"WHERE did Heaven No. 2093 run off to again!"
A loud roar echoed through the halls of Heaven. Onlookers turned away as an angry figure stomped into the pavilion. He calmed down slightly and repeated himself.
"Does anyone in this damn hall know where or WHAT No. 2093 is doing?" It was High Heaven No. 3, one of the Four High Heavens in the Heavenly Realms.
If the regular Heavens managed the Story Worlds, then the High Heavens managed the regular Heavens. Thus was this great chain of management, resulting in an endless cycle of Stories, all for The Reader.
No one knew who The Reader was. No one had seen His, or perhaps It's face. Not the Heavens nor the High Heavens were privy to such knowledge. All any Heaven knew was this: The Reader demands us stories, and grants power in return.
Occasionally, scrolls with orders written on them would float out of The Reader's Palace, situated at the highest point in Heaven City and shaped like a tower emerging from an open book. These orders somehow always knew which High Heaven was busy, and would always find its way to the closest unoccupied High Heaven.
"Uhh, Sir No. 3! I believe I saw No. 2093 entering into Story World 735? He said he had permission..." One of the Heavens working the desks interjected. Taking another look at the seething High Heaven, he hurriedly added, "But of course, it seems he wasn't allowed to! Such actions must be punished!"
The desk Heaven turned to a phone and rung the Management Bureau. "Uh huh, yes... Yes. Story World 735... Thank you."
Seeing this, High Heaven No. 3 calmed down and slowly wandered back to his office. Tsk, these damn lower heavens... always trying to curry favour. Whatever. At least they're useful in situations like this.
With the pavilion now quiet, all the Heavens present could only wonder.
What has No. 2093 done now!?
...
"And then, I took his sword... AND TURNED IT INTO PLASTIC!"
"HA! Ahaha, ha..."
"And he was like, "Uhh...? What happened to my sword?" in a really dopey voice. Now, obviously, he couldn't fight in the arena after that one! AND HE GOT DISQUALIFIED!!!"
Story World 735 happened to be a game world, where unlucky residents from other worlds would transmigrate into. Because of the special nature of World 735, it once held a special status among the Story World ranks. Every fresh sprout trying to make an interesting story for The Reader would always hope for their chance at a game world.
At this moment in time, the Heaven in question, No. 2093, was making conversation in a bar with a group of transmigrators.
Perhaps, World 735 started out interesting, as did other game worlds. But over time, as more and more people transmigrated, and more and more of the original residents of game worlds disappeared, the corruption began.
Now, there were no more "original residents", so to speak, and the game worlds slowly became, well...
Ahh. The perfect place for messing around. Thought Heaven No. 2093. Surely, this time I won't get into any trouble, right? Even though I'm technically intervening directly, it's not like people actually use this world for stories anymore...
Outside the bar, a group of seemingly tender youths huddled about, pressing a large red button and causing a mountain peak in the distance to crumble.
"My word! Bartholomew, quite a spectacular show!"
"Indeed my good sir. Never in my 93 years of living have I ever witnessed such entertaining sights!"
Their conversation drifted in through the open windows, causing the group to grumble.
"Tsk. Another bunch of greenhorn transmigrators." Said one of them.
"I remember that kid before he was replaced," Reminisced another. "He was a nice, polite kid. Always greeted everyone he met. And his name is Gabriel, not some "Bartholomew" or whoever they got inside of him now."
"Hey, but, aren't we all like that too, huh."
The tone of the group became somber in an instant.
"Well. Cheers then?" Meowed the fourth member. Fritz was an unlucky fellow. Instead of transmigrating into a human, he'd unfortunately become a cat.
While the group of drinkers went for another round, Heaven No. 2093 took his chance to leave. As he left, he couldn't help but think, Yikes. What a MOOD killer... I'd better find somewhere more fun.
A metallic hand on his shoulder snapped No. 2093 out of his reverie.
"Going somewhere, young man?" A gruff voice sounded out from behind him.
"AHHH!" No. 2093 quickly spun around, and just as he thought, it was the Chief of the Heavenly Management Bureau. Dark, rough skin, a mechanical arm replacement, and hair made from branches and leaves. There stood the scariest and toughest High Heaven of Heaven City. High Heaven No. 2.
Heaven No. 2093 quickly created 7 clones, each of them running off in different directions in sync with his main body. As he ran, he had each clone split into a further 4, with one continuing the escape and the other 3 staying back to fight.
It was all in vain.
With a swing of his mechanical arm, an almost transparent force flew out in an arc shape, separating half of the clones into chunks. The remains slowly turned back into energy. Seeing this, the other clones combined together to increase power.
"Stupid kid, stupid tricks..." Muttered High Heaven No. 2 as he pulled a leaf from his head. Watching the other party blast a wave of ice towards him, he chuckled before dropping the leaf to the ground.
BOOM! Just as the ice almost reached him, a huge tree exploded from the ground and unfurled majestically. High Heaven No. 2 smirked and punched forward from behind the towering tree, sending it hurtling towards No. 2093.
"AHHH!" The clone almost wanted to run as well, but remembering his task to stall for time, he teleported out of the way instead.
"Gotcha." Within that small moment, after No. 2093 disappeared but before he could reappear, High Heaven No. 2 clenched his metal fist, causing the tree to explode.
No. 2093 reappeared inside the eye of the explosion instead of his original target.
"Damn, spatial shackles! You're too much Gramps!" No. 2093 struggled in place, but no matter how he tried to move, he'd teleport back in place instantly.
watching this scene, High Heaven No. 2 grinned. He walked up to the struggling No. 2093, each step feeling like a judge's gavel hitting the table. High Heaven No. 2 slowly reached out his metallic hand, and, pressing it against the clone's chest, whispered.
"Body Swap."
The clone and the main body of Heaven No. 2093 swapped places.
"Ohhh.... Gramps?" Murmured a bewildered Heaven. "Please don't - hurt me too bad, this time?" He winced and braced for impact.
But nobody came.
"No. Not this time." High Heaven No. 2's voice held a hint of finality. I'm bringing you... to The Reader's Palace. And we will JUDGE you within its halls. No more temporary punishments." He grabbed No. 2093 by the scruff of his neck and started dragging him backwards.
The pair entered a portal, leading straight to The Reader's Palace. Along the way, other Heavens stopped and pointed, most likely whispering "There he goes again." or something similar.
Finding himself with nothing else to do, No. 2093 watched the scenery while getting dragged on the ground.
Witnessing the tall, white-and-gold towers, the walls and palisades, the pavilions and arches, he couldn't help but think, Heaven City is truly beautiful. I don't ever want to leave this place.
"Hopefully that's not foreshadowing anything, huh?" Mumbled High Heaven No. 2 under his breath.
"What? What did you say?"
"Oh! I said, don't stay under the shadows for too long. Kids need sunlight, ya know?" Even though High Heaven No. 2 seemed to be lying, No. 2093 didn't think much of it. High Heaven No. 2 was always a sly old bastard.
...
"So. This is the 214th, no, 201st time you've directly intervened in a Story World, is that so?" A kind but stern voice rang out from one of the four seats. Each seat was meant to house one of the High Heavens, but High Heaven No. 4 was still busy managing Heaven City.
"I will reiterate. Is this, or is this not, the 201st time you've intervened in a Story World." The voice became sterner.
"Auntie, please listen! That world, Story World 735, it's empty! No one's using to make stories anymore, what's so wrong about playing around a bit in there?" No. 2093's desperately protested. High Heaven No. 1. She was known to be a fair but rigid judge, in charge of the punishments and rewards for lower Heavens.
But No. 2093's protests were left unheard.
"Heaven Number Two-Thousand andNinety-Three. Considering that you're the youngest Heaven in the City, we've been lenient. But you go too far. That you've directly intervened within MULTIPLE Story Worlds, and NONE of them were your own, too busy with messing about instead of producing stories for The Reader. It's high time we put you to work."
High Heaven No. 1 lifted her gavel, and slammed it down with the following words, binding them.
"This I, High Heaven No. 1, rule today.
Heaven No. 2093 is to be stripped of his administrative and managerial rights.
He will undergo house arrest in Story World 2093, where he MUST produce at least one history-defying, continentally unifying story. For. Each. Continent.
Heaven No. 2093 shall remain under exile from Heaven City until then."
What???
HUH????
Did I just get... Kicked Out For Good?