Chapter 2 - The Chip

In the Magnus Aula, the Great Hall of the Magic Academy, the conference of the 12 Pillars was taking place. They rarely all met up, with the last meeting being 250 years ago to sort out the raging war between nations, however, today's occasion was different. This was the first time in history that the stars would align on the same day as the Summer Solstice, and preparations would have to take place to harness and truly control the massive influx of power.

Machines had been set up by the 7th Pillar of Engineering and Craftsmanship, Astutia, to absorb energy from the influx to power the academy for the next centuries. 4th Pillar of Knowledge, Athena had devised ways to take the power from the influx to further her research into spatial magic and had developed a chip made up of cubes. Each one had a special rune engraved into it, representing a different type of magic that was used in the many worlds. Depending on the arrangement of the runes, different powers could be harnessed.

But just like with all good things, there was a catch. The user of the cube had to be accustomed to all types of magic, meaning the 12 Pillars and the rest of the Students were off the table. Students at the academy were required to select a certain type of magic they wished to study and train only in that, as their bodies couldn't handle the opposing types.

Because of this, Athena realised she'd have to dip into another source, and the Solstice would be the best opportunity to do so.

She still had to solve the largest issue at hand, however. What living thing could control all types of magic without exploding from the conflicting energy types?

It was only after researching along with the 7th Pillar Astutia that they came up with a solution. An automated chip that would control and manipulate the energies for the candidate chosen, taking the form of an interactive menu that would make life easier for the test subject.

After voicing their ideas to the other seats, it became apparent that attaching the chip to a living person would be a fiddly business, so the soul of a recently deceased would be optimal for synchronising the chip to the person.

The soul couldn't be from too long ago or it would've already crossed the threshold of the underworld, so candidates were cut down to those dead in the last month.

It was a particular suggestion which ended the arguments, suggesting a mercenary that had recently died. The mercenary had no name and went by the codename Delta. He had a kill count in the hundreds, however, still retained his morals throughout the battles he had fought.

Delta had given up the cushioned, rich life he had been living to eliminate the dictator Caligula who had been causing harm to millions, convincing the less chaotic Pillars that he still had a sense of morals. His combat abilities and battle intelligence had been proven by his numerous successes, and his knowledge couldn't be questioned.

Overall, he seemed like the perfect decision for the project, and thus he was chosen. They still required the permission of Delta to transport his soul, however, as they weren't deities with unlimited power. Eros, 11th Pillar of Love and Charm, was sent to persuade Delta with his "superior charm" as he liked to put it.

With the meeting adjourned, the Pillars returned to their own work, such as preparing for war or crafting tools for the rest of the students.

Delta was floating through the void, nothing around him but darkness. He tried to rub his eyes to see if it would help, but it was only then that he realised that he had no arms. He looked down at where his body should've been, but there was also nothing.

Whilst he had never been in this kind of situation, Delta was used to getting into situations he had never even dreamed of, so keeping calm wasn't difficult for him. He decided to experiment with different things, such as speaking, moving or breathing, but none of them worked.

Strangely enough, Delta did not need to breathe and didn't feel any sense of tiredness, hunger or even thirst.

Suddenly, a light appeared before him. It started as a small sprite before becoming bigger and bigger, growing to the size of a man.

The man was the most handsome person he had ever seen in his life, and he had seen countless attractive women, and men, try to get with him, whether for his fortune, power or even just his protection.

There seemed to be a large issue with the man before him, however.

"I am Eros, Pillar of Love and Charm. I have-"

"A booger on your forehead. I am aware."

Eros went red, flushing up to the shade of a tomato. He suddenly had a burning desire to strangle Delta to death, then hang him on his wall as a warning for anyone else who wanted to insult his appearance.

Eros wiped the booger off his forehead, clenching his fists to prevent himself from murdering Delta for his injustices.

"There's another one on your cheek," Delta added.

He had no idea why, but he didn't seem to like the man before him. His ego and the way he carried himself reminded him of Caligula, so they weren't exactly a great match.

Eros practically spurted blood after hearing this, and it took a lot of goading, as well as reminding himself of Athena's horrible punishments to keep himself from just leaving. There was one way he could get back at Delta though.

"Enough with the jokes. I've been sent by the other Pillars to offer you a choice. Return to the Academy with me and be bestowed a second life and a unique power stronger than you've ever even imagined, or just die."

"What's the catch?"

Delta had a habit of getting straight down to business, and he trusted his ability to figure out if someone was a liar, and Eros wasn't setting off any red flags.

"The catch is that because this power is experimental in nature, you will be monitored and periodically tested to make sure that it is functioning properly."

Delta had to admit, he was extremely interested in the options he had been shown, but there was no way to confirm if the man was telling the truth. Either way, however, he was dead and he didn't really fancy the idea of staying dead, so the deal being offered to him would be a great help.

"I'll do it."

"You will?? That was... easier than I thought. Must be my natural charm!"

"Don't flatter yourself"

Eros pouted, before putting his hand out.

"I hope I don't have to see you again."

"Likewise"

Suddenly, Delta felt the darkness before him distort and churn, crashing in on itself and changing into new shapes and patterns. He had to shut his eyes before the blinding lights appearing gave him permanent blindness.

Delta opened his eyes, astounded by the sight that greeted him. A massive castle stood atop a gentle hill, spires seeming to never end and nests atop them where dragons seemed to take residence. An army marched in unison, carrying large packs on their backs along with their seemingly heavy gear. Banners were flown off bannisters and walls, and gargoyles patrolled the airs, landing on their pedestals after their circuits.

He looked across to the minor explosions he was hearing and was completely blown away by what he saw. Young teenagers, around 12 and 13, were lined up in front of a row of dummies and were taking turns to fireballs of flames and shards of ice, receiving nods from their instructors when they succeeded and frowns when they failed.

"You must be Delta"

Delta turned towards the voice, seeing a young man in his early twenties carrying a notebook and a pen. The man was a giant, towering over Delta by several feet.

"Yes, I am. Is everyone here as tall as you are?"

"Well, I'm about average. You'll probably be taller than me when you grow up."

It took a second for what the man had said to sink in. 'Grow up'. Grow up as in getting older. He was told he would get older by a man in his early twenties, but he was in his mid-thirties... Delta looked at his arms and legs and nearly choked. He had the hands of a young boy, several times younger than he was before he met Eros.

'Did that scumbag make me younger?' he thought, 'Well... I guess it's not too bad... I still have all the knowledge of my past life, and now I won't look like a fool being an adult with no ability in any magic...

Through this reasoning, Delta managed to persuade himself that maybe being a young man again wasn't too bad, and maybe he wouldn't have to go on a killing spree to get revenge on whoever did this to him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the young man saying, "Shall we go then?"