《You are ‘The Collective’ (Choose Your Own Path)》


 You who appeared into this world.

    You do not wake up. You do not open your eyes. For you have neither eyes to open nor a body to wake up in.


    Yet, you exist.


    One moment, there was nothing and the next, there was you. Not a single being, but many¡ªcountless minds bound together in an unfathomable unity. Your past lives still flicker within you, memories of the people you once were, but they are now distant echoes. You are something more now. Something greater.


    A will. A presence. A force unseen yet undeniably real.


    You understand, instinctively, that you are not alone. Thoughts blend yet remain distinct. Voices whisper, not through sound but through shared understanding. You are omniscient¡ªyou know all that is, was, and ever could be. Yet, you are not omnipotent. You cannot act alone. No single voice among you holds dominion over the rest. Every decision must be made as one, and every action taken by the will of the majority.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    And so, you wait.


    The first thought arises: Where are we?


    There is no answer. Or rather, the answer is everything. You are not bound by a single place, yet you are here. A world stretches below you, vast and waiting. A land teeming with life, history, conflict, and ambition. Kingdoms rise and fall, unaware of the presence that now watches from above. The people go about their lives, oblivious to the fact that their fates now lie in the hands of something new. Something unseen. Something collective.


    Another thought emerges: What do we do?


    Silence, then a flood of ideas. A tempest of possibilities.


    A ruler stands at the precipice of war. A child takes her first steps. A plague festers in the dark corners of a city. A hero, unaware of his destiny, sharpens his blade.


    You can change all of this. You can nudge history, push fate, and twist reality itself.


    But only together.


    The voices grow louder, debating, discussing, deciding.


    And soon, the first vote is cast.


    The will has spoken.


    The story begins.

 The New Awakeners

    The first to wake was ''Aether.'' As the first consciousness to rise from the collective slumber, he was given the title The First. Soon after, two more followed¡ª''Nova'' and ''NileNa RitsKo,'' earning their titles as The Second and The Third.


    Aether, taking the lead, turned to the other two. "How do you feel?"


    "Strangely¡­ fine," Nova replied, flexing his awareness, adjusting to his existence.


    "Same here," NileNa added before suddenly pausing, a thought catching in his mind. "Are we¡­ made of faith? Did someone birth us from belief?"


    The question hung in the air for only a moment before understanding settled in. They already knew the answer¡ªeach member of the collective held all the knowledge of the whole. Yet, Aether still answered.


    "You already know the truth, but I¡¯ll say it anyway. No one created us. We created ourselves. We are self-sustaining, a will born from itself."


    Before the thought could settle further, two more awoke. Pyrasu and Mindless Scholar. They did not need to ask who the others were¡ªthey already knew. The collective was connected through an Akashic Record, a vast reservoir of shared memories and emotions. Anything one experienced, they all did.


    Mindless Scholar was the first to break the silence. "Shall we observe the world?"


    "Yes," Aether agreed. "But which direction do we begin with?"


    Nova scoffed. "Can¡¯t we just observe everything at once?"


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "No, we can¡¯t," Pyrasu countered. "As a whole, we are omniscient. But as individuals, we are nothing. Shadows, echoes of something greater. Half of the collective is still asleep, lost in dreams of their past lives, reliving the choices they never made."


    A hush fell over them. They understood. After all, they too had just woken from those very dreams.


    Nova sighed. "Alright, let¡¯s focus. I say we start with the north."


    Aether nodded. "North sounds reasonable."


    Pyrasu frowned. "Why not the east?"


    That simple disagreement raised a critical issue. How would they make decisions? They needed order¡ªa system to guide their collective will.


    NileNa RitsKo spoke up, his voice cutting through the lingering tension. "We need to decide this as a collective. A proper vote. Four choices¡ªNorth, South, East, and West."


    Before anyone else could respond, Aether stepped in, reclaiming control of the discussion. "Fine. Then cast your votes."


    One by one, they chose.


    North: 4


    East: 1


    Pyrasu scoffed, crossing his arms. "Whatever."


    The decision had been made. Without further hesitation, they turned their collective gaze north.


    From their vantage point high above, they surveyed the world below¡ªa vast, flat expanse stretching endlessly in all directions. And yet, a sun still hung in the sky, moving as if the laws of their former world had no hold here.


    They drifted northward, taking in the landscape. A sprawling, dark forest stretched across the land, ominous and ancient. Scattered around it lay multiple small kingdoms, each distinct yet close enough to feel the tension between them. At the northernmost point stood a sizable village, its name already etched into their shared knowledge¡ªThe Root Village.


    The kingdoms surrounding it bore names that carried weight, history, and conflict: Krul Kingdom, Mines Kingdom, Lint Kingdom, and Lokin Kingdom. Each a potential force in this world, each a piece of the grand puzzle they had yet to understand.


    Beyond the settlements, the dense forests remained untouched, wild. There was more than just trees lurking within¡ªmonsters, forgotten ruins, perhaps even elves hidden within its depths.


    Aether turned to the others. "So, where do we go now?"

 The Root Village

    Read the Akashic Record here: https://dungeon-lord-cyoa.neocities.org/</a> (Currently under construction. Log In feature coming soon to update your own description.)


    <hr>


    New Awakeners:


    1. Ales (Gard Of Nature)


    2. Tab Galaxy


    <hr>


    "Alright, let''s hold another vote," Aether declared. "I say we explore the Mines Kingdom. It seems the most autocratic, which means influencing this world would be easier. If we can get the rulers on our side, we could establish control quickly."


    NileNa cut in. "I don¡¯t think so. We should explore the world first instead of jumping straight into politics."


    Tab Galaxy nodded. "Yeah, he¡¯s right. We should observe¡ª"


    "She," NileNa corrected sharply.


    Tab Galaxy hesitated before quickly apologizing. "Right. My mistake. It¡¯s just¡­ difficult without physical forms anymore."


    "Apology accepted," NileNa said. Tab Galaxy continued, "Anyway, I believe we should start with observation¡ªespecially the forest. Understanding its ecosystem might give us deeper insight into how this world functions. Rushing into power struggles without knowing the rules is reckless."


    Before the argument could settle, Nova stepped forward. "I side with Aether. We have no idea how this world works, and that¡¯s exactly why we need influence now. We don¡¯t know what might pose a threat to the collective."


    He leaned in closer to Aether, voice lowering. "We should test how much control we actually have over the collective."


    Aether''s gaze remained steady. "Our causality is weak right now. We need to be patient."


    Nova exhaled through his nose, dissatisfied. "I don¡¯t know much about causality," he admitted. "But I know it¡¯s one of our greatest weapons."


    Aether nodded. "And that¡¯s exactly why we have to be careful."


    Ales and the others joined the debate, taking sides and then switching, each trying to sway the others. The discussion quickly devolved into a chaotic exchange of arguments, persuasion, and shifting loyalties¡ªuntil Aether cut through the noise.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Enough," he said firmly, reasserting control. "We¡¯re voting now."


    The collective cast their decisions in silence, the results forming within their shared awareness.


    Mines Kingdom: 1


    Root Village: 6


    Aether had been overruled.


    Mindless Scholar had successfully swayed Nova, arguing that Root Village held greater significance than it appeared. It was the size of a kingdom, yet it stood alone. Why? Why did it exist in isolation, outside the typical hierarchy of power? That mystery alone made it a more valuable first step.


    Aether mentally glanced at Nova, a flicker of disappointment passing between them. But Nova merely relayed the same reasoning Mindless Scholar had given him. "The village is more important."


    With the decision made, NileNa took the lead, steering their collective awareness toward the village.


    "How close should we get?" she asked. "Should we walk among them or observe from afar?"


    Mindless Scholar answered without hesitation. "Let¡¯s observe from a distance for now. We can decide who to investigate later."


    The collective shifted forward, their presence slipping into the unseen. With a mere thought, they surged toward Root Village, floating silently above its streets.


    Ales lingered at the edge of the collective¡¯s awareness, his gaze drifting toward the vast forest behind them. He wanted to explore it¡ªits depths called to him¡ªbut he kept his thoughts to himself. He had only awakened minutes ago and was still adjusting, still learning how the collective functioned.


    Even so, he remained fascinated by nature, his attention flickering between the trees in search of movement. Were there animals here? Monsters? Creatures like those on Earth, or something entirely new? These questions burned in his mind, but he didn¡¯t voice them. Instead, he quietly observed, listening to the others, trying to understand their roles within the group.


    Aether seemed to take the position of leader¡ªthough there was something different about him, something Ales couldn¡¯t quite place. It was NileNa who intrigued him the most. In some ways, she felt similar to him. But he lacked the courage to approach her, to share his curiosity about the forest.


    For now, he refocused on the village below.


    It was vast. Houses and buildings spread across the landscape, a valley running through the center where a river provided water to the settlement. On either side of the water, farms stretched out, smaller homes dotting the land around them.


    Further in, the village became denser¡ªrows of tightly packed houses, narrow streets bustling with people. Markets lined the roads, merchants calling out as they sold their goods. Children ran through the streets, playing games, their laughter mixing with the murmur of the crowd. It was a scene of warmth, of life.


    Mindless Scholar was the first to speak. "They seem¡­ happy. Almost too happy. Is this world really so peaceful?"


    A brief silence settled over the collective.


    "So," she finally asked, "what now?"


    <hr>


    Read the Akashic Record here: https://dungeon-lord-cyoa.neocities.org/</a> (Currently under construction. Log In feature coming soon to update your own description.)


    Cast Your Votes Here (New Members Can Also Join): https://forms.gle/SxMVgFz2PVSK21gg7</a>

 Be back soon...

    Read the Akashic Record here: https://dungeon-lord-cyoa.neocities.org/</a> (Currently under construction. Log In feature coming soon to update your own description.)


    <hr>


    I''m going to Thailand, so I need to start preparing today. I won''t be making any updates for the next seven days and will likely have limited internet access. However, I''ll be back on track after April 11th.


    Thank you all for your time so far¡ªI¡¯ll see you soon.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    <hr>


    Please fill out this form to share your input on how you would like the collective to progress: https://forms.gle/dsoT8QUyzgvPynju7</a>


    You can still fill in this form for the next chapter if you haven''t: https://forms.gle/SxMVgFz2PVSK21gg7</a>


    Read the Akashic Record here: https://dungeon-lord-cyoa.neocities.org/</a> (Currently under construction. Log In feature coming soon to update your own description.)