I relaxed back on the couch, my two women snuggled up to me. They watched as I manipulated the World Map, gradually changing the red color representing enemy demons and monsters to green representing converted demons.
"So how can you have two extra bodies?" asked Diamond. "I'd understand if you created them from your own blood, since they'd share the same origin, but you just used mana. There shouldn't be enough in common to share what you call Definition, and each should have its own will."
I smirked, proud of the loophole I'd found. "I used my own qi. They are basically remote extensions of myself. That's why my Apocalypse body isn't bound to this location despite being my Aspect - it is part of me. My Preservation body is bound to me, since it isn't composed of pure Qi, but since Heaven exists as an extension of my Will, it can exist there."
"Ooh. Look at those." Robin pointed to four huddled red figures. Zooming in, I saw the demon generals, level 99. They had the form of beautiful angelic women, with four wings and glimmering halo crowns. Individually, they wouldn't be much of a problem if my cultists tag teamed them, but as a group, they were more of an issue.
I reached out and translocated them into the truck. They immediately tried to fight but I locked their space and magic down. Reaching into their minds, I twisted and thrust, making them mine.
"Go gather your critters, and send them to Hell." I flipped each of my angelic demons a Hellgate, and then sent them back.
"Good job, Robin. Let's see if there are any more groups like that." Until my new generals could join in the conquering, my troops were vulnerable to team ups. That would slow down my time table.
We sat back and looked at the globe. "Hold on, where's Apocalypse and the Demon King?" asked Diamond sharply.
"We're fighting on the moon. Don't worry, the DK is a wuss." Who would've thought?
We settled back again, looking to see if any more demons were forming an army. I sent my generals to a few locations where there were a few teaming up.
"Ok, this is bugging me," said Robin suddenly. "Why haven't you Ascended with the Heroic Gifts? You obviously can hurry the process along."
I smiled. "The Heroic Gifts merely automates Qi Ascension. You actually can't cross the threshold to godhood without a conscious effort. Qi Ascension also has the downside of giving you a broader Definition, thus changing who you are, and I'm not ready for that yet."
Diamond nodded. "We all should adjust our qi cultivation to reflect what kind of god we want to become. Constant horniness is not what I want for eternity. Robin, you should give some thought and meditation to this as well, as you're more than halfway to the Ascension threshold."
"Ladies, ten minutes before we have to decide where you want to go when I kill the Demon King. Heaven, where you'll be invulnerable, or Hell, where you can be reborn." I noted the suddenly thoughtful expression on Diamonds face upon receiving the mental rundown on why we would be safe.
"There is one more thing to consider. How close do you want your bond to be with me? If we continue our intimacy before your Ascension, you may find that you will lose all sense of boundaries in regards to me. Our Definitions will change to include each other, and we will literally become one person. If you want to retain a separate identity, that's fine, but you'll have to firm your Definition up with some conscious Qi cultivation."
I'd been noticing that sex not only joined our bodies, but our very souls seemed to include each other. I was unsure if it was because they were willingly joined to me as my wives, or if all sex had this effect. I'd have to observe the process more carefully later.
My wives sat in an uncomfortable silence, just thinking. Looking to talk about something else besides melding into one being, Robin instead said, "We should go to Heaven. We haven't seen what your Preservation Aspect looks like yet."
Diamond nodded. I shrugged and teleported us, truck and all, in front of my shawarma bar. "Ok, we're in Heaven!"
I felt Diamond make a decision, and she said, "Not yet. Let me change that for you." Robin looked regretful and started to get up.
I held her arm, feeling the conflict within her. It was simpler for Diamond, as she was tired of outliving her loved ones, and scared of being lonely. Robin was still young, and the idea of being bound intimately together to the point of non differentiation was scary for her.
"Robin, even if you don't want to go that far in marriage, it's fine. We can still include you, but you'll have to cultivate qi manually. Diamond can help you with that - she's the professional qi cultivator. You can also always change your mind, even after Ascension. I have methods of lowering your cultivation base so that melding becomes an option."
Robin looked into my eyes. "Thank you." Her worries assuaged, she kissed me. Diamond joined in, and things got heated.
One thing I noticed was that I was actually able to slow the melding for Robin with the Force. My Preservation body was always connected, and true to the nature of that Aspect, it was able to preserve her soul's independence. It wasn't able to do so entirely, however, because my Preservation Aspect stemmed from my selfishness.
Diamond, now that she knew what to look for and wanted it, was actually able to make faster progress in the melding process. I felt her entire being resonate with mine as she used the Force to become part of me. I resonated with her in turn. I liked this bold woman, and wanted her to be part of me.
Afterwards, we went out to the shawarma bar. The crowd of angels surrounding the truck made way for us, making sure to bow reverently toward us. Reaching the entrance, I noticed an angel standing ready behind the counter to serve us. It had figured out how to preserve and refill the food trays with magic, and steaming shawarma pitas and laffas lay on a platter before it. I picked one up and took a bite. It was the perfect medley of flavors and textures. The other offerings on the platter were no less perfect, as my wives and I found out after diving into the food. This angel deserved a raise!
I looked it in the eyes and said, "For mastery of the art of shawarma preparation, I hereby name you Chef Angel." It beamed with pride and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
We ordered some more shawarma, and I created a chuck roast steak roaster to fulfill my beef kick. Chef Angel adapted to the new ingredient admirably, and made us shawarmas that focused on the new beef flavor.
Chair Angel appeared and made us extremely comfortable wooden chairs with wide armrests to place our shawarmas down on. "Make another for Spagetti," I commanded. "He's sure to stop by." It nodded and made another one.
Spagetti did swung by while we were eating. I waved him over after he ordered from Chef Angel, who was much more real now that it had a direction for its cultivation.
"How did the evolution go? Did your System give you any good choices?" I asked him.
He made a face, and then took a bite. He made a much nicer face. "I got another two hours to decide. I actually wanted to talk to you about my choices, as well as thank you for giving me the opportunity to evolve my world." Apparently he had a body mod to speak with a full mouth also.
I grinned cheerfully. "That's what friends are for. You are quite welcome." I also got myself a Demon King crown out of the deal, but I wasn't going to mention that to him.
Diamond and Robin were hanging back, so I beckoned them over. "Diamond, Robin, this is Spagetti, your former god. Spagetti, this is Diamond and Robin, my wives." You caused the circumstances of my polygamy, after all, so meet the women you played matchmaker with.
He nodded to them. "Pleased to meet you." He wasn't fazed in the slightest, the jerk.
He turned back to me. "I wanted advice on my options. They all seem rather dire, so any comments will be helpful, including those of your wives." Did he realize how misogynistic that sounded?
I finished my shawarma and leaned back with a sigh. "Lay it out."
His eyes unfocused as he gazed at his System interface. "I am directly skipping the five that promise a barren wasteland world, because that won't let me level up. Here are the overviews:
1. Zombie Apocalypse - Mana infusion causes the dead to rise up en masse to devour the living. The living and dead have a high chance of mutation. Chance of a viable civilization is 35%. This includes the chance for a necropolis civilization.
2. No Magic - With their Will locked by the excess mana, mages no longer function, though old enchantments do. Possible gradual evolution to a scientific society. Chance of a viable civilization is 83%.
3. System Apocalypse - A System is installed to facilitate mana infusion. Sentients can choose their power, while non sentients get assigned powers according to their species and circumstances. A System will be fully integrated in every aspect of the world, and can never be removed. It will decide how everything grows, and everything will be Defined in System terms. Chance of a viable civilization is 60%.
4. Zombie System Apocalypse. A variation of the Zombie Apocalypse, but the infusion installs a System. Mana only infuses creatures with sentience, giving live ones the chance to evolve and dead ones the ability to live in undeath, hungering to consume life. Chance of a viable civilization is 75% (includes necropolis.)
5. Gate World - The excess mana warps reality and creates external connected pocket dimensions where monsters are spawned endlessly. If not kept in check, monsters will spill out of the Gate. System installation is not available due to insufficient mana levels. Without System installation, the chance of a viable civilization is 30%.
6. Dungeon World - The excess mana is condensed to form immortal dungeon cores that may lay claim to territories, using a mana bank to spawn monsters. The dungeon cores come with their own System to help them function and limit their power evolutions. System installation for inhabitants is not available due to insufficient mana levels. Without System installation, the chance of a viable civilization is 35%."
He leaned back and looked me in the eyes again. "I'm leaning toward the Zombie System Apocalypse because of its higher success rate and general entertainment value.. Thoughts?"