My past, the life I should not miss. Prologue Part 1: Introduction

Aitan Samir DeNith, 5th Generation of the DeNith name. Unlike other families, the DeNith name can't be gained by just being wed into the family. To get the DeNith name, you have to be acknowledged by the Origin, Serren Cain "Nightmare" DeNith. Either you are lucky and your nature peeks his interest, or you do something that is worth the support of the most powerful beings.

I had to do it the hard way, earn myself the name DeNith. My Birth Name was Aitan Tlare, apprentice runner under a Dragon. Even though everyone warns you not cut deal with dragons, I never minded working under one. You got a job, you have some backup as long as you aren't on a run or somehow messed up your relationship.

I miss my life as a runner... Even if it was dangerous, you weren't in charge of some multiverses or a pantheon. They gave you a mission, you did it, gained some money, lived some weeks from it and repeat the whole thing. Now I barely have time for my friends, yet alone for my girls. Either way, if you read this, then I found some time to write it.

This story will be about what I did or lived through to get the name I now have. I hope you have some time, because this will take some time to go through. If everything works out without problems, then this story will be like I lived through without the addendum of Serren.

Part 2: Beginning

The week before I started this whole journey was actually pretty slow, I had finished a run just a week ago and wasn't open for a job for at least three more weeks. This was something I as a contracted runner worked out with the dragon. Life never went as planned. Somehow someone found a ancient relic that had strangely a USB-Port. Why, How and from where was unknown. In the aftermath I should have known that it was a "DeNith-Joke".

We all know how ungodly greedy those dragons can be, and my former boss wasn't that much different. Is it strange, old and expensive? Yes? Get it for me. The normal way to get a contract is to make contact with a Mr. Johnson or how they were called at my holiday resort, Mr Khan.

"Mister Tlare? I have a message from a common friend for you, please move to the safe house at Position 45/d5. Everything that you will need is already there, including the mission briefing." How do you think I felt when this guy appeared before me while I was flirting with a girl? Pissed. I would have stuffed this mission briefing stick up to his ass, so that it could connect to his cerebral uplink on the back of his head. Nether the less, a job is a job, even if I was on holiday.

When I arrived at the safe house the last thing I was prepared to meet was my boss. "The longer you take to prepare and get me what I want the harder it will be to fight against the other runners. Now move faster!" No welcome, no "How was your Holiday I disturbed", nothing of sorts. Work the moment I arrived. The job description was simple.

At a research facility of a Independent Institute, there is this McGuffin. At least 6 different corps want this thing, and I have to get it, or at least connect to it and upload the data in it. Probably the easiest job I ever had to do (this is clearly sarcasm).

Part 3: The job is being done

I was close to shooting myself after the briefing. To make it worse, I had to act alone. Sure I was a professional runner with an assassin training, but there was the problem, I was trained to kill targets. Kill, not extract. Still, he was my boss. What the boss says will be done. Even if it means to jump into a blender full of reactive bullets.

A time span of exactly two hours was given. This was the moment were the relic will be moving from the facility to a Mega Corp via a aero fleet of flying canon boats. If I think about it now, did he really though I'll survive it? Since the plan was set, there was no way out.

------------

Getting the systems online. The start of a unneeded journey. Part 1.

Analysing 'Soul'...

Registering new User to System.

Loading up PDA...

Starting system...

Welcome.

"Good evening Mr. Aitan. Don't try to look around, as you have noticed you are in the abyss of minds. You will most likely see nothing." A feminine voice sounded through the amethyst colored place, irritating Aitan. "You know, this isn't the first time someone tried and succeeded in hacking my neural link, but up till now, this is the freakiest overtake." After he said his feeling, the voice hummed as if thinking before starting to talk again. "It seems Mr. Aitan misunderstood something, this is not a Neural Link overtake. In fact you do not have a neural link anymore, much less your original body."

"Wait..." With every word seeping into his mind and understanding his situation he felt lost. "What do you mean I have no neural link? And what was this about my original body?" "It is quite simple, according to your memories, you used the ascension device of an older type. The older types were known to destroy the body and only send the memories and soul further. In other words the body you have now is your Astral Body."

"In other words I'm dead." A sweet silence filled the realm before the voice answered with a definite yes. "Awesome" With a deep sigh he started to message his temples while reorganizing his thoughts.

"Let's start this again. I'm dead?" "Yes." "I lost my body and my Neural-Link?" "Yes." "But I entered something like an ascension?" "Yes." "I'm probably the only one here who doesn't understand jackshit right now, am I not?" "You used the Ascension Device, shouldn't you have been instructed in what it will do?" Laughing out loud Aitan thought he found what was bugging him.

"To be sure, you think everyone who uses this device was instructed on how to use it?" His question made her ponder because she didn't understood why he asked it. Not hearing anything from her for some time he felt himself confirmed in his fears. "I don't like to burst your bubble, but I have no idea what this whole ascension stuff is about. I had a job to get this device stolen. Should I not be able to get it, was my job to connect and upload the data found on it."

"Oh..." "And to make things more complicated, the device was proven to be several million years old." "That is impossible, I've been uploaded to the Ascension-Device only 24 hours ago..."A strong migraine assaulted Aitan.

"Why do I feel a bad premonition? Okay! I have no clue who you are, but you know who I am. Since this is probably a joke from someone really powerful all is left for us is to play along. So, let's start with introductions. My name is Aitan Tlare, a former runner and now dead." Je took the initiative since he understood that the talk they had wouldn't have brought them any further, urging the Voice to follow his lead.

"Fine. My former name was also my serial number, since it would be useless to tell you a 32 digit long number just call me Amy. I'm your Personal Ascension Helper. Only made to guide you until either you don't need me, I deem you unworthy of continued support or you die. The last two options are rare but not impossible."

With the introduction done, the talk progressed to more important matters. "What exactly is this Ascension stuff?" "Just as the name implies, with the help of the Ascension devices a lower race can achieve the standing of a higher race, though it's limited to certain individuals and their fate."