OC DUEL THREAD ACT 2

The Mage snaps out of it and whipes a little drool away. He apologizes and says he was a bit lost in thought. He asks you if you wanted something.

"A previous playthrough? Implying more than one?"

the spark drops their hand and turns to the witch

'oh yeah i think this is my twentieth replay?'

'from what the maid you guys have not run into the replay glitch, assuming you all started from the same earth, if not the same session'

The Mage is pretty sure that these people are not from his session. He doesn't remember meeting any of these people while flying through the dreambubbles. He also says that some people from his session joined a second session but he himself did not. One time was enough for him. He shrugs.

'yeah i know the feeling man, i did not want to replay anywhere near as much as i have'

The Mage ask if the Spark could tell him about that glitch anyways, because he doubts what he and his session mates did was the same thing and he is curious

'well i do not know about your game but the batch that my session got our discs from was glitched, once you won the game you could not end the game, you could not claim the final reward'

the spark looks lost for a moment

'instead we were forced to choose to replay, we were separated, forced to take the place of players in sessions that did not result in a new universe'

'each game you win you have to replay, never stopping, only continuing'

'i think i know a way to stop the cycle, to escape, but it needs all my original team mates and we have to do it before sb blocks our natural born powers'

"Do you know what happens if you don't replay it?"

'nothing, that is the only option you have when you beat the game, the only other option you have is to not beat the game, just live in the session for eternity'

the spark ponders something

'i know ectobiologist was planning to do that with members from his original session and some others'

The Mage says that his session wasn't exactly glitched but it was still fucked up so they couldn't win. All they were able to do was "lose less", though from what he was able to figure out that was the fault of one of his sessionmates. He then says he is currently busy with doing that "living forever" part of not winning, though he isn't doing it in his session, he's doing it on his meteor, that is floating through the Furthest Ring. He also says he's not completly sure if this place isn't just a dream bubble. He adds that this would mean that all of you are either dead, dreaming, floating through the Furthest Ring or, most likely, just figments of his imagination. It wouldn't be the first time that happened.

'i know this is not a dream bubble, i had just god tiered and the last thing i sensed was a portal opening that was not caused by sb, at least it was not intentional, i went through it and picked up a strange power signal coming from that'

the spark points at a spot just above the tower where there is nothing but empty space

The Mage shrugs and says he doesn't really care whether this is a bubble or not, it is always amusing when something odd like this happens. At least it is something different then normal.

He then asks the Spark what he plans to do assuming he finishes that replay loop.

'once i get back with my original team mates we should be able to punch a hole back to my homeworld'

'and then i can get on with my studies and hand in my research paper on the trans-dimensional effects of world changing video games'

The Mage is exited and asks if those papers are already written and if they are if he'd be allowed to read them.

'uh sorry man no can do, like i said these are examination papers, not allowed to share with anyone to stop cheating and stuff like that'

the spark holds his hands out and shrugs

The Mage smiles and asks if there is anything else that the Spark can't or won't tell

'haha clever mage'

the spark touches their head

'there is enough knowledge up here to fill at least a tenth of the Library, nearly ten times that of any other Pupil at my level of Learning, of course, not even sb or powers derived from it can even get close to uncracking my mind'

the spark says with a grin

The Mage says his own mind can't be cracked either, it is interesting how much they have in common.

the spark nods

'i do not suppose that you had any real closeness with the Void before the game?'

the spark asks, their head turning slightly in curiosity

The Mages brow furrows as he thinks. He remains silent for a few moments, then says that he isn't sure. He says he barely remembers things from that long ago. He asks what exactly the Spark means with "closeness", maybe that would help.

'an affinity like how you feel now, only you know, before sb happened'

The Mage shakes his head. He just doesn't remember, it's been so long. Though he knows for sure that he hadn't met them before the game and they were a pretty big influence as far as he recalls.

the spark shakes his head

'shame you seemed to have certain qualities of a VoidKin, if the main influence came from the elders then that is not the case'

The Mage asks curiously what the VoidKin are.

The King, trying to figure out whether the dropped hand was a sign of deliberate disrespect or the Spark simply got distracted before the King could react, settles on the second option and goes back to following the conversation.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for the purpose of learning, they have now arrived at a subject he knows jack shit about and thus has currently nothing to add.