Infinite Dominion: The Silent Ascendant from Kot Addu
Book 1: The Awakening
Volume 1: The Summoning
Arc 1: Transport and Orientation
Chapter 2: God's Plaza and the Silent Rules
The white expanse stretched in perfect, unbroken uniformity. No wind stirred. No distant sounds echoed. Only the slow, rhythmic pulse of the central sphere broke the stillness, each cycle stretching four-point-three seconds exactly. Rai Arsh Parhar stood apart from the cluster of ten newcomers, arms loose at his sides, tool belt resting against his hip like an old friend. His breathing remained even, chest rising and falling in the same measured cadence he used when sighting down a rifle barrel at three hundred meters.
The sphere spoke again, voice forming directly in every mind at once.
"Participants. You are now bound to God's Dimension. Your previous lives are severed. Return is impossible until all conditions are met. Conditions will be revealed upon completion of mandatory missions."
A young woman in a pink shalwar kameez—early twenties, dupatta half-fallen from her head—let out a choked sob and clutched her arms around herself. "This can't be real," she whispered. "Please… someone tell me this is a dream."
No one answered. Most stared at the sphere as though it might offer mercy if they looked hard enough.
A man in a rumpled office shirt, perhaps forty, balding at the crown, stepped forward half a pace. His voice cracked on the first word. "What… what do you want from us? Money? Information? We're just normal people."
"Normalcy is irrelevant," the sphere replied. "Value is measured in survival probability and contribution to the gene pool's evolution. You have been selected for potential. Prove it or perish."
A teenage boy in a black hoodie—hood still up, earbuds dangling uselessly—laughed once, short and bitter. "Gene pool? This is some sick reality show, right? Hidden cameras. Social experiment. Come on."
The sphere pulsed brighter for an instant. The boy flinched as though slapped.
"Entertainment value is zero. Delusion reduces survival probability by 62%. Correct your assessment."
Arsh watched without moving. He noted the boy's quick retreat, the way the woman's sobs quieted into shallow breaths, the middle-aged man's hands trembling at his sides. Cataloging. Always cataloging.
The sphere continued.
"Core mechanics follow. Listen carefully. Repetition will not occur."
A translucent screen materialized in the air before each person—visible only to its recipient, Arsh realized, because no one else reacted to the sudden appearance beside their face. His own panel reappeared, edges sharp blue.
God's Dimension Interface – Activated
Participant ID: KP-047 (Rai Arsh Parhar)
Current Stats (Baseline Human – Unenhanced):
Strength: 11
Agility: 13
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 15
Mental Fortitude: 17
Perception: 14
Luck: 8
Enhancement Currency: Reward Points
Current Balance: 0
Exchange Terminal Access: Locked until after first mission
Mission Structure:
Random world selection from recorded human media archives.
Survival objective assigned (duration variable: hours to weeks).
Completion grants base reward points + bonuses for difficulty, creativity, kills, team contribution.
Failure = permanent death. No resurrection.
Death of team members does not end mission unless objective requires full survival.
Team Mechanics:
Current team size: 10 (newbie batch).
Team wipes result in full mission failure for survivors.
Internal betrayal carries no direct penalty from God—only from teammates.
Enhancements Available Post-Mission:
Gene locks (physical stats)
Bloodline unlocks
Skill slots
Weapons / equipment
Special abilities (genetic, magical, technological)
Resurrection coupons (extremely rare, high cost)
The sphere's voice overlaid the panel text.
"Points are the only currency that matters. Earn them through mission rewards. Scavenge valuables in mission worlds and convert them at the exchange terminal for additional points. Conversion rate varies by rarity and utility."
Arsh's eyes narrowed fractionally at that last line. Scavenge. Convert. His mind flashed to the small pile of tools in his belt—multimeter, insulated pliers, voltage tester, a few zip-ties, the pocket knife his father had given him when he turned eighteen. And the gold ring on his finger. Useful data.
A woman in nurse scrubs—late thirties, short-cropped hair—raised a shaking hand. "So… we fight monsters? Like in movies?"
"Worlds are drawn from human fiction and recorded history," the sphere answered. "Some horror. Some fantasy. Some science fiction. Some cultivation realms. Some war zones. Some psychological constructs. Expect anything. Prepare for everything."
The teenage boy muttered, "Great. We're extras in someone's fanfiction nightmare."
The sphere ignored him.
"First mission genre: Horror. Difficulty: Newbie. World selection in progress. Transfer in T-minus 19 minutes."
Murmurs rippled through the group.
"Horror?" the office-shirt man whispered. "Like ghosts? Zombies?"
"Details will be provided upon arrival," the sphere said. "Use remaining time to form basic cohesion. Isolated individuals die first."
The panels vanished.
Silence fell again, heavier now.
The woman in pink wiped her eyes with her dupatta. "I'm… I'm Ayesha. From Lahore. I was just coming back from university." Her voice trembled but held. "What do we do now?"
The nurse stepped closer to her. "I'm Sana. ER nurse at Jinnah Hospital, Karachi. If anyone gets hurt… I can help. Basic first aid, at least."
The office man cleared his throat. "Imran. Accountant. Islamabad. I… I don't know how to fight."
The teenager pulled his hood lower. "Bilal. Gaming addict from Faisalabad. If it's zombies, I've got theories."
One by one they spoke—names, jobs, cities. Hesitant introductions, the way strangers do when trapped in an elevator during a blackout. Arsh listened to every word, every inflection, every nervous tic.
When eyes finally turned to him, he spoke once, voice low and even.
"Arsh. Kot Addu. Engineer."
No elaboration. No city flourish. No occupation detail beyond the bare minimum.
A tall man in a gym vest—muscular, late twenties—nodded at him. "I'm Zain. Gym trainer, Multan. You look calm, bhai. Ever been in a real fight?"
Arsh met his gaze for two seconds. "Enough."
Zain gave a short laugh, more nerves than humor. "Good enough for me."
They formed a loose circle around the sphere, unconsciously seeking the illusion of safety in numbers. Ayesha stayed close to Sana. Bilal kept glancing at the white void as though expecting it to crack open. Imran fidgeted with his wedding ring.
Arsh remained slightly outside the circle, back straight, eyes scanning the group in steady sweeps. He noted breathing rates, pupil dilation, hand tremors. Mental states mapped in his head like fault lines on a power grid schematic.
The sphere pulsed.
"Team cohesion level: 21%. Insufficient. Improve or accept higher casualty projection."
Imran swallowed. "How do we… improve it?"
"Communicate. Share capabilities. Form rudimentary command structure. Panic is contagious. Control is not."
Sana spoke up. "Okay. Let's do that. Who has medical experience besides me?"
No one else raised a hand.
"Combat?" Zain asked.
A quiet man in a faded Pathan suit—beard trimmed, eyes steady—lifted two fingers. "Sher Khan. Ex-army. Khyber regiment. Served twelve years."
Zain grinned. "Finally. Someone who knows which end of a gun to point."
Sher Khan inclined his head slightly toward Arsh. "You?"
Arsh considered for half a second. "Small arms. Hunting. Maintenance."
Sher Khan's eyes flicked to the tool belt. "Practical."
Bilal snorted. "I've got six thousand hours in FPS games. Headshots for days."
No one laughed.
Ayesha whispered, "I can cook. And… I know plants. Studied botany."
Sana nodded. "Useful if we're stuck somewhere with no food."
Imran looked around helplessly. "I'm good with numbers. Budgets. Maybe I can track points?"
The sphere interjected.
"Point tracking is automatic. Emotional support roles have marginal value. Prioritize combat utility and adaptability."
Ayesha flinched as though struck.
Arsh spoke then—quiet, cutting through the tension like a knife through dry rope.
"Everyone has value until proven otherwise. Focus on what you can do when things go bad. Not what you can't."
The group stilled.
Zain raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you've done this before."
"Done worse," Arsh said. "Power lines in storms. Flood rescues. Armed dacoits on the river road. Same rules. Stay calm. Watch your angles. Don't waste movement."
Sher Khan gave a single nod of approval.
Bilal muttered, "Bro thinks he's in a war movie."
Arsh ignored him.
The sphere pulsed brighter.
"T-minus 9 minutes. Final orientation."
A new screen appeared for all—larger this time, shared.
First Mission Preview
Genre: Horror – Survival
World: Resident Evil (2002 film continuity – The Hive)
Objective: Reach extraction point alive. Optional: Secure sample data from Red Queen core.
Estimated Duration: 4–8 hours
Threat Level: Low-to-Mid (newbie scale)
Special Condition: Team must remain within 200 meters of at least one other member or suffer escalating mental corruption.
Gasps rippled through the group.
"Resident Evil?" Bilal's voice cracked with something between terror and excitement. "Zombies. Lickers. The laser grid. Shit."
Ayesha covered her mouth.
Sana's face paled. "I've seen the movie. People die horribly."
Imran whispered, "We're going to die."
Arsh's expression remained unchanged.
He had not seen the movie. He rarely watched films—time better spent on schematics or range practice. But he understood the concept. Undead. Confined spaces. Limited ammo. Panic kills faster than monsters.
He filed it away.
The sphere spoke one final time.
"Transfer begins in T-minus 3 minutes. Final advice: Trust is earned. Fear is exploited. Survival is not guaranteed."
The white light began to condense around them, forming ten vertical beams.
Arsh stepped into his beam without hesitation. The others followed more slowly, some dragged by the pull of the light.
As the beams brightened, Arsh felt the familiar cold membrane press against his skin again.
His hidden panel flickered once more.
Hidden Quest Update
Observe. Adapt. Survive. – Progress: 47%
Bonus Objective Unlocked: Ensure at least three teammates reach extraction without revealing your full capability.
Reward: 300 Points + Stealth Analysis Module
Arsh's lips curved the faintest fraction—not a smile, just acknowledgment.
The light swallowed them.
From Kot Addu's sun-scorched towers to the black corridors of the Hive, the next step waited.
He was ready.