Daily Short: Matt 09

3rd Y.A.M., 2nd Month of the Dark Arrival.

One of the few things that one’s immortality granted an individual was the pleasure of watching a plan come together.

Over the endless span of his life, Matt enjoyed that quite often.

Dove had been working on the Dark Underworld for nearly eleven and a half millennia. It wasn’t an easy spell, even for an undead genius. However, now that it was complete, the plan's next step to relieve boredom could start. The Creator race made two central Systems before they retreated near the Anomaly and vanished. Matt knew both of them like the back of his extra-dimensional hands.

The first and most well-known System was the Twenty Die one, loosely based on the Dungeons, Dragons, and Deeps roleplay game. There were a few differences depending on the relation to the Anomaly, but they were minor.

The second System was known as the Reforged Universe one. It was based on a complex series of gameplay that appeared easy at first glance. As with most Systems, the devil was in the details. Matt instead preferred it because the System had a neat personality.

Due to that, Matt chose to test the Dark Underworld reality construct Spell on the Twenty Die side of the equation. The choice was based on personal preferences and the six hundred- and sixty-six-coin flips Matt performed with a finger snap.

Now to find a piece of Reality to test drive this little toy. Matt thought, looking out over the layers of reality controlled by the Twenty Die System near his territories. Ah, there we go.

Matt shifted his form, warping, and blurring until he had donned the appearance of a powerful Lich. Evil steeped from his state, the pure shame of darkness burning off him like smoked dust. He wasn’t able to completely conceal his power. Anyone that observed him casually without protection would suffer. However, that wasn’t his problem, so he moved through reality like a shadow fish swimming with a local temporal anomaly bubble.

Appearing floating near the moon, Matt looked down over the peaceful world. It was a place where magic and technology had been utilized effectively. Their power system was a variant based decisively around the number Ten. Before he could continue, a powerful presence of mana rippled into existence in front of Matt.

Matt narrowed his eyes, looking at the entity before he said, “Archmage, are you choosing to interfere?”

An old wizened man looked calmly at Matt and replied, “I have seen the horrors you create casually. I cannot stop you, but I can give a sliver of hope to counter the Dark.” Power burst forth in a wave synchronizing with the planet's population below.

Matt watched curiously as the mana of the Archmage shifted reality at the very fabric where it met the Twenty Die. Like a computer receiving an addon, a portion of reality was woven, granting the mortals a gift.

“Interesting,” Matt said. He wasn’t worried about the Archmage escaping. Unless someone could move faster than the speed of Dark, it was easier to run through a black hole than the space around him.

“Eventually, your toy will fail. The shroud it casts will be broken, and the worlds thus freed will hunt you down.” Archmage said, even as his flesh and bones boiled away into nothingness.

“Did I say you could depart?” Matt said, twisting causality until the Archmage appeared hale and healthy. The newly confused young man looked horrified to be living once more. It was a demonstration of power that didn’t even make Matt flinch.

The Archmage struggled to attempt to detonate his soul mana, but it was to no avail. Matt smiled at the struggling wizard before pointing a pale white finger at the world below.

“Dark Underworld,” Matt said with glee. A shimmering arch of ebony darkness arose from the planet’s surface causing worldwide panic. Things got even worse as the first of Dove’s Legion marched out of the portal.

“You’re a monster.” Archmage spat at Matt.

“Only someone who hasn’t seen true monsters can say such things,” Matt said, watching as the world began to fall to the Darkness. Turning, he gave the Archmage his full attention. The world would fall without delay unless the highest Angels inhabiting it struck the Dark Underworld. Were they to do so, at the cost of their lives, it would temporarily alter the gateway. Even then the spell had a nasty component that removed the memory of its existence from those that escaped. Dove’s genius ensured the Pantheons of Light wouldn’t be able to learn of the issue quickly.

“Light will always win against the Dark.” Archmage said with venom.

“Sad to say, that is complete bullshit,” Matt said, amused.

I want to obliterate him, but he has provided some entertainment value. Mat thought, looking down at the world below. Yes, I can’t kill those who entertain me so well. Let’s place him into the lightbulb.

Archmage moved to speak again, but Matt twisted space around the young man. A snap echoed as the wizard was displaced into the Solar Forge. It was an appropriate punishment that would see the Archmage melted down into components. Once that was done, Matt settled down to watch.

The next best thing to being a hero was watching one.