Zone B -- Forest

[Enel]

I have to figure out how to read the replies. After some fiddling, I finally figure out that I’ve been getting dozens of messages. Apparently, this thing is called a camera, and it’s like a Picture Dial. It broadcasts what’s going on in real time across the spider web, so other people can watch on their Picture Dials and Dataverse computers at home.

“Ohh …”

I look at the camera and grin broadly, standing up to my full height. The camera follows, seeming to realise what it’s doing. “Why hello, viewers. It’s me, the one and only God, Enel. I’d like to introduce myself formally.

“It’s come to my attention that many of you don’t know who I am. Make no mistake: I am not a pretender God like that ‘Nealapph’ or ‘Omni’. While they may wield illusions and tricks with some skill, I and I alone determine the fate of the universe. And yes, I suppose, that includes this ‘Omniverse’.

“I intend to kill this Omni. And when I do, I will add these lands to my own. Join me now, recognise me as the One True God, and you will be one of the first, the chosen, in my Perfect World.

“Oppose me in any form and you will die screaming.

“I am a fair God.

“But I do not take mercy upon heretics.”

I demonstrate, spinning the staff before me. Sparks dance across my body, towards the center of the circle formed by my staff. I violently drum one of my back-drums, barely breaking the spin. One, then the other.

Then, as the electricity surges across my body in great crackling lines, I suddenly stop, staring straight ahead at the camera. And my lightning storm smashes through, destroying the little mechanical bug and crashing into the dense trees behind it.

I wipe the sweat from my brow. Perhaps a little ostentatious. Risky, even. But they need to know who their God is.

I step over the burning trees, towards the south of the island. Time to drop in on my fellow competitors.

Moving from B10 to B12