Welcome 4: Earth Prime…
Welcome Outside his window…
was a scene he couldn’t properly put into words.
Across Earth’s surface, the final ordinary second of existence unraveled into something vast and otherworldly.
It happened so quickly that no living creature had time to understand the shift before the world itself began to scream.
As lightning tore through the skies…
the sun, which had always poured its warmth across continents and kingdoms without fail, flickered once like a dying ember….
Its golden blaze dimmed in a way that made every shadow stretch unnaturally long, and then, without warning or transition, its light collapsed entirely, plunging the world into a darkness so deep…
it was like an abyss.
Then…
the sky broke, quite literally.
KKKKRRRRRACKKKKK!!!!
It sounded like the world’s spine cracking, tearing through the atmosphere.
The darkness above cracked open with fractures, each one glowing in violent, shifting colors, and through those rips in the sky, wormholes burst forth like cosmic jaws, twisting at impossible angles.
Lightning poured from them in relentless torrents…
Purple streaks slicing through clouds, red bolts tearing the air apart, green arcs splitting the horizon, and golden flashes lighting the gloom for a fleeting heartbeat before vanishing.
Overhead, the sky kept breaking apart, shards of reality peeling away like a discarded shell, and for a brief moment, it felt as though Earth was being consumed by something far greater than itself.
HUMMMMMMM!!!!!
In that instant, all the chaos rushed in at once, stretching into what felt like an endless moment, and then, suddenly, everything came to a halt.
Afterward, there was no sound, not a single person or creature in motion.
It felt as though Earth floated in a void so complete that even the idea of time seemed uncertain.
Then a screen appeared.
It appeared before every creature, every human, every insect, every living thing, as though reality itself had decided to speak through pure information.
[Creatures of Earth Prime… Welcome to the Existential Game.] —- In the House of Hearts, three figures stood in two separate rooms, each one illuminated by the same impossible message.
Lucien Heart, along with Maylene, stood at their window, In this moment, Lucien’s red eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening around the sill as the screen reflected in the glass.
His breath was steady, but the tension in his jaw betrayed the storm of calculations already forming in his mind.
Maylene pressed a hand to her chest, her long white hair trembling slightly as she stared at the glowing text, her black eyes wide with disbelief and confusion she tried to suppress.
And in his bedroom, Neon…
stood frozen, the screen hovering before him like a divine message.
His pale face was drained of the little color it had, his red eyes locked onto the words with a mixture of shock and rising dread.
Then…
the screen changed.
[Scanning existential existence… determining existential path.] [Existential Path formed.] [Existential elixir generated.] In that moment, each message moved entirely too fast for Neon even to process any of it…
or to even form proper thoughts.
Until…
the next message showed.
[The Existential Elixir — Once absorbed, the user undergoes immediate and immense evolution into a Stage One lifeform.
A Stage One lifeform possesses physical and metaphysical capabilities far beyond baseline humanity: flight, mountain‑breaking strength, vast‑range influence, and extreme resilience.
Right…
think of a Demi-God… except you cannot survive in space.] [The Elixir is shaped by your existence…
your identity, your nature, your deepest self.
It does not create who you are.
It reveals who you were always meant to become.
So, don’t go thinking existence made you into a weirdo!] —– Reading the strangely human-like words of the status, Neon shook himself from his shock, taking a deep breath before muttering under his breath.
“This is…
pure fantasy nonsense.” The world of Earth—or more precisely, Earth Prime…
was overflowing with all kinds of fantastical works, from Marvel’s iconic heroes to intricate tales of cultivation.
Yet, Neon had never really taken the time to immerse himself in any of it.
It wasn’t out of thinking such things were strange; he was far too caught up in his own chaotic antics to bother.
“I bet… Atlas is somewhere smiling like a goof.” He said, blinking slowly, as he ran a trembling hand across his forehead.
While Neon was never much into fantasy, his best friend was the exact opposite.
Without him, Neon would have been completely clueless about it all.
In that moment, the screen changed again.
[Existential Path: The Defiant Usurper (Mythic)] As the words began to show…
a chill crawled down Neon’s spine as the description unfolded like a prophecy written specifically for him.
[A being destined to challenge all that stands above him.
The Defiant Usurper does not seek equality… he seeks ascension.
Whether King, Queen, Controllers, Authority, or even Truth itself, anything occupying a higher position is a challenge to be overcome.
The Defiant Usurper is defined by…
pure refusal.
Path Traits: Unyielding Self — Your sense of self becomes unshakable, granting you immunity to coercion, mental influence, and identity manipulation.
This trait works on anyone with lower Authority.
Throne Sense — You can identify beings with significant Authority—the Authority they will overlook.
Born Above – You see everything as either on your level or beneath you.
Path Abilities: Eye of the Usurper – With a single glance, you can instantly claim any item, weapon, ability, or territory as your own.
For territories, you must eliminate the leader…
unless the position is already vacant.
Unlawful Extraction – Anything you imagine appears in an illusory form, locking onto your target.
It does not physically attack the flesh; it seizes their vitality, causing instant death.
Ownerless Flesh (Passive) – Your flesh has no owner.
All physical damage instantly regenerates.] [You have unlocked Path Manifestation] [Path Manifestation – The Empty Throne: As a mythic-ranked Path holder, you can physically manifest your path in the world.
Your manifestation takes the form of an Empty Black Throne, granting you complete immunity to suppression effects for one hour.
It strengthens your will and grants you 25% of Authority from Authoritying rulers/controllers.] — The words glowed with a dark sheen, and Neon felt something strange coil in his chest —not fear, not excitement, but a pull: an instinctive, magnetic draw toward the meaning behind the text.
He didn’t understand it, not fully, but he felt it, as though something inside him had been waiting for this moment long before he ever knew such a moment could exist.
He stared at the screen, red eyes reflecting the status screen, and for the first time in his young life, the question that had always haunted him—what am I supposed to become?—felt like it finally had an answer.
He didn’t stop to wonder if the screen was real or some strange illusion.
He just reached out, instinct guiding him forward.
His hand rose toward the glowing panel, and the instant his fingertips grazed the edge of the elixir icon, the door to his room slammed open with a sudden burst.
“Neon!” His father’s voice hit first, sharp and urgent, followed by his mother’s softer, trembling call.
“Neon, sweetheart!” Instantly, Neon turned at the sound of his name, the motion sharp enough to break the strange pull the status screen had wrapped around him.
The instant his reddened eyes caught sight of the doorway, his mother hurried toward him in a frenzy, her hands flying to his shoulders, gliding down his arms, and cupping his face.
Her fingers trembled as they moved over him, inspecting every inch with desperate urgency, as though terrified she might find some hidden injury from the chaos.
Behind her, Lucien stepped into the room with a slower but heavier stride.
His gaze swept upward toward the splintered ceiling, his eyes narrowing as he took in the overturned lamp, the shattered picture frame, the trophies scattered across the floor like debris from a storm.
He moved closer, his hand brushing lightly against the broken edge of the desk before he looked at Neon directly.
“Son…
are you alright?” Lucien asked in a calm tone.
Neon took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts.
‘Okay…
pull it together, Neon,’ he told himself, finally shaking off the last of the shock enough to speak.
“Yeah…
I’m fine,” he said, though his voice carried a faint tremor he couldn’t quite hide.
He glanced toward the window where the world outside still lay in unnatural darkness, the status screen hovering like a silent omen.
“But I’m not so certain the rest of the Kingdom can say the same.” Maylene followed his gaze, her expression tightening as she stepped toward the window, her fingers brushing the curtain aside.
The darkness outside pressed against the glass almost like it was clawing to get in, heavy and unnatural, and she whispered.
“What the hell just happened…?” she asked, already certain none of them had an answer, though the event was far too much for her to process.
“That wasn’t a normal storm…
Nothing natural could do that.” Neon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Well…
No shit, Mother.” Pah!
She turned immediately, her hand snapping up to lightly slap the back of his head, her lips curving into a strained but familiar smile.
“Neon…
That is no way to speak to your mother.” Bzz!
Bzz!
Bzz!
Before Neon could respond, a buzz cut through the room, the sound muffled beneath fallen clothes and broken furniture.
Neon exhaled sharply, glancing around at the chaos.
“And…
how am I supposed to find that?
Now, my whole room looks like it got drop‑kicked by a superhero or something.”