"Another world?" Hedin exclaimed with his brows raised. "Like...the world of the gods or something?"
"Even further than that." Zuri answered him and for everyone in the room as they were struck numb by this revelation. "We come from a completely different reality far removed from both this world and the ones that the gods come from."
"Steve." Tiona said measuredly as Ais just tilted her head, not knowing how to process this piece of news while everyone just stared at the Ptah Familia, not fully understanding what was being said. "What does he mean by that?"
"Exactly what you're hearing." Loki said, trying to make things easier to understand for her own child...but not being very good at it. The red headed goddess of mischief then faced Steve. "Honestly in hindsight, it looks so obvious. But I have to say, it's not an explanation I would have gone for as fist choice."
"As a goddess I wouldn't expect you to." Steve said. "People would be hard-pressed to enter this world without you noticing. Only special individuals like us could do it."
"Let us all take a pause here." Royman held up his hand. "I'm still having trouble trying to process what has just been said. 'Another world'? Is anyone going to explain this to us properly?"
"Oh you fat oaf." Ptah grumbled.
"No need to be rude now." Freya giggled before she looked at the Guild Master. "What we're trying to say is that Genkai is not the only world in existence where mortals and gods live. There are many others out there, other races with their own gods residing over them in their own jurisdictions, under their own legislations."
"What do you mean by 'we'?" Shakti asked as her eyes flickered between the goddess and the Ptah Familia.
"Us gods my dear." Ganesha folded his arms as Shakti looked back at her own patron. "We've all known for a long time that other worlds exist. My uncle over there is one of very few that actually sought them out. So he understands the whole thing better than we do."
Everyone turned to the Primordial waiting for an explanation as he just stared around at them before rolling his eyes.
"I'll just do it myself then won't I?" He said more to himself than anyone else. "There are thousands, probably millions of other worlds in current existence. Or should I say, realties. Both Genkai and Tenkai would probably count as one reality since we are tied together. But each reality contains a set of mortals and their gods, governed by laws of their own making. We gods rule over this reality, and other gods rule over other realities. It's really not that hard to understand." Ptah shrugged his shoulder. "If you still can't understand that, then please just go stick your head in the nearest bucket of lye. It might kill the stupid in ya."
"Not helping Ptah." Steve murmured.
"So let's straighten this out simply." Finn said as eyes turned to him while the Pallum zeroed in on Steve and his friends. "You guys are saying that you're from another world...one that the gods don't have any control or power in...and you never belonged to this world in the first place?"
"We didn't exactly belong in that world either." Ari shrugged as brows became even more furrowed. "We just found ourselves there with no memory of who we might have been once, nothing besides our names."
"...Now we're just completely lost." Bete chuffed.
"It's a bit to take in." Royman said as he held his chin before he looked to the gods. "Have any of you been to other worlds?"
"The only one who might have come close to that is Ptah himself." Hephaestus said.
"I only teetered on the edge." Ptah said. "Even I didn't know what could happen once I stepped beyond, but I was close enough that I could see plenty of other realms besides our own. It just so happens that Steve and his friends are from one of them."
"But Loki told us you're a Primordial." Riveria said. "If even you can't step between 'worlds' then...how did they do it?" The elf princess looked towards the Ptah Familia, more specifically Zuri.
"The general rule is that gods and mortals are bound to the worlds they occupy." Freya said as he gaze became a little sharp on Steve and his companions. "I too would like to know the answer to that question. It could explain much about how powerful you are."
"Because that is exactly why we are so powerful." Sunny said as he folded his arms. "But to be honest, it was Steve that brought us here. He's the only one that can open doorways between realities. We just followed him through."
"Is that so?" Freya suddenly smiled. "You cannot tell me that Ouranos did not sense all that manipulation of space on that level...he's in on this too, isn't he?"
"Right from the beginning for mutual gain of course." Steve said before he took a deep breath and laid out his hands. "Look, usually people are supposed to stay in their own worlds, mortals and gods alike. I myself have seen many realities full of different mortals and gods who could not pass the boundaries of what they knew...but there are some special few that can ignore those limitations, not necessarily due to raw power but simply because they either have special favours or special abilities." Steve leant back. "I happen to have both."
The League looked around at each other, upon their fellow world-men before looking on at the foreigners.
"So what exactly is it that you want with our world then Mr Hewer?" Royman raised a brow as many who were stunned in that room by the developments listened in eagerly.
"Much." Steve answered. "Look, there is a much deeper reason why I decided to establish the Accords and the League. It's not just to develop new weapons and all that...but to open up a new field of adventuring altogether. Somewhere which is not just limited to the Dungeon...somewhere with much broader horizons."
"You mean...?" Loki cocked her head, his unspoken words dawning upon her.
"The Ptah Familia has been tasked with the construction of a great Gate to link our worlds." Ptah said as he unleashed a bit of his divine aura and made himself more prominent in the room. "Regardless of what you mortals say or deliberate, with my authority among the gods as one of the elder Primordials, I have given the green light for this procession, as has Ouranos. It's going to happen one way or another."
"Steve..." Tiona began. "...you're not saying that-"
"I'm going to open a doorway between this world and the world we came from." Steve said, confirming everyone's thoughts. "The ultimate goal of this organization of ours is to develop adventurers capable of fighting in truly foreign territories and get used to moving between dimensions. Not only will it phenomenally extend their journeys, it will increase the chances to harvest strength and raw power. All for the betterment of the mortal races."
"But why?" Shakti asked the question on everybody's minds. "If you come from another world, why do you concern yourself with ours? In the time you've been here you've done nothing but cause literal and political chaos. It doesn't appear to be the actions of someone with peaceful or good intentions."
"Best you get used to something." Alex said. "Because trust me, against real bad guys that can travel between worlds, they can make things a whole lot worse."
"The point is this." Steve thumped his hand on the table a little bit while raising his voice so people would listen to him. "I have seen many worlds and many realities similar to yours and there is one thing they all have in common...their world inevitably gets crossed over with another and that is when true war and carnage begins. And you know the common cause for that?"
Everyone looked at each other, trying to see if they had an answer. Seeing as no one could respond, they shook their heads.
"Magic." Zuri said with his hand on his hip. "Any world that bears this supernatural energy source always at some point collides with another reality." Everyone looked at him confused. "I mean come on, did no one here ever wonder the reason behind magic? Where does this mysterious and replenishable source of supernatural energy come from? How is it that we are able to pull on it, and how is it that we can mould reality and break the natural laws so easily? There has to be a consequence for subverting our normal ordinary states."
"Are you saying our world is going to collide with another reality then?" Hephaestus asked.
"It already has." Noor smiled sweetly. "Our reality. How else do you think we came here?"
"Is that why you are so strong Steve?" Gareth asked. "You and your friends...did you build your powers in your own world before coming to ours?"
"That we did." Steve said before he pulled a bottle out of his inventory and set it on the table. It was a bottle glowing with a magical membrane like many of the Ptah Familia's magical products. The bottle also seemed to change colours rapidly as well and upon further inspection, the people at the table could see what looked like little orbs bouncing around inside. "Anybody know what this is?" Steve asked.
"Should we?" Royman asked.
"No." Steve said. "This is bottled XP, the short term for experience."
"It is our world's equivalent of Excelia." Alex said as she looked around. "This is what made us so strong."
"...Are you telling us, that you somehow managed to stuff raw Excelia in a bottle...and just put it down on the table like it's no big deal?" Tione asked in a high pitched voice.
"Are you seriously still surprised by anything we do at this point, even after the War Game?" Efe asked more to herself than the Amazon.
"In simple terms, yes." Steve answered Tione as he held up the bottle and waved it before the eyes of the adventurers from all Familia gathered there. "This is what lies between you all and the next step." Steve said. "The next step to true power, the likes of which you have never seen or even felt. All you would have to do is join us."
"But why are you helping us?" Shakti asked. "I can't help but feel you're avoiding that question. Why is someone from another world who clearly has enough power and weapons in his arsenal to wipe every Familia off the map going out of his way to help us?"
"Because I like this world." Steve said as he put the bottle down and looked everyone in the eyes. "It's a harsh multiverse we live in. I have laid eyes upon many realities and I regret to inform you that this reality is nowhere even near the top in terms of raw power." Steve held up a hand. "I know for a fact that there are some worlds where mortals are even stronger than the gods here. If that is their mortal state, what do you think their gods are like?"
Everyone just gaped in silence, trepidation slowly beginning to seep in as they started to picture those horrifying possibilities. For the mortals, they'd heard ancient tales of the gods and the things they'd done in the past in the few times they actually interacted with the mortal world.
As for the gods, well they'd seen each other's powers first hand and Steve had not told them any lie as their innate lie detectors testified. Even Ptah who could actually detect Steve's lies no matter how many times the Minecrafter had hidden them behind the {Deceiver} skill, now felt truth come from Steve's lips. None of the deities present could begin to imagine what other gods out there may be like if they ruled over mortals who were as powerful as him, if such a thing was ever possible.
"...No, no. There's no way that's true." Allen said, his eyes eyes wide. "That is an exaggeration. No one could be that powerful."
"I do not jest." Steve said. "These people exist, and sooner or later, this world will bridge itself with another. I have come to prepare you for this, prepare you by taking adventurers to grow stronger in other worlds, so if a foreign threat does come in, they have the power to stop it." Steve then looked at Tiona and Ais who were both staring at him in a new light. "I have things in this world I want to cherish and protect as well. I want to help, and my world not only provides opportunities but is also bursting with riches. And in that world I have great authority there, so I can share such resources with this world. So not only will you grow stronger but you'll be richer. Shall we proceed or not?" Steve asked.
Nobody said anything for a minute or two but the boy knew he had them hooked. If Royman's greedy glint in his eye was put aside for a moment, the sheer curiosity of those occupying the room was palpable.
"You want to create a new type of expedition." Finn said slowly. "One that instead of going to the Dungeon, goes to another world entirely."
"I don't know about you, but I think that sounds like fun." Loki said. "I'm all for it. What about you Phae-Phae?"
"I'm very interested to know what kind of world he hails from." Hephaestus said. "I would like to know the world that moulded the man who can create the weapons that Steve can craft. It would be an opportunity of a lifetime."
"Could you at least tell us what your world is like a little bit?" Hedin said. "I believe I can speak for everyone here when I say we don't want to to just run off into strange lands."
"I don't expect you to. And sure, but instead of just telling you, I'll do one better...and show you." Steve gestured to Zuri who'd brought in the chest.
Zuri got the hint and opened the lid to reveal whirring noise coming from inside before drones came out of the chest, the same drones Steve had taken with him into the Nether when he'd opened a portal for the first time in this world. They flew around the room, startling everyone a bit before coming to hover besides Steve.
"What are those creatures?" Royman asked as he rubbed his ears which were aching from the whirring noises of the propellers. "Gods, what an awful sound they make!"
"They are not living." Steve said as he brought his hand up and cupped one of the machines. "These are machines, made without the need of magic at all, crafted to obey us and do certain things for us." Steve said.
"These things have sentience." Freya muttered as she eyed the machines. "Strange...they possess no living souls of their own. And yet are capable of moving by themselves." She observed how they floated beside Steve or orbited around him. "They also seem to possess a sense of loyalty to you."
"How was this achieved?" Hephaestus asked as she too looked at them. "They seem to be made from ordinary-non exotic metals as well. Each piece of them however has been meticulously shaped for purpose. But some of those components are much too small to achieve with simple tools. How did you do this?"
"Familia secret!" Steve winked as he put a finger to his lips. "But I did not bring these out to amaze you with them. They are meant to do something much more than that." He then looked at Kai, who nodded back and zipped across the windows, fully closing the blinds leaving nothing but a dark wall where the windows were. Makena then reached up and pulled down a white screen large enough to cover the entire area.
The drones moved away from Steve's side and lined themselves up on the ceiling before out of their backs came what looked like metal spider legs that dug into the ceiling and held them there. The propellers turned off and out of their fronts came large lenses which flickered for a moment and then shot out a projection onto the white screen.
The people in the room gasped an image of a beautiful green landscape appeared on the white screen.
"It's just like Lord Hermes projections!" Ganesha exclaimed before examining the image. "That is a beautiful place."
"Is that your world Steve?" Tiona asked as she gazed upon the large green meadows, backgrounded by green and ice mountains with great winding rivers running through and lush forests sprawled out over the land. All of it beneath the beautiful blue sky, the bluest that anybody had ever seen, the kind one would see only on the best of days. "It looks like a paradise!"
"The closest you'll ever get to one." Sunny said before sighing, a smile on his face which was a rare occurrence. "Damn, looking at that picture just made me realize...I miss home quite a bit."
"It truly is breath taking." Shakti said as even she was taken aback by the image of the Minecrafter's home world. "What is that place called?"
"That place, among others is known collectively as Minecraft." Alex said, making heads turn to her. She shrugged. "Steve coined it, not me."
"Why did you call it that?" Bete asked. "Sounds a bit dumb."
"You'd be the last person to survive there then." Steve said flatly. "It is simply because survival in that world depends purely upon resourcefulness and the ability to put yourself and the environment and all living things around you to use, lest you want them to consume you. It looks beautiful at day...but at night, it's a whole other story."
Steve clicked his fingers and everyone watched a time lapse as the day darkened and turned into night. And then they understood what he he was talking about, as the image of what could only be described as true horror met their eyes. For the dead were walking the land, horrible deformed people with rotting flesh that had turned green from decay trudged about deliriously with nearly drunken behaviour. Skeletons with the meat and blood wiped clean off of their bones marched across the glades armed with bows in their hands shooting anything that did not appear to be a monster.
They watched as these horrible creatures invaded a village settlement and began attacking the villages inside, sniping villagers caught out in the open with arrows or trying to break down their doors while the people cowered in fear. But just as no refuge could be found on land, so could none be taken from the air. For down from the night sky would dive these horrible and deformed ghouls in the shape of bats that would take a bite out of any person it could find.
Such were the tip of the iceberg for what was Steve's world as they watched. What had once just been a green paradise had quickly turned into a nightmare the moment the sun went down. And even for Steve it was a new perspective. For so long he'd treated Minecraft like a game, he'd never stopped to think exactly how terrifying such a life would be if one were to actually live it.
"You all are fortunate." He said. "In this world, monsters are concentrated in the Dungeon and a scant few in comparison roam the surface. But in our world, as soon as night falls and the moon comes up, the surface of our world becomes overrun with monsters. And that is just in one of the three realms of our world."
"Three realms?" Riveria questioned. "You mean like earth and heaven here?"
"Close enough." Zuri said. "The reality that is Minecraft is very complex and is made up of many things. Existence itself there is like a system. Your adventurers lives run on what is written on your Falna. But in our world, even just the day to day life is run on similar principles."
"What do you mean?" Finn asked.
"We would get XP doing things as simple as melting down iron ore into an ingot." Makena came up and lifted the bottle. "Our daily lives were filled with collecting experience, Excelia in your case."
"And the majority of us have been doing it for over a hundred years." Noor said. "When we came to this world, the Falna read our experience just as the same as Excelia. And so we levelled up accordingly."
"...A cheat." Loki grinned while clicking her fingers. "You lot cheated the system! That's how you got so strong."
Her words made everything finally click into place for everyone as they stared at the Ptah Familia. For once, things became understandable. And they could at last contemplate the existences of such powerhouses.
"If you had to lead such extremely difficult lives just from the normal day to day, and you got Excelia for it continuously, then it makes sense why you would be such a high level." Freya said. "But coming back to the realms thing. We got off topic."
"What you see before you is just the normal world." Steve explained. "The conditions there are extreme. Just the gravity alone is three times stronger than it is here at minimum. To enter that realm, I could not permit anybody lower than a level 3 to enter. Otherwise it will be too extreme. But we refer to this realm as the Overworld."
"Overworld." Ptah said before he gave Steve a side-eye. "With such a name, I guess it only makes sense to assume that there is some sort of underworld?"
"Indeed there is." Steve said as he clicked his fingers. "For in the next realm, you would find no respite, for it is a perpetual hellscape, a cacophony of agony, flame and shadow."
The projection turned from the overworld to a realm of fire and darkness, where the earth and rocks were red, aglow with heat and oceans of lava. It looked like the perfect home for the wicked as punishment because of how hot it looked, and was picture perfect of hell for all those present.
"This one here, is what we call the Nether."
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