"Next!"

I instinctively walked... no, I flew forward, until I was in the middle of an enormous... space. I was in the centre, exposed on all sides, including below. I could see... no, I could somehow feel presences all around me, along with countless ones behind me, forming a blurred line. Everything felt...hazy. I heard muffled voices, as if I were underwater.

Looking upwards towards the sources of those voices, I felt powerful... auras? It was like they gave off an oppressive feeling. They were shadows made of pure, mysterious energy, with humanoid outlines. I couldn't feel any details, but somehow I knew it. They were looking at me.

“His actions are not all absolutely good. I believe he doesn't quite qualify for Elyssium.”

I heard sounds coming from them, barely paying them any mind. I felt tired.

“We have discussed this many times. No one is capable of leading a perfect life, and he did die to save somebody else. I believe he is worthy.”

I couldn't make sense of what they were saying, but they somehow reminded me of judges. 'Am I in court...?' 'What did I do?' 'Wait...who am I?' As my sluggish mind started to gain some traction, those questions arose instantly.

“In my opinion, we shouldn’t send him there. Lately we’ve been too lenient, and the islands are starting to get oversaturated.”

I still didn’t understand anything. in fact, I didn’t remember anything at all before entering this room. My mind moved slowly, as if shackled down, and trying to recall those memories felt nigh-impossible, like rolling a boulder uphill. Eventually and through much effort, I managed to dig up one thing. ‘My name...Damuel, right? My surname was...Adams...I think.’

When the voices above me stopped their discussion, one of them said “then it is decided. Guard, send him to the plains”

I seemed to sense a strong presence approach me, and did not try to resist. Instead, I shed a last look at the enormous, fuzzy room, with walls that transmitted a sense of impenetrability somehow.

But suddenly, I felt someone, something speaking directly to my mind, as if a message had appeared inside my head. Except, I realised I didn't have one.

The [Simplification Process] has begun. Searching for plausible simplification systems imagined by planet’s inhabitants... Theory of the Four Elements has been selected. All inorganic things are to be transformed to belong to a mixture of the earth, fire, water and air elements, replacing atoms and molecules with elemental particles. Due to difficulty in adjusting certain materials to these four elements, additional elements will be added.

Everything started shaking, morphing somehow...and it subsided just as quickly. Something felt different though, even if I couldn’t tell what exactly. The judges and some stronger presences started grumbling in displeasure and anger, and the weaker ones wailed confusedly.

Searching for other agents that clash against simplification... Eliminating microscopic organisms.

I slowly started to regain some of my thinking capability, so I tried to look for a way to exit this place, deciding to ignore the voice in my head, along with all the other voices around me that could distract me.

New energy source needed to replace the functions of microscopic organisms. Searching for plausible energy sources imagined by planet’s inhabitants... Mana has been selected.

The air suddenly became slightly heavier, as if it was charged with something. It was like a static energy, invisible and intangible, but somehow I could tell it was there. The voices became even more concerned, some turning into shouts. I looked up and realised that either there was no roof, or the roof was so high that I couldn’t see it. I decided to risk it and started... flying up. It was strangely intuitive, almost as if I were meant to do it. No one even noticed me doing this.

Adjusted properties of Mana to decay perished organisms, provide nutrients to the earth and creatures who consumed microscopic organisms, slowly erode the exteriors of some living organisms, etc. Allowing Mana to be moved in specific patterns given specific conditions for a better fulfilment of its purpose.

It seemed as if they new, strange energy was gathering around me, pushing me up. But I was also being pulled downward by some powerful, almost magnetic force, as if it was prohibiting me from exiting. Still, I slowly crept upwards.

Searching for other agents that clash against simplification... Eliminating complex machinery and other complex artificial structures. Teleporting to safe places inhabitants that will be put at risk due to this.

The world shook slightly.

I didn't have the leeway to pay it heed though, as I suddenly hit some sort of ceiling. It didn't feel like a normal, physical one, but rather a concept, an idea, something that can't be broken. It was probably the same with the walls, but only after getting up close could one realise what it truly meant. It was literally impossible for a soul like me, which for some reason I knew I was, to exit this place. It went against its laws. But, just as I was about to give up...

Searching for other agents that clash against simplification... Eliminating all previously existing supernatural agents created by the beliefs of the planet’s inhabitants.

The whole space where the judges and other presences were suddenly started breaking down, as if it was all an illusion. It all started turning black from the bottom up, like a computer program shutting down. I felt the 'ceiling' that was keeping me inside slowly break down too, so I flew up with all my might, squeezing through one of the paper-thin cracks that had formed, and as the whole space collapsed, I barely exited it, finding myself inside rock.

The first thing I noticed was the sound, or rather the lack of it. I should still be able to hear the confused cries of the souls below, but I simply heard nothing. Immediately after, I realised that my mind had been freed entirely, as if it had shed the chains that binded it, but the relief didn't last long.

Because then my whole body, nay, my whole being was drowned in searing pain. It felt like every fibre of me wanted to pull itself free, until I dissolved into nothingness. The pain was bad enough to faint thousands of times over, but sadly that was impossible in my current state, forcing me to thoroughly bathe in the nightmarish suffering.

Eliminating all beings that inhabit said realms.

Barely enduring through the experience, I faintly noticed a stream of something entering and fusing with me, making me stronger, more capable of enduring. It was still unbearable, but much less so compared to before. What entered me seemed to be made of the same stuff as I, though with some slight differences. More of the things started fusing with me, every one a tad different to the last.

'These... I think they are the broken souls of the presences that I felt before. But they are already breaking apart and dissipating in their own... they will still disappear even if I don't absorb them. No need to feel remorse.'

The soul goop that came from below didn't all reach me, since most of it was too far away, but it seemed to somehow be attracted towards me slightly, meaning I could absorb quite a lot of it.

The pain started lessening bit by bit, and I grew bigger, more powerful, though I was still incorporeal. It kept going and going, and soon I felt like what I used to be earlier couldn’t even lick the soles of what I had become. Some other messages ringed in my head as I did this, but I could not be bothered to listen to them. I needed to concentrate on assimilating all this power.

Searching for other agents that clash against simplification... Eliminating complex artificial patterns such as texts with excessive amounts of words.

It was like I was flowing with boundless power. If my soul used to be a puddle, it had become like an ocean, seemingly infinite. I felt like I could do anything. I still felt a slight discomfort though, like my soul was ever so slowly leaking out, losing a trickle of itself every instant.

Searching for other agents that clash against simplification... Simplification process deemed to have reached an adequate level.

As those messages kept popping into my mind, I flew upwards, just like one would normally swim.

No more messages came, but just as I thought they had finished, a new, slightly different sounding one resounded inside me.

The [Amusement Enhancing Process] has begun.

I kept flying upwards, not daring to look back.

Searching for plausible amusement enhancing methods imagined by planet’s inhabitants... New types of threats have been selected. Selected 1784 breeds of imaginary and nonexistent species, organised by threat ranks. Applying slight modifications, optimising certain defects of existent species and natural threats. Slightly altering properties of [Mana] to simplify logistics. Spawning said breeds throughout the planet in a sensical manner. Planet's landmass deemed insufficient. Doubling surface area. Adding a gravity stabilisation property to [Mana].

As I desperately flew towards where I guessed the surface would be, everything started to shift. The rock swelled up, turning bigger than it was. Silent tremors shook the space I was occupying, but somehow it didn't affect me at all. I even passed straight through a magma bubble, not even noticing the heat.

Allowing both previously existing and newly integrated species to evolve once respective conditions are met. Adding Dungeons: self-managing spaces located in pocket dimensions. Rewards must depend on the threat level.

I didn’t exactly know what this all meant, but I did know that it was fundamentally changing the world. I didn’t remember much of my life yet, but I could recall that things like mana or dungeons wasn’t a thing in real life. I needed to reach the surface, and quickly.

Warning. Newly created threats are above the inhabitants’ capabilities. They will be destroyed unless the power disparity is rebalanced. Searching for plausible strengthening methods imagined by the planet inhabitants... [The System] has been selected. Added levels and experience, stats that can be enhanced much beyond human limits, some of which are hidden, over 1000 classes with different rarities, thousands of skills, hundreds of achievements, a system for creating new achievements for specific situations and other features. Making final adjustments and modifications...

Just as I thought that the onslaught of mind messages had finally stopped, a weird screen appeared in front of me. It was different from the messages that had popped in my head before, but somehow I could see it through the stone no problem.

You have unlocked the Soul Strength stat. It improves your defense against scrying skills and devices, mental attacks, and illusions, and makes your scrying, mental attacks, and illusions more powerful. It also improves the survivavility of your soul if it leaves your physical vessel.

Just as I was trying to figure out what that meant, multiple other screens started rapidly appearing before me.

Warning. You are currently an incorporeal soul. You will rapidly disintegrate if you do not find something to contain you. Soul Strength has reached 1000. The decay of your soul has slowed down ever so slightly. Soul Strength has reached 2000. The decay of your soul has slowed down slightly. Soul Strength has reached 3000. The decay of your soul has slowed down. Soul Strength has reached 4000. The decay of your soul has slowed down considerably. Soul Strength has reached 5000. The decay of your soul has slowed down further. Soul Strength has reached 6000. The decay of your soul has slowed down enormously.

'...What?'