CREWSADERS - THE NOVELIZATION OF A GAME THAT DOESN'T EXIST

Prologue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g2MuXCDTiY&list=PLOuWgyaPQhHo

The Essence is what gives one's life meaning, what gives them power, their own spot in the narrative of life. It's said, across worlds and across universes, that no being's Essence is ever truly gone, that their memories and strength remain after death, unable to be touched, unable to be held.

So, what would happen if one were to get their hands on someone else's Essence?

That was the question that Aero Rugale had been trying to answer for decades. If things went according to plan, his team of researchers would find some way, somewhere, to access and harness people's Essences after they perished.

///////////// Lord of Corruption: AERO /////////////

He fixed the red collar of his suit in impatience, his cape dragging just above the floor as he floated through the research lab and barked orders left and right. Despite trying to be the best leader he could, he was prone to losing his patience, especially since the results always seemed rather unimpressive.

Years after the start of his research, Aero had been called into the laboratory once more to observe the blurry and monochromatic results that displayed upon the bleeding-edge monitor: A single island, surrounded by an endless sea of saltwater and overlooked by a singular moon. Despite its size, there was nothing more to the realm than the island, surrounded by a dome of aura that made the team's sensors skyrocket. An aura that made the Essences persist after death. Still, it was a different realm, seemingly impossible to reach.

But that had never stopped the Lord of Corruption before.

He was too smart to just give up, and he knew of a singular way to travel across realms. There was but one being of myth going by the name of The Host, whispered across troops and scholars alike to hold the power of traveling across universes in search of the strongest Essences. Once Aero knew what had to be done, it didn't take long to summon it, for his own Essence was amongst the strongest within his world. All that was needed was a shallow cut on time and space to summon the creature, hungry for power.

That would be something it'd grow to regret.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V9IAtN8Hjk&list=PLOuWgyaPQhHo&index=2

"Ah... sweet freedom!" it reveled as it exited through a portal. Aero instinctively floated back as the massive beast looked down at him. "My, it has been too long since someone's summoned me!"

///////////// Omnidimensional Entertainer: THE HOST /////////////

Aero brought his arms forward, and a crimson Axe formed within his hands.

"Now, now, David. No need to get hostile!" The Host taunted, floating through the now-empty laboratory like some kind of water serpent. "I must say, I did not expect this place to be as... dusty. But alas, to which purpose have I been summoned?"
Aero floated close to it. "Extraordinary. It really is omniscient."
"Ah, someone did his research, yes, but alas, omniscience would be too much of a headache, my dear summoner. I only bother myself with the strongest Essences from each realm.." Its tone changed from one of boasting to one of displeasure and disappointment, "that's why I know you didn't invite me for a friendly duel... Go, now, state your case before my interest is lost. Should it be interesting enough, I may decide to aid in your case."
Aero floated above The Host and summoned a spark of dark energy within his hand. "You will open a way to The Isle of Souls. All else is unnecessary information."
"Is that so? Why exactly? Ah, let me guess.." It floated lazily around the room, and Aero spotted metallic plating around its hollow core. "Is it power? They all want power, but then when they get it they never actually do anything interesting with-"
"Silence!" Aero demanded, raising his hand and making a pair of unbreakable darkness tentacles emerge from the floor, wrapping around the host's core and dragging it to the ground.
"Well, that's to be expected," it said, blasting a wave of energy from its body, only to turn pitch black and reflect back onto it.
Aero smirked, getting closer to The Host as the tentacles clenched harder, and he spun a small ball of darkness around his fingers. "You serve me now."
"Well, David, I tried to reason, but clearly you refuse to collaborate. Well, good luck getting on my good side now... "

Green flames sparked through the entire room as the world around the two shifted into a large city, both Aero and The Host floating above crowds of shocked civilians. It spoke out once more:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the public, I fear your safety might become.. trivial."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyZkxsfhqY&list=PLOuWgyaPQhHo&index=3

Aero scoffed, and The Host grew three times in size.

"Let's see if you can put up enough of a show, dear adversary."

Raising his arms, Aero blasted a flurry of shards of darkness at The Host, only for them to be sucked through a portal by The Host, who hardened its wings into a shining green matter. It spun them around itself.

"My turn," it boasted, and slammed its wings against Aero's shield of darkness. It then opened a portal that blasted all of the absorbed projectiles back at him. The momentum of the clash was enough to warp them both through a portal it had summoned. Before Aero could notice, he was hovering above a massive flight of stairs under the moonlight. Hundreds of students in uniform looked up at them in fear.

The Host's wings then rocketed at Aero like missiles, moving individually as the man spawned portals that warped them away, blasting darkness in its direction.

It missed, hitting a nearby... university?

"Where did you take me!?"
"Ah, you don't recognize Real World Location Coimbra?" The Host taunted. "How about the fictional town of Corvus?"

Clashing with The Host, Aero was warped into a gloomy forest. Shadowy creatures pounced at him like wild animals the moment he set foot on the floor. The Host's grinning eyes flashed in his peripheral vision, causing Aero to summon a massive axe and quickly turn the creatures to dust before dashing at it. The Host, however, just dodged out of the way.

"Not quite your style, I see.. Shall we go to the United States then?" The Host sent a portal through Aero, hitting him over and over with its massive wings as it grew more and more excited. "How about Seattle? Oregon? Maybe even New York City!?" 

Portal after portal after portal, Aero couldn't quite seem to reach The Host, who instead managed to clash a hit against his axe, sending both flying across portals.

"What do we think of Cria? Dreaming Wonder? Speaking of dreams, maybe the Dreamarium is more your style.."

Portal after portal after portal, Aero was starting to get impatient as he sent all kinds of dark spells at The Host before dashing back into its attacks. It sidestepped as Aero was flung into another flurry of portals.

"Oh, so now you decide to attack me face-to-face? Very well," it dashed back at Aero, taking him through countless portals. "What do you think of Hell Planet, The Bouldered Backwoods, Cobuln Forest, maybe Cryon? My, you're hard to please, aren't you? Perhaps the Under- AUGH!"

An uppercut made of darkness slammed into The Host, making it lose its focus before endless chains of darkness wrapped around it.

"That's enough!"

A dome of dark matter surrounded The Host, with blasts coming from all directions. Aero summoned an orb of darkness and turned it into a spear, piercing the dome and The Host within it.

The creature re-awakened moments later, noticing itself wrapped in dozens of chains made of darkness. No matter how much it tried to move, it was pointless.

"You're only up this early because I needed you to be," Aero grinned, making a spear float around them both. "You're not very useful if you're in a coma."

From then on, it was unavoidable. The Host would serve only Aero and allow him to visit the island, where he could feed on the powers of every living being's Essence. Otherwise, Aero would have just another corpse in his hands.

"Very well, I shall fulfill your request, my new lord," it said, ever dramatic, as the portal opened and the universe trembled, "but be careful what you wish for! You weren't exactly the only one I had my eyes on!"