The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting long shadows across the cracked, barren landscape of the Hidden Universe. Or, at least, that's what I told myself when I was trying to sound deep and philosophical. Really, this place was more like an interdimensional dumpster – a crossroads between the Wheel of Faith and another cosmology, the nexus of dimensions, probabilities, timestreams, yads yada, where random stuff piled up like forgotten merchandise at a yard sale. It was as good a place as any to hide a mountain of stolen Primordial Kickstarter funds.
"Alright, let's get this over with," I muttered, standing in front of the massive, swirling rift that led deeper into the cross-dimensional vortex.
Not that I wasn't excited. I was absolutely pumped. But the tension in the air wasn't just from the adrenaline of a successful heist. No, this was something more – something big was coming. And it wasn't just the Primordials or their Avatars or their Guardians of Divine Awesomeness who were coming for me.
"No time to explain. Except for this: you know that Kickstarter campaign I've been talking about?" I said, turning to the nearest unsuspecting bystander, a grumpy looking, dimension-hopping space WereRaccoon who had zero interest in the promotional aspects of this journey.
Shame on him. He disgraces his clan. The harrowing sorrow and regret of his ancestors is palpable.
"Let me hit you with the deets. Back the Kickstarter and you could get exclusive lore – about me! Look, who else are you going to get this kind of inside scoop from? That's right, me."
Before anyone could respond, I pulled out my "Big Reveal" scroll – because why not be dramatic? I didn't just want to say it. I wanted to show it. With a flourish, I unfurled the scroll.
"There it is. Your official ticket to the wildest ride in the Wheel of Faith universe. Oh yeah, and if you spend an unrelated hundred bucks, you can become an official character on the wheel. That's right. You. Anime. Right there with me, kicking butt and taking names."
Though I must admit, I'd rather have you spend it on the Kickstarter. It's just worth more in comparison. And I get credit if you use my link in my particular.
I gave a self-satisfied smirk and dropped the scroll, watching it dissolve into a puff of pixelated confetti. If that didn't sell some copies of the campaign, I wasn't sure what would.
"Oh, and before you ask– yes, there's more. Want a sneak peek at the comic? Guess what? It's out now!" I pointed to the dimensional billboard that had materialized in the air, flashing links and promotional images for the comic. "All for the low, low price of your support. Help me fund this ridiculous project, and I'll throw in all sorts of goodies. I can't even tell you what's in there yet – because some of it's locked behind stretch goals. Go check them out!"
The scroll had done its job. Several beings, half-interested at first, were now salivating at the thought of owning their own piece of this multiverse-spanning action. I was on fire.
But just as I was about to turn back and gloat, the rift in the sky above me rippled ominously.
"Yeah, I get it. I know, it's coming. The Primordials. They've probably figured it out by now. But guess what? The chase is just beginning, and there's nothing they can do to stop me. Well, nothing unless you all want to chip in and help me hit the next stretch goal." I laughed, letting the sound echo through the endless space surrounding us. "That's right, just give it a click. Every time you click, it gets me one step closer to locking down this universe. Just... one... click..."
But before anyone could move, a crackle of cosmic energy snapped through the air. The Primordial energy signature was here.
The Avatar of Time from Season Three – that familiar, ever-staring entity, sent to monitor my every move. Yeah, not creepy at all. She had this habit of showing up right when I least expected it. Probably her favorite trick.
"Ah, crap," I muttered, rolling my eyes as the air around us thickened, like the time itself was holding its breath. "I knew I couldn't get away from the Avatars forever. It's like a bad sequel to an old horror movie. But hey, you all know what's next, right? That's right – back the Kickstarter and I won't just have to run from these guys. I'll beat them. Wouldn't that be cool?"
There was a flicker, and then Nyta's voice echoed through the air. Her tone was full of condescension, the kind that made me want to punch something. "You can't hide forever, Serpentine. The Primordials know what you've done. The budget is ours to protect, not yours to squander."
"Aw, poor Nyta. Did someone forget their Kickstarter update email? I bet if you had backed at the right tier, you'd have a nice shiny weapon to deal with me, huh? Too bad. You're just gonna have to watch while I make it out alive – again."
With a snap of my fingers, I activated Chrono Grace, slowing down the passage of time just enough to buy me a few precious seconds. It wasn't much, but it was all I needed to take off running, darting between dimensions in a blur of light and shadow. I could feel the Watcher's eyes on my every move, but that's the thing about me – I don't exactly play by their rules. I had tricks of my own.
As I leapt between worlds, I couldn't help but laugh.
"You know, this would be a lot easier if we'd hit that next tier in the campaign. You want to speed up this chase, huh? Help a demon out."
The void around me stretched, pulsed, and shifted as I traveled further into the rift zone – the crossover between worlds, where chaos and order met in one sweet, unstable nexus. Perfect for hiding the loot and also perfect for picking up some bonus backer rewards. Not that I'd tell anyone just yet.
But, of course, I had more to offer than just dimension-jumping antics. I had follower rewards—real, tangible, in-universe rewards. And what better time to pitch them than now?
"That's right, folks," I said to the cosmic crowd around me. "Back the campaign, and you could be part of my crew. Want a sneak peek at how the actual story unfolds in the anime? Guess what – you'll get exclusive lore if you back the right tier. Not to mention the chance to pop in as an NPC in the game. Imagine that. You'll get paid in dimension-tokens, or whatever weird thing we're calling them this week."
Suddenly, I snapped my fingers again and the scenery shifted. A massive, multi-dimensional Fight Arena loomed in front of me, a dimension where tournaments were held between various universes, and I'd just entered with a kick.
"Oh, you like this? Good! Cause here's the real kicker– if we get enough backing, you could get access to a playable demo of this very arena! Yeah, you could be the one tossing around punches and powers with the best of them. Just think about it."
I turned to the space raccoon. "Hey, wanna fight me in the demo? You know what to do."
He shrugged and gave me a middle claw.
"Yeah, that's the spirit," I said, grinning.
Then, as Nyta loomed ever closer, the universe seemed to bend and shift again. I could hear the distant thrum of an approaching force – bigger, darker, and infinitely more dangerous. It wasn't just the Primordials coming for me anymore. No, this was the start of something much bigger.
"Looks like things are about to get really interesting," I muttered, then raised my voice to the dimension. "But hey, don't forget to back the campaign! We're gonna need all the help we can get. And believe me, you'll want to be part of this when the real fun starts."
With that, I disappeared into the folds of space and time, leaving behind a rift of possibilities and… well, plenty of Kickstarter plugs.
---
Oh, darn. Still a hundred words behind. Uh, I guess I'll talk about the Event Team this time?
Nothing much here. The Event Team in the Wheel of Faith discord server is working hard at hardly working. But they do occasionally host events such as a server wide chess tournament, a wheel event where you suggest ideas and the compatible ones are accepted, and more. I vaguely remember their being a movie night one time too.
Of course, the events all have their own prizes too. Currently, there's a propaganda event going on, with the first place getting a free spin, which usually costs a hundred dollars.
Why do you think I'm making this story? To spread the Wheel of Faith propaganda of course!
That said, here I go, and here's the link again!
https://thewheeloffaith.kckb.me/dbad82fc