute, who was temporarily watching Alcor's Star Anchor, stood by the high windows of the castle.
"Good luck, Al."
There were many watching—not just allies.
Some bore good intentions, while others watched with schemes in mind.
And yet, all eyes were fixated on a single point.
The one at the center of it all.
Alcor Blackstar.