The virtual day began with the same monotonous routine. Tims, however, moved with a newfound purpose. He wasn't just mining; he was scouting, calculating, and planning. He deliberately worked his way towards the deeper sections of the mine, where the guards were less frequent. He noticed a small, almost hidden tunnel branching off from the main shaft, its entrance obscured by a cluster of luminescent fungi.
He waited for a moment when the nearest guard was distracted, then slipped into the tunnel. The air inside was colder, the darkness more profound. The only light came from the faint glow of the fungi, casting eerie shadows that danced along the rough walls. He moved cautiously, his pickaxe held ready.
The tunnel twisted and turned, descending deeper into the earth. The silence was broken only by the drip of water and the faint echo of his own footsteps. After what seemed like an eternity, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber.
In the center of the chamber, a structure loomed out of the darkness. It was an altar, ancient and worn, its surface covered in strange symbols. The air around it crackled with an unseen energy. Tims felt a pull, a sense of dread and anticipation.
As he approached the altar, a voice whispered in his mind, a voice that seemed to come from the very rock itself. "I have waited a billion years. You have come, my lord."
Tims froze, his heart pounding. "Who's there?" he whispered back, his voice trembling.
"The time is now," the voice continued, ignoring his question. "Come to the altar."
He hesitated, a sense of unease washing over him. But the pull was too strong, the curiosity too intense. He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the altar.
As he reached the altar, the symbols on its surface began to glow, their light pulsating with an otherworldly energy. The air grew thick with power, and the voice in his mind intensified.
"Awaken," the voice commanded.
The altar erupted in a blinding flash of light, and Tims felt a surge of energy course through his virtual body, a power unlike anything he had ever experienced. The notification window flashed violently.
> [Absolute God of Endless Chaos and Destruction Class Awakened!]
> [New Skill: Cosmic Rupture Acquired!]
> [New Skill: Dimensional Shift Acquired!]
> [New Skill: Reality Warp Acquired!]
> [New Skill: Godly Presence Acquired!]
> [Numerous other skills and abilities acquired!]
>
The notifications continued to cascade down his vision, a torrent of information that overwhelmed his senses. He felt a shift in his very being, a transformation that went beyond the limitations of his virtual avatar. He felt… powerful.
The chamber trembled, and the rock walls began to crack. The voice in his mind was now a roar, a symphony of chaos and destruction. "The multiverse is yours, my lord. Claim it!"
Tims stood there, his eyes glowing with newfound power, a sense of awe and terror washing over him. He had stumbled upon something ancient, something dangerous, something that would change everything.
He looked down at his hands, now shimmering with cosmic energy. He was no longer just a laborer, no longer just a player. He was something more, something… divine.
He knew then, the game had just begun. And he would play it on his own terms. He was no longer a pawn. He was the Godforged Tyrant.