Author's Note: Hello friends, I am still alive and around! For those readers who are familiar with my works, I'm terribly sorry for being gone for the past six months! Work and school had just been getting stressful and even during the summer, I still had to take classes, which explained the lack of updates during the summer months. For those of you who have still been following or re-reading my story and continue to follow or favorite it, I thank you all for your support, it means the world to me! For those who are newer readers to my works, I hope that you enjoy what I have to offer you!
So this new story, Sovereign of the Heavens, is certainly a bit of a toss-up from my other stories. It's gonna be a story where the MC's already powerful and is reincarnated through a System, but I wanted to put a twist with my own take on the purpose of reincarnation through a System that isn't just a random lottery of a 1 out of many people being reincarnated. I'm sure you'll learn more as you read this chapter to see what the purpose of this story is!
And without further ado, the Prologue!
[Do you want to live?]
I remember it like it was yesterday…
[Do you want to live?]
I didn't know who I was, nor did I know who or what it was that reached out to me.
[Do you want to live?]
I don't even know what was happening to me when it happened.
[Do you want to live?]
But I knew that I was dying.
[Do you want to live?]
So I answered.
"Yes…"
[Even if it means you may be subjected to what may seem to be eons of solitude, out of reach of human contact?]
[Losing your own name in the process? Your memories?]
[Even then, would you still wish to live?]
I don't know why, but I knew that logically, anyone else should and would have said 'no'. After all, if those words were true, who would willingly choose life if it meant living in what seemed like a living hell? But I don't know why, but I wasn't one of those people who could refuse.
I don't know why, but I knew that I had to live for something.
Above all else, I wanted to live.
"Yes…"
[Very well…searching for role…searching…searching…]
[Role found. Executing experimental procedure 'Ascension to the Throne']
[Attempting to recover the host's current Vessel for reincarnation…failed.]
[Accessing Multiversal Core…searching for compatible host bodies…failed.]
[Executing alternative action. Creating suitable Vessel for soul of C̻̥̠̙̥͙̦̓̃͐̅́y̶̼͈̹͈̖̮̓̿r̴͖̬̜͓͍͖̩ͯͫ̓̿u̸̖͙͉̝͍̜̐̏̾ş̳̞̬̥̪̖͖ͥͩ̿̄ͅ ͇̖͚̤̗̬̈́͝Ạ̟͖̟̯̅ͨ̿͑͟…]
[Corruption of name detected. Commencing deletion of name…success.]
[Resuming creation of Vessel…success.]
[Accessing Multiversal Core for compatible domains…success.]
[Attained: Power of the Monarchs, World SL-7]
[Attained: Power of the Rulers, World SL-7]
[Attained: The Storm Who Bows to the Underworld, World YG-2]
[Converting attained domains into Vessel…successful.]
[Vessel successfully created. Domains successfully integrated.]
[Warning: Vessel is unable to contain power. Proceeding to force acclimatization…failed]
[Warning: Vessel must engage in periods of prolonged sleep in order to acclimate to its power.]
[Titles: Monarch of the Storm, King of the Avians, The Most Glorious Fragment of Brilliant Light. Incarnation of Raiza the Storm Monarch.]
[Merging…success.]
[Bestowing Vessel's name…searching…compiling…cross-referencing…success.]
[Uploading necessary information to Vessel's memories…success]
[Welcome to the world, Caelus.]
[3rd POV]
His feet carried him through the long green halls, making his way to the room that stood in the middle of the structure that he was walking through.
How long has it been since he was born?
He honestly didn't know. In a world where one is unable to tell how much time has passed, it becomes nearly impossible to truly quantify the number of years that one has lived.
All he knows is that he has been alive for so long that he hardly remembered his first steps in these sacred halls.
It could have possibly been many centuries ago, but he will never be able to know how long it's been since he took his first steps here.
He slowly shook his head, clearing away his unnecessary thoughts from his head. That isn't why he is here today, so he should very well cease thinking about it.
'Ah…there it is.' He thought to himself as he came towards a set of elaborate doors, white in color with green and gold designs displayed on the surface, opened up to reveal the room that laid ahead of him.
'To this day I will never understand the reason for those cursed contraptions. They have always been open ever since I was born, but the need for them has never been there.' He thought to himself. If he was capable of doing so, he would have been scowling at the thought.
But that aside, he walked past the doors to enter his destination.
It was a large, majestic room that contained a row of pillars that ran alongside a carpet covered walkway that ended in a small flight of stairs. And at the top of those stairs was a throne made of stone. But it wasn't the throne that he was focused on. Rather, it was the person who occupied it, this castle's only occupant.
A man was sitting on the throne, the armor that he was encased in from head to toe a light green color, with a cloth wrapped around the side and back of his waist that was a darker green with a yellow border. His helmet, much like the rest of his armor, was a light green color, but the front of it seemed to resemble the beak of a bird of prey, while the sides were adorned with yellow pieces of metal that resembled feathers. He had had one of his elbows propped on one of the arms of the throne, his arm pointed up so that the cheek of his helmet could rest on his armored fist. The man's helmet was unmoving, the yellow pieces of his helmet representing his eyes dull, as he was in a state of slumber, not having been aroused from his sleep in so many years, staying in that same posture for what may have been decades or even a century now.
'But no more. No longer shall you need to slumber.' He thought to himself before slowly walking across the throne room, careful not to make too much noise as he approached the man. And once he got within distance to touch the man, he leaned forward and nudged the man's shoulder with his face.
"My king, it is time for you to awaken…"
And as soon as he spoke his words, a bolt of lightning shot out from his heart towards the heart of his king from behind the armor, although neither were physically affected by it. Even still, he knew that it was time for him to back away and stand at attention in front of the throne, and after doing so, he knew that it was just a matter of time until-
*FWOOSH!*
"It's finally time…"
He watched as the throne room was suddenly being engulfed in tempestuous winds before a whirlwind began to form with his king in the center, lightning seeming to arc out through the winds as he watched this display.
But just as fast as the winds came, it quickly went away. Or rather…it all was visibly absorbed by the armor that had been in the center of it all.
He watched silently as the yellow eye pieces seemed to brighten, and soon after that, the helmet of his king began to turn his way as he lowered the fist that it had rested it on.
And just like that, he knew that his king had finally awoken before speaking his first words.
"Ardas…is that you, my friend?"
'Ah…for my king to still remember me after all these years of slumber…' Ardas thought happily to himself, even though he knew that it was probably seemingly just yesterday when his king had slept, but even still, Ardas has grown since the last time they had spoken, so for him to be recognized is an honor.
"Yes, my king, it is I, your faithful right wing Ardas, who has come to wake you this day."
And with his statement, Ardas let out a screech befitting a being like him as he spread out his four pairs of wings, red, yellow, green, and orange from top to bottom, displaying the result of his growth to his king before he lowered his head and laid his wings down, as if he was bowing.
After all, unlike his king, Ardas himself is not a human. Instead, he is a creature of the skies, the Bolt Phoenix Ardas.
"Yes…you've definitely grown a lot, my dear companion. To think that you've grown another set of wings in the time that I've slept. I'm sorry that I couldn't be present to have witnessed that." His king said with a self-deprecating chuckle that Ardas hated to hear.
"Do not say that my king! Just your acknowledgment of my growth is more than enough for me!" He boldly claimed as he raised his eyes to look his king in the eyes.
"It is not your fault for needing to rest in order to withstand the majestic power your body contains, much like you needed to do when I was just a youngling! So for you to simply be able to be awake at long last for your soldiers to see you is more than enough!"
Even though Ardas had spoken up against his king about this topic, he knew that there would be no punishment from his liege. After all, there was an order that he was given that superseded all others when he was born and played with his king.
'If I say something that you genuinely disagree with, then you have to speak up about it. Just because I'm your king, I'm not perfect. Besides, you're my first friend aren't you? Friends should be honest with one another.'
And even though Ardas didn't feel deserving to be called a friend, his king's words still resonated strongly within him.
"Ardas…thank you." His king said, his voice showing how touched he felt.
And slowly, Ardas witnessed as his king got to his feet from the throne, walking towards him. As he walked, a wide ring of armor formed around his shoulders, with the front of it at a lower level to reveal his head, a green cape flowing from the bottom of the ring to reveal his majesty is all his splendor.
As his king approached, Ardas watched as his liege's hand reached up to stroke the side of his neck, brushing his hand against the Phoenix's feathers, and Ardas couldn't help but to close his eyes and lean into his king's armored hand.
"Even after all this time, you still enjoy being rubbed there. I guess you're the same as ever, Ardas." His king said with amusement.
"Well, you are the one who raised me the moment I came to be, my king."
"I guess you're right."
When his king removed his hand, Ardas opened his eyes to see his king looking out the window as if in contemplation.
"So…not I don't appreciate it, but why is it that I've awoken from my final rest?" His king asked, but Ardas knew that this was more of a command for him to answer.
"There has been a disturbance my king. Some time ago, a mysterious portal had opened on the southern shore of the Sky Sanctuary, and when one of our numbers was sent to investigate what was on the other side in secret, they found something surprising."
This world is known as the Isles of Awakening, with the Sky Sanctuary being the name of the land on which Ardas and his king currently stood. What was unique about this island, however, was the fact that this island actually resided in the sky. It was unknown why this is so, but the island that housed his king was the only one of the five islands in this dimension of theirs that was capable of floating in the sky. The other four islands on the other hand were separated quite a distance away from the Sky Sanctuary, located in the cardinal directions and surrounded by the sea with the Sky Sanctuary hovering in the sky in the very center.
There was the Lightning Summit to the north, Ember Volcano to the east, Glacial Mountains to the west, and the Great Peak to the south but that is for another time.
"What did they find?"
"..."
"Ardas, I asked you a question. What did they find?"
"It was…humans, much like yourself yet they are far lesser than you are, my king."
Ardas noticed his king turn his head towards the Phoenix, his interest peaked.
"Oh? You said humans? Tell me more."
"It was strange, my king. Some of them seemed to have a semblance of power within them, but many more seem to lack that power. We were not able to discern much about them, but should anyone come to investigate the portal, it would most likely be one of those special humans."
"How interesting…let them come then."
"My king?" Ardas asked, his head tilted in confusion.
"Allow the humans to cross to the other side and greet them, but keep an eye on them should any of them try to get smart. Scare them a bit if needed to ensure their compliance. Lead them towards the castle, and I will greet them myself. And depending on if I deem them as guests or intruders…well, tell everyone to prepare for a possible hunt."
Oh? His king is willing to even offer these humans as new game for him and his people? How generous!
"Yes my king! I shall carry out your will!"
"Well then, I'll leave you to it Ardas." His king said with a chuckle and as he turned to walk back to his throne, Ardas felt that he should lower his head towards his king.
"All hail the Storm Monarch, the Most Glorious Fragment of Brilliant Light, the King of the Avians! All hail Caelus, the Sovereign of the Heavens!"
And his liege, Caelus turned his body slightly to look at him for a moment before chuckling.
"Thank you, my loyal familiar. And as your king, I shall give you your order…advance."
And with a raised hand, Ardas witnessed his king blowing open the wide doors at the side of the throne room with his powerful wind magic, where there was now an opening for Ardas to take off from inside the castle, his king essentially allowing him to go through the special doorway once again where there was a platform where any of his Avian people can come and go from.
"KAAAAAAWWWWWW!"
And so, Ardas tucked his wings in and then quickly ran through the door before he reached the open air where with a mighty jump, he took to the air, quickly spreading, opening his eight large wings so that he could take flight from the castle of his king, the Windspire Castle.
It's time to greet these humans then.
[1st POV]
When I sat down on the stone throne, I looked up at the ceiling and let out a small hum.
So it looks like for the first time since I've been reincarnated into this small dimension, we will finally get some visitors.
It was…interesting…when I woke up in the Windspire Castle for the first time.
Very lonely as well.
I had awoken in this very throne room surrounded by a large number of eggs, all of different colors and sizes. I knew that I had come back to life, but the experience of waking up in a random place and surrounded by them all was very unnerving at the time. I didn't know what to do, but I knew that it was just me, so I just explored. I constantly walked around and explored my surroundings, not requiring food nor water, even if I would have appreciated the taste, learning that I was biologically and physically immortal.
I guess that was to be expected if I was going to face eons of solitude, not that I would be too lonely for long.
I came to find out that I had woken up on an island that floated in the high. I had to admit, when I first discovered it, it was the coolest thing in the world, and I'm sure many would have paid to see such a sight. It was still odd that despite being in the sky, there was still greenery here, but I guess in a world made of magic, there are always some miracles that just can't be explained.
After all, the sun never sets in this dimension, so there is no nighttime, but with a liberal application of magic and science, the weather can be easily manipulated to our whims.
And speaking of magic…
I needed to thank my benefactor for giving me the powers that I now wielded. Although it is sort of cliche, it went by a self-designated name.
The [Archive], the System that logs and records the events of the multiverse. It has no master. It has no creator. It simply is. Its authority supersedes that of the Almighty, no matter what universe that particular Almighty comes from.
You can call it the foundation for all others of its type, be it some internet archive to provide information or a System designed to strengthen those touched by it. But this [Archive] is the first, the original, the greatest one of them all. It was there at the beginning when the first world formed, a world that no one probably has knowledge of save for the [Archive], and it will still be here when the last embers of the multiverse burns away, logging every single scrap of information into what is known as the Core, which would be the equivalent to the center of well…everything.
The [Archive], true to its name, archives the creation and happenings of every single world that exists and has had a hand in the formation of other worlds as well.
Take my powers for instance. Imagine my surprise when I realized where they originated from.
A Monarch who is the King of a particular group of creatures, and a being called a Fragment of Brilliant Light, otherwise known as a Ruler. These two powers originated from a world I had knowledge of from my previous life, a Korean manhwa known as Solo Leveling, otherwise known to the [Archive] as world SL-7.
And then Raiza the Storm Monarch, a name that I recognized from another fictional franchise. Yu-Gi-Oh, otherwise known as YG-2.
Two fictional worlds from Earth's standpoint, but to the [Archive], and now to me, these two worlds were both real, showing only one timeline of many others.
And I was given those powers with a single purpose.
To allow the Multiverse to grow. To allow the [Archive] to continue to do its function, since the multiverse is finite. Or rather, while the multiverse is infinite, it's finite in that there will come a time when the same choices will be made again and again no matter what. And that's what I, amongst others like me, am for. We, who are known as the Vessels of Change, bring about new effects onto the multiverse, be it from the truly amazing to the most horrific, and causing the greatest impact to the smallest. So long as our presence changes something, the [Archive] will note those interactions, big and small.
The [Archive] is neither good nor evil, it just is, and as such, it can bring back to life someone who may have been some sort of saint, someone who was merely average in life, or even someone whose actions in life would warrant a death penalty, all from the various versions of my previous vanilla Earth, which was used as a blank template for many things. It doesn't care about who it grabs from the clutches of death. It merely does its job without any bias, and in this case, we're merely its tools to do its job with, regardless of whether or not we directly intervene in known events.
But we're tools who were given a second chance in life, either to do good, or to inflict suffering on others, and we can do what we want with this new life, each action with its own consequences.
And it's not like we are all reborn equals either. To receive our powers, we needed to be naturally compatible with them, and they would be molded in order to suit us. For example, while the concept of the Monarchs and Rulers came from Solo Leveling, there was never such a thing as a Storm Monarch, King of the Avians or the Most Glorious Fragment of Brilliant Light. However, those titles and domains were created by the [Archive] in order to accommodate my vessel. But Raiza the Storm Monarch was actually a real being in the Yu-Gi-Oh universes, so he was used as a template to be implanted into me, and the compatibility between the powers of these two universes happened to excellently coincide with one another, bringing my powers to even greater heights than those who canonically share my position.
In short, you could either have the power to destroy a world, or you might just be somewhat better than just the average human, your luck dependent on the world you end up in. And it looks like I drew the lucky straw.
In addition, not everyone is incarnated in the same circumstances. Some might be better off than me and be born into a loving family, while some might have started off with the worst possible handicap such as an illness. At least I had Ardas and the others, even if the human company is lacking.
And lastly, I stand out among the Vessels due to my position in the [Archive]'s design. I was one of the few Vessels whose role was to interact with the multiverse in its entirety, not just the specific universe anyone else would have been landed in.
While most Vessels might end up on a single path out of say…fifty…I and select others get to walk down paths one through fifty and A through Z.
If there was one small consolation, Vessels will never cross paths within their respective universes, so I don't have to deal with some reborn deranged serial killer in this new life, not that I wouldn't mind feeding him to my avians.
But unlike the others, I was to interact with the multiverse like my namesake. Like a monarch, a king. And so, that is what I will do with this new life.
And speaking of this new life…
At some point, I found myself requiring rest so that my body could slowly acclimate to having so much power in my vessel from three different sources, so I was often forced into a state of sleep. Imagine having so much power that without either strengthening or vessel or allowing your body to acclimate to the power, you would quite literally be torn from the inside. My body fell in the latter. It couldn't have been able to survive from the power crammed into it, so the [Archive] had to place me into a forced sleep so that my body would slowly conform and adapt to what it contained. And it was just the start of many rests until this moment.
I eventually woke up at some point, developing the start of what would be my full power, and wasn't that a treat for me.
And I had received another surprise too, with the hatching of Ardas, breaking out of his egg like the small chick he was.
And he was just the most adorable!
Ahem…
I remember how he used to follow me around like a little duckling as I raised him, and then he would eventually be joined by his other brethren as well, soon ruling as the leader of his own group in the Lightning Summit in the north, the Thunderbirds.
And then more followed.
The Phoenixes, the immortal birds of fire and rebirth that now reside in or around the Ember Volcano.
The counterparts of the Phoenix, the Ice Phoenix, their home in the Glacial Mountains constantly engulfed in blizzards and ice.
And then the Rocs, the massive birds of prey. While these avians from the Great Peak lack any special elemental abilities, their ferocity coupled with their dangerous talons make them a force to never be underestimated.
All of these avian creatures were my loyal soldiers, and I hold dominion over them as their king. But no matter what, Ardas will always be my first familiar, though he can stop calling me his king all the time, but no matter what I say…never change Ardas…
But all that aside…
"[Archive]."
When I uttered that name, closing my eyes as I did so, I was answered by the very thing that gave me this new life, the very system that gave me my new name. As one of the few Vessels able to interact with the multiverse, we have a unique connection to the [Archive], so we have information that other incarnated souls would never have a chance to glimpse at. That said, the [Archive] is not one to hold our hands. It can give a nudge or provide us answers to a degree, but only on a need to know basis.
If my memory serves me right, there are only a handful of us, and thankfully according to the [Archive], I don't have to worry about any damn fools out there.
Our existences and compatibility with these experiments are apparently one in a number that the human brain can't even quantify. There were currently three of us who were suitable for the procedures.
The Vessel of the 'Ascension to the Throne' project, myself in this case, was designed to interact with the multiverse as a sovereign, which meant I had free reign in what I decided to do. I was probably compatible with other abilities too honestly, but for the project in question, the ones I was given were the most optimal choices for me, not that I can complain.
The 'Angel of Death' project was bestowed upon a Vessel who would become an assassin, whose role was to allow the Archive to view the effects of worlds where key individuals were to be killed and to see what the resulting fallout would be. While his physical prowess apparently was only slightly superhuman, it was his power that made me wary of him if we were to fight, which fitted the project name he was part of. The Reaper. This Vessel is so unique that he was compatible with almost every single concept of slaying an immortal or the supposedly unkillable that any items he touches can be used to kill anything and anyone. That means that whoever was his target, no matter their defenses or how invincible they seem to be, Death will seek them out. It's essentially contract killing for him and it doesn't affect his birth world in any way. Thankfully, he still seems to be a relatively moral character and isn't going around killing people like kids or innocents. Though that would be a very low bar as it was.
And there was the 'Creation of Miracles' project, where that particular vessel was doing the exact opposite, saving those whose times should have come and bringing more, possibly positive changes to the timeline of those particular worlds. Much like the project name, he created miracles, and you can probably imagine what those miracles were, though there are some drawbacks to this power that he has. Due to his accomplishments, apparently in various worlds, he is worshiped as a divine figure, blessed by God, or by the gods, depending on the world. Looks like kindness goes a very long way.
But those are different stories for another time.
[Yes, Vessel Caelus?]
Even if I can't 'see' or 'hear' the [Archive], I could feel the weight of its existence on my shoulders. That is how grand the magnitude of its existence was, to make you feel that pressure just by reaching out to it. It wasn't malevolent or aggressive though, it just was.
"Why is there a portal that's opened in the Sky Sanctuary now after all this time?" I asked the ancient system before it began to give me an answer.
[Prerequisites have been met to allow you to interact with the multiverse now, Vessel Caelus. With the accumulation of your Avian forces and the complete acclimatization of your powers, your 'Kingdom' has now grown in such a manner that you may now reach out to other worlds and powers as a suitable Project Vessel and Sovereign, hence why the long period of solitude was required.]
So that's what the [Archive] meant by solitude and why I've been here for so long. It's because until now, the Isles of Awakening and I were never fully ready, and as a result, I wouldn't have been able to officially carry out the project.
"Thank you. Now, what are ways I can interact with the portal?"
[Analyzing…calculating…you have a variety of actions you can take with the portal, Vessel Caelus. In a worst case scenario, you can destroy the portal if you so wished so no individuals from the other side may cross to your dimension. However, doing so means that you will no longer have access to that world. You can opt to seal the portal by interacting with it using your magic power for whatever reason you wish. It will prevent entry and exit until you decide to open it once more. However, it will still be visible on the other side just as it will be visible in the Isles of Awakening. And lastly, you may cross over to the other world and do as you wish. You may explore the world, conquer it, negotiate an alliance with its people, whatever it is you desire, Vessel Caelus.]
[The decision and the route you wish to walk as a Sovereign, is based on your wishes.]
I see…so my decision here is truly up to me then.
And since it sensed that its presence was no longer needed, the [Archive]'s presence had suddenly gone away, the weight that I had been feeling disappearing.
Well then…
"Let's see what fate has in store for me on the other side…"
Post Chapter AN: So what are your thoughts about this take on my System and how reincarnation works for those souls that enter the multiverse? Good? Bad? Meh?
What are your thoughts on the chapter as a whole?
And finally, what world do you think should be the first for our reincarnated Sovereign, Caelus, to interact with? Feel free to DM (not answer in review if possible) me some ideas so that I can write out a new chapter!
This story will be a tad slower than my other two stories which is slow as is, but hopefully I can write more consistently now, but I will definitely be working on it all the same.
Now for those who are following my other stories, I promise I am working on them, it's just that I've been having a bit of a writer's block for them, but I will definitely get the newest chapters out ASAP!
Until then, stay good people!
