Jacob spent the rest of the night exploring his powers; it was exactly as Lucifer said—he had power over every element. Not only the primary ones like earth, water, air, and fire, but even those like lightning, metal, etc.
"I advise you to focus on gaining a deeper understanding of your powers. Of course, I'm here to guide you when you encounter roadblocks. Also, you should try to increase your soul strength; it's so pitifully small. As my envoy, we can't be having that."
"Relax, old man, it's not as bad as you make it seem. Look, I've been at it all night and haven't broken a single-"
Suddenly, Jacob froze, unable to move a muscle. He fell to the ground, attempting to get his lungs to work. His body wasn't responding, and even his attempt to force air into his lungs seemed like an illusion his mind had fabricated.
"Tch... What's with kids these days not listening to their elders? They probably blame me for that too."
A couple of hours passed before Jacob stirred awake. The past few hours were hellish; he felt like he was recovering cell by cell before his body returned to normal. It sure wasn't a pleasant experience.
"You're lucky you're my envoy, child. Any other, and you'd be visiting me in the flesh now."
"What the heck was that?"
"That was your second death. Thankfully, you already had what was effectively two extra souls in you, so you have two more chances."
"Hehehe... So it's just that. For a second there, I thought I died. You know, I've not really slept for a while now."
"Now's not the time for that, child. It seems it's beginning."
Immediately after Lucifer finished speaking, Jacob felt his surroundings shift. When he came through the slight disorientation, he found he wasn't within the abandoned city again. In fact, he felt he was far, far away from where he was just a second ago. However, before he could take it all in, a voice he was oh so familiar with whispered to his ears.
"Welcome. I see you're beginning to realize, even if only a little."
However, when he turned to maybe catch a glimpse of the face behind the sultry voice that sought to tempt him, he couldn't find anyone.
"Lucifer, do you have any idea who she is?"
Unfortunately, the didactic voice he was expecting wasn't there.
"Lucifer?"
"Are you just gonna remain quiet? Why aren't you saying anything?"
While Jacob was talking, his eyes darted about, taking everything in. The first thing he noticed was how right his initial conjecture was—he truly was far away, probably from Earth itself.
The second thing he realized was that he wasn't alone. There were six others standing within meters of him, but for some reason, he couldn't identify them. Their faces were blurred out, like someone wiped the face of a portrait painting that wasn't yet dry.
But for some strange reason, he felt a sense of familiarity with them, like they were mates or colleagues of sorts, leaving him feeling a bit disgruntled.
The seven of them were standing in what he knew was outer space, amidst nebulae and stars, giant gravitational bodies he knew to be planets and asteroids of various sizes just floating about. It was nothing like he knew it to be—the dark void-like image he had in his head was nothing compared to the beauty before him—the myriad of colors, the slow-moving planets, and even the stars that genuinely seemed to twinkle.
Everything came together, resonating with each other like elaborate cogs of a complex machine that functioned without any redundancies.
It all left him in awe of the power of these so-called Gods; he himself began to wonder if one day he would be capable of this. After all, it didn't seem all that difficult given the skill set Lucifer provided him. The moment he had this thought, his already black eyes seemed to give off a shine that appeared in his eyes before quickly vanishing like it was never there.
Unbeknownst to him, someone actually caught the change within him. Lucifer, who had been observing Jacob all this time, was shocked at his thoughts.
"It...it can't be. Abyssal power! In a mortal?"
"Maybe I'm mistaken. There's no way I wouldn't have felt it when I possessed his body before...I think."
While Jacob was still taking it all in, the voice spoke again, only this time it wasn't a whisper. It was loud enough for everyone to hear yet soft enough to retain its allure.
"Welcome, chosen warriors. Champions of mortality assembled beneath the cosmic tapestry as the heavens themselves bear witness to a celestial symphony—a spectacle where you, draped in what you perceive as divine splendor, shall partake in a cosmic clash that reverberates through the very essence of existence. Behold as ethereal blades meet and arcane energies entwine. Let the cosmic saga unfurl its wings, and may your valor, despite my reservations, resonate as a timeless anthem, forging an immortal legacy that echoes through the cosmos. Your contest will be the crucible that births a successor to divinity. I hereby declare the commencement of the divine games."