After the dismissal, my mind is still on the city. I move my air elemental, which I’d left idle in the forest during the battle.

  Along the way, everything goes black. A suffocating sensation fills my form. There is no air here! A message box appears, like those from the system.

  "Spawn a herald."

  I see no alternative. I comply.

  Spawning Herald

  Something that can’t be described as a voice delivers meaning to my mind in this place of perfect darkness. “Welcome, visitor. Release your form, it will die anyway from lack of air.”

  Dismissing Minion

  “What is this place? Who are you?”

  Somehow, there is something darker than complete darkness here: a vaguely humanoid silhouette. It bears an immense gravitas. The uncanniness of looking upon it can superficially be compared to looking at a summoned creature, but it’s like the flip-side of that. It’s very at home on this world, and especially here. It could be said that it belongs more than this world’s inhabitants do.

  “We’ve already met, visitor. This place is the abyss, my home. I have brought you here to discuss your future in this world.”

  I move to reply, but can’t. I’m not physically restrained, but… the time for me to speak hasn’t come.

  “Yes, the abyss can be that way. Its role in this world is subtle and necessary, but it isn’t meant to be inhabited.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “Your actions on this world have been exciting, to say the least. You have taken requests, been blessed by a spirit of the land, made a follower, and battled another visitor. It’s that last one that I’d like to talk about.”

  The interior of the The Accursed’s dark temple shimmers into view.

  “I don’t condemn your actions in the least. I know who tore that rift, and that I do condemn. But, having seen one of your kind behave in that manner, you might get the impression that you could do the same. While we permit much, we don’t permit everything.”

  “So you’ve punished the other?” My time to speak arrived.

  “He is banished from this world.”

  “You can banish my kind?”

  “Naturally. Worlds don’t come into being of their will, no more than summoners craft creatures from nothing. The nature of a world is shaped by its creator. And a world’s creator can exercise unlimited control over his world.”

  “Are you this world’s creator?”

  “The short answer is yes. There are some things you must know:

  “One is that there are lines that must not be crossed. These lines are not secret. They feature in the legends and fables the people keep. The banished visitor transgressed with full knowledge.

  “The other is that this world is not suited for you as you are now. This world is harsh, and you will not keep growing at the pace you have if you stay here. You should return after exploring other worlds.”

  The silhouette is right. I have only recently become able to manage a small number of forms. I know I’m far from the most powerful of my kind. But-

  “Dismiss your herald, visitor.” The scene darkens to perfect black.

  Dismissing Herald

  *

  Before turning away from X-002, I took another look at its fate web. I found it to be a bit simpler than last time.

  Looking up the Great Tree Spirit, I found its great curse is gone. The banishment must have undone all of E-1’s curses. It might be safe to return its blessing now.

  I placed blessings on both the spirit and Decker, and looked toward other worlds. But first, let’s check the forum.

  The forum is abuzz, with one message standing out:

  @E-1 is hereby banished for damaging the fabric of this world. *W-1

  First! *U-4

  First! *U-7

  @U-7 Too slow LOL *U-4

  This W-1’s signature unmistakably resembles the gravitas of the warden of the abyss. The replies don’t mirror the seriousness of what just took place in the least.