prologue:
Being all-powerful means taking up the most boring job in the world.
Thankfully, being all-powerful also opens up a world of privileges to you; you could pen down lots of stupid laws and get everyone in the world to follow them. No marriage restrictions! No formality! No…I don't know, anything! Anything you want penned down as a law will instantly become a law, and anyone who stands in your way can be quickly subdued. Remember, you're all-powerful. You could start by threatening them with a Swords Dance, ready to blast them to a corner of the room with some really powerful attack, but normally, the Swords Dance is enough.
I've rarely gone past that Swords Dance. I guess it's because I'm standing in the position of a judge right now, and I'm on the side of the good people. The bad people are cowards; they will never try to fight back someone who is…well, all-powerful. Guess that's why I don't have to be in court every day. But that isn't a good thing; when I'm not in the court, I'd have to stay up high above the ground, watching every last soul down there. It's a boring job. So technically I could jump down and take every convict in the world to prison and the world would be a happier place, but where's the fun in that?
Anyway, even if I did punish every last criminal out there, what difference would it make? No one's heart would be altered, and more criminals would sprout up again. It's a pointless cycle. The most I could do is make the people afraid of me and subsequently prepare an uprising or something. Quick punishment just isn't the way out of this.
So what's the way to change hearts? The slowest but sexiest way out would be a strong source of positive influence. Rather, strong sources of positive influences, running across the world, inspiring everyone to become better people; to make them become more loyal to others, more compassionate to others, more patient with others…it's just so beautiful on paper.
…Right, I've gone off-topic a little.
Notice the word "rarely" from a few lines back? When I said that I had "rarely" whacked anyone with a Swords Dance boosted attack? Well, "rarely" is my way of saying "one time". Yes, there was this one time where three stupid convicts tried to attack me in court, and they got what they deserved; they were locked away in prison and sentenced to death the next day. Nifty.
But that story wasn't that simple; oh no, it wasn't. It involved three of the best criminals I had ever met. Three criminals who were chosen by me in their early days, destined for greatness. So yes, I saw potential in some criminals who were destined to die by attacking someone all-powerful. It was a stupid decision on their part.
I guess it was a stupid decision on my part too. I saw potential in criminals? Criminals who were destined to be executed by the law? I questioned my own intelligence for a while at that point of time.
Then, I realised that I was all-powerful. Unfortunately, I don't make bad choices. I would never make bad choices.
Only normal folk would make bad choices. And I had already realised long ago that it was these bad choices which ultimately caused their downfall. The previous judge in this glorious city was thrown off his position because he made some stupid choices. He tried to make the entire city a fortress, which would eventually be used to conquer the world. Yes, that judge could do that because he was, somewhat like me, close-to-all-powerful. Unfortunately, he didn't sit inside the sky, and I led a one-man resistance force against him, exiling the selfish soul from that city.
But upon becoming the judge of that city, promising to uphold justice and maintain peace, I realised that the citizens weren't the nicest of people. They were self-centered, disloyal and quick-tempered. There was a lot of violence, a lot of distrust, and a lot of hate spreading about. It was a horrible place, which I should have left to rot. But being all-powerful, I didn't do so.
I decided that the best way to get these people to be nice to each other was to reward those outstanding ones. Just like how you'd give candy to good kids who shut up during class and were kind to others. This candy, however, was power. Power, in the form of three legendary items.
Overnight, I crafted three items, which would be given to only the most virtuous of the citizens. I never gave them a name, but I did craft a band, a pair of specs, and a scarf. Each of these would increase one offensive stat upon wearing it; that's instant power. Who wouldn't want that?
The next day, I announced that I had crafted legendary items which would grant instant power. I then broke some hearts by saying that I'd only give them to the most virtuous forty-two citizens in the city. Yes, I liked that number a lot.
Suddenly, everyone wanted to become nice. There was a drastic change in atmosphere from that hour onwards; everyone wanted to become a Wielder.
I selected my forty-two Wielders one day. They were each chosen based on certain traits they had; the three traits which I had always found to be really important. Loyalty, Compassion, and Patience. The three qualities which you'd want to find in any person. I wanted them to be humbled by these.
The Wielders of the Power Band would be chosen based on their loyalty; only the most loyal citizens who served anyone but themselves with their lives would become Wielders of the Band.
The Wielders of the Energy Specs were those who were patient. Those who could always strike last and hold out their anger. Those who were really good listeners. They were all Wielders of the Specs.
And the Wielders of the Speed Scarf could only be the most compassionate ones. The ones who gave in to others and empathised. The ones who actually gave a damn about anyone other than themselves. Yes, those were…well, Scarfers. Wielders of the Scarf was just too weird.
Anyway, stuff happens, and suddenly all the Wielders start to abuse their powers. Peeps get obsessed with power so easily, you know? A movement starts, telling me to destroy all the legendary items, and try to find another way to squeeze virtues into these foolish minds. The solution seemed to be really simple: Destroy the items.
That's almost what I did.
I mean, if I were to retract this entire thing, that would mean that I had made a mistake. And I never make mistakes.
So I used some dirty tactics to confiscate those forty-two items. I then sat in the sky, patiently waiting to see anyone who I saw potential in. I'd find peeps from the weirdest of places; farms, rented rooms, and even in the river depths. But I decided to change my strategy this time; I'd only search out young, aspiring peeps who were virtuous in their own ways. I would then appear in front of them in a nice flash of light and give them their legendary item right there.
The young peeps would grow up with their legendary item; they'd be looked up to by other people, they'd stay the way they were, and they'd be strong sources of influence and inspiration. They'd not abuse their powers, because they would grow up with these powers, and subsequently learn how to control them.
Well, that was how it looked on paper.
But obviously I wasn't going to give everyone free power. I decided to give free power at a cost. That cost was something as symbolic as this entire story of mine.
It's a choice. One choice.
I put a little curse on those legendary items, such that once the items were wielded, the bearer only had a choice of one move. Once that move was selected, he wouldn't be able to use any other move until the battle was over, or if he was switched out. Yes, they would get their stat boost. They'd just get it at a price.
Eventually, the name "Wielders" got really stupid, and peeps adopted the term "Choicers" instead. Almost luckily, the Choicers, unlike the old Wielders, were truly great people. "Choice"-d to a single move every time in combat, they'd eventually become much better at making choices. They would grow up to make great decisions and inspire many people. I mean, they were selected because I saw potential in them. I never ever fail to see potential.
Anyway, the three criminals who were locked up in a cell, sentenced to death, spending their last night together weeping to each other on the floor…these were Choicers.
Frenzy, Ethereal and Crimson. I'll never forget their names.
Oh, and by the way, I never make mistakes, and I have never made any.
Being all-powerful means taking up the most boring job in the world.
Thankfully, being all-powerful also opens up a world of privileges to you; you could pen down lots of stupid laws and get everyone in the world to follow them. No marriage restrictions! No formality! No…I don't know, anything! Anything you want penned down as a law will instantly become a law, and anyone who stands in your way can be quickly subdued. Remember, you're all-powerful. You could start by threatening them with a Swords Dance, ready to blast them to a corner of the room with some really powerful attack, but normally, the Swords Dance is enough.
I've rarely gone past that Swords Dance. I guess it's because I'm standing in the position of a judge right now, and I'm on the side of the good people. The bad people are cowards; they will never try to fight back someone who is…well, all-powerful. Guess that's why I don't have to be in court every day. But that isn't a good thing; when I'm not in the court, I'd have to stay up high above the ground, watching every last soul down there. It's a boring job. So technically I could jump down and take every convict in the world to prison and the world would be a happier place, but where's the fun in that?
Anyway, even if I did punish every last criminal out there, what difference would it make? No one's heart would be altered, and more criminals would sprout up again. It's a pointless cycle. The most I could do is make the people afraid of me and subsequently prepare an uprising or something. Quick punishment just isn't the way out of this.
So what's the way to change hearts? The slowest but sexiest way out would be a strong source of positive influence. Rather, strong sources of positive influences, running across the world, inspiring everyone to become better people; to make them become more loyal to others, more compassionate to others, more patient with others…it's just so beautiful on paper.
…Right, I've gone off-topic a little.
Notice the word "rarely" from a few lines back? When I said that I had "rarely" whacked anyone with a Swords Dance boosted attack? Well, "rarely" is my way of saying "one time". Yes, there was this one time where three stupid convicts tried to attack me in court, and they got what they deserved; they were locked away in prison and sentenced to death the next day. Nifty.
But that story wasn't that simple; oh no, it wasn't. It involved three of the best criminals I had ever met. Three criminals who were chosen by me in their early days, destined for greatness. So yes, I saw potential in some criminals who were destined to die by attacking someone all-powerful. It was a stupid decision on their part.
I guess it was a stupid decision on my part too. I saw potential in criminals? Criminals who were destined to be executed by the law? I questioned my own intelligence for a while at that point of time.
Then, I realised that I was all-powerful. Unfortunately, I don't make bad choices. I would never make bad choices.
Only normal folk would make bad choices. And I had already realised long ago that it was these bad choices which ultimately caused their downfall. The previous judge in this glorious city was thrown off his position because he made some stupid choices. He tried to make the entire city a fortress, which would eventually be used to conquer the world. Yes, that judge could do that because he was, somewhat like me, close-to-all-powerful. Unfortunately, he didn't sit inside the sky, and I led a one-man resistance force against him, exiling the selfish soul from that city.
But upon becoming the judge of that city, promising to uphold justice and maintain peace, I realised that the citizens weren't the nicest of people. They were self-centered, disloyal and quick-tempered. There was a lot of violence, a lot of distrust, and a lot of hate spreading about. It was a horrible place, which I should have left to rot. But being all-powerful, I didn't do so.
I decided that the best way to get these people to be nice to each other was to reward those outstanding ones. Just like how you'd give candy to good kids who shut up during class and were kind to others. This candy, however, was power. Power, in the form of three legendary items.
Overnight, I crafted three items, which would be given to only the most virtuous of the citizens. I never gave them a name, but I did craft a band, a pair of specs, and a scarf. Each of these would increase one offensive stat upon wearing it; that's instant power. Who wouldn't want that?
The next day, I announced that I had crafted legendary items which would grant instant power. I then broke some hearts by saying that I'd only give them to the most virtuous forty-two citizens in the city. Yes, I liked that number a lot.
Suddenly, everyone wanted to become nice. There was a drastic change in atmosphere from that hour onwards; everyone wanted to become a Wielder.
I selected my forty-two Wielders one day. They were each chosen based on certain traits they had; the three traits which I had always found to be really important. Loyalty, Compassion, and Patience. The three qualities which you'd want to find in any person. I wanted them to be humbled by these.
The Wielders of the Power Band would be chosen based on their loyalty; only the most loyal citizens who served anyone but themselves with their lives would become Wielders of the Band.
The Wielders of the Energy Specs were those who were patient. Those who could always strike last and hold out their anger. Those who were really good listeners. They were all Wielders of the Specs.
And the Wielders of the Speed Scarf could only be the most compassionate ones. The ones who gave in to others and empathised. The ones who actually gave a damn about anyone other than themselves. Yes, those were…well, Scarfers. Wielders of the Scarf was just too weird.
Anyway, stuff happens, and suddenly all the Wielders start to abuse their powers. Peeps get obsessed with power so easily, you know? A movement starts, telling me to destroy all the legendary items, and try to find another way to squeeze virtues into these foolish minds. The solution seemed to be really simple: Destroy the items.
That's almost what I did.
I mean, if I were to retract this entire thing, that would mean that I had made a mistake. And I never make mistakes.
So I used some dirty tactics to confiscate those forty-two items. I then sat in the sky, patiently waiting to see anyone who I saw potential in. I'd find peeps from the weirdest of places; farms, rented rooms, and even in the river depths. But I decided to change my strategy this time; I'd only search out young, aspiring peeps who were virtuous in their own ways. I would then appear in front of them in a nice flash of light and give them their legendary item right there.
The young peeps would grow up with their legendary item; they'd be looked up to by other people, they'd stay the way they were, and they'd be strong sources of influence and inspiration. They'd not abuse their powers, because they would grow up with these powers, and subsequently learn how to control them.
Well, that was how it looked on paper.
But obviously I wasn't going to give everyone free power. I decided to give free power at a cost. That cost was something as symbolic as this entire story of mine.
It's a choice. One choice.
I put a little curse on those legendary items, such that once the items were wielded, the bearer only had a choice of one move. Once that move was selected, he wouldn't be able to use any other move until the battle was over, or if he was switched out. Yes, they would get their stat boost. They'd just get it at a price.
Eventually, the name "Wielders" got really stupid, and peeps adopted the term "Choicers" instead. Almost luckily, the Choicers, unlike the old Wielders, were truly great people. "Choice"-d to a single move every time in combat, they'd eventually become much better at making choices. They would grow up to make great decisions and inspire many people. I mean, they were selected because I saw potential in them. I never ever fail to see potential.
Anyway, the three criminals who were locked up in a cell, sentenced to death, spending their last night together weeping to each other on the floor…these were Choicers.
Frenzy, Ethereal and Crimson. I'll never forget their names.
Oh, and by the way, I never make mistakes, and I have never made any.
~
choiced
the PC edition
~
Rated T
~ violence, but no blood
~ swearing, but nothing that falls under the swear filter; you'll understand why
~ reference to alcohol intoxication, but nothing of the side effects of it
~ seduction/sexy talk, but nothing actually happens
~~~
(coming soon: author's note)
choiced
the PC edition
~
Rated T
~ violence, but no blood
~ swearing, but nothing that falls under the swear filter; you'll understand why
~ reference to alcohol intoxication, but nothing of the side effects of it
~ seduction/sexy talk, but nothing actually happens
~~~
(coming soon: author's note)
Last edited: