Inspired shirtaloons He who fights with monsters
Chapter 0: One user found
Energy echoed and rippled throughout the multiverse as platinum, gold, and silver energy rippled through countless timelines and possible outcomes, stretching the infinite branches of the multiverse like a storm hammering a tree, contorting and bending the foundations of all creation and magic. A torrent of energy permeated through every single electron, proton, and neutron and every atom until a branch broke off. System notification: A new astral king has arisen from the sundered throne. Administrator has shut off the multiverse to a malignant timeline. New users from branch timeline unable to integrate with interface… One user found.
Chapter 1: Labyrinth maze
Thadwick was finishing up with the day's last bronze-rank monster hunters orders. He had been working in Robert Bertinelli's clothing store for the last 10 years now ever since he split from Team Rose, which was made up of a healer elf from the Church of the Healer, Neil Devoan, his sister Cassandra mercer, Landamer Vain, and Thadwick.
Ten years ago Thadwick was a confident adventurer, not leader material, but he often filled the team's de facto leader. He earned two stars on his badge and usually his team got first dibs on monster contracts because of Thad's influence in green stone but all of that changed when Landamer died.
One day All astral apertures roared across Greenstone with energy, as monster after monster came bursting out of the astral spaces, taking even the magical society by surprise.
Greenstone and surrounding areas were quickly overrun, Every adventurer nearby of every rank was contacted, but even so there still weren't enough silver and golds rankers. A lot of bronze-rankers lost their lives. One of those people was Thadwick's closest friend Landermer. They had known each other since kids grew up together and were both accepted into the Gheller's School for Adventurers.
A lot of Thadwick's confidence in monster hunting came from knowing Landermer would always be there, but that was no more, for even though he had Neil and his sister Cassandra, Thad couldn't help but feel alone with the monsters that haunted his memory of that day.
Landermer's body was returned back home to the Landermer estate, a magically enhanced property that kept it cool and green in the desert — a green oasis in a hot oven.
After Landermer's funeral that was fit for a hero, Thad had distanced himself from everybody, He needed time to process the grief of losing his closest friend and decided to take a walk to the maze he and his friend landermer would play in as kids and would chuck lesser spirits coins into the well and make wishes of one day becoming famous adventurers even more famous then the remor family.
As he crisscrossed the labyrinth maze, he could feel his sister and Neil's aura entangled and entwined he stopped stunned
Neil placed a hand on Cassandra's cheek as tears flowed down like melting Icicles
"We have to tell him," Neil said.
"It's far too soon, He just lost his best friend, who was more like a brother to him, He feels alone you can sense it in his aura." she replied
"Then why is he shutting himself off to us? It wasn't just him who lost a friend we did too," Neil said tears threatening to blind him.
"Because he's scared, Neil. He's scared he's going to lose us as well, He may act like a shy stone wall, but inside a storm rages" she sighed "he knows everything has boundaries, and once you cross it, its hard to go back."
"Those boundaries are holding him back he's holding himself back with his insecurities of being alone, He needs to learn how to fight those unseen monsters on his own," Neil shot back.
"Exactly, Neil. That's why he's not ready," Cassandra said as she leaned in and kissed Neil on the lips.
"Landamer never expected anything from him, nor did Landermer put so much expectations on his shoulders. You expect too much from Thad." She said as she gazed into his eyes.
"Just try being there for him and being present in that moment no matter how he reacts or what your expectations are of him."
Neil pulled Cassandra in for one last passionate kiss.
Chapter 2: I banish you
When Thad got back to Greenstone he had a storm of emotions swirling inside him since he heard what Neil and Cassandra said in the maze.
Was he really that insecure that his own aura gave it off? He pushed those thoughts aside, instead focusing on his emotions, anger, grief, regret, compromise, denial
They all gave off potent energy that screamed within his body like 1000 church bells all going off at once.
Thad had never felt a power like this before.
Just then he felt an aura. It was guarded. Thad turned to see a tall elf with wide shoulders that towered over Thad but gave a calm sense of home and familiarity. It was his long-time friend Neil.
Neil projected. A calm aurora before he spoke "Hey, ahhh, I just wanted to check up on you and see how you're doi—"
"You said I'm insecure and that my boundaries will hold me back," Thadwick cut Neil off before he could finish his sentence.
"Not only that! when were you gonna tell me you and Cassandra were seeing each other?!" He shot at Neil
"If there's anybody who should've known don't you think that of been me, Neil!" Thadwick hissed at him
."When were you going to tell the team? When one of us dies? Is that what it's going to take for yous to finally tell me the truth instead of hiding it from me?"
Neil closed his eyes with tears welling up. "He already knew," Neil said while not looking his friend in the eyes.
"What!!" Thadwick said.
"land knew he was the one who told us not to tell you and that we should wait, he said we would know when the time was right, I'm sorry, Thad."
Thadwick could feel a power burn from within his soul, threatening to consume him from within, but Thad didn't let it consume him.
Instead he touched that power.
Glowing platinum lines appeared on the ground. Neil could feel a huge, almost divine aura wash over him it was coming from thadwick and it was being directed at Neil.
Thadwick shouted a chant in a deep astral voice that vibrated he air and stored up huge just of wind "tress passer you have crossed boundaries I banish you"
Thadwick cast a new spell he had never used before. It was a mix between ritual magic and divine magic that came from his Boundary essence. When the spell was cast, Thadwick was gone. No longer were the two old friends able to speak to one another until the creator of that spell reversed it.
Chapter 3: Magical block
Ten years had passed since Thadwick last spoke to Neil and his sister. He was unable to contact them even if he wanted to. Since then Thadwick had learned he had somehow influenced the magic enough around him to cast a spell usually reserved for gold rank called "Banish User," which can be awakened through his Boundary essence once he was powerful enough. The effects stop any person or monster it was cast on from ever coming into contact — magically or not — with the person who cast it. While not on Clive Standish's list of outlawed essences, it still was devastating when taken to its peak in gold and diamond rank.
Even so, this caught the attention of the Magical Society Director, calculating and corrupt, having a monopoly on all available magic and essence knowledge. Clive sent many Magical Society representatives to meet with Thadwick, but Thadwick always threatened to use it on them if they didn't stay away. But truth be told, Thadwick had hit a magical barrier. He was stuck at peak bronze rank and was unable to advance onto silver, so there was no chance Thad was casting it anytime soon.
Thad had hit a magical block usually most adventurers encounter at mid-silver. Not only that, he hadn't killed one monster in ten years, preferring to be a hermit and working with Robert Bertinelli. Thad looked in the mirror, noticing his hair had grown past his shoulders. He knew he could do with a haircut. Just as Thad reached for the scissors, a burst of swirling magical gold dragged him into a mass of starry magical energy.
Chapter 4: System notification, one user detected, outworlder lands on Earth
Thadwick could feel the hot, baking desert sun beating down on his body. He could see the glare through his skins of his eyes; when they adjusted well enough to see—
"Did I cast Banish User again?" he said to himself out loud. He rubbed the red dirt off his body and noticed he was naked and bald. "What's the hell's going—"
Thadwick looked around and could only see red desert. Much to his relief, maybe he was near Landermer's estate and all he had to do was find it. And then a semi-transparent box appeared in his sight. First it was lines and squiggles, and then it eventually read:
System notification: One user detected. Outworlder lands on Earth. System notification: You have gained the Token of the World Builder.
"That's strange. I've heard of essences providing information, like the Hunter essence which provides all skills and weaknesses best suited to that monster, but I don't have any of those essences."
System notification: You have been resurrected by the World Builder. You are now an Outworlder.
Another transparent notification somehow took up his vision no matter where he looked. He focused his mind and the box changed its letters.
Outworlder abilities: You can now interact with all interface functions, including quests, maps, health, and stats.
Thad had heard of different races having different racial abilities, and this seemed to be one. He focused his mind on quests.
System notification: New quest! Find and destroy the Sanguine Horror. Finish quest to gain rewards.
Just then a jumping creature came barreling toward him. It was unlike anything he had seen. Thad let his aura spread out to cover the creature.
System notification: New creature found. The natives of this world call it a kangaroo. Rank unknown. Weakness unknown.
"What the undeath is going on"
To be continued
I will be dropping more lore on how this mirrored version came to be