"Did I overdo it? Is this actual death, falling into this void?" The only thought in Lucan's mind was confusion and the creeping dread of non-existence.
Just as he felt his sanity on the brink, a gentle current seemed to sweep through him, and the cacophony of voices receded like the tide.
Lucan regained control of his limbs, and a milky radiance enveloped him from above. Weightless, he floated towards the light.
The source was a colossal palace of the same luminescent hue, growing from a speck to a monumental size as Lucan drew closer. It was built of white marble, suspended in a starry sky.
As he ascended the steps, guided by a beam of light that ceased just a foot above ground, gravity reclaimed him, and his soles met the solid staircase.
Rows of bronze doors lined the corridor, each adorned with distinct symbols. Directly before him was one engraved with a bird resembling a phoenix.
Pushing open the door, he found himself in an immense library. Giant bookcases were placed at intervals, with tomes so high Lucan had to crane his neck to see their tops.
Books filled every shelf, some floating in air while quills penned on them at varying speeds.
The volumes varied in thickness, from common hardbacks to ornately bound copies, even gold encrusted editions where a quill of blazing red flame etched into their surfaces.
Books drifted from their places, met by quills that fell from the ceiling to begin their work, and upon completion, returned to their shelves as the quills disintegrated into ash after a brief flare.
Lucan noticed one shelf labeled "Bruge" and another not far off marked "Lucis," sorted by nation, it seemed.
Among the books, a black metal box stood out, its dark visage contrasted by a glass pane and several silver buttons that flickered with blue light, displaying a sequence of numbers.
21:4:28, a buzzing emanated from within. Lucan recognized it—an apparatus similar to a Blu-ray player on Earth.
"How can this exist here?" he murmured to himself.
A technological artifact in what seemed a magical library would pique anyone's curiosity. Just as he reached for the iron box...
"Do not touch what does not belong to you. Should you damage it, not even I could save your life," a voice exploded in Lucan's mind, cold and mechanical, reminiscent of early mobile phone assistants.
Turning around, he saw a comically simple, luminous figure resembling a child's drawing of a humanoid, floating behind him.
About the size of an adult, it had two dots for eyes and a line for a mouth, seemingly drawn on a large glowing sphere—the head, presumably—with a body of pure light tapering down, armless and legless.
"Are you the master of this library?" Lucan suppressed a laugh and curiosity to ask what seemed the most obvious question.
"Library? I suppose it might appear so at first glance. To different beings with different cognitive backgrounds, it has different names, but it's all just vanity. If you wish to call it a library, then so be it," the voice spoke directly into Lucan's mind, a clear case of telepathy.
"Who are you, then? Were you the one who guided me here?" Lucan asked cautiously, hoping for communication with this bizarre entity.
"Me? Every culture has its own name for me. The oldest called me the genie in the bottle, then some called me the omnipotent. When your people from Earth first saw me, they cried 'Robot.'"
Robot? People from Earth?
Lucan nearly leapt in excitement, "Are you speaking of Earthlings?" he asked again for confirmation.
"Earthlings, yes. About ten thousand revolutions of your home planet ago, a soul from the same world as you. He called himself an Earthling; I suppose you could say you're countrymen," the sphere remained expressionless.
A fellow Earthling from ten thousand years ago! Lucan felt a bit more balanced knowing he wasn't the sole chosen unfortunate.
"Then surely, we're countrymen. Anyone who says 'Robot' is likely of Western descent. Can you tell me more about this compatriot?" Lucan asked eagerly.
"No, that is classified. I refuse to answer."
Lucan felt a surge of frustration yet knew better than to challenge the entity.
"What have you summoned me for, then?"
"A contract, to end this Iron Epoch. That is your task."
End the Iron Epoch? Lucan's mind raced with absurd thoughts of being an idol trainee, skilled in singing, dancing, and rapping.
"To end the Iron Epoch?" He dismissed the odd thoughts and asked seriously.
"To lead the transformation of this era. On a small scale, initiate a change that sweeps across the world, or on a grand scale, take the place above."
The sphere gestured towards twelve chairs floating in the distance, each with a massive book.
Lucan barely made out the simple sketch of a snowflake on one cover, the holy emblem of the Winter God that Elyon worshipped.
"To become a god?" Lucan was incredulous.
"If you refer to beings who have usurped a fraction of the Original Source's authority as gods, then yes, gods," the sphere spoke nonchalantly, as if divine beings were no different from mortals.
"What's in it for me if I sign up?"
"Knowledge. Any and all knowledge of this planet's science and mystical arts since its creation."
Before him stood what seemed a supercomputer, more powerful than any quantum computer on Earth.
"Computer? Mere information is insufficient to reconstruct such a device," the sphere read Lucan's thoughts, quashing any internal critique.
"Can I find a way home after completing the task? I mean, back to Earth."
"Yes, but only after achieving the end of the era of gods will you be granted a choice. I possess a door that leads to two different universes. The outcome is completely random due to the clash of universal laws. I cannot interfere, but you have a 50% chance of returning to Earth."
A 50% chance was like a coin flip landing heads up—not so bad. But ending the era of gods? Did that mean exterminating them? Lucan pondered.
"To end doesn't necessarily mean to destroy. Separating the gods from this world or dethroning them is sufficient," the sphere explained, reading his thoughts.
"Do you have specific tasks for me, like assassinating a politician or rescuing a princess?"
"No, there are no assignments. You are in control of everything."
Lucan was thrust into an open-world experience, the kind with no save points and one life to play. He hadn't expected such a hardcore challenge right off the bat.