Anti-Mage

Zarius reread the message he’d just received from The SYSTEM.

SYSTEM MESSAGE

As requested information concerning any ability that prolongs the longevity of the SYSTEM User that was publicly disclosed while within the public area of the SYSTEM Shop has been noted and forwarded to you.

Thank You for your Purchase.

Ability: Immortal

Rarity: Unique

Location

Sector: The Foundation

Planet: 1…0190

Planetary Coordinates based on Local Maps: 44°58'25.0"N 93°15'26.2"W

Subject: Anthony Nicholas Thomson

One of the Shadows had the Unique ability Immortal in the newly reacquired sanctioned Sector. This was perfect. To purchase specific data about anyone and their abilities costs a lot. Trying to uncover Anthony Thomson’s abilities would have increased that cost at least 100 fold. Because of the rarity of his ability, if he’d tried to purchase that information directly, the cost would have started at 1 Trillion credits which didn’t include the cost to learn what his second ability was, if he had one.

Sending a query to report on anyone that publicly mentioned their ability to the SYSTEM while within a SYSTEM shop though, that had only cost him 1,000 credits and time. Ironically, there was not that much time at all in the scheme of things as the order had only been placed a year ago.

Zarius closed the notification and looked across the table to one of his colleagues who was looking at him expectantly as she asked, “SYSTEM Notification or did you just get a call?”

“Just a message I’ve been waiting for. I’ll need to go talk with the boss when I get back to the office, Sarah.”

“Well then, I guess we should make the most of our lunch because meetings with the boss never go the way anyone wants them to,” Sarah said as she used her fork to dig into her salad.

“True, but, this time I think I have some information that he’ll want,” Zarius said.

“Hopefully, you're right. On the other hand, isn’t he getting close to mandatory retirement?” Sarah asked.

“As you know, there is no retirement for the Boss,” Zarius said.

“I know but we all pretend that our final death is our retirement,” Sarah said.

“Sooner for some of us than others. Not many acquire a Legendary class and reach the end of their lifespan without ascending. The news I have might help the Boss with that problem,” Zarius said before he took a bite out of his ham and cheese sandwich.

“Really? Do tell,” Sarah said.

“I may have found something that can help on one of the newly reacquired Shadow Earths in that new Sector.”

Sarah looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes lit up, “Are you talking about The Foundation Sector?”

“The same.”

“Didn’t The SYSTEM punish all the Founders of that hidden portion of the SYSTEM by stripping them of everything and sending them to Frontier to start over?” Sarah asked.

“Yes, all the Founders, those that thought themselves Gods within their pocket reality without actually taking the time to become truly God like by Ascending. Yes, they were reduced to Level 0 and agreed to give up their abilities and start over randomly in the Frontier. I watched the trial, if it could be called that. It was more like a sentencing. Anyway, those that accepted the punishment were also stripped of all titles, skills, and spells when their souls were scrubbed. Those who didn’t agree to the punishment were either able to Ascend or entered the cycle of reincarnation, just like our Master will do if he doesn’t Ascend,” Zarius explained.

“I thought the punishment seemed a bit harsh,” Sarah said.

“Why would you say that?” Zarius asked.

“Well, you did just say you found something useful on one of the Shadow Earths didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, but the number of unsanctioned shadows, as well as the various alternates that have cropped up…”

Sarah interrupted him, “Provide opportunities for everyone that has not found a path to Ascendancy or even their Mythic or Legendary Classes. There are far more opportunities and resources to acquire.”

“There are, but we have the frontier and shadows form there all the time,” Zarius pointed out.

“True, but their temporal rate is usually accelerated as they flash into existence and then wink out as true alternates to the Primal Planes. You know as well as I do that even the greater Primal Planes are but copies or alternates to our plane?” Sarah asked halfheartedly.

“Just because their planes end in a higher Prime number does not make them secondary to ours.”

“You’ve seen the number convention the SYSTEM uses, just like I have. The Number that represents Our Material Plane of Existence is coded as Prime Unit E00000000001 in Hexadecimal, which is one of the earliest computer languages we developed,” Sarah said.

“True, and as the Master has stated there are no coincidences, only fate. Or The SYSTEM just uses that designation to mess with us.”

“It’s more like a computer than it is sentient

“Are you sure?” Zarius asked.

“Whatever, so what did you find?” Sarah asked.

“Just something that might extend the longevity of our Master.

Sarah looked thoughtful before she offered, “Be careful. If you are successful The Master may reward you. However, if you show him something that gives him hope and nothing comes of it…” Sarah said leadingly.

“I could find myself on a permanent chopping block,” Zarius said with a laugh. “I’ll be careful promise. Now I must be going. Thank you for joining me for lunch. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do this again soon.

Sarah smiled, “I hope so, and good luck. I’m going to sit for a bit before I head back to my lab.”

Zarius stood, walked over to the counter, and sent a command to the restaurant to use his account to pay for both meals as he walked outside. Unlike the shadow worlds of Earth, this Earth sat in the 35th Century. After 5, no 4 World Wars, a plague, and the Super Volcano erupting at Yellowstone the geography had changed quite a bit but the technology had improved and the SYSTEM also existed to help out. Considering that the world had always had magic, technology, and The SYSTEM the world was a lot more structured than a lot of the Shadows, or even the other Prime Universes he’d visited.

As Zarius walked out of the restaurant he looked up and down the street he was filled with the various enlightened races as they walked and flew to and fro. Some of those that were flying had wings, others either used magic or the power of their mind. The only restriction this close to the ground was that any movement skill or spell could not create a shock wave. Those that did would be charged for all damages and injuries sustained.

Zarius cast his Flight spell and launched vertically. Once he was 10 miles up he increased his speed and broke the speed of light as he headed toward Mars. He’d upgraded his map skill long ago. He could set waypoints and since his range was measured in Astronomical Units he could target any point of Mars.

One thing most people overlooked with their mapping skill was the fact that no matter how much range the skill had and how much information The SYSTEM was willing to give you what the SYSTEM would show you was based on other factors which included Perception and Intelligence. He could request directions to Mars because Mars was within his range, but it wouldn’t show up on his internal map as anything but an arrow pointing in a direction until Mars was within his Perception radius, which was admittedly far, but not quite as far as his Mythical Mapping skill.

As for traveling through space. His Constitution and Endurance would allow him to hold his breath long enough to get to Mars and enter the Atmosphere there. Unlike Earth, The Atmosphere on Mars was held in by magic and could be crossed with no issue.

Almost 3 minutes later Zarius landed in the designated arrival area of the Olympus Mons Caldera and started walking toward the main building. A refuge for scientists and other academic types, his Master had created the Academy after terraforming Mars. The campus was dedicated to understanding the various spheres of magic as well as trying to pinpoint the origin of The SYSTEM, a question that had been asked for as long as recorded history.

His Boss, or Master, was known to be a bit ruthless to those that crossed him but to those that were loyal he was known to return that loyalty. Finding someone with the ability Immortal was going to elevate Zarius and hopefully give him the promotion he’d been working for. If this went bad, he’d be lucky to find a job anywhere. He’d probably have to go back to being an Adventurer to try to break through into his Epic class.

Zarius was pulled out of his thoughts as he walked up the steps to the entrance of his Master’s personal lab which was located at the exact center of the Caldera underneath and crystalline pyramid which refracted in alternating fractals. The Pyramid was made out of transparent Aluminum with embedded holographic transmitters which gave the illusion that the Pyramid was magical. The Master wouldn’t waste magical energy on something trivial like this but he would spend as many credits as necessary if something was possible and he wanted it. The terraforming and shielding of Mars were a testament to his wealth.

Of course, when he’d almost singlehandedly stopped a demonic incursion on Earth when a group of summoners had decided that if there was going to be a World War 4, there needed to be Demons… Also, while Zarius knew that there had been a 5th World War because he’d traveled to Shadows, or alternate realities to visit the aftermath of that war, he knew that The Master had ended that war before it began in this Universe with a very clinical use of Time Travel. That might have repercussions going forward, but The Master had done it anyway.

As Zarius stepped onto the elevating platform at the center of the volcano he was again amazed as the elevator descended in a transparent tube through the center of the hollow volcano into the audience chamber of his Master which was located at the center of a busy metropolis at the base of the Volcano. There were other access points to the underground city all around the base of the volcano 13.6 miles below him. The city had originally been constructed under the volcano where it would be safe from the lack of atmosphere and then expanded until the outer volcano was just a shell sitting over the city. There were petitions to remove it but the Master nixed that idea repeatedly for as yet unknown reasons.

Entering through this access point let his Master know that he needed to see him as well as gave him time to prepare or return to the Volcano if he was elsewhere. Zarius reviewed the data one more time and prepared to give his report to one of the oldest living humans he knew of.

As the elevator came to a stop his Master sat in a floating chair waiting for him. When the elevator door opened, his Master smiled and asked, “What brings you to my lab Zarius?”

“Master Aumtara, I have found something that I believe you might find interesting.”

“Of course, or you wouldn’t have come all this way. What have you found?”

Zarius pulled up the information the SYSTEM had sent him and shared it with Master Aumtara. He watched as his Master looked over the information.

“Who else has seen this information?”

“No one Master.”

“Good. Good, You have done well, Report to sublevel 7. We will begin your next level of training while I take advantage of the information you have shared.

“If I might ask Master, are you going to acquire the subject personally?” Zarius asked.

“No, there’s no need. I have teams for such chores. You merely need to concentrate on your studies and increase your power. I need individuals who are loyal and trustworthy. Now off with you.”

“Yes Master,” Zarius said as he turned to a wall with two elevators and walked over to them. Once he was inside, he pushed “SUB 7” He had, of course, seen the button before, but he’d never heard of anyone visiting Sub Level 7. As the Elevator door started to descend below the floor he saw the Master floating toward his personal quarters. A few moments later a portal appeared below the elevator on his personal map and the elevator descended through it. Zarius tried to push up against the elevator to no avail as the oxygen rushed out of his lungs as all the air was sucked out of the elevator and him. He didn’t need to breath for a while he’d be fine if he could…

A moment later Zarius was destroyed as the elevator entered the event horizon of a black hole and fell into a singularity. Relatively, it took Zarius a very long time to die. For everyone outside of the Event Horizon, the elevator carriage was there and then it wasn’t as the portal closed and a new elevator formed above it.

***

Zarius’s Master watched through a terminal on his seat as the Elevator Cab dropped into the singularity. It was such a waste. Zarius had been one of his better apprentices and he’d even found someone with something that could extend his life. Still, he couldn’t let the knowledge he’d acquired come back to haunt him and he’d never allow anyone to have power over him. Maybe in Zarius’s next incarnation, he’d do better.

Tabus Aumtara took rode his chair back to his personal quarters. Once there he ensured that his privacy screens were in place and then stepped out of the chair. With a thought, his form shifted to that of a young man in business attire. With a thought, he pulled up the information Zarius had shared with him as he walked to the back of the residence and into his hunting room. He picked up his staff, ring, and Bracers, all Artifacts that gave him attack and defense bonuses, and then walked over and picked up his Cube of Holding, a small translucent cube, not much bigger than a six-sided die. Most thought such objects were useless but this one could capture and hold Legendary Monsters in a spatial storage area so they could be brought out and studied or fought later.

Next, he walked over to his SYSTEM Shop Node and touched it while he sent a query off for a full breakdown and location of Anthony Nicholas Thomson on Planet 1…0190. He received the location just fine. It appeared Anthony was inside a bank vault in the City of St. Cloud. That city was wiped out by the Super volcano on his world but he’d been to enough Shadow Earths to know exactly where the city was; North America, near the city of Minneapolis.

Tabus was an Adventuring Mage. He had started with the Rare Class of Technomancer and worked up through the Master Wizard Class. He’d unlocked the Epic version of the Enchanter class which had then opened the Mythical class of Conjurer. Finally, he’d known that everything comes to an end and had been working harder and harder to contact and work with the higher, or lower planes and been offered the Diviner Legendary class which was also a Conjuring class. He'd found it much easier to work with the Denizens of the lower planes which had somehow reduced his life force. A lot of people didn’t understand that there were ways to get the same class with different rarities. There were Common, Scarce, and Rare Mages. Advanced and Master Mages. There were even Epic, Mythic, and Legendary Mages. More often than not, the SYSTEM also offered other classes that showcased specific abilities and skills that the individual had concentrated on.

He’d learned that knowledge just before acquiring his Epic class but he’d still chosen to change things up and take the bonuses associated with the classes he’d picked. He could connect with and take control of just about any technological item and he was also able to conjure just about anything with a primary focus on Ascendant or Divine level creatures from the higher or lower planes. Because of the choices he’d made he’d burnt through a lot of what some would call his life force but what he knew of as his fate.

He'd learned that everyone was allotted only so much fate, or life. Well that’s what he’d been shown but now that he’d seen the ability Zarius showed him, was what he’d been shown accurate? Probably not. While he appeared to be younger than 30, his 3,223-year-old body, not including his jaunts through time made him incredibly older. Anthony’s Immortal ability could solve this problem. If he could transfer an ability that offered Immortality, he could live forever, or at least until he was able to ascend, something he had not been able to do thus far.

His thoughts had derailed as he tried to control his excitement. While The SYSTEM had returned the subject’s location easily enough for only 1 million credits, a pittance of his total assets. The complete breakdown had not been returned instead a new message, one he’d never seen before filled his vision.

You do not have the required Credits to purchase the information you desire. Cost: 1.0 E24 Credits.

Tabus had never seen a cost so high before. Sure, if he’d been purchasing information on a planet he’d seen a cost in the trillions but one septillion credits for the information of one person. The information for a legendary person was nowhere near that high. He had to know what was driving that cost and sent off another query to know which three characteristic categories increased the cost of a full breakdown for Anthony Thomson. That query only cost him 1 million credits.

The Three Characteristic Categories that have increased the cost of a full breakdown for Anthony Thomson are Ability, Ability, and None.

So, not only did Anthony Thomson have an ability that allowed him to be immortal he had another ability that was either shielding that ability from being discovered or he had an ability that could be as rare as his ability Immortal. That did beg the question, How had Zarius learned about this man? It was too late to ask him now unless he was willing to turn back time. Nope, he should be fine.

Tabus focused his will and opened a Gate through Space and Time for 10,000 Mana. The gate opened directly into the vault where he saw that the man he was looking for was lying on the ground and had just opened his eyes to look at him through the tear in dimensions. Tabus stepped through the Gate and let it close behind him. He cast a Light spell that he put at the ceiling level above him while the man stood from where he’d been sleeping and brushed himself off.

Tabus had come to North America in this Shadow Universe so he tried English first and asked, “Anthony Thomsen?”

“That would be me, and you are?” Anthony said.

“Doesn’t matter, Tabus said as he held out the cube and activated it. Tabus watched as a transparent cube appeared around Anthony, shrunk through him, and then zipped out his stomach and returned to the Cube of Holding in his hand.

Anton watched as the cube tried to capture him and then looked into Tabus's eyes before he said, “You know, I really think it does matter.”