Dark Matter Ascension

"The Ascension Trial has several components." Xera held up a single finger, "First, you will have your ties to The Cosmic System tested. Almost everyone passes this. It is a 'safeguard' to ensure that no one has cheated the System's progression mechanics, and has the requisite twenty-five Class and twenty-five Advanced Class levels."

She held up another finger, "Second, you will be subjected to a test in a subsection of The Cosmic System. An encounter suited to your Class, then your Advanced Class. In your case, Swordmage will entail a fight with blending Skills. Edge, though…I have no idea what that could be."

She pulled her hand down and let it rest along her side. "After that, you will be imparted with The Cosmic System itself. This is beyond your Cosmic Infusion Skill. This is you becoming one with the System. This is…harder the higher Tier one is."

Ollie raised his paw, "That's where I can come in! I can help pull your consciousness out."

Xera nodded, "Think of it like submerging yourself into water, grabbing weights, and then trying to swim up to the surface. The weight in this analogy is your personalized 'slice' of the System you are trying to merge into yourself. Lower Tier Aspirants are only a few inches under the surface. You'll be far, far deeper and will have to breach the surface, or lose yourself within The Cosmic System."

She put a hand on his armored torso, "You must be sure of yourself. Know who you are. Have something to focus on with all your willpower."

"And when you breach the surface," Ollie added, "Then you will not just have access to The Cosmic System – you will always carry it with you. No matter where you go! Even other layers of reality." His face went from smiling and enthusiastic to somber, and he stopped swimming around happily. "And…then you…you'll have the option to dismiss me-"

Jace shook his head, "Never would dream of it."

Ollie immediately brightened and fist pumped, "Yes! Okay!"

Xera smiled, "When you have that part of the System with you, you'll be splitting Ollie off from the main Cosmic System proper and taking him with your personalized slice of the larger whole. He will be with you forever; but can still access the regular, larger System."

Jace nodded and looked around the white room, "I think I'm ready. Xera…thank you for all you did for me, and all that you are doing for me." He looked at Ollie, "Let's do it. Start up this Ascension Trial."

Ollie began flying in tight circles around Jace, surrounding him with glowing, starry-blue nebula clouds. "Here we go! See you on the other side!"

Reality blurred before Jace's eyes, and he willed his helmet to re-emerge, drew his sword, and activated his go-to Skills. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1), Void Stalker (Rank 1), Void Brand (Rank 1), Void Blade (Rank 17) [Rending], Void Shield (Rank 6). The white-grey energy thrummed around him, his sword dripped with the same liquid-white and grey color, but mixed with the crimson nebula clouds, and the tiny, black dot of the mine appeared on his torso.

The starlight blue of Ollie's spin became a solid, bright, shining blue vortex that fully surrounded Jace. He heard the Wayfinder's voice echo through the roaring tempest. "Ascension Trial – activating!"

The vortex ceased, and Jace was standing in an enormous, grassy field. He recognized it instantly. The purple, yellow, and green flowers. The waist-high grass that shifted between green and brown. The dark purple skies with sparkling stars. It was a recreation of Velenar Prime, the first world that he started this whole journey on.

Across from him he saw a familiar sight. It was him. Wielding the Starstorm Sword, surrounded with thrumming, Dark Matter as a protective encasement, and the purple blade dripping with crimson nebula. It was him, but the him from almost six months ago, post-Nihilethelea. The figure raised his sword in a ready stance. "Ready?" it asked in a robotic, monotone version of his own voice.

Jace nodded, "Not the first time I've beaten a duplicate."

"Arbiter's Ana-" the duplicate began to shout, presumably to shut down Jace's Void Shield.

Jace's thoughts were faster, and he rapidly fired off a Void Counter (Rank 10) to disable the use of Arbiter's Anathema for ten seconds. Then, he ran forward, closing the distance with a few easy, loping strides. The hostile version of himself stabbed forward. Jace parried the stab and punched with his Anathema Arm, willing the Arbiter's Anathema Skill to activate as he disabled the Dark Matter Shield. His fist cracked into the him-from-the-past's face, sending him spiraling and spinning through the air. The Void Brand was imparted with the hit, and other-him began to have the grey-white miasma spread from the impact point.

The older version of him recovered mid-air with a Dark Energy Mine, used their grapple line to affix themselves to the ground, and pulled themselves down as they threw the Starstorm Sword with their other hand. Jace turned with perfect timing and grabbed the hilt of the sword as it flew past him. Keeping it firmly in his grip, he ran forward and chopped down at his past-self version.

The purple rectangle of the Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2) was imposed between the two, and Jace felt the stolen blade disappear from his grip. Older me can summon it still. Right. Jace struck the shield, and thanks to his Swordmage Stance's [Astral Annihilator] Evolution, the shield was sundered, and his blade stabbed down into the torso of other-him.

That other him also had the same Skill, and chopped at Jace's Void Shield, disabling it and scoring a gash that began to spread the [Rending] and Dark Matter Blade effects. It was the first time Jace had felt the effects on himself, and it was quite the odd sensation. The bleeding, crimson nebula felt like a tingling "foot falling asleep" sensation that began to spread from the initial slice. The purple micro-singularities that also began to spread was like prickling needles.

And the other him began to heal from Dark Matter Mending [Vampiric].

Jace's stab had also begun to spread the power of Void Blade and [Rending], and he thought Dark Matter Mending (Rank 4) [Vampiric], replicating the feat of recovery from other him. Is this what it's going to be? Just use hitting each other and healing from it?

Jace kept hacking at the other-him, and the other-him kept stabbing at Jace. Each time the Starstorm Sword stabbed into Jace's side, he would let out a grunt of pain and return the blow in turn. But he was winning against his duplicate, because Void was actively destroying, whereas Dark Matter was just harming.

The battle of endurance was already decided. And after a minute of painful exchanges of swings, the duplicate Jace was fully engulfed by the white-grey of Void and vanished. Jace felt the foot-falling-asleep sensation fade immediately, and his Dark Matter Mending was able to fully repair his body. The NICIF in him also repaired his armor.

The landscape shifted and distorted, and Jace found himself standing atop the Empire State Tower. He was facing another version of himself. The version of himself from Earth. It held a duplicate of Nethaldrim, had the improved armor equipped, the Steelstalker Sabatons, and the Ghostlight Grapple. Their body blazed with crimson from Wrath's Embrace, the purple of Void Shield, and the sparkling gold and silver dust from Hope's Edge.

Jace sighed. This is another fight with a foregone conclusion. Void Counter (Rank 10) [Storing]. He deactivated Hope's Edge from his duplicate, and thanks to [Storing], was able to use it on himself. Void Shield (Rank 6) [Reflecting]. He dashed forward and met other-him in a clash of sword-on-sword. The leg-blades popped out of his duplicate's feet, and they began a dizzying assault of kicks with foot-knives, chops with the sword, and Dark Matter Darts.

Jace let them hit, and the [Reflecting] property absolutely obliterated his duplicate's defenses. The crackling crimson nebula amplified, but Jace just used another Void Counter (Rank 10) [Storing] to take that Skill and apply it to himself. With the six-times increase to his physical traits, the older him stood no chance. Jace utterly obliterated his duplicate within seconds in a fierce exchange of strikes. Consumed by the Void.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The world became black. All encompassing darkness in all directions. And a System screen floated in front of him.

-----

[Congratulations on completing part one of your Ascension Trial.]

[You have demonstrated mastery over your [Swordmage] Class.]

[Prepare for part two.]

[ERROR.]

[ [Edge] Class cannot be quantified.]

[Defaulting to Architect Protocol T8YN7-V4RYH-MU43.]

-----

That can't be good, Jace thought as the entire world shifted from that blackness. He was floating in space. In nothingness. Just like when he had fought Star Father. He could see all of the Cosmic and Ascended power symbols floating off in the distance, like far off stars that he could barely make out.

A face appeared in front of him. A face the size of a planet that utterly dwarfed him. It was familiar and caused his breath to catch for just a second. The person looked like Xera. But they were older. And then the mouth opened, and a mechanical voice spoke. "Unexpected Anomaly detected," the blended voice said. It was a mix of voices – male, female, varying pitch and tone. A harmonious whole. As if an entire species were recorded saying the same lines, and they were laid over each other.

"Uhm…what do I do to pass this part of the Ascension Trial?" Jace asked.

"Calculating…Non-Architect user detected in Architect-restricted area of The Cosmic System. Scanning memories…stand-by…"

Jace felt a wicked pulsating pain against his temples. The worst migraine he had ever experienced as his vision went white and he felt nauseated as something rifled through his thoughts. He was incapacitated by the pain, and all was agony until it wasn't. Blissful release from the pain as he gasped from the sudden relief.

"Calculations completed. User Jace Seren, codename Wraith, has achieved Tier 10. Unknown class [Edge] has been quantified from user override - Technology Support and System Designer E56745-XY-5R3, Xera'tal Pen'arkon. Initiating part two of Ascension Trial. Thank you for your patience."

The enormous face vanished, and Jace was left floating in that space, surrounded by starlight and the various power symbols. He saw something big off in the distance. An enormous vehicle of some type that took up his whole vision. It was covered in spikes that arced with pink electricity. The same voice from earlier spoke, but came from all around him. "[Edge] user must demonstrate capabilities. Part two of Ascension Trial – destroy hostile entity from another universe."

Okay so I just have to blow this thing up. Jace turned his orientation towards the thing and used his armor's integrated Sliver Arc to move towards the distant object. It began to turn towards him, and he could see those spikes all move and shift to point at him. The crackling, pink energy that was cascading along its exterior began to gather at where all of the points converged.

Arbiter's Anathema, Jace thought as he activated the Skill. But it did nothing to the accumulating beam. Oh damn, he thought, this thing is from another universe. Or simulated to be. And Arbiter's Anathema just deactivates a Skill. But whatever that is is not a Skill. It's some type of ship cannon.

The beam fired, and Jace immediately activated Void Shield (Rank 6) [Reflecting] and Hope's Edge. The enormous ray of pink, crackling lightning slammed into him – and then bounced back. It arced into the ship, but the ship did not blow up. The energy seemed to charge it up further, and it unleashed another, bigger blast.

The positive feedback loop kept going, the beam growing stronger each time it bounced off of Jace's Void Shield and was recaptured and launched once more. "Ollie, what is it?"

His Wayfinder's voice did not respond. If I had him, he could maybe analyze it, and I could use Void Removal to prevent it from existing in the space near me. Think, Jace. What are your options here? Void Beam is the only real option. He held his hand up as he continued his flight across the cosmos towards this vessel. Void Beam (Rank 3) [Piercing].

The beam of grey-white energy, raw nothingness to all except Jace's eyes, blasted ahead of him. It pierced through the center of the now-returning, incredibly amplified beam – carving a safe channel down the center of the path. The beam lanced into the ship, boring through it. But that ship was massive, and the hole that was bored through it was sealed off by bulkheads.

Is this what I'm going to have to fight in the Astral Verge? Jace thought. Enormous ships from other universes? Drawing on his primal hide, he refilled his energy to full. Then I guess I need something bigger. Void Beam (Rank 1) [Horizon-Splitter].

Reality was torn asunder before Jace. Everything ceased to be as the cosmos vanished in a cone before him. The ship was utterly annihilated, wiped from existence. And Jace was exhausted. He sagged and was sucking in deep, ragged breaths.

-----

[Congratulations on completing part one of your Ascension Trial.]

[You have demonstrated mastery over your [Edge] Class.]

[Prepare for final integration.]

-----

Jace was no longer in the cosmos and vast expanse of open space. He was standing over a massive, black pool. Looking down at the pool he saw his reflection. And deeper, he could see the glittering gold and silver of the Starlit Sea and the deeper Cosmic System.

There was a pop and Ollie appeared next to him. "Hey! You survived!"

"Yeah, I did," Jace replied as he kept taking recovery breaths. "What now?"

"Well…you are going to sink. Down to the very depths of The Cosmic System, in all likelihood." Ollie put a paw on Jace's shoulder, "I cannot go with you, but I will be your guiding light up here, shining like a beacon so you do not get lost."

"And if I can't get back?"

Ollie went quiet, and his face took on a stern, resolved expression. "We have not come this far for that to happen. You will succeed. You will survive. For her. Both of them. Your friends, your allies. You got this."

Jace nodded and was about to reply, but the surface he was standing on became like liquid and he sunk. Immediately, he sunk all the way down, down into inky blackness. A blackness and darkness he never knew could exist. The slight gold and silver sparkles vanished as well, and the oppressive nothingness pushed against him from all sides.

He felt his feet impact something, and trying to look down saw a very faint, green handle that lit up the dark. This must be the thing I have to pull up with me. Jace crouched down, grabbed it, and began to lift.

It would not budge.

And Jace began to choke as his whole body seized up.

Survive.

The thought pulsed through his mind.

Survive.

The spasms of his body ceased, and he felt the object in his grip. There, in the depths of The Cosmic System, the deepest part of that Starlit Sea that represented the liminal space between reality and this layer atop it created by The Architects long, long ago…Jace pulled.

For her.

He grit his teeth and hefted, pulling whatever the handle was attached to up and out of the surface below. A green, glowing cube of some sort that provided illumination. It shifted colors through the whole visible spectrum and then settled on the purple representing Dark Matter, with the white-grey of Void.

A flash of bright, starlit blue from above caught his attention. Jace looked up, and saw the tiny, glimmering beacon. He could not breathe; he could not think. And yet a single, primal instinct surged through him.

Survive.

The mantra that had been guiding him for the entirety of his life. From the orphanage, to his life on the streets, through the entire last year of this whole experience with The Cosmic System. Visiting other worlds. Almost dying on numerous occasions. He could not think, but that instinct pushed him on. And he pushed off the floor of wherever he was and began kicking for the surface.

The weight in his hands was pulling on him. And as he began to fight higher and higher the glittering of silver and gold flecks began to appear. But he was tiring, slowing, and as his ability to think came back to him and he could process rationally, a fear went through him. I'm not going to survive this.

Immediately, not a split-second after thinking that, he visualized the people he would be letting down if he failed. If he died. Shhiv. Chroma. Priam, Greg, Dee, Quinn. The hundreds of thousands he had killed. The trillions who had perished in the framework of The Cosmic System. The people who Xera wanted him to save. Held by a hostile entity from another layer of reality.

I'll get her back. He swam higher.

I'll get them all back. He kicked, and the blackness could not hold him.

I'll survive. The black sea filled with more glimmers of gold and silver. The starlight-blue of Ollie above him began to take shape into the familiar otter form.

Survive for her, he thought as he kept kicking, pulling up the cube from the depths of this space. A vision of Chroma passed through his mind's eye, the smile and laughter of his sister on the swing. Her affection towards him. Her big brother.

Survive for her, the thought raced across his mind once more as he kept kicking for the surface. The vision of Chroma was replaced by Shhiv. The person he'd fallen for. Who he wanted to spend his eternity with exploring the universe and visiting all types of fantastic locales. Who deserved everything the universe had to offer.

He breached the surface and took in deep, shaky breaths as he coughed up the black, liquid starlight with gold and silver flecks. Hoisting himself atop the now-solid liquid, he hefted the weird, purple and white cube.

Ollie flew around and let out a whoop of delight, "You did it!"

Jace fell back onto his butt and looked at the cube. "What now?"

Ollie flew to the cube, twisted the handle, and the top came off. "Now…you Ascend." He grabbed Jace's hand and shoved it into the box.

Jace's vision went pure white, and he felt a tremendous surge of energy that coursed through his body. Every nerve was tingling with joyous rapture as he was consumed by every possible emotion one could feel in less than a second. Then it was over, and the box before him was empty.

Ollie let out a whistle, "Damn. That was…well…you were at the deepest part of The Cosmic System." He put his little paws together in a contemplative gesture. "Now you decide…do you dismiss me, or do you embrace me?"

Jace spread his arms, "Come here, you adorable little fuzz-tube."

Ollie flew into his open arms and the two shared a hug. The warm, soft fur tickled slightly. "Thank you, Jace." Ollie said, his voice filled with emotion.

The white room returned around them, and Jace looked around. Xera was standing there, and she let out a breath of relief. "You did it," she said, breathlessly.