“You were close to him, Cateto. How could you let this happen?” Dark Force asks as he and Cateto float in space, watching Earth slowly crumble, its remains scattering.
“That’s just it, Master. As a friend, I couldn’t bear to watch him suffer. Deep down, he knew he was suffering. I couldn’t support him in any other way,” Cateto answers, sobbing.
Wyn had been secretly training in the void space, growing accustomed to his new powers. Despite their overwhelming strength, he always told Cateto he would rather have back his cyclone and earth abilities – those were the powers that had carried him through the war.
At first, Cateto hadn’t realized Wyn’s true intentions. Even after witnessing him create his own portals – ones only he and Cateto could enter – he assumed Wyn simply wanted to test his newfound strength. But then, while rewatching “The Brave Hamsters of Hamshire,” Wyn suddenly paused it.
For a long time, he said nothing. Then, at last, he spoke – confessing the truth to Cateto.
Initially, Wyn had planned to wipe out all divine beings, including himself and Dark Force. He was confident he could take Dark Force down alone, trusting in the battle skills he had gained from the war. But to further guarantee his victory, he had wanted to team up with the elites. His plan was to eliminate all the moderators and have the elites absorb their essence. However, he couldn’t involve them anymore – not after everything they had endured in the war. They had been scarred by it, just as he had.
That was when he decided to take down all the moderators himself and absorb their essence into his portals, ensuring no one else could claim it.
But as he continued training, doubt crept in. He remembered that doing so would cause the void warden to wipe clean the entire void space belonging to both Dark Force and himself.
"Every time I look at you, every time I think of the elites who went through a good bit of Heaven with me, every time I think of the non-elites and the training they went through, every time I visit the statues – even the nerds, the cats, and the dogs I've befriended – something inside me protests against the idea," Wyn said to Cateto.
Cateto had pleaded with Wyn many times to reconsider, to find another way – but Wyn refused.
One day, after training, Wyn traced his fingers over the initials of his fallen friends etched into Cateto’s body. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke.
"I’m sorry to be so selfish, Cateto. You’re my friend, and as a friend, I’m begging for your understanding."
The words hit Cateto hard. In that moment, he made his decision – he would support Wyn, no matter what. After all, Wyn wasn’t just his friend. He was his master. Or at least, that was how Cateto felt.
Cateto cried, but Wyn quickly consoled him.
“He is free now, Master,” Cateto says. “And he has also freed you from Earth.”
“You’re not wrong about that…But now what?” Dark Force ponders.
He considers his next move. Though all Earth souls were migrated back to the afterlife realm before the planet’s destruction, one option is to wipe them out entirely – including the nerds and every being within – to start fresh. But if there’s one thing Dark Force has learned, it’s that he’s grown attached to the nerds, not to mention the beings he and Light Force brought into existence.
In the end, he chooses to preserve the Earth souls, not just for himself, but for Light Force, for Wyn, and for all the elites and non-elites who gave their lives in the war.
“You’ll be my companion, along with Pete and Marcus,” Dark Force says.
Cateto, caught by surprise, replies, “Why do you want me and Marcus, Master?”
“You two had spent time with Wyn and knew about him the most, especially you, Cateto. I need advice and assistance for my next endeavor.”
Dark Force recalls the time he was exploring the universe, studying the diverse creations on other planets. Often perceived as a threat by other life forces, he kept his presence concealed, assuming the form of the dominant species on each world. But then, he encountered a planet like no other – a planet he named Erdenite.
Erdenite was a barren world, covered entirely in brown earth. What stood out were the beings, all of the same species, with strikingly similar appearances. He translated their name to “Cosmos.” The Cosmos were intelligent beings, shaped like thick rectangles, their surfaces sparkling when active, but dull and lifeless when they weren't.
The life force governing the planet was Earth Force – also known as Rock Force, as Dark Force refers to it to avoid confusion with Earth. Like any life force, Dark Force and Rock Force are among many that share similar elemental abilities scattered across the universe.
"So, you're not the only dark force?" Cateto asks.
"There are many like me, but we're not related, nor do I know them personally," Dark Force replies.
It was during his time on Erdenite that Dark Force encountered this particular Rock Force. Known for its universal wanderings in search of knowledge, it had just returned to the planet when Dark Force arrived. It was then that Dark Force learned the singular purpose for which the Cosmos were created: to learn.
Connected to their creator through a psychic link, each Cosmos was as strong as Hell’s former moderators. As they learned, their forms sparkled, reflecting the knowledge they gained. The more they absorbed, the longer their rectangular bodies grew, their lower halves digging deeper into the ground. When there was no more space to grow beneath, the upper part extended upwards. Upon reaching a certain height, they would die, losing their color and crumbling into the earth, merging with the ground they once stood upon. This process added to the planet's landfill, causing its expansion. A new Cosmos would soon emerge, taking the place of the previous one, inheriting both its strength and its vast knowledge.
Dark Force admired Erdenite at first, believing the Cosmos to be the perfect creation and something he could try to replicate. However, Rock Force confessed to him that the Cosmos were becoming so intelligent they started to believe they no longer needed their creator – that they could surpass Rock Force’s knowledge and power. To prevent this, Rock Force had to slow their learning, allowing only some of them to learn while he was away. He also had to sever their connections to one another, ensuring they couldn’t communicate and collaborate.
“There’s no perfect creation, Cateto,” Dark Force says. “Without intervention, disaster is bound to happen. The Cosmos didn’t have brains, yet they evolved their thoughts through learning. Imagine what they could do if they had a human form? I can’t give up on humanity just yet.”
Dark Force returns to the afterlife realm and immediately enlists all the nerds to assist him. Together, they work at full capacity, experimenting with new creations and designing environments for the souls to thrive on. Meanwhile, without the moderators, the same devices in the Torture Chamber have been activated, now serving as a temporary solution to punish all the evildoers.
Working tirelessly, Dark Force and the nerds create different micro planets, with prolific criminals used as lab rats. Through these experiments, it becomes clear that the smarter ones always find ways to exploit the environments, driven solely by greed and selfishness.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
On one planet, a former technology CEO forms a team to battle giant insects, only to later found a company that uses them for transportation and food. As his wealth grows, he becomes so rich that he eventually owns the entire planet. With his insect army at his command, he uses them to destroy any opposition, cementing his dominance over the world he once sought to protect.
On another planet, where everything is gooey, a group of souls hires others to suck the goo dry, assuming leadership roles and making empty promises once the land is cleared. However, those promises are never kept. The souls who spend their time clearing the goo soon find themselves too bloated to fight back. They become easy targets and are quickly eliminated, as they pose a threat to the leaders' power.
On yet another planet, where a compassionate divine being is placed to lead, a group of souls manipulates her for their own gains. Despite her genuine care and desire to help, her ruling is secretly controlled by this group of souls who pull the strings behind the scenes. Over time, they twist her actions to suit their own agendas, until they finally overthrow her completely. In the end, they force her to serve them, taking charge under the guise of improving the world – or so they claim. The planet’s future is shaped by their deception, leaving the divine being powerless in their wake.
“It’s impressive that they can thrive in almost any environment – it’s also scary,” Dark Force mutters.
Even in worlds where the majority vote rules – where every individual has an equal vote, one person per vote – society inevitably collapses. Either the uneducated masses, who base their decisions on immediate feelings rather than logic, end up ruining everything, or the elites manipulate the system in their favor, leading to riots and destruction.
While the nerds take a well-deserved break, Dark Force strolls through the secret floor of the afterlife realm, with Cateto walking beside him. At Cateto’s request, they make a visit to the dome. Cateto bursts into tears at the sight of Wyn’s team’s statues. Dark Force’s gaze, however, is locked onto Wyn’s statue.
“You said I needed to start fresh and modify their brain capabilities…,” he mutters.
Leaving Cateto to mourn, Dark Force immediately begins traveling the universe in search of inspiration. He even returns to Erdenite, only to find the planet’s creator absent, off seeking more knowledge elsewhere. Dark Force quietly interacts with every creation he encounters, storing some in the void for further study.
After a century of wandering, in an empty void space, he creates a smaller replica of the old Earth. Instead of placing souls back onto it, he focuses on crafting a new creation. These beings are blue and human-like in shape, though they lack distinct features and appear identical. Dark Force then attempts to engineer their brains, but his efforts prove futile.
He calls upon the nerds for assistance. Together, they work tirelessly, day and night, until they finally achieve the impossible: a brain that no longer feels negative emotions, after a thorough study of many of the captured creations. With two main objectives programmed into it – to be altruistic toward one another and to improve the world – these beings begin their existence with a purpose beyond self-interest, driving their actions toward harmony and progress.
As for their form, the nerds provide these beings with gray wristbands, allowing them to modify their appearance at will, much like character customization in an RPG game. While Dark Force isn't sure how quickly or how far these beings will evolve, he's impressed by their progress so far – all achieved without divine intervention. They eventually build civilizations that coexist without destroying one another or nature, but soon fall into stagnation, lacking the guidance needed to improve their lives further, their drive for progress dulled by the absence of greed.
Feeling hopeful about the new creation, Dark Force decides to give it a try while preserving the old one. The micro planet is destroyed, and the beings are safely kept in another void space. He begins crafting not just one planet, but two. The first planet is a perfect replica of the old Earth, a place for Earth’s souls to return, governed by the same rules and laws that existed before its destruction.
The second planet, however, is something entirely different. It encompasses the new Earth entirely, with a hollow core at its center. Inside the core rests the new Earth, where the lives of the Earth souls continue. Below the second planet, suspended in the hollow space, is a vast sky – a sky where the sun, moon, and stars continue their ancient roles, maintaining the cycle of day and night just as they did before. This unique design ensures that new Earth souls can carry on with their existence as before, though they are no longer permitted to travel beyond the sky.
Finally, Dark Force begins placing the new creation, which he and the nerds refer to as “human v.2,” onto the new planet, aptly named Outer Earth. As he observes, he feels the weight of what he’s done – a fresh start, but still a continuation.
To honor Wyn and his companions, for all they’ve done for him and all he’s learned from them, Dark Force brings them back – recreating them with their memories intact, up until the moments of their deaths. For Wyn, his memory is preserved only up until after he fought Light Force, but before he absorbed the essence. Dark Force believes it’s best for him to retain just that much.
The souls stand before him, reborn – confused at first, but soon celebrating as they recognize one another.
"You’ve earned this. This is my gift to you," Dark Force says softly, a rare moment of gratitude in his voice. "I must recover my energy. While I rest, you and the nerds will be in charge. I trust you to carry on with your task."
He places them on Outer Earth, where they will live among humanity v.2 and serve as evaluators of the new world. It is a quiet, sacred gesture – allowing them to witness the fruits of their efforts, to see the hope they’ve sparked in the new generation. He wants Wyn to understand that, even after everything, hope for change still exists, and their role is far from over. They are here not just to live but to observe, guide, and help shape the future of humanity v.2.
The team watches as their world takes its first steps into a new dawn. Wyn, Yu, Mira, Anish, James, Lisa, David, and David’s former team stand together, with Cateto perched on Anish’s head, breathing in the new air where their new lives are about to take place.
“This is it,” Yu says.
“Won’t you miss your past life?” Mira asks.
“We were dead, remember? Twice!” Yu answers with a chuckle. “I’m just happy to be back with you guys.”
“You’re still the same happy guy, eh?” James remarks.
“We can make new friends here!” Lisa chimes in.
"Don't forget that we can visit the afterlife realm and Inner Earth anytime with our new bands – we can always meet up with familiar faces too!" David adds.
“I miss my family so much – just as much as I missed you, Mira!” Anish says with a grin.
James immediately steps in front of Mira, hands raised protectively.
Anish bursts into laughter, and the sisters join in. “Let’s visit Inner Earth and the afterlife realm,” he suggests.
"Come on now, old man. We've got an eternity for all that. Let’s spend more time on Outer Earth together, okay? After all, we fought to make this happen," Wyn says.
"Agreed! Meowww!" Cateto echoes, earning a pet from Anish as the rest of the team’s attention shifts to the initials on the cat’s body. The feline remains proudly perched on Anish’s head, tail flicking with satisfaction.
"Boss…I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but why did they get their whole team back and we didn’t?" Charlotte suddenly asks while admiring Cateto from across the circle.
"No clue, but I’ll be sure to ask Big D to reunite all fifteen of us after his slumber," David assures her.
A brief silence follows as the group takes in their surroundings, their thoughts lingering on what comes next. Wyn exhales softly, then steps forward, his gaze drifting toward the new world and the beings wandering within it.
"I wonder what happened to me after Light Force’s defeat…Did I not become a life force? If so, how did I die again?" he muses aloud. "Are we really the same group of souls that went on adventures together? Or are we just…clones?"
“Don’t think too much. Be more like me!” Yu says, throwing an arm around Wyn’s neck with a grin.
“More like you? Really?” Wyn teases.
"Come on, Oppa, Yu! Get back here!" Mira calls, while the rest of the group rearranges for a group photo using the uber-wide selfie lens astonishingly embedded in the virtual screen from James’ band.
As Wyn walks back with Yu to the group, he mumbles, “...That guy isn’t so bad after all.”
And with that, though not in the way the ascended Wyn would’ve wanted, the team is finally reunited. Wyn, Yu, Mira, Anish, James, Lisa, David, David’s former team, and Cateto stand together once more, tears of joy streaming down their faces as they celebrate their shared victory. Every battle, every loss, every sacrifice feels like a distant memory now, replaced by the overwhelming sense of warmth and relief that they are whole again. The weight of their past, the unbearable grief, the endless struggles – it all fades into the background. In this new world, with a new beginning, they’ve found something more powerful than anything they could have imagined: the unbreakable bond they share, and the love that has carried them through it all. In this moment, they realize that, no matter what comes next, they will always have each other.
For Wyn, standing among them, he finally feels complete. Everything he endured – every hardship, every painful choice – was worth it.
Author’s Note
Thank you all for reading – especially those who have been with me from the very first chapter to the very end. Every view put a smile on my face, and it was you who kept me going.
This story was a product of the troughs I’ve been going through, and mostly, it was a way for me to escape reality. However, I decided to post it here as a challenge to myself – to finish it no matter what. Think of it as my way of doing something new and stepping out of my comfort zone for a change. It was a fun experience, despite the poor writing haha (I wish I could draw!).
Finally, to those who are going through tough times – though I know all too well that words can’t magically heal you – please know that you’re not going through this alone. There are many others out there who understand your pain. Hang in there. I believe, with time, something good will come your way – our way.
