Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.
I was toying with the idea of making a Celestia Forge, but it didn't go anywhere. Then I came across the Akashic Grimoire, and I was hooked on the concept.
This is my first time writing this type of history, let's see how it will go.
You can find the Akashic Grimoire on Reddit.
Creator: MaybeltsSean4.
https://www.reddit.com/r/JumpChain/comments/1c2bl6o/akashic_grimoire_update/
Link to his page.
/////////////////////////////////////
January 20th, 2011.
"I should have checked the expiration day of that ham," I muttered, washing my hands.
Just my luck.
Getting stomach ache in the middle of the night.
I knew something was off but the price was just too good to pass.
Well, at least it wasn't as bad as it was with that hot dog.
Worst diarrhea of my life.
I did learn a valuable life lesson in that.
Never buy food from a gas station.
I look at my reflection and rub my full beard.
"I need to trim it, it's getting a little too big," I said.
I yawned and opened the door to go back to bed.
Oh wow, I don't think I've ever seen the stars so clearly in my life before.
Wait a second.
Stars?
My apartment only has one window, and the only view I get is the building next door. Besides, the night sky in Brockton Bay is never this clear!
I glanced around with wide eyes, not believing what I was seeing.
Everywhere I look all I see is the night sky(?).
It's hauntingly beautiful.
Wait, what the hell am I saying?!
I need to get out of here!
I quickly turn around to go back to the bathroom but the door is gone.
I start to hyperventilate when I realize that there isn't a way out of this place.
A cough comes from behind me.
I quickly turned around to see an elderly man sitting on a chair.
Was he there the entire time?
"Please take a seat Ben," The man said, pointing at the chair that is in front of him.
I sent him an incredulous look and broke into a sprint in the opposite direction.
In a few seconds, I hit some kind of wall(?) of this place.
I start pounding on it, desperate to escape, but with every hit, it becomes painfully clear that I'm only hurting my hands without making any progress.
"Even if you were to break out, there is nothing out there. You would just fall for all eternity," The man commented.
What?
The man snaps his finger and the visage in front of me becomes transparent.
I try to see where I'm but all I can see it's pitch-black darkness.
"Where am I?" I whispered fearfully.
"We're between worlds, in my observation room. I could give you the coordinates but I doubt that would help you calm down," The man said.
I grit my teeth in anger at his casual tone and turn to glare at the man.
He let out a sigh, unbothered by my glare.
"Would it help if I said that this isn't what you're thinking?" The man asked.
"You kidnapped me!" I growled.
"Yes, this is far from how I wanted this meeting to go but I'm working on a tight schedule," The man said exasperated.
What the fuck does that even mean!?
"I can explain everything, just take a seat," The man said, once again pointing at the chair in front of him.
I clenched my fist and rushed at him with a snarl.
If I'm going to die or get mastered, I'm going to make him work for it!
The man raised an eyebrow and made no move to defend himself.
About a meter away from him I slammed head-first into something solid.
I collapse to the ground, dazed, bringing my hand to my face as a sharp pain throbs in my nose. When I pull my hand back, I see it's smeared with blood.
Fuck, I think my nose is broken.
I look up to see some kind of barrier briefly flashing around the man.
Once my mind cleared, I got up and began hitting the barrier, trying my best to hurt this bastard.
The man hums, "You're a tenacious one, aren't you. Good, that attitude will help you."
"Go to hell you-whoa!" I exclaimed in surprise when I began to levitate.
I'm thrown against the only other chair in this place and forced to sit on it.
I try to stand, but for some reason, I'm unable to get up from this chair.
"The hell! Did you glue me to this chair!?" I said angrily.
"In a manner of speaking, yes," The man said.
I'm not sure how long I kept thrashing, desperately trying to get up, but eventually, I became too exhausted to continue.
"Got that out of your system?" The man asked.
I sent him a glare while breathing heavily.
The man pinches his nose, "This isn't how I wanted this to go."
"What? Can you only get your kicks if I'm begging for my life?" I snarled.
"I'm not going to kill you. I'm here to make you an offer," The man said.
I looked at him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
"An offer? Are you kidding me?" I asked, still laughing.
"I assure you, I'm not kidding," The man said gravely.
Something about his tone made me stop laughing immediately.
"Before I start, let me heal you first," The man said.
I let out a gasp as a soothing sensation washed over my body. I looked at my hands and then touched my nose, stunned to see they are fully healed.
"My name is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg and, well, there isn't any nice way to say this," Zelretch looks deeply into my eyes. "Your world is going to end in two years."
Huh?
"Yes, I know it's hard to believe but there's something that you can do about it. I can offer you-"
"Let me guess: you're going to offer me power but only if I become your slave," I said, sending Zelretch an unimpressed look. "Well, that is such a tempting offer that I can only say one thing: eat shit."
Zelretch grunts in frustration, "Look, I'm trying to be patient here but I already lost enough time. So, quiet down for now." He snaps his finger.
My eyes widen as my mouth shuts involuntarily.
I try to force it open but it's no use.
"As I was saying, your world is at risk of being destroyed but it isn't the only one. Multiple dimensions are also facing the same danger. In all my years, I've never encountered anything like this. That
thing is without a doubt a threat on a multiverse scale," Zelretch said seriously.
Oh great, I was kidnapped by a nut job.
"Yes, I know. You have no reason to believe me, so I will just have to convince you," Zelretch said.
Convince me?
"The enemy that I'm talking about aren't the Endbringers. He's much worse," Zelretch said.
He's lying, there isn't anything worse than the Endbringers.
Suddenly Scion appeared in front of me.
I blinked in shock, not expecting him to show up, and relaxed after a moment.
Oh thank god, I'm saved.
You're done for Zelretch.
My moment of relief was cut short when I noticed that Zelretch wasn't looking worried at all.
He is just looking at me.
The hell is going on?
I turn my attention to Scion and notice something.
Why isn't he moving?
And he's staying perfectly still-oh crap, that is a hologram or something of Scion.
I glanced back at Zelretch, this time with a look of confusion. He simply stares at me, like he is waiting for something.
"He's much worse," My eyes widen when I remember that.
I try to voice my indignation but my mouth still won't open, leaving me to only make muffled sounds.
Zelretch snaps his finger and my mouth opens.
"Scion is the one that is going to destroy the world? Get out of here, he's a hero!" I exclaimed.
"That is just a guise to fool everyone," Zelretch said, making 'Scion' disappear with a wave of his hand.
I rolled my eyes, "He drives away the Endbringer."
"When he bothers to show up. How many times did he arrive late because he decided that getting a kitty down from a tree was more important than saving an entire city?" Zelretch asked.
"Okay, he's a weirdo. That doesn't mean he's going to destroy the world," I said.
"What do you know about him?" Zelretch asked suddenly.
"What?" I asked with a frown.
"What do you know about him?" Zelretch asked again.
I thought for a moment.
"He's the first parahuman, he was found flying over...I don't know which ocean and he flies around the world helping people," I said.
"That is it? Nothing else?" Zelretch asked.
"What do you want me to say? I don't follow his every move," I said with a glare.
"But there are those who do and their answer would be the same as yours," Zelretch said.
Where is this going?
"He values his privacy, I guess," I shrugged.
Zelretch hums in response, not looking convinced.
"If you're so sure about this, then tell me why he would do it," I said, losing my patience.
"He isn't human, the body that everyone sees is an avatar that he uses to interact with the world. To be blunt, Scion is an alien that invaded your world-"
"Stop," I said, rubbing my temples.
I don't even know what to say.
"Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?" I asked.
"I do," Zelretch nods unbothered.
"Of all the things- if you had said that the Simurgh would be the one to do it then it would have been more believable. Not that I would have-"
I stop talking when a portal opens to my right.
I look in horror at the sight in front of me.
A grotesque mass of various body parts fused together, a twisted creation that could only emerge from the mind of a deranged monster.
It looks like something that would make Bonesaw proud.
"What is that?" I whispered in horror.
"Proof," Zelretch said, walking towards the portal.
He stops in front of it and turns to me.
My eyes widen and I hold onto the chair tightly.
I'm not going through that portal!
Unfortunately, that choice is taken from me as a portal opens beneath me, dropping me straight into all that flesh.
I quickly get up and look around with wide eyes, only now realizing how much worse it is.
There's no end to it!
Surprisingly the smell isn't so bad. I was expecting this place to reek of rotting carcasses, but it actually smells fairly normal.
"Oh god, how many died?" I whispered disgusted at the macabre sight.
"Only one," Zelretch said, walking past me.
I look at Zelretch shocked.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Zelretch ignores my question and keeps walking forward.
"Zelretch!" I called him but he ignored me once more.
For a brief moment, I consider my chances of running away, but I don't see a way out of this place, and I definitely don't want to get lost here.
Damn it.
I quickly caught up to Zelretch and walked next to him.
For the next few minutes, we walked in silence.
"Who or what is that?" I asked.
There's a woman(?) in front of us, she has withe hair and light-blue skin but she doesn't possess legs as her lower body part is connected to the flesh all around us.
"The second alien that came with Scion," Zelretch explains.
I notice a knife lodged in her throat.
"You did that?" I asked.
"No, it was someone else who killed it," Zelretch said.
"What's this place?" I asked.
"We're standing on her corpse. Everything that you see around us, it's all part of her," Zelretch said.
"She looks....human," I commented.
"Don't let that fool you. From what I was able to learn, she was creating her avatar before she was killed. Her real form is hard to describe due to its multi-dimensional nature," Zelretch said.
"Multi-dimensional?" I asked, blinking rapidly.
"I told you: your world isn't the only one in danger. Countless other versions of Earth Bet were also invaded by them," Zelretch said.
A silence falls between us as I continue staring at the woman(?) in front of me.
I don't know what is happening anymore.
If Zelretch was going to kill me or master me, he would have already done it.
There is no point in making such an elaborate lie.
Oh god, this might actually be real.
It's over, I'm starting to believe this crazy man.
Maybe I was already mastered.
Would I even notice it?
Are these even my thoughts?
"Take a deep breath," Zelretch said, placing his hand on my shoulder.
Huh?
Oh, I'm shaking.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and it kinda worked.
Another portal opens next to us and we walk through it in silence.
I sit on the chair, lost in thought.
I lean back, cover my face, and let out a groan.
"Wanna have a drink?" Zelretch asked.
...fuck it.
"Sure, why not," I said tiredly.
Zelretch hands me a cup, and I down its contents in one big gulp.
"Not bad. What's it?" I asked.
I raised an eyebrow when the cup started reffiling itself, but shrugged it off and kept drinking.
"Mead. One of my oldest batches," Zelretch said, taking a sip and nodding in satisfaction at the taste.
"How old?" I asked curious.
"About a few hundred years," Zelretch shrugged.
A few hundred- you know what, I'm going to ignore that.
"Don't you got anything stronger?" I asked.
Zelretch snorts, "Of course I do but you being drunk is the last thing I need right now."
I glance at Zelretch for a few seconds, take one final large gulp of mead, and then turn my gaze back to him.
Let's see how far this rabbit hole goes.
"Let's say for a moment that you aren't crazy and Scion is a danger to the world. Why am I here?" I asked seriously.
Zelretch sends away our cups and interlocks his fingers.
"To offer you the power to save your world," Zelretch said.
"Okay but why
me?" I said, stressing the last part.
"You're the best candidate for it," Zelretch said.
I am?
"Let me start from the beginning: I came across their existence about a year ago when I was checking other world lines, looking for a solution to another problem of mine. It didn't take long to realize the danger they pose to my world....oh right, I didn't say this before but I'm from another section of the multiverse," Zelretch said.
"Section?" I asked confused.
Is he like Haywire?
Zelretch pauses for a moment, "It would take far too long to explain that. And it isn't relevant to this talk."
Yeah, I'm already struggling to understand this mess, let's not make things even more complicated.
"I tried to gain as much information as possible about them but given their 'alien' origins I wasn't certain that they wouldn't notice me probbing around, so my progress in gathering information has been painfully slow," Zelretch said annoyed.
"Hey you found her body, and that means something," A thought passes my mind. "Can't you replicate what happened to her to Scion?"
"I have no idea how or why she ended up like that. And I'm doubtful I could do the same to Scion," Zelretch shakes his head. "But that's off-topic. Anyway, I managed to learn a few things: they always come in pairs, they choose a world to stay in for a long period, and it doesn't take long for individuals with powers to start appearing all over the world."
My eyes widen in disbelief.
"Scion is the reason parahumans exist?" I asked stunned.
Zelretch nods, "They shed pieces of themselves that are distributed not only in your world but also in different versions of it. These pieces, somehow, connect with individuals and give them powers. You and everyone else call these pieces Corona Pollentia and Gemma."
A bottle appears in front of us.
"Pieces like this," Zelretch said.
There's a...I wanna say crystal but the shape is constantly changing and I'm starting to get a headache from looking at it.
"What's that they want?" I asked.
"They are looking for something and that's why they created parahumans. They are being used to gather data but unfortunately why I don't know what Scion's goal is. I only acquired one of the pieces recently," Zelretch said.
Gather data?
"All parahumans do is beat the crap of each other. How much data can you get from that?" I asked.
"You aren't wrong but at the same time, you're being too narrow. Conflict is an excellent way to gather data, especially when you're doing an experiment," Zelretch said.
"An experiment? Is that all Scion sees my world as? People are dying, and to him, it's just an experiment?!" I exclaimed, indignant.
"Yes," Zelretch said bluntly.
I pinch my nose in frustration.
"Can I get a cigarette?" I asked.
"Let's finish this talk first, this is taking longer than I expected. Later I will give you a box of my best cigars," Zelretch said.
I hummed with interest, "I never had a cigar before. Is it any good?"
"It's Cuban so I believe it is. It was a gift from a long time ago but I don't smoke," Zelretch shrugs.
Nice.
I rub my temples, "Okay, look, can I ask a few questions now?"
"By all means," Zelretch said.
"How many times have they done this?" I asked.
"Far too many. It was easy to find their path of destruction. It's like looking at scars that will never heal," Zelretch said darkly.
I felt a shiver go down my spine at Zelretch's tone.
"Why two years? You said that they stay in a world for a long time before....you know," I said.
I don't even want to think about Earth Bet being destroyed.
"It's because Scion partner, or whatever their relationship was, is dead. My theory is that he can't continue this experiment without her but it could also be any other number of reasons. What's important is that this is good for you," Zelretch said.
"Her death expedited the destruction of my world, how's that good?" I asked incredulously.
"Now you have a chance to defeat Scion. Something that you wouldn't have if she were still here," Zelretch said.
"What're my chances of winning?" I asked.
"You have a non-zero chance of winning," Zelretch said casually.
I blinked rapidly at that and kept looking at Zelretch, waiting for him to say something else.
He doesn't.
"Well, that's....wow....just wow," I rub my through my hair.
I'm screwed.
"Would you prefer a lie?" Zelretch asked.
"You could at least soften the blow! Come on man!" I complained.
"Doing that won't help you in the long run. The stakes are too high for me to 'soften the blow'," Zelretch said seriously.
God damn it.
"What the thing the....power that you want to give me?" I asked tiredly.
I never felt more exhausted in my life.
Zelretch rubs his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds.
"I need to give you some context so you will have a better understanding of what I'm offering," Zelretch said.
I raised an eyebrow.
"In a metaphysical location, there's a 'force' that stands at the top of all theories in every dimension. It stores and archives information on all possibilities and events, past, present, and future of the world. I'm talking about the
Swirl of the Root," Zelretch explained.
I remain silent for a few seconds. Thinking about what Zelretch just said.
Yeah, I got nothing.
"Okay....that sounds powerful," I nod hesitantly." "I just have one question: What the hell are you talking about?"
We've been talking about aliens and the destruction of my world, but somehow, what he just said manages to sound even weirder!
Zelretch checks a pocket watch and frowns.
"I'm running out of time, so I'm going to have to speed this up. The supernatural is real-let me finish," Zelretch said with a glare as I was about to say something.
I quickly shut my mouth.
"Everything related to it, be magic or gods, is all real. And I'm not talking just about my world but also yours. What I'm offering will change you on a fundamental level, you will be able to wield magic and so much more. With time you will be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, beings in your universe," Zelretch said seriously.
Not gonna lie, that sounds very tempting but...
"What is the catch? I mean, besides having to deal with Scion," I asked suspiciously.
That offer sounds way too good.
"Survive, I guess," Zelretch shrugs. "You're going against a multi-dimensional alien that has already destroyed countless worlds. What part of that sounds easy?" he asked drily.
Fair point.
"So, how would you give me this
Swirl of Root?" I asked.
Am I saying that right?
"You can just call it the
Root, and that isn't what I'm going to do. I'm going to connect you to it using a unique mystic code that I have named
Akashic Grimoire," Zelretch said.
Akashic what now?
"And I'm going to gain magic," I said uncertainly. "I'm still confused about how this thing works."
Zelretch hums thoughtfully, "There's a term in your world that perfectly exemplifies what I'm offering. What's that parahuman classification for the one that can gain/affect powers?"
"A Trump," I blink in surprise.
Zelretch snaps his finger in agreement, "That's it! You will be 'Trump.' You will slowly accumulate knowledge, skill, and power as time goes on. And there's
no limit to it."
No limit.
Is something like that even possible?
"Then again, everything that he said should be impossible but I'm not sure," I thought.
I really lost it.
"That's my offer, Ben. What is your answer?" Zelretch asked, looking intensely at me.
Infinite power and all I have to do is kill the first parahuman.
Who may or may not be an alien that will destroy my world in two years.
Pure insanity.
And I can't believe I'm considering this.
Why am I considering this?
"What if it's true?" A voice whispered in my head.
That's why.
I don't know if that is me or if Zelretch is messing with my head but I need to think this through.
I don't even know if I will be alive in two years given how things are in Brockton Bay.
And if I do survive these two years, all that is waiting for me is my death.
In the end, it all comes down to two things:
Have a chance to fight back or wait for my inevitable end.
I take a deep breath and look Zelretch straight into his eyes.
"Do I have a chance? And I mean a real one, none of that 'non-zero chance' crap that you said earlier. I want to know that the hell that I will no doubt go through will mean something and it isn't all just so you will have an easier time dealing with Scion," I said with a glare.
Zelretch looks back unflinching.
"You do have a chance of victory but it's a very small one. It significantly increases with the
Akashic Grimoire but, honestly, even the best of my simulations show heavy losses on your side," Zelretch said.
"A pyrrhic victory," I muttered angrily.
"I can't give you any guarantees that it won't end like that, but if we play it smart, perhaps your world won't suffer too much damage," Zelretch said.
"You're sticking around?" I asked.
"I'm not going to enter your world as I'm not certain that Scion won't notice it. Honestly, I'm not comfortable being this 'close' to him. But anyway, I'm going to keep digging for any information that will help you. I'm already trying to find a way to give you more time," Zelretch said.
"Is that possible?" I asked.
Please say yes.
"Maybe," Zelretch shrugs.
Just my luck.
"I will ask one more time: what is your answer?" Zelretch asked.
I can't believe I'm going to say this.
I let out a sigh, "I will do it. Give me the....what was it called again?"
"
Akashic Grimoire," Zelretch stands up, holding an orb.
It immediately caught my attention, softly glowing with all the colors of the rainbow.
"Is that it?" I asked.
I was expecting a book.
Zelretch chuckled, "At first, I thought about making a book but it's better this way. Now get closer."
I stopped in front of Zelretch.
"One last thing," Zelretch firmly places his hand on my shoulder. "This will be incredibly painful."
Wait wh-
Zelretch thrust the orb against my chest, and in an instant, my thoughts vanished as a searing pain engulfed my entire body, like I was being consumed by fire!
The only thing I could do was scream as I slipped into unconsciousness.
//////////////
I wake up screaming on my bed.
It lasted for a few more seconds before I couldn't scream anymore.
I'm breathing heavily, trying to understand what is happening.
I'm drenched in sweat, my ears are ringing and my body feels sore all over it.
God, I feel awful.
Hugh, if I knew it was going to be this painful then maybe I would have second thoughts.
"Zelretch, you bastard," I said with a groan.
Wait, what did I just say?
My eyes widen and I try to get off the bed.
My body doesn't agree with that idea.
I cover my mouth to hold back the urge to vomit.
Okay, let's take this slow.
After a few minutes, I was finally able to get up from my bed without feeling nauseous.
"Huh? What is this?" I thought, noticing the small box with a note on my nightstand.
I grab the note and open it.
As promised, here is a box of my best cigars.
-Zelretch.
I look at the note with wide eyes, not believing it.
I cautiously open the box, and inside, it's packed with Cuban cigars.
Oh my god, it was all real.
I jump in shock as loud music suddenly blares next to me.
It's my cellphone.
Right, the alarm to wake me up.
Wait, what time is it?
I check the time and let out a curse.
I need to go to work!
//////////
Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.
//////////////////////////
If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over
at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.
Or at
Ko-fi.com/regulareader
///////////
Name: Benjamin Wright. (Prefers to be called Ben)
Age: 26
Appearance: A young man with messy brown hair, brown eyes, and a full beard. He's about 175 centimeters tall with a lean body type.
Perks gained:
Magic Circuits (Generic Fate Redux) Free:
Magic Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system that spreads throughout the body of all Magus and allows for the usage of Magecraft. Without proper training they can be dangerous to use and using even the most basic of magecraft is inadvisable. You'll start with the ability to use them properly at minimum, as well as 50 Circuits of top quality. Each 100 CP spent here will net you 50 additional circuits.
Elements (Generic Nasuverse) Free:
Fire and Wind (Ben's elements).
Elements decide what sort of magic you're best suited to use. Normally, only elements from the five basic elements of fire, water, earth, air, and void or the five basic elements of fire, wood, metal, earth, and water are seen. (There's two different sets of "standard" elements, with the first being the standard elements of the West and the second being the standard five of the East.)
You may choose one of the two sets of Five Great Elements. You gain one element from that set for free. Yes, something like fire that exists in both sets is the same element; there's no difference between the five of the Western five elements and Eastern five elements.
Basic Training (Fate/Stay Night) Free:
Everyone has to start somewhere. No matter who you started as in this place, you've got the basic knowledge any magic user has. You know the core arts of Reinforcement, Gradation Air, Hypnosis and Formalcraft at an average level. Reinforcement is the enhancement of the functions of beings or objects through magical energy. You could make yourself as strong and fast as an Olympic athlete or enhance your senses to the best of human ability and so on, or you could increase the sharpness of a sword to cut through steel or the durability of a shield to endure small calibre firearms with ease. Things can only be reinforced so much at a particular skill level before they simply explode from overstuffing. Gradation Air is shaping magical energy into the form of an item, which temporarily becomes real. You could make a sturdy but mundane sword or shield with this, though they would not last more than a few minutes at a time. Hypnosis is the basic form of mind control all Magi learn to use. It can be easily shrugged off by any supernatural being or magic user at this level but manipulating ordinary humans is quite easy and only those with exceptional willpower be able to resist the use of this without magic to back them up. Formalcraft, generally considered magecraft for dummies, is a way for Magi to use the mana in the air, along with sacrifices or ritual preparation, to make casting spells easier or possible at all for those with little personal magical energy. All of these can be improved with time, sometimes to terrifying levels, but it will take effort and time.
Entrance Hall (Personal Reality Supplement) Free:
This is the room your Access Key opens a door to. It starts off as a 5 meter cube with blank white walls, floor, and ceiling, and some doors, one leading to the current Host Reality, the other into your Cosmic Warehouse, with additional doors leading to other extensions as these get added to your Personal Reality. Feel free to customize this Entrance Hall as you see fit. Additional Halls can, at your discretion, be linked only to certain keys or only to certain extensions. This allows you to have an entry hall just for skiing if you want. If you have the Force Field Utility, the Field does not block access from the outside world into the Entrance Hall, but rather from the Entrance Hall into the rest of your Personal Reality.
Acess Key (Personal Reality Supplement) Free:
This is a special key that lets you access your Personal Reality and its contents. When inserted into any lock on any door, the door opens to reveal a gateway into your Reality at a predetermined location within it. You are the only person who can take the key from the lock, the gateway remains open as long as the key is in the lock, and if the key is ever lost or stolen you will find it in your pocket a few minutes later. You cannot close the door as long as you are inside the Personal Reality.
