Otherworldly Trials [LITRPG Adventure]

Deep within the white void of the inter-mid planes, different from the usual inner world that people from Tarial often visited, resided several beings that no person had ever laid eyes on.

One looked ahead, his gaze so distant that one can believe he had no mind to speak of. Yet, in his vision he saw several countless lifetimes across several planes of existence, each one an experience that barely anyone can handle without sufficient stats and skills.

In one such instance in his vision, a large tower had been destroyed and caused a large destruction that disrupted the flow of energies within the pocket dimension. If it is handled carefully, it would corrupt and destabilize the dimension and slowly kill off the countless souls that lived in it. It was the sort of poison that would slowly eat away at the fabric of reality, showing nothing but the change in the winds and small erratic behaviors from the creatures that lived there.

He let out a heavy sigh at the loss of such a wonderful creation, only to leave behind such a catastrophe of untold proportions due to… unexpected difficulties.

"Then again, would it not be natural to assume this would occur if one pushed those towers to the limit in capacity?"

The project of the otherworlders, the towers that can exist in Tarial without rhyme or reason, the trials. Each one was happening all at once that were out of his control, or anyone's control, if he was honest with himself.

And he should be honest with himself. Why did he have a reason to lie? After all, nobody would question the God of Kinetics.

Still, there was a reason why he was here in this empty void of a realm rather than be in his domain where he can fully expand on his powers further. Things in the Divine Realm are a bit hectic, enough to even keep a god with a cool head to stay out and avoid trouble.

The system was going through a change, and they needed to be prepared. It occurred once every few millennia, and this time, the system was ready to expand even further than before. It even brought people from a different world into the scene.

The God of Kinetics knew there were other worlds out there. Just as there are many stars in the sky, there are as many planets with their own living organisms and histories. However, this was the first time he ever witnessed the system actively assimilating another world into the mix. If he was honest, he was excited for the prospect.

Unfortunately the excitement died rather quickly when politics came about. Shaking his head, he stood up on his feet.

"Well, well, look who's here? Didn't think I'd find you in this place of all places."

Another voice made the God of Kinetics flinch; at least that's what he wanted to do. However, you don't get to be a god by not being aware of your surroundings at all times. Even if he wasn't as talented in the magical arts, it doesn't take a divine being much effort to expand their surroundings not just to far away places, but around their vicinity as well.

Turning around, he met another god. Another god who, quite frankly, wasn't sure whether he liked or not.

A beautiful goddess in all but name, her platinum blond hair streaked stylishly down her armored back with a grin plastered on her perfected round face. She stood prideful and tall, yet there was grace in each of her movements as she walked forward. Raising her hand up, she tapped him on the top of his bulky chest, rubbing it rather teasingly with a grin to match for it.

"Now I wonder what good ole' Kinetics is doing here of all places? A rendezvous? A coup-d'etat? Oh? Could it be a rebellion? A true born, all bloody rebellion to take down the gods and take everyone's lives for your own? You know how much I want to have fun, so why didn't you invite me to it?"

"Enough, Atariel," The god of Kinetics snapped back to the Goddess of Endurance. "You know as well as I know that doing that would bring nothing but trouble."

The Goddess of Endurance only groaned in displeasure, actually slapping his chest with her hand in retaliation. "You're boring, Chabrin. You always have been."

"I'm surprised you're here at all," Chabrin said, ignoring her plight entirely as he brushed off the part where she slapped him. "I thought you loved the chaos."

"I do. But that's not chaos. That's just a bunch of old people disagreeing with each other."

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

"Those 'old people' are capable of destroying the world if they so desire."

"Now that would be fun, but the system made sure that wouldn't happen even if we wanted to."

Chabrin agreed, though he never liked the idea of messing with the world. He always found it tiring, a bit too hectic for his kind of personality.

"So, what've you been looking at all this time?"

Atariel went over to where Chabrin once was, and pulled out a telescope out of nowhere. She placed the socket near her eye, which made Chabrin wonder whether she actually even bothered to try using her power to see. She can completely do so, but she preferred to skip the therapeutic process of channeling power and would rather just use quick access items. Such a waste.

She whistled loudly, understanding what Chabrin had been looking at. It wasn't a surprise, considering the towers were all the rage lately in the upper realms.

"Figures that shitty tower would've been destroyed sooner or later. So, who did it in? The otherworlders? Or was it just that shitty in design?"

"Anything created by the God of Strength would always fall to simple logic," The God of Kinetics shook his head. He can never truly understand that brute's thinking process. "Honestly, who could plug in so many otherworlders in one place? The stability would be bound to be disrupted at some point. Unfortunately, neither of those things happened. The trial started in that tower."

"Seriously?"

Atariel lowered her telescope, disappearing into particles that drifted away before looking over at him. Her eyes were wide, as though truly in surprise.

"The trial started inside the tower? Was that supposed to happen?"

"Not at all, as far as I am aware of the system's protocols," Chabrin answered. "However, due to that tower's design, several invaders stepped through the tower's internal network, causing several imbalances that proved to be fatal to its flawed structure."

"Invaders? You mean the people of Tarial entered inside?"

"Precisely," Chabrin nodded. "It was a mess. It is a wonder how the pocket dimension even survived the outcome. One of the invaders was a Master, so she knew how to work things well."

"Well now, a Master of all things," Atariel shook her head ruefully. "The mortals are in for a rude awakening then."

"Yes," Chabrin narrowed his eyes. "Soon, things would only get more chaotic."

…..

Zoan knew that someday, Zeke and Mikella would do the impossible and not only saved several otherworlders from their horrid fate, but also faced a creature of the trial and survived.

Unfortunately, she only learned of that during the time she had lost consciousness–or rather, losing the connection she had with the mini-vessel she had created to keep herself leashed to the physical world. She ended up here instead–in the void where nothing happened.

To say it was the void was not entirely correct. It was really the plane where only angels existed, where they transfer in between from one realm to another. If she would call it something, it would be the same as the pocket dimension Arcelot, but much grander in scale.

As for why she was disconnected; the tower's destruction as well as the release of several otherworlders into the world of Tarial proved too much for her current state to survive in her mini-vessel, the vessel she created resembling Clara. That was why her fake Clara body was stuck in a coma-like state while her real state of being, not her soul or mind, rested here in the void.

She liked to call it the void because it was to her. There was nothing to do. No books to read. It was hell for her, and the only satisfactory thing she could do is recall how Zeke and Mikella came back and survived.

The fact that a trial occurred in a tower of all things was not supposed to happen. Nor should it happen in the first place. She wasn't quite sure on the details, but she knew from her connection as an angel that the creature of the trial was not normal, at least according to the system.

Something was happening, and she had a feeling that the gods of the several pantheons were responsible for it. As the system changed to become better, it was only natural that the gods, who are intricately linked to the system, would use the chance to make some changes themselves–for better or worse.

Thankfully, it won't be long before she can return again, and this time she is able to finally reveal what they need to do–what they need to prepare for.

But if she was honest… she wasn't sure exactly what they needed. If the creature nearly killed them even after all the improvements they made, it was clear that no amount of advice or information could help.

If she perhaps had her powers, she may bend the rules to their favor, but that would run the risk of angering the system, and would possibly make things worse for the otherworlders thanks to the aid of the angels.

The only thing she can do is wait for more information, particularly from the other angels. Hyralc was one of those angels she was eagerly waiting for. She wanted nothing more than to stay away from him back at the other realm, so it was quite ironic that she needed him back now.

Then again, she hoped against hope that she could at least find another angel to gripe with. Surely someone would understand her plight and keep her company.

"...I wonder if Clara is okay."

Those words escaped her non-existent lips, not realizing that she would have never said those words in this state of being before.

Truly, the world is going mad.