Ah, finally; I didn't think you'd ever finish the tutorial section. Good job. The others and I have been pleasantly entertained by your performance, thus far; so, keep it up. Honestly, I didn't expect you to somehow turn the Balrog to your side – oh, yeah, that's happening, even if it hasn't happened yet, a benefit of being able to perceive every single moment in time simultaneously. Aren't I awesome? Anyway, no one expected you to do that. I did several other simulations, using other Gamers as the model, and none of them did what you did. That was amazingly fresh! Ah, I'm almost tempted to reward you for that, really. But, instead of doing that, I'm just going to boost your luck a little bit; so, you can look forward to your next Gacha Token.
It took me a moment to realize that I could not move. All of creation had frozen still. My mind functioned, however, and I guess that was better than nothing at all. But, to be entirely honest, I'd forgotten about my admin; so many things happened at once that I'd completely disregarded the fact that this was apparently just the tutorial phase.
Anyway, onto the matter at hand. I've warned you, some time ago, that you – once you finish the tutorial portion – will receive a boon and a curse from another, much older Gamer, one of the Guild's founders, actually. The founders are a bunch of assholes with too much power and too much time, but with a distinct bankruptcy in terms of morals and ethics. Anyway, you will be receiving a boon and a curse, kind of like last time. This time, however, you don't get to choose anything. The Guild has decided for you. But, I guess, seeing as you went and turned a curse into a boon, I'm gonna have to alter things a bit, just to make it more entertaining, yeah? We wouldn't want things to be boring and easy, after all. And your latest ability can honestly be pretty broken if you complete its Skill Evolution Quest.
I couldn't choose? Oh well, that wasn't too bad, I suppose. Either way, the Guild wouldn't send a curse my way, unless it came with a boon of equal weight and stature. After all, it wouldn't be entertaining if I just went and lost immediately against whatever they sent after me, because it was too strong. I realized, then, that – more than anything – what the Guild wanted to see was a spectacle. I somehow passed their standards, because the fight against the Balrog had been spectacular, admittedly.
Yeah, it really was. Anyway, onto the matter of the boon and the curse. I'll start with a curse: the moment we finish talking and I leave you alone again, a random Ork, somewhere out there, in the great big wide galaxy will begin turning into a Krork; it won't be instant, of course. Don't know what a Krork even is? Well, tough shit. Not my problem. The boon is... well, it's the product of a very long debate, since none of us had a good idea on what we actually wanted with you. However, since a single Krork is going to be a headache for everyone in this Galaxy – trust me on this one – and in keeping with your current theme of collaboration and teamwork, the Guild has decided to bring back one of the Loyalist Primarchs. Which one is it? That's for us to know and for you and everyone to find out. Don't worry, it's going to be fucking insane. For now, enjoy some downtime. No one's going to interfere for a while – not until a few conditions have been met.
If I could move my eyelids at all, then I my eyes would've widened in shock. A Primarch. They're bringing back a Primarch, a child of the Emperor, a demigod of unthinkable power. I couldn't even begin to fathom just how much of a boon such a thing would be for the Imperium. Still, the wording was strange. Loyalist Primarch implied the existence of a Disloyal Primarch and that... was impossible and heretical; unfortunately, I couldn't exactly shoot my Admin in the face with a Lasgun. Every single Primarch, all eight of them, was unquestionably loyal to their father, the God Emperor of mankind. They were the first of his angels, after all, lost but not forgotten, missing but not dead, each one searching for a way to resurrect the Master of Mankind.
Sheesh, yeah, that's the stuff that makes you so interesting. So, goodluck, Gamer. You're going to need it. Still, having said that, keep up the good work. Oh, and just to make things more interesting, you can't tell your little God-Emperor about this or anything else about the System, because I said so and there's nothing you can do about it. Ha. Actually, just for the heck of it, there is now a fully-grown and very angry Catachan Devil in your [Inventory]. Once you let it out, it's going to target anyone and anything, including you!
The Admin's presence disappeared and the world was free to move once more. I was back in my Enhanced Human form, I noted, and my [Warp Energies] full and- by the Emperor, that was a lot of zeroes. My reserves, evidently, had gone way up, now at a flat 500,000. However, the [Mask of Death] was no longer in my [Inventory], and a cursory glance told me that I'd burned out the item with my little stunt.
That was... unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. It seems that that slight damage to the hand from the Balrog's core was enough to destabilize the artifact completely, destroying it in the process. Oh well.
At the back of my head, I became dangerously aware of a writhing, screeching, roaring, horror in my [Inventory], just waiting to be let loose. By the Emperor, that would probably come in handy at some point, no matter how terrifying it might be. I've only heard stories of Catachan Devils from some of the veterans, who spoke of how entire armored regiments disappeared when crossing into the territory of such powerful and voracious creatures, stories of dark and chitinous creatures dwelling in deep and moist caves at the depths of Hive Cities. These things were feared across the Imperium and I now had one in what was essentially my pocket.
I'll deal with that later; there really anything I could do about it for now. It pained me, truly, to not be able to inform the Master of Mankind of the wondrous news I'd just heard, that one of his lost demigod children would return.
The haze of fire and shadow and ash dissipated, the orb of flames that was the Balrog's core turning to dust before my eyes, before disappearing entirely a moment later. The dark and black clouds that'd gathered above us, the flesh-stripping vortexes of sharpened debris, and the howling and screeching winds all faded away. And, for a moment, all was calm and peaceful and tranquil. My eyes widened as a thick and lush host of green plants and flowers bloomed before me, growing on what should've been barren soil, accompanied by light – faint, but warm and powerful.
Was this... the spirit that'd slumbered underneath all the malice that'd overtaken the Balrog's heart?
Appearing by my side was the God-Emperor himself, in the flesh, bearing the same regal, but simple look as when we first met and conversed. I would've bowed, but the Emperor stopped me with but a simple gesture, before then pointing at the shimmering emerald light that sprang from the center of the blooming garden. "Watch closely."
I nodded, but did not speak. I honestly wasn't sure what was going on. The God-Emperor continued. "This, I believe, is the Balrog's true form... likely before it garnered that name. I can feel its essence – powerful, but benevolent. A potent but formless spirit. Very interesting. I have never seen its like – not once."
"Is it an ally of ours now, my lord?" I asked, mostly curious. The God-Emperor's intent, the last time we spoke, was to turn the Balrog to our side, somehow.
At that, in a gesture that I... would not have expected from the Master of Mankind, the God-Emperor shrugged. "I have no idea. This entity is not one I can claim to understand. What I do know, however, is that we can communicate with it. And, therefore, an alliance is not impossible."
Once again, I nodded, agreeing.
A somewhat humanoid figure emerged from the sea of green that'd now spread far and wide, encompassing even the ground beneath my feet. Briefly, I glanced down and beheld the blades of grass and other leafy plants that suddenly sprouted. The soil softened and I knew, somehow, that it was no longer barren and poisonous. The entire crater that'd been the epicenter of the battle between the Balrog and the God-Emperor had become a verdant oasis. Was this the Balrog's true power, then? Such a tragedy it must've been for a spirit of spring and warmth to be reduced into a fiery creature of destruction and death.
It must've been painful.
The figure of warm and soft light walked towards us, the tall grasses and plants seemingly parting around it as it approached us. The God-Emperor took a step forward. And I, not knowing what to do, simply stood still and kept my head low. "It has been... a terribly long count of time since I've felt myself once more. Morgoth's taint is gone and I am... pure, once again. Stronger than I've ever been, perhaps, but I remain myself, Athulhum. Yes... that was my name, long ago, before I turned, before my corruption, Athulhum. But now, I find myself before my saviors, bereft of purpose... for this is not my home plane, is it not? Though, in you, young one, I sense the Power of Creation, it is not the same as the Fire of Eru."
Was the Balrog talking to me, back there? I couldn't be sure, but he probably was? I couldn't figure out why, however, as the God-Emperor was the only one of any real authority here; he was the Master of Mankind, after all. His word was law. He spoke for all of us.
"What will you do now?" The God-Emperor asked. A golden haze swept across the garden. This power, I knew, came from the Emperor himself. "You're free to do as you will, Athulhum. But, as you said, this is not your home. You are not bound to anything here. You are free."
"Tell me," Athulhum said. Behind the spirit, sprouted a great and mighty tree, its trunk massive and powerful, covered in golden-red bark, its branches reaching the clouds. And from it bloomed fruits of gold, shimmering like stars. What in the Emperor's name was I looking at? I couldn't deny, however, that being in the massive tree's presence was... soothing and calming, as though it was taking away all that was dark and dreary. It was nice. "What ails your domain, Emperor of Mankind?"
"Corruption... Chaos... not too different from the creature that must've filled your heart with malice and hatred." The God-Emperor answered. "Even now, it seeks to destroy all of humanity, to corrupt all that is good and innocent."
Athulhum nodded and, for a moment, turned and looked to the distance, where the skies had turned blue – all traces of corruption now distant and fading rapidly, the faint screams of Daemons echoing from... somewhere. "I will help you, for now. I will not aid you in your wars. Never again shall my power bring death and destruction."
"However..." Athulhum continued, raising his hand into the air above him as the massive tree leaned forward, towards us, one of its branches hanging so low that a single golden fruit reached Athulhum's grasped. The spirit pulled it and then handed it to the God-Emperor. "I offer your Imperium this fruit and the tree from which it sprouts. The fruit will mend mind, body, and spirit. And the tree will slowly, but surely purify the soil and the air of whatever world it grows on. This, I offer freely to every planet in your Imperium."
Very briefly, the God-Emperor flashed a grin. "Then, I shall humbly accept this gift."
"What of you, child." I felt the spirit's gaze upon me. "What gift should I offer you?"
AN: And so the new arc begins. (Pat)reon's currently up to Chapter 31.