《Tautology》 Chapter 1 Goodbye Chapter 1 Goodbye Noun: Tautology /t???t?l?d?i/ Logic: A universal truth in formal logic. Rule of Inference: A rule of replacement for logical expressions. Rhetoric: A self-reinforcing pretence of significant truth. Grammar: The use of redundant words. Basically: Saying the same thing over and over again. For better or worse. Aiden Bu shuffled his feet as he watched doom approach. The Gate grew ever larger, its presence seemingly drowning the surrounding area. A slow, building intensity that threatened to crush all who neared it. His instincts screamed at him to run, to hide, to flee, yet Aiden couldnt help but ignore them. What worth was there in preserving his life? He had never accomplished anything worthwhile, he didnt awaken to a power and was rejected from the Guard. Joining a factory would only mean a slow death producing weapons for some far off battlefield. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Not to mention he was letting his only family, his sister die. His glasses shattered within their frames, falling like quaint sparkling dust onto the ground. Around him, the glass panes of the evacuated district crumbled in much the same way. Reality Bleed was occurring, glass must not have been a stable material in the invading dimension. Aiden wondered what other laws of physics or biochemical interactions were different on the other side of the Gate. Hes heard of blood evaporating or turning solid as the bloods freezing and evaporating temperature was changed, muscles turning rigid or sometimes the person simply fell down and never woke again. He hoped he would be of the latter, it would be much more painless. There was one other option, a faint hope. Should he awaken, he would be able to endure the other realitys different physics. Should he gain a power, he might be able to pay for his sisters treatment. Should he survive, everything might become better. The Gate swelled once more, around him the air turned thick, his shoes sunk into the concrete floor as if it were made of molasses and Aiden saw wondrous colours never seen or imagined by mankind. He looked up to the sky one last time. The black expanse dotted by a thousand stars and the remnants of a shattered moon. And he held out his arms, embracing doom. He either died or awakened. Either way, he wouldnt have problems anymore. And so, Aiden Bu perished. Chapter 2 Colorful Chapter 2 Colorful Only a Sith deals in absolutes. - a Sith probably. Aiden Lu awoke to the sound of fingers snapping in front of his face. Five more minutes Reflexively, he shooed the hand away from him, before scrunching back into his bed. Instead, he felt only cold hard concrete underneath him. His eyes fluttered open to the sight of a man chuckling over him. Five more minutes he says The man looked like he was decked completely in SWAT gear with the difference that he didnt seem to carry any firearms, instead, the numerous pockets and strappings he wore held bottles full of water, each made of a different material. Pockets of metal, wood, plastics and an empty one where the water had leaked out. To deal with the Reality Bleed. Aiden grabbed his head as he heard the words in his mind but not in his voice. Whore you? the man asked. Aiden Bu, Aiden reflexively said. Wherere you from? Downtown Gregory, he continued to say, 22nd Alleyway Street, 3rd Floor. A muted sort of realisation dawned on him as he realised that was his old address, from when he was still sixteen. Why were you at the site of a Gate Aiden? Aiden blinked as his body didnt reflexively answer. Instead, memories flowed to his mind. I wanted to die, Aiden Lu admitted. The man shrugged, Gates a bad way to go, no guarantee youll actually die, sometimes you get taken over by something else, if you do die then its generally not very pleasant. But hey more power to you. Taken over by something else? Aiden asked, the feeling that there was something in his body making him answer in ways that wouldnt cause trouble. The man extended a hand and pulled him up, Its not my job to figure out, someone else will check you out. If they find you have a Hume Level then youre just a new Awakened. Awakened, he tasted the word on his mouth, before he hurriedly turned around, Wheres the Gate? Closed it seems, the man said, only reason I havent killed you yet. It was spoken so casually that Aiden felt like he misheard, taking a moment to process before he turned to the man. Little known fact about Awakening, if one happens right near the Gate then the Gate gets closed. Its one of two ways to successfully close a Gate. The other is an Awakened using their power on the Gate, he cautiously replied. Bingo! the man said as he slapped his back. Damn you must be smart, he said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. Aiden took a step back, backing into the balcony wall, You think Im a fake. He shrugged, I dunno what you are, but Im keeping all options on the table. Until then do you want to be escorted to the safe zone citizen? Aiden looked around, eyes squinting as he realised his glasses were destroyed, towards the numerous buildings and apartments, all seemingly bleached of colour and marking. Appearing like bony white clay clawing at the sky. He remembered that this district did not look like this before the Gate opened. Sure, he replied, choosing the possibility of a known threat over an unknown one. Great! Maybe maybe not shapeshifter from another dimension! he said in a chipper tone, Follow me! Cautiously, Aiden followed behind him out of the apartment. His stance was careful, keeping an eye on the soldier and the environment around him. Yet the soldier seemed to move in a lackadaisical manner, not even looking back at Aiden to check if he was following or preparing a sneak attack. For a person so worried about me being an otherworldly shapeshifter, you sure are casual about it. Eh, the man shrugged, my stance on life has always been to not take the piss, either youre a horrific monster from another world wholl try to kill me from behind or youre a normal kid. Doesnt really matter doesnt it? Aiden raised an eyebrow, It kinda does. I might kill you. The man turned back and smiled, I did say try. Youre pretty confident, meta? Yeap, the man replied easily. Got a piss poor ability too, nothing worth much. What is it? Aiden asked. One of the water bottles flew out of his chest, floating around the man as he walked, Liquid Kinesis. That sounds powerful. The man scoffed, I have a dumb condition though. The bottle flew near into his hand, the cap caught by his fingers. Aiden was just close enough that he saw the water inside the plastic bottle rotating and the bottle with it, but the moment the cap was unscrewed, the bottle fell to the ground and water splattered, I cant control liquids if they arent in a fully enclosed space. That Aiden paused for a moment, Sounds like you shouldnt be on a battlefield then. But there must be a trick to it. He at least thinks hes capable of killing me. He shrugged, Were always running out of people so they send third rates like me every time a random Gate opens. Aiden looked him over from behind, he didnt look like he was carrying any obvious weaponry aside from the water bottles, which he couldnt even imagine fighting with. Not to mention his memories say advanced weaponry of any kind tended to fail very fast inside a gate. A hidden knife perhaps? I never got your name, the teenager said. Its Freddy, the man replied, I suppose it was rude of me to not give you it as well huh? I dont mind, Aiden said as they reached the ground floor of the building. He saw it soon, blurred as it was with his short vision, the green outlines of some kind of armoured vehicle. Freddy raised a hand and waved at it. A military four wheeler. Someone else mightve been able to give a better description, but the only thing Aiden noted was how stripped down the vehicle looked, lacking guns and the glass was shattered. A necessity, he thought. A Gate messed with local reality, the more complex a construct the more likely it was to fail, for the simple reason that there were more things to fail. A guardsmen peeked their head out from within the vehicle. Got a civ? Yeap! Freddy replied, Might be a new Awakened, dunno, get him back for a Hume test. Understood, hop aboard kid! the guardsmen waved. Aiden nodded, walking toward the vehicle before he realised his escort wasnt following, he glanced at him. Freddy smiled, Just gonna clear this sector out, dont do anything strange to the bois in there. He tentatively nodded, before he walked beside the vehicle, accepting the hand that took him in.
Freddy smiled as they left, his posture casual and relaxed. When they were out of sight, he turned around and strolled towards another apartment building. There were numerous anomalies nearby, things he sensed with his power, and when he walked into the second floor, he saw them. Dozens of pure white humanoids, their bodies like mannequins, bearing no mark or colour. Simply an expanse of featureless pale. Each strained their bodies, trying to move and fight against Freddys power. Hmm he scratched his chin, Now that kid was the only one who didnt end up like this Possession types are pretty rare He jerked them around with his power, forcing them to move, Bodies are still physiologically human organs and stuff all in the same spots Zenin would want me to take a sample He looked around, I only need a few. Whatever liquid was in their bodies began rapidly flowing in odd and chaotic directions, their flesh seemed to roil as if something was trying to force its way out, before eventually, one exploded in a flower of white gore. It seemed even their blood was bleached by the Gate. It didnt matter, their physiology was still human. One by one, they each exploded in the same manner, Freddy taking care to direct the explosion away from him, no matter what, he still couldnt control liquids once they were outside. Until only a few were left, controlling the liquid that was inside their bodies, he directed them to move with him as he looked around the Bleed area.
Let us review, Aiden thought inside the military vehicle, biting the nail of his thumb. One, an indeterminate amount of time before, I went to sleep, when I awoke, I was in the body of my younger self. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Two, I hold memories of this younger self which parallel my own, but have several notable differences. Namely, the existence of superpowers, Gates, heroes and war. A history that seemed fantastical but accepted as fact by the previous inhabitant of this body. Whatcha thinkin bout kid? the guard who sat before him asked. Nothing much, he replied, just thinking about what happens. A lucid dream perhaps? Or am I hooked up to the neural chip that Musk fella was working on? he pondered. The latter was unlikely, he was little more than a white collar worker, what were the chances he ever even sees such a thing in person? And development shouldnt be anywhere near what was needed for this. He bit his thumb, feeling the sharp pain and faint taste of blood. He was still there inside the vehicle as it moved. Shame, it works in movies. Aiden released his thumb, a thin dot of blood on its print, he let it fall to his pockets. It seemed like he was stuck here for the near future, so he needed to take inventory. Howd you get caught up in a Gate? the guard asked, apparently bored out of her mind. He reached into his pockets, Just was nearby and didnt evacuate fast enough. Pfft, the guard didnt seem convinced, I know types like you, rushing into a Gate in hopes you get a power. I can see the appeal, not being a normal person, but more often than not, hard blue eyes pierced Aidens black, you die horribly and thats just it. Guess I got lucky, he replied as he pulled out his wallet. His old student ID, some cash and coins and a debit card, just like in his memories. If his memory was correct then that debit card should be near empty. In his right pocket, he only felt the shifting of something like sand, before he took out the small rectangular device that was his phone, with the notable exception that all the glass had disintegrated inside his pockets. Thats a shame, she said. Its fine, he dismissed, there is no one who would call me on it anyways. Hopefully the phone card was still fine. His glasses were destroyed, leaving everything more than a few centimetres away from him a blurry mess. More expenses to pay, more problems to deal with. So whats the story behind the tattoo? Tattoo? he briefly searched his memories, finding no such thing. Aiden Bu had never inked himself, given that he had only recently turned sixteen and was mindful enough to realise it was a pointless expense. The one under your eye, the guard gestured underneath her own right eye for comparison, the one that looks like a white snake. Reflexively, he touched the spot with his hand, before he felt something move. The guard suddenly had her knife out, drawn in the split second when Aiden felt something move underneath his finger tips. A patch of cold, scaly skin that seemed to move, he followed it with his fingers, down his cheek, under his chin, past his neck and into his shirt collar where he lost it. He found it shortly after however, crawling upon his skin, up his arm and onto the back of his hand, was a white serpent. Its body was completely two-dimensional, yet it moved and writhed as if it were a living thing. That might just confirm it, the guard said, her body still tense, Hume Test is a formality now. What is it? he asked, studying the creature as it moved around his hand as he slowly rotated it around. Weird stuff happens with a human person, theyre probably a meta. Only slightly longer than his middle finger, it didnt seem to breathe and appeared completely bleached and pale. As if someone had simply drawn the outlines of a creature and left it unfilled and without colour. You have no clue what your power is? the guard asked. Aiden shook his head. Then its probably your Status. Memories flashed in his head again, Status? She relaxed slightly, letting the knife rest on her knee, Status, your power working passively to show your Hume level. Think it was the Guild Master who popularised the term. Memories. Things he studied, a person he idolised and hoped hed be. The Guild Master, the S Class whose power basically turned him into a living RPG character. Defended the Shino Pacific region for fifty years, creating the Guild with his power. Was later mortally wounded during the Battle of Five Evils and One, after which he was entombed within the Wonders of Daedalus to forcefully keep him alive so his power would still be active. Ah yeah, Aiden replied with false recognition, for the memories and aspirations werent his, since his power gave him a stat sheet didnt it? He live streamed some of his battles, whenever it was possible. That was why so much is known about him. Yeap, the guard replied. Civs probably dont know much about it. Freddy talks about his all the time. Apparently, if hes running low on Hume he gets really thirsty. He didnt feel the snake on the skin it resided, only when he went to touch it. But its declaration was simple. He was a meta, he had some kind of unknown superpower. Some part of him wanted to revel at this realisation, to celebrate, the part of him that held the memories of the previous Aiden. The one currently in control however, only took it in as another detail, as was the joy his body felt but his mind cared not. Guess I really did get lucky.
The Hume Test came back positive. The baffling contraption they shoved him into showed a significantly higher Hume level compared to the average person. Confirming he was a meta. There wasnt much after that, he was given a stack of forms to fill which he dutifully did, and was ordered to meet a meta counsellor the next day. Aiden had a vague idea what for, enrolment to the Academy, after which he would be directed to use his power, whatever it was, to serve some beneficial purpose. It was not all exploitation and bureaucracy however, he was given a new phone, even when he didnt request it and was informed an initial allowance was deposited into his bank account. Some of it had already been used to prescribe him new glasses, though it slightly amused him that he never filled out anything regarding his prescription or which optometrist he went to. He didnt particularly care about all that, staying mostly quiet and only speaking when answering questions. It was past three when everything was done. There was a place he needed to visit, a place both parts of him wanted to see. Contemplating walking for a moment, he remembered the distance between the government building he was dropped off at and his destination was a good few kilometres. Thus, he waited for a bus. He took his phone out to google the routes, only to remember that it wasnt his Blackberry, but a flip phone made in some fantasy dimension. So, with only vague memories to guide him, he boarded the public transport. It was unsettling how much the world resembled his past, back when he was still a teenager. The cars that were of older models, the storefronts he recognised. Yet once overhead he saw someone fly at supersonic speeds, the bus radio blared news of demon incursions in Yuro P and everything felt more solid, sturdier. Almost every building was new and made to last. More than a few times, he saw construction work in places he remembered were filled in his old world. When Aiden didnt study the strange living serpent tattoo, his eyes were glued outside. He arrived by his stop in due time. Stepping out, he saw the tall sign, a name he remembered well, for he frequented this place in both lives. Saint Nicholass Childrens Hospital. He strode in, greeting the nurse at the front desk who knew him well. He walked through the sterile white halls. Floor 4, room 483. The destination echoed in his mind, repeating and repeating like a mantra. When he stood before the door, he almost hesitated to enter, before he mustered himself and entered. She was there. He had to come close, for she appeared like a blurry mess without his glasses, but she didnt look any different from when he last saw her, laid on the hospital bed as if simply resting. His younger sister of thirteen years old, Jaiden. Aiden didnt notice his trembling until he collapsed into the chair next to the bed. She was there. Just there. The simple truth of the matter did little to help the near incomprehensibility of his situation. Reborn in the body of his younger self but in a world devoid of the norms of his old. Something Aiden couldnt have imagined. Yet in this world, his sister still lived. It was here that the memories diverged. Aiden Bu, the one who previously held this body, lived a normal life, at least relative to what was normal here. His parents were stern and cold, but ultimately loving. They and his sister were caught in a Warp Gate several years prior, his sister survived the experience relatively intact, but Bu had to carry what was left of his parents in plastic grocery bags to the morgue. All the while his sister never woke up. Declared to suffer Reality Bleed, a kitchen sink diagnosis which was thrown onto every case where a person was corrupted by a Gate messing with how their bodies functioned. Eventually, the sheer despair got to him and he committed suicide. Aiden Lu, the one who currently held this body, lived a wealthy life. His parents were rich, they had a large house, he rarely went hungry. It wouldve been a perfectly happy idyllic life if not for the fact his parents were abusive. His father irregularly beat and berated him, often returning home from alcohol-filled gambling binges. Jaiden never got any physical harm, he made sure of it. As Lu grew older, he would report them to the Child Protection Services, getting both his parents arrested and he and his sister thrown in a mess of adoptions which eventually separated them. Once he was older, he did all he could to get a stable job, get his own apartment, eventually reuniting with his sister as her legal guardian. Yet Lu had committed an unforgivable crime against her. Suddenly getting a whole other human being to take care of was naturally taxing, he began working two jobs, taking late-night shifts to pay for her education and keep the lights on. Over the years as Jaiden went through High School, he rarely talked to her, often just crashing the moment he returned to their apartment. Till one day, he received a phone call saying Jaiden fainted in class. He didnt see her until later that night, for he foolishly prioritised work over his family''s health. This first mistake soon became abundantly clear, for a follow-up diagnosis later revealed his sister suffered leukemia. He panicked at the beginning, first worrying about the medical expenses before the health of his sister, his second mistake. And his third was veiled, not becoming clear till it was too late. Perhaps spurred on by the situation, he began allocating time to visit her. Work didnt suffer much, for he simply detracted a few more hours from his sleep. Day after day, he would visit his sister in the hospital. Greeting and talking to her stoic and smiling self. It was not until a few months in, that he realised this was the first time hed seen her smile in years. For some reason that was unfathomable to Lu back then, his sister, dying of leukemia, crippled to a bed and unable to move much on her own, seemed happier than hed seen her for years. Its baffling, Lu remembered saying, why do you seem happier now Jade? Jaiden hummed as she drew in her notebook, Im just making the best of what Ive got, she turned to him and brightly smiled, and we get to talk more now so thats a plus! Lu threaded his fingers between each other, grasping tightly his own hands as if trying to squeeze the bones out of his flesh as he remembered his final and worst mistake. In seeking to provide for the both of them, he did to his sister a form of abuse perhaps worse than the physical beatings he suffered. An abuse of distance, grown over the years from a mistaken sense of necessity. To know someone loved her but was never able to interact with her despite living in the same apartment. To be made lonely even when amongst family. To have a loved one become a stranger. If he were more capable, more competent, more willing to take risks and get a better job, then then Then perhaps he wouldve been able to spend more time with her. Aidens nails bit into the back of his hand, getting pushed ever tighter into the flesh, yet the sharp pain was naught but a distant cry in his mind. From a purely rational perspective, the girl in front of him was not Aiden Lus sister, but Aiden Bus. She was a money sink given her constant need for medical care when their financial situation was still unclear. Her coma was what drove Aiden Bu to despair and effectively suiciding by the same method that took everyone else in his family. The girl in front of Aiden Lu, was not someone he really knew. But she had Jaidens face. The nails bit deeper, piercing skin and drawing blood. I do not know her. But she had Jaidens face. The nails bit even deeper, clawing bloody gouges across his skin. She is a stranger to me as much as everything else in this world. But she had Jaidens face. There is no reason I have to help her, he muttered through gritted teeth. But she had Jaidens face. He pried apart his bloody hands, almost reaching out to touch the prone form before him, before he recoiled, withdrawing his hand as if he had just touched a hot stove. Aiden let out a deep breath and drew some tissues to wipe the blood off his hands. The white serpent tattoo thing swam lazily on his skin, flicking its tongue at the droplets of blood but seemingly unable to interact with them. It turned its head to him as he wiped. He met its stare, Weird fucking world Im in right now. The white serpent didnt answer, only staring at him. Right, not a conversationalist Im assuming, he muttered as he tossed the stained tissues. The cuts were already scabbing, unnaturally fast, another reminder this body wasnt his. He leaned back in the chair, strength and will long gone, there was only a deathly lethargy as he stared at the unconscious figure in front of him. I wonder if I have the strength to bury you twice, Aiden said. Eventually, he decided hed rather not find out. Chapter 3 Colorful Chapter 3 Colorful With great power comes great irresponsibility! - somebodys dead uncle Aiden returned to his home for the hospital room was alien to him. He felt like an intruder, unwelcome within its space. Not that this place was any different. A cramped apartment in some backward city. The entrance lock was broken and required a specific push to get the door open. When he entered, Aiden wrinkled his nose as he remembered the previous inhabitant had let things slip. Sighing like a tired mother as he found a duster that had accumulated dust, he went about cleaning up the small apartment. Throwing open the windows and letting fresh air in, collecting trash into plastic bags and rearranging the strewn pillows and blankets. It was work, it was mundanity, it was one of the few things keeping him sane. There was a single room in this apartment that was already clean when he found it, and its contents remain undisturbed from the day its owner left. Only when every dirty stain was annihilated, the floor mopped, the counters dusted, the trash thrown out and the bed done, did he sit by the kitchen counter. The couch had long been sold off by his previous self, along with many other luxuries he didnt need, an act he had to acknowledge. For an attempt was still made. What do I do now? he asked himself. Shower up and visit the bank, ascertain the degree of hopelessness his financial situation was? Hope that whatever stipend he was given would be enough to last some more time? Begin looking for job listings? Though Aiden Lu had plenty of experience, Aiden Bu did not and he would be working with his resume. But these considerations were distractions. That didnt detract from their value, but they were still a normality he was trying to focus on when his situation was very much not that. Im just making the best of what Ive got. He opened his eyes. One way or another, he was stuck here, and if there was one thing Aiden loathed to be, it was unprepared. To best adapt to this world, he needed to determine the full breadth of the resources at his disposal. Thus, he took a kitchen knife and pricked his finger. Watching in real-time as a droplet of blood seeped out before the wound scabbed over. The living tattoo was resting on his elbow, biting its own tail as it seemed to rest in a coil. Hopping off the chair, he lifted it, though he did so easily, it was likely a product of his younger body, not anything relating to his power. He didnt feel particularly tired either, even after deep cleaning every nook and cranny of the house, but that too could be attributed to his younger body. He wasnt the tallest, but for an Asian, 173 centimetres was pretty good. Other than his myopia, he was at his physical prime, with the added caveat that his wounds healed faster. And the strange serpent thing. He tapped it, rousing it awake as it uncoiled around his skin. What do you do The snake turned to him as he spoke. It didnt seem to have a physical body at all, appearing like a living tattoo or patch of moving scales on his skin, its movements were strange, appearing completely 2D. You can hear me? Its tongue flicked out, acknowledgement perhaps? Aiden held out his arm, Show me what you can do. The forked tongue flicked again, as it seemed to wrap around his arm, moving its head in every direction, due to its 2D nature, Aiden didnt realise it was searching the room till it found what it was looking for. The fork? he asked as it seemed to gesture at the implement drying on the rack. Aiden walked forward, grabbing the fork with the arm that had the snake. The moment he did so, the snake struck, like lightning it moved, slithering off his arm and onto the fork. He dropped the fork as it bent and coiled around his finger. Reflexively taking a step back as the fork fell to the floor with a metallic clang, he saw it was covered in white scales as it slithered forward. He gingerly extended a finger, letting the snake coil around it, I see The prongs had separated, becoming a poor approximation of a snakehead with the middle two prongs bent down to form the lower jaw and the outer ones bent over like fangs. The eyes of the snake were positioned on the back of the forkhead, which itself had curled slightly to imitate a rounded head. Could you come back? The snake did so, slithering off the fork as if shedding skin, slithering back onto Aidens own hand, leaving him holding an oddly gnarled fork. Transformation still stays even though it left he muttered as he pulled off the fork coiled around his finger. Notably, though it was animate, it still had the properties of the original material, given the metallic clang when it had hit the floor. Go back on? The snake obeyed, slithering off his finger and onto the fork. A moving picture as it transitioned mediums. He let it rest on the kitchen counter, Could you straighten yourself back into a fork? It seemed to look at him quizzically, an expression it somehow pulled off with a fork face. It laid itself straight, but it couldnt straighten its prongs, which had taken the shape of its fangs. And the first of many casualties lost to Aidens power was a fork. Damnit, he muttered. Genuinely more grieved by the loss of silverware than the understanding of his power. I suppose thats yours now he held out his arm, letting it coil around his wrist like a bracelet. Though I dont want to lose a fork every time I use you He went around the room, towards his work desk. Soon pulling out a spare notebook. Cleanly ripping out a page, he went to work folding, soon an origami snake lay across his desk. Try this, he said, placing his arm near his creation. The snake booped the paper construct with its nose before it slithered off the fork and onto the origami. Now that Aiden knew what he was looking for, he saw that when the snake moved off the fork, it almost looked like ink dripping off and onto the paper, but the ink held a solid 2D form. It tested the body, slithering around the desk with what felt like greater dexterity compared to when it was in the fork body before it shook its head. Raising an eyebrow, Aiden patted the small creature, feeling the creases of its paper. While textually it felt like the scales of a snake, it also bent softly like the paper it inhabited. So paper is easier to move in but more fragile The snake nodded, before booping its head onto the fork still wrapped around his wrist. Transferring itself onto it once again. The snake seemed intelligent, enough to answer his questions, if simply. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Could I make more of you? The fork nodded. Does it have to be a snake? The fork shook its head. He ripped another piece of paper, this time folding it into the shape of a small rabbit, then he thought of creating a- -Aiden blinked as he saw the origami he made starting to move. Its body was brown and appeared furred. Jerking upwards, the head seemed to turn fearfully at him, its oddly long ears held tall and rotating as if scanning, before it leapt away from him with surprising speed. The snake was faster however, two metal fangs sunk into the paper rump of the creature before it brought it back to him. Presenting it to Aiden almost like a cat. What the hell? he muttered. Aiden remembered making something, but the concept of what he was trying to make eluded him. Only that he was thinking about it as he made it. The snake nudged the spasming origami body into his fingers, which he gently touched, feeling the soft texture of fur. And memories returned. When the origami ceased moving and colour drained from it, Aiden remembered what a rabbit was. Did I just He pulled out a piece of paper, writing on it: Rabbit, small herbivorous mammal with long ears. Before he touched the origami rabbit, Wrap around it to prevent it escaping this time. The snake obliged, its metallic body holding it like a predator. He pushed the memories again, this time he saw the painted image of the creature appear on his skin before it moved across his arm and dripped off his fingers onto the origami body. But it was strange, it was weakly spasming, Aiden looked at the written note, understanding that while he didnt remember what he just made, he understood it from the words he left behind. Yet something was strange, the creature was spasming inside the snakes embrace as if dying, if it was a living creature shouldnt it move differently from this? He touched the spasming rabbit again, absorbing the memories of it back. Something was missing, he realised. His memories no longer held anything about a rabbit living, but only of one weakly spasming after it had been wounded. He pulled out a textbook from his desk shelf, a childrens zoology book. Quickly flipping the pages, he found the one he needed. Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae He skipped forward, already knowing most of this until he reached what he wanted. They live in a large range of environments as prey animals. Rabbits have a remarkably wide field of vision, and a good deal of it is devoted to overhead scanning. They survive predation by burrowing, hopping away in a zig-zag motion, and, if captured, delivering powerful kicks with their hind legs. Their strong teeth allow them to eat and to bite in order to escape a struggle. He put down the book, this time touching the form of the origami rabbit again. Once again, he imagined the concept of a rabbit. This time, the creature was live, scanning the room, before it soon spotted the snake. Instantly dashing away, moving in a zig-zag motion, it still wasnt fast enough before the snake bit into its rump. But this time, it was fighting back as it struggled. Kicking at the metallic body of the snake with its hind legs and biting ineffectually. Aiden absorbed it back into himself as he understood the nature of his power. So it lets me turn my memories into tattoos, which can then inhabit inanimate objects and move like their real counterparts. But it cost his memories to do so and when these homunculi were damaged, the memories he put inside them were damaged as well. Making a subsequent recreation with those memories damaged. Not to mention the rabbit didnt seem innately loyal to him, running away the first moment it spotted him and the snake. But another thing was that it didnt have a defensive reaction the first time he created it. The rabbit didnt originally start kicking and biting at its predator until after he read it in a book. What would happen if he thought of a rabbit that had behaviours it didnt originally have? Taking the note page again, he wrote: This will obey you. Then he touched the origami rabbit, now slightly ruffled after two run-ins with the snake and thought of- Aiden stared blankly at the still rabbit before the snake pushed it into his hands and upon reabsorption, he realised he forgot what obey meant. But there had to be a way around it. Now put in a curious fervour, he wrote on the note page: This will follow your orders. Then, he put in the concept of a rabbit that would obey him. When he looked at the strange creature once again, he read the note and understood it. Jump up twice. The origami rabbit obeyed and jumped up twice. Run in a circle once. It ran in a circle. Roll over. It rolled over. But did that mean he could only have one obedient creature next to the snake? No, he understood what his notes meant for him even when the concept of obey was gone from his mind. So he folded another thing, a frog and this time he wrote on his note page: They will listen to you. Then in the new fold, he put in the concept of a frog that would follow his orders. Jump twice. This time, both creatures jumped up twice. Could he do it some other way? This time he pulled a dictionary, searching the word on the note page he didnt understand. Obey /?(?)?be?/ Verb Submit to the authority of (someone) or comply with (a law). And once again, the concept of obey was in his mind. It was a beetle this time, folded quickly and created the exact same way. When he told the three to jump, they all did so. He spent the rest of the afternoon playing and testing the limits of his power. He discovered that he couldnt create anything non-living, no knife or gun tattoos, but so long as he could think of it, any animal he knew could become a tattoo and act on its own. Also, though he had two creatures holding the concept of obeying, when he reabsorbed both of them, the concept didnt stack but merge, so when he used obey again he forgot it in its entirety, a limitation but one he could already think of ways to work around. In trying to think of ways around needing the tautology of thinking a thousand ways to say obey, he also discovered that though a creation took a concept after he created it, it could hold multiples of the same concept as he was making it. This was discovered when he created a snake that would move forward, turn left, then turn right, then forward and turn left again. Essentially programming it to repeat a command he added. Through all this, the white snake that possessed a fork looked on with lazy curiosity, until eventually, Aiden turned his attention to the creature. All my creatures are my memories and understood concepts, yet I still hold the concept of what a snake is, so what are you then? The guard said it was a Status, an instinctive expression of his power that represented his Hume level, but given the nature of his power, it must also hold some kind of concept or memory. What are you he muttered as he held his arm out, letting the snake coil around it. Then he reabsorbed it- -Aiden blinked as he felt strangely happy, but it was tinged. Like he had just experienced a bittersweet moment. The snake was on his arm, back in tattoo form and on the note page, he saw words in his handwriting but didnt remember writing. Its best you dont look at the memories inside the snake. You will agree with me every time you look at it and remake the snake every time. Underneath it, was written: Didnt heed my previous selfs warning, so Im the 2nd time I looked at it. Underneath that: Third time here, remember to buy milk. I remembered I was out but I wasnt sure if it would carry on after making the snake. And underneath that: Fourth time here, bought the milk then looked at the snake. Agreed with me, also I should name it, keep calling it snake is a bit weird when it isnt one. Fifth time here, Jesus I am curious. Also, take a shower. Sixth, for the sake of not getting stuck in an infinite loop, please stop. Seventh, there is a lesson from Pandora I should learn. Eighth, yeap. Aiden looked outside, seeing that day had long since turned dark, and realising he was in different clothes and smelt slightly nicer. His hair was still wet from a shower he didnt remember taking and a fresh bottle of milk stood on the kitchen counter. Checking his phone, he realised that the day was still thankfully the same, however, he apparently spent the last four hours in a loop of reabsorbing and remaking the snake. He was curious, what was in- -He laid on his bed, the snake coiled his arm as he held the note above him. Ninth, just name the damn thing and go to sleep. Huh, he muttered. So it leads to this result every time huh He glanced at the snake as it coiled around his wrist as it usually did so, by biting its own tail. Seeing the apparent futility of doing the same thing multiple times and expecting different results, he spoke, Guess I should just name you huh. Since you''re constantly biting your own tail, I guess Ill call you Oros. He left it at that, sinking into his bed and trying to fall asleep, yet the curiosity of the situation had not dimmed. Whatever it was he remembered from the snake, it made him feel better. Not necessarily hopeful, but enough to view his situation with measured positivity. Wait, he suddenly spoke in the darkness, remembering a question of true importance that was unanswered. Did I put the milk in the fridge? Chapter 4 Colorful Chapter 4 Colorful When I went to school, I walked 20 miles, uphill, both ways, 26 hours a day! On one foot, my other foot was starting a business. - somebodys dad. It was raining blood outside as Aiden looked through his previous selfs notes. For all his flaws, Aiden Bu did do rather comprehensive research when motivated, it was what left Aiden Lu with a wealth of notes and memories on methods to cure his sister. People have been restored and healed back from Reality Bleed before, in some cases, doctors locate what was changed by the invading reality and fixed it. However, these were very few cases. Someone first needed to ascertain what was wrong with the patient in the first place. The most famous example was Edward Rogers, who was determined to have his myelin sheathes completely removed. Since he was rich, his doctor arranged for a healer type meta to replace them, but repairing it with science was theoretically possible. Still, human science and this dimensions physical law becomes mutable when in contact with those of other dimensions. Edward Rogers was an insanely lucky case because at least the problem had an understandable and conceivable fix to it. While he could hire a healer type meta, such services do not come easily. By virtue of existing, they are highly valued, not to mention how they heal is important. Do they rewind time of the body but not the mind or do they stimulate the bodys own natural regeneration? While Aiden could see the former being able to save his sister, the latter was more questionable. If after two years her body hasnt made any progress to waking, then it would be safe to assume that natural regeneration was a dead end. In the vast majority of cases, a healer meta was completely unable to fix a person suffering Reality Bleed for the simple reason their power couldnt fix what was specifically wrong with that one person. For Jaidens case where they dont even know whats wrong with her and whether or not a certain power would even help her, such methods become both impractical and a gamble. Thus, miracle solutions were required. Unfortunately, miracles dont come cheap. There has only been one thing that has been able to cure a person of Reality Bleed 100% of the time and Aiden himself has experienced it. Awakening, Triggering, Changing, Ascending, whatever the term used, the meaning was the same, get a power and become immune to the fluctuation and bleed of realities. This was easier said than done. For one, the only notable pattern in Awakening was experiencing some kind of stress. This was the medical definition of stress, so it wasnt exclusively limited to negativity. It was well known some people have Awakened during their weddings, birthdays or some other impactful moment like a job promotion, along with cases of great physical and mental exertion. Which, the Aiden of the past had noted, was nigh impossible to do for Jaiden, though she appeared sleeping, she was closer to a state of stasis. She ages normally and still required sustenance, but she doesnt seem to change at all other than that. Her bodily signals were noted by a doctor to be almost completely inactive, meaning a stress-induced awakening would be impossible for the reason she doesnt feel stress in her current state. The specific Gate which she was caught in also doesnt seem to have appeared anywhere else, so there werent more case studies on the effect that Gate had. Thus an alternative awakening was required. There existed a type of physical panacea that is capable of curing nearly all ailments that plague the body. It can instantly heal cuts, restore entire limbs, fix internal bleeding and even add years to your life. It can only be produced by the Sophist of Elixirs. It is an item simply known as a Health Potion. It was not its healing properties that he was looking for however, but its side effects. Health Potions were one of the few consumable commodities made using Bleed Material, that is, material originating from other dimensions or corrupted and changed when caught up in a Gate formation. Such material doesnt tend to follow this realitys laws to an exacting degree. The area around locations of Gates to Macrodian-Flor famously leaves behind materials that dont obey our version of the Square Cube Law. Since Health Potions were specifically made for the purposes of healing using Bleed Material, it bridges that line between the natural physical laws of this reality and those of alien realities, thus making a person temporarily immune to Reality Bleed along with restoring their body, which in the vast majority of cases succeed in curing a person of Reality Bleed effects. Unfortunately, they go for a minimum of about a million dollars a pop. It was known the ingredients include high drakoi blood, the Gods Papercut mushrooms that only grow around a Gate that opens only once every two or so years, the eggs of a wild cassowary laid on Mothers Day, normal convenience store cheese of any variety, the fresh tears of three different unawakened children between the ages of six and twelve, thirteen tetrafoliums of the highest quality, benzoates, Rhinella marina livers that had been fermented with kimchi, the kimchi fermented with the cane toad livers (which has to be served to the liver providers closest kin during a family celebration), common yellow pavement chalk, three bottles of hard red wine (which the brewer consumes over the course of brewing), the concept of forgiveness ripped from the heart of a Living Impurity, a pound of troll fat, dust from the Voimyk Manuscript and strawberry extract for flavour. However, such knowledge was still pointless trivia, since not only could the ingredients list be largely nonsense given the Sophists habit of mixing her food cravings with her ingredients list, with the nature of the Sophists power the brewing process wasnt exactly reproducible, but it does not remove the fact that the Sophists Health Potions had the exact effects needed to cure Jaiden. Knock-off elixirs, like Edmund Pharmaceuticals Nectar? or Guulstag Yllaines God Maker Extract, could also work, but were more expensive, overall inferior and did not produce the same miraculous effects as a Health Potion. Their only upside was that they were significantly more available, which brought Aiden to another point. In his entire life, he has only heard of four batches of Health Potions ever being sold, worldwide. Even if he had the money to purchase such a thing, he might never even have a chance. There was no guarantee or pattern to the Sophist making a Health Potion other than her whims. That was why the previous Aiden determined that obtaining Nectar? was easier on paper, because in all likelihood even if, and that was a big if, he ever got the chance to buy a Health Potion, if it wasnt straight from the Sophist then it would be inflated to hell and back. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Nectar? had to be custom ordered at the local branch of Edmund Pharmaceuticals, you simply needed a down payment of 150 million and theyll have the Nectar? brewed and shipped to you within six months, after which you pay the rest. Which sounded simple enough, but this was 150 million in a world where the average human only earns about a million in their lifetime. Even in Lus previous life, where he was an established salary man, he would still need to work over a hundred lifetimes to even make the down payment. Even though Aiden mathematically knew this was a massive disparity, it was still difficult for a human mind to comprehend sums that large. He believed with his current abilities, he should at least be able to make a million, but whether or not hell be in the line to the Sophists shop when she decides to make Health Potions again was entirely a matter of luck, and if he wanted to try luck he might as well do the far more likely option and go win the lottery nine times in a row. Then there was the God Maker Extract, which was not worth the risk of consumption. An Elixir of Skill could also work, but any time those were made, someone immediately chugs it because holding one was a recipe for disaster. Thus the final options would be the numerous knock-offs of knock-offs, these could theoretically achieve the effects he needed, but they were risks, not gambles. Nectar? and God Maker Extract at least delivers on what its got in addition to their side effects, the others, however tend to usually only have side effects. So realistically, Aiden thought as he packed up the notes. The thunderous blood rain just beginning to let up, My only option is to keep hiring healing type metas until one of them happens to have an ability which cures her. Instead of using the skeleton keys, try every possible key on the lock until eventually, one works. Whatever the solution Aiden picks, he would need money. Lots of it, nigh inconceivable sums of it. But he was not helpless like he previously was. He had power and experience, he needed to leverage everything he possessed. All to make money. So long as he had money everything would be well. He wont repeat his previous mistakes so long as he had money. Money. Money. Money. Money- He felt a soft jabbing on his wrist as Oros gently bit into his skin. He lifted the arm to his face, examining Oros like a watch. The snakes face almost appeared chiding. Aiden blinked, remembering the last time he cared for nothing but currency before sighing. I dont know if Im projecting on a snake, but thank you, he spoke genuinely as the snake loosened its fangs. Old habits built over a lifetime died hard. But hopefully, in this lifetime, he could do it all slightly better. That was all. He didnt wish for great fame, grand works or heroic achievements. Aiden simply wanted to do better. The rain had let up, leaving crimson puddles in every small dent and pothole it could find. He left the apartment, making a note to purchase a new lock as he did so. Slung on his back was a bag filled with notebooks and stationery. In his hand was a pamphlet for the Meta Institute Academia along with written instructions to meet a counsellor today. Setting off in the early morning as the sun peeked through the velvet clouds, Aiden entered his second day in a new world.
He arrived at his destination half an hour early. Even when nearsighted, standing before the heavy wrought iron gates, he saw the utterly utilitarian design of the school behind them. Built like a fortress of concrete and brick, it jutted out like a sore thumb. Despite that, perhaps the most unique thing was that the building actually appeared old. Vines had grown over one wall, another was a mural of hundreds of scratches arrayed in lines, one had been painted over by some kind of graffiti he was too shortsighted to see. Above the iron gates, squinting his eyes, he could just make out the words written on the steel arch. Lest Dawn Fail. Perhaps unintentionally, he looked to the sky, trying to see the broken corpse of the obsidian moon, but it was day and thus invisible. Lest Dawn Fail indeed, he muttered as he stepped through. Walking at a leisurely pace, he took in the sights. It was still relatively early and the few students that were here paid him no mind. It was almost nostalgic. Memories of childhood half-remembered, one that he only got to go through, not live. Yet his critical eye didnt miss what appeared to be a critical design flaw. The damn amount of bollards and outdoor benches. For some reason, these benches of pure concrete were built thicker than a tree trunk with backrests that stood up to his shoulders, as if they were designed to block line of sight. That combined with excessive roadside bollards also removed any simple way for a vehicle to enter, severely impeding the ability of a delivery vehicle to enter campus, thus meaning they must rely on the delivery men to carry goods a solid several dozen metres before they reached an actual building. Not to mention their labyrinthian placement! he thought as took another zig-zag around a bench, What were they designed to inconvenience someone trying to enter? Past the weird benches were literal trenches dug into the ground and poured over with concrete. Circular in their design, he saw someone skateboard through them much like they were in a skateboard park. With only the slight caveat that it was impossible to get to the school building without going down and up at least three. One moment he turned a corner and almost walked straight into a flagpole, the next he realised he was walking an incline and had to climb a wall to get out. After which he got to a relatively open piece of land, with three lines of flat concrete pyramids that went up to his waist, allowing him to catch his breath, which was only slightly marred by the fact there were 1 metre deep pits just strewn between the pyramids he almost fell into. He couldnt fathom their purpose, built with walls sloping upwards and a small round stool in the middle. It took him a good while to get through and he couldve sworn some students were smirking at him as his foot got stuck in a random pit. All the while they managed to get around the obstacles with practised ease. By the time he made it, he was just scratching the appointed time. Sighing as he pushed open the revolving bullet-proof glass doors, he entered the building, soon finding the room he was needed in. Knocking on the door labelled, Guidance Counselling, he called out, Hello? Come in! a muffled voice answered from within. He obliged, entering the door and taking in the small office. Im here for the 9:30 counsel session? A tall black man turned and looked at him, Youre early. Actually Im he flipped open his phone, 4 minutes late. Do you have a Move power or something? You made it past the school grounds way too quickly. Aiden shook his head, Actually I came 30 minutes early, but I was slowed down. The man nodded in understanding, Yeap that would do it I suppose. Shrugging, he said, Take a seat for now, I need to sort some files, we still have two others who will be joining us today. Two others? He nodded, Yeap, a transfer from Russland and one who recently Awakened. They should be trying to make it through the Trenches right now. Aiden was beginning to suspect the poor architectural design choices were intentional, still, he found a chair and sat and waited. It took them another half an hour to arrive. Chapter 5 Meeting Korobeiniki Chapter 5 Meeting Korobeiniki Its easy to make friends. Just find someone you both want to stab to death and youll be fine and dandy. - Reginald Cressler, leader of the Slaughterhouse Seven, wanted dead in sixty countries. Wanted alive in the remainder so they could do it themself. ''What the fuck is wrong with this school?'' Alexis thought as her arms strained to pull her weight out of the pit. Despite her best efforts, her arms gave out and she landed ass first onto the concrete stool, Blyat! Rubbing her sore behind, she realised she was barely a few hundred metres into school ground and yet she felt like shes moved enough to fill out an entire lifetime. Damn it, power time. Standing back up, she held her hands out, using the thumb and index of both hands to frame a rectangular area. Keeping the stool just beneath the frame, she looked through it and an ethereal 10 by 1 by 24 grid appeared between them. Constructed of equal cubes glowing an ethereal neon, only she, the ability user could see it. With the grid pointing upwards, she pulled her hands out slightly more, increasing the size of the rectangle and allowing the middlemost square to be just barely larger than the stool. The end towards the bottom of the pit, she designated the top and the end towards the top, she designated the bottom. Then, she once again stood on the stool before her power finished manifesting. At the middle of the end of the grid designated the top, a blue cube appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Pushing itself and Alexis who was standing on the stool upwards. It was followed by three other blue cubes under it which gave it an L shape. Alexis slowly rose out of the pit. Mentally berating herself for not doing this sooner as she stepped off the tetrimino and back onto level ground. The blue tetrimino continued upward until it hit the bottom, then a red cube started peeking out of the middle top of the grid, but Alexis dismissed the power and both objects faded away. Taking care to look at the ground this time, she managed to evade the many pitfall traps that littered the schoolyard. It took her another long while of carefully considering every single step, but she eventually made it to a school building. Entering through the revolving glass doors, she quickly found the room she needed to be in. Knocking once, she didnt bother for a reply before entering. Soon finding herself in an office where a tall man was sorting files, all the while another boy sat by reading a brochure for the Academia. He was about her age, not that you would notice at an initial glance. Wearing a long-sleeved button shirt that was completely buttoned up, he gave a similar impression to her dad. A lean body with black hair neatly cut short and a severe feeling of organisation. All in all, he looked and wouldve felt like a stiff. If he didnt look at her. Lids narrowed onto her like a hawk catching sight of prey, and those cold, dead eyes. Like a freezing wind, those eyes seemed to say he didnt even recognise her as human.
Aiden squinted as he tried to decipher whether or not the blonde blur in front of him was a teacher or a particularly tall student. He was reasonably certain they were a ''she'', at least unless male long hair was becoming a trend early. Or maybe that long blonde thread they pushed away from their face was some kind of weird hat. What did teenagers wear these days? Aiden tried to muster up both his memories but found even his younger Bu self was quite antisocial. Behind him was a heavy thumping sound as the counsellor put away the last of several heavy boxes. Take a seat, the counsellor asked. If the third person isnt coming Ill start early with you. Sure, a distinctly feminine voice sounded out. Probably a girl then. Sorry if I was disorganised, the large counsellor said, nodding towards Aiden, I just came to Vikterria yesterday. What happened? the girl asked as he sat down by the desk. Predecessor was shot up by goblins and I had to take her job. Im so sorry, the girl spoke. Happens every now and again, he shrugged, I was moving her stuff out and mine in, but enough bout me. From a cabinet behind him, he pulled out two files. Im Rick, please dont call me Mr Rick, Im not that much older than you. And you two are? Alexis Pajitnov. Aiden Lu. Ricks eyes glanced over the files, Lu? Sorry, Aiden Bu, he quickly caught himself. Slip of the tongue. Ah, yes, Rick replied, eyes still on the file, my condolences for your circumstance. ''Probably because Bu had two families die on him.'' Aiden Bu was born to the same parents Lu had, but they ultimately died to a rogue meta when he was young. Fortunately, both he and Jaiden got adopted by the Bus. Its fine, Aiden answered. Its in the past, Ive had time to get over it. Namely, he didnt care that the Lus died because they were pieces of shit. And only the Aiden of this world cared that the Bus died. All the memories Lu had of them were second hand. He knew they were good people, but he didnt know them. Rick nodded in apparent understanding, Anyways, you two are both recently Awakened. Unlike the majority of this school, you two are Manifested rather than Genelines, so youve come from relatively normal families. Well, came. You two both need some catching up to do on basic Gate and Bleed mechanics, which you will be doing over the week before semester one starts proper. Rick pulled out a form, passing it to them, I have the year 10 curriculum here, you have the mandatory subjects of English, Self Defense and Mathematics, along with two electives you can pick. Take whatever, they dont really matter. Along with that he muttered, Im also telling you your expected responsibilities. As students of the Academy, you are thus expected to serve a four year term of service in either the Guard or M.I.D. Two of those years will be done in your senior years after this one. What about my student loans? He waved away Aidens question, You dont need to worry much about that, you will have paid off a large majority of it after your four year service. After which you may seek private employment or a permanent government position. And my stipend? Aiden asked. Were you informed of the amount? Rick began, lemme check The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Aiden ruminated on his circumstances as they left the counselling room. His government stipend was $1178 per week, it was an investment, a loan he was expected to pay back over the course of not only his 4 year term but also in taxes afterwards for the entirety of his natural life. Unfortunately, it was not enough. At the current moment, his rent was a flat $200 per week, not bad for a four room apartment. Electricity, water and gas were about $60 give or take a few dollars. Food and public transport together shouldnt go over $100 if he didnt indulge. If considering an extra $40 for leisure or saving, it only cost about $400 to keep Aiden by himself alive every week. That is, just Aiden by himself. To keep Jaiden on a hospital bed and with life support, cost three hundred dollars. Not every week, but every. Singular. Day. Some basic mathematics would lead one to the conclusion that $1178 was less than the $2500 Aiden needed to keep both of them alive for a single week. Fortunately for him, when the Bus died, they left behind a sizeable inheritance. Unfortunately for him, its been almost a year since Jaiden fell into her coma and during that entire time, Aiden Bu was running on a net negative. Eating into the savings without adding to it. Aiden knew exactly how much was left in the bank, for it was one of the many factors that drove Aiden Bu to despair. Eleven-thousand, six-hundred, forty-two dollars and seven cents. For Bu, it meant only a month before he was kicked out of his home, his sister cut off life support and ruin. But Aiden Lu had almost two months before he truly went broke with the government stipend. He has thought of obtaining more welfare, but the world Aiden lived in was one of brutal meritocracy. Corroborating Bus memories with his own, Aiden realised that the public education Aiden Bu went through was only really focused on turning Aiden into someone who can immediately join the work force as cheap labour. Doing grunt work in a manufactorem or dying on some foreign battlefield. Aiden Bu did not have options, for the simple reason he was born normal in an abnormal world. Basic scientific education wasnt even valued here because only knowing the foundations was useless during a Gate where the understood laws of reality became as interchangeable as socks. So for a scientific profession to become valued, one had to go to the top or dont go at all. Aiden Lu was no longer normal, he had a power, even if it was odd. But Rick straight up told him the stipend was about as much as he can expect from the government without proving himself. However, Theres still a year, he muttered under his breath. Even if he could prove himself, he didnt begin his military term for another year, when he reached that arbitrary age where he was no longer considered young enough to be a child soldier, it would already be too late. He had two months to find a way to scrape up money just to break even. Working a normal job was a dead end, the teenage minimum wage was $8.42 per hour. To make the $1322 per week to break even, he would need to work 157 hours, which was about six and a half days every week. Without even mentioning the absurdity of that. He still had his education to consider. Aiden lacked any viable credentials, work experience or references. He needed to go to school to get all of those, the Academy was his future. Everything he was currently considering was just for survival. Not curing his sister. Not living a better life. Not avoiding to repeat the same mistakes. If he went to school from 9 AM to 3 PM, that left another eighteen hours of the day, if eight of those were left to sleeping, two for commuting, that left eight hours to work on a weekday. On a weekend he would have fourteen hours, adding onto the weekday hours, he would have sixty-eight free hours to work. With some simple division, one realised Aiden needed to earn $20 per hour, working 68 hour weeks, to break even every week with his government stipend. As a fucking sixteen-year-old teenager with no on-paper experience, knowledge, skills or worth other than his power. And he had to get this all in two months or start racking up debt. Even if Aiden Lu had the skills and experience of some middle-aged working ass, he couldnt exactly go around telling people that. Best case scenario, they think Bleed-Exposure made him delusional. Worst case, they think hes an Invader. Aiden still remembered the casualness with which that meta spoke when talking about killing him. Its nigh hopeless, he muttered. What have you been muttering about? Aiden blinked, not even realising he had made it to the front door with the other girl next to him. He shook his head slightly, Nothing, just doing some internal maths. You were asking a lot about money stuff back there, she inquisitively brought up. 68 hours, $20 per hour. Even if he could feel Oros giving him the stink eye for thinking about nothing but money, that was the reality in which he lived. Yeah, he replied, Ill probably have to start racking up debt to break even. Alexis scrunched her face, Bad idea, you know of the Debtors, dont you? Youll be worked worse than a slave if you cant pay up, meta or not. Aiden smiled, to be worked to death now or later, truly a great conundrum. Might be my only choice. Something about your family? she quizzed as they walked out. Yeah, he answered. Sisters suffering Bleed, it costs an arm and a leg to keep her in hospital. She stopped walking, standing for a moment, Im sorry to hear that. Im sure you are, he muttered. They pushed the revolving doors, just as they saw a group of senior students return. There was a crowd waiting for them as they made it past the obstacle course of a schoolyard. Cheering as they returned and clasped hands and exchanged greetings. Moving in closer, Aiden could tell they were just back from a Gate, the wet dripping of blood and other fluids onto the pavement, the white blurs in their uniform, where rips had revealed skin. And they were celebrated. From a certain point of view, Aiden could get that easily. If he had to only account for his living expenses, the stipend covered it more than enough. If he played his cards right, in a few years, he would have experience, acclaim, backing from a military government. In a few years, he could easily and cushily reach a high position. He could be that person welcomed back with cheers for closing a Gate. He could be the celebrated hero. That was if he ignored Jaiden. If he spent the stipend purely on himself, if he didnt have to worry about getting an extra two thousand dollars every week, if he pulled that metaphorical plug, he would easily reach a good, comfy life. It has been broached to Aiden Bu before, euthanization. The hospital didnt care if one girl lived or died. She was only there because the money was flowing, but Aiden Bu couldnt have made that decision. Aiden Lu might. And perhaps, that was why he was so set on keeping Jaiden alive. Alexis, he spoke, not really sure if his voice reached over the loud crowd. Hmm? What do you think is better, to reach something easily by hurting another, or reach something with great difficulty by not hurting anyone? he asked. I think the second sounds way better. Indeed, he agreed, but humans are pretty selfish beings. It is sometimes par for the course to hurt someone to do something. I guess, she replied, before scratching her head. Ahh! You sound like my Baba talking bout old people stuff like that. Probably just the mid-life crisis talking, Aiden replied. Arent you the same age as me? she quizzed. Sixteen right? How old do you think people like us live? he asked with a small smirk. Blyat you are negative, Alexis spat as the crowd drifted away from them. He only shrugged, What do you think happened to the third person? They didnt show up during the session, and no one has entered the building since they left. Probably just stuck in one of the pits. Reasonable assumption, he answered. Alexis had a frank, no-nonsense way of talking that he found rather enjoyable to be around. I suppose Ill see you tomorrow for the tutor. Oh wait, Alexis stopped him. What was your power? I was curious. Aiden unbuttoned his right sleeve, pulling it back to reveal an arm covered in tattoos of small animals. The subjects of yesterday''s testing which he didnt reabsorb back into his memories. Mainly because he relearned what they were over the course of experimentation. Oros? he asked and the white serpent flowed off his wrist and animated that fork he took over. Huh, neat, she replied before holding out her hands as if taking a picture frame. Mines called Korobeiniki. In front of them, a Cyan cube seemed to push itself out of thin air, larger than Aidens own arm in fact. I can make one random shape made of four cubes push out of nowhere and move at any speed along with rotating it so long as it follows the same direction. Can only have one moving at a time so that sucks. Thats neat. Figured we should introduce ourselves, but we already knew our names so she trailed off, Im sorry if you had any reservations about telling me your power, Baba always said we should keep what our abilities actually do close to our chest, even amongst comrades, but then again she is senile. She sounds like a wonderful lady. Alexis squinted at him, I cant tell if thats sarcasm or not. Sarcasm? he asked as Oros returned to his skin and he buttoned up his sleeve once again. You speak with a very monotone and even voice, I can barely tell if youre happy or angry or anything at all. Did he? Aiden genuinely didnt know. Lu never talked much out of business, perhaps it became a habit. Sorry about that then. Nah dont apologise. You speak just fine. Thank you I guess? So she kicked the ground, See you later I guess. Have a nice day, Aiden replied with a small smile. They separated, each going their own way. As Aiden was lowering himself into a trench, his mind only half considered where he was moving. For if he wanted to achieve his goals, the normal methods lead only to dead ends. So he needed to figure out a way to use his ability to make money in abnormal ways. Chapter 6 Ad Infinitum Chapter 6 Ad Infinitum You want my name on that damn thing? Fine, let me immortalise myself on a mural of my dead classmates. - Frederic Goethel, B Class Hunter The return home was uneventful. Though Aiden made sure to memorise the easiest and fastest route through that absurd schoolyard. Four minutes late! He half wanted to crawl into a hole for the travesty he caused. When he got home though, he saw an elderly woman frowning slightly as she looked at the stairs up to the apartment complex. Squinting as he approached, he only recognised her upon getting near. Mrs Jemina? he asked, remembering the nice black lady who lived the floor down from him. She blinked slowly as he spoke, Ah, she said, as if not fully there, just got back sugar? He nodded, glancing at the grocery bags by her feet. Need help getting them up? Oh, that would be wonderful of you dear, Mrs Jemina replied as Aiden lifted her bags with ease. He gestured at the older lady to go up first, following behind her. Not only so he could keep pace with the elderly lady, but also on the off chance if she fell Aiden would be in a position to catch her. Or if his reflexes werent fast enough, act as a semi-soft human cushion. Nothing of the sort happened though and Aiden uneventfully helped her carry her groceries to her apartment. If you need me to carry anything else just call for me, Aiden said as he set the bags down on her counter, sorting them out before helping the older lady put them in her fridge. Thank you sugar, Id love to say I wont need that help but Im not getting any younger, she replied with a wistful smile. Its all right, he replied, I dont have anything much to do recently. What have you been doing? she asked as her hand stopped Aidens, gently taking the bread and placing it away into her cupboard. I Awakened, Im starting to go to M.I.A. Mrs Jemina brightened up at that, Oh your parents would be proud to hear that. Aiden froze for the briefest moment, his fist clenched, nails digging into his palm before he abruptly relaxed them. Putting on a fake smile, he replied, Im sure they will. After making sure she didnt need anything else, Aiden returned to his own apartment. Closing the door behind him, he took a moment before collapsing on the front door. Its not them she was talking about, he thought. And yet it still affected him, years after Aiden Lu thought he got over it. Is my brain also that of a sixteen year old? he muttered quietly to himself. Though he had almost half a century worth of life experience combined between Bu and Lu, the body was still that of a teenager. There were some benefits, he thought as he flexed his arm. Even after a day of hard exercise, going over a 30-minute obstacle course twice, he was barely tired. Aiden was young again, he didnt get random cramps or joint pain. He was at the physical prime of his life. But was his brain also undeveloped? It was said the male brain only finished developing at twenty-five. Until then it was a mess of hormones and testosterone. Even if he was mentally more experienced, his brain was still sixteen. Doesnt matter if the software is better if the hardware cant run it properly. Aiden sighed, dusting his legs as he got back up. There were ups and downs. That was it. No need to have an existential crisis about it. Packing away his things, he briefly looked over the new forms and electives he could pick. Later, he thought, there were more pressing matters. Piled beside the fridge were stacks and stacks of newspapers. It was surprising how many uses there were for them, table cloths when you were eating, coverings when you were painting, to simply throw them away was a waste. Not to mention there were plenty of places that just gave them away for free. Opening up the recent ones, he skipped over the big headlines, like Zombies spotted on Sideonay Shores, Muriga to Hire Cheap Immigrant Labour for Border Patrol or Kaiju Slain in Yindia City. Instead, he headed towards the back. Where dozens of small adverts, less than a paragraph each, were placed. Dutifully, he logged every listing looking to hire in the past two months. There were plenty of mundane ones, store clerks, handymen, shelf stockers. He tentatively wrote down a listing looking for an accountant, before he scribbled it out. It didnt matter that he knew how the job was done, just that Aiden Bu, his supposed identity didnt. Then there were the stranger ones, Beast Wrangler, Gate Insurance Consultant, Gate Courier, Bleed Material Loader and lastly a listing looking for a Hunter to join a monster harvesting business. Those ones he made great care to note and memorise because Bu recalled that those jobs made significantly higher than usual. Aiden could understand why, normal humans physically cant survive in most Gates without some form of assistance. Less than 10% of the population were Awakened, even fewer had an actually useful ability. Just the fact that only a few people could do these jobs made the job pay well. But would it pay well enough was the question. A thousand dollars a week. That was his goal right now. Curing Jaiden was still a far off dream, right now, he needed to find a way to make enough money to sustain both their lives. He glanced towards his resume, less than a page long, it included his name, address, home phone, educational history and that was it. Aiden Bu lived the textbook boring life, not joining any sports teams, keeping to himself and spending his free time holed up in a library. All the connections he had were dead or in a coma. He had a list of skills that was heavily edited from Aiden Lus actual skills. Tentatively, he put Recently Awakened on the draft. He would need to type it up and print it afterwards. Unfortunately, this era wasnt advanced enough for everyone to have a home computer or printer for that matter. He would use the school library for that tomorrow, saving on costs to get it done at a store. His work done for the day, he meandered around his apartment for things to do, before he took out a book from the Bus shelf, The Overcoat. Snuggling into his bed and reading it before he went to sleep. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Lu dreamt of ocean waves. A mouldy pier, barnacles stubbornly clinging to the wood. That intrusive smell of the sea wrinkling his nose. He adjusted his glasses, mildly pleased they were there. Dream logic he supposed. Though he was keeping someone waiting. The teen sitting on the pier, legs huddled to his chest as he stared at the dark waters below. Lu silently joined the boy, noting how he was only a few centimetres taller than him. But Bus face still had youth to it, none of the gauntness that haunted his own. Their eyes, however, were the same. Dots of black, carrying a perpetually empty expression. Below them, multicoloured fish swam and danced in the black waters, a stark contrast to the dreariness of this dream. Nice view? Bu asked. It is a nice view, Lu replied, staring at the fish, shame I wont remember it. Its like that isnt it? Youre the waking, Im the dreaming. Yeah. They were quiet for a moment, together staring at an endless black sea, their placid pier the lone place of calm in this strange dream. Are you ready to talk about it? Lu asked as some time passed. Bu was silent, staring at the black sea and the strange fish that inhabited it. Quietly he considered, before he shook his head, No, I dont think I am. Then, whenever you are ready, Lu quietly answered. And he woke up.
Aiden went through his morning routine. First brushing his teeth before wiping his face with a wet towel. Prepping a simple breakfast of toast and jam, before he left for the day. Today he was prepared, coming to the Academy half an hour earlier as before, but this time he had the schoolyard route memorised. That humiliating showing of coming four whole minutes late would not repeat itself this day- He paused as he stood before the front gate. Eyes squinting before the obstacle course of a schoolyard before him. Not sure if he was going blind early or seeing hallucinations. When did they add a moat?
Three minutes, he thought with irritation as he finally made it past the yard. Rubbing a bruise on his face, he ruminated on the fact that the entire route had changed. First, there was the moat, then he reached the pitfall traps he had encountered far later yesterday before he found himself in a minefield, where a wrong step caused a boxing glove to shoot out of the ground and into his face, after that was a massive ravine where the only safe choice to cross was to go all the way down and climb back out on the other side and he couldve sworn he saw a student fighting off a lion as they went through a literal jungle. And he passed all that with his socks still wet from the moat. There were words he wanted to use. Words he learnt when dealing with belligerent customers during his retail years. Words that he had never said before in his life and was seriously considering breaking that streak. Thankfully(?), someone called out to him, Oh hey kid, youre here! Looking up, he squinted at the blurry form coming near, not recognising him because of the distance and the fact they were wearing casual clothing this time. Jeans with a leather jacket. Dont recognise me? he called out again and Aiden recognised him by the voice. Good morning Mr Fred, Aiden replied. Unfortunately I couldnt, my glasses havent come by yet. No need to call me a mister, Im only twenty-two, he replied with a chuckle. I assume you got in? He nodded, Yeah, I got in. The morning tutorials at 9:30? Aiden nodded again, raising an eyebrow at the older man. Freddy shrugged, Im teaching that one, I swear they keep making a third-rate like me do everything. Im overworked as hell. That does sound terrible, Aiden replied with sympathy. Do make sure to look after your health. You sound like my old man, Freddy complained as he slung an arm around Aidens neck, Cmon, were early so lemme show you around. Were three- no, four minutes late now, Aiden pointed out, uncaring of the fact his personal space was being invaded. The other Awakened raised a finger, Lesson number one, the schedule you get for semester one is bullshit, they expect you to be late by half an hour due to the course, but theyll abruptly change that without warning by sem two. So shouldnt I get into the habit of coming on time? Nope, Freddy shook his head. It means for your first semester you can come late by half an hour. And like that, Aiden was dragged away by the other Awakened. As they walked around campus, he saw people regularly calling out to Freddy. He was apparently on good terms with a lot of people, casually exchanging greetings and once even doing a weird handshake with another student. Thats the gym, dont get caught in the sparring room, the MMA club is ruthless As they walked around he would point out school landmarks, the administration desk which he visited yesterday, the cafeteria, the library, the bok choy plant that would punch you if you got too close, the gym where he saw someone get thrown back several metres and finally, And heres the Wall, Freddy declared with an air of finality. In front of them stood a grey stone surface, almost like a large plaque. As he got a closer look, Aiden noticed the dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of scratched lines on its surface were names. And as they walked closer, he felt that he was nearing without making the right amount of distance, like every step only travelled half as far and the granite surface only seemed to become further as they drew near. Freddy chuckled at his brows furrowed in confusion, Look beside you. And Aiden did, noticing that the grey stone seemed to have lengthened to far wider than it shouldve been. Every step they took, the plaque increased slightly in length, every step they took revealed a new line of names at the very edge of his vision and the plaque. Some of these names were eloquently carved and others hastily scratched on. Many of the names in front of him were fresh, but towards his left, many of the names had a line crossing them out. This is a list of all alumni of this Academy, put there by their own hands on the day of their graduation, Freddy explained, his own eyes wandering over the wall before he found it. Reaching his hand to feel the familiar furrows of his own name, Frederic Goethal, jaggedly carved onto the stone surface. Yours isnt crossed out, Aiden pointed out. Why is that? Freddy chuckled, Well Im still kicking arent I? Aidens eyes widened as he walked just slightly faster to the portion where Freddy stood. And Aiden saw that on that portion of the wall, Freddy was the sole uncrossed name amongst dozens. Ad Infinitum, Freddy spoke, thats what we call this dumb thing. Some ancient Hunter from before the Long Night left this piece of warped space, where the wall will forever expand to allow for new names. He began walking towards the left, towards the start of where the wall should be, When youre close and walking beside it, you can keep going on forever but if you go away from it youll always be at the same place in the school. Where does it start? Aiden muttered as he caught up to the man. Seeing the wall full of crossed names go past them. Dunno, Freddy replied, back when I was a student, XLR8- that is, a Speedster 5 tried to find the start. He stopped and glanced at Aiden, Ran for six whole days before he gave up. Never found it. Freddy took a step away from the wall, from Aidens perspective he seemed to gradually become more and more stretched apart as he walked away. Taking a tentative step in the same direction, Aiden found himself exactly where they started, only a few metres away from the Wall, where space was not distorted. When youre nearing or looking at it, you always get the last filled portion. Towards the end of the list. He didnt answer, simply looking at the wall, taking another tentative step closer. Once again feeling the space warp as the Wall became longer and longer around him. Its a real mind screw, Freddy said as he stepped behind him. Ive never seen something like this, he quietly replied. Well get used to it, the man casually answered. Stuff like this isnt special in our line of work. Some Gates screw with space in ways way weirder than this does. Freddy glanced at his watch, Well times up for the tour, gape in awe at this later, lets see if your other classmates made it. He only nodded, mutely following the man back to the classroom. Chapter 7 Meeting Nightcore Chapter 7 Meeting Nightcore I know we just met but can we kill that Reginald bastard? - Cannibal Holocaust, leader of the Slaughterhouse Seven Six, known for being able to keep the alliteration after eating Reginald. They saw her before they got there, well, Freddy did. Youre the other new kid right? he called out Aiden only saw a blur, the taller girl sitting on a yellow 2x2 block gradually moving towards them over the ravine. When the tetrimino reached them, Alexis simply jumped off as the object disappeared. Grumbling to herself as she wrung the water from her hair, leaving a trail of puddles as she neared them. Fell in the moat? Whos he? she cut in. Our tutor for today, Aiden answered. Freddy chuckled, You fell in the moat. I cant believe Im saying this but I wished I stayed in the frozen irradiated wastelands, Alexis grumbled as she walked past them. Smirking as he followed behind her, Freddy said, Dont get too used to using your power, the Yards meant to train your physical skills. I swear I will hurt whoever came up with that idea! she ranted, and wouldnt brute powers have a far easier time? Thats why we have- Suddenly, a sound like a heavy, metallic stomp interrupted them, before it was followed by another heavy stomp, then another. Aiden stumbled as the ground itself shook in tandem with each stomp as if heavy machinery was slamming itself into the ground. Freddy, almost completely unfazed, spoke, Oh, Mongers nearby. Whos- The stomps came closer until the ground broke in front of them. No, Aiden thought, not broken, opened. They watched as an absolutely massive figure stomped his way out of the underground tunnel. He was over two metres tall and his shoulders looked broader than Aidens entire wingspan. Hunchbacked and wearing a military dress uniform, every single inch of the man looked like it was formed out of concrete blocks. And he was so tall in fact Aiden couldnt make out the details of his face other than a trimmed moustache, bald head and an eyepatch that covered his right eye. IS THIS YOUR SNOT-NOSED BAGGY PANTS WEARING MAGGOT COVERED PUDDLES OF VOMIT TIDE PUKE? the man yelled as he held a small figure like a potato sack in front of them. Freddys form snapped to a salute, Sir yes, probably sir! Aiden noticed he was wearing a dark navy blue military uniform, his breast was decorated in what looked like numerous colourful ribbons. As the man walked another step forward, he noticed he walked with a limp on his right leg and every time it hit the ground they would hear and feel that loud metallic stomp. THIS SORRY EXCUSE OF A DISFIGURED LARVAE HAD THE AUDACITY TO BE ABSENT YESTERDAY! Suppressing the urge to clutch his ear, Aiden felt like he just got a ravers life worth of hearing damage with that one sentence. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO LIEUTENANT? he continued to yell, spittle flying out of his mouth. Yes, I do sir! GOOD! he yelled, once again grabbing that person by the scruff of her neck. AND IF I CATCH YOU ABSENT, LATE OR STUCK IN THE YARD LIKE A CRAB IN A CRAB TRAP! THEN YOU BEST BE PREPARED TO GO HOME CRYING TO MOMMY LIKE THE PATHETIC MAGGOT YOU ARE!! The girl, Aiden only realised she was a girl now since the massive 6 ft 5 man had strangely taken up most of his attention, had her eyes closed and ears blocked. Youre supposed to say sir yes sir, Freddy whispered. Siryessir? a high pitched voice said. The man let go of his grip, dropping her onto the ground like a sack of potatoes, GOOD ENOUGH! And with that, he turned around, his footsteps shaking the ground as he descended back into the earth. The mechanical doors slamming behind him, seamlessly blending into the pavement. The stomps grew further and further away until eventually there wasnt a sign he was ever there. Apparently back on the hunt for more latecomers to catch. That was? Alexis hesitantly started. Your principal, Freddy replied with a cheerful tone, Principal General Wendell Richard Monger. The man who came up with the obstacle course for a schoolyard. Glancing at Alexis, his smirk widened, You know, the guy who you said you would hurt just a minute ago? Aiden had never seen someone reconsider a decision that quickly in his life. Why is he so he began. Loud? Among many other things I want to ask, yes. Do bear with him on that, he lost his hearing in the middle east, back when there still was a middle of course. Wasnt that place completely overrun ninety years ago? Alexis asked, How old is he? Dunno, Freddy replied, moving forward to help the new girl up, hes been a cranky old bastard since I was in diapers. You alright? YeahImalright, the girl spoke. Her voice sounded strange, high pitched and fast-paced like it was sped up with audio editing. She had a distinctively Asian appearance, black eyes and hair, with a purple streak running down the latter. Aiden noticed she wore a mask of some kind, black and metallic-looking, it covered the bridge of her nose to her chin, with a design like a smiling oni mouth. On her chin was a silver horizontal crescent moon, facing downwards so that it mirrored the smiling mouth design. As she moved, he saw that she seemed to move slightly faster than anything he was used to. Getting back up in less than the blink of an eye. As she started patting her pants of dust, her hands moved like a blur and this time it wasnt because of his myopia. Strangely, on the back of her right hand, there was a yellow symbol tattooed onto her hand but Aiden couldnt make out what of. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Well introduce yourselves kids. HiImJun, the new girl spoke first, almost cutting in on Freddys sentence. Aiden Bu. Alexis, she replied, youre a speedster? Notjustthatbutrightnowyeah. Can you talk slower? Canyoutalkfaster? Jun rebutted. Isurecan, Freddy butted in with a smirk. Glancing towards the slow-speaking mortals, he said, Had a speedster buddy a few years ago. Got used to it. Nowcomeon, he continued, were late.
Setting down a large empty jug in front of them, Freddy asked, What do you all know about Gates and Hume Levels? There was a bit of silence as the three considered his question, Gates are random openings to parallel dimensions, when they open they cause a lot of destruction and need an Awakened to close or itll keep growing, Alexis replied. Hume is just a measure of our ability isnt it? Freddy clapped his hands, Youre right in both cases, but thats not the full picture. Any of you seen Reality Bleed before? Aiden nodded, as did Alexis. They were in a Home Economics room, and from under the counter, Freddy took out a roll of glad wrap, ripping out a length and putting it inside the jug. See, to understand why Reality Bleed occurs, you need to know how Hume works and how we measure existence. When he was done, the glad wrap was dividing the jug into two separate halves. Putting it by the sink, he turned on the tap and let the jug fill with water. Everything in this reality has a Hume level. People, trees, rocks, air, everything. We know they have a Hume level because they exist by this realitys rules. A Hume level is essentially just a measure of how real something is, the strength of any given portion of our reality. Any questions on that? None, it sounded confusing but they didnt yet understand how it would relate to other things. Freddy took out the jug, now filled to the brim in both halves with water. Taking out a pair of food dyes, he dyed one side blue, the other red. Now imagine the blue water as our reality, each individual droplet of water a Hume. Normally, the Hume level is spread out equally, just like a liquid is, but sometimes an anomaly occurs. Closing the lid on the jug, Freddy made it a completely sealed space, then, he began closing two of his fingers together. The class watched in silence as water on the blue side seemed to flow inwards until a speck of ice appeared. Say hello to life, Freddy spoke, No one remembers who first invented the way to measure Hume Levels, but we do know about three hundred years ago Edward Garcia measured that all manners of life had higher levels of Hume compared to the ambient average. For most creatures the difference was so small it was undetectable without major advances in Hume measurement, but goodol Garcia noticed a trend, the more complex a creature was, the higher the average Hume level they had. Of course, even for humans, this slight increase was so low it would be considered negligible. Until, he glanced around at all of them. He measured an Awakened, and found they were significantly higher than the ambient Hume level, and this Hume level only increased when they activated their ability. He twirled his fingers, spinning the small fragment of ice within the blue half of the jug. See all powers work in the same fundamental way, we are that piece of ice. It began streaking about inside the water, almost like a fish. When we do our thing, we are solids in a world of liquids. When we use our power, our gimmick, were like a solid pushing aside the liquid that is reality. All Awakened are a type of reality bender, who can bend reality simply because we are more real. Freddy looked at his class, at the faces digesting information. It was more than most normal people ever learned. None of these three came from Geneline families, they were legitimately normal people. He was almost nostalgic. How does this relate to Gates? Aiden spoke up first. A very good question, he smiled, look at the glad wrap separating our two liquids. He moved the water so that the glad wrap would ripple, drawing their attention to it. There is currently an unknown number of alternate realities, some think its infinite, some say it isnt, just know that there are at least hundreds of alternate realities which are separated by that glad wrap. Those dimensions dont use Hume, imagine theyre a different liquid altogether. Necrada has Mortem, Hell has Brim while we have Hume. Then the ice in the blue half stopped in its tracks, Now what do you think happens, if we ram this ice shard into it? And Freddy did so, tearing a hole in the glad wrap, allowing the red and blue water to flood into each others halves, to mix. As the blue and red dyed water starting mixing to a purple, Freddy spoke, What we understand as Reality Bleeds, occur when two different types of reality start mixing and produce something completely new. Taking aspects of both but being incompatible with anyone born from either. Then he froze the entire thing so that the mixing blue and red liquids stopped. Letting them think over what he just said. Alexis began, If thats the case, wouldnt that mean If that ice shard is an Awakened, does that mean that power usage causes Gates to open? Aiden said. In a way, yes, he said to all their shocked faces, but the truth isnt that simple. I made the ice shard large enough to be visible but even the strongest of us arent normally high enough to cause a Gate on their own. But you know what it is, though, he looked around at them, think of everything Ive said. If it is due to a high concentration of Hume that causes a Gate to open, what ways other than an Awakened can that glad wrap be torn? Aiden furrowed his brow at this, biting the nail of his thumb as he thought. But in the end, none of the three came up with anything, to Freddys slight disappointment. Want me to tell? Three heads nodded. He chuckled, Tell me, with the exception of one, where have all Gates opened? Slight confusion. On Earth, Alexis replied. Leaning back into his chair, Freddy spoke, It is a little known fact, that before the first Gate outside of Earths atmosphere appeared, almost five hundred years ago, humanity had sent its first manned expedition to Mars. He glanced outside, towards the sky where the shattered moon lay, The Gate that brought the Obsidian Moon opened eight days after they landed. Appearing in Mars orbit. Aiden was the first to realise. People, he muttered, and soon realisation began to dawn on everyone else. Gates open where people are, Aiden continued, voice low and deep in thought. Theyve only opened up on Earth, the one exception coming from the time when people completely left Earth. Freddy gestured at the jug, where on the glad wrap, there was a tiny frosting of ice, something he was slowly freezing as they thought over the question. Life has an innately higher than average Hume level, over time, that compounding concentration is what causes most Gates to open. He stood up, walking around the classroom as he spoke. Allow me to speak more about Edward Garcia. Later on in his life, he ran an experiment, where he set up a room where all the Hume level inside was measured, and every wall fitted with a measurement device to account for all Hume that entered and exited. He stopped in the centre of the room, between all three of them. And then he had a woman give birth in that room, taking measurements before and after she gave birth, and he discovered that there was a tiny bit of extra Hume that was unaccounted for, exactly the amount of the baby that was just born. Here is where our liquid analogy starts to break a bit, matter as we understand it, cannot be made or destroyed by the normal means given to us by physics, but according to the Garcia Theory, Hume can be made just by creating new life. He glanced at the jug once again, The Garcia Theory posits that life is constantly generating new Hume, thus the reason why Gates only appear where people are... The glad wrap, now frosted over in a single spot, began to break and crumble, ...Is because the walls that separate realities are finite, as life proliferates infinitely well strain against that wall until eventually, it breaks. And this is true for every single alternate reality. Freddy let the two colours mix for a few moments before he began to move the ice, And this is why were the only things that can close Gates. Shards of ice gathered where that new hole was, each of them broke off a small part of itself before they gathered together and stuffed the hole, the water around it freezing to seal it off. The expressions of our powers are solids in a liquid realm. So we can sustain ourselves because we dont diffuse and mix the same way the more malleable liquid reality does. Through the usage of our powers and the sacrifice of Hume levels, we can actually close a Gate. By solidifying that piece of broken reality, we seal away the Bleed. Suddenly, a phone rang once. Freddy took his own phone out, smiling slightly as he read the text message. Now, let me show you guys how an Awakened can actually do that. Chapter 8 Going to Last Stand Chapter 8 Going to Last Stand I remember when we first set out. Overconfident of our powers, still unaware of wonders that were. Yet when I laid my eyes on the Falls, I saw that greater men and women have fallen before me, and I realised that I must follow. - Paradigm, Leader of the Defenders of Dawn and Hero of the War Within. Tell me about your power while we walk Aiden. Me? he replied, pointing at himself. Yep, Freddy said, I know what Alexis and Jun do since theyve been fully registered, what do you do though? Jun slowed down the slightest bit, dropping next to Aiden and Freddy. Fully registered They did tell me something about waiting a month before they categorise my power, he muttered. Thats so you have enough time to actually figure out what you do, he replied, in case you havent noticed, Manifested powers tend to have weird rules and limitations about them. Shouldnt they have made me go through another barrage of tests to figure it out? Aiden replied. What if I manifested something dangerous and levelled a block? Freddy shrugged, Its just a block, no one cares. Then he turned his head, locking his eyes with Aiden and the rest of the group, Not to mention, for Manifested powers, it is always better to have the user figure it out on their own terms. Aiden raised an eyebrow at that, shrugging before he replied, Some kind of Spawner power, I have no idea on the limits yet but I can tell its something thatll be very useful if I had some time to figure it out. Spawner huh? Those are always annoying to deal with, Freddy replied, you think you can hold your own in a fight right now? He furrowed his brow as he thought over it, Truthfully no, I have no combat experience, a power whose parameters I dont fully understand, nor am willing to pay the costs of. At this moment I would be more a hindrance in a fight. Jun whistled, Thatsaharshevaluationofyourself. He shrugged, Its the truth, and I would rather not harm people by blustering like an idiot. Its alright, Freddy said as they neared a large open garage. Just means Ill have to look after you extra hard for the demonstration. What do you mean by that- Morning! Freddy yelled out into the garage. Squinting inside, Aiden could make out the blurry forms of all kinds of contraptions, tools and other mechanical things he couldnt name. There was a large, helicopter-like vehicle inside, which strangely didnt have any rotors. But most importantly, It smells filthy in here, he muttered. The musk of gas, grease and oil was a constant assault against his nose. Not to mention the fine layer of dust and mud that seemed to congregate in every nook and cranny His hand itched to grab a mop, but he held himself back as Freddy entered a small office room nestled inside the large garage. You awake Isaac? he yelled. Jun was already in the room and Alexis was following. Aiden hesitantly pinched his nose and went after them. Standing at the doorway, he realised it was actually a... relatively clean laboratory. Entering just in time to see Freddy yanking an arm out of a pile of scrap metal. It came free, pulling a slightly dishevelled man coming with it. Long oily hair covering the entirety of his face and a dirty lab coat covered in industrial grease. Frederic? the man muttered as if just waking, What time is it? 11:43 AM, and before you ask, today is Wednesday the 20th of January. Your birthday passed two weeks ago and Francisco got with Emanual after they plotted the murder of Lucinda during the season finale. Shaking himself awake, Isaac glared at Freddy, What the hell? I havent even gotten to season 7 yet! That was actually season 9, Freddy replied calmly. You missed 3 seasons in your trance. Rubbing his head, Isaac muttered, Has it already been a year and a half? Your longest yet, anything to show for it? The bedraggled man kicked a pile of scrap metal, Nothing. The Bleeds been a bitch to deal with. Well, I hope youre up for some morning exercise. Kids, this is Isaac, hes one of the resident geneline gadgeteers. Say hi. HiImJun. No need for introductions please, Isaac said as he rubbed his head, I wont remember your names. Um, I guess just hi then? Greetings. Hows the old bird? Freddy asked, gesturing to the helicopter-like vehicle behind them. Think you can get it started up? The man scoffed, Of course I can, its my Focus. Where do we need to go? Actually, wait Where did I leave the keys As the gadgeteer began searching the wildly disorganised laboratory, Freddy turned around to address them. His face suddenly serious, Ive decided well be having a field demonstration to best teach you all the practical applications of Meta Techniques. Aidens back slightly straightened, as did the others upon seeing the sudden grimness in the other mans face. Theres a Gate near the town of Last Stand which I was just informed of. Currently determined to be a Gate to F-34. By the Earth, Wind and Fire classifications, its Risk, Disruption and Spread class has been determined to be Cnoc, Vento and Dark. Youll be educated later on what exactly that means but for now just know its been tentatively classified as an E-Rank Gate. He saw Jun relax slightly at that, which immediately got Freddys glare. Dont relax just yet. With the exception of maybe Alexis, none of you are experienced or qualified enough to waltz around even an E-Rank threat. Youll need to stick close to me and Isaac- Ahah! Found it! Isaac yelled as he pulled out a key. -During the duration of our mission, Freddy continued on, entirely unfazed. Youll only need to acclimate yourself to the reality disruption a Gate causes and the effects to your Hume while under its influence. I assume you all know what your Status is? Alexis put her two index and thumbs into a rectangular frame, Aiden glanced at Oros who had crawled onto his elbow, while Jun put a hand to her mask. Good, now that I got the official warnings required of me Dont sweat this Gate too much. Stick near me and Isaac and youll be fine. But be prepared to defend yourself as best as you can. Any questions? Aiden raised a hand. Yes, Aiden? Can Mr Isaac take a shower first? Freddys serious face cracked into a smile, then a chuckle, Hehe, good one kid. No but seriously, I can smell him from here.
At everyones behest, but mostly Aiden''s, Isaac did clean up a bit. Quickly using one of the lab safety showers and hand wash. While everyone waited outside, largely to the smell, a butterfly with crimson wings fluttered nearby. It slowly flew towards Aiden, as if homing onto him. Squinting, he saw it was burdened by a small white package. As it finally stopped and hovered around him, he raised an eyebrow. Holding out his hand, he let the butterfly drop the package on his hand. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Slowly it flew off. Addressed to Aiden Bu. Unwrapping the thing, he found a glasses case. Finally, he breathed out. Opening it, he found a pair of simple, rectangular wireframe glasses which he quickly put on. All the blurs in the distance became as clear as day. Now finally able to see further than his own hands. Oh, your glasses came, Freddy stated as he walked out. He nodded in response, before sighing, I hope it doesnt break as soon as I got it. Hmm about that, how does your Spawner power work exactly? He raised an eyebrow, pulling back his sleeve, he revealed the fork bracelet. Oros? The snake obliged, slithering out of his sleeve and onto the fork, animating it as a snake once again. I can make tattoo like things that can possess items and make them animate. He gestured at the other living tattoos on his arm, a collection of rabbits, beetles and other small critters. I have difficulty making the same thing in succession, but I can reabsorb them back into me, he said as Oros slid off the fork, returning to his skin. Curious Freddy replied, brow creased in thought, If thats the case, try focusing on your glasses, they may not need to be replaced if your power works by Possession or Imbuing. Possession? Imbuing? Freddy waved him off, Ill explain on the way, I already have the other two on similar exercises. What do you mean by focusing? he asked. Me telling you how to do it may give you a habit you wouldnt need. Youre a Manifested, so you need to figure it out yourself. Head in, Isaac just finished washing.
Aiden watched with undisguised curiosity as the strange aircraft took off. Isaac fiddling with dozens of different buttons and levers that all served some unknown purpose. The aircraft was thankfully clean if a bit dusty. It didnt seem touched at all during the past few years. How does this work? Jun asked, not seeing any discernable means of propulsion. So you can talk normally! Alexis butted in. Ignoring her, Isaac answered, Hell if I know. Huh? three voices went. Im a gadgeteer. Im on autopilot when I make stuff. Even when Im flying the damn thing I dont know for sure what Im doing. Just that itll probably work. Probably? Aiden asked with only the slightest bit of alarm. Beside them, Freddy shrugged, Get used to it. At least hes not a contriver. God I wish I was a contriver, Isaac muttered, I could be living large in a penthouse with tons of funding if I was one. Youll also be insane, Freddy pointed out. Insane in a penthouse is not the same as insane in a spare college garage, the gadgeteer muttered. Whatsthedifferencebetweenagadgeteerandcontriver? Jun asked. Theyreboth- Slow down, Freddy interrupted. And dont even get him started on that. Sorrysir. Arent they both tech making Awakened? Only gadgeteers make actual tech, he replied. Its a thinker type power that grants you knowledge on how to create advanced technology. Contrivers only believe theyre making tech. The stuff they make dont possess any actual sense and only work so long as the contriver is nearby and deluded. If they get too far away the contrivance just falls apart. Then why would gadgeteers be less wanted? Aiden asked. If gadgeteers are making the genuine article then why would contrivers be more wanted? Because contriver tech works inside a Gate, Isaac replied with a sense of defeat. The more complex a thing is, the more likely it is to fall apart. Its why we dont run into a Gate with machine guns and laser rifles. Contriver tech will work so long as the contriver believes it should work, so they delude themselves into thinking they found the way to get over Bleed mechanics. Then theyre able to produce actual weaponry that works inside a Gate. Not to mention all the passive Bleed has just been accumulating over time. We not only need to remake our scientific textbooks every few decades, many gadgeteers are also left behind because their power worked only in a different time. What about Daedalus? Aiden asked, Wasnt he a gadgeteer? Some of his stuff still works. Isaac shook his head, Were not sure what he was. On one hand, his stuff has been through far too many Bleeds to just be gadgeteer tech, on the other hand, theyve worked too consistently even after his death to be contrivances. Regardless of whether he was a gadgeteer or contriver, he had the weaknesses of neither classification. Hes the exception rather than the rule. Dont worry too much about ability classifications, Freddy added. Theyre mostly there to make everything simpler for all the paperwork that needs to be done. Other than genelines, its always better to judge an ability on a case by case basis. Ive been meaning to ask, Aiden began, What is a geneline and manifested? I know manifestations are referring to us but Genelinesarereferringtoinheritedpowers, Jun said, amanifestedmakesachildandtheyhave- Please slow down, Aiden politely asked. Sorry. So genelines are just referring to inherited powers. A manifested has a kid and they get a more general version of the power their rents had. Even speaking slower, Jun still sounded slightly fast-paced as she rushed through her explanation. Specifically the geneline has less weird rules and themes on them, Freddy added. Alexiss blocks are always 4 cubes in a random configuration, but her kid might just summon one cube, or maybe not even cubes at all. And as we go down the generational ladder we might get a kid who only does matter summoning. Im a prime example, Isaac threw in, Im a geneline gadgeteer. I think it was my great-great-great grandma that could specifically make tech relating to movement and that was it, but I dont even have a theme, so I could make whatever I want. That sounds way better than being manifested, Aiden observed. Freddy shrugged, There are strengths and weaknesses to both, specifically manifested powers have higher- Were coming up on it now! Isaac called out, Look to your left, see that not all gadgeteering is doom and gloom. They turned to the left window, looking out, Aiden wasnt sure what he was seeing. A crop of slightly greener trees in a massive concave- he paused as he saw the five other oblong marks of heavily indented earth. Beneath them, was a massive indentation in the ground, so deep that some fully grown trees within barely scrapped the edge. The other five indentations, he realised werent shaped like oblongs at all. They were claws. They were flying above a massive footprint. Wait a second Aiden muttered, leafing through memories of past, major events in the area. Is that It is, Freddy answered. As the aircraft continued to fly forward, they saw more and more of these massive footprints. Heading in the same direction they were. Before long they saw the other set. Two pairs of massive footprints, almost boot like in their appearance. The monstrous pair of footprints and the boot like ones soon led to one another. Clashing in a mess of shattered ground and flattened jungle. Deep gouges in the earth where one of them was thrown. Even now, Aiden could make out the signs of trees so pulverised they were little more than a patch of slightly discoloured earth. Then they saw the spikes. Protrusions of pure earth and stone shooting out of the ground. Raised with such length and number they could be mistaken as a city of stone at a distance. It was here they saw the first piece. A massive robotic arm, impaled on one of the many spikes, hanging above in the sky. Uncountable wires, gears and other mechanical mechanisms fell exposed from the stump. Almost like bones and torn ligaments ripped from the body it came from. They came past it, coming uncomfortably close to the great construct. He noted with awe, that though the aircraft they were in was at least 10 metres in length. It didnt even approach the size of even a single one of its fingers. The material had begun to degrade, specs of rust larger than Aiden himself dotted the arm, and he noted with alarm that the ring finger was hanging on by only a few metallic joints. Then they finally came upon it. The massive corpse of the beast. Laid there on the ground, so large it could be mistaken for a mountain. Its head gone, ripped from its body. Beside it lay the broken Gigantes unit. The massive mecha was missing its left arm, its head was pierced by a spike of earth and stone. Yet it was said, that even as its pilots perished, the Gigantes held firm its grasp on the Kaijus neck, ripping it off in its dying throes, finally killing the beast after hours of battle. Lest Dawn Fail, he heard Freddy mutter like a prayer. Upon the corpse of the kaiju, they saw people and vehicles. From their height, it reminded Aiden of finding a dead bird or other animal on the pavement. Where ants swarmed around the cadaver so they could harvest the dead creature for food. At this height, people looked more like insects. Tearing into a corpse for food to bring back to the colony. All so they could make another Gigantes. To fight another battle, to kill another kaiju, to make another Gigantes. To repeat this cycle for eternity or longer. And in the shadow of the fallen Gigantes, was the beginnings of a town. The town of Last Stand. Similar to a mining town, it cropped up only so it could start harvesting the resources found beside it. It would take them years to fully harvest this corpse, maybe even decades, but it will be done eventually. We cant fight something like that, Alexis muttered, thats too big too freaking big! You wont need to, Freddy replied, patting her on the shoulder, someone else does. Aiden nodded, Is it a bakers job to make laws? Or an accountants job to fix the plumbing? Humanity is all about dividing work to the people who can do it. Not throwing everything on one person to fix. Nodding, Freddy spoke, Were not the only people keeping dawn from failing. Whatever you do in the future, know that the sky isnt held up by your shoulders alone. Isaac circled around the area one more time, letting them all take in the sights before finally, they landed in the town. Chapter 9 A Blue Milk Run Chapter 9 A Blue Milk Run What do you mean Sink or Swim isnt a viable teaching tactic? - Pele, B Class Cape, known for throwing her students into volcanoes. The Gate was almost unnoticeable at a distance. Smaller than a football field, it was little more than a distortion of light, like a heat haze that covered a clearing in the forest. You all ready? Freddy asked one last time. Isaac by his side idly muttering as he checked a strange rod-like contraption. Alexis nodded, hands fidgeting with each other. Canwewaitanylonger? Jun asked with a sarcastic voice, or maybe it was totally serious. It was hard to tell. Unlikely, Aiden replied, but might as well. Right, Freddy nodded in affirmation, entering Bleed radius now. Taking a single step forward, his leg seemed to meld away, like a stone dropped in water. Freddy seemed to ripple away as he walked inward, slowly disappearing from sight. Alexis went next, walking straight into the Bleed area. Disappearing quickly as Freddy did. Jun tentatively tested a foot first, which got a snort from Isaac, Hurry up. She pulled down an eyelid, and maybe stuck her tongue out as well, Aiden couldnt tell with the mask. Before she too entered. He followed immediately after. Taking a deep breath before he went past the threshold. Aiden let out a hacking cough the moment he passed. Throwing up spit and vomit onto the dirt below. His lungs felt choked as he fell on a tree for support. Clutching his throat as bits of his breakfast left his body. It took him a moment, but he finally gathered himself. Only now feeling a sense of utter unease. Something unlike any other. A primal warning perhaps. As if there was a tiny, minuscule detail that he was missing. That if he just realised that detail he would notice the beast behind the bush, he would see the predator stalking him. He put away this feeling and saw the vomit and spittle he left on the ground had crystallized into some kind of purple amber. He almost picked it up, but the last of his spit crystallising on the ground reminded him of its origin. Eyes scanning his companions, he saw that Freddy didnt seem to have any sort of reaction to entering, Alexis was similar to him, still hacking out drops of spit onto the earth, while Jun only had an uneasy look on her. Hearing footsteps, he looked behind him to see Isaac stepping in. He looked disgusted for a moment before he spat out a glob of spit that quickly crystalised to purple. You may be noticing your reactions are differing, Freddy began. Reactions to Bleed differs greatly from Awakened to Awakened, but as a general rule, he gestured at Jun, Self-improving powers like exemplars tend to adapt the most quickly since their power is based on reinforcing their self. Helping Alexis up, he continued, Whereas you two have powers based on changing the world around you, so naturally, your own body is less reinforced. What about you two? Aiden weakly asked as he leant against a tree. Weve been around enough Bleed areas that our Humes have just adapted, Freddy answered. Were not physically or mentally tougher of course, but were a lot more used to Gates and Bleed in general. Its a thing of getting used to it. Groaning, Alexis muttered, I dont think I can ever- She paused, eyes suddenly crossed in focus. A look as if she was trying to find a piece of food stuck in between teeth with her tongue. Quickly she spat out a purple pebble, Blyat! That thing crystalised in my mouth! It gets better the more youve been through, Freddy assured. Though that feeling wont get better. Youmean He nodded, Remember that feeling of uneasiness, that feeling of alienation. Its a sure sign youre in or near a Bleed area no matter how little the actual reality disturbance is. Aiden nodded fervently, eyes finally taking in the area around them. It looked like they were in any neck of the outback forest, but the colours were off. Everything looked slightly redder, as if on a filter. All leaves were gone, and where they once were, there was now only bubbles of a clear watery substance. Held together by the branches of trees and bushes almost like a jelly. Or perhaps unbroken surface tension. When a drop fell to the ground it flashed in multicolour hues before evaporating into white ash. This is low-level reality disturbance? Aiden muttered in incredulity. Hey, at least gravity still points downwards, Isaac replied. Looking around, he asked, What EWF was this Frederic? Cnoc, Vento and Dark, he answered. Feels more like a Loam, he muttered in response. Pretty low level either way. Regardless, check your Status all of you, Freddy reminded. Oros? he asked and the serpent appeared. Crawling out of his shirt and onto his wrist, but as it did so, Aiden noted a tinge of black on the tip of its tail. Mymaskpaintispeelingoff, Jun muttered. Glancing at her, he noticed she was tugging at a bit of flaking black paint with her right hand. Now that he had his glasses, he noticed that the yellow symbol was a half sun symbol. The limit is different for everyone, but if you ever get to less than 50% then you gotta get out, Freddy warned, be careful with your power usage here. Every action you take will spend Hume. The cost will lessen the more youre around, but if you get too low then you know what happens. Bleed, Aiden muttered. The image of his sister bound to a hospital bed appearing in his mind. And she could be considered one of the lucky ones. Regardless, this is a pretty routine mission. We just need to escort Isaac to the source of the Bleed and have him seal it. How does that work? Aiden asked. Just watch and learn, Freddy replied as he strolled forward. Its not like something you guys can learn on a whim anyway. Are you taking this casually or seriously? Isaac complained. Where you can take something casually, do so. No need to waste the extra effort. That is actually semi-decent advice, Aiden thought, if worded poorly. Just know that Isaac will be in a vulnerable state while he does it, Freddy said as they walked. Make sure to keep an eye out for when it happens. Though he wasnt addressed directly, Aiden pulled out a few pieces of paper from his pockets. As they walked around, he quickly folded an origami rabbit. Animating the creature with the leftover rabbit tattoo. Luckily I dont need to spend memories for a premade animal. Thatscool, Jun quickly said. CanItouchit? He raised the rabbit to her hand. She gently patted the creature, Woah. Itfeelsjustlikearabbit. He let her pat it for a while before he held it close to his belly. It still held the concepts of rabbit and obey. Keep your ears up, if you sense something, warn me by kicking me. The rabbit immediately kicked him. Then it did again. And again. Uhhshoulditdothat? Crossing his eyebrows, he realised he didnt specify what it should sense. No, I made a mistake, he replied calmly. Forget your last orders. If you sense something dangerous, then warn me by kicking me. The rabbit stopped kicking him, staying still in his hand. Better, he said, ruffling its ears as it stood tall on his shoulder. Smart move, Freddy spoke. Isaac moved closer to him, eyes studying the rabbit, How does that power work? Aiden once again gave the same explanation of his abilities he gave everyone else. A spawner power that created tattoos that controlled inanimate objects. Difficult to make new ones in succession. No idea about limits. His explanation only lacked one key detail. Fascinating, Isaac said. You need to quickly figure out your range and if they deteriorate over time. I see, thank you. I didnt think of that. Bleugh, dont worry about it. I only mentioned it because range is important in classifying gadgeteers and contrivers. Chuckling, Freddy added, Isaac was misclassified as a contriver early on because one of his hoverboards stopped working about 10 kilometres from him. Spent his whole first year getting pity looks when he tried to tell them he was a Gadgeteer. Bah! Those idiots were fools who couldnt even do their own research. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. You two were students together? Alexis casually asked. Aiden raised an eyebrow at her, remembering that wall with all those crossed-out names. Isaacs two years below me, Freddy explained. It is my eternal displeasure to be younger than this manchild, he explained. Strangely, he sounded almost fond when he spoke. Raising his head, Freddy glanced towards 4 o''clock of them. Feel that? Jun was already ahead of them, head rapidly jerking around, YeahIcanfeelthat! Following behind her, Aiden finally felt it. That alien feeling seemed to greatly increase, like suddenly switching your hand from a cup of ice water to a 2 minute ramen bowl. Howd you sense that? Alexis asked as she nosed around the area. Its been gradually increasing as we walked, Freddy explained. Its hard to catch at first but youll get used to it. Isaac looked at Freddy as if he suddenly grew three other heads, Get used to it? Frederic just how many Gates have you been clearing in the year I was gone? The man shrugged, Just a few here and there, honestly, its their fault for needing me to fix so many. Shaking his head, the gadgeteer said, Well have a talk about this later. Freddy shrugged, simply walking forward. It took only a few steps before they saw it. Like a scar in reality. A crack in glass that appeared in three dimensions. It burned in multicoloured flares as strange images and shapes ebbed and faded like mist around its vicinity. That feeling of unease was strongest here, and conversation seemed to have died on everyones lips as Isaac took a step forward. This is gonna be a bitch, he muttered, scratching his bedraggled head. Standing next to the Gate, he held his forehead, closing his eyes as if deep in thought. Come closer, Freddy said, nudging them forward, otherwise you wont feel the laying. Aiden hesitated on the first step, the closer he was the stronger that feeling of something utterly alien watching him felt. The other two clearly felt the same way, hesitating. Before Alexis seemed to make up her mind and boldly strode forward. Though he noticed, her hands were shaking as she did so. Gasping for breath when she finally made it beside Isaac. Spurred on, he and Jun tentatively went forward. Every step was torture. Every step that primal monkey part of his brain told him to turn around and run. Get as far away as possible. Do not interact with the things he cannot understand or comprehend. Do not poke the sleeping bear. Do not try the monsters maw. And yet he made it. Standing next to Isaac, he spat out the last of his breakfast. And wouldve vomited out more if his stomach wasnt empty. The pressure it was almost too much. Every single moment, he felt like if he looked behind him, he would see that monster. Its jaw wide open to welcome its newest visitor. For some reason, Lu imagined that monster as his father. Simple expansion, Isaac spoke and the monster was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a sudden, contemplative calm. The red tinge of the Bleed cleared around them, the crack seemed to shrink and for a moment, there was an area centred around Isaac where the Bleed didnt exist. Where all was normal. Then the crack disappeared, fizzling out of existence and the Gate was closed. What- Alexis stuttered, what was that? Freddy walked forward and caught the falling Isaac. Simple Expansion, he answered as he held the unconscious gadgeteer. Its a thing known as a Meta Technique which you can be trained to do, where you interact with your Hume level in a way not based on your power. Andhedidthat? Yeap. Is he alright? Aiden asked. Silently, Freddy raised one of Isaacs arms and poked his finger through it. Passing through his flesh easily like mist. To answer your question, no. Absolutely not, he continued, Simple Expansion essentially pushes all your Hume out in a circle around you. It normalises nearby reality and plugs a Gate, but it makes you less real. He hoisted the man onto his back. Hes vulnerable in this state. Currently, hes less real than even a normal person. If I wasnt reinforcing him, then he would be succumbing to Bleed. Freddy looked over each of them, And now my final lesson for today. Meta Techniques. You will need someone who can do at minimum a Simple Expansion if you ever want to close a Gate. A Shaker power that can alter the environment works as well, but at a significantly slower pace because their power passively prevents them from overdrawing their Hume. Have you all been doing those exercises I told you? Theimaginingthing? Visualising my environment? Alexis said. Aiden adjusted his glasses, noting it was still there. Originally he chalked it up to the specific features of this Gate not affecting its material, but now Meta Techniques essentially focus on using your Hume in a way that isnt originally ascribed in your power. Theyre extremely useful, you can reinforce your body to be more real, making powers and Bleed less effective against you, or imbue objects to be able to function in Bleed environments and shrug off some powers and of course, Simple Expansion, he finished, gesturing at Isaac behind him. So if I use this on my glasses, Ill never have to worry about them breaking? he immediately asked. Freddy nodded, Yeap, though itll have to be a constant thing, non-living objects dont hold extra Hume well, they tend to scatter it all out after a while. That sounds very useful, but Aiden began. Already seeing the potential caveats. Since youre interacting with the measure of how real you are, overuse can make you disappear from existence outright, Freddy stated, not to mention, since you guys are Manifested, you will likely never be able to use all Meta Techniques. A questioning look from all three of them. Alexis began, Is it just a problem of time or No, not at all, Freddy replied, shaking his head, its a feature of your powers outright. Alexis, how many of your blocks can you have moving at any single moment? Only one at a time, though until I dismiss them theyll exist in the place they landed, she replied. Your powers have rules to them, it makes them stronger in a direct clash, but also less malleable. Where a Geneline might just have liquid manipulation, a Manifested like me will have liquid manipulation in specifically enclosed spaces. Our powers have more rules to them, which affects our Hume and makes it harder to use. Pursing his lips, he continued, Think about it like this A diamond and a chunk of coal are made from the same substance, carbon. But the way the carbons are arranged makes the diamond shinier and harder. Whereas the coal piece you can probably tear apart with your hand. Due to the specific rules of our powers, our Hume is arranged differently. Whereas a Geneline with fewer or no rules can move it on a freer scale. Make sense? Aiden hesitantly nodded. Yeah,IthinkIgetit. Confusing but yeah. As an example, I have never managed a Simple Expansion. I managed to Imbue some objects that had water in them, a single dagger floated out of his sleeve, dancing in the air as he spoke, and eventually managed Simple Reinforcement, but with the specific nature of my power, I will probably never manage a Simple Expansion no matter how hard I try. Gesturing towards Jun, he continued, Whereas Jun will have an easier time managing Body Reinforcement, and Aiden might find it easier to Imbue an object with Hume, its all dependent on how your power specifically works. But most likely, you will never use more than two of the Meta Techniques I mentioned. Where a Geneline would be able to dabble in all three with varying degrees of efficiency. That sucks, so if we want to close a Gate but dont know Simple Expansion, well have to drag along someone else? Alexis asked, gesturing at Isaac. Pretty much, Freddy answered, though, do note that a Manifested who uses Meta Techniques, tends to master them more often than a Geneline. And how do we do a Meta Technique? Aiden asked. Dunno, Freddy answered. A Geneline family will have passed down lessons and instructions on how to manage one quickly. For you three, there is no way for someone else to know all the specific nuances of your power. So its pretty much just self-discovery for you. Though, he quickly added, some methods seem to work pretty consistently. For Expansion, imagine the area around you and your power affecting it. Reinforcement and Imbuing, you clearly imagine either your body or an object near you and how you would use it. For many Manifested, this stuff happens accidentally. Looking at their increasingly confused faces, he continued to explain, Early on, some capes realised the costumes they wore were unaffected by Bleed when they wore it. It was how Meta Techniques were discovered in the first place. The Awakened of that era realised that they were passively Imbuing their Hume into their costumes. And it became even easier with the first generation of Genelines. Its a matter of focus and use. Thats why Simple Reinforcement is the easiest, and all Awakened are able to do a lesser form of it to deal with Bleed. Youre always stuck with your own body. You just said itll be unlikely for us to dabble in more than two? Aiden asked. Does that count Bleed resistance? Shaking his head, Freddy elaborated, No no, Bleed resistance is its own thing. It leads to Simple Reinforcement, but Simple Reinforcement is specifically when you manage to apply that to other powers, making them slightly less effective against you. Simple Reinforcement isnt actually that useful, he continued, its best when you stack it with a Brute power, but alone the reduction you get from it is minuscule at best. You might be able to tank one more hit or adapt to a Gate a few seconds faster. Aiden nodded. I see. Looking at all three of them, Freddy finished, You dont need to fully understand this yet. Its specifically a Third Year thing. You can test it out if you want but you wont have to fully explore it till your final year. Whyareyoutellingusthen? Jun asked. Slow down for the rest of them, Freddy added, and Im telling you because youre Manifested. The curriculum is made mostly for the Genelines who make up over 90% of the student body. Theyre at higher risk of un-existing themselves, but the specific limitations of your powers make that difficult to occur accidentally. Those rules I keep mentioning. Our powers are both safer but more limited is what youre saying? he asked. Essentially. Clapping his hands, Freddy said, Now, this is a lot to take in. Lets start heading back and- Freddys head suddenly jerked to the left of them. Eyes squinting in the distance. Shit. The Awakened threw his hands out to their right, All of you! Start legging it towards the- That sickening feeling returned. That feeling of alienation. That feeling that there was something different. It all happened in slow motion. Innumerable daggers flew out of Freddys clothing, a waking beehive as he stared towards the encroaching thing. Jun was already moving, grabbing Aidens shoulder and starting to run towards Alexis. It was too late. It hit them like a wave. The sky turned black as ancient eyes opened and stared down at them. The trees cracked and burned like water and stone as the sound of silence rang through them like a great bell. The toll of sleeping things woke and dreamt of unreal things. All of you get out of the Bleed areaaaaaaaa Freddys screaming voice faded as space suddenly elongated, turning the distance of a few steps into a thousand. Weneedtorun! Jun, yelling as she saw their companions disappear in a moment, opted to save who she could. Wha- she barely gave him time to react. Jun ran, dragging Aiden towards the edge, where the Bleed hadnt hit yet, but no matter how fast she was, every step she took the ground beneath her lengthened by three more. She could not catch up to the wave spilling out. Until eventually, she stopped, huffing and puffing, gasping for breath by a rock as they were trapped in a second Gate. Chapter 10 Achilles and the Tortoise Hunts Chapter 10 Achilles and the Tortoise Hunts Daughter, let those fools fight in their Gates. We remain heroes because there are things in there that will not draw their punches. - Glory Man to his daughter, Gloria, on his deathbed before he died of old age. Aiden spat out a tree branch when they finally stopped. The stick swiftly bursting into imaginary fire as it left his mouth Gah! Could you have given me a warning? Would it have helped? Jun asked. She was breathing short and- no, everything was sped up for her, Aiden remembered. She was actually taking deep and heavy breaths. Her speech was slowed. Thats why she sounded normal speed right now. He looked around them, noting the nigh featureless expanse of the outback around them. Except this time the trees were burning with pink flames that werent hot. Some trees still had that strange water liquid substituting for leaves. A leftover of the first Gate. And annoyingly, he thought as he felt the empty ridges of his ear, his glasses had fallen off during the run. Thank you for helping me, but I wouldve liked time to get my glasses into a safe place. Thankfully, that origami rabbit was still in his hand, apparently, it flattened itself to avoid damage from him clenching his fist. I couldnt catch what happened to Freddy and Alexis, did you- Notreally, she interrupted, couldntgettoAlexisfastenoughtograbher. Freddyseemssafethough. He remembered the last sight he saw of the man. Of dozens of daggers flowing out of his clothing like a living swarm. How did he hide that many daggers in his clothing? Which direction did Freddy say was the direction out? Jun pointed north of them, Bad news, space is warped, Ithink. Maybe. Imnotsurehowfaritactuallyisnow. Or if even its in the same direction, he muttered. He checked Oros, the serpent was still mostly white, but the black tip on the end of its tail had slightly expanded. In fact, a painted sapling seemed to have sprouted out of that blackness. Im still good on Hume, you? Toppedup, she answered after a cursory stroke of her mask. Well have to try and get out as fast as we can, he continued, Not being with everyone else is unfortunate but we need to focus on our own individual survival- The rabbit kicked him. Immediately he looked around, before tsking as he remembered his myopia. Rabbit just kicked me, there might be something dangerous about. It kicked him again. And again. Its kicks seemingly speeding up in intensity. Idontseeanythingaroundus. Rabbit keeps kicking me, he hurriedly said, I think theyre coming closer. Rabbit, turn towards the direction you sense the danger coming from. It turned towards the right of them, except it kept turning and turning. Until it went past Aiden and made a full circle. Thatmeansweresurroundedarewe? Probably, he muttered as he finally saw movement in the bushes. Blurry, it was difficult for him to pin how many there were. Doubly so without his glasses. Dingoes, Jun said first. Theylookfuckedup. Aiden finally saw them, dingoes, but their normally sandy-red coats were sprinkled with purple crystal outgrowths. Not to mention their complete lack of eyes. Only black ash and charcoal was where their eyes once were. Theysurvivedtwogates? He furrowed his brow, Might be a thing where neither Gate changes something thatll be actually lethal. Regardless their behaviour is strange- One suddenly lunged at him. He instinctively threw up his arms for defence, but Jun was already there. Her right hand palmed the creature, that sun symbol glowing for a brief moment before she pushed it away. The dingo fell towards the ground as if in slow motion. Unnaturally slowing in mid-air as it approached the ground. It was still falling when Aiden took his arms down to have a look. You can slow things down? he yelled. Onlyoneatatime! she yelled in reply. Becareful! The bushes were getting ruffled far closer to them now. He quickly reviewed his inventory of premade animals. Oros, rabbit, beetle, snake
Freddy quickly dodged as something fell from above him. A large, heavy bear-like creature. Its fur sprang out in wild ways, its eyes were gone, replaced with a dash of charcoal and ash. It rose on two legs, snarling at its missed prey. Before it froze. Damn dropbears, he muttered. Making sure Isaac was still fixed firmly on his back before the dropbear exploded into blood and gore. This happened at the worst time! Isaac stirred on his back, Frederic? How long was I out- Hume level, he stated. More an order than a request. He crossed his eyes for a moment, log(x)C + F2 = (47 x M / A) x 0.39% [NADH]? So pretty bad huh, Freddy replied. Isaacs Status was his power giving him the Second Law of Newton, F = MA. The more corrupted the formula his power gave him, the lower his Hume was. Was there another Gate event? Isaac asked, his voice low and weak. Yes. Dont talk right now, you need to recover. This is at least a Cnoc, Vento and Keneq. Maybe even Jebel and Bufera. Where are the kids? Searching for them right now, he replied. His senses extended over dozens of blades racing around him. Dont die here, Freddy muttered. Around them, dozens of dropbears closed in.
A massive block slammed into the ground, pulverising the skull of the creature. It looked like a kangaroo, but it was buffed as all hell. Its eyes were gone. Blyat, Alexis muttered as she dismissed the tetromino. I migrated to avoid the worst of this damn thing. Another beast jumped in from her right, Korobeiniki! she yelled, and its chest was swiftly caved in by another tetromino. Picking off the fragments of skull and brain, she muttered, Which direction was I supposed to go
...mouse, rat, gecko. That was all Aiden had prepared. I dont have a fighting set up with me right now. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Wellthinkofsomething! Jun yelled as she rapidly punched another dingo. Idonthavemuchpower! Scratching his chin, he walked towards the slowed dingo, still in mid-air. He touched it, Dire Wolf, that was loyal. Whatdidyousay? Jun yelled as fly kicked another dingo. The tattoo flushed out of his body, towards the tips of his fingers, but there was rejection. Can I not do it with living things? Hmm he thought for a moment, letting the rabbit who was still kicking him onto his shoulder. He glanced at Oros who swimming around his skin. If youre active even when youre not possessing something Looking down, he picked up two thin sticks from the ground. Sticking one between his index and middle, and middle and ring finger. Black-banded sea kraits. What? Jun yelled as she kicked another dingo away. There were still plenty of them I believe they have the fastest-acting venom neurotoxin. Remember to tell me that later. What? she yelled again. Just as a tattoo of a black-banded snake appeared on his arm. It slithered forward. His tattoos couldnt possess a living object it seemed, however, he was the exception. The two tiny sticks curled into fangs as the serpent possessed his hand. His hand became its head and Aiden noted that he still retained control of his arm. Release your slowness on this dingo. Then he bit, the fangs sinking deep into the dingos neck. It collapsed onto the ground, weakly spasming as the krait pumped venom into the creature. He put his other hand on the dying beast, the one with the Dire Wolf tattoo. And kept channelling it. With one hand he kept pumping lethal venom, the other he kept trying to take over its body. All while the rabbit was kicking his shoulder like a broken record. Jun noticed what he was doing, and though she hasnt managed to put a single one down, she kept the pack back. Blurring as kicked, punched and slapped them away. Aiden finally let go with his snake arm, as the Dire Wolf that was Loyal to him fully possessed the dead corpse. Brown grey coloured fur overcoming the dingoes sandy-red fur. The wolf rose up, its teeth bared and growling at the encroaching pack. Cowing them somewhat. Thatsuseful! Jun yelled as she retreated next to him. Fascinating, he muttered. Glancing at the snake on his arm. I still remember what a wolf and snake is Does specifying by species not use up the prime concept? He reabsorbed the snake. So it was a sea krait. Canyoupayattention? Jun asked, noting that Aiden was more absorbed on the liquid dripping off the sticks. Sorry, he apologised, finally taking in their current situation. The rabbit was still kicking him, and the wolf he created was snarling and growling, its body spread as if to make itself larger. There were eight of them in total, with the ninth helping him. The dingoes were slowly circling them, only the growls of the wolf seemed to keep them back. Some primal instinct not making them walk another step further. But they were still surrounding them. Any plan on how we can break this? he muttered. Noidea, she replied, canyoumakeanotherone? If I recall there are about thirty-eight subspecies of Canis lupus, he replied. I know thirteen of them. So- He felt a gentle pinching on his wrist, Oros. Looking at his status, he noticed that a quarter of the snakes body was now filled. Its scales turned black with multicoloured plants decorating the inky darkness. -Nevermind, he finished. Jun glanced at the white serpent as it slithered off the fork bracelet, Thatsyourstatus? Yeap, he replied. Just creating one wolf took up a quarter of his Hume. Did he have a size limit? Or was it something else? He was fine pumping out a bunch of small critters, but upscaling already cost him this much? Annoying, he muttered. I may be able to make another one, but Ill be at 50% then. How much did having the black-banded sea krait and wolf active at the same time cost him? Hmm Maybeyoullbefine? I dont know, he replied. The rabbit kept kicking his shoulder, Rabbit, can you stop that- All the dingoes froze. Then they turned and ran from them. But it was strange, they saw them running at full strength, but no matter how far they ran, They never moved away from them. He looked at the wolf, it rapidly turning behind them, its ears were suddenly down and it was whining in fear. At that single moment, Aiden realised something strange. This whole time while they stood here, he barely felt that alien feeling. He barely felt the effects of Bleed, even though he was almost disabled by the Bleed of the first Gate. He didnt vomit, spit or was weakened. He didnt feel the effects of Bleed. He came up with a theory as he slowly turned around. Hume could be manipulated. Either through a power or through a Meta Technique. Hume density mattered. The thicker or higher it is, the more real something was. Different realities had their own version of Hume. He was not feeling the effects of Bleed. No, only when the Bleed area was expanding did he feel it for the briefest moment. When Isaac used a Simple Expansion, he felt a feeling of calm for a brief moment. But when the Gate expanded, he felt that alien feeling for a brief moment. Perhaps the reason why he felt no Bleed, was because something was pushing the Gates reality out faster than it could mix with Hume reality. Till the point it was stretched so thin that continuous Bleed didnt occur. He turned around and saw it. Dozens, hundreds, uncountable numbers of grey arms. Each grabbing the other to form an eldritch weave. Forming the base of a slow-moving stump, the arms moved together like a wave, overhead, they opened up in an eldritch flower of nothing but arms, and in the middle, there was a ball of flesh attached to a fleshy pistil. And covering that ball of grey flesh, were infinite mouths. Each opening and closing, ravenously biting at the air. Like wild unchained dogs hungering for flesh and blood. Invader. A living creature from another dimension that similarly triggered. That like them had powers. For some reason, that alien feeling only appeared when he laid his eyes on it, but it appeared in force. He couldnt move. He stood only because his muscles were too stiff to fall. It was like he was drowning in fear, and every moment, he only sank deeper. That primal part of his brain that told him to run was silent. Because it already thought he was dead. Its numerous arms reached over them, the petals unfolding in a beautiful harmony of movement as it scooped up the still running dingoes. They were running this entire time, yet no matter how much they ran, they did not move a single step. The arms briefly went towards them, covering the sky above them like a roof as he felt the wind shift as hundreds of arms bent in unnatural ways towards them. But they stopped. They could not bend any further, those arms could not bend any further in towards them. They were, paradoxically too close to be caught by it. And so the arms retracted, bringing the eight howling and whining dingoes upward, slamming them into the ball of mouths. He saw those dogs struggle, he saw them bite and claw at the arms that held them, but no matter how sharp their fangs, how sharp their claws, they didnt leave a single scratch. The mouths were all normal and human-sized. The creature could not eat all the dingoes up in a single gulp. So instead, the arms pressed them against that ball. Pressed further and further as the ravenous mouths took singular, small, normal-sized bites out of the still living and screaming creatures. Blood flowed, bits of flesh fell inside the waiting flower as the mouths took bite after bite of the dingoes. Strangely, they never swallowed, instead, spitting out blood-red bits of meat and gore out inside the petals. And when the blood spilled out of the tiny gaps between the arms, they flowed, directed by small crevices formed by the arms into eldritch symbols and alien drawings. Jun turned and ran. Tears were flowing from her face as she ran full speed away from them. She was struggling, her steps were uneven and she was breathing heavily. And the reason Aiden saw all this, was because no matter how much or how fast she ran, she never moved a single step away from the monster. Until finally, she tripped and fell, falling forward. Still crying as she tried to crawl away. Still making no progress. For they were trapped by an ability. They were trapped by Achilles and the Tortoise. Chapter 11 A Colorful Night to Ride a Merry-Go-Round Chapter 11 A Colorful Night to Ride a Merry-Go-Round Ring-a-ring-a-rosies A pocket full of posies A tissue, a tissue We all fall down. Jun, Aiden finally called out. She still crawled, tears still flowing from her face and onto her mask. It isnt working. In that short span of time, Jun ran enough to cover a kilometre worth of distance. She didnt move a single step. Jun. She didnt stop. Jun! Finally, Aiden took a step to his left, past the wolf, laying a hand on her shaking shoulder. It isnt working, he told her, not unkindly. Finally, she stopped. Chest rising and falling as she tried to calm her erratic breathing. She punched her fist onto the ground, Damnit damnit damnit Not like this not like this She knew this whole time she wasnt making any progress. Because no matter how much she moved, she could still hear the screams of those dingoes behind her. Bite and bite. Chew and chew. Spit and spit. Looking up, Aiden noted that some were little more than rogue pieces of flesh hanging onto a bloody skeleton. Yet, even the skeletons still screamed and howled. There was no peaceful death against this thing. As it still feasted on the tortured bones of once live creatures. There lay three options ahead of us, he began with an unnatural calm. One, he raised a finger, we lay down and get killed by this thing. Two, a snake tattoo covered his right hand, curving two fingers into fangs, I give us a relatively painless death by snake bite. Jun found her tears letting up slightly, her fear slightly subsiding. Not because she suddenly grew another backbone, but because of the sheer absurdity of this man calmly informing her of her death. And three, he finished, his voice so utterly calm and monotone, it could almost be mistaken for a machine. We try to get out of this because the only other option is death. So if we happen to get away, itll be a rather pleasant surprise. What the fuck is he talking about? Jun thought, suddenly wondering when she became the saner of the two. Im taking three, he spoke with a glassy serenity. A tranquillity unlike that of a calm lake, but of a lake so dry there were no ripples. If youre going to do two then let me know, Im going to try. He finished and stood, where Jun still lay on the ground. She tried to speak, but her mouth was dry, her heart was heavy with fear. Every breath she took she felt like there was a golf ball blocking her throat. While Aiden merely observed the monster with a curious look. Taking a step forward, then another, and another. All without making any actual distance towards the creature. How? Jun gasped out. How How are you not afraid? He turned and glanced at her. Truthfully speaking, I would much rather curl up into a ball and hope Ill be fine. Or worst case, find a hole to die in. But that wouldnt achieve anything, would it? he asked before he tried moving another step forward. If tears could fix problems, I would be crying a river right now, but they dont. They never will and they never have. Aiden ruffled the ears of the lying wolf, So no matter how sad you are, no matter how much it hurts. You put it all inside, into a neat little box. You do this a lot, you get very good at it. But eventually, you realise if you keep doing this, youll put away the part that cared. The part that made the box in the first place. And then you realise theres no going back. You have a box without a key. You no longer cry, you no longer make a fuss, but eventually, you will no longer care. And so, you try your best. Get up boy, he said to the wolf. We have work to do. The wolf seemed to grit its teeth, and finally, instead of whining, there came the beginnings of a low growl. It finally rose again, shakily it did so, its tail was down in fear, but still, it rose. Running away and towards it is impossible, he said. The shadow of the colossal creature dwarfing them all. The petals finally receded from their horrific dance. Bloody arms and hands unfolded over them. Their tips folded inwards to try and reach them. Jun winced in fear, but the hands fell short only a few metres of them. It isnt space locking, Aiden continued, it cant be. Abilities have weird and stupid rules and limitations. We cant go toward or away from it, but what about parallel? He took a step to his left, over Jun and was now left of her. Thank you, he said, if you werent like that I wouldnt have noticed this detail. If you want to run, wait for my distraction and try to break out of its attack range. The thing covered all angles with its petals, any attempt of getting out would inevitably attract ones attention. Eight metres, he declared, the top petals cannot reach a range within eight metres of itself, it can only reach a doughnut shape of at least two metres thick past that range. Wha- What are you trying to do? Jun stuttered. In this current situation, I dont see either of us making it out of that two-metre thick attack range. Maybe you, but definitely not me, he raised an arm, the serpent hissing as the wolf growled beside him, Its too fast. So, I will attempt to attack it at close range. If that distracts it, you can escape and get help. If that is insufficient, you still have the higher speed needed to dodge the arms. But- But what if it can grab you? Whatifyourewrong? she yelled, finally pushing herself back up. The monster stirred, the myriad arms weaved in a mockery of fibre began to move. It very slowly began to shift away. Trying to put the two in its attack range. Then Ill be a very tragic statistic, he replied. Turning to his left, he began walking with the wolf following him, but instead of a straight line, he curved his path slightly inward, so that he was walking in a circle at a very brisk pace. A circle that continuously closed in on the monster. To get away from it, one ran parallel to it, so that one was never directly running away from it. To get near it, one would need to move in a shrinking circle. Sorry Jaiden, Aiden thought as he gradually closed in on the oscillating creature. I might bite it here. Sorry for being so irresponsible, I hope youll have a peaceful death. Stolen story; please report. Three cycles around the monster. He was close enough he could make out the details of the eldritch symbols painted in blood. They seemed to bleed at the edge of reality, burning away at the fabric like a flame. If reincarnation happens to you as well, I hope youll wake up with a good family in a normal and peaceful world. He was close enough he could make out the individual arms now. He raised his snake arm, the wolf next to him growled. Sorry for being so unreliable. The weave of the arms burst open, revealing a second flesh ball, but this one was covered in innumerable eyes. The gore from above dripping down onto them and staining them crimson red, weeping bloody tears in a mockery of true sorrow. An arm shot out, made of dozens and dozens of interlocking ones, but it was slow, he just managed to dodge it. Colorful! The snake arm coiled to strike, biting onto the flesh. But it didnt pierce. Instead, the fangs that were his fingers broke as he slammed it into something as hard as stone. The wolf jumped, clawing and biting at the one outstretched hand, but it never made a scratch. Aiden saw them coming, the petals above rising up and down in some alien display of mirth. The arm turned back to grab him, but he dodged them again, but another shot out, though they were slow, they were many, slowly surrounding him and restricting his movement to the side, blocking him from his wolf. And it was impossible for him to walk forward or backward. Until finally, when the stone-like arms blocked both possible routes of escape, and when a third came straight for him, did he see death. Oh, was his reaction to death. That was it. There was no great feeling of disappointment. No great feeling of remorse or fear, only a tranquillity. If there is a god, cash out all my good karma for Jaiden, she needs it more than an idiot like me. Truth be told, Aiden Lu long forgot what his sisters face looked like. Thank you for reminding me. And he closed his eyes, Thank you for this blessed life, he thought. Sorry for wasting- Thereisaway! he suddenly heard Jun yell. Somewhere close to him. She didnt run? Theresawaybothofuscangetoutofthis! Further away now- no, she was running in a circle, following the same route to get closer to the monster. Why didnt you run? he yelled, just as she vaulted over the arms keeping him trapped. Atragicstatistic? Youwantmetojusttakethat? she rapidly yelled as she landed onto an arm, her right hand grabbed the incoming arm, Imgonnahavenightmaresaboutthis! Idontwanttohavenightmaresaboutyou! Youdontevenlookthatgood! she spoke so quickly she was nigh incoherent, Atleasthauntmydreamswithahandsomeface! The arm she grabbed slowed. Almost stopping in its tracks, Daycore! she yelled as the sun symbol on her right hand flared brightly like a newborn star. The slowing extended all over the monster. Aiden watched with awe as he saw the beast slowly slowed down, then, A crackling sound rang through the clearing, as Juns mask started to crack and crumble. His eyes widened as her hair began to turn grey, Stop that! But her mask kept crumbling as more and more of the monster started to slow. Aiden quickly looked around. She was above him, he couldnt reach! Unless he grabbed onto the arm by his side. It was almost like a wall but the gaps between each arm could he used as a ladder. He quickly scrambled up, uncaring of the fear that gripped him previously. Crawling upwards till he reached Jun and grabbed her, pulling her off the Invader as the last tips of the beast slowed to a crawl. You idiot! he yelled as he tested a step away from the beast. No distance, its ability was still active. You couldve gotten out on your own! Heh she weakly uttered as Aiden turned sharply to the left, running perpendicular of the Invaders ability effect. Im not gonna have nightmares about you Wolf! he yelled and a howl responded, You know how to get away, meet with me later! Another howl in response and the sound of scrambling feet. Im gonna haunt your dreams She was fading in his arms, her mask cracked and her hair turned an unnatural grey. No no no no no! As he sprinted away from the slowed monster, his mind raced with thoughts. Freddy managed to reinforce Isaac using his Hume, could I do that? Its just imbuing right? He paused in his thoughts, once he realised that he was suddenly no longer making any progress. Jerking his head behind him, he saw that the massive beast had yet to move. Still retracting the arms that tried to catch him. I got far enough that it counts as running away from it again. He turned another swift left, realising that if he wanted to get away from the beast, then hell need to start going in another circle. And Jun was still fading in his arms. Its simple, I need to know how to Imbue my Hume into her, he thought as he ran. One problem, he had no idea what his Hume felt like. Unless The wolf was created using a quarter of his Hume level, does that mean his tattoos had Hume in them? Please work, he prayed, for he was at peace with his own death. But not anothers. The tattoos he had prepared flowed off his skin, onto Juns fading clothes, off of them and onto her skin. Rabbit, beetle, snake, mouse, rat, gecko, sea krait, all flowed onto her skin like dancing images. And to Aidens brief alarm, they faded, however, Juns hair gained colour, shades of black returning from grey. Its working! he thought as Juns eyes fluttered open once again. Huh? My power its- A sudden hand grabbed onto his own, ripping it away. He dropped Jun as his left hand grabbed onto a nearby tree burning with false flame, as the monster was moving again. One arm, extended and propelled from a weave of thousands of others, was grabbing his right hand. He grit his teeth as he strained against the force threatening to pull him apart. The tree he grabbed strained, crackling as it was threatened to be uprooted. Suddenly a smaller pair of hands grabbed onto his left, Jun, grimacing as she tried to hold him back. Daycoreisstillonhim! Howisitthatfast? No, only parts of it were slowed now, whatever Aiden did to Jun disrupted her ability. Enough that a single petal could shoot out. A loud bark, and from the distance he saw the wolf rushing towards them. The wolf leapt, pouncing on the grey arm, gnashing at it with its teeth and claws. But no matter how it bit, it was a wolf trying to blow down a brick building. Wolf, Aiden spoke, commanding its attention. They locked eyes, and he simply said, Not that arm. The wolf jumped off and with a swift motion bit onto Aidens right wrist, its teeth tearing into his flesh. The wolf glanced at him one last time, and he smiled. A vicious, villainous smile, Fugu puffer fish! He yelled just as the tattoo appeared on the tips of his hands, the wolf bit down. Crushing bone and tearing flesh in a single bite as they fell to the ground. The monsters petal pulling back like an elastic pushed too far, making off with his hand before it slammed it into that ball of mouths, holding it there as they chewed it into smaller and bloodier pieces. Jun was up before Aiden, Yourhand- Run now, he uttered out with a grimace, clutching the bleeding, mangled stump where his right hand once lay. While its eating. Run in a circle around it. Well get out of its ability range eventually. He lay his remaining hand on the wolf, reabsorbing the concepts of a dire wolf that was loyal and afraid. Jun looked at his face before she put away her doubts. Stepping in front of him, she helped him onto a piggy-back, before she fell into a runners starting position. Nightcore, she uttered and she took off. Drawing on the last of her Hume to run as fast as she can. Like a blur, she finished the first circle in mere moments. Slowly expanding out as she raced away from the creature. She knew when her ability became fully released and as the first of the petals reached out to grab them, she dodged, seeing them come in slow motion as they slammed behind her. Her heart thumped in her chest, her lungs laboured with every breath. Every cycle she ran, she had to run another that was slightly bigger. And with the weight on her back, she was tiring. That was how this beast hunted, even if it escaped its trap, just needing to run a dozen circles around it to escape would tire out prey enough to catch up. It was an endurance hunter. Jun knew that if she threw away her load, she would be able to make it. Now that she knew how its ability worked, how to escape it. She knew for sure if it was just her in this scenario, she could make it. But her eyes were firm and determined as she ran. Her lungs burned, her heart beat like an engine in its final death throes, her legs screamed in pain, but she still ran. Dodging the petals, not looking as they caught some other poor screaming wildlife. Pushing away branch after branch. She kept running and running, focusing on nothing but the ground before her as she ran circle after circle around the beast. Until eventually, after ten minutes of running, making it through over forty kilometres of distance, she ran in a straight line and she moved. Screaming raw her throat with a yell of triumph as they finally made it out of the monsters ability range. Arc 1, Introductory Arc Fin. S Class Files: Ra Ra Rasputin S Class Files: Ra Ra Rasputin The Universe constantly expands, this is known. We have numerous theories as to why, but I would like to posit, that the entirety of the universe is running the fuck away from this one woman. Name: Catherine Goncharov Cape Name: ڧ Nationality: Russlander Current Residence: Nahiko Shatterdome Ability Classification:-
Thunder and snow, that was what she saw when she arrived. Taller than the highest mountains, its skin like a black rock. Teeth and claws taller than the highest skyscrapers as its steps sounded of thunder. Tyrant King, the Muryganas had called it.
-9 years ago Catherine engaged the first-ever kaiju, Tyrant King in battle near the coastal town of Magadan after it had rampaged for approximately 32 hours. Tyrant King was the first recorded instance of an Invader from the dimension of Macrodian-Flor. Standing at a height of approximately 1.4 kilometres, the entity disregarded our dimensions square-cube law and was capable of energy kinesis in the form of-
The smell of ozone wormed her way into her broken nostrils. Thunder roared in the distance, her back cried as if her spine had been smashed, she blinked back confusion, opening her eyes to see the blurry dirt path she had bore. Nine kilometres. That was how far a single strike from that thing sent her.
-due to the now understood nature of Macrodian-Flor, it is known that all kaiju have an innate resistance to heavy ordinance weaponry, able to shrug off hundreds of missiles and artillery and walk out of nuclear blasts completely unharmed. 3 nukes were used on the Tyrant King, which did nothing to it before Catherine was called in. Due to the specific nature of Macrodian-Flor and its inhabitants, blunt force trauma of a scale below that of traditional heavy ordinance weaponry remains effective-
She was thrown back again. Catherine spat out bile, her vision was red, tainted by her own blood. She grabbed the ground, lifting herself up, only to stumble as she put weight in her left leg. The bone was broken, her own shattered tibia stabbed into her flesh as she cried out in pain. Her left foot flopped uselessly as she fell to the ground. She groaned, seeing the mass of the largest monster that ever passed through a Gate. Something broke then. Catherine laughed as she stood back up, uncaring of pain, uncaring of wounds. She ripped off her useless left foot, stabbing the point of her exposed tibia into the dirt. I have a peg leg, she cried in her native Russ, I have a peg leg! She jumped, shattering the ground and into the fray once again. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
-for forty-nine days and forty-nine nights, Catherine battled against Tyrant King. The mere shockwave of their blows was able to shatter glass for leagues, mountains were levelled and cities were ground to dust as they battled their way across Eastern Russland. Until finally-
The Tyrant was running. Across the entire Siberic did they battle. Blows after blows exchanged by a thing too tough to die and a thing too stubborn to die. Which was the monster was up to interpretation. Catherine watched as the Tyrant King crashed into the sea, its mere mass shattering millennia old ice and causing tidal waves taller than buildings. Yet it was still running. She would laugh if she had the strength, but her voice could not find her. Her body, once considered the beauty of the Russ, skin like the clearest snow white, was stained by an ugly purple, for there was not an inch of her body that wasnt bruised. Her platinum blonde hair said to be more valuable and beautiful than even true platinum was browned with dirt and dust, for she had been thrown into more things than she could count. She stood missing a leg, for she lost it on the second day. She raised her hand, shivering in the Siberic cold for none of her clothes were durable enough for the long battle she just endured. Her fingers no longer looked like fingers. Beaten, broken, they reminded her more of calamari than a finger. Flopping around without structure. Some hanged onto her palm by singular threads of skin and sinew, the bones that werent crushed to dust peaked their fragments underneath her skin, to even move them was pain. Yet still, she raised her hand, using the last of strength to close the flopping pieces of meat that were her fingers. Closing her hand, she made a single gesture. And thus, Catherine Goncharov became the first person to give a kaiju the finger.
-the Tyrant King later resurfaced on the shores of Laskana, however, it was found that-
Three steps it took before it collapsed onto the earth. Many came, looking over the massive corpse, including a little girl, told to not come by her parents, yet still the curiosity brought here. Older men and women in uniforms and beeping equipment were there, like ants, they examined the corpse so big it could be mistaken for a mountain range. The little girl strolled closer, on the skin of the vast creature, there were strange circles that dotted its entire surface. Craters. She came closer, seeing the hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of rounded circles in the skin that appeared like a tough black rock. And when she was closest, she could see what was at the centre of each circle. A fist mark. She held her hands out, balling it into a tiny fist as she pushed it into the mark, yet her hand was too small, it could not fill the fist mark there.
-In the Kaiju War, Catherine Goncharov has done the world an unequalled service, though the Tyrant King was the first of all kaiju to come, it was by far the strongest. Under the Toshimitsu Category Scale, its massive height and raw destructive power would rate it as the only Category X to have ever appeared and to this day, the next highest kaiju to have appeared was only a Category VII at 734 metres tall. By killing the first-ever kaiju, Catherine gave the world access to approximately 30,000,000 tons of material that did not follow our square-cube law. It was from the corpse of the Tyrant King that the first of the titan Gigantes were made, later forming the Kaiju Response Core, who to this day has responded to kaiju threats all across the world-
There was a woman who was nervous as she neared the Shatterdome. One amongst many, tasked to fight off monsters beyond description. She wondered if she was worthy of piloting the Gigantes assigned to her. But as she neared the Shatterdome, she saw it, a massive black stone wall, covered in countless craters. She knew what it was, the First. As she got off the car, she approached it with reverence. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched the wall. Beside her, her dozen peers, all pushed their hands into the wall. Each finding an imprint, each putting their fist into them. And she smiled, her worries gone, because now, her hand fits. All of theirs did.
-To this day, Catherine remains the only person to have engaged a Kaiju of Category VI or higher in single combat and have won. Though she received many life-threatening injuries, she was able to make a full recovery through the aid of five thousand healers. Not to mention, a curious phenomenon has emerged in the wake of her battle. To this day, not a single kaiju has come within 1000 kilometres of the East Siberic and Laskana region or Catherine herself. It appears that whenever a kaiju senses Catherines presence, it immediately turns and moves in the opposite direction, sometimes even suicidally rushing through squads of Gigantes, other powerful hunters and heavy fire under anti-kaiju weaponry. This phenomena, known as the Little Mishas Den, has been leveraged to great effect to direct kaiju into favourable situations, and though Catherine has yet to fight against another kaiju since her first, her mere presence has been a reassuring force in the war against kaiju. She and the East Siberic/Laskana region, are the only places that all kaiju avoid with vicious and suicidal fervour. Due to her numerous and valuable contributions to the Kaiju War, along with countless other marks of service for the survival of humanity, despite her youth and relative inexperience, Catherine Goncharov is designated as the youngest S-Class. This S Class report was authored by Hayden Xin the Archivist. Hayden Xin Lest Dawn Fail. Chapter 12 Leaving Last Stand Chapter 12 Leaving Last Stand Lasting consequences? Whats that? - Misha, S Class Cape who everyone just sorta expects is unkillable after brawling it out with a kaiju. Countless eyes, mouths and arms. They all came, grabbing onto Lu, and no matter how much he ran, he could not escape. Are you going to do anything about that? a voice asked. He turned to him, What do you mean?
Aiden woke to screaming, throwing away the blanket as he rose. Sweat dripping down his face. The screaming slowly stopped as he realised from his hoarse throat, that he was the one screaming. Breathing out heavily, he reached out with his right arm, searching for his glasses- Only to be reminded from the blurred stump in front of him, that he had lost his right hand. Damn, he breathlessly murmured. Thats it? a voice said beside him, Isaac. Just a damn? He quickly glanced around, he was in some kind of medical tent. Isaac by his left and an empty bed by his right. There was a pervasive sense of sterility here. By the table beside him, were his glasses. Dirty looking, but someone had clearly put in some effort to clean them. Despite that, the lens was nowhere clear enough to use. Shes already up, damn Physiques, the gadgeteer muttered as he rose. Are you alright Mr Isaac? He scoffed, Youre the one missing a hand, and Im just fine. Continuing, he spoke in a louder voice, You know an in-joke in the meta-community are that Gadgeteers are basically just baselines that can survive a Gate. With the fucking Demon Gate still open, us idiots cant produce anything really high tech. Were stuck making things any random engineer could shit out their ass. You sound very angry about that, Aiden simply replied. Fuck yes I am! Engineers shit on us for being gifted! Metas shit on us for not being sufficiently gifted! Demons shit on us by existing! he ranted, before falling back into his bed, energy apparently spent. He let him stew for a while, before asking, Whats with the Brettonia Gate that stops you from making higher tech? Demons are the opposite of creation, he replied, with the Brettonia Gate still open it means all creations degrade at a slightly faster rate. Increasing greatly with its complexity. In Muryga one person managed to make a Quantum Supercomputer, He paused for dramatic effect. 11.6 seconds. That was how long it stayed on before it completely broke down. And after the Tunguska Event, it became very hard to get approval to mess with advanced fuel sources or weaponry. Then why dont you just learn what you are missing? If an engineer could do your job why dont you actually understand your power? Aiden asked. I cant, he murmured, rubbing his face as if very tired. Whenever a gadgeteer tries to learn anything relating to their specialty. The power auto activates and puts them in through the Trance throughout the entire thing. Youll wake up in front of a whiteboard of solved problems without ever knowing how you did it. Shaking his head, he turned to his side, Most people dont understand what its like, to have your power take away control of your body. To have months or years wasted away on a long Trance. Finally, he grumbled, curling into his medical bed, back faced towards him, Missing a few seasons of a TV show is the least of my problems. Isaac was silent after that, and Aiden wasnt sure if he should interrupt his brooding. Instead, he felt the stump where his hand was. It had healed over, the scars of the bite barely visible, though the dried blood was still on it. Every time he felt it, he felt like there shouldve been something there, something other than the emptiness. How long was I out? he asked. Bout three hours, Isaac replied. The girl dragged you back, your stump had already healed by then but you were unconscious from the blood loss. You have a very good healing factor. Not the best, but enough losing half your fluids didnt kill you. Howd they replace my blood? My suggestion, he replied, seeing your enhanced metabolism, I told them to shove a condensed nutrient bar in you rather than fool around with blood types. You wont need to eat for at least a week. Umm thank you? How would I- Im footing the bill, Isaac interrupted, turning around to look at him. I know what its like to be given the capability for something, but to fall just short of what you need it for. He silently turned back to his arm. To the stump where his right hand was. It had already fully healed over. If we retrieved your hand, they would be able to sow it back on, but the girl said it got chewed up by the Invader. Isaac stared at him, Ill be honest, growing back a hand will probably cost you an arm and a leg. You shouldnt expect- Thank you, he interrupted, I am well aware of how much it costs on average to grow back a limb. Eighty to a hundred thousand as a cheap ballpark. Money he did not have, nor had the luxury to spend. It is just a hand, he replied, Ill do fine. Couldve been worse, Isaac continued, it couldve been Floridians. He shuddered, Gods no, I have enough mental scars already. It was at that time, one of the field medics walked in, Aiden Bu? Thats me, he replied as he helped himself off the bed. Youll be needed at the command tent. We need you to debrief the Hunters coming in. I understand, he answered, standing up. Briefly neatening up his appearance. Heavily dirtied, covered in dust and dried blood, his attempts were ultimately futile, but still, he had to try. Good luck, Isaac waved as he left. Following the medic out, he was directed to a Guard who walked him around the military encampment. Around him, he could barely make out the disciplined movement of the Guard as they finished setting up camp. People were on patrol, some were tinkering with massive machines, cheering as they roared to life. Above head, the skies were black with hundreds of open eyes staring down. He was only out for three hours, which meant they set up this entire thing in that time. Eventually, they arrived at the larger command tent. Jun and Alexis were loitering by the entrance, and they waved as he neared. Waving back, he saluted the Guard, who saluted him back, before letting him on his way. Are you alright? Alexis asked first. Her face was heavily scratched, one of her eyes covered in a bandage. Ill live, he answered. What happened to you? Some kind of tiny, vicious bear jumped on me, she replied, scratching at one of her cuts. Ow. He almost chuckled, Mustve been a drop bear. Becareful, theygoafteraccents, Jun added immediately after. They do? Both Ostralianders nodded. I dont have an accent do I she murmured, just as someone pushed aside the tent flap. Youre all here? Freddy, he realised from the voice, Good, come in. What Aiden didnt see, was the hard look in Freddys eyes as he saw the stump. Putvegemiteonyourhead. Itrepelsthem Jun added as they walked in. There were five people sitting around a square table. A large map situated in the middle, marked with the current Bleed Radius and Gate location. Then the atmosphere became heavy, as two men locked eyes. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Aidens eyes narrowed like a hawk catching sight of its prey, cold and dead, they narrowed on a man in a dark black trenchcoat. Sitting on the side, his right arm was heavily bandaged and sealed away with arcane runes. And this man did not shy away from his gaze. For he was the one simply known as the Annihilator, the man with the most destructive power within the entire state, the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It was an ability of utter ruin, entire countrysides and armies have been brought low by his power. Alexis couldnt breathe, for the pressure was too much. Like a golfball had just spontaneously appeared in her throat. She couldnt move, for the intensity of the Annihilator made her feel like a single wrong step could result in all their deaths. Is his arm ok? Aiden thought as he squinted at the heavily bandaged limb. Not quite making out what was wrong with it. Meanwhile, the Annihilator, real name Allen Gibbs, sometimes known as Allen the Annihilator, was staring directly behind Aiden, staring intensely towards the sky at their back. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. It isnt working! Why is that kid staring at me? Am I dressing weird? Is there something on my face? Aaaaaaaaah! Why did I agree to come here? Why does there have to be so many people here? I wanna go home and was regretting his life decisions when he automatically said yes to the pretty lady that called him for help and came over because it was too awkward by then to refuse. Eventually, Allen the Annihilator silently turned back to the table, straightened his collar, before slinking into his trench coat to hide because this meeting was clearly beneath him. And so, in the grand battle between myopia and social anxiety, myopia won out. Freddy chuckled as he slapped Alexis on the back, Dont worry bout Allen, he just has some personality issues. The woman next to Allen smiled, she had long sandy red hair and a long scar going down from her eye to her cheek, ???? she said as she nudged a silent Allen. Foxy, whos one of the teachers back at M.I.A, Freddy introduced, gesturing at her. ???????? she replied. Ew, and the answer is still no, Freddy replied. ?? He gestured next to a pair of twins beside her, Next to her are Lieutenants Brandy and Randy, from the Tuba family. Two nods, dressed in identical military wear, the two men were practically mirrored. And Colonel Howard, he finished towards a middle-aged man with greying hair, Wholl be directing the military ops in the area. And heres Alexis, Jun and Aiden, he gestured at the three of them to take a seat, Well need you three to give us a run-down on everything you saw inside. Then you can be on your way. And they sat down, Alexis began first. Nothing much they didnt already know, she fought with a few feral kangaroos before getting ambushed by a drop bear somewhere. Sustaining minor injuries and a cut on her right eye before Freddy found her. Aiden took the lead for their side, Jun grabbed him upon seeing the Gate expansion and space warping, running towards the edge but never making it. They got surrounded and fought off a few dingoes similarly made feral by the Gate before they encountered the invader. Jun was mostly silent throughout all this, so Aiden detailed their initial actions, how Jun tried to run but no matter how much she ran she wasnt travelling any distance. Similarly, how when he tried to walk towards it, he couldnt get any closer to it as well. He left out the fact Jun was crying. Instead, going straight to how they could still move around the monster, and by walking in a shrinking or expanding circle around it, they could get near or away from it. Then onto the how the arms attacked. And finally, on how their attempts to hurt it utterly failed, requiring Jun to slow it down with her ability before they got away. Him carrying an unconscious Jun. I lost my hand here, he added, it grabbed me and I had one of my spawns bite off my wrist. It bit it cleanly off, he said, showing his stump, but it couldnt even leave a scratch on its skin. Jun added a detail here, how she woke up somehow and picked up the injured Aiden to run away. And it took her ten minutes of running at full speed to get out of its ability range. Their audience was silent throughout most of this, the first to speak up was the Colonel, High B, maybe even an A depending on how tough it is. ?? I was thinking that as well. Space warping and high strength and durability, Randy began. A difficult opponent, Brandy finished. Is that all you have? the Colonel asked. Jun shook her head, speaking slowly to sound normal, I carried Aiden till the scouts found us. It ate my hand, however, I poisoned it before it became fully detached from me, Aiden added. Im not sure if it was effective. ????? No I dont, he replied to Foxys question. I just know it was a poison of some kind. My power doesnt give me much information. ?? Regardless, the Colonel began, the three of you did a good job surviving and returning with this information back to base. This has not gone unnoticed. You guys plan on killing that thing? Alexis, who had stayed silent during their talk, spoke up. Well have to, Freddy answered. What it is doing is called Channeling, a technique that channels all of a realities level into another dimension. If it is allowed to stabilise it, then that piece of reality is stolen away. And the corpse of Kaiju Katie, Brandy began. Has been caught in the radius, Randy finished. Aiden glanced at the map, the kaiju just inside the Bleed radius, however, the Gigantes remained just outside. Is it the same as a Meta Technique? he asked. It is, Freddy answered, it uses the principles of Expansion and Reinforcement, but is very easy to do due to a ride the current effect that only appears at the other end of a Gate. The Colonel nodded, We use it as well sometimes to claim land when the Enemy is easy to deal with. Either way, we have to kill it and close the Gate or well lose this section of the Outback. He rose to shake their hands, shaking both Jun and Alexis before getting to Aiden. Who instinctively put out his right arm. Ah, he said, sorry bout that, before switching his left. The Colonel simply nodded in understanding, Kid, you never need to apologise for a wound taken whilst defending your world. He turned to Freddy, Frederic? At which point Freddy stood up, Alright, now lets go outside, the strategy meetings gonna start. Highly confidential stuff. They each stood up and went outside, Freddy following behind them. Outside, he said to all three of them, Aiden, how did Jun manage to wake up during that? Raising an eyebrow, he began, I believe I tried the same thing you did. Reinforcing someone elses Hume with- And you used your power for it didnt you. -Yes, yes I did, he admitted. Freddy sighed, Shouldve told you this earlier Did I do something wrong? he asked, eyebrows furrowing. Hesavedmylife, Jun threw in, He saved my life. No no, youre not in trouble, Freddy hurriedly added. You may have just made a choice without knowing the full implications. I told you before that Manifested have an easier time learning certain Meta Techniques due to their power. What I havent told you yet is that doing it this way closes some paths to you. Continuing, he said, Doing a Meta Technique with your Manifested ability is easy. Youll figure it out after maybe less than a week of trying. But starting this way means youll lose the option to do it the way someone like Isaac does it. Without relying on his ability. Is that a bad thing? Alexis asked. Depends, in some cases, you want a Simple Expansion over a True Expansion. Less Hume consumed, wont damage your allies caught in its area of effect, etc. Starting with your ability to do a Meta Technique stains it forever, youll eventually be completely unable to do it the simple and basic way. This means however you use a Meta Technique, itll always be stained with your ability, which might not be a good thing. Freddy looked at Aiden, then at Jun, If he did a Transfusion on you like this, worst case is that it fucks with your Hume in a way very similar to Bleed. I suspect if he wasnt new to his ability that was what wouldve happened. Oh, Aiden replied, genuinely apologetic, Im sorry I didnt know- Itsfine, Jun quickly added. Yeah, Freddy replied, its fine today, Juns own Hume was able to digest your own, and it is fine to learn Meta Techniques this way. Just know that doing so without first exploring the Simple and Basic versions locks them away permanently. Youll teach yourself a precedent to always default to using your power for a Meta Technique. Itll be even harder for you to learn a simple technique afterwards. And how would we begin using a simple technique like that? Alexis asked. Same way I told you, strong imagining of how your Hume works on yourself or the world around you. You can use your power to form the basis of how you imagine what your Hume looks like but you cant use it to activate it, Freddy said. Not only that, he glanced very quickly at Aiden, so fast only Jun noticed it, if your power has some cost youre not willing to pay, sticking yourself on using your power means youll have to pay that cost every time. I see, Alexis, the only person with an eyepatch said. Either way understand that its a choice which one youll do. Plenty of people are gonna tell you they know whats best for you, but the truth is youll have to be the one that decides it. Decide by yourself how you want to pursue it. Your power yields results faster, but youll never learn the way to do it as others do. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of each option and pick your own. Freddy glanced behind him, Ill be needed back there soon, find Isaac, hell give you a ride back. Werejustgoingtoleave? Jun asked. Yes! he emphasized, because youre kids in a fucking warzone. You barely survived one encounter with an Invader. Go home, get better, until you can stand here as equals. Freddy patted them all on the head before he turned around to enter the tent. One last question! Aiden yelled out. Freddy turned around. Does using your power for one type of a Meta Technique affect the others? Only if youre mixing it with another. Like Imbuement and Reinforcement for Transfusions. But the effect wont be as bad if one of them was learnt the hard way. Thank you, Aiden nodded, that was all I needed. And they left. Finding Isaac in a trance as he tinkered with the aircraft that brought them here. Well, what are you staring at? he demanded after apparently finishing, Get in, we might still make your bedtimes. Ilivealone, Jun quickly said. Me as well. Blyat we all live alone? Isaac rolled his eyes, Right, manifested, tragic backstory, no parents. Of fucking course. YoudontknowIliveabadlife! Just get in, I dont need a biography right now, he grumbled. Jun pulled her eyelid as she sped into the aircraft. Alexis following after her. And you, quietly, Isaac grabbed Aidens arm, Know whatever I said in that tent was the delirious ramblings of someones mind affected by Frederics stupid Hume. Forget. Everything. He simply nodded, not really sure how to react. As the aircraft began hovering into the air, Aiden pulled Jun away from the windows, Jun, do you remember what I yelled out back against the Invader? Like, thethingyouaskedmetoremindyouabout? Yes. Umm she scratched her head, Somethingaboutfastvenomousblackseacrates? Oh! Anddirewolf! Irememberthat! Yes, I remember dire wolves as well, he said, having reabsorbed that memory. But, what was it that I yelled when I lost my hand? Umm she furrowed her brow, Fuckyoufish? SorrythatsallIremember. I see, he replied. Slightly disappointed, even if he expected that result. Venomous black sea crates and fuck you fish. He transferred the first to restore her Hume, and the next to poison the Invader in a last-ditch effort to spit in its face. He knew it was poisonous, because of the same reason he still knew what hopping or hearing was after making a rabbit. Creating an animal doesnt take all that constituted it, just the memory of the animal itself. Those two were forgotten to him now, even if he still understands what a snake and fish are, even if he knew what he created those two for, he no longer knew which snake and fish he used then. Hell either have to relearn it or Like his hand, let it be lost. And like that, they left Last Stand. The sun just beginning to set in the distance. Chapter 13 Cooking Up Something New Chapter 13 Cooking Up Something New We respond by getting better. Until our best is good enough. - some snarky ghost. The trip back to school was uneventful. They flew in silence because Aiden was sure they were all at least slightly traumatised by the experience. If not, like the fidgeting blur that was Alexis, they were too afraid to ask about what they encountered. He pondered about this, his glasses in his hand, covered in so much dirt and grime as to be useless even when he spent the last half hour scrubbing it. He thought about the fact that even if he couldnt see more than burry shapes past his- now singular hand, he was not blind. He could still very obviously see the fact Alexis was fidgeting, and the fact Jun was stealing glances at his stump even when he couldnt make out the details of either of their faces. Aiden didnt get the fuss. It was just a hand. Or perhaps he was the weird one? Being so strangely calm about losing a limb, an entire hand, not to mention his dominant one too. But no matter how much he tried to feel something about it he couldnt muster anything more than, I guess its gone now. Right now, he was more affected by the reactions of the others than his own. Perhaps he should alleviate tension somehow? Need a hand? he asked, an eyebrow raised towards Jun. Hah! Isaac yelled from the cockpit, Good one! Both girls were staring at him in complete silence, and since he couldnt see their faces, he had a sneaking suspicion that it wasnt because he suddenly grew more handsome. The incorrect approach it seemed. They landed without much fanfare, brief goodbyes for it was already late into the evening. Go to Oliver, that idiot should still be at the infirmary, Isaac yelled as he stepped out of the still horrendously dirty garage. Aiden gave a brief nod, but wasnt sure if Isaac saw it, he was already kicking the aircraft over some perceived flaw. Aiden still had no idea how that thing actually flew, a mystery for another day. He had memorised the schools layout the first day he came here, so he found it easily. The lights of the infirmary were still on even as the moon was rising. Unfortunately, the library was closed, so he had to save his printing for tomorrow. He knocked on the door, and a posh, British sounding voice answered him, Come in! Turning around on an office chair, was an Indian looking- no, the term was Bretonnian and Yindian now, Aiden Lu was still getting the two memories mixed. Perhaps for the better, if he still remembered where he really came from. The middle-aged man stood up, speaking in a heavy Yindian accent, Jesus you look like hell, and trust me you look like hell because youve gotten me swearing to a different god. Mr Oliver? he asked, I was told to come to the infirmary. I can see why, the Bretonnian voice sounded as he came closer. Strange, both voices came from the same direction the Yindian he presumed was called Mr Oliver. The man stopped right in front of him, and opened his mouth, as a large, white shelled, multilegged isopod crawled out and began prodding him with its segmented front legs. It almost reminded him of a pillbug, if easily the size of a football and secreting some kind of clear slime on its softshell. How did that thing fit in the mans mouth? Youre rather bruised but it seems to be healing, tell me, how long ago did you receive these injuries? the creature asked. At which point Aiden identified the Bretonnian voice as originating from it. A few hours ago, I was knocked unconscious due to blood loss from losing my hand. The army medics patched me up and replenished it with a nutrient bar, he calmly answered as he squinted at the strange creature. The tail of the end of the thing was still in the mans mouth, he couldnt see far, but this close he could vaguely make out its hind legs clutching something. Increased metabolism with regeneration, simple, but useful, the bug said as the man gently raised his stump for the bug to inspect. Yes, he answered, before he hesitantly started, If I may ask. Yes? two voices asked, both with distinct accents. Are you a tongue-eating louse? Cymothoa exigua? Or perhaps Ceratothoa oestroides? Hmm it has been a while since someone recognised what I was, though Im not clear on my exact species as well, the louse pondered in its British- Bretonnian accent. Is this the first time you were here? Yep, the man answered, first time Im seeing him, first-year? Aiden nodded. Ah, the louse uttered in realisation, forgive me, human faces still look the same to me. I normally distinguish whether we met before by whether or not they seem disturbed by my existence. Sometimes they do that even if theyve met us before, the Yindian man added, somehow still speaking even though his mouth was full of louse, Im surprised you have no reaction to this. Indeed, though it is a pleasant alternative to screaming, the louse said. Or attempted murder, those are annoying to deal with, the man added. That seems annoying, Aiden said. You get used to it, the man said, before stretching out his left hand, Im Raj Reddy. Aiden took it, shaking it. Oh where were my manners, the louse flailed as if flustered, quickly wiping off some of the slime on its body, Im Oliver Oliver, or Dr Oliver. Im the school''s current doctor. Raj here is my assistant nurse. Oliver extended one of its own legs, and Aiden too briefly shook it. Youre the doctor, Mr Oliver? he cautiously began. The louse scoffed, Indeed, I dont blame you for doubting my ability due to my appearance, though I did get my PhD for a reason, so do call me that. However superfluous it is. Still think it was a waste of time, Raj said. Oh just because you fell asleep during most of the lectures does not mean the time I spent studying went to waste, Oliver retorted. Raj rolled his eyes, Anyways, lets give the boy a full checkup before he dies on us. That did happen once, Oliver quietly said as Raj guided Aiden to a seat. The two went over a full checkup, with the strange exception that Oliver- Dr Oliver, Aiden mentally corrected himself, Dr Oliver was taking the place of many medical instruments. Wrapping himself around his arm to read his blood pressure, tapping his chest in place of a stethoscope, etc. He was found completely healthy, if a bit grimy, and was sent on his way.
Jemina Abdullah hummed as she prepared dinner. It had been a long time since she prepared for her family, her kids were all so busy now, taking important positions all over the country, having their own families. It was a rare day everyone could gather. Jemina only wished she had more time to prepare something better. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it She was famous for her handmade spaghetti, none of that store-bought crap. It didnt take long to make and she had all the ingredients on hand, yet as she rolled and prepared the dough, it seemed no matter what it wouldnt stay even. Her hands shook, barely able to grip onto the rolling pin, she was old now, her wrinkled hands barely able to exert force, but this was a special day damn it. So she grit her teeth, humming more intensely as she forced the dough to be even. Spaghetti done, she moved to the vegetables, now any purebred Idalian would probably drop dead from her homemade additions, but those idiots wouldnt recognise good food if she threw it at their faces! Little Jeremy told her he loved vegetables in his pasta, and she would trust her grandson on the matter over any culinary prick. She grimaced slightly as she cut her finger, dropping the knife. Probably needed to bandage that, Ayle! she yelled, calling for her son. No response, that kid must still be on his phone. Children these days. Jemina swiftly found the medicine cabinet. It took a moment, her hands shaking far too much for her to really get the bandage on the cut. So she opted to just cover the entire finger. Worked well enough, she needed to hurry, her kids were hungry. The water was boiling when she got back, throwing the spaghetti in, she added just a pinch of salt before moving onto the sauce. Unfortunately, she couldnt get her hands on fresh tomatoes, but canned tomato paste worked well enough, throwing in the vegetables and some sliced cheese kransky sausages for protein, she stirred. Humming as she finished her grand design. Its time to eat! she yelled again. No response. No matter, she began setting out the plates. Theirs was a big family, her sister Taylor once joked that Jemina and Gerald reproduced like rabbits. She made sure to sneak some hard chilli powder onto her dish. That should teach her something. What was missing? Oh, she didnt buy any breadsticks, damn her poor memory. The table was smaller for some reason, she couldve sworn it was large enough to suit all seventeen people, but it was barely large enough for three or four. Strange, when did Tai swap it out? Her daughter in law was a dear when it came to cleaning up, but she really wished the girl wouldnt rearrange where everything was. She left the plates on the counter instead, I said its dinner time! she yelled again to no response. Huffing, she left the living room, were they all deaf? Gerald pretended to be deaf for seven odd years because he thought she yapped too much, whatever the hell that meant- Jemina left the living room, and instead of the large family home she once occupied, she was in a cramped hallway, a small apartment just large enough for herself. She blinked, looking around in confusion. Oh wait, she thought, she had sold the family home and moved here by herself after- After She turned around, walking back into the living room, hanging on one of the walls was a silver medal, To Ayle Abdullah, for his bravery and sacrifice, Dawn rises another day. Her son had died almost a decade ago, he was an artillery spotter for the Guard, and when his position was overrun he called a shell on his own location. The rest didnt come back in a rush, but as scattered fragments as Jemina pieced back the misty remnants of her memory. Her husband Gerald had a stroke years ago, little Jeremy had long grown to an adult fighting devils in Yuro. Her sister Taylor was in a nursing home babbling and senile. And Tai The only thing Jemina remembered of her was a phone number written on a notepad in her nightstand. The faded ink was angrily scribbled out. Would it still work if she called it? What happened to her daughter in law? Jemina no longer remembered, was Tai long dead or was she living proudly off Jeremys accomplishments? The food had gone cold when she came back to it. There was no family gathering, there might have once been, but there was none today. She was alone, despite having enough food to feed a family. There was a sad chuckle, Ah I did it again She had wasted so much time and food, and for what? A family that either wasnt here, was dead, or didnt remember her? Quietly, she ate her own plate. Finishing before she packed the rest away. She couldnt finish them all, not by herself. There was a nice boy upstairs was there not? Or was she misremembering him as well? Regardless, she should check, he was in poor circumstances, not to mention he helped her carry all the ingredients that made this mess. The local shelter and orphanage would also appreciate this donation. Along with the landlord, oh! And the young lady downstairs. A purpose in mind, Jemina put the boxes of pasta into a shopping bag. First, she went upstairs, it was late into the evening now, she hoped the young man was still awake. Three knocks and the door opened, the young Aiden opening the door halfway. His hair was still steamy, he had just gotten out of the shower it seems. There was a white serpent tattoo on his neck, though a quarter of it was black and had colourful plants growing on it. Half his body still obscured, Aiden squinted, Mrs Jemina? What brings you this late? She smiled, Oh I accidentally made more food than I needed, I was wondering if you wanted some. She saw it, that mental arithmetic that occurred in a flash within his eyes. It reminded her a lot of Bollian, that man wrote the book on penny-pinching, Aiden was no different. He quickly accepted, putting on a small smile as he took her gift. With a promise to return the tubs once finished. Her bag lightened by a few boxes, she set out to all the others in the apartment complex.
Aiden closed the door with a scaly stump, the box full of pasta in his one remaining hand. He didnt want the old lady to be worried for him, and it would be annoying to explain why half his body was covered in scales. His right arm was covered with a large reptilian tattoo right now, putting the pasta on his counter, he resumed testing. Using a knife, he gently stabbed it into the skin where the tattoo lay, pushing it, feeling an abnormal resistance. When the skin broke and it finally drew blood, he reabsorbed the tattoo. Crocodile, he remembered before he gently stabbed the bare skin one more time, using the same amount of force. He drew blood even faster. He noticed this when playing with Oros, how the skin which the white snake occupied also had a scaly feeling to it. This confirmed it, his body took on qualities of the animal he had a tattoo of, but it didnt deform to match the creatures shape. It first occurred with the unknown snake he used earlier this day. Changing his arm to become the length of the snake and two fingers to be the fangs. Looking back, he didnt even realise he did it or how strange it was. Using the snake that way just came completely naturally. Perhaps something to do with the look Freddy gave him, how Manifested were supposed to be able to learn their power through self-discovery. Regardless, the result was him being able to increase the toughness of his skin. There were several downsides though, he thought as he resummoned the same scaled skin on his arm. He forgot what the creature was at the moment, but it didnt matter, he was no longer disoriented by the memory loss. He still knew what he wanted to do with it. There was a hole in the rough reptile skin where he first drew blood, but not where he drew blood the second time. Damage to the tattoo still remained and he likely needed to fix it in his mind before it would be healed, not to mention, the skin the tattoo occupied could not be occupied by other tattoos, as demonstrated by Oros trying and failing to swim past the rough reptilian tattoo. One more test, he knelt down next to a chair, raising a chair leg and put the arm directly under it. There it was, his flesh getting pushed down by the weight of the chair. It seemed that even if his skin was as tough as the creature tattooed on it, the flesh underneath remained as squishy. That posed a problem, sufficient blunt force could likely overcome this makeshift armour entirely. He suspected a bat striking with enough force would still be able to break his bones even if his skin remained unbroken. Combined with the fact damage to the tattoo accumulated and required mental fixing, and he couldnt create new tattoos on claimed skin, but still, It was painted vividly in his mind, how all his attacks on the Invader didn''t even leave a scratch, while his own wolf biting down hard severed his wrist. Granted that was the purpose, but he was still too fragile. This was a layer of additional protection he could summon on his skin at will, that didnt impede his movements in any way and could be activated and dismissed with a thought. It was too valuable to pass up, especially since normal materials he imbued with his tattoos deformed to fit their shape, making it more difficult to use as amour. He spent a while trying to figure out the ideal combination that covered his entire body. He was almost spoiled for choice given the large number of creatures with good body armour but lacked good combat qualities. All the variety of turtles, tortoises and terrapins, Galapagos tortoises with their massive size meant they covered more skin. Molluscs like conches, chitons, abalones and mussels were small but tough bastards. Armadilloes, elephants, hippos and rhinos. Not to mention the arthropods He almost took fish scales before remembering their main strength was the fact they were highly flexible, a problem his tattoos didnt need to worry about. It took him a good degree of testing, but he eventually figured out the combination that covered his entire body. Writing down those creatures onto a notepad, before he finally looked in a mirror, seeing the patchwork and darkened skin. With this, he could probably tank a bullet. It would still bruise, but he was still massively more durable than he was this morning. He reabsorbed all the creatures, picking Oros up from the counter. That was the main weakness of this, he couldnt create or host more creatures while his skin was protected, but that was a worthwhile tradeoff. And given the nature of his power, most of the creatures he makes should be from preparation, not in the midst of actual combat. His biggest problem right now was the material to use for his creations, but once he got that figured out he could start pumping out animals to assist him, until then he should focus on personal power. It was a step, a small step, but it was a step nonetheless. Feeling slightly peckish, he heated up the pasta Mrs Jemina left him. He wasnt really hungry, likely because of that nutrient bar he had earlier, but he felt he should celebrate in some small way. Taking out the heated pasta, he grabbed a fork, his hand shaking slightly because he was still unused to his left, before he took a bite. And almost immediately choked because of the ungodly amount of chilli flakes added to it! His throat immediately went into gag reflex, but he held his mouth closed through sheer fucking will. Even as he choked and his breathing became harder. This was food! He would not waste it even if he died trying! Falling to the ground, still struggling on the burning lump of mashed pasta in his throat, he struggled his way back up before grabbing a glass of water and downed it all in a single gulp. Breathing hard and deep, his heart beating fast, he contemplated on how that had gotten him closer to death than the otherworldly eldritch monster. Chapter 14 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 1 Chapter 14 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 1 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore- While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. - some poet with a bird fetish. Lu dreamt of ocean waves. Pale white sand, glistening like dried bones in defiance of the night. There was an intrusive smell of rot and salt. Like spears, it penetrated his nose as he walked forward, sitting down next to the teen. As dark as ever, Lu began, gesturing at the pure black ocean. Between that and the sand, it was as if a great brush had drawn a dividing line between black and white. Still strangely beautiful, Bu answered, still huddled with his legs to his chest. Its gotten a lot louder recently. Louder? Lu asked, glancing around the silent beachside. You dont remember? Bu replied, adjusting his glasses. Lu kept looking around, feeling everything around them. He knew they stood upon an island with many shores, but always the same sea, surrounded by the same glowing- Fish, Lu blinked in realisation, for the black seas of infinity no longer held any of the fish he saw before. He lept a step back but didnt move any distance. Remembering what the opponent was, he dashed to the left. But it didnt matter, for a petal of arms shot out and grabbed his neck, choking the air out of him. Yeah runnings pointless, Bu said as another petal of grey wrapped around him. I gave up a while ago. The black seas parted and it was revealed, a ball of grey flesh, covered in gibbering mouths and surrounded by a flower of arms. Please do something about that, Bu continued to speak, his voice so utterly neutral he almost sounded bored. Yet the arms continued to draw them closer. Its trying to break out, Lu realised, somehow speaking even if his breath was stolen. Yeap. And they were brought to the mouths.
Aiden choked out a strangled scream, a great pressure was grabbing his throat, stealing his breath and speech. He kicked himself off his bed, falling onto the floor rolling. Oros hissed somewhere, three-quarters of its form blackened and covered with colourful plants. It darted off his leg, onto the floor, possessing a tie that coiled and hissed. Aiden smashed his right arm into the thing strangling him, throwing it off and into sight. And he realised with horror it was his own left hand, covered with a horrid grey colour. Oros pounced, wrapping around the arm as it tried to strangle him once again. Aiden gasped, taking in a much-needed breath of fresh air before he pinned his possessed arm with his right, holding it on the ground. You are a memory, he hissed. Stay that way. And he reabsorbed the piece. The black on Oros receded as the colourful plants withered and died. His arm stopped struggling as Oros became fully white once more. Aiden lay there for a moment, practically hyperventilating as he tried to process what just happened. His arm was taken over by his own power. It had released the memory of one of the Invaders arms and it tried to kill him in his sleep. Oros unwrapped itself from his shaking hand, sliding back onto his skin. Despite still being in shock, Aiden rasped out a Thank you. The serpent lazily nodded as it bit its tail, coiling back into sleep. Still, he gently patted it with his stump, not quite trusting his left hand yet, the cool scales a calming sensation to his mind. Aiden knew he was having nightmares about something, earlier this day he woke up screaming in the medical tent. He was never an avid dreamer, when he slept he simply woke up the next day. Nothing of the dreams or nightmares that seemed to decorate other peoples rest. It has been that way in both his lives and he had never truly questioned it, yet today he knew for sure he was having a nightmare of sorts even if he was drawing a blank on the specifics, and the fact it only occurred after an encounter with the Invader? Too much of a coincidence. Was it also a coincidence, that he figured out a method with his power that toughened his skin with the tattoos of other animals? When he had touched his possessed arm, it was cold, stone-like, just like the sensation he felt with the Invader. But something was off, if it was his power that did this, then why did he remember, why did he recognise the grey flesh as that of the monster he ran away from? The thing that possessed was only an arm and still- Only an arm, he realised. When it was out, Oros was almost three-quarters covered, meaning that much Hume was needed just to construct a single arm of the monster but did it also mean that it was stopped? Halted halfway through manifesting because there wasnt enough to fully recreate it? So what was made was just an arm. He glanced at the alarm clock, 3:19 am. It was dark out, but the light of the moon was filtering through his window. He walked briefly to one of the pale rays that breached his room, putting his left arm out. The front right paw of a cat. And only the paw of a cat appeared on his skin, illuminated by the pale moon. When he closed his eyes to imagine a three-legged creature, the mental image of a cat quickly appeared. If the tattoo was not right there on his arm, then he wouldve thought it was perfectly normal for a cat to have only three limbs, but cross-referencing that tattoo, along with the mental image he had of the cat, not to mention the lack of bilateral symmetry. And he fixed the memory of a cat within his mind so that it now had four limbs. The front right paw tattoo was still on his arm. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. On his right arm, he resummoned the crocodile that he used for testing. There was still a small wound on it, where he broke its skin with a knife. It was a wound, he recognised it as such, reabsorbing the crocodile, he mentally imagined it, seeing that wound on its back, then he extrapolated from the rough skin around it and added it to the hole, fixing the wound. He recreated the tattoo, now noting that the hole was gone. His memory was not a finite thing, used and never recovered, it seemed so long as a large portion of the creature still remained, he could repair it. It was here that the knowledge of bilateral symmetry became so important, so long as he knew half of what a creature was, he could repair its form. The behaviour would still be damaged, as evidenced by the rabbit he first tested on. Actually, now that he thought about it, there wasnt a lot he could practically do with this. The material animation portion of his abilities remained largely unaffected, he might be able to mentally extrapolate how the creature moves if enough of it remained but just repairing based on bilateral symmetry wouldnt be enough. No, this was specifically useful for armouring himself. Though that too is questionable, because if he was hit by an attack that destroyed half of a tattoo, his body would similarly be heavily wounded. If anything, all this does is slightly lower his memory repair time. Its the ability that inspired the discovery that was most interesting. He grabbed some paper, folding it into a vague shape, then, Rhino Horn. And the ivory colour of bone covered the paper. Knocking it with his knuckles a few times, he noted that it was as hard and rigid as an actual bone now. He reabsorbed it, noting the small sliver of black turned to white on Oros body. Imbuing was the Meta Technique that put Hume into objects, making them more real and less susceptible to Bleed. His power put his Hume into an object to animate it. The Dire Wolf he created did not at all fall victim to Bleed, thus it could be extrapolated his power worked the same fundamental way as Imbuing. What he would do with this information he didnt yet know, and heavily depended on how long his creations lasted. He hadnt yet had the opportunity to stress-test them, still, better late than never. And he needed to answer another curious question he had. He held out his hand, Dragon. Nothing happened. Odd. Slime? No response, no tattoo. Goblin? Again, nothing. He paced around as he thought. It seemed like he could not create fantasy creatures, but it was odd, he was able to manifest the arm of the Invader was he not? Dragons, slimes and goblins were real things here- well, at least similar creatures bore superficial resemblances to them. Goblins in vast numbers were significantly more dangerous than the traditional game mob he was aware of. Was he just missing something about a dragon or slime that made him unable to create them? Something that allowed him to create a shambling eldritch monster but not the base mob of most RPGs? He wasnt sure, he was never that into the fantastical, his knowledge of mythical creatures was nowhere as in-depth as of the real ones, a fact he was now kicking himself over. If his power was based on that inclination, then it would mean he had no access to the worst things human imagination can concoct. A creature with straight-up magical powers would be far more useful than any single animal he can create. Oh well, the hard way it is then. Aiden couldnt create the Invader, if one arm took most of his Hume, then the entire thing would probably kill him outright. He would need to ask someone how Hume increased, it regenerated based on his observations, but capacity was a problem fundamentally linked to his power. Hume, memory, material, all were things he needed for his power to fully flourish. He had one of the three in vast number, but memory was arguably one of the most dangerous things to spend. Sighing, he looked at the clock, 3:28 am. Still very early, he wasnt so inclined to go back to sleep. So what to do? It was dark out and there was little to do inside- Wait. An idea popped into his head as his eyes looked over the blurry outlines of the world. His vision has always been poor, wearing glasses has always been a staple of his life, but perhaps He imagined it, the eyes of a cat, their slightly different structure, just a cats eyes, and he used his power directly over his own eyes. The world lit up. He could see his room in a greyish tone, the outlines of everything was barely visible, but he was definitely seeing in night vision, though annoyingly, everything was still blurry. He found his glasses ,clean after almost an hour of scrubbing. Putting them on, he could now see clearly in the dark, thanks to whatever he got these eyes from. Looks like Im not rid of you yet, he muttered, adjusting his glasses. He absorbed the eye tattoos as he turned on the lights, cat eyes, and wrote it down on a notepad, just in case. And he did it once again. The world drained of colour, becoming grey, but the dark corners seemed to light up, he saw the night clearly now. Glancing into the bathroom mirror, he noted that his eyes glowed slightly through his glasses. As for why he still needed glasses was a mystery, though not at all unexpected. Even if he covered his body in scales, the flesh underneath still had the same softness, a similar principle mustve applied to his eyes as well. The material mattered more than he expected. But that didnt explain how the full creatures he made were able to sense, surely the lack of light receivers inside the material would blind them? Perhaps it was the fullness that did it, maybe he created the rabbit and dire wolf with their nervous systems intact, so their bodies still functioned as expected? Was there even a point in attempting to explain the details of what was essentially magic? There was, Aiden knew. For the more details on how his power, Colorful, worked, the better he could utilise it. Aiden reabsorbed the eyes. Back onto stress testing. The most important thing he wanted to create was an effective combatant, but given his lack of good material in convenient shapes, he had to put it off. The next thing he wanted was a pair of eyes. The rabbit he created as a warning had worked, it sensed the infected dingoes and possibly the Invader, but he wasnt able to properly understand it. Seeing Dr Oliver and Mr Reddy had given him an idea of what he should strive for, he needed something that could effectively communicate and work together with him, able to intelligently understand his actions and move autonomously from him. A symbiotic partnership. There were many creatures that fit that descriptor, but on a material budget like he was, not to mention the fact this was planned to be a semi-permanent creation, so he would need to be able to house it, leaving him only a few options. Birds. Grey parrots, ravens and crows. All were highly intelligent and capable of human speech, grey parrots did so more often, but ravens and crows in captivity were known to learn how to talk as people did. Their senses wouldnt be that much better than humans, but A, Aiden was already half-blind so any kind of extra eyes would be a plus for him, and B, they would be capable of flight. Of the three, he decided he would go first with a crow. Though they werent known to speak as parrots did, he had a feeling he could overcome that with his power, they were also smaller than ravens, making them more compact. On a piece of paper, he wrote down the things he wanted, a loyal, intelligent crow that could talk with him. Three ideas, three words, all pumped into the same thing. The most hes done thus far, the dire wolf only had two, loyal and afraid. With four bookmarks placed in the dictionary, he used his power. Oros stirred, the growing black a sign of his Hume usage, growing all the way to a quarter of the white serpent. The tattoo appeared on his right arm, two dimensional at a glance, but it was moving even as a tattoo, turning around curiously at its surroundings. Only Oros displayed any semblance of movement whilst it was still a tattoo, all others had remained still until the moment he pushed them into something. Ripping out some spare work paper, he began folding the vague form of the bird, the task significantly more difficult now that he was missing a hand. The tattoo watched with undisguised curiosity as he worked, and when he was done, the shape leapt off his arm without encouragement. It was strange, watching his tattoos unfold. Like lifelike drawings, they dotted the surface of his skin, showing only one side when not possessing something, appearing almost like flat 2D drawings. It was when they moved to possess something that they unfolded, the drawing turning three-dimensional, covering every nook and cranny of the animated object until the crow perked its beaked head at him. He read the definitions in the dictionary as he worked, as well as the animal encyclopedia he had on hand, and so, he tested it with a hesitant Hello? And it opened its beak, Greetings. Chapter 15 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 2 Chapter 15 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 2 As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door- Only this and nothing more. - A guy who definitely fucks birds. The sky was covered in eyes. By the Earth, Wind and Fire Classifications, the Gate has been designated Jebel, Calm and Keneq. Despite the low disruption class, the presence of an active Invader using Channeling has made me upgrade the threat class to High B, Freddy heard the Colonel record. Four B rank Metas are on the field with the A rank Allen. Along with GERM Squad 4, the local cape team led by Grassroots and the cowl Telepurte. The villain perked up stiffly at her name being called out, she was a long-ranged teleporter, who unfortunately took to bank robbing. Later getting captured by the cape team glaring needles into her right now. Freddy suspected if her power wasnt so useful she wouldve been rotting in a prison somewhere. Due to the low disruption class, MTF Lambda Six will be providing logistics and artillery support. Reality Anchors will be kept in reserve until required, Howard finally finished, putting down the tape recorder. Is that really needed general? Grassroots asked, his living costume writhing with every spoken word. Its a bureaucratic requirement, the Colonel answered. Not to mention there is strength in speaking a plan aloud, Freddy muttered. ?? Foxy spoke in agreement. Off to your positions everyone, Howard continued. I want this threat sealed by tonight. And he wasnt being foolish or rushed here, Freddy knew. There was a time limit before the Invader claimed this entire section of reality as its own. Then it was truly lost and in every sense of the word, irrecoverable. Freddy got the cowl separated from the cape group, the woman almost sighed a breath of relief as she distanced herself from them. Grassroots continued to glance at the villain even as he moved off with his team to do their own part. Dont worry, she wont get away from me, Freddy reassured them with a smile. Though in truth, Telepurte wouldnt want to escape, unless she went the way of old villains like Irritant the Immortal or A. Nigma, that is, going completely batshit insane. But the eyes she was looking at him with werent that of someone looking for a way out, but of a meek caution. The rules here for meta villains were very clear, and incredibly humane compared to other places, a cowl assists in dealing with existential threats like Gates and avoided killing people, if they dont or were more trouble than they were worth, then instead of heroes, a kill squad would be sent after them. Some places skipped the middle man and just mind controlled anyone caught, but that tended to be riskier compared to appealing to the cowls innate nature of looking after their own hides before anyone elses. Though her blood flow was oddly fast, and she kept glancing around her. Definitely preparation for a flight or fight response, probably flight given her ability. First time in a Gate? he casually asked as she blinked forward, next to the large device they would be stationed to defend. The woman nodded, huddling into herself almost like a mouse. ???? Foxy greeted cheerily. The other meta, Allen Gibbs simply stood stoically to the side, well, appeared to, his heart was beating absurdly quickly, which mightve made him worry for any other A-Class if Freddy didnt know the other man had severe social anxiety. It was hilarious in a way, the man kept getting dragged into more and more dangerous Gates because he doesnt know how to say no. When the Colonel left back into the safety of normal reality, along with all the other unneeded baselines, they began. The Invader stood out in the centre of the Bleed affected radius, unmoving, its petals closed around its head. Its massive size made it dwarf even the tallest trees, blood flooded freely within the grooves made by its arms, creating strange eldritch symbols, and the false fire that lit all only served to highlight the monster. The remaining Guardsmen manned the device, one blowing into a whistle, signalling everyone to put on their earmuffs. Firing in three! Two! One! Fire! Chemical explosions were long thought to be too unstable, too many different moving parts, even if only one was altered, that was one thing in the missile which you had no idea how it would react, so the weapons they used were relatively simple, less moving parts to ensure less things went horrifically wrong. The Guardsmen manning the device fired, releasing highly compressed oxygen to launch a massive ball of scrap metal, its range was close to eleven thousand metres thanks to all the fuckery contrivers and gadgeteers alike put into it. All they felt was the massive noise that wouldve burst their eardrums had they not worn protection, and the line of trees was simply obliterated into sawdust by the sheer force of that thing passing by, drawing a deep gouge within the forest as it flew closer towards the Invader. Then it abruptly stopped mid-flight. One moment it was moving in a perfectly straight line, then it stopped, floating in the air for a few more seconds, slowly falling downwards, before it slammed into the ground with a force belying its supposed slow descent. It entered its ability range, Freddy deduced. First shot is a fail, the Guardsmen reported on his radio, they were amazingly lucky this Gate had next to no Bleed effects. Direct fire led to the projectile stopping upon entering ability range, over. But that couldnt be just it, it was floating for a moment, it didnt just immediately fall down like hitting a barrier. Jun said it felt like no matter how much they were running to or away from the Invader, they travelled no distance, even if they felt like they did. Telepurte, the cowl glanced at him, is your teleportation distance-based? She nodded. Can you try teleporting towards it? he asked, pointing towards the Invader. She made a face, as did Foxy who said, ?? I have a good reason, I suspect its ability is based on distance. You just need to barely get into the ability range and try a teleport behind. Telepurte gingerly stepped up, then disappeared, appearing directly next to the ball of scrap at least three times her height. From the distance, she made a confused expression, disappearing before reappearing in that exact spot, she disappeared and reappeared three more times, before she stepped back, appearing right next to Freddy again. I couldnt teleport into its range, she spoke for the first time. Were you making max distance teleports for your ability? he continued to ask. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She nodded. ?? Freddy pulled out his walkie talkie, Fred here, I suspect its ability is based on increasing the distance needed to get to and from two points to effectively infinity, making it so any distance-based movement appears to be impossible.. He explained his reasoning over the device. Feeling the slight novelty of being able to actually use radio inside a Gate. Interesting deduction. But it changes nothing. Over, the tuba twins replied. He felt them enter his range now, flying their first full circle around the creature. Do you think you can overcome it for a moment? Over. There was a brief moment of static as the twins considered it for a moment. Not for long. And certainly not enough to make the entire distance. Over. Understood, then- The Invader moved. All of them stood at attention, as the creature bloomed its flower weaved of endless grey arms, unveiling a bloody ball of flesh covered in gibbering eyes. And they spoke. Ctana. Si. Koas. Every baseline immediately retreat from the Bleed radius! Freddy yelled into the radio. The bloody symbols on the Invaders form writhed with eldritch energy, floating off its body and into the air, rotating around it in a red dome over it. Sultana. De. Sero. Srub. Foxy I need to know what its saying! The woman jumped next to him, her long sandy red hair flowing behind her, she came closer to his ear and whispered with her ability, What Does The Fox Say? And the Fox said, Understand. Behold Watching Gods, the Invader spoke, its language now known to Freddy. Foxy coughed into her hand as she popped a cough drop. Behold Watching Kings. Freddys radio buzzed, Whats it saying? He hurriedly repeated the things words as it spoke, Behold Watching Lords, it continued to echo. This One Stands Within The Precipice Of Chaos ETA in a minute, the twins called out on the radio. Over. Hurry up on that, Freddy answered as he felt the brothers get ever closer to the Invader. ...This One Brings The Light Of Order Into The Harrowed Lands, the bloody symbols orbiting it increased in speed, till the point they were naught but an unrecognisable blur above its form. Why havent you guys gotten out yet? Freddy yelled out behind him, to the two Guardsmen, to the device they were driving backwards. But not moving any distance. ?? Behold All Those With Eyes, the petals rose, the blood that formed that dome suddenly coalescing into a single point, infinitely small, a point with no width, length or height. It was simply a point in space. This One Has Crafted Beauty From Chaos. Freddy felt it, a familiar and instinctual guttural feeling of wrongness. Something that was gone until this very moment. Something he didnt feel because he believed the Invaders Expansion caused the Bleed to be too diffused for any negative effect. Something he was very wrong about, as his daggers shot out towards the two guardsmen, but he was too late. May All Who Behold It Weep. The two Guardsmen crumpled to the ground, kneeling as their eyes fell out of their sockets, sliding off their faces like water as their sockets were blackened. And from those hollowed sockets, eyes continued to fall out, falling onto the ground and blooming into flowers. He felt it now, prickling his own eyes, a desire to simply weep. His own Reinforcement flared to life, the feeling slightly weakened, but it was still there. Shit, this wasnt a meta ability, hes seen enough to know the difference. The radio still in hand he yelled into it, Its a magic-user! I repeat, its a magic-user on top of being an ability user! Theyre going to need the assistance of the Clock Tower or even the Church depending on how powerful it was. Meta Techniques were most effective against other meta abilities, not shit like magic. We need to retreat! Negative, one of the twins replied. Were too close. Continue as planned Freddy, all other agents begin to retreat. ETA in fifteen seconds He didnt need to turn towards the other three, they were already moving back. No, he simply raised a hand towards the Invader. Extended Technique, Bloody Stream. He initially had worries about how his max range would be affected by the Invaders ability, but it only worked in a linear direction, an ability like his that encompassed a radius around him still functioned as normal. The Invader suddenly seized, its undulating form freezing as Freddy gripped on it, but it resisted his pull, the Invaders own Reinforcement bought it a precious few seconds where it was still able to move slightly. But his ability won out in the end, the beast froze just as The Tuba Brothers slammed into it, the force of the blow shattered the nearby treeline and forced his eyes closed from the scattering dust, but he could see clearly through his power, the liquids inside both men punching the Invader with enough force to shatter buildings. Above us, Allen spoke for the first time. He felt it too late, the massive objects that just entered his range. He looked up, feeling the horror of realisation. The skies had eyes and they wept. Every single eye dwarfed houses, falling from above like rain, they covered the entire sky. A brief moment of hesitation, before he threw up his other arm, holding back the entire heavens with his other hand. And it was a moment of distraction too many, as the Invader found its body freed for a single moment, one petal slashed the other, drawing purple blood that fell to the ground and blooming into crystal mouths. And the Invader disappeared from his power as it was freed from Freddys grasp. He didnt have time to consider this as he fell to the ground, both hands held up, holding the full weight of the sky falling onto them. He felt his throat dry as his Hume was consumed to hold back the massive weight falling onto them. His mind swept the area, seeing everyone retreat from the liquids that were inside them. But Allen still stood beside him, unwrapping the bandages on his arm. Shadow, I offer you the skin from my right arm from the elbow upwards ending at the wrist. And his Shadow answered, rising from the ground and standing beside him. Destroy the sky in return. The only acknowledgement the Shadow gave was it grasping onto the bared skin of Allens arm. Its fingers drew fine circular lines across it before it began to carefully unpeel the skin off the mans arm, much like peeling an orange or apple. The Shadow then cradled its prize, slurping it into itself as if it were a particularly thick noodle. And when the Shadow finished, it turned its head skyward, and its mouth opened and covered the entire sky in darkness. Freddy heaved out a sigh of relief as he collapsed, the weight gone. Allen was already wrapping up the bloody arm in the bandages, the wet flesh underneath was bared for but a moment. How much to kill that fucker? he rasped. Both my lungs. And to break the magic working? My liver. Shit, Freddy muttered. He was not envious of Allens power, powers that had an innate cost to use tended to not consume Hume at all, but those with greater costs had a greater effect. Allens own power allowed him to destroy anything if he offered a physical part of himself, but the more difficult the target was to destroy, the more irreplaceable the things he needed to sacrifice. Not to mention, every time something irreplaceable was replaced or healed, the cost went up. Time to retreat, one of the Tuba Brothers called over the radio. Freddy just had enough Hume to sense one of them carrying the injured form of the other. Copy that, over, he replied as he moved out.
Aiden felt it. A feeling of wrongness, not as strong as the Gate he survived yesterday, but enough that he caught onto it like a bloodhound. And now he stood, in a long-abandoned district, squinting into the darkness of a hollowed-out warehouse. Got anything Ranpoe? he asked as he heard the flapping wings return. The crow shook its head. Lets hope its nothing then, he said as he stepped in. Chapter 16 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 3 Chapter 16 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 3 And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; - Oh damn did he fuck cats as well? Greetings. Aiden has seen videos of crows talking before, different from parrots, their voices were deeper, lending a more human sound to them. This one was no different. It had an accent to it, but one he couldnt place with any human language. You are aware and conscious? It depends on how you define consciousness, it evenly replied, its beak moving as it spoke. He raised an eyebrow, barely a minute after its birth and it was already philosophizing. What information do you have of your surroundings and existence? he asked. I know you created me, the general situation of the world, and have knowledge of a myriad of creatures, which I suspect you will find useful. Aiden frowned, What is the name of the venomous jellyfish known to cause a feeling of impending doom? Irukandji jellyfish, it is the smallest known species of jellyfish at an adult size of about one cubic centimetre, it inhabits the northern marine waters of Australia. What is the terrestrial bird endemic to Africa that hunts through high powered kicks? Secretary Bird or Sagittarius serpentarius, they are capable of flight, but usually only reserve it to escape predators by flying into nearby trees. Crustacean that has twelve to sixteen photoreceptors and can strike rapidly with their claws? Mantis Shrimp, they are sometimes referred to as Thumb Splitters due to their ability to inflict painful wounds. The bug that wears its victims as armour? Assassin Bug, as nymphs some species use the corpses of ants to camouflage themselves within the colony. Only living relative of the giraffe? Okapi. The antelope with the weird nose? Saiga Antelope. He switched tactics, Main limitation of the Ogre Faced Spider? Its eyes are so sensitive that every day the photosensitive portion is destroyed by the sun and they are forced to regrow it every evening. What do koalas feed their young? Their own faeces, it is to pass on vital gut bacteria as the young koala would not be able to digest eucalyptus. When does Black Mold release its spores? When it is mechanically disturbed, particularly when they are wet. It makes them difficult to remove completely and they are frequently found in human habitation because you produce the ideal environment for them. How does a cuttlefishes'' colour camouflage work? Through the contraction of muscles around chromatophores, sacs of either brown, red or yellow pigment. Through muscle contraction, it releases the pigment to adapt to its surroundings. And what of chameleon camouflage? Ah, a common misconception you threw out, it seemed to smugly reply. Chameleons mainly change colour to regulate temperature and to communicate, not to camouflage. They change colour using guanine crystals located under a superficial layer of pigmented skin. Colour change is achieved by changing the space between guanine crystals which changes the wavelength of light reflecting off of it. Fascinating, he murmured. Youre the real deal. It was a bonus that he didnt have to teach it from the ground up, but the fact that it had information from its birth was This confirms another aspect of your power does it not? it asked. Aiden narrowed his eyes, Elaborate. He had an idea of what it was talking about, but he needed to hear it from its own beak. When passing on a singular concept, you also pass on all associated sub-concepts with it. A rabbit will still hop even if you did not give it hop, a wolf will still hunt even if you do not give it hunt, and intelligent... Will grant the associated biases I had with the meaning of intelligent. Looking at the dictionary definition, having or showing intelligence, especially of a high level, which itself led to the definition of intelligence, the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. It became obvious that this didnt fit with the knowledge the crow was displaying. At the very least, you likely considered intelligent to be at least as smart or smarter than you are. Since I would see anyone more capable than I am as intelligent, he agreed. So at the very least, they need to know the things I do or something different at a sufficiently impressive level. The crow shuffled its legs, Which brings us to a fascinating conundrum, I do not believe I possess knowledge or information which you do not. Aiden quirked his eyebrow as it continued, Though I do not know the source of how my knowledge came to be, I believe there are only overlaps with your knowledge, not more, but perhaps even less. Aiden bit his thumb, We would have to confirm it over testing each others knowledge. Indeed, however that it is not the question I was thinking of. The crow stared directly at him, its beady eyes somehow still shining in the low light despite being made of paper. If your concept of intelligence was to be at least smarter than yourself, how do you create a being with only the information you had, yet is more intelligent than you are? He narrowed his eyes, We dont know if my concept of intelligence was capable or smarter than me yet. Aiden suspected that if he created another being with Intelligent, it would not be the same as the crow before him. Since the concept of Intelligent he used for the crow was the result of a lifetime of bias and definition, whereas now it would just be the result of his brief interactions with the crow and the dictionary definition. There is a way, it cautiously began, you reabsorb me, relearn what your biases towards Intelligent is, and you note it down. But you dont want to do that? Aiden asked, noting its hesitation. There is an unknown with your power, the crow replied, if you reabsorb a creature then remake it, are you making the same creature or are you making a copy of it? Or something completely new with the same concepts? He blinked, surprise from two different sources marring his mind, half from realising he never thought of that question, half from realising what asking that implied. Are you fearful of your death? Anyone who doesnt is a fool, it evenly replied, it quirked its head, though I suppose it would make me a fool as well, for I believe I would embrace it if it meant benefiting you. It was a quiet declaration, yet one filled with conviction and certainty. There it was, the second concept he had put in, Loyal. Aiden wondered if he truly understood what it meant at this moment, there are some things that a dictionary could not communicate, some things which ink on a page cannot truly describe. And Aidens mind went to a Dire Wolf, who faced with death overcame fear to stand beside him again. What was intelligence? What was loyalty? He could learn what he meant it was, but it would mean potentially sacrificing a sapient being. Perhaps it was simply a mindless construct, acting out the motions of life, but he did not know that. It was simply a possibility, an assumption and guess. Not something worth wagering another life on. I wont do that, he murmured, for the crow was uncomfortable with the idea, and it trusted and helped him. That should be reciprocated, no matter what. Something flickered across the crows black and beady eyes, something too fast to catch. Aiden crossed his arms, Though that would bring up something annoying. It means the first concept I put in anything would be full concept ... and without reclaiming it, everything past that would just be a copy, lest you spend a long time relearning what it truly meant, the crow finished for him. So essentially, I can never create two things which are truly the same, he murmured. That was annoying to say the least, even disregarding the cost to him, not being able to create two products that were the same put away the idea of mass-producing animates, so naturally Ill have to focus on individual quality. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The crow puffed up its breast, Fortunately for you, I happen to be of excellent quality. Without a doubt a prime specimen. Let us test it then, he said as he stood up. Offering his right arm as a perch, which the crow eagerly hopped onto. Oros regarded it with quiet curiosity, though it still seemed lazy and lethargic, only nodding in greetings as the crow nodded back. One last thing before we depart, the crow said, I want a name. Hmm he pondered it for some time, before he spoke up, I know there was an author called Edgar Allen Poe who wrote a poem about ravens. He glanced over it, I never read it, and you arent a raven, so how about I name you instead over Edogawa Ranpo? The pen name of a Japanese author who admired him. It quirked its head at him, thinking about it for but a moment. Without a doubt that is the worst name I have ever heard. Do you mean to imply I am a two-bit copy of a raven? And to have named a snake Oros because it bites its tail... it shook its head, truly I am unfortunate to have a creator with such poor naming sense. By all accounts, Edogawa was an established author in his own right, Aiden retorted. And yet youve never read the works of Tar Hirai, only holding minor trivia of his life, it sighed, I suppose Ill just have to accept it, at least Im not named something stupid like Aiden. Whats wrong with Aiden? he asked with a bit more force than he intended. It wasnt anything exemplary, but as a name to call someone it was completely fine. And of course its the worst name youve ever heard, its the only name youve ever heard. Ive now heard two, and I can say with confidence Aiden is the lesser name, it declared. So the name I gave you isnt that bad huh? Relativity does not make quality And they continued to bicker as Aiden dressed up for the day.
Dressing up, he left the apartment, his body too tense to stay in one place. His breath misted into cold puffs as he drew his jacket closer. It was entirely too cold for sensible people to be out, but he was almost murdered by choking for the- the second time in the last few hours? Jesus Christ. Sensibility did not allow for surprises, and hes had plenty of those recently. No matter how much he refused to show it on his face. So he stepped down, walking as quietly as he could down the stairs. Ranpo fluttering off his shoulder and into the outer world. Meeting him below at the parking lot. You have my knowledge of creatures, so it makes things easier, he told the waiting crow. Because of Bleed isnt it? Ranpo asked, already divining his purpose for it. Yes, he answered. He needed a way to reliably remember the things he created, paper and notes worked fine in a controlled setting, but in the midst of a battle, he had to rely on others. Something like a digital recorder cant be expected to work reliably inside or near a Gate, every time they entered one, they had to leave behind their phones and other digital devices. Whilst Imbuing could overcome that limitation, he did not yet know how to do it. So he made a speaking creature, capable of memorising the words he spoke when he created another. The fact that it already had a deep knowledge of those things was a welcomed bonus. Ill wander around a bit, stretch my legs, he said, act on your own judgement during then. Itll be a novel experience to see the earth from the sky for the first time, Ranpo answered with a flutter of his wings before he took off, soon becoming a small dot in the sky. He was still near him, so Aiden assumed he would be following him for the walk. A safe play, one that did not discount the potential dangers of this world, both known and unknown. Aiden began his walk ordinarily enough. Simply wandering around his local area, as he walked, he felt a deep sense of nostalgia, yet one that was tainted. His home address was the same yet the apartment was for a family rather than just two people. Some stores he remembered as still being open were closed or gone. The park bordering their home was desolate, the only greenery being the sparse stubborn weeds and grasses that broke through the hard dirt and concrete. Next to it was a river, and as he walked beside it, he noted it looked similar enough, even slightly clearer, but past it, on the other bank, where there were once active factories there was only an abandoned warehouse district, devoid of all life after a particularly bad Gate. The world here had parallels to his own, but it was not his own world. And though he held no deep sense of attachment he still felt a lingering sense of loss as he wandered. The life Aiden Lu once led was gone, instead, he was piloting the body of a boy who shared his name but perished in foolishness and mediocrity. He pulled his coat closer, shrinking slightly into himself as the cold seemed to seep in. It burned away the last remnants of sleep from his mind. The life he had now had opportunity, chances, possibilities. He had the benefit of experience and Jaiden was still alive. It was a redo, one that he was undeserving of, yet he would grasp with all his might. Aiden paused as he passed a bridge, going over the river and to the other side. Eyes narrowing as he took a step back and stood before the bridge, seeing the faded red tape that blockaded the other side. He raised an arm, waving at Ranpo, the crow getting his message and flying down, landing next to him on the railing. Do you sense that? Ranpo shook his head, No, but I suspect you do. Indeed, there was a feeling of uneasiness in the air, of something not being quite right. He recognised it, for it once left him still in terror and shock. Im sensing Bleed in this area. It wasnt strong or dense, where the Bleed he felt during a Gate was like standing in the midst of a rave, this was naught but a whisper of a whisper. But he still felt it. It could just be the leftovers from the last Gate, he murmured. Like radiation, Bleed did not truly disappear, they dispersed over time, becoming weaker and less pronounced as local reality took precedent, but they still lingered, staying in the area for days to even centuries. That was why shutting a Gate as quickly as possible was so important. He felt his pocket for his phone, feeling the weight that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Watch from the sky, Im going to investigate. Ranpo nodded as he moved forward. The tape was no obstacle, he passed it easily, feeling a slight bit of remorse at breaking the law, but few people checked this area, and he had only good intentions. He hoped it was nothing, that he was merely being paranoid, but as he walked the quiet and eerie streets of a district once roaring with the life of machinery and people, he could only feel that feeling strengthen. From a whisper of a whisper to simply a whisper. Until it was no longer a feeling, but a palpable sense of unease as he finally stood in front of the hanging doors of an abandoned warehouse. Got anything Ranpoe? he asked as he heard the flapping wings return. The crow shook its head. Lets hope its nothing then, he said as he stepped into the darkness. Cat Eyes, he murmured, low enough only Ranpo heard it. His steps disturbed decades-old dust as he surveyed the area around him. The warehouse was dug in, going a few stories below into the ground, he stood now on a metal walkway ringing the edges, the railings rusty from age. There were some rotting wooden crates here, both beside and underneath him, giving the area a scent of decay and he adjusted his glasses as he looked toward the floor. There were footprints here, fresh within the dust, they were small, almost like that of a childs- The bullet slammed into his forehead, knocking him back, he briefly lost balance, Ranpo fluttering off his shoulder in panic before Aiden reasserted himself. A vile and high pitched laugh sounded throughout the emptiness of the building and Aiden caught sight of a gaunt and childlike figure standing atop a pile of crates before he jumped behind his own. More bullets pinging the floor where he once stood. Blood flowed from his wound, reddening his vision in his left eye, but the bullet did not pierce his skull, he saw it on the ground beside him, bent and broken, along with the other bullets that ricocheted and bounced off the metal flooring, leaving slight dents, but the bullets didnt fly with any more force than a thrown rock. He didnt protect his skin, yet the bullet still failed to pierce his skull, he saw a gaunt and childlike figure, and while he couldnt see colour in the darkness, he would bet that the figure had green skin. Bu knew about goblins, and it was his memories Lu was using as a reference at this moment. The fact the bullet didnt break bone meant there were at most one or two goblins. It took around five for them to have dangerous weaponry, and a dozen for their bullets to be lethal to normal humans. And most of all, they did not have subtlety. The goblin was still firing wildly in his general direction, bullets bounced all around him, but it wasnt able to see in the dark, and it revealed its own location. Ranpo disappeared somewhere, likely hiding out in higher ground and using his own colour to blend into the darkness, he would have to do this alone. With a thought, his skin was covered entirely in tattoos, save for the wrist which held Oros. Scales and shells of a dozen different animals covering his body, he leapt out of cover. Gunfire followed his movement, banging into his body painfully like thrown rocks, but they didnt pierce his skin this time. Rushing forward, he turned the corner and stood directly before the goblin firing at him. The fiery tongues from its weapon the only light in the darkness. He ran forward, arms held in guard to protect his eyes as more bullets slammed into him. Rushing past long rotting crates and kicking them aside. Then there was a flutter of wings, a string of curses from the goblin as Ranpo flew in, pecking at the things face, letting off the fire for a brief moment. He reached it then, the haphazardly stacked pile of crates which the goblin stood on. He kicked it down, all the crates hollow and empty, the tower falling like a sandcastle as the goblin yelped. With a crash of wood and flesh, the tower fell, Aiden held his breath as a plume of dust was thrown into the air. Grabbing onto the pole-like railing beside him, he thought of two things, Boa Constrictor and Obey. The metal railing coiled to life, hissing and falling onto the floor as it came free of its rusty attachments. Attack the goblin, he said. It hissed, sliding into the debris with dexterity afforded only by its shape, while Aiden was still trying to traverse the pile of rubble. He heard a final yelp, a curse in the goblin language before it was silenced. Finally getting past the pile of shattered crates, he found the snake wrapped around the goblin, its fangs sunk deeply into its body as it coiled tighter around it. Ranpo flapped down, landing on a piece of wood still sticking up. Anymore around? Aiden asked. I cant see in the dark you dolt, Ranpo replied, looking at him as if he were an idiot. My bad, he murmured as he looked around. He doubted there were more goblins around, its weapons were too weak, and others wouldve attacked by now. They were not a smart race when few in number, driven mostly by impulse and whim. He knelt down, grabbing the gun that the goblin was using. It appeared little more than a box with a trigger, with a muzzle that was clearly from a PVC pipe. Rattling it around, he could hear some things bouncing around in its metal body. He pointed it forward, his one hand holding onto its small grip, and he pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He tsked as he shook the weapon. The goblin had long since ceased struggling, the snake was in the midst of swallowing the body. Did his creations need food? He wouldnt be surprised but it would certainly be odd. What is that snake? he asked Ranpo. It pondered for a moment, I would guess a Boa Constrictor. He knelt down, absorbing the snake, Correct. Cmon, he said. The goblin was dead, but he still felt it, the sense of unease, permeating this warehouse. Indeed, Ranpo replied, I can still smell it. The smell of rotting flesh. He found a ladder down, the feeling of unease from his senses mixed with that of his own. He pulled away crates as he followed that sense, catching onto it like a bloodhound. Until he rounded a corner and saw it. A person, nude and strung up on a wall, her chest was ripped open, her heart lay on the side as her ribs were splayed out like wings behind her. Piercing her flesh were numerous crudely fashioned needles and tubes, pumping softly glowing green liquid into her. If he could see colour in the dark, he wouldve seen the discoloured rot that was in the desiccated corpses. So it was trying to make a hobgoblin, he murmured. He glanced at the small weapon in his hands, throwing it towards the wall, it slammed open, revealing that the box that made the guns body was completely empty, with only a few bits of metal and screws inside. Goblins were a race of Contrivers. They mimicked human technology with crudely made contraptions that worked only because enough of them believed they worked. Enough goblins in the same area will cause greater effect, as such, their danger rose exponentially with number. Hobgoblins were the next stage of a goblin infestation, made from altered humanoid bodies, they did not have any contriving ability, instead, possessing great physical power and higher cunning. Goblins would begin kidnapping people to transform into hobgoblins whenever possible, but only when an infestation reached at least twenty in number would a hobgoblin be successfully created. So this woman was dead no matter what, for that goblin was alone and had no chance of success. How very annoying, Aiden murmured as he reached for his phone. He dialled the emergency number, Hello, Id like to report a dead goblin. Chapter 17 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 4 Chapter 17 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 4 Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, Sir, said I, or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; - so his cat was named Catterina The military police arrived rather quickly. Aiden mentally praised their efficacy as they went about their work, he received some questions about what happened but was let go after they confirmed his identity as a meta with the school. The body needed to be autopsied, but that wasnt any of his concern, so he left for his final orientation day.
Are we just going to let him go? an officer asked his senior, just as she was taking pictures of the scene. What if theyre a cowl? Dont bother, the older officer answered, it doesnt matter if he was a cape or a cowl, or if he eats babies for breakfast. They reported a Gate incident and so we give them space for this case. Cowls were a known quantity, expected, even appreciated to an extent. If they robbed a bank on Monday and cleared a Gate on Tuesday, were expected to smile and thank them for their contribution, she continued. With a wry grin, the older officer added, Of course, once Tuesday passes were free to go after them but She gestured at the goblin corpse, wrapped inside what appeared to be a rusted metal pole. Specifically, she gestured inward, towards the goblins fingers. It had human-like nails, peeled back and bloody. It had clearly clawed against the metallic body of the railing with enough desperation that its own nails cracked and bent, drawing lines of red where it had scratched, its hands frozen in a state of rigor mortis, forever solidifying its final struggle. If he was a cowl, I wouldnt want to be the one assigned to them.
Ranpo soared through the sky. It was quite breathtaking, he had to admit. More so than he expected, he was after all an avian, yet the sight of all things being mere dots on the ground filled him with a strange exhilaration. He noted a gathering of people just a few blocks away from his creator? Master? All of those words were true, yet felt lacking. In the end, he settled on just Aiden. Diving down, he swiftly landed beside the man, on a row of wrought iron fence. Flaring his feathers somewhat as he did so. Are your arms alright? Ranpo asked. Aiden glanced at them, seeing the spots of ugly purple dotting his skin. Just some bruising, he answered in response, nothing to worry about it. It was an odd thing, how Aiden seemed to react to pain, namely that he didnt. Ranpo was not blessed with memories of what came before, only the knowledge of them. So he knew a creature should react to pain, to wounds no matter how benign. Hells, humans had a tendency to say Ow just because they think they were hurt! Anything noteworthy you saw? Nothing much, the crow responded, I saw some people gathering a few blocks from here. Oh? What for? The crow searched his mind, he only caught a bare glimpse, but the glaring signs were enough, writ in large red with massive percentages. Something about a sale. Aiden slowed in his steps, ... and where did you see this? Ranpo relayed the location, a chain grocery store by the name of- Aiden was already running. Huh? the crow let out a brief expression of surprise, before he leapt off the iron fencing, flying after Aiden. Why are you running? he called out to the rapidly disappearing figure. Are you stupid? Aiden yelled, Theres a sale you nincompoop! Ranpo let his wings flag, halting his momentum as he watched the figure rapidly disappear into the distance. Aiden still had a scar on his forehead where the goblin bullet struck him, he did nothing to it but wipe the blood with a napkin. On his remaining hand, were the scars from when he held his hands so tightly they bled. Barely a few days as a meta, barely a few days as Aiden Bu, and the man was already covered in a myriad of scars. And yet his priority was still to get a discount on some groceries? There is something wrong with his head, Ranpo murmured.
Aiden was too late. When Ranpo had sighted the target, the deed was already well underway. Aiden fought his way through the crowd of old aunties and housewives, barely reaching the storefront, snatching a few cans of tuna, eggs and some other perishables before the store was left completely bare. What was left was only a long queue of customers and several very exacerbated checkout employees rapidly scanning every purchase, making more than a few slip-ups along the way. Aiden could only feel sorry as he was leaning on some brand mascot. A large bipedal bear whose empty paw showed that some madman had ripped off the prop can in their insane bid for deals. Youre the one holding it, Ranpo murmured on his shoulder. With a completely neutral expression, Aiden glanced at the shopping cart he had hurriedly filled, then with a completely straight face, plopped the cart on the ground, freeing his one hand before he took out a stylized can and dropped it in the plaster bears hand. Ranpo smirked with a smug look, then began cleaning his feathers. Surprisingly the crow drew few looks. He supposed with people like Dr Oliver Oliver running around a talking crow wouldnt seem that strange. Oddly, the crow seemed to have more detail than he had this morning. Where before Aiden could say clearly that this was an origami crow made from paper, now it was more difficult. The thing seemed to have feathers when Aiden never folded that level of detail into the creature. If Aiden only saw Ranpos silhouette, he would not be able to distinguish him from the real thing. It was something that had to be noted, for Ranpo was thus far his longest-living creation. How do you feel? Aiden asked. Intelligent bastard that it was, he picked up on his meaning, My body felt stiff this morning. I didnt even know what stiff felt like, just that compared to now, I felt stiff when I was born. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Aiden nodded. There were still too many unknowns, with his power and of his understanding of the world. Unknowns he had to fill. Thankfully, he didnt need to grasp unknowingly in the dark. Huh? Isaac exclaimed. Why are you asking me? The gadgeteers warehouse was as dirty as before, enough that his finger itched to clean it up, but he stilled it. Youre the only other teacher at this school I know of. So I figured it couldnt hurt to ask. Isaac shook his head, Does Hume increase of course it does! He moved to the back, pulling out a large whiteboard covered in calculations and other things Aiden couldnt quite wrap his head around. Im only going to say this once, so get it through your thick head. Hume, as a rule, tends to increase due to several factors, Meta Awakening is the main one, but some others are age and practice. He wrote the two on the whiteboard, clicking his tongue as his marker appeared to have been dried. Throwing it away, he continued, Youve already experienced the first, so right now its just a thing of the other two. Age and practice, self-explanatory, the longer youve been alive the more Hume you have, the more you use Hume, the more you have. Understanding this is as easy as shitting after Taco Tuesdays. Aiden bit his thumb, recalling some memories of Bu, he murmured, Age and practice huh Is that why so many high rankers are old? Cant just be that, Ranpo said, perched on the tail of Isaacs flying device. Plenty of them are pretty young as well, Mischa, Deicide, The Annihilator, Morning Wood countless others are pretty high ranking even though theyre young. Well spotted, a fourth voice added. Vice Principal Taylor, Isaac said to the new figure, an older woman with curly red hair. Isaac, she nodded back, I came to see how youre doing out of your trance. Unfortunately, I sense the concept of hygiene has still eluded you. It was then Aiden noticed that the woman was blind. Her pupils were white and her head-turned not to face them, but to point her ears towards them. Did you need anything else? Isaac asked. I would like you to resume teaching. Youve been freeloading for too long searching for a miracle gadget. You have better skills than your power and even then the achievement of a Focus is high indeed. A Focus? Ranpo asked, noting the capitalisation of the word. Isaac gestured at the flying device, and the Vice Principal spoke as if repeating from a textbook, An extension of Hume Imbuing. Where the user parts with a significant portion of their Hume into something else, usually of their own creation. To give it not only resistance to Bleed but also minor negation of other powers. It becomes stronger the fewer you make, hence the term Focus, Isaac added. They are costly things, the woman agreed, I was surprised you even managed it. They are not lightly attempted even by veteran gadgeteers. Because of the danger of running out of Hume? Aiden asked. Both adults nodded. Then back to our previous topic, he continued, what of increasing your Hume level? Time and practice is the most reliable way to increase it, Isaac asserted, use your power every day, well within the limits of your own Hume and it would naturally increase over time. The Vice Principal chuckled lightly, Thats a bit rich coming from you dear Isaac. You and young Frederic both came into your absurd pools through a Defining Moment did you not? And so I understand better than most that it is an unreliable way to do things. Youre basically betting all your money on a lottery rather than on safe, constant investment. Excuse me, but what is a Defining Moment? Aiden asked. The Vice Principal glanced at him- well, in his general direction, Ah forgive me, I sometimes forget not all our students are from geneline families. A Defining Moment is something that rarely happens to a Meta while they are critically low on Hume and experiencing a moment of weight. Aiden opened his mouth, but just then Ranpo flew down, landing on his shoulder and blocking his mouth with a wing, Lets unpack both of those one at a time, how low? Isaac let out a short bark of laughter, Phasing in and out of existence low. Often times if a Defining Moment doesnt happen then the person simply disappears. Taylor nodded, There are some interesting things regarding that. When someone runs out of Hume or frequently get low, there are reports of distant acquaintances forgetting about them, or of their personal effects suddenly being lost. Its fucking biased is what it is, Isaac said, all the people who fail a Defining Moment are blanked from existence, so we only hear about those who succeeded. Meaning more idiots try to seek one out! That is only a theory dear Isaac, the Vice Principal reminded, while it is true that there are many blanks in our records. We cannot definitively say a meta blanking on Hume causes them to disappear entirely. Cause all proof disappears, Isaac muttered, before looking at Aiden, Kid if theres a single thing you heard from me, its that unless youre suicidal, you dont chase something stupid like a DM. There was a moment of silence, before Ranpo perked up, But hypothetically Isaac shook his head before he pulled out a bottle from somewhere and began drinking. Ignoring him, Ranpo turned to the Vice Principal, Hypothetically speaking, what did you mean by weight? That is difficult to define, young crow, she answered. Aiden raised an eyebrow, for the woman appeared to be blind. It is a moment of weight. A moment that is important in one way or another. Perhaps a moment of desperation, or of a revelation that shakes a person to their core. But perhaps most importantly, it is a moment of need. You may think of it as just another Awakening, like the one that gave you your powers, but the difference is- While an Awakening puts you on the board, Isaac interrupted, a Defining Moment tells all the players what kind of piece you are. Aiden scrunched his brow, What does that mean? Who fucking knows, Isaac said, its too esoteric to bother classifying. Its returns are nothing special. You could achieve the same thing with a few years of practice with Meta Techniques, only without the risk and the myriad uncontrollable factors. It is overall, not worth seeking. But it is something to be aware of right? Ranpo asked, Something a meta should know? That, the Vice Principal began, a strange smile on her face, is true indeed. Aiden wanted to ask more, but the woman simply glanced outward, It appears I am needed again. Child if you require more advice we have an expert staff of teachers and instructors that can help you, though some of us will be required in the near future. The Gate at Last Stand? Isaac asked. She nodded, The Invader has displayed magical capabilities, so Im required as an advisor. Sister Savage and Carl Reese will also be gone for the future. Isaac was silent for a moment, before he finally asked, Are we that short on people? The Vice Principals silence said enough that he tsked. Aiden watched the exchange in silence, not commenting before Ranpo broke the silence. One last question that this idiot has been meaning to ask, what of employment as a meta? As your Vice Principal, I am obligated to tell you that employment or the exercise of your power over a Class 3 level legally requires a license, which at minimum requires you to be of at least 18 years of age, she answered instantly, with a serene expression on her face. Aiden frowned, Unfortunately I cant wait 2 years to start earning good money. It was nigh impossible for him to get the money he needed with a legitimate job. The most feasible scenario was him relying on his power somehow. The only worthwhile skill that Aiden Bu theoretically had. Isaac snorted, As someone who isnt your Vice Principal and not legally obliged to tell you what the letter of law says, I will tell you to go ask the current Career or Guidance Counsellor about it. Aiden noticed that the Vice Principal had a sudden great interest in the dirty concrete floor. Nodding to Isaac, who was rolling his eyes, he figured he probably shouldnt pursue this line of questioning within her presence. Plausible deniability was a factor that has come up many times in Lus career, more often than someone who worked nine to five as a mid-level accountant shouldve seen. Well now that my obligations are out of the way, Ill be off. Isaac, I look forward to you returning to teaching, and young man, I look forward to your time here, regardless of what career path you choose. Aiden nodded, Thank you for your time. While Ranpo puffed his wings, It was nice meeting you. She nodded towards them, While it is my wish all my students take good, legal career paths, I am aware the nature of necessity sometimes makes it difficult. The support we can offer is in the end, limited to education. Despite that, I hope you live a good life. Thank you, Aiden said and he meant it truly. She glanced in Isaacs direction, a wry smile appearing on her face, Try not to burn yourself out Isaac. No promises, he murmured. And she left. She seems like a nice lady, Ranpo remarked. Indeed, Aiden agreed. Isaac sighed, Nice is the wrong way to put it, shes a cautious optimist. But understand no-one gets to her position by being a good person. Aiden and Ranpo were silent as they turned towards him. The man scratched his head, Just Kid, dont commit any major felonies. Dont get a god complex thinking youre invincible and above consequences just because you have a shiny new gimmick. Ive he breathed out, the bottle in his hand was now half empty, his voice was shaky when he finally resumed, Remember this, no Awakened is truly sane, and I''ve... Ive seen her kill way too many kids already. And on that cheery note, they left. Chapter 18 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 5 Chapter 18 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 5 Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, Basically just dont commit any major crimes, Rick answered, even if you go cowl its a guarantee the military police will know who you are, they just pretend they dont because most cowls make themselves more useful than their upkeep cost. Keep collateral damage to a minimum but if you do go overboard an Anonymous Donation will contribute greatly to keeping yourself out of jail. And of unlicensed power work? Same thing, the man continued, they officially dont condone it but wont stop a helpful citizen that does competent work. But dont expect to be paid for unlicensed work, correct? Legally at least, Rick answered, his hands steepled, however do note any reputation you build up will carry with you into your professional career. Which can be either helpful or detrimental depending on your actions. Aiden bit his thumb, So in a way, it is a lot like freelancing, no perhaps the best way to describe it is a freelance internship? Rick chuckled, That isnt a bad way to describe it, I might steal that actually. You are surprisingly open for someone talking about clandestine activities, Ranpo remarked, his attention drawn from a bauble in the room. Of course, I finally managed to get rid of all the listening devices after all, he spoke with a sigh of relief, you wouldnt believe where they can hide the stuff. Aiden only raised an eyebrow. They spoke a bit more after that, Rick recommending an organisation that did money laundering and promising him to pass a recommendation for a local hero team as a sidekick. Which was literally just an unpaid internship. Aiden accepted, if only out of politeness, to at least attend the interview. In the end it just all sums up to Be less trouble than you are worth, the crow observed as they left. He nodded in return, hands clutching a piece of paper which the man sneakily handed to him as they left. Finding an empty bench behind the gym building, he sat and read it. Rip and bury after done. Paper is 100% biodegradable and will seed a nice flower. On it were a few short paragraphs, each with a name, a brief description and a location. The actual recommendations I suspect, Ranpo murmured beside him. Criminal gangs and organised crime. There were longer descriptions of the larger gangs, some Aiden recognised from Bus memories. Are you going to take this? Ranpo asked. Aiden bit his thumb, thinking for a moment. No, he finally decided. I want to keep to legal means, if only out of societal obligation. The crow nodded, and Aiden pocketed the page. But you are keeping the paper? Ranpo asked. I want to be a decent person, Aiden answered mildly. I need to make a thousand a week. The crow simply closed his dark beady eyes, If you say so. I do, Aiden said as he stood up. There were students coming now, entering the soccer field behind the gym. He began to leave but paused as he spotted a figure. Is that Aiden trailed off as he squinted his eyes and adjusted his glasses. Is that who? Ranpo asked, glancing towards the same direction. No one, he answered, shaking his head. There was a person who looked familiar for a passing moment, but it wasnt her. The boy wore a white fox mask that covered his eyes and nose, with a sun symbol on the forehead. His hair was black and ended in yellow tips. Might be a brother or something. And most importantly, he moved too slowly to be Jun. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Lets go, he murmured. The final day of orientation happened around noon. They met up and got their pictures taken. A student card was produced and given. There was a fee to replace it, but that was it. Aidens face was a bit scuffed since the bruise from the goblin bullet was still fresh but the picture came out alright. The last part was a tour around the school led by Rick, Aiden had already seen most of it, just lacking the staff. The librarian was a three headed chimp, each heads brain was exposed and they occasionally reached into a jar to change their minds, but they were one of the least weird things. Aiden said hi to Dr Oliver and Hasan again, they did a cursory check on his bruises but let him go. Then Aiden was a tree in the middle of the schoolyard. Aiden appeared to be a normal oak tree, around two centuries old, but within close proximity he could only be referred to in the first person. Aiden was told that he was ultimately safe to be around but that he should avoid himself as repeated exposure to himself over the years made the effect he had on himself longer lasting. God I was a real mindfuck, Alexis muttered. Youredoingitagain, Jun replied. Imfuckingwithyourheadtoomuch. Youre doing it as well, Ranpo mildly noted, it seems my proximity effect lingers even after leaving. Aiden raised his eyebrow, not bothering to say that all of them seemed to still be under effect of He decided he wasnt going to finish that thought. He saw the wall again, all the names written on it going back who knows how long. Then there was the classroom where time completely reset two minutes after someone entered. Finally they entered the gym, it had a combat simulations room underground, that could throw out a bunch of robot dummies and change its terrain slightly, in a way similar to the ever shifting obstacle course outside. Jun and Alexis were playing around with the simulation room, apparently they needed teacher supervision to use it, and Rick was conveniently available. Meanwhile Aiden opted to explore the rest of the gym with Ranpo. On the ground floor was a normal gym court, with the usual basketball court and gym stands for spectators. Attached to the side was a smaller multipurpose room, which led upstairs to a bunch of normal gym equipment. Bicycles, weights, punching bags treadmills. Are you alright? Ranpo asked, glancing at Aiden, who had suddenly paused in his steps. His face appeared neutral as normal, but he seemed to be paling, his gaze fixated on something. Ranpo glanced around, seeing what Aiden was suddenly staring at. A girl running on a treadmill, someone he knew perhaps? Ranpo, Aiden asked, his voice calm. But it was the wrong kind of calm, Ranpo noted. Not of someone genuinely calm, but of someone who killed every other emotion, leaving only quiet. May you lead me to the toilets downstairs? He glanced curiously at the man. Sure, the crow replied, flying down and landing onto his shoulder. Gesturing with his beak towards the stairs. Aiden wordlessly followed his directions, entering the gym bathrooms, which smelt almost offensively of cleaning products and lemon. Ranpo noted that now Aiden was clutching his stump of a hand. Aiden took a brief look around, as if making sure no one was inside with them. No one was, they were truly alone, yet Aiden entered a stall, locking the door behind him. He gently lowered the lid of the toilet, then sat on it. He sat on it and clutched his stump with his left hand. Eyes boring holes into the door in front of him. Is something wrong? Ranpo asked, now perched on the toilet paper dispenser. Half lidded eyes slid towards him. When he squinted, his eyes appeared almost hawk like, but here and now, they simply had the look of a dead fish, left out to die and choke on dry land. Aiden let out a short bark of laughter. It was unsettling, as if man wasnt meant to ever laugh this way. It felt self deprecating, finding mirth in failure. My hand hurts, Aiden answered simply, his grip on his stump tightening. Ranpos eyes narrowed. Your left or My right, he answered, leaning forward, almost tucking his arms into himself, it hurts like hell, but that isnt even the worst part. Dark dots bore into the ground before him, Pain pain I can deal with. Ive always dealt with it, so my hand hurting is barely noticeable So Ive ignored it until now Its just Aiden laughed again, that same, unnatural self deprecating laugh, It sounds stupid, idiotic, to the point it is nothing but funny. But when I saw that girl running on a treadmill, when I saw her running I He paused, as if it were difficult for him to speak the next few words, but he shook his head and forced them out anyways. I saw Jun, running and crying, tripping on a rock shes been running next to for the past minute. Failing to make even the slightest bit of progress away from that thing. I feel a fear of death so great I believed myself already dead. And he laughed again, Its stupid that some fucking treadmill can do this. Beyond idiotic. Ranpo was silent, as his creator laughed at his own weakness. As he clutched his stump tighter and tighter until his nails drew blood. Perhaps you should seek help or counsel on this? Ranpo asked. There was a wry smile on Aidens face as he shook his head, No, not for something this dumb. Not for something this stupid. No one would want to help for something this idiotic. And he stood back up, already wiping the scabbing cuts on his stump. Please pretend that didnt happen Ranpo. It was just a momentary lapse. Ranpo was silent, as he followed the man out of the bathroom. There was commotion above, as suddenly a flash sped down the stairs to the upper floor, rushing past them. Jun! Alexis yelled from above. What happened? Aiden asked, head turning towards the open door. I dont know, she just suddenly ran off! Alexis answered as she slid down the railings. And Ranpo watched, as they searched the school for the girl. He helped, looking from the sky as they went around the entire school. Ranpo spotted her first, running laps all around the school, running as if she were fleeing something. Until she collapsed on a bench, breathing heavily, dead tired and spent. Ranpo directed the three to her, but Aiden got to her first, being the closest. And when Ranpo landed beside the two, he heard Aiden speak calmly and quietly, but genuinely with concern, with worry, asking what was wrong, all the while Jun was almost silent, brushing off questions with a stock answer that she just needed some fresh air. And Ranpo thought then, Human hypocrisy is a strange and curious thing. Chapter 19 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 6 Chapter 19 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 6 Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore- Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;- Tis the wind and nothing more! Ranpo spent his days in quiet contemplation. On the nature of his existence. On the extent of his capability. On the purpose, he was made to fulfil. Some cripple cant be a hero, the man snorted derisively. Aiden had a smile plastered on his face. Fake, yet he pulled it off well. Think of the PR, the other interviewer said, disability inclusiveness. His face doesnt look that good but you guys wear masks for a reason dont you? Ranpo watched, as the two debated as if Aiden was not there. Measuring his creator not as a person, but as one might a slab of meat at the market. A sidekick cant be disabled, the hero said, theyre meant to be innocent tramps who give the teenagers a goal to achieve and the pedos a reason to buy merchandise. They can be dim in the head but it cant affect their physical appearance. Ranpos attention turned back to Aiden, whose face was unmoved. As if stuck in that smile, but he saw his hand close into a fist. Yet Aiden still did nothing. When asked by the other interviewer, he gave platitudes. Of how it was his childhood dream to be a hero, to save and help people. Aiden said all this with a fake smile, as if a moment ago he wasnt just insulted for missing a hand. The smile held until they left the agency. Where it simply fell off, leaving only an utterly neutral face. He strode away, silent as Ranpo shadowed him. Will you do nothing about that? the crow probed, landing on his shoulder. Theres no point, Aiden answered. What will I do? Lash out and attack them like a kid? Or maybe I scream and strike a child. He almost seemed to spit the next words out, Immature things that only make a person feel better. I dont have the energy to waste being angry. There was genuine venom in those words. More than he ever heard Aiden speak. They stopped at a cafe. Ordering a cup of coffee for himself, Aiden liberally poured sugar and milk, until the brew was almost white, then drank. The bags under his eyes were visible to all to see. It has been two days since the schools orientations end. Every day he woke up looking slightly worse for wear. Yesterday he awoke screaming, today his own remaining arm turned grey and tried to choke him. Judging by the casualness in which he reabsorbed the monster tattoo, it was not the first time this occurred. Tormented by dreams he refused to share, his own power acting out against him when he slept. It was perhaps no surprise that over the past two days Aiden developed an ever-growing addiction to coffee. At least the other applications went better, Ranpo murmured. Aiden nodded. Half of the other resumes he sent received a response, two-thirds of that were looking to schedule an interview. He spoke as he nursed his cup, I only expected maybe two or three. The man was visibly shocked and confused for a while when the responses began to pile in via mail and text, but it took only a bit of consideration for them to figure out why. Youre from M.I.A, the crow answered. That was not difficult to pinpoint as the cause, as it was quite literally the only noteworthy thing on the resume. The man was too afraid to reveal any inkling that he had reincarnated after all. So I lucked into a privileged upper-class while being considered a crippled loser by said upper-class, Aiden answered with a small smile. Ranpo didnt believe it was as reductive as he so said. The city they lived in was a relatively safe and peaceful place. Relatively. There were plenty of suddenly missing persons, holes in positions and entire neighbourhoods lost overnight. When people continued to die or disappear, Ranpo figured the jobs they were doing needed refilling, and Aiden, a person who cant die or become comatose to Bleed would be a rather useful and constant employee. But he didnt speak this thought. When Aiden finished his cup, he sighed, a sound well worn and used. Still, none of them pay enough. They were still mundane jobs, expected for a supposed teenager with little to no experience in the workforce. Gifted he may be, he cannot use his power to earn money. Legally at least. Both of them knew where this was all headed, neither of the two were fools after all. The problem was when Aiden decided to admit it. I have another interview tomorrow Ill check in after class, he murmured as he rose to return home. And so another day passed. Another day where Ranpo''s questions remained unanswered.
When Aiden returned, he first checked for things and tasks to do, but finding little, he decided to meditate. His wasnt just the basic sort of mediation, simply focusing on the breath, but one he thought of to train his ability. Quickly generating and reabsorbing tattoos, he got the skill down easily, it was just an act of creating and returning after all. After a day, he got good enough to complete other simple tasks, such as practising his handwriting. With only his left, his writing appeared like wide scrawls and scratches on paper. Barely eligible, but he would improve. He was already getting used to eating with the hand, but chopsticks continued to elude him. As he wrote, his skin flashing with images of great and tiny fauna in the acts of life, he contemplated his situation. The problem, in the end, wasnt the lack of options, but the lack of time. He had eight weeks to muster up a plausible solution to his financial situation, but he had numerous roadblocks. His apparent age, lack of job experience, the need for meta abilities to be licensed and the need for him to attend school. Working normal part-time hours whilst he attended school didnt earn him enough money to keep up with all the weekly costs. Simply finding a full-time job would mean he would have to sacrifice his education, which was a worthwhile short term solution, but it meant his future became uncertain, he would have little way to acquire the needed qualifications thatll even let him consider buying his sisters needed cures. Fifteen million was the baseline needed to be paid upfront for even the chance to see a bottle of Nectar?. This solution was doable, there were plenty of systems meant to help people who awakened in the later stages of their life, but they were less developed and used. The systems meant to accommodate geneline metas like M.I.A had significantly better funding and turnover. Then there was the piece of paper Rick gave him. He had planted the thing in a spare pot, but he had more or less memorised the contents. The illegal way had plenty of options to consistently make good money. But a few hours of research in the school library painted a more risky conclusion. No matter how much heroes or police pretended to not be able to grab villains, the simple fact that unlicensed meta work was illegal created a Sword of Damocles hanging over every cowl. If the military police even suspected someone was planning or have committed a crime that toed the line, they could at any time and without any proof of the suspected crime, arrest the suspect in their own home under the charge of unlicensed power usage. This option was risky, but it had significant benefits if handled correctly. The major crime gangs were all rather well established and wealthy. The risk of their operations made them pay better wages or search for more desperate people. Both of which applied to Aiden. And the third and final solution Simply abandon that slab of meat in the hospital. Simply abandon that near-corpse he latched onto simply because it had the same face as Jaiden. Live a comfortable, easy life as a meta who would be guaranteed a good and sustainable career path. All it would cost was a life. The sounds of writing stopped, for a brief moment the tattoos on Aidens skin ceased moving. Ranpo stopped his action of eating some bird seeds and silently glanced towards him. My options are to gamble my future, abandon my morals or watch a girl die. On his wrist, Oros let go of its tail and turned to Aiden, but he didnt see that. He looked outside, past his balcony, seeing people going about their day, the trees stirring in the wind, the clouds moving in the sky and the sun shining brightly as it always did. No matter his decision, it would not affect the world at large. His choice didnt matter, and few would disparage him for making any of them. Aiden shook his head, the bags under his eyes doing little to snuff out the light they held, however dim that light may be, No, I dont need that to be the ultimatum, I still have two months, maybe Ill find something different. And the practice resumed, the tattoos of animals great and small resumed their dance upon Aidens skin. Oros once again coiled into a circle, biting its tail as it slept peacefully.
The next morning, on Aidens first day of school, he woke up to banging on his door. Constant, loud, jarring him out of sleep. He groggily fell out of bed. Face unwashed, teeth unbrushed, he hurriedly put on a pair of pants. It was too early, and something in the air felt wrong, but his half-sleeping mind couldnt quite pinpoint it. So he walked towards the door, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he did so. The sound of banging growing increasingly more frantic. Im coming, I''m coming! The banging didnt cease, nor did they slow. Aiden finally reached the door, his eyes still half-closed as he opened it, Good morning how may I help- A figure leapt through the open doorway, slamming into Aiden. They fell to the ground, the assailant a storm of scratches and punches and kicks. Aiden barely registered it, his body reacting instinctively to cover his face. When his mind finally caught up to the events, he kicked the figure above him, hard. Throwing it off him, barely a moment to breathe as he got on his side. The assailant rushed him again and Aiden met him with a backhanded fist, slamming into the face of the unknown figure. What the hell!? he yelled. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as the unknown assailant fell out the door. He left his glasses behind, so the attacker was inscrutable, but as he brought his left fist back, he found a single tooth stuck on it. A tooth covered in rotting and dead flesh. It was then he registered the smell of rot, a feeling of something wrong only sensed around something not of this world. The assailant groaned, the sound animalistic and guttural. Aiden rushed to close the door but the attacker was faster, jumping through it before Aiden could reach. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Closer now, Aiden saw the rotting gums, the cuts and bloated bruises, the grey skin and ancient rags as the zombie scrambled forward on all fours towards him. Aiden jumped back, retreating with his eyes on the zombie. His tattoo armour already appearing. He needed to destroy its head somehow, but how? He turned right, into the kitchen, just as the zombie sped through the small corridor, slamming into the living room. Aiden rushed to grab an implement, but the zombie leapt over the counter, slamming him into the fridge as it scratched and pounded at him. It bit his shoulder as he tried to push the thing off of him, its teeth barely stopped by the crocodile tattoo he manifested. Finally, he kicked it off, the zombie tearing a bite out of his shirt as it did so. It slammed into the counter, knocking down the knife holder. The blades clanging onto the floor. Aidens eyes fixed on the largest glinting blur of metal before he jumped forward, grabbing the cleaver and slamming its blade into the zombies skull. Pinning the creature to the bench with his other arm. And he kept slamming the blade into the creature, all the while it clawed and punched ineffectively at him. Until the splatter of dead and old blood covered Aidens face and soaked his clothes, until chips of shattered skull and grey matter flew in the air, until the zombie finally stopped moving. Aiden fell back, panting breathlessly as he leant against the fridge. Breathing heavily, surrounded by a pool of blood and grey matter. The blade of the cleaver still stuck halfway through the skull of the thing killed twice. Are you alright? Ranpo asked, as flustered by the event as Aiden was. Skulls are tougher than I thought they would be, Aiden murmured when he finally caught his breath. He shook his head, wiping some gore off his face, Im fine. Gah, how do I even begin cleaning blood? Lots of detergent? Was that sarcastic? Aiden asked as he stood back up. Groaning as he rubbed his back. There was still a tooth wedged in his knuckle, which he popped off like a bottle cap with the bench. God my shirts ruined, he muttered, glancing at his bare shoulder peeking out of the hole the zombie ripped. Shallow teeth shaped indents were still in his skin. I feel like thats the least of our problems currently, Ranpo spoke, his eyes staring outside the window. Aiden took a tentative step towards the balcony and saw what Ranpo saw. A massive Gate in the sky, an endless stream of grey falling onto the ground. At first he thought it a massive amount of liquid, but upon further consideration, and Ranpo bringing him his glasses, he realised the tides of grey spilling out into the streets were hundreds, perhaps even thousands of zombies, their falls broken by the numerous corpses already underneath them. And upon looking towards the sides, he saw more of these Gates in the sky, each like a portal to the sea itself, letting in an endless stream of walking dead. He could see half a dozen Gates just from his balcony, and something told him there were far more than that. Aiden shook his head, sighing, Its zombie season. Should we be worried? He frowned at the question, Yes? Probably? Im not sure why but Im not worried about this It was strange, hordes of thousands of zombies were breaking through the fabric of reality to invade and feast on living flesh but for some reason his body and mind was calm even if his mind acknowledged the danger. It was a different kind of calm he felt, genuine calm, not one born of killing panic. I dont know Im just- Suddenly there was a crash beneath them, Aiden barely recognised the sound as a door getting smashed open. Shit! he glanced down, seeing the horde of zombies already swarming the car park below, rushing into the apartment entrance. My neighbors! He rushed back into the kitchen, wrenching the cleaver from the dead zombie. The blade had a circular dent in it, it wouldnt be used for cooking anytime soon but it was a serviceable weapon. Aiden leapt out of his apartment, finding the outer corridor empty. Ranpo rushed out from the side, diving down the stairs, Aiden a single step behind the crow. They soon reached the floor beneath, finding a group of zombies rushing into an opened door. He recognised whose door that was, Mrs Jemina! The lady was old and decrepit, how could she defend- There was a shattering boom as blood and gore flew out of the door. Pieces of rotting flesh and meat went spraying out like a water hose for a brief moment. YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE! Aiden heard a voice yell, as suddenly, the old and decrepit Mrs Jemina, whose wrinkled and leathery skin seemed to hung off her, whose arms and legs were thin to the point a slight bit of force might snap them, who was wildy slamming the butt of a pump-action shotgun into the skull of a zombie as if the zombie owed her money. What? Ranpo asked, his face an expression of sheer bewilderment. Mrs Jemina slammed her knee into the liver of a zombie, then with a twirl slammed the barrel of the shotgun into two more. It was then Aiden finally remembered. These are Gates to Necrada, he murmured, the Bleed effect of this Gate is that the closer to death something is, the more powerful they are. How old is she? Ranpo asked as Mrs Jemina fly kicked a zombie past them. Definitely older than eighty. Ah! I feel like a girl again! the lady yelled as she twirled around a pile of zombie corpses. And watch that tongue young man! I may be pushing ninety but I aint pushing daisies any time soon! Her personality has completely changed. So this is what power does to a person, Ranpo murmured in response. How frightening. Im old, not deaf magpie! she yelled as she jammed the shotgun barrels into the last zombies mouth and fired. The lady whose old figure could be mistaken for a gnarled tree branch turned towards them. Upon her face was a bright smile like that of a young girl, surrounded by a canvas of blood and gore. I see you have it handled Mrs, Aiden politely said. She blinked. Oh dear where are my- she shook her head, ah fuck it Im too old for that shit now, you need something young man? Just thought you needed some help. She chuckled, Ever the sweet one love, where are your shoes? It was then Aiden noticed his feet were bare. Was in a hurry. She nodded in understanding, You better wash up, dont you have school today? Aiden blinked, What time is it? Mrs Jemina glanced at her wrist, only then noticing she didnt have her watch on. Uhh 7:46, Ranpo said, his eyes glancing at a clock in the hallway. Barely enough time, he muttered, his mind already going through all the steps he needed to take, I need to wash up, change my shirt He glanced outside, to the horde of zombies that seemed to blot out the ground beneath, How am I going to get through all that Mrs Jemina chuckled, Oh dont worry love. She pulled out her phone, Get dressed up, I have a few calls to make. Aiden nodded, already rushing back into his apartment. He washed up in record time, making sure to throw the body off the balcony and soak the bloody clothes in cold water before he made his way to his parents room. Well, Bus parents. He pushed open the closet, finding to the side a small rack of weapons. One assault rifle, two sawed-off shotguns, a firemans axe, a metal bat, two short-ranged pistols, four multi-purpose knives and enough kevlar for two adults and two children. Taking out the assault rifle, he felt the weight of it, the heaviness of the weapon, before he shook his head, Too shortsighted for that, and just took out the bat and a knife, strapping the latter to his leg. Grabbing his bag, Aiden threw in the dented cleaver, which he had hurriedly cleaned. It mightve been unusable but he could sell it at a metal recycling centre for a few cents. His one hand holding the bat, he left and closed the apartment door behind him. Ready? Mrs Jemina asked, her face bright as a school girl. Ready, Aiden answered in affirmative. They arrived at ground floor, where the emergency doors had locked out the majority of the horde, but still they scratched and smashed at the reinforced glass. They should be coming now, Mrs Jemina said as she glanced at the clock, 8:14. And barely a moment later, a bus slammed through the horde at the front. Chuckling, Mrs Jemina opened the door and stepped out, Aiden following behind with Ranpo on his shoulder. The bus doors slammed open. Yo Jemmy! Hows the kids been? an old man yelled from behind the wheel. You know hes dead, asshole! she yelled as she got on the bus. What? the old man yelled back. Stop pretending to be deaf! Inside it looked like the entire retirement home had upped and got into the bus. Aiden settled next to an old white man on a mobility scooter who offered him salted licorice, which he politely took a few, and a small lady who was knitting a small sweater. I was worried you guys wouldnt come! Mrs Jemina yelled to the assembled crowd. What? someone yelled back. I swear to- Oh wait Jessie you actually are deaf. What? Jessie repeated. We wouldnt miss this day for the world! the man beside Aiden yelled. Where to? the driver asked. Valhalla! the small lady knitting beside Aiden yelled, which was echoed by the entire bus a breath later. Calm down, first let''s drive Aiden to school! He very quietly gave the bus a wave. Which school then? the driver asked. M.I.A! Mrs Jemina replied. The entire bus roared as suddenly the driver slammed the accelerator. The whiplash knocked Aiden into his seat, but the entire bus was cheering as they ploughed through a horde of zombies. Literally driving through a sea of corpses, the splatter of blood covered every window. Pieces of intestine were plastered on the window right next to Aiden. How can you see anything? Aiden yelled to the driver. The driver turned around, at which point he noticed the white cataracts covering both the old mans eyes, I dont! This was a mistake, Ranpo murmured. Aiden tightened his seat belt just a little bit more. Turn on the window wipers! I want to see the white of their eyes! the small lady knitting beside him yelled. The wipers were on only a moment later, and Aiden really wished they werent, because suddenly he could see the group of zombies with greatly enlarged throats, their mouths bubbling with acid as they spewed the road in front of them. At the same time, another massive mutant zombie slammed into the crossroads before them. Its muscle bulging and literally ripping its skin. The driver quickly slammed the brakes, skidding on the road as they halted to a stop just before the mutant zombies. Drops of acid dripped down, having already melted through the roof. Aiden met eyes with the enlarged mutant, and through his glasses he saw the sheer hate in its eyes. And he realised, just as he could sense Invaders and Bleed due to his nature as an awakened, so could those of other realities. Likely sensing him as something utterly horrific to witness. These mutants were all targeting him, something which grinded against their sensibilities of normality. Another splash of concentrated acid began to melt through the windows, but at that moment the old man in the mobility scooter whooped and drove his scooter straight through the melting metal and glass, bringing out a shotgun and firing onto the horde of base zombies already gathering around them. That was the catalyst as all the old folks jumped out of the bus and descended on the dead like hyenas. The small lady who was beside him jumping onto a spitters head like a chihuahua and jabbing her knitting needles into its eyes. Aiden prepared himself as the brute zombie ripped away what was left of the bus''s front frame, but Jemina greeted it with a shell to the face, knocking it back a moment before suddenly a small boy lept from a building and dropkicked the brutes head into the pavement. The boy was small and skinny, almost emancipated looking and without any eyebrows or hair at all. He wore a beanie and hospital gown and began pummelling the brute into the asphalt. What do you have, kid? Mrs Jemina asked as she fired on the encroaching horde. Stage 4 cancer! the child cheerily yelled back. Aiden turned his attention to a second group of spitters, but suddenly the air rippled as all of them were blown away. A man who seemed to be wearing the conical parts of tubas around his arms and legs, and one more as a helmet, rushed through, carrying a tuba and pointing its business end like a gun, Fear not! Heavy Tuba Gunner! And he began blowing away entire scores of zombies, clearing empty paths all around them. I have nothing to do, Aiden murmured, the lone person still inside the bus. Indeed, Ranpo answered. The crow dropped to the ground, pecking at the grey matter of a shattered skull, before grimacing, Doesnt taste as good as it looks. It doesnt look good at all, Aiden replied. I know what I said. He silently looked around him again. Huh. Huh? Ranpo asked. I realised why I feel weird about this, Aiden answered. Back in my old life, I had a coworker who was absolutely obsessed with zombie movies. Enough that he always watched it at work. I sometimes watched a bit of it with him during lunch breaks but He glanced around them, at the crowd of senior citizens, one boy, and a hero wearing a tuba, gleefully slaughtering the ever growing zombie horde around them, they were always apocalypse scenarios. They always destroyed society, sent people back to the Dark Ages and yet here Theyre not really a threat are they? Ranpo finished. No, Aiden shook his head, my body felt calm because Aiden Bu knew this, but I didnt. The head may err, but never the blood. Something like that, Aiden answered as he finally stepped out of the bus. Sidestepping zombie corpses all around him. Aiden looked around him, then at the metal bat he held in his one hand. Men often worry. Of what there were as many answers as there were stars in the sky, of what to eat tomorrow, of whether or not you said something strange to a friend or of what the future may bring. Worry was a response to uncertainty, of which there were many to suffer in a single lifetime, more than could be reasonably understood. It was a reasonable act, to try to think of how to answer questions, of how to respond to uncertainty. But sometimes uncertainty gets to a person. Sometimes a person grows bags under their eyes because of nightmares they cant escape from. Sometimes they look at their bank like a bleeding wound. Sometimes they agonise over their future, of what their next step should be. So sometimes, a person needs something uncomplicated. Something as uncomplicated as, say, smashing a zombie''s skull open. The head may err, but never the blood, Aiden repeated under his breath. And he shrugged, When in Rome. That day Aiden made it to school on time. Chapter 20 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore” Part 7 Chapter 20 Quoth the Raven Nevermore Part 7 But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door- Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door- Perched, and sat, and nothing more. A bat is rather unwieldy isnt it? Aiden murmured as he wrenched the thing out of a zombie. Hmm? Ranpo replied, his beak half full with zombified flesh. Spit that out, you have no idea where thats been. Ranpo hurled out the hunk of grey flesh, Gahh, I do. I could taste where its been. Why do you keep trying it then? Aiden retorted. The crow leapt onto his shoulder, Its the first time Ive ever tasted anything. It seemed appropriate to test out all my senses. Aiden rolled his eyes. Looking around the now cleared street, he noticed a grocery store by the side, windows smashed in. He checked the time, 8:11, before he entered the store. It was empty inside, apparently, the zombie situation meant no one bothered to show up for work today. Holding the bat under his armpit, he grabbed a bag of seeds and dried fruits, Try these. Ranpo took it with his beak, flying the bag onto the unmanned counter, where Aiden followed him. Taking out his wallet, he counted the sum and left it on the bench. May you open it for me? Ranpo asked, his voice half-muffled by the bag. Aiden took it with his hand, noticing it had a tear spot. Biting a corner with his teeth, he used his now freed hand to tear open the bag. He nestled the bag between his right arm and chest, using his freed hand to also take a few raisins to eat. Opposable thumbs, truly a miracle of nature, Ranpo muttered as he stuck his beak into the bag. Shame you lost the other one, he said with seeds inside his beak. Dont talk while eating, Aiden replied. He didnt actually feel hungry. Isaac wasnt joking when he said the bar would feed him for two weeks. That saved him almost two hundred bucks on groceries, Aiden mightve hugged the man if he was allowed to hose him down first. Ranpo swallowed his food, That was significantly better than rotting human flesh. I would sincerely hope so, Aiden answered with an alarmed expression. Otherwise we just got fleeced by that store. Thats what youre worried about? Ranpo asked with a turned head. Whats wrong with that? The crow rolled his eyes before he stuffed his head into the bag once more. Aiden raised an eyebrow before he turned his attention forward. He let his bat fall out of his armpit, catching it with his hand. It was truly unwieldy for him, made for two-handed use, his single hand often lost control of the weapon when he went for wide or heavy swings. The weight was too far up the end of the bat for him to compensate. Something shorter wouldve been better, like the combat knife he had strapped to his leg, but it was too close range and wouldnt easily put down a zombie. Not that it mattered much. The feeling grew as he walked. A feeling that was difficult to describe, not necessarily safety or security but familiarity in a sense deeper than anything hes ever felt. It was like the opposite of going near a Gate, and though the alien itch caused by Bleed never went away, he felt slightly more comfortable. The sound of gunfire and shouting was ever-present and growing louder, as he turned a corner and witnessed a mass of humanity. The senior citizens were joined by a mob of people, some still in their pyjamas as they cleared away the swarming swathes of zombies. It was not some rampant flash mob, Aiden saw. At its core was a militia comprised of old and new faces alike, directing the tide of civilian combatants into favourable choke points and dispersing the larger and more dangerous crowds of mutant zombies with heavy weaponry and abilities. There was no official chain of command as he would understand, everyone just slotted naturally into a role. There were people who pointed where to go, and everyone was at least smart enough to know when to shoot. It was just emergent behaviour. And as he came closer, he felt it. Like a constant thrumming, Aiden could feel the power here. He didnt understand it at first, but after passing an old man in a military uniform he realised it. Hume. Everyone had Hume, even normal people, metas like him just had more of it. Those who were older had enough that it was almost palpable, and when so many people were gathered together, it made this particular slice of reality felt more Real. Colours felt more vivid as he looked upon it, the world seemed to be enhanced, everything felt louder. He held his head, leaning onto a wall for a moment as Ranpo jumped off his shoulder. It was strange. Nothing from his mundane senses told him anything was different. Everything appeared normal, yet whatever his Bleed sense was called was firing like crazy. He wasnt noticing anything new, but what he did notice was amplified. He acutely felt the dryness in his throat, the taste of blood and rot in the air, the granular texture of the concrete wall he leaned on, the sounds of gunfire and cheers. Aiden. Ranpos voice sliced through the confusion like a blade, the crows voice clear in his mind. Aiden just noticed he held his eyes shut like vaults, opening them, he saw the wall beside him was no longer a shade of grey, but instead scarred with darkly gnarled and bare branches, thousands of colourful insects, bugs and critters covered them like living leaves. His power. He breathed out, and the insects opened their wings, a great flutter of movement as they set flight, a tree coming alive from ink. Then he breathed in, and everything drew back into him. He now recognised the myriad creatures that painted that wall for a brief moment, butterflies, beetles and many other things. Aiden tested the meditation practice again, finding that the tattoos appeared more easily and more vibrantly on his skin, even when still, they looked truly alive. Has this been happening with every gathering of people? he murmured in curiosity. You sense something? Ranpo asked. Bleed sense but not for he shook his head. I can sense Hume, and its stupid thick here. The crow glanced around, I see nothing different. Because Hume does nothing, Aiden replied, a mute sense of realisation coming to his mind. Not unless a metahuman uses it, because all it does is enhance reality. The laws of physics still stay as they are, the clouds still move and the sun still rises, because Hume doesnt change anything except enforce the reality we know. Suddenly, Aiden felt something new, a third sensation. Turning his head silently to the opposite side of the road, Ranpos own following where he looked. There is one thing that increased Hume changes, Ranpo murmured. Opposite of them, there was something like a crackling, not unlike a bag of chips, before reality cracked like a biscuit. And Aiden saw the concrete building evaporate like powder. Around the crack expanded a sphere in which everything broke into a cloud of fine grey dust. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. One person was caught unaware, their leg caught in the slowly expanding field. They were a human, a living being with more Hume than base reality, and thus they had a tiny bit of resistance towards the Bleed. So their foot took a second longer to evaporate before a heroine dragged them out. The woman made sure the man was ok, before she jumped forward, temporarily taking flight, heading directly towards the breach to seal it. Then Aiden heard it. The buzzing. A swarm of creatures, each appearing like a great fly, the smallest of which was the size of a hamster and the largest a dog, slammed into the woman, throwing her back. The swarm rushed out of the Gate, entering their reality and then Rapidly began to die off. The ones that got the furthest seemed to collapse into themselves as if crushed by an external force. Multiple violently shrank into tiny spheres, barely the size of marbles. Rudra disruption class! the heroine yelled out, Likely different molecule bonding laws! Theyre not awakened, Ranpo noted, our reality is as much poison to them as theirs to us. Then one amongst hundreds rushed out of the breach, passing the threshold where the Bleed affected. And it was fine. Its a numbers game, Aiden muttered. The vast majority were getting sucked into tiny spheres upon entering their reality, but a few were making it out. Escaping into the sky and disappearing. He glanced around, there werent many suitable things to animate, so few objects were conveniently animal-shaped after all. So Aiden resorted to the road railing in front of him since it was vaguely rod-like. He breathed, feeling the great mass of people around him, his ability felt greater, stronger, if only in this circumstance, I can probably try this. If he were to help then he would go for size and power. Titanoboa- His phone suddenly rang and he paused. Taking out his phone, he glanced at the message: M.I.A Connect Help Bot Emergence phenomena has been detected. A Type 4 mass Gate opening event has risen in probability. The school bus has been deployed to ensure all students safe passage. Students in the meanwhile should wait at a safe location and do not actively engage in combat or seek danger. Especially avoid activations of your ability if you are untrained in Meta techniques or self-suppression. If you require immediate assistance or have further inquiries, Connect Help is available for text messaging or voice calls. His hand tightened around his phone, glancing around, he saw that to the side the zombie horde had largely been dispersed, but people were fighting a few stubborn mutant types and capes had the new Gate dealt with. Sighing, he leaned against the road railing, rubbing his eyes as he waited. Were waiting? Ranpo asked. Gates are caused by a great accumulation of Hume in a single place, Aiden muttered, it is only natural to assume mine counts as well. He recognised the term Emergence from ants and other eusocial insects, it referred to when multiple parts came together to form a greater whole. It applied to many things, including people, a single person was nothing much, but as they congregrated, they formed things like societies, law and culture. Applying that logic to Hume explained why he suddenly felt more powerful, like if he just pushed he could achieve something greater than what he could accomplish alone. But this power was risky, in this situation it would be akin to throwing wood on a fire. A Type 4 Gate event would warrant evacuating the city, he murmured, drawing on Bus knowledge. So he sat and waited until a school bus landed next to him, he took one last look around him, before he boarded.
There was a strange feeling in Aidens chest as he left the bus. Ranpo had left earlier, stating he wanted to explore the world, so he was alone. The bus was kind enough to land past the obstacle course, which meant he was actually on schedule for the first time. But that wasnt it. The small triumph of being on time was instead overshadowed by a strange melancholy. As he walked, he noticed how young the students were compared to him. Well, compared to Aiden Lu. Not for the last time, Aiden considered his situation, how he, Aiden Lu was seemingly reincarnated into a younger, alternate version of himself called Aiden Bu, in a world that was utterly insane compared to his. It was such a strange turn of events he almost turned religious. In fact, he might still if a higher power properly identified itself as causing such events. Or perhaps it was a cosmic coincidence that he ended in this situation. Masquerading in a body that was only superficially his. That belonged to a boy who had committed suicide in a moment of despair. And amongst this crowd of young students, Aiden felt alone. There was once a point where he couldve been a child like this, who smiled and laughed and complained about homework, but he never had this. His youth was stolen away and when given back in this strange turn of events, he only felt old. More alienated as the world of what couldve been highlighted itself around him. He was alone. The face looked like his but it wasnt. The world looked like his but it wasnt. Jaiden Bu looked like his sister but she wasnt. What was the point of his quest? Why did he bother getting up? A gentle hand tapped him on the shoulder. Yo, Jun said. Whats with that face? Aiden pushed up his glasses, rubbing his eyes, Nothing. Just a bit tired. Jun glanced at the dark bags, just barely noticeable under his eyes. Cmon, we have homeroom. Youre in my class? She seemed to smile under her mask as she waved a class attending list under his nose, Swiped this off the desk, were both in class 10B. Aiden raised an eyebrow, then shrugged, Lead on then maam. God you makemesoundold. He smirked slightly as he followed, You wouldnt know a thing about being old. That loneliness never went away. But perhaps a person can learn to forget it better.
Ranpo flew close to the ground. He avoided being too high. It was just a chance glance, but there were shadows in the clouds that he didnt want to mess with. His objective was close by anyway. If he read the books correctly anyway, hed certainly hoped so. Hed spent hours twiddling around the blasted things with his talons and beak when they were made for idiots with opposable thumbs. Thankfully, his objective soon came within sight. A few short kilometres from the city, placed within an overgrown park, there laid a great metal archway. It was ancient but well maintained. Rust had been regularly scraped off and the pathway leading up to it was kept clean of debris and overgrowth. Ranpo landed on a checkpoint office, taking the time to groom his feathers. The time should be up soon. When the sun reached midday, there was a great whirring sound, as the archway roared to life. Power writhed invisibly within the metal, distorting the air as they struck the area beneath, congealing into a single point. And reality was torn, revealing red skies and bloody rain on the other side of the archway. Flapping his wings, Ranpo flew straight into it. Entering the portal and passing into the blood-soaked hellscape of Yuro-P. Here, blood fell like rain, the stench of death and rot assaulted his senses. A few living people manned the perimeter, keeping a watch of things passing by. Ranpo landed on a rooftop slick with fresh blood, looking at what lay before him. Mountains and mountains of corpses. Corpses of men and devils alike, stacked so high they almost scraped the sky. There was once a channel here, a route of water that separated the island nation of Brettonia and the lands of the Franks. No trace of it lay anymore, for the corpses had long clogged the thing up to the brim. And past all of that, were red clouds, like a malevolent mist, they forever shrouded what was left of the Isles. The smoke twisted and squirmed like a living thing, tendrils constantly grasped beyond, as if trying to claw one more scrap of reality to be brought back to the Hells. This was one of the Five Calamities that could end the world. The Promise of Red Skies. The Grave of Kings. The End of Golden Eras. Or simply, the Gate to Hell. And behind him, the archway slowly shuddered into deactivation. Like an old smoker letting out their final gasping breaths, the portal shut down. Yet the relic would continue to function, as it had been since the Lost Age of Technology. Ranpo watched the portal close, and when it did, he closed his eyes and waited, expecting something to happen. Yet nothing did. The crow opened his eyes, it wouldnt completely allay his suspicions, but it did greatly help. For even on the other side of the world, far away from Aiden, Ranpo still lived. Which meant he wasnt a creation locked nearby, that he wasnt like a contrivance that failed the moment they left their creators effective ability range. It was little, but it once again steeled Ranpos conviction. The conviction that he was truly alive.
That night, Ranpo returned through the portal when it activated, he flew first to Aidens home, but the man wasnt there. So he flew to the only other place the cheapskate would visit. Saint Nicholass Childrens Hospital. The windows were open, and Ranpo entered, perching himself on the still. Inside, Aiden sat. He dressed well, but his form was gaunt in a way that seemed to hold a mad sort of strength. The sort you would expect of a starved and tortured prisoner, wielding naught but a shank. The fingers from his remaining hand dug into his stump, drawing blood yet the man didnt seem to notice. The eyes decorated with dark bags stared unblinking at a prone form before him. Perhaps the man wished for some sort of change after the Gates to Necrada, but there was none. Maybe Aiden expected this but didnt want to believe it. Even invigorated, the seniors at the retirement home still retained their previous ailments, deafness, cataracts, and one that still needed a mobility scooter to move. The Bleed to Necrada didnt make one all-powerful or immortal, a boy with cancer would still die of cancer, an old lady would still die of old age. They just get back up as a mindless zombie immediately after. Both of them stared at their purpose. And Ranpo wondered if they were both fools. Chapter 21 Part 8 Chapter 21 Part 8 Quoth the Raven His right hand hurt. But it was just pain. Pain Aiden could ignore, same with the feeling in his chest, or the tiredness deep in his bones. These were all things he could ignore. What do you desire, Aiden? Ranpo asked. His eyes glanced towards his creation, Elaborate? I know your goals, I know what you want to accomplish, but what after that? the crow asked. Say you cure her, bring her back hale and healthy. What happens next? What is your next step? Aiden was silent, before he turned on his seat, fully facing the crow. When he spoke again, it was almost wistful, childlike even, I wanted to retire someplace with a view of the sea. To spend the rest of my life quietly watching the waves, almost like a family vacation. Wanted? the crow asked. It was what I wanted before, Aiden said, knowing Ranpo would catch onto the meaning. Now Im not so sure, but it is the only answer I could give. The crow leapt off its perch, waddling beside Aiden. You have to know that she is Bus sister. I do. Then you have to know regardless of how hard you work, the world as you wanted will not manifest, Ranpo continued. The past is nevermore, yours especially so. I know that, Aiden quietly replied. That is why Im unsure of it, even if thats what I want. A peaceful life with a family that loved him. Yet, no matter how he tried to imagine this, all he came back to was the feeling of bruises on his skin. Of shouts and arguing. Of the horrid smell of alcohol. Of crawling into a cabinet and desperately trying to avoid making a single sound. Aiden Lu could not imagine a peaceful life. Is that the truest answer you can give me? He noted how hard it was to read Ranpos expression. His face didnt lead to the exact same expressions humans did, so he didnt know what Ranpo was feeling when he replied, Yes. They left the room. There was nothing to be gained here anymore. He waved his goodbyes to the nursing staff, but they were frantically dealing with the fallout from the Gates today to reply. There was no need to intrude, so he left, taking the elevator down. It was as he navigated the hospital, that he saw a group of frantic doctors pushing a bed past him, carrying an old man. And he paused as they passed him. Did you get injured Aiden? a familiar voice called behind him. He turned and nodded, Im fine Mrs Jemina, thank you for the ride this morning. But... The person that just passed us was on the bus wasnt he? Ranpo finished. She sadly nodded, Do you have time young Aiden? He glanced at his phone, checking the time. It was late, but it wasnt like he was getting a good nights sleep anyway. Im free. Then sit with me, she asked and Aiden complied. Around them, the hospital was frantic with activity, though it was a childrens hospital, during times of crisis it took in patients of all ages, as was protocol. In this mad hustle, they sat down in the waiting hall. A pair of silent figures. You recognised Joseph? He was on the mobility scooter next to me on the bus, Aiden replied. The old man had given him some salted licorice and was the first to charge out when the bus had stopped. Mrs Jemina nodded, Hes a good man, amiable as well, always had a smile on his face even when his legs stopped working. And quietly, the old woman beside him began to recount the life of Joseph Miller, of the man who sailed through life with a smile. Of how he bragged about getting rejected by fifty women before the age of twenty. Of how his tastes in candy were absolutely horrid, yet despite that, his grandchildren would always gulp down his durian taffy with a strained look on their faces. Of how proud the man was of his children and grandchildren. In the end, when he could no longer do what he once did, he was like the rest of us. Bitter, but he went through it with a smile. Even as he felt increasingly helpless, he still had a smile on his face. Aiden was silent, quietly listening to the old woman beside him. And thats why we all came out this day, one day where we can relive our past glories, to have one last hurray into the dark. To shout in defiance of our aging bodies and going minds. As she spoke, she took out a notepad, on it was a phone number writ in faded ink and angrily scribbled out, but not enough the original numbers werent recognisable. In the end, we didnt want to die an old and forgotten husk. We wanted to die as people should. A nurse walked up to them, Are you the one who was with Mr Miller when he came in? Any news? Mrs Jemina asked. The nurse shook his head. And Jemina quietly sighed. Her hands tightly clutching the notebook, He should still have family out there somewhere. Please contact them. The nurse nodded and quietly left. Thank you Aiden for listening to an old womans ramblings, she said as she stood up. Have a good night. And she left to visit her now dead friend. Aiden sat there, no one but Ranpo beside him. He sat there in silence until he reached into his school bag. Brushing past the dented cleaver, his pencil case and school books, he found a packet, a packet of salted licorice. Ive never tried these before, Ranpo murmured. Neither have I, he answered. He took two pieces out, passing one to Ranpo. Cheers. And both ate their piece, and both immediately grimaced. Gah, this tastes horrible. I cant imagine what kind of person would enjoy this bitter thing, Aiden concurred. Yet even as he said that he went and took out two more pieces. Another? Might as well, Ranpo replied. And both grimaced again. You know, its not as bad the second time. Ranpo glared at him. Aiden rolled his eyes, Ok, it still tastes horrible the second time. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I dont think there is a point where itll start tasting good, Ranpo murmured. Still, Aiden took two more out, Probably, want another one? I dont but I might as well since youre eating. And Aiden smiled, not a bright or large smile, or one that seemed faked or strained, but merely the small curling of lips as he found something particularly amusing. Indeed, suffering is best enjoyed together. You are a horrible person, Ranpo answered as he took his third licorice. You dont have to tell me that, Aiden answered as he ate his piece. As he thought about Mrs Jemina and the senior citizens who drove him this morning. Of how they wanted a retry even when their bodies could no longer support it. Of how they wanted one last chance to make things right. To at the very least, die as people should and not waste away in some forgotten corner as a husk of themselves. You dont have to tell me that, he repeated.
Lu dreamt of ocean waves. And also running. Lots of running. You cant escape this you know? Bu idly said, watching him from the side as he dodged another petal. Im getting used to its movements. The way the creature forced everything into non-linear movement was worrying, but its actions were predictable, almost appearing preprogrammed even. Thats because these movements are all that you remember of it, Bu said. But even then youll fail. A petal slammed right beside him, and Lu quickly vaulted over it just as a second came rushing down. Im still going to try. It is pointless, Bu said. Its not like we get tired in a dream, Lu answered. What about what we talked about? Are you ready any time soon? Bu was silent for a moment before he spoke, There wouldnt be a point. We are too different after all. Lu turned to glance towards him, That isnt true- The creature grabbed him in that opening, raising him up towards the mouths.
Aiden slammed awake, his throat dry and sweat running down his temples. His shirt stuck to him, uncomfortable and dirty with perspiration and his right hand throbbing with pain. He noticed then, the struggling of his left arm, covered in grey and duct-taped to the bedpost. Trying to escape its prison and moving completely without his input. Hells and I thought I was being paranoid, he murmured, before he reabsorbed the memory, the tattoo returning to him. Some say paranoia is just being appropriately cautious, Ranpo called out, disturbed from his own sleep by Aidens antics. Theyre probably doomsday preppers, Aiden replied without much thought as he began to work his arm free by tearing at the tape with his teeth. You do realise which world you live in right? He paused, and spat out the bite of duct tape in his mouth, Right right, the zombie apocalypse is just another Tuesday here. Monday actually, but who cares about linear time anyway? Aiden rolled his eyes, not that the crow could see in the dark, so he used his cat eyes trick to make them glow slightly and then rolled his eyes. Wondrous use of your reality-bending god-like power, I assume the natural next step would be skunking someone you dislike or creating your own circus? Not a bad idea to make money, Aiden replied, I already have a clown. I applaud your excellent self-awareness, the crow drily replied, then clapped his wings together. He rolled his eyes again as he finally freed his arm. It was annoying since he only had his teeth to free it, but better difficulty than his own power killing him in his sleep. That thing is still trying to break free isnt it? Ranpo asked. Aiden nodded, he wished he remembered what occurred during his dreams, but it was for naught. He only knew it was stressful and that the monster was involved in some way, but that was it. Should you get help in any way? He paused, the idea hadnt occurred to him, but it made sense. While it was just his power going berserk, if the worst-case scenario occurred and that thing managed to be reborn through him, then it would be a problem. It was rated as a B-class threat last he heard, and unlike then it would be in a populated location. It meant faster responders but also more immediate casualties should it go on a rampage. Ill ask around the school today, but until then Until then? I need to move, Aiden said, throwing on a jacket and swapping out his pants. Dawn had yet to rise, but the street lights were enough. He could see in the dark either way. Ranpo flapped his wings, landing on his shoulder as he finished dressing and brushing his teeth. Lead on then. He went the same route he did last time. Walking by the river, watching the light slowly peak over the horizon, highlighting the jagged and broken pieces of the Dark Moon that once stole its light. Lest Dawn Fail, Ranpo murmured in almost admiring way. Its strange to think that people died to ensure the sun rose, Aiden replied. Not metaphorically, or in some ancient religious practice, but in this world, once very literally. You need to significantly reclassify what you consider possible then. He chuckled slightly, I know, I know its just that I still expect to wake up, to find that this was all just a strange dream. I can assure you that your boring mind would never conjure a world this detailed. And if I did? Then take it from the dream crow born from the sacrifice of your memory and particularly good origami skills, get out of accounting and become a writer, then shook his head, regardless, if there is an author, I can only assume he is the poor subject of some sadistic dolt who took the infinite monkey theorem too literally. Not some boring fool who cant even decide to walk the certain path. Aidens steps slowed, So youre saying god is a monkey on a typewriter? Probably drunk as well, Ranpo replied, but even drunk he is at least typing. Aiden stopped fully, the crow on his shoulder perking his head into his vision. What are you implying here? Im saying you are wafting around like an idiot, Ranpo cut. We both have an idea of where this is going. Your best bet is going it as a cowl. Maybe you rob banks, maybe you shake down small businesses as a mafia enforcer. Or you reveal your identity and on the off chance you dont get dismissed as a cracked meta, you get a CPA and start working your old job. Theres also construction, he pointed out. They saw a building get disintegrated by a Gate just yesterday. Somebody had to rebuild it, and the housing industry was significantly more lucrative in this world than his previous. Physically intensive labour while missing a hand? Excuse my scepticism, Ranpo replied. Sure you can use your power to compensate, maybe make an elephant to do the heavy lifting, but without a Meta License thats still illegal. Ive checked nearby low-level data entry and customer service jobs. If I double down and work lots of hours I will be able to hold everything. How long can you do that? Barely any rest while maintaining sufficient academic records? How long can you manage that without breaking? Twenty-five years, Aiden spoke, softly but not without steel. Ranpo paused in his speech. Gently, he inquired, And how long did you live? Twenty-seven, Aiden Lu replied. And what happened in the last two years? There was that smile again, soft and sardonic. An admonishment of his own failure, I did as you said. I broke. A quiet declaration. Yet loud it was in the early morning when life had yet to rise from sleep. Gently, Ranpo leapt off his creators shoulder, jumping instead onto a park bench to face him. I assume your current plan is to push yourself severely for four years, Ranpo began. Holding up multiple side jobs and your education. You never intended to go into cape or cowl work, the piece of paper you took for the same reason you did that interview. Politeness to a man who helped you. After finishing school, earning your Meta License, you attend your mandatory military service. Racking up a small but important starting wealth. Then somehow snowball that into the several tens of millions to cure Jaiden? I might put more detail but it is an accurate assessment, Aiden replied. It is a sensible plan, but there is one problem. The wind howled. At what point do you break again? Very quietly, Aiden stared up at the sky, at the rising dawn. Who knows, he admitted. Thats the thing about hope. Even when you know its fake, you have no idea when or if itll break. Is it not the definition of madness to try the same thing expecting different results? Ranpo cut in. Perhaps, but maybe this time itll be different. Over a decade of your life devoured by this endeavour, the crow spoke. Aiden was silent. Ranpo flapped his wings, rising to eye-level. If that is the case, I may not follow you. Aidens eyes widened. Perhaps not today, nor tomorrow, but one day I will leave you. For the world we live in is too vast to be spent living small lives like ours. I thought I programmed loyalty into you, Aiden murmured. Not in blame or accusation, but in a simple statement of fact. You did, Ranpo replied, but loyalties change. It is not enough to have followers but to earn them as well. And while our time is enjoyable, friendship is not the same as loyalty. And Im not sure you are worth my loyalty Aiden Lu. May I hear why? he asked as the sun finally rose, illuminating both of them in its morning glory. Why? Because the world you want is gone and nevermore. You understand it, but you still refuse to admit it. Chapter 22 Imagined Flight Part 1 Chapter 22 Imagined Flight Part 1 Under the sky is where you belong Accept, comply Limitations of life Why? Because the world you want is gone and nevermore. You understand it, but you still refuse to admit it, Ranpo said. Your goal of saving Jaiden is noble, but how many more children are in comas across the world? How many more require saving? he asked, Yet you dont worry much about them, for you dont know them. Your goal is small in the grand scheme of things, and I dont want to have my life, however short or long it may be, be spent entirely on such things. You think my goal is not worth it? Aiden asked, his eyes narrowing. Ranpo dipped his head, Dont get me wrong Aiden, it is a noble and good goal, but I realise I want something more. I dont want to be like men who spend their lives bumping into things and then dying quietly. His voice quietened, almost hushed as he continued, A natural crows lifespan does not exceed thirty years. Maybe I will live longer as a created creature, maybe Ill live shorter, I dont know. Compared to the lives of men, the lifespan of a common crow is short, so I want it to be filled with something meaningful. Sighing, Aiden sat next to Ranpo, And you think you can find meaning? Perhaps searching for meaning is meaning itself, the crow replied. I never did well in philosophy, Aiden admitted, recalling his past life, the subject felt like people wanking off the pretentious pricks of the past. I wouldnt know a thing about wanking, I dont have hands. Maybe philosophers are into beaks, didnt one of them say man was just a featherless biped? Aiden muttered in reply before he shook his head. Maybe you are right, maybe I am wasting my time worrying, maybe I should say screw it all and just live how I want. Then why dont you? Because I am unsure of the path forward, Aiden answered softly, but I am sure that if I turn back here, I will regret it one day. Because even if she didnt have Jaidens face, one day, years or decades later, Ill sit in my kitchen one morning and Ill remember the girl I couldve helped. The girl I couldve saved, but chose not to, he breathed out, his breath uneven and shaky. And Ill feel shitty, and that day is ruined. Ranpo was quiet as he listened, making sure Aiden had finished before he began again, Noble, good perhaps, but the helping of one life is nothing. Thousands die every day, hundreds of faceless people across the world mightve already died over the course of this conversation. The saving of one life cannot dictate an entire lifes purpose, for if it were a matter of arithmetic, spending a life to save a life just leaves you at a net neutral. He stepped forward, beady black eyes meeting human ones, So tell me what is your meaning? The reason why you are. Flapping his wings, he rose into the air, This isnt an immediate thing, I still wish to see the world, but there is still time. I await your answer to this, Aiden Lu. Ranpo flew off, leaving Aiden alone. And Aiden chuckled, Net neutral, huh?
The alarm clock blared in a quiet apartment. Causing a pile of blankets to shuffle and groan, a single hand escaping the pile to grope out blindly. A hand that had the symbol of a crescent moon on its back. Only to pull up short, for Jun was smart enough to have the alarm clock out of reach for just that reason, if also spiteful enough to curse that foresight. Begrudgingly, the burrito of blankets slid off the bed, falling onto the carpet with a soft thud. Then, like a blind slug, it wriggled towards the desk the alarm clock was set on, knocking aside half-opened boxes and plastic bags. Finally, after blearily rising from the mess that was the ground, the apartment returned to silence. Jun yawned as the morning sun fought its way through rubbing hands. But in a staring contest between the burning life-giver of earth and fragile human eyes, the human would always be the first to blink, regardless of any cover. So Jun shambled away into the bathroom to wash up. She brushed her teeth, her appearance in the mirror was unkempt, her short hair wild and mangled, a too-large shirt hanging off and exposing a shoulder. As she finished rinsing, she glanced at herself, then at her palms. On her left hand was a crescent moon symbol, and on her right hand was a rising sun. Both symbols glowed and disappeared from her hands, becoming two half-face masks. The crescent moon becoming a black mask with a smiling oni design, covering the nose below, while the rising sun became a fox mask that covered the nose above. Nightcore I guess, she murmured, placing the mask on her face, the other disappearing into light and becoming the symbol on her palm once again. Almost instantly, her hair straightened as streaks of purple ran through it. Her clothes morphed as her shirt tightened, exposing her midriff while a hoodie jacket appeared around her. On the back of the hoodie was written One Damn Good Mistake! in colourful graffiti. She yawned, then blurred, appearing a few moments later with her school bag slung over her shoulder, taking a few quick steps out of her apartment. The world slowed, everything around her seemed to move sluggishly as she walked around them. The Nightcore half of her power gave her superspeed by speeding up her time. Right now to her perception, everyone was moving at maybe half their normal speed, but if she pushed it... The world froze for a single moment, the fly she was watching froze in mid-air, she casually grabbed it and tossed it in a bin as the world resumed its plodding speed. Feeling her mask, she could feel the rust creeping onto over half of it and the paint peeling off. Barely half a second of super speed, yet she was spent, something to improve later. Still, she stretched, relaxing and taking in a breath of fresh air as she looked up into the sky. Half a month ago she was the unwanted bastard child, now she was living alone with more freedom than she could ever hope for. Ideally, she would be able to sleep better but there wasnt a point in thinking negative thoughts. Is that Ranpo? she murmured as she noticed a crow fly overhead. She waved at it, and the crow actually seemed to glance back, nodding in mid-air as it flew away. She smiled, though it was hidden by her mask which was smiling as well so the message probably went across. The sounds of buzzing returned as the fly escaped the bin, she rolled her eyes as it began flying around her. She swatted at it, shooing it away as her phone dinged. She took it out, glancing at the text she just received. M.I.A Connect Help Bot Dear Students, Due to the intensity of Gates and Staff on leave for service, a Snow Day has been called The buzzing was getting loud as hell, Couldyouknockitoff! she snapped as she slapped the fly. ...Only to feel her entire hand get filled by a furry thing. Turning to look, she saw a massive fly almost twice the size of her head held in her hand. WHATTHEFU-
A high pitched scream rang throughout the street, temporarily drowning out the constant buzzing as a massive swarm of flies rushed overhead. Whoever screamed just got the fright of their life, Aiden murmured as he glanced at his phone. M.I.A Connect Help Bot Dear students, This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Due to the intensity of Gate Events and staff on leave for service, a Snow Day has been called, classes are cancelled for the day. We hope students will stay safe at home or at a nearby shelter while maintaining their studies He glanced again at the swarm of flies, the same he saw rushing out of that Gate yesterday. Most people were smart enough to start moving away, a few adventurous young souls were taking pictures with their flip phones, but even they were edging away slowly. Except for one idiot wearing a tuba as a helmet who was rushing straight towards the swarm. He looked young, probably around Aidens age- well, Bus. Should I do something about that? Aiden murmured, only to remember no one was there to answer him. TODAY I SHALL EARN THE TITLE OF TUBA KNIGHT! the tuba yelled. Someone should stop him right? he asked. Unfortunately, no one answered. Shaking his head, Aiden took off, Hey! Stop kid! FEAR NOT CITIZEN FOR I SHALL VANQUISH THIS FOE! the tuba yelled and kept charging. Goddamn LARPers, he muttered before he grabbed the road railing. Half a dozen snake tattoos slid off his hand and onto it. In an instant, they came alive and hissed, Oh no, I am being accosted by serpents! Aiden cried in distress. Instantly the tuba turned around. It glanced at the serpents, then at Aiden, then at the swarm of massive flies. Clearly hesitating. Aiden rolled his eyes, Bite me, he whispered. Though he had no idea what he put in each individual one, one of them should listen to his words, and he probably used non-venomous snakes for this charade. Luckily, one of them did bite him on the arm and judging by the lack of muscle seizing it was indeed a non-venomous snake. ARE YOU ALRIGHT CITIZEN!? the tuba called out. Oh yeah Im supposed to scream in pain, he idly remembered. Aaaaaaah WORRY NOT! the tuba yelled, ILL SAVE YOU! Then moving with surprising speed, the tuba rushed towards him. Aiden waited till the tuba was about a few metres from him before he reabsorbed the snakes. HUH? the tuba yelled before he skidded to a stop in front of him. The tubas head swerved to the railing, still in the shape of snakes, then at Aiden, then at the railing, Wha- wait- what? You tricked me The buzzing began to lighten as the swarm of flies moved away, still, the tubas eyes (not that they were visible since he was wearing a tuba) were fixed squarely on him. Aiden shrugged, Kids shouldnt be using their power irresponsibly. Youre a kid, and you just used your power, the tuba pointed out. Youre a student like I am right? Correct on both accounts, but I didnt use my power looking for an unprovoked fight, Aiden answered, I swear you tuba weirdos are everywhere. You read the message didnt you? the tuba asked, Everyone is working hard, even we gotta chip in a bit. If you think you can do the same thing they do without years of training, experience, and a developed frontal lobe, then you are free to do so, Aiden answered, before walking away. Just dont do it around me. Ah! THEN YOU DID SO WITH THE INTENT TO SAVE ME! the tuba yelled, his voice getting bass-boosted by the stupid tuba he was wearing, I AM HONOURED, KIND STRANGER! FEAR NOT! I SHALL KEEP YOUR SECRET IDENTITY SAFE! Aiden flinched at the sheer volume he was projecting. Covering both ears, he yelled back, Dont talk of secrets while screaming at the top of your lungs! UNDERSTOOD! the tuba answered with a wave. I SHALL VANQUISH MY FOES MORE RESPONSIBLY FROM NOW ON! Dont do that without a license! Aiden yelled back, before rubbing his forehead, kids man He shook his head, And no Ranpo, I dont count because I actually am a he paused, realising he was talking to no one. Goddamnit. And he kept walking. Aiden wasnt sure where he was walking. Only that right now, he needed to move, he needed to do something, and he had nothing planned for the day. Nothing to do, nothing to null his mind with. Eventually, he found himself back at the bridge leading to the abandoned factory district. That same uncomfortable feeling he sensed from before. He ghosted over the bridge, his steps silent even on the old wood. Why am I here? he wondered as he strode through the quiet and empty roads. Merely exploring? ...or perhaps Ranpo was correct. He paused in his thoughts as he sighted a blue-black police car parked in front of the warehouse where he fought the goblin. A helmeted head poked out, glancing at Aiden. He waved and received a wave back. What are you doing here kid? the military police asked as he stepped out of the car, walking forward to stand in front of Aiden. I heard there was a goblin here, so I got curious and came to check it out. Not quite a lie, as all good lies were. He rubbed the back of his head, and looked slightly embarrassed, Should I not be here? Of course not, the policeman replied, Im only here to make sure another one doesnt show up, what would you do if one came at you and tried to kill you? Aiden suppressed a grin, and with the most sincere voice he could manage, he said, Run? Run? Goddamn, you better be the fastest in your class or- The first thing Aiden heard when he came to was ringing, a ringing so loud it deafened his ears. Then a heavy weight on his body. His eyes lowered, only now noticing he was flat on the ground, and that the weight above him was the body of the policeman. Hey- Hey are you ok? Aiden yelled, grabbing the man. Behind them was the burning wreck of the police car. His eyes widened as he saw the mans back. His uniform was blown off, revealing yellow fat, darkened by heat and blood, just underneath he could see hints of white. Several dozen shards of metal shrapnel stabbed into him. He took the blast for me Aiden realised. The policeman grabbed his arm, Get get out he weakly coughed, ...run away Aiden lifted the mans arm, rising as he slung it behind him, already he could hear the sounds of something coming, With all due respect sir, fuck no. There was a wet gurgle, the policeman threw off his helmet, spitting blood onto the pavement, Ha ha Though he knew not to disturb a patient from their original position, something blew that car up. Something that sounded like it was coming. Sure enough, several goblins on scooters rolled by the flaming wreck, pointing and shouting at the burning husk of the car. Aiden was gone by then.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. The mans weight was miniscule, just focus on the breath. Left foot forward, right foot forward. There was only the sound of breath, the steps Aiden took, and the ragged breathing of the mortally wounded man. ... my wife he croaked out. Shut up about that, Aiden cut, If you have last words then tell her yourself. Heh heh he chuckled. Dont worry he said, every word a mouthful of blood dripped from his mouth, ... I already gave her my last words on our honeymoon this is that sorta job after all Aidens blood chilled, though he still focused on putting one foot forward. Im done for so run without me call more cops here Calling, of course! Aiden almost slapped his face, if he didnt need to hold up his charge. Scrabbling for his pocket with his one hand, doing his best to balance the man on him, he took out his phone. Quickly dialing 000, the call came through almost immediately. Hello 000- Before a bullet sliced through his phones screen. Immediately, green scales covered his body, a second bullet slammed into the back of his head, stopped barely, but still with enough force to draw blood and knock him down. Crashing onto the ground, Aiden rolled to the side, pulling his charge into an alley and behind a dumpster just as more bullets followed, pinging onto the ground. Thats definitely more than one goblin, he muttered. Blood dripping from the back of his head. How did they find- And finally, from his position on the ground, Aiden noticed the blood trail that had been dripping from them. Get out without me the policeman groaned, coughing out blood. Absolutely not- I said get the fuck outta here! he yelled, causing another coughing fit. ... an infestation like this needs to be handled as quickly as possible, but with all thats going- his throat gurgled, and he spat out another glob of blood, -it might be a week before an effective response is gathered up So it needs to be warned of as soon as possible, Aiden finished in his mind. But still- Im already fucked, the man muttered, Ill drag you down, at least one of us needs to- he entered another coughing fit. But even as the man held back coughs, he pulled something out from his vest. And Aiden knew what he was planning to do. Youll die. Stating the obvious innit? he replied with a bloody smile. Run kid, run and let the adults do their job. Slowly, Aiden took a step away, deeper into the alleyway. He turned back, giving one last look to the man, before he ran away. The man smiled, everything was turning darker, as if curtains were being pulled around his eyes, but with his remaining strength, he pulled himself up, leaning against the wall. And he gritted his teeth in pain as the shrapnel on his back buried themselves deeper into his flesh, but the pain kept him awake, kept him there just a moment longer. Soon, hazy green figures strolled into the alleyway, kicking aside trash and jumping over the dumpster that hid him. When they poked him with their contrived guns to check if he still lived, the man looked up at the sky one last time. What a wonderful day. And he pulled the pin. Chapter 23 Imagined Flight Part 2 Chapter 23 Imagined Flight Part 2 Defying gravity Launch into universe At escape velocity Despite all the decades spent fighting goblins, much of how they function remains a mystery. While the process to create a hobgoblin is known, how the base goblin reproduces is completely unknown. Goblins do not possess sexual organs of any kind, each completely genderless and to this day, none have observed goblin copulation or one being born. The currently accepted theory is that they spontaneously manifest fully formed from nothing, however, there is no proof to support this. Despite no one knowing how goblins come to be, where they end up appearing is extensively studied. Statistical analysis shows that goblins can theoretically appear anywhere, regardless of any known factor, each location will experience a goblin event at least once every eight years and that new goblin appearances will significantly increase in probability for twenty-two days after extermination if there has been a goblin active for more than a week in the area. When first appearing in a location, only packs of one to two will appear. This number will linearly increase at a rate of approximately one per week the infestation is not completely annihilated. If a new infestation occurs in a location that has previously had an infestation, the number of appearing goblins can range from one to half the number of whatever the largest previous infestation was in that location. Most notably, however, is that there is usually no sign that a Gate has opened in these locations, and certainly not from the goblins home dimension of Arcadia. Generally, there is at least a week before an initial infestation can be considered dangerous, goblins seem to manifest completely unarmed and require time to build up their contrivances. This is considered the ideal time to eliminate an infestation, as unarmed they pose a combat capability no higher than an untrained child of eight years old. Due to these factors, it is standard procedure to monitor the location of a goblin manifestation for thirty days after the manifestation had been exterminated. Locations where goblin manifestations have gone up to twenty or more are inspected for activity monthly. Fifty and more are inspected weekly. Locations, where hordes have risen to a hundred or more, are under constant surveillance and are only one dial away from a ranged artillery barrage or high-level Nuker metahuman should initial containment and extermination fail. The Radio Gaga incident, where the abandoned factory district saw one goblin manifestation that was dealt with by an unnamed civilian, had no previous history of goblin manifestations. Statements given by the civilian on the effectiveness of the goblins contrived firearms and further investigation of the area pegged the infestation as only a solo event. Combined with the fact the military police was short-handed due to the city simultaneously experiencing a Necrada Gate, along with one completely new Gate that had not been recorded up till now, only a single military policeman was stationed, equipped with standard crowd kill equipment for an abandoned area. The crowd kill equipment was intended to be in case another Necrade Gate opened at his location, not for goblin extermination, as his captain had remarked it would be overkill as at best he would only need to fend with two goblins with no time to contrive. Investigations found no fault with the commanding captain as all her actions had been procedure. At most, only one or two goblins shouldve appeared at the location in the case of a secondary infestation. As such, the Radio Gaga incident where over thirty fully equipped goblins appeared is considered a significant anomaly.
It was the chatter that gave it away. Aidens ears had healed quickly, quickly enough the ringing went away, and he heard the low, but barely perceptible chatter as he neared the bridge. His breath stilled, the beating of his heart slowed as he focused on the sound. Hidden between the buildings was chatter, goblin chatter. He changed his tattoos as he moved, checking his sleeve, making sure the tattoo went onto his clothing before he went around. Sticking to the wall as he came behind the alleyways. Before him, were half a dozen goblins, staring at the main street leading to the bridge, past them he could see another group on the other side, also watching the main street. With their weapons drawn in ambush. He took a single step back, but one of their heads shot backwards. Aiden froze as the goblins eyes passed him, seeing only piles of abandoned trash in the alleyway. It turned back around, and Aiden slowly edged his way around the corner. The tattoos which he had covered on all of his skin and clothes shifted colours, temporarily revealing their true nature. Octopuses, squids and cuttlefish. Their active camouflage turned brighter as the sun shone on them, standing still, Aiden was once again completely blended with his environment. But he couldnt stay still. His steps slow and silent, he moved till he was what he considered a safe distance away. Moving into an abandoned office building that had its windows shattered, he carefully moved upstairs. Checking every room for opponents, finding none, he moved to the topmost floor. He had already been planning his next move from the moment he took a step away from the poorly disguised ambush. Only a single bridge connected this district over the river to the city, further out only led to more wilderness. It was guarded and while it mightve been possible for him to sneak past with his adaptive camouflage, he needed a backup plan if he didnt make it. Currently, he was carrying his school bag, with the dented cleaver, several workbooks and his pencil case. A combat knife was strapped to his leg and he hid four sewing needles on his body that he had prepared for using venomous creatures. He tore out the workbook paper, despite his lost hand, he worked quickly, folding several pages together into the shape of a bird. Pigeon that returns home, he murmured, the three concepts disappearing from his mind. Grey covered the origami creation, he quickly wrote a message, his left hand still unused to writing, but it was readable enough. Tying it to the birds leg, he made sure it was tight but easy to undo. Even a crow could do it. Go, he said, letting it fly from the window. Ranpo would call for backup, this goblin infestation was abnormal. There were too many, over twenty at least, with the dozen that were waiting in ambush and the few that attacked them earlier. Some of them died in the explosion but His hand clenched, the cop made sure there wasnt a body left to be turned into a hobgoblin, that much was already a blessing. More worryingly, the goblins that were here were employing actual tactics. Aiming for phones, ambushes, surprises attacks and using remotely detonated explosives. With the number of enemy combatants being completely unknown, the smart move would be to avoid direct encounters. Suddenly, the pigeon that he was watching fly in the air was shot down. It was due to a whim. A completely random whim by the goblin that shot down the pigeon. For by all appearances, that pigeon was a completely normal one up until closer inspection. But upon closer inspection, the group of three goblins found the abnormality of the creature, and the piece of paper tied to its leg. Aiden turned around, seeing the blood trail that had been dripping from the back of his head. It had already scabbed over, but until then it had been bleeding small, tiny drops of blood. Goddamnit, he murmured, his hand on his face. When he took his hand off, Aiden changed. As he watched the three goblins close in on his location, his face was completely calm. I have to profess a certain curiosity, he said to no one in particular. I know I have a good power, but how do I stack up against the things that go bump in the night? The three scooters stopped beside the building. Time to find out I guess.
Ranpo looked around the empty apartment. No sign of Aiden anywhere. Was he out? That was likely, but the school was empty as well. Aiden shouldnt have had anything else planned for the day. The recycling centre perhaps? He did want to get that broken cleaver sold. Flapping his wings, Ranpo flew off.
Three goblins squinted into the darkness, Kula kula gin, the second of them said, gesturing inside. Tatta tatta. Following its orders, they stepped over the shattered glass. They passed by a long withered potted plant, a welcoming desk in front of them, and a display rack covered in dirty grey blankets. The drips of blood lead upstairs. The third of them pointed their gun at the stairs, Yaut yaut. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The second nodded, and all three began to move upstairs before the third knocked the butt of its gun on the first goblins head. Yara yara! The first snarled at it before the second pointed the barrel. Backing off slightly, it snarled again before nodding in agreement. The second and third goblins went upstairs, while the first stood guard downstairs. Kicking stones and grumbling in anger. The goblin then noticed a strange, white rock on the ground. It was large and cone-shaped, the colour of it almost milky, with a reddish-brown pattern. The goblin kicked the thing in curiosity. Only to feel a sharp prick on its foot, falling to the ground, the goblin felt its muscle seize and go numb. A great pain coursed through its body. Its vision grew hazy as it gasped for breath. It was then Aiden opened his eyes. Unnoticed by the goblin, he watched it die as it spasmed on the ground. Mala mala!? a yell came from upstairs. Both goblins came rushing down. They saw their companion dead on the ground, green heads quickly darting over the scene. The dirty yellow blankets, the desk, And they saw the glowing yellow eyes right behind the dead plant. Dakka dakka! one of them yelled, but both were already unloading their clips, their combined fire obliterating the plant and the wall behind, throwing up dust and obscuring vision. It was then the dirty grey blankets shifted strangely, as a humanoid shape covered in the same colour and texture stepped out. His steps were silent in the gunfire, Aiden stepped behind both goblins. His one available hand turned to a serpent with two sowing needles as fangs, and the other stump into an electric eel. Both goblins slumped to the ground. Aiden made sure all of them were dead before he stepped towards the broken pot. Drawn on the wall behind it was a tattoo of eyes. Looks like Im not that bad, he murmured. Clicking his tongue, a snake slithered out from underneath the desk. He reabsorbed the eyes, then the cone on the ground, and finally the snake, the memories returning to him. Cat eyes, cone snail and death adder. Strange, he murmured as he realised something was missing. He glanced at the first goblin killed, running by the memories in his head, and he realised he didnt know how the cone snail killed it. But upon closer examination, he found the coloured needle stuck in its foot. Touching the end of it, Aiden reabsorbed the memory of a cone snails venomous harpoon. Thats inconvenient, he murmured. One of his creations losing a part of itself meant it was separated from the whole, maybe even lost. If he didnt notice how he didnt know how the cone snail killed, he wouldve lost a valuable asset. Slinging his bag onto his back, then picked up one of the guns. Nothing even when he pulled the trigger. Tossing it, Aiden stepped out of the building, leaving the corpses behind him. Thats three. Outside, there were three electric scooters, he almost passed them, but something was strange about them. Goblin tech was highly chaotic by its nature, the three non-functioning guns behind him were all built in different ways and had noticeably different designs. Appearing like something a child cobbled up from playing in the scrap yard. Not the scooters, all three of them were sleek and uniformly designed, they actually looked like scooters as Aiden would recognise them, and not some contrived mess of trash can parts. Gingerly, he stepped beside one and gingerly held the handle, holding down the acceleration. The scooter sped out of his hand, accelerating into a wall as Aiden lost his grip on it.
Hey Jun! Ranpo called out, finally catching up to the panting teen. Huff huff Hey Ran Ran she panted, wiping sweat from her brow, Did I outrun them? The flies? Most certainly, the crow answered as he landed beside her. Could you do me a favour? Sure,whaddyaneed? Jun answered, quickly recovering. Call Aiden for me will you? Idonthavehisphonenumber. Its fine, I have it memorised, Ranpo said, relaying the number to her. She nodded, quickly typing it in her own phone. And they waited. And waited.
There were two pieces of good news and two pieces of bad news. The good news was that his mobile card had survived the phone getting decimated, so Aiden didnt need to buy a new one. The bad news was the pigeon was dead. The good news was that Aiden learned he could still retrieve his memories from the corpse, hence why he knew it was a pigeon that died, and the concepts of return and home. The bad news was that the memory was damaged, every subsequent recreation of a pigeon resulted in nothing but an unmoving body, even when he repaired its physical body with the bilateral symmetry trick. And he wasnt sure if something was missing from his concept of home. Oh, and he was getting shot at. Did he mention there were three pieces of bad news? He grabbed the trash lid, a turtle tattoo flashing over it in an instant as dozens of bullets slammed into it. Aiden rolled with the hit, letting it push him down and under cover of a dumpster as more bullets flew overhead. The lid was dripping blood, even as he reabsorbed it, he made peace with the fact that the turtle was definitely dead now, regardless of any bilateral symmetry bullshit he tried to repair it with. All memories of the creatures life cycle, behaviours and habitats were gone from his mind. He felt sorry, though he didnt know why, so resolved to ignore it as he reapplied the tattoo. The scooter had drawn some attention, and while he wafted around retrieving the pigeon, goblins had closed in on him. Three bleeding spots on his right arm had taught Aiden bulletproof was not the same as bullet immunity. Causing him to opt for the turtle lid instead. Now it was a stalemate, a stalemate Aiden would lose. Every moment he spent holed up behind a dumpster in this alleyway was another moment more goblins were closing in. Bastard pack animals. He drew his knife, holding it with his mouth. Electric eels have worked handily for his right arm thus far- Handily! Am I developing a sense of humour? -and his left hand held the lid. Aiden jumped out from behind the dumpster, coming into full sight of the four goblins firing upon him. This time he stood his ground as the faux shield absorbed the initial bursts of fire, bullets ricocheting off the shell. It was a good thing goblins didnt learn to alternate fire as all four began reloading then, cartridges dropping to the ground. It was at that moment Aiden threw the lid. The lid crashing into the centremost one, knocking it down, drawing all of their eyes for a single moment, before the standing three turned back onto their opponent. Only to find no one there. All three opened fire anyway, cause goblins werent trained on fire discipline. Instantly shredding all stray pieces of garbage and finally obliterating the only cover, the dumpster in sustained fire. It was the wrong move, for Aiden was already on the wall above them. Octopus suction cups were replaced by hard scales and chitin as Aiden dropped down. His freed hand holding a knife, it fell true, jamming itself into the skull of the backmost goblin, the sheer weight pushing the knife through the skull and halfway through the monsters rib cage. Aiden tried to wrest it out, wasting precious seconds as the standing two turned around. The knife was stuck, abandoning it, Aiden jumped forward. A stray bullet slamming into his left shoulder, rocking him back, but still, his right arm struck out, touching the rightmost goblin and delivering over five hundred volts, killing the monster instantly. The last standing one tried to fire, only for the clip to come up empty as Aiden reached into his pocket and threw a folded origami creature at it. The gold-coloured origami landed on the goblins face. The last goblin finally pushed off the trash lid, rising to face Aiden, only to be met with a kick that slammed directly into its face, throwing it into the alley wall. Something crack and it didnt get back up. The final goblin still standing had the golden-origami on its face. Its expression was slack, and soon the rest of the body followed as the golden poison dart frog paralysed all its muscles. Seven, he breathed out. Only now hearing the rapid beating of his own heart. Adrenaline, makes sense, given that that was the most intense few seconds hes had in his lifetime. Dropping down, he grabbed the lid, blood was sprayed all over it, some his own. It had a dusty top, but it was slightly reflective- The lid clanged to the ground as Aiden grabbed his face. Feeling the contours of his jaw, the brief moment where his mouth was still in the same shape. He was smiling. He was smiling. It washed off his face quickly, replaced by a shock he couldnt quite understand, but he did understand something else. Aiden slammed his fist into the wall. No! His teeth strained as they gritted together, threatening to grind themself into dust. I did not enjoy that! his mind screamed. Aiden bit his thumb, his teeth clattering as he mumbled, No no no no no no no no no no no nononononononononononononono Blood flowed from his thumb as he chewed past the nail, raw skin and flesh falling from the gaps of teeth and onto the ground, adding to the pooling blood and gore around him. But he could only sense the smell of alcohol, the sharp and dull tunes of pain. Not making a single sound or reaction because that only seemed to egg him on. I am not some fucker who enjoys violence! he screamed as kicked the corpse of a goblin, sending it flying. He breathed out. Theres a logical explanation for this, he muttered, pacing back and forth. This isnt my body, not really. It must be a reflex- like me automatically saying my name is Bu instead of Lu. Yes this is a teenagers body, it might be due to hormones yes higher testosterone means more physical aggression, couple that with a still undeveloped brain! Yes! That must be it! It has to be it! Aiden Lu cant be like that. He cant be just like him. So it mustve been the body, not him, it wasnt his fault. Theres no other- The wall in front of him burst apart. Bricks, mortar and concrete went flying as a figure ran through the wall. Tall, muscular, its body built lean like a marathon runner, strange lime coloured liquids dripped from its nose and countless screws and strange mechanical contraptions poked out of its flesh. The two of them were almost a dozen metres apart, the creature turned and they met eye to eye, both of them of near equal height. Several things happened at once, Aiden kicked the lid into the air, grabbing it as the hobgoblin jumped, instantly clearing the distance between them and throwing a fist. The shield dented and broke as a fist punctured through it, slamming Aiden in the shoulder with reduced force, but still enough to launch him out of the alleyway, out into the main street, landing rolling onto the road and crashing into the road railings on the opposite side, his school bag just barely breaking the landing. Aiden gasped, vomit escaping his mouth, he tried to breathe, but his chest refused to contract fully. He was winded. His shoulder felt numb. His glasses were gone. His vision was blurry. His chest hurt. He wanted to breathe. In front of him, the olive coloured figure took another step forward. Minimum class threat, D+, Hobgoblin.
Are you sure hes in danger? Jun asked. Everywhere in the city is fucked, I think its statistically likely he is in some form of trouble. Idunno, she replied, he struck me as the sensible type who would hide in a shelter. Can we just look for him? Ranpo answered, slightly irritated. Sure. Chapter 24 Imagined Flight Part 3 Chapter 24 Imagined Flight Part 3 Swing through debris and waste Float nonstop The average hobgoblin has enough strength to break a human spine like a white woman snapping raw pasta and Italian morality. If only for that, they would be considered nothing more than an E rank threat. But what makes them truly threatening is the combination of might and cunning. 170 cm tall, absorbed initial hit, no visible weapons In the first few seconds of the encounter, the hobgoblin had already analysed the state of the opponent. It realised that the thin aluminium trash lid was significantly tougher than what it shouldve been, and it sighted the golden frog that laid on the corpse of another goblin. Its conclusion was the enemy could manipulate materials, increasing strength and toughness, along with animating them and giving them new properties that could be lethal. And that its primary concern would be the opponent creating environmental threats, landmines so to speak, that would make an area more dangerous to traverse and more favourable for the opponent. The longer the enemy was left to its own devices, the more dangerous it was. So it would attack without giving it a moment of rest.
The monster jumped. Aiden rolled forward, the railings behind him exploding with force, knocking him even further. Rubble and dust went flying, obscuring vision and forcing his eyes into slits. An acrid smell like acid filled his nose as lime steam exploded out. The shadow was already upon him, with a powerful kick, the hobgoblin blew away the obscuring mist. He braced himself as a second kick sent him flying, throwing him flying like a soccer ball. He went wide, crashing onto the ground and rolling once more. Crashing into a large tree whose roots had broken through the pavement. It rolled with the hit! the hobgoblin realised. Aiden vomited on the ground, his stomach offering little other than liquids to expel. Within the yellow bile, he saw a bit of red. Internal bleeding? he grimly questioned. His shoulder burned with pain, but he had to ignore it. There was no place to get treatment, he had to rely on his regeneration to fix this. He unsteadily rose, eyes, nose and ears all changing colour as tattoos covered them. A myriad of senses assaulted him, his brain struggling to keep up, but he needed every single advantage he could afford. His opponent was physically stronger than him in every conceivable way, those attacks mightve already damaged his internal organs. He cannot afford to take a single one of its attacks. A fresh screen of lime steam engulfed the enemy, yet it was emerging, slowly walking towards him. It moved as if it was thinking. Shit. The hobgoblin realised its opponent had moved with the attack expertly well, rolling away so that only its toes actually made contact rather than the entirety of its foot. Leading to a movement that only looked like it was damaging, while creating distance between them. And so, it decided to operate on the worst possible scenario. None of my attacks have succeeded in lethally damaging it. Every single one of its hits can kill me. It can kill with a touch. Can I even land a hit on that thing? Both man and monster came to the same conclusion, I cant underestimate it. Far away, air sirens blared.
Jun opened the door as Ranpo instructed, pushing in the exact spot that dislodged the door. Taking a tentative step into Aidens home. It was clean, tidy, almost obsessively so. Unlike her home, it was a study in the sterilisation of life. Ranpo glanced around the front door from his perch on her shoulder, before shaking his head. Hes not here. Aiden! Jun called out. She looked sheepishly at Ranpo when the crow gave her a really? look. Couldnt hurt to try, she reasoned. His shoes arent there, Ranpo pointed out, gesturing at the floor with his wing. He wears slippers indoors. Juns eyes followed them, noting four pairs of slippers on the racks. Gotit, she answered as she brought Ranpo down into a cradle. What are you- The door was slammed shut as the world blurred. Barely a minute later, Ranpo fell out of Juns arms, instinctually gliding onto the grass as he crashed dizzily onto the ground. I can fly by myself! Ranpo yelled. Butyoudoitsoslowly! Jun retorted. Her head spun around quickly, Anywaysyousaidyouand Aiden were last here? Ranpo glanced around, noticing that they were next to the river. Nodding, he said, Yes. Illsearchthatway, Jun said, poking a thumb behind them before she sped off. Understood, the crow answered, testing his wings before taking flight. Just as air sirens began to blare.
Steam drifted off the hobgoblins body, clinging onto taut strands of muscle like a lime string. Despite losing his glasses, again, Aiden noticed the brief second of tensing, where the hobgoblins entire body seemed to wound like a clockwork spring before it exploded in a massive physicality of movement. He dodged down, the massive kick cleaving the air above him, shattering the old tree beside him into wood chips as the heavy thing fell down. Too late did Aiden realise his mistake, as the tree fell directly upon him. He crashed into the asphalt, wood splinters lacing his bare skin as his leg was pinned by the heavy weight. He struggled to free his leg as the hobgoblin sputtered out of its movement like a machine dying, then steam billowed off its skin again as its body shuddered back into thunderous movement, its own leg moving to stomp Aidens head in! A tree branch was covered in a white blur as Oros pounced, ripping itself off of the tree and wrapping itself around the hobgoblin and forcing it off balance. The leg fell far, showering Aiden in asphalt as it shattered the ground. Thank you! Aiden yelled as he finally freed his leg, escaping to find Oros constricting both arms of the monster. His mind had an odd realisation, that Oros was significantly larger than the wrist watch size it was before. The hobgoblin fell to the ground, wrestling with the serpent as they rolled through shattered asphalt and wood dust. Aiden moved to help, just as the monster freed one arm and swiped at Oros head. He felt a sudden force strike his cheek, as both him and Oros jerked their head to the side. The hobgoblin finally grabbed onto Oros neck, and Aiden felt a force holding down his own neck. Gah! he choked out a breath, instinctively clawing his own neck to stop a hand that wasnt there, the force crushing his neck too strong as he fell to the ground. In all his experimentation, Aiden had never considered once what would happen if someone were to hurt his Hume status, the literal measure of his existence. The hobgoblins eyes shone with understanding, as it tried to wretch its other arm free. Keeping the serpent and its creator simultaneously in a chokehold. Aiden struggled forward, gasping as the hobgoblins grip tightened on Oros. The white snake hissed and snarled, its own death coil loosening, before it sunk its teeth into the monsters flesh. At that moment, it was intelligence that was the hobgoblins undoing. Fearing a venomous bite, it let go of its stranglehold, dropping Oros as it tried to suck the venom from its hand. Oros was many things, but venomous was not one of them. Tasting nothing but its own blood, the hobgoblin turned to face the serpent, only to see half its body frozen in black and covered in strange multicolour plants. Aiden did not waste the moment of opportunity. A slight distortion in the scenery beside it was the only warning the hobgoblin got, as an arm covered in tiger stripes swiped at it. It held its arm at guard as Aiden struck, sending the hobgoblin skidding back. Aiden retreated, glancing at his own slightly burnt palm. A moment of lull as both combatants stared each other down. Muscles tensed. Tattoos appeared. Both moved. Unexpectedly, both jumped back. Both were afraid to directly engage an enemy with such a capacity to harm, and so, both hoped the other would be the aggressor. At this moment, their different win conditions showed. Oros! Aiden turned and ran, Oros slithering onto his leg as he did so. He did not need to be here, simple survival was all he needed to achieve. Whereas for the hobgoblin, an enemy human escaping could alert the rest of the race, leading to swift extermination. Its own survival was dependent on its elimination. Steam billowed off of the hobgoblins skin, its muscles tensed, then it jumped, clearing the distance quickly. But Aiden simply pivoted to the left, and the hobgoblins unstoppable charge simply missed as it slammed into a building, shattering the walls. He kept running, with Oros sliding around his bag. Aidens eyes searched as he returned to the former battlefield. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. There! In front of the building where he first engaged the goblins were three scooters. One had crashed into the wall by mistake, but the other two were still there. Aiden sat in one, finding the seat snug. The scooters designs were sleek, uniform, and seemed to be made with human proportions in mind, all things that hinted that they werent goblin contrivances. Here came the difficult part. Oros, can you act as my arm for a while? Aiden asked. The serpent stared quizzically at him for a moment, before they realised his plan. Slithering around his right arm, the serpent poked its head forward, biting onto the right handle of the scooter, in place of Aidens right hand. Placing his left on the remaining handle, Aiden steeled himself. Oros might be an extension of him, but it was not a limb Aiden could control. They could communicate, one with words and gestures, but neither will ever fully grasp the others mind. So this will rely on coordination between two separate beings. Trust in the midst of desperation. A crash behind them signalled the end of all the time they had to prepare. Throttle! Aiden yelled, and Oros bit down on the throttle. The scooter sped off, Aiden steering them onto the road as the hobgoblin prepared another charge. But this time, it could not make it, crashing just behind the duo. Aiden risked a glance back, and it was enough to confirm his suspicions. His strike against the hobgoblins arm had burned. That thing overheated itself to perform its massive strength feats, the steam wafting off of it was some sort of coolant, acting similarly to sweat. What the liquid actually was Aiden had no idea, it might actually be Mountain Dew given goblin contriving. But even make believe science had limits, as the hobgoblin crashed behind them again. It was pausing slightly between jumps to ensure that its body didnt cook itself to death. Oros hissed slightly in an almost questioning manner. They were succeeding in escaping, but they couldn''t keep running. This location was cut off from the rest of the city, the only bridge back heavily guarded. I dont plan on escaping into the wilderness, Aiden replied, thats a good way to get us killed even faster. Aiden turned right, just as there was another crash behind them. They were going almost 40km per hour and the hobgoblin was still keeping up! We cant engage that thing directly without taking some heavy damage, he continued, noting the blood on his lip. It would take something on the level of a fully grown tiger or a polar bear to even trade blows with it, and even then Im not sure the animal would win. But we have to kill it, its the biggest danger weve encountered so far, but that also means it being alone makes this a prime moment to finish it off. His eyes glanced over a sign as they rushed past. It was familiar to Bu, but not Lu. So Im driving to the place where we can win. And following the directions, they found it. An abandoned shelter. The crashes followed behind them as more of the scenery was destroyed. Aiden staggered off the scooter, finding his limbs feeling a bit weak. A strange tiredness that seeped its way to his bones. Oros hissed worryingly. Im fine, he muttered as he righted himself and stepped into the underground shelter. As he stepped in, ancient lights flickered to life, on the ground of the entrance was writ this: When Dawn Fails, From Earth We Return. It was not a small thing, where most might think of cramped underground vaults stuffed full of food and resources. These things were grand, meant to house people in the thousands if needed. Interconnected throughout the entire city, it was an underground kingdom in its own right. This section was connected from an old parking lot, and thus the entrance was built like one. Miles of empty space filled with regularly placed pillars holding up the ceiling. Lets go.
What is this? Ranpo couldnt help but say as he flew. The abandoned district was trashed, numerous craters caused by some impact littered the area, a path of destruction that seemed to be heading somewhere. Towards the source, he saw goblin corpses. On one, was an origami frog with a bright yellow hue. This settled it, signs of battle, a remnant of Aidens power, that was all he needed as he swerved back. He was only a crow, he needed help for this.
The hobgoblin stepped underground, its eyes locked on its opponent, leaning on one of the walls next to some kind of mechanical control. The enemys posture was slack, tired, and weakened. The hobgoblin knew it was time to end this. This shelter would be a tomb for at least one of them. Slowly it closed in on the opponent, eyes wary for unseen and hidden threats. Then Aiden smiled, as his remaining arm held onto a lever and with a heave, he turned off the lights. Suddenly darkness engulfed the both of them. In that instant, the hobgoblin lost all sight. Two serpents dashed out, having hidden behind the pillars. Aiden rushed towards the hobgoblin, eyes glowing. The hobgoblin focused on the glowing eyes in front of it, crouching down and preparing to pounce. Just as a brown coloured serpent bit its left forearm. Aidens plan was to use the cover of darkness to disorientate the enemy, creating a brief gap where a snake could deliver lethal neurotoxin. While it was weakened and slowed by paralysis, he and Oros would finish it off. The white snake showed itself more than capable of wrestling with the monster in its enlarged state. The next few actions happened in only a few seconds. Jerking toward the bite, the hobgoblin seemed to hesitate for the merest moment. Then it raised its right arm, its palm opened and straight like a blade, before it severed its left forearm with the snake still biting it. Only a single moment of hesitation flickered in Aidens step, but it was enough, delaying the perfect encirclement as the hobgoblin grabbed his severed arm and threw it to the right of him, hitting Oros and throwing the serpent back. Aiden let himself slip, sliding on the ground with built up momentum as he went underneath a great axe kick that slashed the air above him. Now behind the hobgoblin, he quickly retrieved the brown snake and Oros as the monster turned to meet his eyes. I was wrong, the hobgoblin spoke for the first time, a strange accent almost making it intelligible. I thought I could take you without risk or harm. Great amounts of steam billowed from its body, I was wrong. Aiden quickly jumped to the side as the hobgoblin smashed the area where he was. Dodging just out of range of its follow up attack. More steam billowed and the hobgoblin it wasnt stopping. Quickly he reabsorbed his cat eyes, the world darkening as the hobgoblin obliterated a pillar with a kick. The monster was tracking the slight glow from his eyes, more importantly, it wasnt caring about overheating now. Steam scalded his skin as Aiden jumped away, trying to avoid the enemy. It was attacking everywhere with reckless abandon, in an arena where both combatants were blind. But there were ways other than sight. Aiden tuned into his ears, the tattoos there augmenting them just enough. Clicking his tongue, a sound almost unheard as the hobgoblin went about smashing pillars and wreaking blind havoc, Aiden avoided the monster. Continuously clicking his tongue to make out the path of destruction it walked. He moved away, avoiding the enemy. In this battle in the dark, a lucky hit would decide victory. Would Aiden avoid the blind destruction to poison the enemy, or would the hobgoblin strike him by chance? Then the monster stopped. Aiden clicked his tongue, trying to figure out its location. And he realised where it was, and where it had herded him away. Aiden resummoned the cat''s eyes, uncaring if they gave away his position, the shelter lit up for him, just to see the hobgoblin stepping towards the electrical switch. And the lights turned back on. That was its goal! It had forced Aiden to retreat away from the switch, so that he could not stop it from returning light! Now both combatants could see! But Aiden was not one to be unprepared. The hobgoblin threw a cone shaped shell to the side, clutching its abdomen as it tried to dig out a needle. It glanced around, eyes landing squarely on Aiden, far off to the end. Its romp of destruction was not without cost, numerous bloody lines decorated its body, laced and slashed by the broken concrete and steel. It had sacrificed its arm, suffered pain, and taken a lethal injection, all to defeat him. But Aiden had won, the sting would kill it, now it was a matter of surviving. Why do you fight? Aiden asked. Half hoping it would respond. He didnt know what venom ran through the hobgoblin, but he knew it needed time to take effect. Surprisingly, it did. I fight because there is nothing else left to me, it answered. I still have some memories of the past broken, fragmented but I will be killed regardless because of what Ive become. I fight because this rebirth has cursed me. A strange feeling filled Aidens chest, he didnt know what, he couldnt recognise it, but still, he asked, What is your name? I forgot my old one, but now I am Johnjohnjohnjohn. Aiden nodded as it- he answered. Thank you, I will try to remember you, to never forget who you were. And the hobgoblin, he chuckled, You have not won yet. Suddenly steam billowed off his body, perhaps for the last time. Both of them tensed. Aiden awaiting that last suicidal final charge. But it didnt move towards Aiden, instead, he ran into a pillar, punching through it like it was a dry cracker. Confusion was soon cleared by the waters of understanding, as the ceiling above the broken pillar collapsed. All around Aiden, were destroyed and shattered pillars, only a few remained, barely holding up the ceiling. And Johnjohnjohnjohn was rushing towards the few that survived, smashing them with sheer force as more and more of the ceiling collapsed. Aiden jumped, running towards the exit, his steps felt painfully slow. Behind him, the entire shelter was caving in, hundreds of pounds of stone and rock falling and crushing all that remained. All that destruction, the smashing of so many pillars, Aiden thought it was a distraction from his goal of turning back on the lights, but it was a setup for this. To bury both of them. Aiden ran, he kept running, his calves burned and cramped, but he ran towards the exit. Ignoring the sounds of destruction. Ignoring Oros hisses. Ignoring the burning in his chest as he heaved breathfuls. He finally reached the staircase, leaping two to three steps with each stride as he made his way up, the collapse just behind him! Sunlight peeked through the entrance, and when Aiden finally breathed fresh air through tortured gulpfuls, he fell onto the ground. The building behind him collapsed into the earth. The sound of its destruction only masked by the great beating of his own heart. When it finally ended, when he finally calmed to the point where his heart was not deafening his own ears, he looked back. It was by pure chance he survived. The collapse had started far away from him, and followed as the hobgoblin destroyed more pillars, following behind him. If he had decided just to be a bit closer to the monster, just a step or two nearer to the pillars, he wouldve died, crushed under tons of concrete and steel. Suddenly, a noise came from the stairwell, a single, horrible noise as a fist broke through the collapsed concrete. Theres no way, Aiden muttered, disbelief on his face as bloody fingers clawed through the rubble. Then steps, slowly and slowly went up the stairs. Theres no fucking way. Aiden turned around, to see the hobgoblin slowly walk up the stairs. He gripped his hand, trying to rise and run, only to fall, a lethargy of death that stole the strength from his body. Aiden realised why when he looked at his hand. Where formerly, it could be considered merely skinny, now it was little more than skin and bones. The first two hits by the hobgoblin had damaged him more greatly than he realised, internal bleeding was the least of the things he had healed over and that repair had to come from somewhere. The way his regeneration apparently worked was through an enhanced metabolism, rapidly digesting nutrients to heal over wounds. His body had digested itself to keep him alive. That was the source of the tiredness, that lethargy in his bones. He simply spent too much energy regenerating. The steps stopped, Aiden laboriously raised his head, to see the hobgoblin towering over him. So this is how it ends. Oros hissed from atop his bag, still ready to fight, but he closed his eyes, this was over, he had no strength, no tricks left. Then he heard something fall beside him, and he opened them again. Johnjohnjohnjohn had fallen to the ground, three steel bars had punctured his chest, a large shard of concrete pierced his leg through. Venom coursing through his veins, his body cooking itself in exertion, and numerous life threatening wounds in his body, Johnjohnjohnjohn could not continue anymore. Aiden had done it. He had defeated a D rank threat. He defeated a hobgoblin. Chapter 25? Chapter 25? Aiden struggled to rise, falling again and again as he tried to get away from the wreck. He was tired, simply that and nothing else. His legs refused to move, feeling more like heavy logs than his own appendages, yet still, he crawled. Oros offered its help as the snake dragged him further than his own limbs. It kept hissing, its forked tongue tasting the air urgently. Dont worry, Aiden muttered, I hear them as well. Far off, closing in on their location were the sounds of motors. Theyre coming to investigate, no doubt. And he sighed, Hide somewhere Oros. The serpent complied, hiding underneath an abandoned car frame. Aiden followed it, crawling next to it and propping himself to lean against the same frame. He breathed, trying to keep his breath steady as sounds came closer. Goddamnit, he muttered. Why couldnt everything be impossible? If it were impossible, I can rest, I can sleep, but there is still a path. He glanced at the body of Johnjohnjohnjohn, finally killed by a combination of venom, overheating, and debris. How he had cut off his own arm to avoid certain death. And Aiden glanced at his own stump of a right hand. There is still a path, so I have to keep walking it, no matter how tired I am. Colorful, Aiden murmured, Oros body slowly turned dark as strange plants covered the serpents body. Tattoos soon covered Aidens own body, initially in a variety of colours, until the creatures saw their environment, shifting the colours of their skin to camouflage him. Just as they came. Five goblins, riding on the scooters that were not contrived. Arriving onto the scene of a dead hobgoblin, the opponent unknown and missing. Mala mala? one of them asked before another, presumably the leader, spoke. Ill know, it said in clear English. From his hidden perspective, Aiden saw it reach into its pockets, and take out a deck of cards. It drew one card and slashed Johnjohnjohnjohns throat with it. King Nothing. The card slipped out of its hand and into the cut on the hobgoblins throat. The corpse writhed, and from the cut crawled out something. Spindly fingers, hard and golden, they reached out of Johnjohnjohnjohns corpse, exposing a thin, robotic arm of gold and copper, glinting in the sun. They reached out, impossibly long from the body it came from. Until it revealed something, a large body, appearing grotesquely fat despite being made of gears and pipes of gold and copper. The thing floated, its long arms double the length of the rest of its body, and though it was of metal, its legs appeared vestigial and withered. The head bore a crown, broken and inlaid with shattered diamonds that spoke of old wealth broken with time. It was the face that gave Aiden pause, feminine, beautiful. But it was an impossible beauty of a statue wrought from marble jade, contrasting with its grotesque metallic body. Queen of Diamonds, the leader continued. Serve under me as you were meant to. And behind the goblin flashed something, a king more grotesque than the queen, with a crown of broken diamonds, shattered clubs, torn hearts and bloodied spades. The Queen of Diamonds took position above the corpse, splaying out its spindly, needle-like fingers wide. Then the body moved. Jerking with inhuman motion, the body rose with every twitch of those fingers, puppeteered like a marionette as the Queen disappeared from view. Walk towards the one who you fought. And the puppet corpse turned directly to face Aiden and walked. Pushing aside the other goblins as it moved slowly but surely to him. Goddamnit, he muttered. The camouflage disappeared, and to the shock of the goblins, a humanoid figure appeared sat against a car frame. Guns were raised, but the leader goblin raised a hand and stilled them. By reabsorbing his tattoos, Aiden returned his spent Hume, thus, the only Hume hes lost throughout the battle were the numerous creations he couldnt retrieve. The cone-shaped creature which had delivered a lethal venom, buried under the weight of debris, and the golden frog, forgotten somewhere. Hume wise, Aiden was still relatively topped up. That was it. He didnt have the strength to move his arms, for Hume was not energy. He couldnt stand or run, for the weight of his body was too great. There wasnt anything conveniently animal-shaped around him. Oros could carry him, but it couldnt outrun them. Checkmate. He was in the same position, no strength, no tricks. Is this it? He wanted to close his eyes and die, but something in his heart stirred. Are you still in there, Johnjohnjohnjohn? His voice rang out, seemingly without its owners intent. The leader goblin narrowed its eyes. Stop. And the corpse stopped. That was all it was. A puppetted corpse, with nothing left inside. Even a hobgoblin was alive. And he felt then, something was wrong. Johnjohnjohnjohns last attack shouldve killed him. Johnjohnjohnjohn sacrificed his arm to get off that final attack. Johnjohnjohnjohn is the one who killed me. Aiden knew he survived through no skill of his own, save the strength of his legs. He had been cornered by superior cunning, by superior skill, by superior strength. And now he lived and died by luck. He felt something then. Something he didnt know he still had. Dissatisfaction at his own death. Beside him, Oros hissed, tongue flickering in ager. You shouldve tried to revive him, Aiden muttered, if it was him, I wouldnt have cared, I would have laid down and died. Suddenly, his body lurched, and the goblins flinched. Jerkily, Aidens body rose, as if controlled by someone not used to the body. Or the mode of control. When the tattoos were still on his skin, Aiden still had a degree of control over it. Controlling their fangs or their skin, or using their ears and eyes like an extension to his body. Through this, he moved his body, using tattoos of other bipedal creatures to force himself to rise despite the lack of strength in his body. Moving muscles that were only two dimensional. Because he killed me back there, he is the only one who deserves to end me here. He jerkily took a step forward towards them. If you want to kill me, come and earn it. The goblin leader looked at him, measured him, and it snarled. You will join me one way or another. And it raised its hand, Shoot it until its dead but make sure the corpse is intact. You peons might not be able to turn a corpse, but I can. Dakka dakka! Theyve given up trying to take him alive to convert into a hobgoblin, instead, using the leaders ability to puppet his corpse. The four goblins raised their guns and at that moment Aiden knew his bravado was pointless. Given his legs, he was likely using either a terrestrial bird of the Casuariidae family or an extinct great ape, thus the proportions to his actual body were wrong. It moved joints in the wrong spots and had the incorrect lengths. Not to mention this was the first time he even attempted such a feat of delicate control without his own bodys strength to correct. He could not achieve the level of speed needed to dodge this attack. He could gamble on the goblins being few enough in number that their bullets no longer had the same punch, but he didnt know how many there were in total. He had killed seven, but there were at least twenty if a hobgoblin was present. This close, those bullets would still damage him when he was in a state where he didnt want to be regenerating. And his legs would most certainly be a weak spot. Aiden could try to fight, but he would most certainly die in the attempt. In fact, the only reason why the goblins havent fired yet was because they were trying to figure out where to shoot to preserve the body. What did Isaac call that thing when you ran out of Hume? He glanced at Oros. Sorry about this. I just realised I didnt want to die like this. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The snake simply seemed to sigh. He turned back, his eyes distant as if looking at something far away. Youve been haunting me like a bastard, so Ill grant your wish. Aiden fell to the ground, kneeling, after all, his body couldnt host more things while it was already occupied. I dont know your name, but I think I will call you Axis given your ability. And his face was covered in grey and infinite mouths. Each opening and closing, ravenously biting at the air like wild unchained dogs hungering for flesh and blood despite only being tattoos. Beneath Aiden, the ground bloomed. Dozens, hundreds, uncountable numbers of grey arms. Each grabbing the other to form an eldritch weave, moving out together like a wave, they spread out with him at its centre, opening up like an eldritch flower of nothing but arms, covering the floor. Oros body turned black, covered in strange plants as it always had when he spent Hume, until the black reached its head. Then slowly, and surely, Oros crumbled, cracking and breaking as the white snake became dust, and with it, Aidens own body began to crumble. The goblins fired their bullets, but they were too late. The bullets spun through the air in Aidens direction, But not travelling any distance, instead, appearing to have stopped the moment they left the barrel. At that moment, Aiden forgot the peacefulness of death.
Lu dreamt of ocean waves. Of walking on a pale sandy beach, beside a black ocean that lapped gently against the shore. Every step, he made a footprint on the sand, walking in a circle around the imaginary island. He walked and walked like it was a dream. Not sure why he walked, only that he did. As Lu walked, he saw something in front of him, someone who looked like him, only younger, ravaged by stress and pain all the same but not as long as he had been. The young teenager was also walking around the island, only in the opposite direction as he, and now they met here, after a long and different journey. Both stopped, facing each other. Hello Aiden Bu, he said. Hello Aiden Lu, he answered. Do you want to walk with me? Lu asked. Sure, Bu answered, and he changed direction, following Lu. They walked together, silent for a while. Leaving footprints on the sand, before Lu asked, Are you ok? Bu glanced up at the back he was following, Im not sure, I wasnt ever sure, but now? I think I wasnt. Bu stopped, looking down at the sand beneath his feet, At some point, I stopped trying, everything I did felt pointless, eating became hard, I didnt do it because I was hungry but because Your stomach told you to, Lu finished, stopping in his tracks as well. You continued to do things like drinking water, like eating food, like going to work, not because you wanted to, but because that was what you always did, so it was familiar, it was the same. To even breathe became an exercise, a chore, but you continued to do it because it was your bodys habit- Not your will, Bu finished. Lu turned and looked back at Bu. Such different worlds, such different circumstances, the same hollow eyes. Bu continued to speak, One day, I dont know which, but one day, I stopped trying to make things work. Instead, I hoped for a miracle solution, one thatll instantly solve all my problems. Instead of trying, instead of grasping for a better future, I hoped a better future would reach me. Then I came, Lu answered. Then you came, Bu agreed. Was I your miracle solution? Lu asked. Bu smiled, No, you were not. Lu smiled as well, I guess I was never good enough. Not because of that, no, Bu corrected, because you were never my solution. Lu raised an eyebrow. You are different from me because I gave up in the end. I couldnt continue anymore, but you are still going, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how much you tire, no matter how much of yourself you have to carve up. Im just doing this because I have nothing else. But you are still doing it, Bu pointed, Why? Lu was silent, his eyes distant as if looking somewhere far away. I want to see what a happy life looks like, he answered while looking at the sea. Ive been like this for so long, I dont remember- no, that is wrong, I never learned in the first place, how to be happy, how to love, how to laugh with friends or a family that loved you. I saw a glimpse, and I realise it was something I wanted. Something I want to achieve. I follow creeds, rules, morality, not because I believe them, but because I hope that good men would lead good lives, he continued. So I suppose my answer is the same, I want to learn, so that I can remember without ever forgetting, what a good life looks like. He turned and looked towards where Bu had stood, but Bu wasnt there, he was never there. The footsteps Bu left behind had ended when they met. Aiden had been walking alone this whole time. You were just a memory, Aiden murmured. The real you died long ago. The waters continued to rise, lapping against the shore, every time they receded, they came back even higher. Until Aiden watched the waters wash away a single footstep. In the panic of evacuation, a sheaf of papers was lost, scattered in the winds, they were the government documents Aiden had signed, and they would never be found again. The water came back, a second footstep was lost to the tide. The apartment became dirty and dilapidated as if no one had cleaned it or lived in it for some time. Perhaps no one ever lived in them. And the waters kept rising, washing away more footsteps. A crow sped through the sky, urgently trying to deliver a message until he faltered, confused. He came to a strange realisation. I am born of paper, yet who folded me? Aiden came to a simple realisation as the footsteps he left behind were all slowly washed away. Hume was not energy. It was a measure. An attempt to quantify existence itself. The Hume he held in his own body was not all of his Hume. Every footstep he made, every action he did, they all left behind a mark. A mark that was Hume itself. And he drew upon that now, when his own body had exhausted itself of the Hume it carried. All the Hume, the effect he had on existence itself was being taken and moulded into something new. An eldritch corpse flower, born from horror and peace. To wreak blind havoc as Aidens own body crumbled away and was forgotten. So I die leaving the world a worse place for it, he murmured, as finally, all the footsteps he left behind were washed away. (Not necessarily.) A voice spoke. Aiden looked around, trying to find the source. (You are looking in the wrong place, Aiden Lu Bu.) And he looked towards the sea, seeing the figure that stood there. It was a humanoid figure of light build, male, he figured. With a body as if carved out of black marble, dressed like a rider or cavalier from times almost medieval, with a musketeer hat adorning the head. But he was strange, like a statue it stood, yet Aiden saw on one hand details lovingly carved out, whirls of fingerprints, callouses from years holding onto a rein, and the other was blocky with only a thumb, as if someone had stopped carving halfway. Similarly, some parts of its clothing were carved out with lifelike and realistic detail, as if it were truly made of cloth instead of stone, while the rest of the body was blocky and unfinished, only put in the shape of a man rather than the details that encompassed one. Likewise, its face was blank, a block of material never carved out. A painting never finished, a book never edited, it was a statue never finished. Whose maker had never finished their work. Who are you? The statue answered, and it spoke the strength of the waves themselves. (I am the one who remembers the washed footprints.) In less cryptic terms? (I am the one who greets many.) Even less cryptic? (I am the one who will ride.) He raised an eyebrow, that was a pointless path of inquiry then. Why are you here? The statue spoke, (It is said, that at the moment of their death, people reveal their true selves. Yet, it is not mentioned that people die two deaths. The first, when their body fails, when their mind goes, when what is them is no longer them.) And the second? (The second happens the last time a person is remembered, their image mourned, their name spoken. When the second death occurs, I appear.) Aiden glanced to the side, at the seas washing away all the footprints he left behind. So I have died my second death? (You have died your second death.) The statue confirmed. (Yet, unlike many, you have died both deaths at the same time, and so, I am granted an opportunity to observe.) Observe what exactly? (Your true self.) He answered, and the sea rumbled. (What is the answer a person gives when both their body and life have come to naught? What is the Truth they speak? Do they shout in defiance? Do they resign to peace? Or do they try to bargain with Death itself? That is a Defining Moment, what a person does when faced with both Deaths.) Is that who you are?! Aiden yelled, the sea so loud it almost drowned out his voice. Are you Death? (No.) The statue answered. (I am the last who forgets, and when Last Dawn falls, I will be complete and I will ride to greet the Final Dusk. I am the Aborted God. But you? You are Aiden Lu Bu, a thrice born soul, on this island of dreams you have glimpsed Truth and you did not lie.) And the sea itself was drowned out by a single voice, echoed and screamed and whispered. Aiden didnt recognise it at first, but he heard the words, he heard the words he had spoken but moments earlier. The seas returned, but this time, they returned the footsteps, every single footstep that Aiden had left behind. (Only once in a lifetime can someone defy Death so, the day I greet you again, the seas will claim you along with the footsteps you left behind.)
But that day is not today, Aiden repeated. He didnt know how much time had passed, only that he was whole, Oros was wrapped around his right forearm, right beneath the stump, and he was kneeling. All around him, the earth and concrete rose up in hundreds of carved hands, rising and blooming like a beautiful flower. He touched the ground beneath him, now covered in a stony grey, Whatever you were, you are strong enough to morph the ground rather than require something to fit your shape. That is impressive indeed. But now? I think I have the strength to control you. And it all stopped, as Aiden reabsorbed the Invader. He remembered what it was, he remembered the fear, he remembered something. What he felt when he resigned his life to save Jun. He had felt peace, a feeling of peace brought about by the fact that even if he died, it was in service of a good purpose. A fitting way to end his horrid life. Oros pushed something into his hand, the last thing in his backpack. You are like me and Johnjohnjohnjohn, reborn to fulfil a purpose, but you will not develop free will, you will never become anything more than what you are made, unlike Ranpo, you will remain a Tool. At that moment, he forgot the peace he felt. He forgot the contentment he resigned himself as he faced death for the first time in this world. And the tattoos flowed off his arm and onto the cleaver with a broken blade. The metal warped as the tattoo was condensed and forced to fit a shape. The entire tool became grey and stone-like. Rows of teeth covered the cleavers edge, except at the centre around the dent. Numerous eyes opened on the flat, unblinking and unseeing. Its hilt warped to appear like numerous arms were wrapped around it in a swirling weave. Barbaric and grotesque, Aiden held the butchers tool with his last remaining hand. Still kneeling within that half bloomed flower, he smiled a vicious smile. What are you doing?! the lead goblin yelled, Shoot him! And the goblins did, the bullets flying true over the half-bloomed flower. Almost reaching him, before they stopped, less than a meagre metre away from Aidens body. The bullets continued to spin in the air, yet no matter what happened, they did not travel any distance towards him. That is a good power, Aiden murmured with a vicious smile. He tried to rise, but fell, his smile leaving his lips as he remembered, he was still out of stamina. His body was still starved. Then a black shadow flew overhead, and Aiden recognised Ranpo. Chapter 26 Meeting Day(?)core Part 2, Imagined Flight Part 4 Chapter 26 Meeting Day(?)core Part 2, Imagined Flight Part 4 Chapter 26 Meeting Day(?)core Part 2 Sure it was Reginald, but she just ate him! How can we trust a cannibal? - Mike Myers, known for having a well-muscled and lean thigh that tasted wonderful after a good roasting. On an unrelated note, Cannibal Holocaust is now hiring for the Slaughterhouse Five. Aiden? Jun called out as she ran, Aiden? She turned over a stone, Underhere? Only some bugs were there, nestling in the damp. She was gone before the stone had time to fall. Jun cleared the entire length of the river, finding some people evacuating due to the sirens, but no sign of the one-handed idiot. Hmm she pondered, pursing her lips, Whatarethechanceshesalreadyinashelter Strangely, that assessment was not that far off, though undoubtedly for different reasons than she was imagining. Theresnowayhesinsomethinglike she glanced around, noting little but a dirty cardboard box, thisbox? She opened it up, and two brown eyes stared back at her. Yip! Aww, she let out as she petted the small, brown-furred dog. No collar. Someone abandoned you, didnt they? The puppy leaned into her hand, allowing her hand to rub into its coarse and rough fur. Smiling, she spoke in the same tone all dog owners did, Whos a good doggy- JUN! A shout, quietened to a whisper by distance, but no less heard. Jun was running back already, already in sight of their starting point, above there was a black crow in the sky. Waving him down, Jun slowed, heaving for breath as she skidded to a stop. I saw traces of him! Hes in a fight and he needs- is that a dog? Jun glanced down at the puppy she had fortuitously adopted, and proudly presented him, Hes Mr Fluffernutter! She actually, but that doesnt matter! Ofcourseitdoes! Jun answered as she glanced down at the well it''s definitely Ms Fluffernutter. I think Aidens in a fight- Where, she cut in, her past frivolity already gone as she made space in her arms for the crow to nestle in. Past the bridge, in the abandoned factory district, Ranpo regarded her arms with a bit of apprehension, You can get there first, Ill follow- WhatifIrunpastthebridge? Ranpo sighed, and nestled in next to the pup which she still held. Jun breathed out, flexing her tired calves, Nightcore sped up her time, it did little to her stamina. But she still had more in her. She ran. The scenery around them sped by and disappeared, turning into blurs. In a few short moments, Jun sighted the bridge in question, slowing down, she asked, Isthisit? Ranpo cracked open an eye that was shut like a vault door, Yes! She sped up further, and when she got close enough, she saw a blur of green. Jun put her first foot on the bridge. Then it exploded. She saw it all in slow motion, a plume of red and orange, blooming from the centre of the bridge. Throwing burning shards of wood and steel. Her foot pivoted, she huddled down, shielding her two companions as she stepped back onto dry land. Jun crashed into the dirt, rolling like a hamster wheel with Ranpo and the stray in the centre. Slowing in momentum as the earth broke their advance. Ranpo peeked out from his cradle, seeing the burning wreck where the bridge was. Motherfuckers Jun breathed out as she tried to get up. Supporting herself with her knees and elbows. Is that Ranpo turned around, Jun! Youre- Pissed, she spat as her hands closed around a shard of smouldering wood embedded in her shoulder. Yanking it out, the flesh underneath knitting itself at a visible pace. You shielded me. Help me pull out the other ones and well call it even. Ranpo nodded, glancing at the huddling stray that had fallen beside him before he hopped onto Juns back. Using his beak, he helped pull out the few pieces of shrapnel that had lodged themselves into Jun, marvelling at the sight of her flesh regenerating. Your regeneration is better than Aidens. Goodforme, she muttered as she fell into a sitting posture. The flesh underneath was still scarred and burnt, but they were closed. You dont suddenly have a hankering for food do you? Jun stared at him strangely, before she got up, not even deigning to give him an answer. Thisjustgotpersonalrealquick, she said with a barely veiled snarl. SorryRanRan, originallyIwasjustgonnadraghimout, paybackalifedebtyaknow? But now? she snarled, for real this time. Now Im gonna hurt something. Ran Ran? he muttered, just as Jun stepped towards the shoreline. Wait! Are you going to swim across? Jun shook her head, My piece of shit parents never bothered to teach me, so Ill just run across. Run youre going to run on water? Yep. She took off, rushing towards the shoreline. Quickly approaching the murky waters, her foot soon hit the water And sunk. To reiterate, Juns power worked by speeding up her time, so that she perceived the world as if it were slower. She did not actually have that strong of a body, she ran as quickly as a normal healthy, fit and unaugmented person of her age, slightly better even, however, the forces she acts upon the world in sped time was still the same as if she wasnt using Nightcore. She still stepped on the water with the same force and speed as if she werent sped up. So naturally, she sank. Ohshi- she tried to yell before getting a mouthful of water for her trouble. Jun! Ranpo yelled, flapping his way towards the girl, now splashing wildly in the water. Dont splash wildly! Spread yourself out! Easyforyoutosay! she somehow managed to yell through all the splashing. Ranpo couldnt approach, the girl was splashing so wildly that the spray practically blanketed her. He was stuck circling her like a carrion bird. Stay calm! he yelled, just as Juns head fell through the waters. Shit, how bad at swimming can you be!? Ranpo yelled as he prepared to dive in. There was another splash, smaller and behind him, Ranpo glanced back, seeing the shadow of the small puppy in the water. Oh, not you too! Jun continued to thrash, her eyes opened and blindly perceiving the river depths. The waters stung against her eyes, every time she opened her mouth came with only lost air and choking liquid. With her perception, it felt like an eternity of drowning, of choked breaths and stinging eyes, of the strength leaving her limbs and her clothes weighing like chains dragging her down to the depths. Through all this, it was only by chance she saw it. Ms Fluffernutter, paddling just above the water. She saw her posture, flat against the water, head kept above and limbs under. With her quickened perception, she saw all of this, an eternity just staring at Ms Fluffernutter, paddling in slow motion across the water. Unconsciously, she assumed the same position, flat against the water, limbs under and head above. She surfaced. She breathed. And she paddled. Ilearnedhowtoswim! she yelled as she sped across the water, Ms Fluffernutter following behind with her tail wagging like a ships rotor blade. Behind both of them, Ranpo followed with a mystified expression. What the fuck? Ranpo remarked, but even his surprise had to take a backseat, as he suddenly heard something large crash, a deep rumbling as if a building had just fallen over. Whatever, hurry up and swim Jun! the crow yelled as he flew forward. Jun quickly reached the shore, clawing her way onto land, her clothes dripped with dirty river water. She breathed in deep, feeling her heart beating against her rib cage. Jumping slightly away as Ms Fluffernutter got onto dry land and dried herself as most dogs do. Seeing the crow rushing above her, she took in another deep breath, steadying her beating heart. And she ran. Ms Fluffernutter disappeared behind her, the land was eaten up in great and fast strides, she followed the path of destruction, the rhythm of her breath. No longer was her heart beating like a beast caged, but a great machine forever roaring to life. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Then it stopped, for in a single moment, for a single second, she saw. She saw that no matter how much she ran, she could not approach. What the hell is this? Ranpo yelled behind her, similarly frozen in midair, despite furiously flapping his wings forward. And it was gone. Jun moved a single step forward, yet still, she froze in place, from no force but her own. She looked down, seeing a single leg pointed back, her body already in the motions of running away. And she grit her teeth, grinding them to the very gums, Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. What happened- Before Ranpo could finish, Jun took another step forward. For Jun was done running.
Ranpo had arrived. Circling above, but staying silent, Aiden suspected it was to remain unnoticed. He was either looking for an opening to do something or buying time. I shouldve packed lunch, Aiden muttered as more goblins arrived. Eight riding the scooters that werent contrived. Whered you get those by the way? You definitely didnt make them. The lead goblin snorted, Some humans are more intelligent than you peon, to have already given supplication. Using big words is the sign of the pretentious, Aiden said. He wouldve laughed loudly to illustrate the point, but he felt like that would make the pangs in his stomach worse. Too bad Ranpo couldnt laugh for him. Though he definitely saw the crow smirk, unless he was getting delusional with hunger. One goblin tried another potshot, it flew true towards him, but paused less than a metre from his knelt position. After a moment, it clanged onto the ground with the rest, its momentum spent. There definitely wasnt a physical force blocking those shots, they still appeared to be moving in front of him, only paused in space. He wondered if he could touch the bullets while they were stopped, if he had the strength of course. Still, whatever power he just made was, Oros was turning darker. Gradually, the white serpents body was getting painted in black and bark. Whatever it was, it was spending his Hume. Which was just unfortunate wasnt it? It didnt even have the decency to be self-sufficient like Ranpo. He needed to figure out what concept he threw on it, it was something synonymous with instrument and utensil, which gave him a vague idea on its meaning, even if he no longer knew the word. Next were the strange petals surrounding him, likely related. They came before the butchers blade in his hand. Did giving it the utensil synonym warp its original form? Or perhaps the goblins had another power prepared somewhere? Dagin dagin! Now, Aiden wasnt a speaker of goblinese in either life, but the short figure pointing to the side gave an obvious indication. Tattoos manifested on his neck, and he turned his head. Moving slowly to ensure he didnt accidentally twist something the wrong way in the process. A blurry figure was walking towards them, slowly. It took him a moment, but eagle eyes allowed him to hone in on the familiar mask on her face. Yo, Jun said. She was barely considering the numerous goblins that were around them, instead, focusing squarely on him. Greetings, Aiden replied. I hope this isnt too much to ask, but could you help me out? Sure thing, but I need you to answer something. Ask- Silence both you wrenches, the lead goblin snarled. Shutupyouextra. Extra? it snarled again in indignation, I am a king! ThenIamagod, Jun answered, her eyes completely cold. Kill it! So Aiden, she asked, completely unperturbed as several barrels were suddenly pointing at her. What the actual- They fired. She stepped aside. -fuck- The goblins corrected, and she began dodging all around them. -are- She ran past a group of five, and the other goblins lit them up trying to hit her. -you- The lead goblin slapped them to stop shooting and barked an order. -holding? The hobgoblin corpse burst into a ball of steam and jumped. Jun dodged just out of the way, but it crashed into a building, wrecking it. Truthfully, Aiden began, I have no fucking idea. She pursed her lips, now standing beside him. Eyeing the bullets on the ground. Im gonna need a good explanation for that later. Of course maam, he politely answered. Jun chuckled at that for some reason, before turning to that moving corpse. Can you do me another favour? Aiden asked. This close, he could hear the rapid beating of her heart, the perspiration running down her face and mask. Ask. Make sure to put him to peace. She followed his gaze and nodded. The goblins gathered around in a circle as she stepped forward. The first move was Juns. Running next to the corpse, she threw out a fist, but the thing was fast. A thrown arm knocked hers aside, followed by a kick which she quickly backed out of. Jun glanced at her arm, seeing the flesh still quivering from the blow and tsked. The corpse jumped, leaping through the distance between them. They were matched in speed, but Jun had better maneuverability. She easily dodged out of the way, slapping a gun out of a surprised goblins hand, before she pistol-whipped the corpses head. The gun was smashed to pieces, yet the thing was undeterred. Jun backed away, opening more ground as the corpse jumped again, smashing past her and into another building. It stood up, its body bleeding and wounded, yet it still jerked towards Jun. Are you going to run forever? the goblin taunted. Keep dancing like a foolish jester? She shot it a dirty look before she seemed to smile under her mask. You know what? No. On her right hand, the sun symbol shined, before it morphed into a fox-like domino mask. Daycore, Jun murmured as she raised a hand to her face. Putting it on and taking the Oni mask off. The latter turning into a moon symbol on her left hand. Aiden blinked, for suddenly, Jun appeared completely different. He took in the sudden change and wasnt sure if he should say anything. Surprisingly, it was Ranpo who spoke first, Did you just lose your mammaries? In some places, you would get beaten for that, Sir Ranpo, Jun spoke in a deeper and calmer voice. Slowed and clear. Jun stood a step taller, back tall and clothes morphed into some traditional Asian dress. Instead of purple streaks, now the black hairs ended in burning orange tips. Aiden recognised this figure, for he had thought it was Juns brother. The corpse jumped, a flying kick directly to Juns masked face. They connected in a blow of steam and wind. The force great enough that it kicked up dust that forced most of them to close their eyes. But the dust didnt, couldnt reach Aiden, so he saw it first. Juns head, only slightly tilted to the side, the corpses foot still planted on his(?) cheek. That it? Jun asked as he reached out, slowly, but surely, grabbed onto the ankle. The corpse tried to jump back but found it could not break the grip. A fist slammed into Juns face, jerking him backwards. Jun reached out with his other hand, moving in slow motion, but the hobgoblin easily dodged the other hands grip despite one of its legs being trapped. Then Jun pulled the leg, knocking the monster off balance and onto the ground. Both hands gripped onto the leg, his fist slowly started to tighten. And the flesh began to pulp, almost like squeezing a lemon. Blood squirted out of his two hands as bones were crunched broken. The puppet kept trying to jump backwards, repeating the motion incessantly until finally, the ankle was crushed under Juns grip and the creature was freed. It stood jerkily off-balance, one leg standing on broken and shattered bones. The dynamic had changed. The corpse jumped, smashing Jun in the abdomen with its fist as he groped for purchase. Where once Jun was the faster one barely able to damage the opponent, now it was the puppet. Forced to dodge every slowed blow. But it was doing damage. Fast but weak. Aiden could see Juns cheek bruising. Slowly, but he could see dots of ugly purple under the skin. Finally, a single moment off-balance, brought about by its severed arm and destroyed leg, Jun grabbed the neck. The puppet struggled, beating Jun with blows that would shatter concrete. With its remaining hand, it kept repeatedly punching Juns face. Its severed arm jerked forward to complete motions it couldnt. Its legs kicked, smashing into his sides, jerking him with every blow, but Jun stood his ground. Jun spat out blood, his face purple with bruises and he was forced to a knee, but his grip remained firm and tightening. The puppet punched and kicked and smashed till its own bones began to shatter and break. Once strong, muscled limbs were reduced to flailing red slabs of pulped bone and meat that slammed unrelentingly into a figure just as stubborn. Finally, a blow shattered a portion of Juns mask, revealing a single eye. A single eye, a black iris rimmed with gold, bloody capillaries drew a web of red, his bruise bordering the entire eye in purple. Black, gold, red and purple, the colours of kings, formed from blood and trauma. Slow but strong. Juns fingers dug into the puppets neck, slowly, ever slowly tightening. A vice grip of madness. Finally, the puppet changed tactics, slamming its limbs into Juns extended arm, but it was too late then. It had long smashed the limbs into nothing but minced meat. And finally, something snapped, and the puppet fell limp and broken. Sudden quiet filled the battlefield. Shock at the display of bloody violence, devoid of strategy, cunning and trickery, leaving simple butchery. Slowly, Jun unsteadily rose, his form swaying in the wind. Blood both his own and the puppets dripped off his body. The once white martial dress was stained in crimson. He spat out a bloody tooth and asked, Whos next? Silence answered at first. Then a different answer came, slowly but surely, as one goblin began backing away before it turned and ran. Then it was shot in the back of its head. Coward! the lead goblin yelled. Stand your ground and dont run! Yet Aiden could hear the fear in its voice, and the fear in all their steps as the goblins collectively began taking a step back. The lead goblins eyes jerked fearfully between Jun and the slowly retreating goblins before it raised its gun. And sprayed it in a circle, killing its own kind. You are not allowed to run before me! It threw out its deck, cards flying into the corpses, each raising another. I am King Nothing, you knaves buy me time! the last living goblin ordered its puppets as it turned and ran. Jun took a step forward, but it was painfully slow. He could not give chase in this form, Daycore slowed. The goblin ran to the scooters, and without looking back, it jumped onto one and rode away. Jun tried to take another step, but he fell once again to a knee, clutching his stomach. He was stronger than I thought, he grimaced. But why Why arent they shooting us? Aiden asked, looking at the milling puppets, standing to block the path to where the goblin ran, but doing nothing else. Im guessing unclear orders, Aiden murmured, it ordered them to buy it time, but nothing else. So we let it run away? Jun asked, grunting as he tried to stand again. Leaning on a wall, he found moderate success. Who said that? Aiden asked.
Imagined Flight Part 4 Imagine you can fight Imagine you''re alive Imagine you can The King of Nothing ran. Speeding away on its scooter, running far away from those two. It would return and bring its vengeance upon them. Already, the Queen of Diamonds had returned from its loss. One day, King Nothing would return and claim their corpses as its own, for its power was the strongest. Any body under its control would retain all its old strength with none of the bodily limitations, its weakness was only a matter of the powers freshness and the utter incompetence of its subordinates. It will be the strongest in existence, but now it had to run, now it had to- Something sharp stabbed into the King of Nothings spine, causing it to lose control of the scooter, and crash violently to the ground. Flapping his wings just above was a carrion bird. Did you know? the crow asked, That poison dart frogs were named that way because the natives would rub darts on their backs, thus creating poisoned darts. King Nothings mouth gaped, trying to speak, but the poison in its veins was too much. I suppose you cant talk anymore, Ranpo said before he flew off. The King of Nothing looked around for someone to blame. But the King found no one, for it was alone.
Around Aiden and Jun, the puppets fell to the ground, motionless, and useless. Chapter 27 Just Another Tuesday Chapter 27 Just Another Tuesday Youll get used to the insanity. It was a lazy day. After shovelling the corpses, the kebab store opened as usual. Few customers dropped by today, leaving only a few crows pecking at the pile outside. The sirens were blaring, so technically he should be evacuating to somewhere safer, but the habits were ingrained. If death came the owner would meet it in his own shop. Sometime past midday, a single crow came, instead of joining the gang scavenging the bodies, it flew straight into the store. The owner almost shooed it out, before it dropped two twenty-dollar notes on the counter. Id like to make an order, it declared in an accent he couldnt quite place. Shrugging, for the owner has had stranger customers before, he turned to the grill behind him, What would it be boss? The crow blinked, unsure, Umm And it asked the strangest question, What has the most calories?
Two Halal snack packs, three kebabs and a 1.25-litre quoake, the owner declared as he wrapped it all up. Ranpo nodded, Thank you. He flew onto the counter, grabbing the plastic bags by his claws and- He couldnt lift it. Need some help there boss? Ranpo shook his head, No need- well do you do delivery- actually I shouldnt bother you on such a day. But what could he do? He was but a single crow. Both Aiden and Jun were too injured to move anymore. He was alone- He glanced outside, at the murder of crows pecking at the corpses. Some were staring at him in curiosity. Seeing one of their own kind ordering food. Ranpo cawed several times, short and repetitive. (Greetings, can you assist me in carrying this?) A cacophony of caws answered him. (Your accent is horrible.) (He talks naked chimp.) (What is in it for us?) Ranpo thought for a moment before he glanced at the pile of dead zombies under them. (Ill pay you.)
So Jun casually began. Ask away, Aiden answered, his back laid comfortably against a wall. What the fuck is that? they asked again. Currently, Jun was wearing neither mask, their face was oddly normal, a bit on the androgynous side, with most of their body obscured by an oversized hoodie and baggy clothing. I truthfully have no idea, he answered, glancing at the cleaver laid by his side. But what kind of no idea do you mean? Jun pressed. Aiden raised an eyebrow. Jun raised their hands, gesturing wildly, Like, do you have no idea because you just happened on it? Or do you have no idea because its a condition of your power? Or is it because youre lying to me? Well- By the way, if it is the latter, I will hit you. A single groan escaped his lips, and he winced almost instinctively. Not at the pain, but at the expression of it. How would you even know? Instinct, they replied with a completely straight face. Aiden rolled his eyes. He calmly pondered if he should lie, obscure the cost of his ability, keep a potential liability off the table, then his stomach groaned and he realised he didnt have the energy to care. Its a condition of my power, he explained. Whenever I make a creature, I forget all information associated with it. When I made that wolf earlier, I forgot what wolf it was, when I made Ranpo, I forgot what a crow is, when I made this You forgot about it? Jun finished. Seriously? You just forgot about they wildly gestured at the half bloomed flower, That. Aiden sighed, I suppose I did. Wait, but that doesnt make sense, Jun continued, if youre already paying a cost, why does your Hume go down? Aiden raised an eyebrow? My Hume? Like they gestured at Oros, I saw your snake, I know your Hume goes down, and everyone knows an ability with a cost has significantly lower or no Hume loss at all. Jun continued, The only two reasons it might still cost something is either you dont value the thing youre losing, which, well memory is a pretty hardcore cost. So I guess you could not value your experience or Or? Or the effect youre getting is so great that even a reduction doesnt matter, Jun finished, a contemplative look on their face. I wouldnt have thought it was that until They glanced at the cleaver by his side. I saw that. Aiden wanted to question what exactly that was, but looking at how Jun was dancing around the subject, he switched. Whats your story then? Aiden asked, You seem pretty knowledgeable about this stuff and how do your two masks work? Jun tsked, I used to be from a geneline family. Families built off of inherited abilities, originally from a manifested ancestor. Past tense? It was a branch family from some bigshot one, it doesnt matter. They were fuckers who tried to eugenics their entire family into some perfect superhero team. There was genuine bile and distaste in Juns voice as they explained. Everyone knows an ability passes down to their kids in some form or variation, what most dont know is that the ability becomes weaker in a sense. There is a thing called Priority which dictates whether an ability activates at all. After multiple generations, the ability the kids have wont be enough to even clear the Beatles Bar, the Priority level of the universe. Meaning it wont activate. Jun nodded, A person can have an inherited ability that is as or even stronger than the original ability, and they would have enough Hume to qualify as a metahuman, but if the Priority is low, it wont be enough to actually affect reality. But if thats the case, how have geneline families persisted for centuries? They raised two fingers, Two methods, first, they teach the kids to artificially raise their priority level. Aiden raised his eyebrow. A general rule is that the more rules, costs and conditions an ability has, the higher priority it has. They teach the kids to add certain rules to their ability, and by enforcing those rules, the priority rises over time. And the second? Their face scrunched up in disgust. The second is they marry a fresh manifested, so that their ability is added to the genepool. A booster shot of sorts. Their kids will be back to the base priority level, enough to show a working ability. Jun adjusted their position, crossing their legs, Thats what my parents wanted of me. I didnt show the family ability, and even after adding eight different conditions it still didnt manifest, so they wanted to marry me off to some rando. Oh, Aiden could already see the shape of this story. Arranged marriages to ensure a decent ability was passed down, a person who spoke with spite at the very concept. Juns eyes were distant, reminiscing the past, I still hadnt come out then, and I was confused so fucking confused. Sometimes I felt fine, other times I felt like shit in my own body. I started trying on different clothes and shit, and I would feel better, showing the world the me I was rather than the me I was expected to be. My parents didnt like that, they didnt like it at all. They kept introducing me to new people, people they obviously wanted me to marry, but how I acted threw them off for a while. They kept getting madder at me, saying I was just doing it for attention and lying to their faces, until one day, I told them to fuck off. They chuckled slightly, I got disowned that night, and when I left the house with only a suitcase, I realised there were symbols on my hand. Quietly they raised their hands, on their palms, was a sun and a moon, glowing softly in the shade. So thats how my ability works, I get the body I want, whenever I want it. They raised their right hand to their face, It is how manifestations work, to show something of the person, of what they want and what they are willing to pay. That is how my power works, that is why it is a mask. And he looked at me, his face half-covered with a white fox mask with a rising sun, So whats the lie Aiden? The face I was born with or the mask I chose to wear? Who was the real Jun? The person they were born as, chained behind family and tradition, or the person they later chose to be? Im not sure if my answer is right, Aiden replied. Jun chuckled heartily and slapped him on the back, he winced slightly at the strength of it, Neither was I. So what about you, Aiden? What is your mask? To manifest an ability that butchers your own mind? Aiden was quiet. Not knowing the answer, not knowing if he would like the answer if he knew it. He only stared up at the sky. I originally made Ranpo as an experiment, he said, but he quickly became a sort of comedic sidekick if that makes sense. Overhead, there was a group of crows, flying close together, carrying a strange package. Now I wonder what he is. An entire murder of crows landed beside them. Claws off! Ranpo yelled, corralling the other crows, let the idiots with thumbs do it! Did you multiply? Jun asked as he began unwrapping the plastic packages. What? No, I just bribed these idiots to help me carry the bags. A multitude of angry caws answered him. You still rely on a barter-based economy! Of course, you are idiots! Some of the older crows began dispersing, instead, gathering around Jun as he fed them chips and kebabs. A few were tearing at the dead goblin flesh nearby. The younger looking ones, of course, were still gathered around Ranpo. Still cawing at him. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Fool! I am immune to your mama jokes for I had no mother! Aiden mightve imagined it, but the crowd- murder? The group of crows surrounding Ranpo seemed genuinely taken aback for a moment when he declared such, as if half their vocabulary had suddenly been made naught. Aiden unwrapped a kebab, taking a bite out of it. How much did you pay for all of this? Like thirty-eight dollars? Thats pretty good, Jun said between bites of chips. Couldve been cheaper, Aiden muttered. If they had bought the ingredients and cooked it themselves, it wouldve obviously been more cost efficient. That said, a lunch shared with a murder of crows was undoubtedly the strangest hes had in either of his lives. By the way Jun. Mmph? he said- well approximated the sound of questioning whilst his mouth was full of food. When are the police coming? I assume you called them ahead of time. Somehow, Jun conveyed the expression of utter dumbfoundedness through his mask rather well. Aiden sighed, somewhere in this abandoned district, was a blackened circle where someone had given their life to buy some time. Were kids, someone better than us needs to deal with this. He nodded, swallowing his food, Jun took out his phone, raising it to his ear. And blinked in surprise, as he took it off and put it on speaker. We do not have any available officers to respond to your emergency, please wait. If your emergency is urgent, please leave a message after the beep. And it beeped. Jun ended the call, hurriedly typing into his phone. Then he turned pale. Aiden shuffled next to him, looking at what he was looking at. So thats why the sirens are on. A video from atop a helicopter, showing a familiar landscape. And over the headless corpse of kaiju killed in brutal desperation was a Gate to Necrada, pouring corpses over it like a flood of grey. Slowly, the headless corpse moved.
Now that is a problem, Vice Principal Taylor muttered. The Bleed effect of Necrada, slowly worming its way into the kaiju corpse. Close that Gate! Freddy yelled somewhere, Go and stop it no matter how many we lose! A flood of power, an intense sense of wrongness. Weve sighted a Necron Overlord! Wreathed in death and forgotten yore, an ancient skeleton stepped out of the Gate. And where it walked, things died. Plants withered, animals rotted. Even things without the concept of death died as well. The air died, the earth died, the very fabric of reality died. And with this death, the mountain-sized corpse of the kaiju twitched and moved with greater furore. Can we call for backup? the Vice Principal asked. Ive been trying, the Guardsmen beside her answered, but everywhere is busy
We cant send any backup, the military police caller answered. Not at least for another ten minutes. Ten minutes! Glory Girl yelled over the deafening buzzing, Thats enough time to make cup ramen, eat it and clean up you dolt! All around her was an empty and barren waste, a waste that was once a town. People fled under her as she blasted at the encroaching swarm of flies. But even doing her best, she could not stop it from consuming all metal in its path. And making more flies. Im dealing with a Class Three Grey Goo scenario here! she yelled once again into her communicator. We cant afford to spread our forces any further, the person simply answered, and even with the deafening buzz she could hear the desperation in his voice. Every surviving fly manifested its own ability we cant afford to move people without sacrificing a greater chunk somewhere So please, perform delaying actions until reinforcements arrive.
Hold the quarantine! a captain of the military police yelled. Standing atop a blockade of vehicles, each armed to the teeth and firing upon the crowd that came. Please let us out! Theyre killing us! The encroaching crowd yelled. On each of their faces was a fly. Please let us out! Theyre killing us! And they kept repeating these phrases, asking to be let out. Non-lethal methods arent working! someone yelled beside him. Firing more tear gas into the crowd, which the infected simply ignored. Whats commands decision- The man couldnt finish, before a bullet was fired into his chest. Steven! an officer jumped to help the downed officer, dragging him back into the barricade. The captain quickly scanned the area, his ability enhancing his sight beyond what was human. And he sighted an infected person attempting to reload the rifle. Theyre getting smarter, he breathlessly realised, with every human taken by the swarm, the overall hive mind was getting smarter. Get down sir! another officer yelled, and the captain complied. Hiding behind a riot shield as he called command. Captain Shegal, the radio buzzed, examinations are in, all patients infected with the contagious fly ability have been declared dead. Over. The captain blinked, staring at the crowd full of people whose faces were covered by the invading flies, even underneath, he could see the pain and desperation painted on their faces. Roger that, over, the captain answered, knowing what was commanded of him. To his team, he spoke, The infected have been declared legally dead and are now just puppets of an ability. Thus lethal weapons have been authorised.
Shit! a girl yelled as she dodged a zombies swipe. Urban Guerilla! Theres too many of them! They have better action economy! In front of the teenage girl, several dozen multicoloured dice floated. One of them was moving, the number on it counting down until it hit one, then the next die started counting down. I cant deal with this! she yelled, just as a harpoon speared through the body of a mutant zombie, then dragged it down into the ground where it drowned in concrete. See thats what you oughta- a glob of acid was shot directly in her direction, she noticed too late, she could not dodge in time. Then suddenly, the rows of dice in front of her increased by one, and a yellow, cube-shaped tetrimino slammed down as a shield. It quickly disappeared as more neon tetrominoes began slamming into zombies all around her. Thank you! the girl yelled, looking back to see Alexis miming with her hands. Hey youre the girl from 10A arent you? Youre from MIA as well? she asked, slamming down another block onto a zombie. 10B! the girl excitedly answered. Oh! And theres Urban Guerilla, she pointed at the spitter which had targeted her, a gloved hand shot out of the ground beneath as if the stone was water, and grabbed the ankle of the spitter, dragging it down screaming. Hes not in MIA but hes damn helpful! Alexis noticed the ground underneath her rippling, almost like water. A harpoon shot out, dragging another zombie down, but instead of slamming into the ground as if it were solid, it splashed away the concrete as if it were a liquid. More zombies came, and the three worked together.
All around the city were the scenes of chaos. So no backup will be coming huh, Taylor muttered. Everyone, focus on evacuation, contact a Gigantes Unit, I will check the Overlord. VP, Freddy began, Gigantes circuits are made from dead kaiju neurons She tsked, So it wont work here either ??????? No Foxy, the VP answered, opening a book with her hands. It was not written with text, but with braille. I will deal with both myself. Teleport out of here with Sister Savages prayer, Carl will ensure the stability of the spell. Freddy winced, Do we have to rely on Church magic? ?? Thats the only way I can see getting all the residents and Guardsmen out in time, she answered. ?????? She glanced at the other Invader, the one weaved of countless hands. Ill deal with that one as well. And contact High Court Judge Harold, hell know what to do. Freddy nodded, echoing her commands into the radio. As everyone retreated, one single-blind woman stepped forward. On one hand, she carried a book written in braille, on its cover, was painted the symbol of Scales, weighing Sword and Gavel. The kaiju rose with a great cry and the Necron Overlord stared at its single opponent. The book was opened to a certain page, glowing brilliantly against the encroaching dark. Taylor Selezid spoke, Do any of you have a visa? Confusion on the Overlords face, until golden chains shackled it and all things that heard. Chapter 10, section 10.5, requires unlawful non-citizens be detained until they are granted a visa or are removed from the country. And so spoke the Archmagus of Law. Necron Overlord, you are also charged with theft of national property, deforestation, unlawful usage of metanatural powers and- Death faced Law and the chains broke. The zombie kaiju raised a massive claw and slammed down where the Archmagus was, but she was already gone. Standing far away from where the mountain had attacked, her book opened to a new page. Chapter 22, section 22.6, Those of the Executive Branch will have the ability to teleport anywhere within Blood and chaos. An eldritch flower stood behind her, weaved from countless arms and writhing with bloody symbols and she could no longer move. I suppose trying to arrest all three of you monsters at once would be taxing my authority, Law murmured. Either way, most of this chunk of reality no longer belonged to earth, so diluted by alien dimensions that claiming she had jurisdiction here was shaky at best. She might not even be able to use section 22.6 in a few moments. No, right now, the Living Concept of Law was doing what it was best at. Wasting time. She became aware when the first paper was signed. A petal reached out for her, but she knew how its ability worked, she quickly stepped out of the way, in a fashion that wouldnt be directly moving to or from it. Death tickled the edges of her form, threatening to break her before Death recoiled. Chapter 22, section 22.2, those of the Executive Branch will not be affected by injurious hostile action when administrating justice. Three sections, three laws. As an Archmagus, that was her limit, that was the number of laws she can forcibly execute, all had to be on the same two pages where the book was opened. The sky darkened as the kaiju slammed its claws down, but the flowers own ability interfered with it, causing it to halt in the sky. The second paper was signed. It seemed that the Judge was hurrying on her behalf. Ctana. Si. Koas. The flower began speaking, began casting. Beneath her, the earth began to shake, to rumble with great force as spikes of earth shot out. The zombie kaiju retained its ability huh? But all was naught as the Judge signed the third paper. Nothing hit Law as she executed 22.6 for the last time, and standing at the edge of the battlefield, she spoke, Chapter 13, section 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3. Metanatural entities arrested and legally declared guilty of crimes before a court of law may have their metanatural abilities confiscated for a certain duration dictated by the Judge. Such confiscated abilities are to be stored, and in the event of a Class A or above event, can be given for usage by a senior member of the Executive Branch with the signed approval of a Judge from the High Court. And all 28 abilities that she had requested became hers to use.
Aiden watched night fall from his balcony. The chaos of the day had finally ended, Jun was snoring somewhere, having been too tired to go back to their own home. So here he stood, staring at the stars. A dark shadow fluttered by, landing beside Aiden. A nice night. It is, Aiden agreed. There was still fighting all over the city, and no new information from the battle at Last Stand, though the shaky video footage online seemed to indicate his Vice-Principal was winning. Do you have an answer? Aiden was quiet, a moment of silence to contemplate, before he spoke, Today I saw myself die. I saw myself die in every way that mattered, but you He turned to look at Ranpo. You remained. I understand why you wish to do great things now. For even if the ocean eventually washed away all your footsteps, if you tried hard enough, some footsteps might just last a bit longer. You are right in that my life does not matter, Aiden said, even if I was removed from existence itself, nothing much would change. The world would still move, people would still struggle and fight, those who were strong would still keep the sky from falling, life would go on. What he spoke did not matter, yet, Aiden felt that they did. He could see two paths, two different meanings he could give. Like Jun had asked him, what was the lie? The person you were born as, or the person you chose to be? Was Ranpo still the testing prototype he had made or had he grown to a new thing entirely? Aiden knew, deep in his heart, what the answer was. At first, he didnt realise it, but upon thinking back, he now did. For whether consciously or not, when earlier Ranpo had asked him the purpose Aiden served, he had stood next to him. With a single touch, Aiden could reabsorb Ranpo, end that prototype that had shown rebellion. Yet he did not, for whether the crow had meant it or not, he had shown trust in standing next to him. The first purpose Ranpo asked for was for the saving of lives, not of glory in battle, not of force of arms. Ranpo understood what good was, Ranpo did not question why he wanted to do good, only the scale, Ranpo was a good person. And this had happened, all without him knowing. So what was it? Were they like the King of Nothings puppets, so inviolably linked to their creator that they perished with it? Or was it something else entirely? Aiden breathed in, and answered, Its fine whatever you choose to do. Its fine if you want to leave, to fly free, its fine if you want to stay, only to leave later on. Whatever happens, I just hope you can find success on your journey, to become the better person you want to be. To become better than I ever was. On that moonlit night, an answer was given, whispered like a promise. Ranpo shuffled in, flapping his way onto Aidens shoulder as they both stared at the stars. It was a quiet declaration. For no matter what it changed for the people that spoke it, the world as a whole was not moved, in the end, for this insane world, it was just another Tuesday. And a single crow silently declared it would change that. S Class Files: Glitter and Gold S Class Files: Glitter and Gold Prophecy is overrated, I was prophesied to never die to people born of women and then a C-section baby killed me! Hayden Xin ghosted through the slums, grasping hands reaching for him, but a flash of golden eyes stirred them away. Not many here were in a position to mess with a Gifted. He followed his eyes, walking a golden path only he could see. Beside him, the ghosts of times long past drifted at the edges of recognisable existence, only an exertion of will away from being viewed by the prophet. But his path led elsewhere, deeper in, there were the ruins of a brick wall. Weathered and battered by the ages. It was here his power had led him, the path it wanted him to take for the past month. And he focused. An obese old man lying with his back to a more complete, but still destitute building. He was filthy, wearing clothing dredged in old beer stains. His hair and beard hung in long, oily braided ropes and his large beer belly strained against his stretched shirt. Beside him was a crude spear, made from duct taping a kitchen knife onto a broken broom shaft, and two obese seagulls, covered in slick black paint who fought over a single chicken bone. The man opened his eyes, revealing he only had one, the other socket was simply empty. Hayden frowned, was this filthy hobo the object his power decided to lead him to? What are you looking at? the old man spat. Hayden glanced around, checking for other people in this memory. Im talking to you dickhead! The prophet kept looking around, perhaps the old man had sensed a hidden entity. His power revealed information from past and future, but they could still be hidden. Im talking about you! You glowy eyed fuck! the old man yelled, spittle escaping his mouth. Hayden paused, turning to look at the memory. You are talking to me? Do you see anyone else? the hobo asked, gesturing around with dramatic sarcasm. I have heard of this, Hayden said, when a postcog peers into the past and a precog peers into the future, both may be able to interact and share information. Though it required the postcog to be a deterministic based prediction to fully work. La di da, the golden boy has half a brain. Though I am curious, Hayden began, why did my power lead me to you? The man before him must be a postcog of some ability, to be able to speak to him after who knows how long. Which era he came from was questionable, his clothing appeared modern, likely around the time of the Apocalypse, when powers and Gates first started appearing. The hobo scoffed, Why are you asking me? Generally my power leads me to things of great import and he glanced at the hobos general, well everything. The hobo simply laughed, And who are you to believe you are superior to me? I am Hayden Xin, Prophet and Tier Four Citizen of the great United States, he answered, brandishing a tattoo of four stars and stripes on his arm. Instead of appearing impressed, the hobo simply laughed louder, Oh! How civilization has fallen if they call paupers like you prophets! Haydens eyes narrowed, waiting until the laughter died down before speaking, You consider my ability weak? I am the product of centuries of selective marriages, perhaps my prophecies are not the most accurate, nor can I see the furthest, but I have the greatest range, and am capable of viewing the future as easily as the past. One of the seagulls began squawking and the hobo paused as if listening to it, before he began to laugh, his voice mocking as he spoke, Indeed, an ability like yours would be enough to qualify as Tier Six Citizen in your country. Haydens expression froze. History does not repeat, but people love making rhymes of it! the hobo spoke with a roar, You are not a Tier Six Citizen because youre so fucking inbred you cant even fuck! Oh, how I wish I couldve seen their faces! The moment theyd been waiting for, the product and work of generations, only to come out defective! You have not even manifested a Name for your ability! That is why your name is not Albright! His eyes glowed a deep golden hue, yet Hayden took a deep breath, taunts, belittlements, he was used to this, he had his entire life to get used to it. This time, Hayden spoke with slightly more respect, You are able to see my exile? The moment when you ran like a little girl? the hobo asked with a wicked smile. Hayden reassessed his perception of the others Gift. Anything of his history was hidden by a family of prophets who didnt want the tale of their failure to be told. Naturally, it was guarded against information gathering abilities, shrouded in cognitohazards, memetics and memetic kill agents, to be able to traverse all of that mustve meant either the memorys ability was incredibly specialised or extremely powerful. Who are you? The hobo scoffed, Maybe if you go looking, youll be able to find my name, but that isnt important is it? He gestured around, I am already dead by your time, my brothers stupid fucking dog will end up mauling me to death, but you? Despite your lack of qualifications, you will be the next narrator of this epic. A narrator? he asked. I already told you, the one-eyed hobo said. History does not repeat, but people like to make it rhyme. The memory began dissipating, disappearing into the ether. All you need to do is go to Hell. I assume you are smart enough to know where it is?
Hayden Xin stood amongst ruins. It was an old nuclear fission facility, one of many ruined after the Opening. The radiation had been dealt with long ago, but still, it lingered in ways not physical. A sight of men and women running out in panic. Of screams and cries as a man covered in burns tried to beg for help. He cautiously entered the facility, dust had long settled in many areas of the place, documents, old and scattered, crumbling with the tiniest of winds caused by his movements. A time when dust was cleaned and order maintained. Of people going about their day, watching the readings, writing reports in boredom. The control room remained largely intact, overlooking the outside world on a large platform. Chairs were splayed out, a plastic cup dropped in a hurry, the stain of coffee still visible on the floor. The cores are going critical! Are the failsafes working! All the failsafes have failed! Around them, the numerous screens, dozens of displays, all of which would normally show the status of the facility, all were in chaos. All were fritzing out, showing nothing but blind static. Have we made contact outside yet? None of our phones are working, internet is down as well! We have no communication outside! Damnit does no one know whats happening! Suddenly the door slammed open, a woman rushed in. Cradling in her arms an old radio, I just managed contact! she yelled. Were suffering Bleed! Wheres the Gate then! someone yelled back, why havent the heroes fixed it yet! Jack! Where is he! Do they know what happens if we get blown! With a shaky voice, the woman put down the radio, Thats the thing the Gate Its in Britain. Impossible! someone yelled back, were in Reon, Brasa Illa, Hayden Xin finished, looking out the window. Seeing the ancient statue made of white concrete and soapstone. Its arms spread out as if preparing to embrace. Vines and greenery had long grown over the old thing, its face was damaged, showing no sign of what the man might have looked like. He sighed, that hobo had led him here, yet there was little to be gleaned, except for how far the effect of the Eye spread. Hayden Xin had travelled across the entire world, and everywhere there were memories like this.
Hayden Xin stood on a field of corpses. Bodies of men and devils alike covered this land, obscuring what it once looked like, if not of course, for his power. Lines of trenches spread out like the roots of a tree. Hastily put up fortifications and machine-gun nests. A bloody red sky that enveloped all. Soon it came. The red sky was blotted out by a flying swarm of endlessly varied monstrosities. Like a plague of locusts that devoured the sky, the earth turned dark as devils flew overhead. Anti-air machine guns roared to life, lighting up the sky with lines of blinding fire. Corpses began dropping like flies, overhead a massive dogfight between flying devils and human aircraft began. On the ground, the first line of devils came, their mass blotted out the horizon, covered the hills and the fields, charging recklessly into the lines of trenches that roared to life with machine gunfire. The first line of devils was decimated by machine guns, their bodies shredded into so many pieces none may ever remake them. Morale rose for a moment, a confirmation that these monsters werent invincible. But that isnt their strength, Hayden muttered. Hope slowly dwindled every hour the armies of man fought. Across the trenches, their machine guns shredded through thousands of devils every second. But there were millions. The corpses began to pile up, pile up so high the machine gun nests were forced to aim upward, to the point where suddenly men found themselves fighting from low ground due to all the hills and mounds of devil corpses that had grown over the course of hours of fighting. There was no rest, for the devils kept coming. There was no parley, for the devils slaughtered without care. And soon, there was no hope. Were running out of supplies, an army officer reported. Hayden never took many history lessons of this era, so the memorys rank was foggy to him, but the appearance of a man reporting to a superior was universal. The superior sighed, Any update on the artillery? The officer shuffled nervously, Mam, they say the Bleed effect might be conceptual. Meaning that it isnt altered physics were dealing with, but an attack on the very concept of technology. A fist slammed into the table. Damn it! she grunted, gritting her teeth and holding back her anger, What of our remaining supplies? Logistics thought we had enough to last 6 months, he grimly answered, weve burned through half already. They say its not just the increased rate of consumption, since our food and water situation is still functional, but all things mechanical are requiring twice as much maintenance as normal to continue functioning, if we dont resupply we would soon be fighting with our bare hands. Is it feasible to resupply? The officer shook his head, passing her a file, Reports say most supply lines are completely frozen, factories are suffering the Bleed effect, the trucks transporting them are also suffering the Bleed effect, even this report is four days old because weve been forced to regress to long-range telegram. Pretty much everything is suffering isnt it? Some places that use metahumans in their line are still working fine, but overall our entire system seems to be paralysed The weapons from that age were based on such naive assumptions, Hayden muttered, drifting away from the memory. They were based on the assumption humans would be facing human armies. Armies that tired, armies that had families to go back to, armies that had morale to break, armies that would give up when the bodies of their compatriots covered the ground. One month into the battle, there were very few human casualties, almost negligible, compared to the confirmed millions of devils that lay dead across a thousand battlefields. But it slowly changed. Once impenetrable fortifications were abandoned when supplies had run out. Armies began retreating when the very terrain changed against their favour due to all the mountains of corpses. Devils were physically superior to humans in most ways, so when humans ran out of their tools and ammunition The results were bloody. As Hayden continued to watch the battle unfold over the course of a month, he began to liken it less like two great armies facing against each other. And more like a single one trying to fend off a tsunami by shooting the ocean. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. What could such an opponent be called? An enemy that didnt tire, that never rested until you were slain, that endlessly charged into certain death, that didnt flinch at the massive casualties that literally buried continents? What could they be, other than hellish? Finally, the western front began to crumble. Human casualties were still minimal, but everyone could feel it. The sword of Damocles that threatened to fall and consume the world. The stream of devils never ended, never stopped or slowed. Enough devils were spewed from that Gate to bury the entire world twice over with their corpses, and those monsters were entirely willing to do so. And so his eyes turned eastward, to a location so inextricably linked to this battlefield it came to his eyes unbidden despite the barrier of leagues. An old courthouse, a massive, yet empty assembly room. Hayden focused, and his power gave him his vision. An assembly of officials, dressed in the apparel of their nations. Of them, stood the representatives of the EU, their appearance well-kempt despite the truth untold yet known. Europe will fall. Perhaps it had already fallen while they entered this assembly, perhaps it will in a few more hours, still, it was undeniable they were leaders and officials of dead or gone nations. Yet they were calm, only the slight redness of their eyes gave anything away. The presiding chair spoke, We gather here in Beijing to discuss the recent events of the Hell Gate, and to vote on the annulment of the Beijing Pact. The Beijing Pact, a miracle of diplomacy forged within those very walls. A treaty signed by every nation in the world, agreeing to the human rights of the Gifted as well as greatly limiting those nations ability to conscript or use metahumans in their militaries. It was written and signed for a very simple reason, to prevent a massive arms race between global superpowers to weaponise the Gifted, the lessons of the Second Cold War were still fresh to these people, so they were disinclined to rush headlong into the next method of mutually assured destruction. And though the Gifted might on average have less power than a nuclear weapon, they appeared completely randomly, a third world country could be elevated to the level of global superpower overnight just with a few particularly powerful or old Gifted. Tacked on almost as an afterthought, were clauses ensuring the human rights of the Gifted, outlawing inhuman experimentation and exploitation, to prevent the breeding factories that popped up in certain nations. To prevent people like him. It was all written for the sake of human decency and world peace. And it died to the sound of thunderous applause. Hayden glanced overhead, to the suddenly darkening skies. The ink wasnt even dry before the U.S. sent their first National Level Hero. The skies roared and thundered, a blinding figure of pure electricity stood flickering wildly above the encroaching horde. AC/DC. Lightning fell like rain. And the balance of the world changed at that very moment.
A man lounged lazily in a military tent, his hair was wild, shooting off in numerous directions as if electrified. He scrolled aimlessly on his smartphone, a rare commodity given the Bleed effect that engulfed the entire world. An official cleared his throat and entered the tent. Sir, he respectfully spoke, though his tone made it clear the disapproval he felt. The wild-haired man only glanced up, barely acknowledging him. Are you going to join the battlefield? the official asked. Whats the need? the man replied, All the others have got it cleared. You know the new hashtag thats trending? I do not, the official stiffly said. Its #whatsmykillcount, the man replied, theres no need to bother, well get back Britain in a flash. Indeed, at this moment in the past, heroes took off their capes and donned military uniforms, given official positions with militaries across the world. Their sudden arrival on numerous battlefields heralded a change in the war. The man returned his attention to the phone, Honestly if I headed out again I would just be stealing the thunder of- Suddenly, the phone was dropped, the screen cracking on the hard floor as the Gifted turned his head towards a certain direction. What the fuck is that? Another linked memory, the event that occurred so great it linked numerous other events all across the world. All across the world, in coffee shops, in hidden alleys, in the depths of ancient cities and hidden temples. All across the world, Gifted turned their head to stare in the same direction. These were not the riff-raff, for even amongst the Gifted, they stood a step higher. Some were worshipped as living gods, some wielded the power to destroy nations, some stood at the centre of empires so great they made Alexander weep. All of them turned and stared westward, to Britain, to the Eye, to the Gate to Hell. All of them sensed the moment the balance of the world was changed. The wild-haired man pushed aside the official, rushing out of the tent. Electricity lit up underneath his every step as he rushed towards the source. Soon his body became thunder itself as he flew across the sky at the speed of lightning. The National Level Hero saw it, treading slow steps out of the inferno portal, the red clouds that shrouded the entire island in a malevolent red mist. It was- Hayden fell to the ground, vomiting, his entire body felt sick as if assaulted and beaten. Was this his limit? Was he not powerful enough to view the mere memory of the thing that passed here? He gritted his teeth, and focused, resuming the vision. It was hidden amongst millions of devils, yet its field, its very pull on reality marked it as something incomparable to them. A bipedal figure, skin appearing rough and craggy like broken stone, it had large and bulky arms whose knuckles scraped the floor as it walked. It was headless, a neck stump that gave the thought it was roughly beheaded some eons past. From the stump flowed an endless stream of silvery water that wrapped around its body like a turtle shell, constantly shifting with the tortured faces and screams of lesser creatures. The entity turned to the hero. Hayden stiffened for a moment as both unleashed an attack. Reality broke. The heavens were torn apart with thunder, a great cacophony of shouts and screams that made lightning itself, the earth shattered as rain fell upwards, each droplet containing a screaming soul desperate for escape. Between them, the ocean, earth and sky split apart. The hero was forced back, retreating along the path he came. Even as he flew, he could see it, Gifted soldiers falling to their knees, vomiting and crying in despair as they began to sense the entity that came. The sheer wrongness of it, a terror that brought many past the brink of insanity. Order a retreat! the man yelled as he finally returned amidst Gifted soldiers screaming and shaking in horror. The mere presence of the entity had rendered over half of all Gifted completely incapable of battle, some scarred so horrifically they would never be the same, many took their own lives. We need more National Level Heroes! the man yelled, thunder itself carrying his voice. The memory began to fade, leaving Hayden Xin alone. In the end, help didnt come in time, so you tried to hold it back alone, he muttered. Thunder roared as the heavens cried in beat with his voice. Lightning fell with the frequency of rain and with the ferocity of winter, all onto a single target. The earth wept in response as water seeped out and fell to the sky, each one stopping a lightning bolt in mid-air. Now look at you. In front of him was a dried and bisected corpse laid strewn on the ground. Around him, an eternal storm raged, thunder roared and fell like rain, the earth rose in great spires of stalagmites as water seeped out of the ground and fell upwards. The thunder and rain striking each other halfway between them in an eternal repeat of their cataclysmic battle. The clash of abilities here was so great, reality itself was forever scarred, the sky was covered by an eternal storm that spanned the breadth of three nations, whom in the old language were named Czech, Poland and Slovakia. And in that power it left imprints. Hayden could feel it on his tongue, desperate to be spoken, the Name. AC/DC. It still resided in the heros corpse, weakened, but it still could be claimed by another. Hayden almost reached out to touch the body but he stilled as he stared at the sky above, where the thunder fell like rain. There was no telling how the remnants of his ability would react to an attempt to claim it. In the end, Hayden put away his greed and simply bowed, Thank you for your service, Mr Young. But no matter how the man had tried, he could not kill the entity, he could not kill a Demon.
Hayden wasnt sure where his ability was leading him now. He was following a wounded man, the remnants of a destroyed division, as he fled, bleeding from a deep gash on his side. He followed the tortured steps of the memory as he drifted blindly through the corpse-filled lands. Soon Hayden stood in front of a cave. The soldier entered, swaying to and fro, the blood loss from his wound had already killed him, it was just a matter of when he actually died. Yet still, he trudged deeper into the cave, finally falling in front of a figure seated by an ancient table. Hayden narrowed his eyes, for he almost mistook the figure for a statue. So still did he sit, the dust long settled on his body like a second skin of grey. The old man had a red beard, so long it grew three times around the round table beside him, his eyes were lidded, half-closed but still seeing. The figure raised his hand, Tell me child, do the ravens still fly around the mountain? The soldier choked, bleeding on the ground, Ravens? No the devils have killed everything And with that last gasp, the soldier died. The figures eyes slowly opened, as if rising from a deep slumber. Then my time has come. And Hayden felt it now, another change, another event so great it rippled across the entire and brought him visions. On an island besides the corrupted Britain, a horn was blown thrice, silencing the armies of Hell as from the mountains came a rallying warcry. In a land where thunder fell like rain and rain fell towards the sky, a fist of earth broke through the ground, stepping out was a figure whose forehead bore four letters of ancient script speaking a forgotten name. In the depths of a forgotten cave, below broken gates of gold, a marble statue heard an angels cry and turned to face westward. On the shores of an ancient sea tainted with blood, a singing voice could be heard as a figure arrived on a boat of copper. His mind burned with visions of lands far and near, as ancient figures stepped out of their slumber, yet his power focused on one single figure. A figure who- -and carried a blade of pale, he stepped through corrupted lands underneath a red sky, until he reached a great and ancient oak tree. One strike did the Sword sing, felling the great oak, revealing an old, wizened figure who walked out and greeted- -like a friend. Something was wrong, Hayden realised. Information was being obscured, hidden from his prophecy so that he could not see it. He could see a blade, he could see it being wielded, but he could not see by whose hand. Is this the path you have led me? he asked. But his ability did not answer, he simply saw the path he needed to take, towards the land where it began. Brettonia, or, as once called in old tongues, Britain.
Hayden saw red skies, bloody rain and the smell of rot. The channel was long since filled with corpses, the island forever obscured by its ancient mist. Still, he walked where the shores once were, until he found a single, elderly man, sat feeding a pair of strange hounds in this land of corpses. He wore a faded military uniform of a nation that no longer existed, and beside him was holstered an old but well cared for sniper rifle. Are you the Watcher of the Isles? The old man nodded. How much to enter Hell? Three coins of gold, six if you want me to bring you back. Hayden nodded, taking out a poach that clinked pleasantly in the silence. The Watcher took it, pocketing it before he picked up his sniper rifle. Pointing it towards the Gate, he whispered, Highway to Hell. And fired, the bullet disappearing in midair as a pure black portal suddenly engulfed it. I will shoot again in an hour, the Watcher said as he sat back down and returned to his hounds. Thank you, Hayden answered as he stepped in. He immediately felt the sense of wrongness intensify, as no longer did he stand within a Bleed affected zone, where his home reality mixed with an alien, but within an alternate dimension itself. The feeling of Brim, the Hells version of Hume surrounded him, hostile, trying to expel him, the Invader, from this very reality. He could feel his strength dimming somewhat, before he invoked Reinforcement, the meta technique strengthening him enough to look around. He stood on barren lands, grey and empty. The portal closed behind him, and he made sure to note where it was as he began looking around. The path his power led him pointed upwards A figure of- -bearing the ancient blade of kings strode through the desolate hells, behind him stood the Knights of the Round. Assembled in their full armour and regalia. The Sword was raised and pointed towards the horizon, where the skies were blotted out by swarms of devils, the earth covered in an endless horror. The figure raised his Sword and spoke- -and the Knights of the Round raised their weapons. To reclaim our home! Together they charged into the endless hordes. A tiny candle, flickering against the howling darkness. They went forward like a charge of legends, culling devils as they went, the- -was at the front, his Sword flickering like divine judgement. Every swing felled six-hundred and sixty-six horrors, every step stained the ground with new rivers of blood. Every step they walked was another step of their stolen world reclaimed. Every step made Britain more whole. Until a great horror came, so tall that when it stood the mountains only brushed at its thigh. So immense it darkened the sky by itself. A Demon of endless rope, covering its body were endless stone masks carved with ancient hands. The- -stepped forward, the Sword blazing in his hand. Seven strikes did he swing. First, he felled a single leg. Second, he severed an arm the size of fortresses. Third, he broke the mask that made the horrors face. Fourth, he shattered the attack before it reached him. Fifth, he slashed the skies in two and forced the monster back. Sixth, he severed the horror in half, each half writhing with unholy life. And seventh was the killing blow as the Demon fell dead. Now the- -wielding the Sword stood alone, on a battlefield filled with corpses. The Knights Round had fallen a long time ago. So with a heavy breath, he raised the Sword and plunged it into the earth. The world screamed. Hayden Xin screamed. He felt it, the end of a legend. All across the world, a single name, a single tale, a single existence. A legend told in a thousand different variations. All were being blotted out, disappearing from reality itself in exchange for one final move. Tears fell down his eyes, as he realised the immensity of what was happening, why his power gave no information on the man who wielded the Sword. For there no longer existed any. Looking up, Hayden saw what he needed to see. The remains of a shattered planetoid, floating across space in a thousand different chunks. The very ground he stood on was just another one of countless. At the centre of it all, was Hells molten core, exposed to the vastness of space, thrashing and waving like an ocean of fire. And within this lake of fire, there was a Sword, stabbed deep within a great stone, waiting for a worthy King. Words hung in his mouth, desperate to be released as Hayden realised why his power had led him on this quest. He had walked through the valley of kings. He had seen the shadow of men who sold their lives for a dream. All across the world, there lay legacies, inheritances of ancient and indescribable power, unused, unawakened, left to simply rot as every day the world fell closer to doom because none knew to claim these legacies. Not all were worthy, he knew, so Hayden needed to find those who were capable and guide them to seek out these legacies. The world was vast, and it would be a great undertaking, perhaps he could use a classification system to easily sort through those who were capable. His mind drifted to the National Level Heroes of his country, yet that was a shallow classification and only applied to those employed by governments. He would need a new system that classified regardless of nationality or creed, and purely off their worthiness. Perhaps one using letters.
This S Class report was authored by Hayley Xin the Scion. Hayley Xin My grandpa is cool you guys. Chapter 28 Milk and Bananas Chapter 28 Milk and Bananas How do you think milk was invented? Genuine question, was a guy just staring at a cow when it gave birth and thought: Hey! I can totally milk that tiddy! - Dare, C Class Cowl during a tense hostage negotiation. Peace. A blank sleep, uninterrupted by nightmares, horrors and trauma. No longer did he worry about a flower weaved of endless hands devouring him in his dreams, no longer was he haunted by demons internal. He simply slept, blankly in the darkness of soothing unconsciousness. It was the most restful few hours Aiden had had in the past week. Unfortunately, tranquillity ended as all things did. Loud noises came from the living room and Aiden woke as all people did. Graceless and snarling at the sun like a raccoon wrapped in a burrito. Eyes filled with hate at the bane who had stolen his placid slumber. He fell out of bed much like a log and rolled exactly like one until he bumped into a wall, forced to rise, he glared blindly at his room. Eyes not better than that of a naked mole-rat before he found the tortured and duct-taped remains of his glasses. Idly, he thought about the logistics of metahuman equipment, the need to ensure they could survive high-level fights with an uncountable variety of threats whilst retaining effective usage, not to mention the need to constantly replace them. His phone was destroyed in the last battle, and his glasses were found barely intact. He wasnt even losing some fancy hero equipment like a suit or a raygun, these were basic things he needed for normal everyday life, already Aiden could see replenishing these fundamentals as a constant and regular expense that would bite into his finances. Then he walked into his door because he was still only half awake. Mentally cursing the inventor of doors, the concept of the cube earth and the universe in general, Aiden ambled out into the living room. ... whos a good girl There, he found Jun, maskless and petting a dog, seemingly uncaring of the fact its fur was about eighty percent dirt, and how it seemed to get everywhere. Aiden bit his lip, his eyes glaring at the dirty marks left on the floor, warring with the fact it was simply too early for this shit. Instead, he yawned, Good morning. Say good morning Ms Fluffernutter, Jun raised one of the dogs- Ms Fluffernutters front paws and waved it at him. Aiden waved back, if only out of politeness. Before heading to the kitchen, finding his stash of mind-affecting drugs. Want some coffee? he asked. Sure. Milk and cream? I guess. He quickly prepared it, letting it cool as he gave a once over of the state of his fridge. It had been utterly ravaged last night, the takeaway not enough to satisfy the hunger of two starving teenagers. Aiden was the worst of the two, and his ears reddened slightly as he looked at a lettuce bunch that he had directly taken a bite out of. He shook himself out of the sensation, instead, taking some ingredients out. Breakfast? You can cook? Jun asked, looking up surprised. Aiden took a long sip from his coffee. Outside on the balcony, black wings flapped down and landed, It is a basic life skill. Yip! See, Ranpo said, even the dog agrees. Her name is Ms Fluffernutter, Jun corrected as they stood up. Also show me! Jun made their way to the kitchen, glancing around curiously, their hand reaching for the counter before Aiden forcefully grabbed it by the wrist. Wash your hands, he said, eyeing the dirty paws they almost desecrated his kitchen with. Oh! Jun said before Aiden let go, seeing they were now reaching for the soap. Does the dog need breakfast as well? I keep telling you its Ms Fluffernutter! Jun said as they dried their hands. Quickly swiping over her face to put on the Nightcore mask. Its too long, Ranpo answered as he flew inside, warily eying the dog. Names like Ranpo and Aiden are clearly bad- Hey, Aiden interjected as he took out some meat and vegetables. -but at least theyre short and snappy. To the point, you know? So I should call her something shorter? Thats what I think, but you can still keep the longer name. How about Nutter? No, both Aiden and Ranpo answered. What about Fluffer? Ahhhhh, butitjustdoesnthavethesamerhymefeelingwithoutNutter, she wrung her hair, Fluffy? Fluffy works, Aiden said, taking out a cutting knife. Yip! Dog agrees, Ranpo confirmed. Canyouactuallyunderstandwhatshessaying? Jun asked. Yeap, Ranpo answered, though Aiden saw a hint of mischief in the crows face. One he wouldnt have recognised a few days prior, without observing him. Hey, Fluffy! Say something. Fluffy barked. Fluffy says she demands tribute in the form of three virgins, bird seeds and human livers, to be paid through an intermediary who understands animal speech. Juns face scrunched up slightly as Aiden made some toast, Bird seeds and liver? Livers are his favourite part of a corpse, Aiden said, giving away the game. First, ew, second, ewww. Yip! Ranpo shrugged, Yeah, I have no idea what shes saying, only other crows for me, though you would not believe what they say. The bird seeds I get, Jun continued, but virgins? Why virgins? Ranpo shrugged again, Dont know, apparently its a popular sacrifice for gods or something. But what do gods even do with virgins? Jun asked as Aiden passed her her coffee. She pulled down her mask and took a tentative sip out of it, revealing her mouth was missing a tooth. ThisisntasbitterasIexpected. You asked for cream and I hate bitter coffee, Aiden answered as he set out three plates, two with toast, one with assorted bird seeds. What happened to your tooth? Shit, I think I spat it out yesterday, she muttered, fingering the gap where it once was, Either way, what is with virgin sacrifices? Maybe virgins are the gods type, Ranpo answered. Sounds like a bunch of perverts, Jun observed as she took a bite of her toast. Like if I was a god I would ask for practical stuff. Like? Aiden asked as he began preparing the dogs meal. Clothes for one, a lifetime supply of Mr Pepper, maybe a NetFlicker subscription. Oh! And you know that heroine? The one from West Afrika with the webs? Aiden searched his mind, finding the knowledge from Bu easily, The one who keeps saying shes Anansis daughter? Thats the one! Yeah, Ill definitely ask for her. Not even a single term as a deity and youre already asking for human sacrifices, Ranpo noted with an expression Aiden associated with a wry smile, I like it. I mean have you seen her abs? Jun retorted, Theyre so hard you can grate vegetables on it! Can you not fill my mind with such images while Im cutting vegetables? Aiden asked as he chopped some baby spinach. He was less accurate with his left hand, but the general movements were still the same, though his right arm wasnt as good at moving in rhythm with his cuts, so he had to slow down considerably. Wait, why are you cutting vegetables? I thought the dog- Fluffy asked for breakfast. Yip! Dogs are omnivores, Ranpo added, seeing the question on Juns face, adding some grains and vegetables are actually good for a healthy diet. Wait so I only get some toastwhileyourepreparingawholeassmealforFluffy? Youre a grown teenager, you can survive off toast, Aiden answered, before glancing at the clock, plus we wont have much time to do anything else. She followed his gaze, Oh yeah, we still have class. Aiden nodded and Jun and Ranpo continued talking as he took out some leftover rice, ground beef and an egg. He paused slightly as he saw a brownish vegetable at the bottom of the fridge. It appeared much like a potato, except that its skin was interlaced by a furry web of mycelium that Aiden knew extended to within. It was a vegetable that did not exist in his previous world, simply known as a Godfathers Apple. The product of an ability, it was created from fusing a potato and several species of symbiotic fungus, it had a few traits that were noteworthy. One was the fact it could be planted in any environment and soon yield edible roots. Any environment. Toxic garbage dumps, sites of nuclear fallout, the frozen wastelands of the Arctic, even Gapples planted on lightless asteroids in the vacuum of space were found to soon grow into edible roots. No matter the environment, it remained completely edible while retaining none of the expected deformities or toxins expected from the environment it was grown in, in fact, locations, where Gapples were planted, became more hospitable. Hard and desolate stones turned into rich soil, glasses and plastics got broken down into nothing, radiation and toxins disappeared, after a few plantings even the most inhospitable locations became fit for greater agricultural pursuits. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. There were limits of course, a desert would still receive little rain and the sun would still bear heavily upon the earth, but the soil in which these vegetables were planted would become fit for a wide variety of other, less hardy plants. Even then, a person could subsist entirely on these Gapples for their entire life. It was very simply put, an utter fuckery of the laws of physics he knew, the effect of a miraculous meta ability, one that persisted long after the original users death. There were countless objects in this world like this, made mundane because of how long theyd been around. Holding one in his hand, Aiden whispered. Godfathers Apples. And nothing happened. He silently put it back as he returned to the other, less fantastical ingredients. As Aiden prepared the dogs food, his mind drifted to that deformed cleaver tucked away in his room. Unlike his previous assumption, he was clearly capable of replicating supernatural effects, so why did this and every other attempt except that one fail? It was not a problem of knowledge, for he had researched much. It was not a matter of whether he had personally witnessed the supernatural lifeform, for he held a Gapple in his hand and wasnt able to replicate it. Perhaps seeing the ability being used? As he cleaned his hands, he simply whispered. King Nothing. And nothing happened. Not even a finger of the original user appeared as a tattoo. He finished cooking the dogs food. It was a simple recipe, just mixing the various ingredients before microwaving it. Walking out of the kitchen, he glanced at the crow and human still talking. ... and I said, thats not my sister! Ranpo exclaimed. I have no idea whose body that is! Jun hollered at the joke as Fluffy turned her head from atop her lap, leaping down, it cautiously came to Aiden. He put down the bowl and extended his one palm, letting the dog sniff it, after it acclimated, he pushed the bowl forward, letting Fluffy sniff it as well before she finally dug in. Finally got some food in her, Ranpo said, glancing at Fluffy. The other crows were eyeing her for dessert. Really? Jun asked, Which crows? Illbeatthemup! Youll beat up a bird? Aiden asked. Ill throw hands with a bird, how hard could it be? At that point, Ranpo flew over Juns head and started lightly pecking it. She threw her hands around trying to shoo him off, but the crows superior aerial mobility allowed him to easily evade even superspeed flailings. Owow! About that hard, Aiden answered as the crow retreated. And multiply by six for each crow, Ranpo finished. Juns eyes gleaned, So six crows it is huh Wait no, that was supposed to demonstrate you should not mess with the great and powerful crow kin- Aiden bopped Ranpo on the head. Quick tip, use their immense hubris to your advantage, they love monologuing. Ranpo tsked, I am not hubristic. Exactly what a hubristic person would say, Jun immediately replied with a sagely nod. Aiden smiled slightly, before he grabbed his bag, Anyway, are we heading out? Its getting late. Sure, Jun answered, standing up, we can head straight- You should drop Fluffy at your home by the way, Aiden added. She looked at him. Cant I leave him at your place for the day? I am not leaving the dog you adopted unattended in my house, Aiden said, eyes narrowing on the mud sticking to the animals fur. You let Ranpo unattended in your house, Jun pointed out. First off, Ranpo is smart enough to operate my rice cooker- Though I dont have any damnable thumbs to hold the measuring cups. -and second off, he does not leave behind dirty paw prints everywhere. Jun shrugged, Aight, fair points mate. Then grabbed Fluffy and gently lowered her into her bag. Ill just bring her to school with me! Aidens brain short-circuited for a moment, likely a result of rampant caffeine addiction. Wait no, what if you get caught!? Itll be fineee, she answered with a smile. Whats the worst that could happen? Detention, death, or even worse expulsion, he uttered with a shudder. Why does he count expulsion as worse than death? Jun quietly whispered to Ranpo. He has strange priorities, the crow whispered back. In the first place why would death even be an outcome? she whispered back. I think its the coffee, I always knew rampant drug abuse would lead to horrid places. You know I can hear you, Aiden said, tapping his tattoo-covered ears. Jun whistled in innocence, well, tried, it sounded more like blowing hot air than anything of melody, to the point artists might actually be insulted if someone likened it to music. Aiden rubbed his brow, and spoke with an exasperated sigh, Why am I worrying about this? Im not your dad, bring Fluffy along if you want. Wasnt asking for your permission but thanks for giving it either way! Jun cheerily took two steps towards the door before suddenly she blurred. Aiden found himself holding her bag and Fluffy staring at him while he heard a door get violently slammed shut. He approximated, from the sudden pained groans echoing his apartment, that she was in his bathroom. Aidenwhattheflipdidyoufeedme!? Coffee and toast, what about it? Whatdidyouputinthecoffee!? Well, coffee obviously! There was a strange noise, which he quickly realised was a groan sped up to about two times speed. Whatelse!? You asked for milk didnt you? Andyouputactualmilk? she yelled back. Well, what else could I put in it? Ithoughtyouputsoyorsomeshit! Imlactoseinterolantyoudickhead! His eyes twitched, How was I supposed to know you were lactose intolerant? Lactose intolerance is highly prevalent in Asians! I thought you knew! But you still asked for milk! I was petting Fluffy! Plus arent you the weirdo for actually having normal milk? Oh and Im the weirdo now for being able to digest lactose? Yes, you kinda are! Dont you know over ninety percent of Asians cant digest milk? What are you, a Banana?! [1] I did not! Thank you for the fact! he answered, voice dripping with sarcasm. Youre welcome! she replied, voice similarly filled with sarcasm. Aiden breathed out, calming himself as he pushed up his glasses and rubbed his eyes, Look, sorry, I wasnt aware, Ill keep note of this next time. Ohcomeon. Youregoingtobethebiggerpersonhere? There was a sigh from the bathroom, Yeah, sorry, for yelling, it was stupid, just caught me with my pants down. Literally, Ranpo said. Jun chuckled, Aight, Im done- There was a pause. Aiden? Jun asked, her voice calm. Why is your toilet paper wrong side up? Aiden raised an eyebrow, What? Your toilet paper has the end coming out from the back, her voice replied. Ive always put it that way. Oh god, I met a psychopath. Its just toilet paper! Aiden, the milk thing was fine! Youre white on the inside, nothing wrong with that! But toilet paper is a universal constant! There is nothing wrong with toilet paper coming from the back! Toilet paper is what separates people from animals Aiden! Do you really want to be less than an animal? There are third world countries where they dont have toilet paper and literally shit into pig pens! Aiden raved in response. The existence of worse offenders does not justify lesser crimes! You dont let a murderer go just because theyre not serial killers! You both have it wrong, Ranpo cut in. Both humans stopped and stared at the crow, well, one did, Jun sorta had a door between them. Clearly the superior way to defecate is to do so on random people in the park. Jun was speechless. Aiden shuffled a step away from Ranpo.
Whats the time! Aiden yelled as he ran. For the eighth time, its 8:52! Jun yelled in response beside him. Fuck fuck were going to be late! If you didnt give me milk we would be on time! Jun yelled. If you didnt spend so long talking shit we would be fine! I shouldve bought popcorn, Ranpo said as he flew above the two teenagers. Both desperately pushing aside pedestrians and parkouring over park benches. Fuck it Im getting ahead first! Jun yelled, pulling up her Nightcore mask which she had let down during breakfast. Suddenly she sped off, leaving Aiden behind. Aiden snarled, Ranpo scout for me! Sounds like work. I will buy you more bird seeds! And some human livers, Ranpo raised. Aiden gritted his teeth, I cant get you human livers. Good enough, Ranpo said as he flew higher. That bastard bird, which idiot raised him? asked the idiot who raised the bastard bird. Avoid the 3rd left turn, theres a bank robbery in progress. Aiden took another route, following the crow flying above. Theres a pile of zombie corpses two more blocks forward, change streets. Blockade further to the right Oh damn, thats a fight. Avoid the next street, theres a peapod thing thats shootings peas at everyone. And like that, the gates of M.I.A soon entered his sight. The ground rushed beneath him as his heart beated like a beast in its cage. Further in, Aiden could still see students challenging the parkour course the school called a front yard, he made it on time! He finally allowed himself to slow down, stopping just outside the school, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. I made it he breathlessly whispered. Ranpo landed on his shoulder, That was a weird experience. What was? Aiden asked as he rose and stretched his arms. This was the first time Ive seen you acting like a stupid teenager. Aiden paused. What about it? Ranpo shrugged, I dont know, youve felt like a dead fish this entire time, it was weird seeing you suddenly having a personality. Huh, Aiden said, blinking in surprise. Youre right, that was the first time Ive raised my voice in several years. It it was strange. He got really pissed and shouted angrily, even though the subject didnt matter. Either way, Im going to go see if there are any other intelligent birds in this city, have a nice day, Ranpo said as flew off. Have a nice day too Aiden murmured, mostly automatically. He took a step forward, mind distracted. Was this teenage body more emotional than his previous? It made sense, given what he knew already, and the things that happened werent the situations he was used to repressing in, there was no danger, no immediate threat, no reason to repress his emotions. Should he still try to stop it? He could, he absolutely had enough experience controlling his emotions and reactions to do so. He got angry over some stupid shit, yelled at someone and ended up almost late, none of which were positive things. And he felt the beating of his chest, the adrenaline in his veins, the hotness of his face as he breathed and the air filling his lungs. Aiden realised he didnt dislike this feeling. He stepped into the school feeling like he learnt something important, yet simultaneously mundane and meaningless. Then his feet sank into the ground, immobilising him to the spot. Right in front of him was a clock, with its hands pointing at a very specific time. 9:06. Oh fuck- The ground opened beneath him and he landed softly in a dark room with a single light that brightly shined into his eyes. Looking away, he noticed there were other students, standing stiffly at attention, Jun included. Her eyes darted to him for the briefest moment. Well, well, well, a heavy clang sounded throughout the room as a massive shadow stepped towards them. Pulling back the blinding lamp, was a massive and imposing figure, his height well over two metres and with twice the bulk to fill it. Principal General Monger smiled, an expression that would have a shark fleeing to the furthest ocean, What do we have here? Not one of them dared speak and only a few dared breathe. Are any of you capable of reading the time? Aiden nodded, the muscles of his neck stiff. THEN YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALL LATE! The Principal General threw something and Aiden, along with every other student next to him, found a piece of paper in their hands. DETENTION AFTER SCHOOL FOR ALL OF YOU MAGGOTS! And they all found themselves back above ground. Fingers tightly gripping the late pass in their hands. Right before the massive and shifting parkour course.
[1] Slang, means yellow on the outside but white on the inside. Chapter 29 School Days Chapter 29 School Days Like, at what point did they think cheese was a good idea? Did some idiot just serve expired milk and hope for the best? - Dare, C Class Cowl when threatening hostages. Aiden had three core subjects, Mathematics, English and Self Defense. The first two were the standard fare he had back in his old world. SD was slightly different though, it was essentially a physical education course focused on exactly its namesake, taught as soon as a child could walk in this world, diligently training a childs body as well as teaching them the basics of several simple weapons. The presence of such rigorous physical education in this world mightve been the reason why Aiden had yet to see someone who was truly overweight. Despite the presence of miracle foods like Gapples ensuring starvation and hunger remained a foreign concept, the realities of living in this world meant everyone at least wanted to be in shape to run like hell. Other than his three cores, Aiden was also allowed two elective subjects, the first of which he and Jun, along with the other idiots who were late, glumly stepped into. Inside the classroom, there was a man with hair braided into short dreadlocks, he wore a pair of black spectacles, covering his eyes. Aiden paused as he noted that the man carried a white cane and that his face was crisscrossed by scars that went under his sunglasses. He turned his ear towards them. Good morning! he cheerily said, Are you my students for Visual Design? Aiden nodded before he slapped himself for the lapse, and answered, Yeah. Well, youre a bit late- Aidens eye twitched violently as he saw the clock behind the man. -but dont worry! First week is always a bit hectic innit? He cheerily continued, Anyways, Im Grian, no need for Misters or Sirs here, just call me Grian, Ill be your teacher for VD, come on, sit. The teacher gestured in a direction about ninety degrees off where the seats were placed, Sit and introduce yourselves! The students obliged, mostly silent. Grian pointed in a completely random direction, You there! Introduce yourself and well go clockwise. No one was actually in the direction he pointed at, but he spoke it with such confidence that a girl with pigtails spoke up. Aiden found himself sitting next to Jun as the classroom sounded off, she already had her phone out underneath the table, taking quick glances at it. To put it very kindly, Aiden was of a similar mind. He had chosen Visual Design as a lazy subject, one to put little effort into and still get a high grade to buff his average marks. Not because he was lazy like Jun mightve been, but because the nature of his financial situation would require him to spend some significant sum of his free time earning money. He considered the effort and time he needed to parse into each aspect of his life and found himself shorting the budget of the education. After all, he had already technically gone through this once before in his past life, the main purpose of him being at school was not education, But qualification. A metahuman license was his ultimate goal, along with knowledge of meta techniques, but those wouldnt be available to him until long into his education. So until then, where minimum effort would suffice, minimum effort was what he used. However, he intended to pay full attention to his next elective. As the bell rang and he walked into the classroom, he noticed something strange. Sat at the teachers desk, was a three head chimp. All of the heads had their skulls opened, two revealing an empty skull and the last on the left bore an exposed brain. The head with the brain was weeping softly as students streamed in. When everyone was seated, the weeping head turned and looked at them, reaching into the air, the chimp pulled out a new brain and plopped it into the middle head. Greetings, the chimp said, I am Number Four, the school librarian. Unfortunately, your assigned teacher for Introduction to Bleed Sciences, Mr Reese, passed away last night. The classroom erupted into chatter, and the weeping head seemed to weep harder, one of the hands even began cradling it. A hand shot up, the same girl with pigtails from his previous class, Four, what happened to Mr Reese? He was called on yesterday to deal with the ongoing incident, the middle head emotionlessly replied, When he was examining the novel Gate that appeared, one of the Fly Invaders pushed him into it and his head was caught in the Bleed field. Aidens mind flashed to the Gate he and Ranpo saw open, one that instantly disintegrated a mans foot. Until a suitable replacement is found, I will be teaching this course. I believe my grasp of theoretical knowledge is enough to teach the needed parameters of this course, however, I will not be able to provide as in-depth guidance as Mr Reese would have. The school is aware this may not be what you wanted, as such youll be allowed a subject change. The chimp began tapping the laptop on the teachers desk, I will still be teaching you for the duration of this lesson. If you wish to change subjects you will need to hand in the relevant forms before the end of the week. After which all will be locked in. One thing Aiden could not get used to was the silence. The speed at which the students around him just accepted a teacher was dead. Aiden did not know the person who died. Aiden did not care for his death any more than that of a person hearing of death unrelated to them on the news. But he still remembered that nameless cop who pulled a grenade so he wouldnt leave a body to desecrate. He still remembered Johnjohnjohnjohn, the hobgoblin who had killed him. Did the people around him also remember? Or did they forget? Did they, teens younger than him in all aspects, just accept death so easily after only such minor interest? Aiden was getting left behind, for Number Four continued to speak, continued with the lesson. ... most call Bleed Science Magic, in fact I suspect many of you signed up here because you wanted to throw a fireball, I will have to inform you that this course will not be able to teach you that. Aiden felt a palpable sense of disappointment wash through some of the class, a leg tapping here, a pen fidgeting over there, eyes looking out the window. The teacher seemed to not notice this change, as he continued, The term magic is largely a misnomer, given by civilians who did not understand the phenomena, but knew enough to realise it was separate from meta abilities. I will be using the two terms interchangeably though. Magic, is very simply put, the study and application of Bleed in a controlled and understood manner, a projector lit up, showing an image of a mecha that towered over mountains. The Gigantes were built under the principles of magic, material that defied our laws of gravity and cube law, exploited to counter a very specific type of enemy. It can be considered the prime example of Bleed Science. The image changed, showing men and women in various unusual states. Then we come to the first originators of Magic, Four passionlessly spoke, Bleed victims. Aidens hand scrunched up, tightening around his pen. You should know not all Bleed effects are inherently harmful, the mob of senior citizens rampaging through the streets a recent example. In fact, the first users of magic were people who suffered Bleed and got a beneficial effect from it, we called such people, Sorcerers. Sorcerers have either been accidentally or intentionally exposed to Bleed, altering their very relation to reality. The variety of effects is truly staggering. Yesterday, you saw people becoming stronger the closer they were to death, some may be able to access the scientific systems of other realities, some can speak words and bring them to reality, others may only be able to float a few centimetres off the ground. Its like having an ability isnt it? a boy spoke up. The middle head glanced at him, Indeed, however- However! the weeping head suddenly interrupted, tears drying, The essence of sorcery is the malleability of the soul. -what I mean is, the middle head continued, unlike us, Sorcerers are still susceptible to Bleed. All magic is still susceptible to Bleed, and will change under its effects. That is why Mr Reese perished yesterday, being a Sorcerer does not mean you are resistant to Bleed effects, the opposite in fact, simultaneously, having an ability makes it significantly difficult to become a Sorcerer as you are resistant to Bleed effects. Aidens hand rose. Yes Mr Bu? What about people suffering from Bleed Sickness? Again, the middle head passionlessly spoke, the variety of effects is too staggering to truly classify. Each case needs to be considered individually. The only all-cure solution is to develop into a metahuman. What about the Sophist? someone else asked. Health Potions and stuff? Four nodded with all three heads, That is a good segway, increasingly, the world is developing metahumans whose abilities specifically interact with Bleed effects, the Sophist of Elixirs is a good example of this, she is a tinker of some kind able to manipulate and combine Bleed effects with unreplicatable efficacy. She easily qualifies as one of the top experts regarding the subject. Another hand shot up, but Four waved it down, Questions will be taken later, for now, I will talk about something that will be increasingly important in the future. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The screen changed again, playing a video of the schools Vice Principal as she fought at Last Stand yesterday. The prime weakness of Bleed Science is that its nature is inherently forged from the alien and unwelcomed, Four began. All Bleed effects gradually disappear as our reality rejects it, they may leave permanent scars, but the invasive reality would eventually be superseded by Hume. Thus any practitioner would need to constantly restock on resources that would eventually fail. However, Living Concepts are a different matter, Four continued. It is a scientific system originating from Arcadia, where belief can turn the immaterial into the material. Some decades ago, the US saw the potential of this system and left open a Gate to that dimension, allowing its Bleed effect to permeate the entire world. Because of that, everywhere on Earth, belief has the capability of congregating into singular, physically interactable entities. What we term Living Concepts, Four gestured behind him, onto the screen. Law is an example of this, where the Ozzie Government discovered the nascent concept of Law and integrated it within the very legal system, incidentally making all members practitioners. Unlike with Sorcerers, who hold individual and fading fragments of Bleed, the Bleed of Arcadia is so prevalent even normal people can practice it and not risk losing their power to time, all they have to do is fulfill the needed conditions and it will be available to them. The weeping head spoke up again, The difference between blade and talent The middle head nodded, Indeed, the difference between magic and an ability user like us can be summed up easily as the different between gunpowder and an ability that lets you throw fire. The screen changed again, this time showing a video. It showed a great figure painted in blue, its face black and head decorated with feathers. Chains hung around it, needles and tubes pumped glowing liquids into the mans body. He appeared weakened and beaten, gaunt and hung from his chains. Underneath, there was something he didnt expect. A health bar and a semi-familiar name.
Hutzilpchtli the Enslaved God, Lvl ???
Aiden blinked, recognition in his eyes, not as deep as he would with an animal, but he knew the name and what it meant in his old world. Even his memories as Bu began to tingle, remembering the event that happened. The US used the Arcadia magic system to incarnate an old concept, likely a dead god worshipped and believed during the Pre-Apocalypse era, and sent it to Gorea under the pretense of securing the nation from the civil war erupting to claim ownership over the Labyrinth, though they likely did it to claim the Gamers body and ability for themselves. They were rebuffed in the end, however The god screamed in pain as something was injected into it, it thrashed and clawed, but its chains were not made of mundane metal, soon Light blinded the camera. The video jumped to a desolate land, filled with burning ashes and the sight of a shattered Sun. The city of Keoul and its three million inhabitants were all killed in the attack. Now, Gorea remains a political entity only because they hold the Gamers corpse and the Labyrinth surrounding it. Returning to our gunpowder analogy, through gunpowder you may be able to make a gun, and though the gun may be susceptible to Bleed and require bullets to shoot, it can be mass produced, anyone can learn to wield one and with enough resources, knowledge and research, you may be able to make a nuke.
So thats what happened in Bleed Science, Aiden said as he unpacked his lunch. Jun lounged on the bench much like a cat and like one only mmed in response. What about you? Had theatre, she murmured. You seem off. She glanced around at the open field, Its weird you know, I figured I would never step foot in this place. Aiden paused for a moment, his spoon stopping just short of his mouth. He put it down, Youre here arent you? Still feels unreal, like, you dont know what bastards geneline families end up producing. They shove a golden spoon up their asses and call it parenting, fuck, I half expect some ass to just- Well, well, well, if it isnt the queer bitch. -there it is, Jun murmured as she slid off lounging position into a sitting one. Four- no, five guys strolled up to them. Aidens eyes slid over each of them, young, teenage, and exuding an air of sure cockiness. One was clearly the leader, walking at the front, his hair blonde and slicked back. Was I ever this much of an idiot when I was a teenager? he pondered for a moment, before his body tensed as they surrounded them. Awww, Jun answered with a similarly confident and cocky expression. Did the baby get bored of suckling their mommys credit card? The leader sucked in a breath, before he smiled and laughed, When I heard you ran away from home I thought that was the last time I would hear of Jun Jito. Have you heard from your parents by the way? They told me you running away was the best thing that ever happened to them. This time, Jun kicked off the bench and stood up, she wasnt as tall as the leader, but still everyone around them tensed. Aiden realised that perhaps, they may be unaware of what ability Jun held, or perhaps they were and understood the risks of fighting someone with superspeed. He suspected the former, because though Jun wore her Nightcore mask, she did not show a single hint of her speed. Dont call me by that name, she said. The leader grinned, Make me, Jito. She smiled in response, cracking her knuckles, You think your tiny ass fire would hurt me? If not for the fact Aiden had his eyes glued on her, he would not have noticed her eyes darting to him for the briefest moment. So his ability is fire. There was no reason for her specific taunt, other than to communicate some info to him. I see you got new goons Dale, she said, eyes flitting around, I recognise Adam, but whore the other three? Three unknowns, was she aware of what Adam did? Likely, then the last three boys at the back were the unknowns. She seemed confident in taking them, though Aiden really wished she had more proof to back it up, surrounded by five ability users, four of which Aiden had no clue what they did. Theyre my new mates, Warren, Carson and he paused, looking at the last one, Im sorry, I always forget your name. Shmebuloc! he answered. Dale snapped his fingers, Shmebuloc! Thats it! Either way, theyre each more than enough to kick your teeth in. And yet youre here with five people against little old me? As they continued trading threats, Aiden, the only one disengaged and still looking about, noticed a quite peculiar thing. Crows. Everywhere, perched on nearby branches, fences and benches, all quietly looking at the confrontation. Ranpo nodded to him when he noticed his gaze. Are we going to do it? Aiden spoke for the first time, tone lazy and calm, appearing to aim towards Jun, but really, his eyes were focused on the boys. He needed to appear confident, like a fight wouldnt even be a problem, much like what Juns doing, he realised. Im in the mood to kick some ass, Jun replied with a smile. We do have them surrounded, he added with false casualness. For the first time, one of the boys looked around them, noticing the increasing murder of crows. Were surrounded Dale, the one named Warren spoke. Master type, Dale spoke with renewed interest as he looked over Aiden for the first time. You must be pretty good to control such a large crowd, wanna ditch this bitch? Aiden very deliberately looked at him. I dont quite appreciate your tone, Ranpo cawed, inciting a large cacophony of caws in response. Aiden was used to controlling his expression, so no hint of surprise marred his face as he put down his lunch box and stood up, causing them to slightly back away and bunch up. The correct term is murder. They believed his ability was controlling the crows and while that was true in a very indirect way, there was no need for them to realise the falsehood, not while he was concocting tattoos right underneath his sleeve. He cant be that good, Warren continued, Master types tend to lose out on power the more they have, and we have him up close. Shmebuloc! Shmebuloc agreed. Do you wish to test that theory, Jun said with an expression that clearly screamed, Try us idiots. Warren hesitated, leaving Adam to jut in, Manifested abilities do get to break some rules. And that, Aiden realised, was the core thing stopping conflict. All of them held abilities unknown to the other, he was faking his and Juns mask gave little to what she was actually capable of. It would become abundantly clear should things come to blows, but until then they were all assessing the risk of actually getting into a fight. While simultaneously pretending they could easily take the other and freely trading insults. He hated teenagers sometimes, reckless yet strangely sensible in all the wrong ways. But he needed to diffuse this situation, there was no fucking way he was going to see what happened next. He already had a detention on his record, a detention! Being in any way associated with a superpowered school brawl was the last thing he wanted. And so, he mimicked Juns confident and arrogant tone as he flexed his one hand, I would hate to get my shirt dirty. He saw it then, confidence being slowly chipped away. They came here with the numbers advantage, now they were surrounded by crows and facing two unknown abilities. How strong can you really be? Dale asked, his eyes fixed on him. Not in a challenging way but almost in interest. Suddenly, the concrete beneath them exploded into dust, everyone jumped back, shielding their eyes before what was embedded in the ground was made apparent. A piece of chalk. Aiden looked around, Eagle eyes covering his own as he spotted a tiny hole passing through four buildings and at the other end of the school was a cranky looking titan in military uniform, looking positively pissed. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he realised that chalk could just as easily be embedded in any of their skulls. Well, Aiden said, that was the principal. A veritable flood of cold sweat fell down all their faces at that statement, though Dale continued to posture, Well I supposed we should pay respects to the war hero shouldnt we? Shmebuloc, Shmebuloc agreed. Nods all around, even from Jun, freely agreeing with the person she was at throats with earlier. They began to retreat, This isnt over! Then another chalk embedded itself right underneath Dales feet, Well, this is definitely over today! Jun smiled wickedly, Just try me- She couldnt even finish her sentence before a third chalk stabbed itself into the wood beside her bench. -some place other than here! she quickly amended. Aiden realised for all the threats they partied around, all of it was just posturing, they were prepared for a scrap, clearly, but not one with actual risk. And Principal General Wendal Richard Monger and his immensely gruff face was a risk in itself. They were teenage idiots, but not all of them had a death wish. When they were sure the goons had left, Aiden looked at the chalk-sized hole, seeing that the Principal was nowhere to be seen, he fell back onto the bench with a sigh. Any idea what Mongers ability is? Jun shook her head, No idea, but my parents, as much as I fucking hate them, were scared shitless of that dude. She suddenly looked around, Wait, can he hear us? Probably, Ranpo answered as he flew down, if he knew to intervene in a fight on the opposite side of the school. Then should I be talking shit about him? she asked, Umm, Principal Monger, I dont actually think you look like an ogre fucked a cactus. Aiden put his lunchbox back on his lap, I feel like youre provoking him more than anything with that statement. Oh, by the way Aiden, Ranpo began, glancing around shyly. Yes? he asked, spoon pausing before his mouth. How many grapes can you buy? What are you asking for? He sheepishly replied, I sorta promised every crow here you would buy them grapes if they stood around for a bit. Aiden put down his spoon, looking around at the dozens of crows that surrounded them. I need that job. Chapter 30 School Days Chapter 30 School Days It was the weirdest thing, I punched him in the face and suddenly hes calling himself my nakama and how our journey was just beginning or were a match made in heaven. - Truth, C-Class Cape after arresting Dare, C-Class Cowl. And thats how we got detention, Aiden explained to Ranpo as he scrubbed a particularly stubborn stain. That is unfortunate, the crow replied, glancing at the clock in the classroom, 3:23 PM, well after school hours. This is soooo boring! Jun complained behind him, the sound of her steps pacing back and forth. With your power, this would be done very quickly, Aiden noted. With my power, I still feel all the normal time it takes! she answered, still pacing around. Superspeed oddly takes a lot of patience, Ranpo observed. Iknowright! she yelled back, Like I have to slow myself down just to talk to you normally! Im glad youre making the effort, Aiden muttered as he focused on the stain before him. Even vigorous rubbing couldnt get rid of it. He needed to resort to the chemical option. Can you grab some bleach for me? Say please. Please and thank you. The sound of footsteps behind him quickened, but they didnt go far, not at all in fact. They stopped halfway to where the cleaning supplies were before they turned back. Aiden kept trying to scrub the stain out as Jun returned, her steps slowly closing in on him. Ranpos movements suggested he was looking back, towards Jun as she neared, and he was silent. Aiden clicked his tongue. Suddenly he swung around, rag in hand just in time to block the broom. Jun smiled as she held her weapon. Could this wait? Neither of us aregettingyounger! she answered as she jumped back. She twirled her broom around her like a bo staff as she- -accidentally bonked another one of the students spending detention with them on the head. The large black teen glared at Jun as he batted away the broom. Accident? she asked with a brilliant smile.
Jun flew out the classroom window, broom in hand as the other teen jumped out the other side. Time slowed as she saw what he was doing, quickly unzipping a large duffel bag to reveal several glinting metal soda cans. Hes Darius, she realised with a smile. Within slowed time, she looked around, grin widening as she pulled a spare note page and a four-pen from her pocket. Slamming the page onto the ground, she traced several long squiggly lines going out from the centre, with a circle encompassing all of them. Just as Darius took out two cans of soda with a single hand. Jun broke open her four-pen, letting the red ink drip onto her hand. Darius free hand moved to crack those cans open. Within slowed time, Jun made the hand signs of boar, dog, bird, monkey and finally ram, before she slammed the hand with the red ink onto the drawn circle, just as Darius cracked open both cans. Summoning Jutsu! Cracking Open a Cold One! Aiden jumped out of the window, Ranpo following him, landing right behind Jun. Do we really need to do this? Just as two other teens suddenly jumped out of the window behind Darius, despite the fact no other students were in the classroom. A similarly dark-skinned teen and a short, green-eyed girl. Ayo you called us cuz? I did, Darius pointed towards them. Rough em up cuz! Isnt he in our homeroom? Aiden asked. Focus! Jun yelled as one of the summoned teens started running towards them. Aiden glanced at the summoning circle underneath Juns hand, then at the smile on both her and Dariuss face. Raising an eyebrow, he reached into his pocket and threw several paper throwing stars in a fan shape. They pinged the charging teen, causing him to disappear in a puff of soda bubbles. Which one was my can? the remaining summoned girl asked. This one! Darius yelled as he threw the opened can into her hand. YoureDariustheteleporter! Jun yelled with a smile as she rushed forward twirling her broom. The teleporter answered in kind, throwing his duffle bag into the air, forcing Jun to knock it away. Im glad Im famous, Darius replied to Jun with a smile. As they clashed, Aiden noted the girl behind him quickly chugging the opened can, before wiping her mouth and pulling out a notebook with the words Heavens Door written on it. Ranpo? On it, the crow said with a sigh as he leapt off Aidens shoulder. The teen quickly ripped out a page, Aiden could barely catch the words paper throwing stars on it before it vanished into light particles, turning into several paper throwing stars in her hand. She threw them into Ranpo, who dodged and weaved through them, but it gave the teen enough time to rip out two more pages. Both she scrunched up into paper balls, before throwing them, one upward, the other towards Darius. Ranpo dodged the one going into the air, but Darius caught the other. It disappeared into light particles and became a mop in his hand, just as the ball still in midair transformed into a bucket filled with water. Jun jumped back, narrowly avoiding it as it hit the ground and spilled water and detergent everywhere. Twirling her broom, she laughed evilly, Youbroughtthestuffformetomopthefloorwithyou! Thats a little optimistic, Darius answered with a twirl of his own mop. They rushed forward and met in the middle with a clash of cleaning equipment. You need to work on your villain laughter more, Ranpo drily commented as he dive-bombed the girl in the back. She tried to swat Ranpo away, but the crow had instinctual experience harassing people. Still, why isnt she disappearing? Aiden pondered briefly, seeing how the first summoned teen had disappeared with a light tap, while she was lasting well under a crows vicious assault. Suddenly, a teen jumped out the window further back, both hands twirling a broom and dustpan combo. Aiden recognised him as the first teen who got desummoned. Ayo you shouldve yelled cuz! he yelled, Took me a sec to find you! Then he threw the broom like a spinning disk, forcing all combatants to duck down as well as separating Ranpo from the item summoner. The broom passed overhead and stopped in midair as someone caught it. I MEET YOU AGAIN KIND STRANGER! Aiden turned to look behind him, That voice, to see a mousy haired boy shouting boisterously as he twirled the caught broom. His eyes were a bit red, small bags underneath, likely the reason why he was also late. FEAR NOT! JOSH TUBA HAS ENTERED- The dustpan struck his chest like a javelin because monologues were for the extraordinarily stupid. As the son of Tuba fell to the ground, he cradled his wound, hand reaching out to Aiden, Avenge me Do I have to? Aiden! Jun yelled as she traded blows with Darius. Right, he murmured, reluctantly grabbing the broom from Joshs hand and giving a few test swings as he locked eyes with the final combatant. Darius was on the backfoot, Juns speed enough to force him into a purely defensive position, but the bout between Ranpo and the item summoner was the most precarious, which was where the final foe rushed to assist. Aiden ran, jumping onto the wall and walking on it as suction cup tattoos appeared and disappeared. Going around the clashing teleporter and speedster, he fell onto the remaining two, broom striking the ground between them. He swept the floor with practised ease, forcing them both back. Paper throwing stars met him, ripped out of the item summoners notebook, however, Ranpo intercepted them. Blocking them with his own body just in front of Aiden as the crow flew groggily and crash-landed. A brief spark of worry flashed through his mind, Ranpo had never really taken a hit before? What if this was enough? They were dashed when the crow sarcastically called, Avenge me, master He rolled his eyes. No one was taking this seriously it seemed. The item summoner looked at him, My names Wren, yours? Aiden, he answered. Aye, then this is the day you die! the third foe yelled, swinging a bucket half filled with water and detergent towards him. Of course, he had already heard his footsteps and jumped right out of the way. Your name? he casually asked as the water fell short of him. Luther, the cousin of Darius said as he wielded his bucket. Aiden raised his broom in kind. The teen rushed forward, wielding his empty bucket like a flail as Aiden parried it. It was a dance of distance between the two, Aidens broom was longer but his lost hand left half his form undefended, which Luther exploited with vicious efficacy. Forcing Aiden on the backfoot despite his arguably superior weapon. Little help over here! Darius yelled, his mop barely parrying Juns broom. Hah! SurrendernowandIllshowmercy! Never! Muahehehehe! Boo, Ranpo yelled from the sidelines. Get a better evil laugh. It does need some work, Josh agreed, try a mwuahaha instead? Mwuahahahaha! Jun laughed. Better! Josh yelled as Juns blows finally knocked Darius onto his ass. She raised her broom, Nowtocleanthefloor- Look out! Ranpo called out. She jumped back, easily dodging the scrunched up paper balls heading towards her, each disappearing into motes of white light and becoming water balloons that exploded on the ground. Wren threw Darius duffle bag into his hand. Summon him! The boss? How else do you plan on fighting superspeed? she yelled in response. NomatterwhomyoubegforhelpyoucannotdefeatJuntheGreatandTerrible! she yelled. Darius pulled out something that wasnt a soda can, but instead a beer bottle. A cap opener in hand, Darius cracked open the beer bottle.
Elsewhere, at the same time, a tall, well-built man wrapped a tanned hand around a girl. Feeling her soft and supple skin, the sweetness of her lips. He shivered as he felt a second tongue lick his ear, breaking away from his kiss to see two identical women beside him. She chuckled, the air shivered and a third appeared beside him. Identical to the previous two. All three giggled in perfect unison as they reached behind themselves and began slowly, sensually, undoing their- The man suddenly turned away, looking somewhere far away. Hes calling me. All three clones groaned, Oh come on! Darius again? Cant he wait? they spoke in perfect succession. The man was already pulling on his pants. He eschewed his shirt, instead directly putting on his jacket, revealing his well-built and defined chest and abdomen, which all three clones ogled freely. We can finish later, he answered. But the Bois need me now. And with a step into the wardrobe, he was gone.
An empty locker door slammed open, revealing a tall, well-built man, with very nice abs, Jun freely noted. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to sit and enjoy the view, she needed to get her head into the game. Darius summoned him using his ability, unnamed, given that it was a Geneline one, but potent nonetheless. Unfortunately for him, his ability was also one of the more well-known ones in the school since it required active consent to work. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Darius marked a person through unknown means, associating them with one of the sealed drinks he carried. Whenever he opened a drink, the person linked to it got a ping that made them aware of the teleportation request, which upon accepting, teleported them to an unobserved area nearest to where the drink was opened. This was the incomplete teleportation, the summoned could still be sent back with a very light hit anywhere on their body, but upon fully drinking the drink that was opened to summon them, the teleportation would be complete and they cant be sent back. And they expect this person would be able to deal with me, she thought. But now she was fully immersed in her sped up time, not casually strolling in it like before. Everyone was frozen in place, the cap Darius had pried off was practically stopped in midair. Her footsteps bounced off the ground as she sped towards the man, she only needed one hit to send him back. Nightcore. Time was practically frozen for everyone but her, in this domain, she jumped, broom raised to strike him, she was- Not alone, as the newly summoned person turned to look at her. Nice, he said, fast enough she could hear it normally. He grabbed the broom with one hand, stopping the blow. Ill tell you mine, he said, hazel eyes meeting hers. Running in the 90s. She looked around, seeing how every tiny movement of this man generated wind. Speedsters were broadly categorised into two types. The most common Type Is, like Jun, achieved speed through cheating physics in some way. They usually could not do things like high-velocity punches because their bodies were not actually that strong. It had its benefits, of course, she could completely ignore stuff like g-forces and friction for anything she was carrying, allowing her to move people quickly without breaking their bones and other important organs. Type IIs were speedsters who achieved superspeed purely through physical force. Unlike Jun, they were physically that fast. They were the hulks who cleared entire city blocks with a single jump. The supermen who flew at Mach speeds. Their bodies were not only strong enough to move at boggling speeds but also endure the resulting g-forces, friction and heat. They were also generally far better in a straight fight compared to Type I speedsters, not in the least part because of the aforementioned high-velocity punches. Jun let go of the broom, jumping back. Youre a student here as well? he asked, slowly bringing the broom towards him. He was moving slowly, Jun realised, not because he was slow, but because he was fast trying to be slow. Taking care in every action as if the entire world was made of cheap porcelain. Just like when she was Daycore. She slowed down Nightcore to its slowest dilution. Aiden! she yelled, Get the bottle- Jun spoke too late, for the other speedster was already besides Darius, taking the bottle with careful slowness. She sped up again, grabbing a rock and throwing it towards him, but he stepped aside easily, chugging the entire beer bottle with a single sip. Now, he said, what was it you were doing to my crew- ???? Everyone froze as a woman with long sandy red hair and a scar on her face spoke. Ms Vulpes, the other speedster stammered, I didnt know you were- ?????? He looked at the bottle in his hand, then at the smiling teacher before him, before he turned and ran. Stop moving, Foxy spoke, freezing him in place before he took a single extra step. Jun looked at the two, remembering that the other speedster said he was also a student here. Meaning he was probably younger than eighteen, the legal drinking age. Then the woman turned to the rest of them, eyes washing over the spilt water and cleaning equipment littered everywhere. ??
Why do I have to help as well, Ranpo grumbled, scrubbing the floor with a very small rag. Because you are guilty by association, Darius answered, shaking his head as he scraped gum underneath a table. We shouldve just done this from the start, Aiden murmured as he passed a rag for Jun to rinse. Then I wouldnt have the satisfaction of beating someones ass. To make it clear, you did not beat us, Luther answered as he passed by, carrying a large garbage bag. We totally did! Jun shot back, rushing out to yell, And I dont wanna hear from the guy who was out in the first thirty seconds by paper throwing stars! ???????? Yeah, yeah, Wren said, well work together, right guys? Everyone nodded glumly, well except for THE TUBA FAMILY IS UNMATCHED IN CLEANING! Josh Tuba yelled as he trailed a mop behind him as he ran through the halls. Youre doing it wrong, Aiden yelled, you need to actually put some backbone- annnnd hes gone. Well, at least hes helping, Jun said, looking out the window to see the other speedster. His name was apparently Kevin, and he was precariously balancing about half a dozen desks and chairs on his head as he took slow and measured steps towards the gym. Each step wobbling the balancing puzzle. Why is he doing that? she asked the teacher, Foxy. ???? I mean sure its funny, Jun answered. But like whats the point As they continued to talk, Aidens mind wandered away from the same stubborn stain he was cleaning fifteen minutes ago. Wheres the principal? he wondered idly because Aiden thought he wouldve been the one who would break up their horseplay, he decided, their horseplay.
What the fuck did you just say? Dr Oliver Oliver snapped, the normally courteous gent was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by a snarling and pissed isopod. Raj looked at the target of his partners ire, the lieutenant general standing stiffly in Wendell Richard Mongers office. Theoretically, the man outranked Monger, given that he was expelled from his former position, but the Lieutenant General still stared stiffly at the Principal, who was sitting silently and completely still at his desk. Again, Lieutenant General Kataf said, the Guard, ODF and Supernatural Defense Division are all lowering its minimum deployment age to sixteen, and would like the school of M.I.A. to alter its educational structure to reflect those new standards. Youre telling us to make child soldiers you damn bastard! Dr Oliver Oliver slammed a claw onto Rajs chest, drawing the slightest drop of blood. We understand this decision may be controversial- Controversial! Oliver raved. Do you even- Would you please shut it? Kataf snapped, You are a high school medic, what gives you the rank to insult a superior officer? Oliver froze, and though most people would not be able to see the cold wrath in his isopod face, Raj was his partner and host. He saw the abandoned teacup by the table which he had brewed for the officer, he saw how it suddenly began to bubble and spill. Oliver, Raj spoke, that is enough. The teacup stilled. Leaving only a few spilt drops of tea as any indication Oliver was preparing to use his ability. The football-sized isopod retreated back into his mouth, still glaring at the officer. I apologise for my partners behaviour, Raj began. However, he raises justifiable concerns. And who are you? the officer began. We, Raj stressed, feeling the weight stuck on his tongue, are the acting Vice-Principal under the circumstances where VP Taylor is unable to fulfil her duties, and if the Principle General is also indisposed, we would become the acting Principal until such time where Mr Monger returns or a new Principal is properly selected. The officer narrowed his eyes at that but didnt comment. Thus, we would like to know why they are suddenly lowering the minimum deployment age to before a person is even legally allowed to drink alcohol. Kataf glanced at the silent Principal General, before speaking. Division Omega, along with multiple other individual Postcog metahumans believe that Hell will mobilise for invasion within the next five to thirty years. Raj frowned, and Oliver shivered within his mouth. That is distressing, but hardly a reason for such a draconian response from us. They did live almost on the opposite side of the world, with numerous other countries and oceans between them and the Hell Gate. An invasion would be devastating, but we would be spared the worst of it, he said. General Winter is dead, the Lieutenant General said, causing both Raj and Oliver to completely freeze. Even Monger raised his eyebrow just a little. It is currently Top Secret, if the public becomes aware of his death, the mass panic would be enough to bury Rus overnight, Kataf continued. Until a suitable replacement is found, it is imperative the world still believes General Winter is alive. What killed him? For the first time, Monger spoke, quietly with his gravelly voice. It was a Demon sir, the Lieutenant answered stiffly and with the practice of someone answering to their superior. A Demon named- Raj suddenly threw up his hands, protecting his head, as if expecting a bomb to suddenly go off. -HagdriktinMa When nothing happened, Raj slowly lowered his arms, carefully looking around. Are you insane! Oliver yelled within his mouth, Speaking a Demons Name like that! In the middle of a city no less! We confirmed the Demon was killed, Kataf answered, its Name no longer holds power. It was utterly reckless! Monger raised a hand, and Oliver went silent. What was its ability? We had difficulty confirming it initially, Kataf continued, we initially believed it some kind of power shifter that was also constantly scrambling Postcog and Thinker abilities, but after its death, we realised it was something worse. Undefeatability in Battle, he said, it manifested in it constantly adapting and gaining new powers that were the exact counters to everything thrown against it. Including attempts to predict its actions or discern what its power truly was. Not to mention, it seemed as if Fate itself made it impossible to be defeated. It killed General Winter and heavily wounded Baba Yaga while she retreated. So just like that, half of Rus combat S-Classes are down for the count? Raj asked. Kataf nodded. Red Daughter is being redeployed to the west, however, Misha remains in the east as a deterrent to the Kaijus. I cant imagine that going well, Raj muttered, knowing her personality. Oliver chuckled, She hasnt personally punted a kaiju since the first has she? Kataf nodded, There was a standoff, minimum property damage, given the strength of the two, but Misha is still sending requests to be reallocated to a front, and I quote, with more action. She was denied on the rationale that she is too straightforward a combatant. She may be able to deal with Devils, but a Demon would be extremely difficult for her. How was the Demon killed, Monger asked, and Raj noticed he also didnt speak its name, whether by habit or conscious decision, he didnt know. Kataf sighed. By complete accident, he admitted. To cover Baba Yagas retreat, the military stepped in, after suffering nearly thirty percent casualties, automated drones were deployed to slow it down. Those were what killed it. Rajs eyes widened, How? We realised after analysing the body that its power only considered it a Battle if the opponent had a will, he explained. The drones ran on primitive non-sentient targeting AI, which the Demon didnt even seem to believe existed. It stopped completely in its tracks and stood there while it was bombarded by automatic drones, doing nothing up until it died. We know it was will-based because Contriver drones doing the exact same thing were shot down and adapted against. How were you able to overcome Hells Bleed effect? Oliver asked. Technology of that level shouldnt work well so close to the Gate. They didnt, he answered, they simply kept pouring money into repairing and making those drones, even though the Demon was killed, the hours it took for them to break through the Demons base defences was enough to practically bankrupt the Rus Military and Government. Our analysts are expecting a major economic recession in the nation. Thats why you are here, the Principal spoke. Kataf nodded, With Rus weakened, the eastern front is barely hanging together. It will not hold under another Incursion. We are worried that the devils can pass through this Achilles Heel, entering Rus and eventually moving south through Qin Land Leapfrogging the islands to eventually land here Raj finished. Qin Land would not survive under a sustained Devil assault, Kataf said, Fifty years ago, maybe, but the land is too fractured by civil war. Yindia is the last major power in the east, but they dont have the resources to cover Sino in its entirety. Water following the path of least resistance, Oliver whispered. It was an apt metaphor, Raj realised, for what else could describe a devil charge other than a tsunami? They couldnt pass through the Middle East or the MediterraTheocracy, one no longer existed to be passed through and the other a significant military power. The open route through Rus and Qin Land would be what the devils went through. Still, Oliver said, Hell alone isnt enough to justify such a major change, especially not one expected to happen in five years. The Pacific, the Principal General said. Theyre worried about fighting a two-front war. Kataf nodded, If the monsters in the Pacific sniff blood, they wont hesitate to invade. While we have our best ability users fending off Demons, they will rip through our shores. Fortifying the east and stopping Hell from reaching our lands will prevent two threats. If we don''t utterly remove the possibility of Demons showing up here, Ozzstraya will suffer severely. Then send me, Wendell Richard Monger spoke and the world stilled its breath. I can hold the East alone. The Army of One was more than enough to replace General Winter. Kataf nervously swallowed, feeling the weight of the world suddenly pressing on him. We cannot sir. We are not questioning your ability or skill, he quickly added, slowly growing in confidence as he spoke, You have served nobly for the last three-hundred and sixty-two years. Your deeds to serve not just the military, but humanity as a whole cannot be understated. But High Command still believes your best use is here, continuously producing quality officers. After all, even you cannot be everywhere at once. Very quietly, almost to the point Kataf needed to strain his ears, Wendel Richard Monger asked, Is that an order? From the very top. The weight disappeared off Katafs shoulder, letting him breathe a breath of relief. Still, it wasnt done yet. To deal with the media outrage, well be reinstating the Heroes Junior League, we ask you to be the one selecting the members from the school, he nodded to Monger, well send them against some performative supervillains and other low-level mooks, along with beginning merchandising. Oliver snorted as Raj took a seat. Of course, all profits from these endeavours will be spent maintaining various war memorials, orphanages and veteran funds over the country. Mongers eyes narrowed. You are bribing me. Kataf gulped, It is no secret sir that you donate over ninety percent of your paycheck to the aforementioned services. My superiors simply thought it would be an act of honesty. Dont pretend that making child soldiers is anything good by packaging it with something else, Oliver quietly said. The Lieutenant General frowned, That is the problem with you idealists, only dealing with black and white. When we need to deal with grey or face destruction. He shook his head before continuing, realising his time welcome has long passed, pulling out a paper, he placed it on Mongers desk, And High Command has accepted your proposal. Funds and men will be allocated to you, and you will be put in charge of Project Salamander.
The sun was almost setting when Aiden and the rest were let go. Im just saying if you didnt call Kevin I would still be kicking your ass! Jun argued as they stepped out, just like she had been doing for the past half an hour. INDEED! THE SIGHT OF ME NOBLY SACRIFICING MYSELF IS ENOUGH TO STIR ANYONES HEART TO GREATNESS! Oh, you think youre hot shit because youre fast! Luther answered in response. Why do you think we kept throwing water around cuz! We made the ground slippery you dumbass! Right Wren? The short green-eyed girl nodded. Not that kind of speedster you idiot! Jun answered in response. Ok, maybe I mightve slipped, but that is a BIG- Hey, do you guys want a drink? Darius asked, gesturing at a convenience store close to the school. Jun paused and shrugged, Sure. OF COURSE, WORTHY FOE! He wont turn down free stuff, Ranpo said, gesturing to Aiden. He rolled his eyes, I am not a scab. Do you still want the drink? Darius asked. He shrugged. Sure, Aiden answered to Ranpos increasingly smug look. What do you want? he asked as he headed into the store. Mr Pepper! Coffee with milk. Wow, stop rubbinginthefactyoucandrink- GRAPE CIDER! Josh Tuba coughed, quietly adding, Non-alcoholic. Darius quickly returned, cradling six drinks. He handed a Fantastic Blast to Wren, a Quoaka Quola to Luther, the Mr Pepper to Jun, canned Milkis Coffee to Aiden and finally Grape Cider to Josh. Leaving him with the remaining Quoaka Quola which he cracked open. A TOAST TO FRIENDSHIP AND FUTURE BATTLES! Josh yelled, raising his can. Friends? Josh swung an arm around him, FRIENDS! Aiden raised an eyebrow and shrugged, raising his can anyways. To our rematch where I definitely prove I can beat all your asses. Looking forward to it, Darius said with a smile as he raised his own can. Luther and Wren soon followed, together they clinked their cans in the air. Aiden took a sip of his canned coffee, feeling the cool liquid go down his throat. As all of them finished drinking, he noticed Darius looking at them in anticipation, his own drink untouched. His eyes turned to voids of pure black. The Pact has been sealed. Waitwhat- Darius laughed as his eyes turned normal and he raised his can, Youre one of the Bois now! Darius chugged his Quoaka Quola, tossing the can into a nearby bin as he finished. Karaoke Night on me! Wren looked at them all sympathetically, Dont argue, hes an extrovert who just goes around glomping introverts like us. I would still like to go home to sleep though, Aiden said. Then why did you drink caffeine!? Darius asked, gesturing at his can. Aiden paused, shaking his empty can of coffee, I did not think this through. Clearly, Ranpo noted. Jun shrugged, Fuck it, rematch now then. Im first on the mic. I HAVE THE GREATEST SINGING VOICE! Josh yelled. Youre not proving it very well, Jun said. Ill start! Darius declared. Hey! I said I was starting first! You said youll be first on the mic, Luther defended. Now sing cuz! Darius cleared his throat, I wake up to the sounds of the silence that allows For my mind to run around with my ear up to the ground Chapter 31 His Name is Johnny Snakehands Chapter 31 His Name is Johnny Snakehands From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me. I craved the- wait? What do you mean this is copyrighted? Since when did we give a shit about- - Someone who was taken by them. Aiden sat down on the karaoke couch, a plastic bag beside him. A song blaring as Jun sang. He was wearing his Daycore mask, and the extra deep voice made him perfect for the song. Aiden opened the plastic bag, revealing a new phone underneath. It was cheap, less than fifty dollars. Plugging the charger into an outlet, he started charging it, as well as inserting his phone card. The screen soon lit up, it usually transferred all the contacts and data from his previous phone, but his was empty. No friends or family on the contact list, no photos taken or kept. Only a few business calls, nothing of the phone spoke of the owner having a personal life. Movement around him, Darius saw his phone and suggested exchanging numbers. By the end of the night, Aidens phone was filled with phone numbers and pictures.
Aiden breathed the cool night air, waving goodbye to the last of the others. Walking under the moon, he found his path easily. Ranpo, not having night vision, kept to his shoulder as Aiden stepped into the light of a street lamp, right beside an old and graffitied bus stop. Lets hurry home, Ranpo shivered, snuggling closer into his neck. Aiden nodded, Lemme check the timetable. Do buses still run this late? He glanced at the timetable, placed on the street lamp pole. It was graffitied heavily, scratches obscured the original writing. Pushing up his glasses, he took a step closer, trying to make out any sign of the timetable underneath, but something kept catching his eyes. The scratches formed symbols, simple lines, squares, circles and stick figures. But there was a pattern, the same six symbols along with a time. Two lines, parallel to each other with an X in the middle. A stick figure whose arm was an arrow, an X over its head. A rectangle with one opened side, a squiggly wave in the middle. A stick figure with its head crossed out. An X over a line, with an O underneath. A stick figure holding a cross and gun. And a time. 3:23. He took a step back, looking around to read the graffiti. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. DONT ENTER THE BUS THAT COMES AT 3:23. All repeated the same phrase. Finally, Ranpo spoke, poking his head out of Aidens jacket. Its here. Aiden snapped to attention, somehow he didnt hear it coming. An utterly normal-looking bus, its display showing it was one that stopped right by his home, slowed until it stopped right next to him. Right beside the bus stop. Are we getting on? Ranpo asked, irritated. Ranpo, Aiden quietly began, what is the time? Huh? Check your phone, how would I know that? The bus door opened, revealing a balding, portly driver. Read the graffiti around us, Aiden whispered, taking his phone out and opening it. 3:23 am. He glanced at the timetable again, seeing the symbols scratched onto the material. Are you getting on? the driver asked in a gruff voice. Aiden looked at him, not moving from his spot. Behind, there appeared to be passengers, but their features were indistinct, foggy. Hey! Im talking to you asshole! the driver yelled. Are you getting on or not? Ranpo finished reading the graffiti and Aiden took a step back. Hurry up! the driver yelled, Hurry up and g?e?t? ?i?n?. Ranpo shrank back, paper flesh folding as he hid in Aidens collar. Listen to me damn it! The driver stomped off his seat, YOU PIECE OF SHIT MILLENIAL WITH NO CONCEPT OF GRATEFULNESS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR A FUCKING LIVING! I SAID G?????E?????T??? ?????I?????N?????! The drivers form seemed to warp, his flesh twisting like a cleaning rag being wrung dry as he took another step forward, DONT BE RUDE! G???????E???????T?????????? ??????????I???????N?????????? ?????????T??????????H???????????E?????????? ?????B?????U????????????S?????????! Aidens skin turned reptilian, cold, hawk-like eyes considered the man before him, Oros hissed on his arm, yet Aidens attention kept moving to those symbols scratched onto the timetable. I SAID G??????E???????????T?????????? ???????????I?????????N????!! The driver leapt, his form writhing as if it were sown from living worms, and Aiden- Paused completely in his tracks. It was 3:24 am. There was no bus. Aiden kept looking around, eyes darting around like a hunted animal, every one of his senses enhanced to look for the bus that was just here. But there was no bus, there was no driver. What the fuck was that? Ranpo asked, his own head darting around, glancing at the shadows just as Aiden had. Aidens eyes landed on the six symbols once again. Crudely scratched onto the timetable. This is a clue, Aiden muttered before he walked right up to it. Memories flashed in his mind, a primary school, symbols taught, perhaps the most urgent subject he was ever taught, yet it was not his own memories that stole his mind. Bu learnt this, he muttered, this is the Wanderers Code. What? Like the hobos code, they warn of things. He learnt it in primary school, Aiden answered. The lines and X mean Unsafe place, the pointing stick figure with the X over it means Do not follow, the next ones mean Do not trust, Not human, Danger on the other side. What does the last one mean? Ranpo asked, gesturing at the stick figure with the gun and cross. Aiden shook his head, I dont know, Bu was never taught that one. But there is something more, he whispered, I cant seem to take my eyes off them. These did potentially save our lives, Ranpo drily replied. Aiden kept shaking his head, No no, you dont understand, its like my attention keeps needing to jump to them, as if as if They are more real, he realised, tracing the crude grooves with his fingers. Theres Hume in these symbols, thats why I keep looking at them. I can sense the increased density of reality here. Just like when we saw that fly Gate open, the Hume here is increased. Ranpo scrunched up his eyes, looking at the symbols extra hard, Ill trust you on that, they just look like normal symbols to me. You cant sense Hume or Bleed, Aiden muttered, of course they look normal to you. Still, Ranpo asked, looking out into the dark street, what was that bus? Aiden paused, following his gaze. It wasnt something from another dimension, he muttered, I wouldve sensed the Bleed. Then what was it? I think Aiden began, looking at the moonlit street. I think that was a reason to walk home.
Aiden closed the door, mentally wondering if he should pay the money to buy a proper lock. Time and time again, he was reminded this world was not safe. There was stability, in the same sense a house of cards had stability, but he had just encountered a reason why many never made it back home. But between spending on a minor expense and future home invasion, he decided the latter. A dedicated invader wouldnt be stopped by a mere lock. Ranpo flew off his shoulder, shivering in the cold night air as he landed. You should buy a lock. Probably, Aiden said, before once again mentally comparing the cost of a lock to something he could jury rig himself. And dont think its too expensive, I know youre thinking that damn it, Ranpo cursed. I aint living here if some urban horror shit can just bust down the door. Aiden raised an eyebrow but did not comment as he took off his shoes and slipped on slippers. He entered the living room, glancing at his room before shaking his head, he was still caffeinated, and the earlier scare well, lets just say he hadnt yet reabsorbed the lizard tattoos on his skin. You cant sleep as well? Ranpo asked, jumping onto a counter. I dont think I can either, at least not without nightmares. Then what should we do? Something productive, Ranpo said, we thought we had the specifics of your power down, but we clearly missed some things. Aiden nodded, Many things actually, Oros? The serpent slithered on his skin, poking its head out of his right sleeve. Gimme a moment, Aiden muttered, before searching the apartment for a spare scarf. He found a relatively old one, navy blue and well worn. It was the scarf of Bus adoptive mother. He put it away, instead, finding a forgotten and unused scarf behind Bus closet, it was bought in the summer, and forgotten then. It would serve. Oros? The serpent slithered off his skin, like paint dripping, the tattoo fell off his arm and onto the scarf. The soft cloth warped as its shape changed to that of a white serpents. That confirms it, Aiden muttered, you are definitely larger than when you were a tattoo. As a tattoo, Oros was barely the size of a wristwatch, but as it animated different objects, it became larger to match their size. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Glancing at Ranpo, he could see they both had the same idea. Could he, or any other of Aidens tattoos do the same thing? The answer it turned out, was no, as Aiden failed to get a ladybug tattoo onto a significantly larger origami version of itself. Bummer, Ranpo murmured, all the crazy abilities are on insects. As fun as it would be to blast someone with a car-sized bombardier beetle, the main problem with that would be that insect respiratory systems dont scale up that well, Aiden murmured, the last time insects grew abnormally large was because oxygen density also did. You can spontaneously create venom from nothing yet you cant make a tinsy insect be bigger? Aiden shook his head, Not nothing, when one of the snakes I make inject their venom, I find it harder to remember what the composition of the venom actually was. I suspect if one spends their venom completely I wont be able to get the knowledge back from the tattoo. Ranpo tilted his head, Howd this never come up? Theres just too many venomous creatures for it to really matter, Aiden admitted. Aiden Lu grew up in Australia, and Aiden Bu grew up in post-apocalypse Ozzstraya, between the two of them, there was plenty of venomous experience. My ability creates stuff when the tattoos animate something, but that cost is taken out of memory. Just like when he tested the rabbit against Oros, the rabbit memory was still wounded in his mind. When the flesh was punctured, the memory was punctured, when the venom was spent, the memory had no venom. But for the size thing, the opposite seems to be true, he murmured, on his right arm, he manifested a disjointed grey appendage, almost like a tentacle, but with a nose like opening at the end. Reabsorbing it, he remembered what it was. I can make my tattoos smaller, just like this elephant trunk. So theres a chance that Oros isnt growing bigger but Both of them turned to look at the white snake. Oros? the serpent perked up at Aidens voice, How big are you? It seemed to grow uncomfortable, coiling tighter and biting its own tail again, before it sighed and fell off the scarf. Oros was a two-dimensional tattoo again, but instead of Aidens skin, it was putting itself on the floor and walls around it. Jesus Christ, Ranpo muttered, before fluffing his wings, is it alright to swear in a god I dont believe in? Absolutely, Aiden agreed, because Jesus Christ. Oros was big. At least eight metres in length and thicker than his arm, just by comparing it with real-life anacondas, Aiden suspected if Oros was a real snake he might easily weigh 200 kilograms. The white snake swam around the room, slithering on the walls like a painting, before shrinking itself and animating the scarf again. Could I do that? Ranpo asked. Aiden was about to ask What? before he saw what the crow was doing. Ranpos leg left his body, becoming 2D and painting the wall beside him, Ooooh. I can, but this feels Feels what? Uncomfortable, the crow answered with a pause. Like my leg doesnt belong to me anymore, can still feel it, but its like wading in mud? I cant describe it, but I dislike the feeling. He immediately completely left his crow body and became a painting on the wall. Oh yeah, this feels horrible, he muttered as a two-dimensional painting. His voice took on an odd echo. Like moving in vomit but the vomit is the entire world. His beak poked the inert crow body, his form once again flowing onto it and animating it. Like even your existence is vomit, and you realise its vomit, and you start contemplating suicide because you realise how vomit it is. God, it just feels horrible. He touched the wall with his wing, which turned 2D again before he quickly took it back. And he repeated that again, and again, and again. God this feels absolutely horrible no matter how many times I try it. Then why do you keep doing it? Aiden asked. Its like when a child touches a hot stove for the first time, Ranpo explained, it hurts and they snap their hand back because you know, classic knee-jerk reaction, but then The crow paused before his body fell completely inert and Ranpo turned completely 2D again. He glided on the wall, disappearing behind the kitchen counter. Aiden looked around for him, before Boo, Ranpo said from the floor right behind him. Aiden simply turned and stared at him. Ah, no fun, the crow murmured before he glided back to his body. His painting like form completely covering the inert body in mere moments. He did a few test movements, As I was saying, its like touching a stove, but you realise something. If you touch the stove enough times you might just gain fire powers. Thats a stupid analogy, Aiden said. Youre stupid for not seeing the genius in it, Ranpo answered. Though I dont think you can get a less intelligent creation to willingly do this. Why not? Ranpo turned to him, You didnt experience it, you dont understand how unbelievably wrong it felt. It was the closest thing Ive ever felt that compares to you describing sensing Bleed. The crow shivered, I dont see any creature based entirely on instinct willingly subjecting themselves to this. Scarf Oros nodded in agreement. But you still did it Because it might come in handy, Ranpo answered. Existing in two dimensions while still retaining senses and speech? The possibilities are endless. Thats why my stove analogy was genius, he continued, because an instinctual creature wouldnt understand long term benefit, they would only feel the pain and discomfort and immediately pull their hand away, but a smarter creature? A smarter creature can understand the potential benefits, Aiden said. Still, it is a stupid analogy. It is not! Ranpo defended. Youre teaching kids they can gain superpowers by burning themselves! But isnt that true? Arent manifestations formed from trauma and emotional stress? Aiden opened his mouth to rebut, but his jaw was left hanging there as he realised, Ranpo was technically right. He slowly clamped his mouth, holding his head with his one hand as he realised, Jesus, this world is fucked up. Youre just realising this? Ranpo exclaimed, Youve run away from eldritch monstrosities, seen every single zombie movie get disproven, fought a hobgoblin to the death! And almost got murked if you had stepped into the wrong bus, all pretty much in the same week! And superpowers are when you realise the world is fucked? Aiden shook his head, No no, I always sorta knew, but I keep on getting reminders that make me realise reality is even worse than my image of it. Like hearing about medical stories in the US, every single time you check its even worse than you realised before. This world US or your previous world US? Previous, Aiden clarified. I think this world US has its act together. This world US is a feudalist union ruled by power-mad metahuman families that divide all citizens across artificial tiers and predetermine their value from birth, Ranpo pointed out, not believing the words coming out of Aidens mouth. But I heard they have free healthcare? That is true in the same way as saying cake in a burning house is still delicious, Ranpo said. Technically true, but really doesnt change the fact the house is still on fire. Ok! I admit I didnt know about the feudalism part! he explained. I dont get any of Bus memories unless I actively look at them or if theyre really pressing, but how the heck did you know? The public library lets in crows for free, what do you think I do in my free time? Bankrupting me by forming a crow mafia? I saved your ass one time! How the fuck am I going to find enough grapes to feed almost a hundred crows!? Would you have rather gotten your ass beat by teenage dickheads!? The Principal General wouldve broken it up! Neither of us knew that at the time! Doesnt change the fact it was unnecessary and I now have to buy at least a few crates of- Aiden paused as Oros slithered up his chest, wrapping itself around his neck, its scales frigid to the touch. Few crates of grapes, Ranpo murmured. Hey, that sorta rhymes! Oros slid back onto his skin, leaving only a snake-shaped scarf wrapped around his neck. It got too cold huh, Aiden muttered, feeling the scarf still very cool to the touch. Actually, that brings up something important, Ranpo perked up, before glancing to the side. Following his eyes, Aiden glanced over a transparent plastic box. In it, was the body of the golden poison dart frog Aiden had made and retrieved. It had long since frozen to death since its native climate was a tropical forest, and Aiden had left it on the corpse of a goblin in the middle of nowhere during a cold night. It was too dangerous for him to actually reabsorb due to residual poison on the skin, but he didnt want to leave a potential biohazard out in the middle of nowhere. So he had transferred it, all without ever touching it with his bare skin. I saw you using octopus suction cups to move across the wall during the fight earlier, Ranpo said. Aiden looked back, indeed, he had used those, even if he forgot about what they actually were in the moment, the intent of the action he wanted to take still remained, and the shape of the suction cups made them pretty self-explanatory. How are you using marine life for tattoos on land? Aiden paused, looked at his skin, then a few octopuses appeared. All different species which he no longer recognised, but he still knew them as octopuses due to the broad knowledge of them. They seem perfectly fine when on your skin, Ranpo noted, but it seems like when they are put into actual animated bodies, they start needing the stuff their real counterparts need to survive. He glanced once again at the dead poison dart frog. Do you know that for sure? Just a theory, you can test it out pretty easily though, Ranpo said. On Aidens skin appeared a fish, a fish that swam around on his skin pretty easily, and he went to fold an appropriate body from spare paper. When it was done, he let the fish tattoo flow off his skin and animate the body. It immediately began gasping for air. He reabsorbed it, regaining the memory of the fish. Youre right. Is it just your skin or does remaining 2D do it? Ranpo asked. Aiden frowned, It would be difficult to check. Ranpo nodded, Yeah, when I first appeared on your skin, it didnt feel uncomfortable at all, but turning 2D outside of your skin was. The crow tapped the table, I could turn 2D and wait to see if I go hungry but that would be really unpleasant to test. Well file that under a maybe for now, Aiden said. Ranpo nodded. I have something I want to try out though, Aiden continued as he looked around, trying to find a spare belt. After he did, he wrapped and tightened it around the stump of his right arm, leaving a tail dangling off. He manifested the tattoo of a single giant pacific octopus tentacle on his right arm, and slowly moved it, until it had partially animated the belt wrapped around his stump, whilst still being on his arm. The belt warped and partially turned to match the shape of the tentacle. He experimentally willed it to move, and it responded, just as any other tattoo on his skin did. Flexing his now elongated appendage, he wrapped it around a cup on the kitchen counter and brought it to him. That is cool, Ranpo said, genuine interest in his beady eyes. I have no sensation of it, Aiden said, I cant feel anything the tentacle is feeling. So youll have to visually keep track of it, still, your arm problem is solved. Aiden flexed the tentacle attached to his stump, I still need time to get used to it, and I think my left is still better at doing fine work like eating or writing, even if it isnt my dominant hand. Its your only hand now, I think it gets upgraded to dominant status. Aiden shrugged, Semantics. Anyway, if the tattoos on my skin dont suffer the detriments from being in the wrong habitat, and this also applies to things only partially on my skin, then this could be really useful. Octopus tentacles are extremely useful. And if not Aiden finished Ranpos sentence by changing the tentacle into a snake. ...You become Johnny Snakehands. That is a terrible name, Aiden and his snake arm remarked. I stand by the fact it is still better than Aiden. My name is perfectly fine! Ranpo shrugged as Aiden denied the truth of the universe, You going to use that for now? Aiden glanced at his new hand. Actually, no. Well, why not? Aiden told him his idea. And the crow wouldve grinned evilly if it couldve. He searched the house, finding the first aid kit they kept. Taking out some of the bandages and splints, he wrapped them around his right arm, until it appeared his arm was in a cast that covered his hand and forearm, almost like a very long white cup of bandages had been put over his arm. But when he grabbed it, he easily pulled it off, revealing that the tip, or bottom of the cup, had a bandage running through it that wrapped directly around his stump, so when unfurled, the cast was still attached to his arm at the end in an almost Y-shape. He animated the appendage with a snake and grabbed a knife from the kitchen, bringing it swiftly to him, dropping it in his real hand. There was a metahuman I met before I made you, Freddy, he told me his power was to control liquids in confined spaces. Ranpo silently listened along. I thought he was pretty weak since he demonstrated it with nothing but a bottle, Aiden admitted, but when I saw him face a real threat, he exploded like a beehive. Hundreds of small blades came out of every fold of his clothing. Every single blade mustve had liquid in it so he couldve used it like telekinesis, but most importantly, he hid them. I didnt know you could hide so many knives on a person until I met him. He withdrew the serpent, letting the bandage cast contraption fall inertly onto the ground. But he easily set it back up by simply turning the cup cast around and putting it back on his arm, so that he once again appeared to be nothing more than a person with an injured right arm in a cast. He had delivered lethal venom to Johnjohnjohnjohn not because he had overwhelming power, but because he forced him into unfavourable situations. Surprising him by shutting off the lights, or making the light switch the primary objective to get to. And his fight against Luther earlier revealed some people would relentlessly punish a weakened half. A fight can be decided with a single surprise. Now you have two, Ranpo said, glancing at the false cast and the Oros shaped scarf wrapped around his neck. This isnt enough, Aiden said. I still need to completely rethink my defence. Being able to stop a bullet from penetrating my skin doesnt mean jack shit when the force is still bruising my flesh. Especially facing things that can punch holes in concrete. The internal damage I had regenerated nearly killed me. But you already have something for that, Ranpo noted. Aiden nodded, pulling out a deformed cleaver from his school bag. Its handle was like a dozen small arms weaved together into some horrific hilt wrap. While the actual blade had eyes on its flat, that seemed to follow his movements, and its edge was composed entirely of teeth, except for the half-circle deformity in the middle from bashing a zombies head to pulp. I dont remember the specifics of how this power works because of my own power, Aiden noted, And I cant ask Jun because She was traumatised by whatever thing gave you the memory for that, Ranpo said simply. You were too, but youre significantly better at faking being normal. He flourished the cleaver with his remaining hand, Then let us test it out. Instead of an answer, Ranpo flew and grabbed a pen, letting it drop and roll towards Aiden. Until it stopped moving, despite still rolling towards Aiden. Chapter 32 School Days Chapter 32 School Days Ignorance is bliss. Thirty centimetres, taking in effect sixty centimetres away from his body. That was how thick the effect Aidens cleaver had. Anything that approached or left Aiden in a linear direction would not be able to move within those thirty centimetres. It was not a continuous effect all the way to his body, sixty centimetres, or a little over half a metre, directly from where he stood, all things could still move normally, and the effect began in the thirty centimetres directly after that. That meant a person standing directly next to Aiden would not be affected by the cleaver. The ability covered Aiden much like a donut, covering all directions, but leaving an empty space at the centre. Ceasing effect when the object in motion left the thirty centimetres or travelled in a way that was not directly moving to or from Aiden. The determination of what was moving towards or away from Aiden seemed to be determined by that sixty centimetre unaffected circle. If a movement, if elongated to a straight line both ways would intersect with that circle, that would be considered as moving towards or away. Ranpo was able to escape the ability by simply moving in a way where his line would never directly intersect with Aidens circle, and he was even able to directly enter the unaffected zone by moving in a circle around Aiden, slowly closing in until he was able to enter the unaffected circle. The logic here, they determined, was that the ability didnt count moving objects with their entire width, but only as a singular point at the centre of the object in its range. If that point was elongated and touched the unaffected circle, it would count as moving towards, but if it didnt, then the ability wouldnt affect the object. Which meant that Ranpo could move directly next to the unaffected circle, letting his line be tangential to the centre circle, and close in by circling around Aiden until one of his legs were within the unaffected zone. So long as that line at the centre of his body didnt touch the circle, Ranpo could get a little under half his body into the unaffected zone, where the ability would no longer function on him, allowing him to haul the rest of his body into that centre circle. But otherwise, the cleaver affected everything. Even projectiles that Aiden himself threw, which wildly limited his range options unless he deactivated the cleaver. Good news though, was that it did not affect Aiden himself in the slightest, and neither anything directly attached to him. He could still move freely and the ability zone would follow him, not to mention his serpent/tentacle arm could move within the affected zone, but was affected once he removed it from himself. So long as the cleaver was in contact with Aidens flesh, it could be activated. Timing the Hume expenditure on Oros scales for about a minute, then multiplying the remainder of the rest of Oros length, got them about an hour total where Aiden could use it, not counting his Hume recharging or him spending it on anything else. That was all that they determined through a night of testing. Could you try reabsorbing it to confirm if the memory is accurate to the ability? Ranpo asked. Aiden frowned slightly, Im not sure. I made it under a very weird circumstance, I dont know the specifics of what happened, but Im not sure I would have the Hume to remake this thing if I reabsorbed it. Dont you get a one-to-one Hume return? Aiden nodded, But I dont know what happens yet if I overcharge, would the Hume be lost or would I gain a temporary overcharge? We can test this easily, Ranpo remarked. Aiden nodded again, and briefly fur and teeth flashed on his face. A wolf of some kind, before he shrunk the tattoo and moved it down his body, hidden beneath his clothes. Oros body was turned dark by another eighth, in addition to the costs theyd incurred by testing the cleaver. Aiden stared at it, at the black scales and strange colourful plants that covered half of Oros body. Then the eighth returned, the scales turning white once again. Double, Aiden muttered. That was the Hume increase I got. Ranpo stared at the serpent, What Hume increase? Last time I made a dire wolf, it cost me a quarter of my Hume, now its only an eighth. Yeah, but Im asking how you got it, Ranpo asked, is this related to the very weird circumstance you mentioned? Aiden nodded, remaking the wolf tattoo to be tested later, Yeah, I think I went through a Defining Moment, like what Isaac was talking about, but it wasnt what I expected. I met a (-) Aiden wobbled, grabbing his head as Ranpo rushed to him, his voice stopped as if interrupted, the sentence he was speaking, left Incomplete. Aiden felt pain in his head, and he tried to recall that moment, it came to his mind with perfect clarity, and he opened his mouth, I saw (-) Once again, he could not complete his sentence, as if it were Aborted half-way, and the throbbing in his head increased. Slowly, he tested his tongue, It was a Defining Moment. That could be spoken. I saw myself being laid bare. Safe to be spoken. And I met (-) Aiden! Youre bleeding! Ranpo yelled in a panic. Aiden reached up to his nose, where he felt a warm liquid escaping them and dripping into his mouth. Wiping it, he found blood on his fingers. He could not speak of the one who called himself a God. I cant (-) He could not even say, I cant speak of it. Goddamnit, Aiden muttered, before he fell to the ground. A few tense minutes later, with Ranpo circling Aidens unconscious body, debating whether or not he should try to call an ambulance, did his eyes flutter open again. He pushed himself up, groggy in his movement, the blood still drying on his nose. What the fuck was that? Ranpo swore. Aidens eyes fluttered around, he licked his dry mouth, waiting a moment to gather himself before testing his voice, ... You know there are abilities which affect the spreading of information Safe to say. Are you saying you are affected by one? I he hesitated, letting the word linger, before he uttered, ... am. That too, was safe to say. He understood why Isaac spoke of a Defining Moment, but not of the strange, incomplete God. He could not refer to it. So he did not speak of it.
Ranpo angrily flapped his wings through the morning sun, feeling the wind course through his feathers. He needed to think, and he did so best when flying. Aiden knew something, and he could not tell him, without getting physically harmed just in attempting to do so. And Ranpo could do nothing to help. He was, in the end, just a crow. A crow that could turn 2D, but in a world where people could juggle trucks and tank missiles with their face, there was nothing special about that. He landed on the roof of the apartment complex they lived in, grooming his feathers as he watched the sun rise. Around him, he heard the sounds of flapping wings. Ranpo angrily shook his head, Ill get you your damn grapes! One of the crows, one missing a leg and scarred in one eye, cawed, (You better you motherfucker!) The remaining crows cawed in agreement. (Yeah! We know where you live! We aint afraid to fuck shit up!) Ranpo let them caw, staying silent and still, until he finally asked. Is that all there is to your life? Just living? he cut, No greater purpose, just scrounging from one day to the next. Forgotten as easily as the dust you stand on? Why? I dont understand. What is the point of living a small life? Ranpo asked the crows, he asked Aiden, he asked the world, and most importantly, he asked himself. Why cant we be greater than this? The one-legged and one-eyed crow looked at him. (Can greatness be eaten?) Ranpo shook his head, No, of course not- The older crow cawed, (Then greatness is not what we need. Only what you want.) You arent getting my- Suddenly, something hard fell from the sky, bouncing off the hard concrete building between them, and rolled slowly to a stop, right where everyone could see it. It was a peanut. What the fuck? Ranpo asked as he, and every other crow looked up. Overhead, there was a massive cloud that covered the sun. The cloud was light brown, almost the same colour as a- Peanut. And peanuts fell from the sky. The crows around him cawed in celebration, before one-eye poked one and started directing them to shelter. A crow was too slow and got bonked on the head by a peanut, but was able to shake it off. Ranpo couldnt follow them, as peanuts suddenly began crashing down all around him, he panickedly dodged, spurting expletives as he jumped off the edge and flew past the myriad balconies of the apartment complex. The sound of peanuts rattling on the ground was deafening, as he finally sighted the balcony he was heading to. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Aiden was outside, tentacle arm holding a bucket over his head to catch the peanuts, as his free hand was already cracking open a shell to eat. AIDEN WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!? Ranpo yelled as he flew through the door and crashed, rolling into a heap as peanuts continued to fall. Its raining peanuts! Aiden yelled in response, the bucket above his head rattling with noise as it collected peanuts. WHY THE FUCK IS IT RAINING PEANUTS!? I dunno! Aiden in response, the extremely loud sound of peanuts almost drowning out his voice, Just happens from time to time! He held out a handful of peanuts towards him, Anyways! This is our breakfast now! Those things are edible? Of course, theyre peanuts, Aiden answered matter of factly. How are you so used to this! Aiden paused, frowning as he mentally inspected his mind, It seems like Bu was used to this, and I inherited his habits. I need to get some of those Bu memories, Ranpo muttered. Sometimes I feel like Im the only normal one. I am perfectly normal, said the transmigrator with a tattoo tentacle for an arm, collecting raining peanuts with a bucket for food. Want some? Sure, Ranpo sighed, grabbing a peanut with his beak. But what about getting to school? Ranpo asked, Im pretty sure your umbrellas arent built for peanut weather. Aiden nodded, They would get shredded in this weather. My normal umbrellas wont cut it. They looked outside, the shadow of the shattered moon was covered by the peanut cloud, and the frequency of the rain matched that of a downpour. Theyre all coming down in a linear direction right? Aiden asked. Unless gravity suddenly started to function differently, then yes, they are all falling to the ground. Aiden stepped back into the house, putting down his full bucket of peanuts, before taking out the deformed cleaver. He stepped out, and the peanuts stopped falling less than a metre away from his head. You said names were important didnt you? I didnt, but I understand why you would attribute such wisdom to me, Ranpo replied. Aiden spun the cleaver in his hand, In that case, Ill call this my Umbrella. For it was a safe haven from the rain. That is a terrible name, Ranpo remarked.
JunMoon: holy sht its raining pnuts! WrenWood: I dont have a peanut umbrella ( ; ; ) JunMoon: can dogs eat pnuts @Aiden1507 ? Aiden1507: Yes, dogs can eat peanuts safely, but they contain high levels of fat which the dog may have problems digesting, and isnt healthy in the long term. So dont let Fluffy eat too much. JunMoon: how much is too much? AspiringTubaSquire: PEANUTS! MY ONLY WEAKNESS! WrenWood: Josh are you ok? AspiringTubaSquire: The dastardly flying missiles struck my face! The peanut poison has entered my veins, I fear I only have seconds to live! AspiringTubaSquire: Oh wait, mom found my epipen. Aiden1507: How much did Fluffy eat already? JunMoon: she got to em too fast! I cldnt stop her chief! WrenWood: Is fluffy ok? (?`) Aiden1507: Tell me the number Jun. JunMoon: mre thn a handful Aiden1507 is typing WrenWood: (o o l|l)/ JunMoon: Will she live doc!? Aiden1507 is typing AspiringTubaSquire: The suspense is killing me! WrenWood: You sure it''s not the peanuts killing you? Hࣩ Aiden1507 is typing JunMoon: Type faster! WrenWood: Doesnt Aiden only have one hand? Sorry about them, please take your time (_ _) Aiden1507 is typing JunMoon: Fluffys life is on the line! Aiden1507: Almost certainly. Make sure she doesnt eat anymore, expect an upset stomach and some diarrhea and vomiting at the worst. Restrict nuts from her diet, especially processed ones, as they tend to have an unhealthy amount of sugar and sodium for a dog. The raw peanuts that are raining down right now are mostly fine, theyre still full of proteins, carbs and minerals, so it isnt that much to worry about. Still, dogs are facultative carnivores, and its likely shes gone over her limit for saturated farts. Aiden1507: Fats* WrenWood: Heh, farts. Hࣩ JunMoon: I am nvr gonna eat pnuts again! AspiringTubaSquire: I hear you sister! JunMoon: Actually, its bro now JunMoon: Wait JunMoon changed their nickname to SolJun SolJun: Better! DarKing: Ayyyy AspiringTubaSquires: The Bois! SolJun: THE BOIS! DarKing: THE BOISSSSS! WrenWood: Darius! (㨌)/ Are you on the way? DarKing: Trying to wake Luth up, if worse comes Ill just spend another can SolJun: Arent you restricted to only one summon per person every day? DarKing: That is why I am trying very hard to wake him up WrenWood: Ill wait for you guys (`)g SolJun: Well I met up with Aiden already, he said if you guys cant make it, then be late suckers! Aiden1507: That is not what I said. SolJun: I can personally vouch for the authenticity of my statement WrenWood: Aiden keeps adding full stops scary~~ (Φةc) AspiringTubaSquire: I shall soon be on the school grounds! Aiden1507: Be sure to arrive on time, the Principal General is patrolling the area. SolJun: Holy shit, did you hear there was a fight amongst the teachers last night?
They found their Visual Design teacher, Mr Grian, Mr, because Aiden refused to call him anything else out of habit and principle, feeling the wall as he walked. The walking cane they saw him use yesterday was nowhere to be found. What happened to your cane, teacher? Grian perked up towards the sound, one ear turning towards Jun, Ah, one of my students? Im afraid I dont recognise your voice. Its Jun. I see, fascinating. Well, what happened to my cane was that I broke it in a minor scuffle last night. You were in a fight, Grian? Jun asked. Can you even fight with your he gestured vaguely at the teachers pure black shades, before remembering he could not see at all. Your eyes. Ah, I used to, even had a pretty good power as well. What was it? Jun asked, curiosity peaking. Grian pulled down his shades, revealing milky white eyes with numerous scars running through them, Back in the day, whenever someone looked into my eyes, they would get trapped in a 2D painting. Unfortunately, after I got blinded it stopped working. The blind man shrugged, At least I got a decent pension out of it. Couldnt you have gotten it healed? Aiden asked, eyes narrowing. Grian shrugged, Not covered, it needs a specialist healer which they cant afford to use on grunts like me, all I got was a cushy retirement teaching kids. Then youll have to pay for healing out of your own pocket? Aiden continued. Grian nodded, Unfortunate truth of the military, our few healer metahumans are overworked to hell already, and commercial ones charge an arm and a leg, they end up forced to choose who to save and fix. Under his breath, he muttered, Even if we want to save everyone. Back to the fight, Jun said, who were you fighting? Grian shrugged, Some of the teachers had a minor disagreement, it was nothing. Though keep it quiet, I dont want people thinking the teaching faculty is fractured. They ended up helping Grian to his next class, before they parted ways to each of their own separate classes. By period two, the rumours of a fight between the teachers had spiralled to the point where people were claiming Demons were summoned and the Principal General had killed and eaten an entire kaiju. Why did he eat it? Because how else would you explain the lack of a kaiju corpse?
Period three, their homerooms first Self Defense class. Unlike their electives and other core subjects, where the homeroom was split depending on their timetable and subjects, Self Defense was the only class where 10B in its entirety was present and instructed to head to the gym. What they found at the gym was a grinning, athletic woman in sportswear. She appeared young, almost too young to be teaching the class, probably still in her early twenties. She cheerfully waved at them as they streamed in, already having changed into their gym clothes. Hello hello! the woman greeted, Im Trist Brake, your SD teacher, but please call me Trist, I dont wanna sound too old. Some waves back, as well as a few muttered greetings. Aiden, Jun and Darius were all in this class. He hadnt had a chance to really talk to the other students though, they kept to their own cliques. Now lets quickly get started. Tell me, do you think you are weak or strong? Group yourselves on my left if you think you are strong, right side if you think you are weak. A pause, Aiden slowly shuffled to the weak side, noticing Jun glancing at him with a disbelieving look on her face. Darius slapped his back, smiling as they both settled in the weak group. Undoubtedly the smaller group, there were only five total students including the two of them. Whereas the remaining fifteen went to the other group. Bout what I expected, Trist murmured. Well! Ill teach you all Rule One! She gestured to the strong group, Rule One: You are weaker than you think. She gestured to the weak group, Rule One: You are stronger than you think. One of the boys in the strong group frowned, Miss, with all due respect that doesnt make a lotta sense. Trist turned to him, head tilting slightly, Vince is it? Thats my name. Trist smiled, Right, get down and give me twenty push ups for talking back. Uh- what? She tsked in chiding way, Thats an extra ten pushups for hesitating. But- Another ten. Slowly, the boy called Vince got down, and started doing push ups. Took you a while, Trist said, I think I see the problem, none of you trust me enough to immediately follow through on an order. This is a problem, this is a big problem indeed. Must be a problem with my qualifications. She seemed to think, tapping her foot as Vince grunted in exertion. How about this! Since this is 10B, I assume most of you are kids from Geneline families, probably powerful ones if youre here in M.I.A. I bet youre your familys pride and joy. Of course some of us are, another boy interrupted. Trists head seemed to jerk to him, all the while that bright smile was unrelentingly plastered on her face. Youre Hyde correct? As anyone with half a brain should know, he replied smugly. And the person next to you, Jun is it? Ermyeah? Jun nervously answered. Jun, slap Hyde in the mouth for interrupting. Juns hand blurred, immediately slapping Hyde on the face with a smack that rang through the gym. Now, Hyde, get down and do twenty push ups for getting slapped. But you told her to slap me! Hyde pointed out, massaging his jaw. I did, she replied with her smile, and if I also told you to take it, then you would be getting a good job and a pat on the back. But you didnt dodge a hit flying straight for your face, that doesnt fly here, especially in a Defence course. Slowly, the boy named Hyde also got down to do push ups, though his eyes continued to stare angrily at the teacher. Now! As I was saying, it seems like you dont quite understand where you are. Ill explain for those of you that are a bit slow. This is the first year of the Senior Self Defence Course, you may expect some slight changes to your usual fare, for one, while you are under my care, I expect absolute obedience. You may ask why I am so strict? Well, that is because most of you are inexperienced idiots. You might have a few scuffles under your belt, but most of you dont yet understand the difference in a real battle. What happens when multiple combatants are driven to absolute desperation to stay alive for a single, measly second longer. Some of you might have lost, but few of you have truly lost. Even worse, some of you are also delusional enough to think what Im saying doesnt at all apply to you. That youre a true warrior in every way, so you start to believe what Im saying isnt worth your time. She clapped her hands, So let us address such concerns. Well establish right now, here and now, who the authority on what a true warrior is. By now, Vince had finished, breathing hard as he got into a sitting position. Well play a game, you only need to knock me down onto the ground once, you may use the full extent of your ability, every single trick you have available, you may come at me in any number, whether by yourself or with a group. But so long as I also knock you onto the ground, you are out. She smiled, Now, some of you might accuse me of bullying young students by abusing my position. To remove such fears, Ill give you some advantages. I wont use any Meta or Extended Techniques, since none of you know how to use one, Ill keep it fair. Some might also say having more combat experience is an unfair advantage, so Ill also tie one hand behind my back. And finally, Ill tell you my ability, she gestured wide, if you want to try me, step forward. A group of smarter people might wonder where her immense confidence came from. That their teacher, Trist Blake wouldnt make such an offer if she couldnt follow through on it. Unfortunately, as Aiden looked around, he remembered he was surrounded by teenagers. Very likely the lowest authority on intelligent decisions. Heck, he suspected half of them had been waiting for an excuse to sock a teacher in the face. So to their teachers widening smile, over half the class stepped forward. Then let me begin with the name, my ability is called Frame of Mind. Chapter 33 The Greatest Strength Part 1 Chapter 33 The Greatest Strength Part 1 Please sit down while I monologue my master plan for stealing the Royal Crown Jewels. - Megalovania, S-Class Super Villain. Trist Brake knew this scene. It had been played out in front of her countless times already. Students, knowing from the day they were born that they could access a power normal humans couldnt, that they were on some fundamental level intrinsically better than most of the population. Even if it were true, it was not exactly a healthy mindset to carry on into adulthood. Yesterday, the Principal General had to stop the attempted lynching of a student who was in this very class. The sheer audacity to even consider such an act. Most of the students here were a molotov mix of inherited power, arrogance, and coddling. Well, coddling was perhaps too harsh, Trist admitted. The fact their families were mostly Genelines naturally meant they had statistically more stable upbringings, unlike most who could lose their entire family overnight. She did not desire a society where children needed to fend for themselves, yet seeing the scores of arrogant teenagers pass her by, she couldnt help but feel resentful, while still hoping such a world would not come to pass. One thing her job as an educator required was to teach the taste of failure. When a child strolled through life, either due to talent, rich upbringing, or simply always having their wishes fulfilled, it left an incomplete person. A person so used to winning they didnt understand that sometimes they need to work hard towards a goal. To bite the bullet and pull themselves out of the mud, just so they would not fail when it really mattered. In this class, there were four- no, five students who understood the feeling of failure. From those that self-classified as weak, the boy with his right arm in a cast, Aiden, and the short girl with sleek black hair, Lutrin Aya. From the self-classified as strong, the girl with the oni mask, Jun, the freckled girl with brown pigtails, Judy, and the boy with a mop of red hair, Christian. Five of twenty, and only three of them were Manifested, two were from Genelines, this class was overachieving. Now, she held up an open palm, my power works by
A hand was raised right next to Aiden, coming from a lanky boy with tousled brown hair. Yes Sterling? Trist asked, putting down her own hand. Is it fine if I dont want to listen to it? he asked. The teacher grinned, Of course, anyone who doesnt wish to hear the specifics of my ability may go into the backroom, Ill call you once Im done. Sterling glanced towards one of the two girls in the weak group, a short girl with sleek black hair. He whispered in her ear, low enough Aiden barely caught it. Lutrin, she might be Revealing her Hand, me and Tusk are gonna wait. Without confirming if she heard that, he waved at a boy in the first group, and both boys entered the backroom, leaving the girl behind. Following half a step behind them was the boy called Vince, a pale girl he knew from roll calls was called Lilian, and the pigtailed girl named Judy whom Aiden recognised from his other classes. Thats cautious, Darius muttered beside him, though before Aiden could ask him to elaborate, Trist continued her explanation. Raising her palm, she said, My power works through my palms, by touching something with my palms, I can lock them in a Frame that is frozen in place. She took a ball out of a nearby basket, letting it lie in her palm before she spun it. And it froze in its movement, leaving nothing but a still, two-dimensional frame in her palm, with the ball in the middle, completely frozen. Its appearance reminded Aiden of a single frame from a movie reel. She took her hand away, letting the frame float in mid air, Once its frozen, its completely locked in space until I release it. The frame disappeared and the ball fell into Trists waiting hand, still spinning. She tossed it in the air a few times as she continued to talk. When an object is in its frame form, I can flip to previous or future frames of it, almost like an animation reel. She let the ball rest in her hand, before turning it to a frame. Touching the surface of the frame, she swiped to one side, much like someone would do with a phone, and the image of the ball changed, appearing to slowly spin as she flipped through the different frames. Trist released it, and the ball flew into the air, despite her not throwing it. Putting the ball away, she took out a piece of paper, their roll call, Through rewinding, I can also repair objects, though when I do so, I need to have the majority of the objects body. She ripped up the roll call, letting a few pieces of paper fall to the ground, before she turned the remainder in her hand into a frame. Flipping through it, they saw the motions of it being ripped go in reverse, until there was once again a whole paper. I can affect living things as well, though they remain fully conscious and aware when in a frame. I cant rewind or speed up a persons state of mind, though I can affect their body. The number of things I can lock in a frame is two, one for each hand. And if a hand has something already locked in a frame then I cant create a new one with that hand unless I release the previous one. It becomes more difficult for me to rewind or speed up things the further it is. My limit is about two days in either direction, and it takes more time and more Hume the further I go. Her limit was two, meaning that by offering to tie one of her hands, she was restricting half her ability, Aiden realised. Hah! I thought you had something strong but its just a trick- Hyde, get down and do fifty more pushups. Hyde paused mid-speech, before angrily getting down. Something in his eyes told Aiden he planned on fully using the opportunity to fight a teacher. Trist turned to the backroom door, Im done now! she yelled. The other students started streaming out of the backroom, and the teacher continued, Feel free to discuss this while I tie my hand behind my back. Afterwards, come at me in any order. Hearing the offer, the classroom broke into quiet chatter, groups already forming. Jun sped towards them, Howdyouthinkweshouldbeather? Slow down, Darius said, Im not participating, my ability isnt good for fights, and everyone else I know is in class. Aiden? Jun asked, rapidly turning to him. This seems like a dumb idea, he answered, watching the teacher walk back in with a length of rope. Dont get touched by her is the obvious plan, but it seems too simple. The teacher quickly tied her hand behind her back, then started doing some weird warm up exercises. Jumping in place, doing some acrobatics, posing in various ways and throwing out a few palm strikes into the air in every direction. I heard the boy called Sterling whisper something about Revealing her Hand, he began, glancing at the three man group of him, Lutrin Aya and Tusk. Oh that? Darius answered, Yeah, the teach mightve done it. What is it? Jun spoke, You know how I said Geneline kids have to add conditions and stuff to get their ability to work? Aiden nodded. You can just keep adding that stuff to keep powering up your ability, Jun said. Like you dont have to stop once you have super powers. Revealing your Hand is a common condition, Darius said, also nodding. Since conditions give more power the more difficult they are to fulfil or how detrimental they are to your purposes. Straight up telling an opponent what your ability is could power it up. Since almost everyone with half a brain cell understands it''s a complete loss on your part. Though most people dont have it as a required condition. More of an optional mid fight power up, Jun finished. Then what would not hearing it do? Aiden asked, glancing at the people who left, now interspersed amongst different groups. Because it needs you to tell them, Darius answered. The main two ways to stop this kind of power up is either not listening to it or knowing the power beforehand. Within the chatter, the few students that left had already gathered what her power was. Then why didnt everybody leave? he asked. Theres a chance she wasnt Revealing her Hand, just telling us normally, Darius answered. Theyre overconfident, Jun answered at the same time. That might be it as well, Darius conceded. Not might, Im right, she murmured, glancing behind her to the other groups. Aiden raised an eyebrow, One of these days I need to pick your brains for everything you know about this crazy stuff. Darius shrugged, Its not that crazy, Wren and I both require tools as mediums for our powers to work, and mine needs other people to know how it works for it to work. But back on topic, Jun said, how are we beating her? Aiden raised his hand and cast, Im not joining in on this stupidity, shes more experienced, probably isnt telling us everything about her power, and most importantly, I am not fighting a teacher. Boo, stupidgoodytwoshoes. Jun said, pulling an eyelid down at him, and also probably sticking out her tongue, though the mask made it difficult to see. Ill do thisalonethen, she said, glancing at the teacher, who was still doing her weird warmup exercises. She had tied her hand before doing those warmups, Aiden noted. Sheonlysaidwecanstartonceshes tied her hand right? Yeah? Jun grinned, and before he could stop her, she blurred. Aidens eyes could only just barely catch the flash that sped towards and behind the teacher. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. VICTORYGOESTOTHEFIRSTTHATSTRIKES! Jun had caught her completely unaware, Trist was still standing, her one hand was still stretched in the air, and Jun was behind her, crouching down to jab at the back of her legs. Jun froze, stuck in a 2D frame as a palm was placed directly on her face. For some reason, Trist was no longer standing and stretching, in a brief instant that surpassed Aidens perception and sight, a perception that had kept up with Jun, she had shifted position to be also crouching and touching Juns face with her one free hand. It had appeared as if she had instantaneously changed to that posture. I cannot agree with you more, Jun, Trist said. With a smooth motion, she spun behind Jun, leg sweeping the ground in a kick. In the instant before the kick made contact, Trist released the ability, sweeping Juns legs under her, knocking her slightly airborne. Jun fell to the ground with a grunt, unable to do anything, her eyes slowly freezing in shock as she realised. She was taken out in less than three seconds. In my experience, there are three types of enemies that give you despair, Trist began. Bricks, rampaging tanks that you can barely damage. Attackers who outrange you completely, or attack in a method that you cannot respond to. And finally the speedster, she said, offering a hand to pull Jun up, who could slit your throat in the time it takes you to blink. Jun took the hand, letting the other woman help her up. You will all learn countermeasures to such opponents, Trist finished. But that will happen later, for now, next.
Hyde confidently stepped up. Tall, blonde haired and handsome, only a few beads of sweat from his earlier exercise showed any evidence of imperfection. Ill show you what a real power is, he almost snarled. Go ahead, Trist answered, make my day. When his hands began to glow with golden light, Aiden began to suspect who he was. Then when he took off and started flying in the air, he knew for certain. The Glory family was almost the archetypical superhero, the ideal cape. A flying brick who shot energy blasts from their hands, there was almost no way you could go any simpler. Sure, there were power differences amongst every Glory, but in the end, all of their powers could be boiled down to that. Simple, powerful, effective. Hydes energy blasts manifested as paper thin streaks of light. Two of them fired at the same time, missing Trist by mere centimetres, leaving deep, smoking lines in the gym floor. Isnt the gym reinforced for metas? He managed to do that? Whispers sprung up within the students. Flying in the air, above all of them, Hyde spoke, Give up teacher, your power works by touch, and you cant get to me up here. Trist tilted her head, face appearing curious. Youre going to need to give a better argument than that. Another blade of light shot out, this time close enough to cut strands of Trists hair. The teacher did not flinch or blink. Ill throw a real one next! Trist assumed a runners starting position, Then do so, I did say you can use anything. Then dont blame me for this! he yelled, hands glowing as he fired. Trists athletic body shot off like a spring released, far slower than Jun, but still fast. Probably nearing the natural limit of the human body fast. Blades of light struck dangerously close right behind her as she ran, not towards Hyde, but the numerous monkey bars placed on the walls at the corner of the massive gym. Hyde saw it, then immediately fired at them. Slicing the bars off of their supports. Then had to immediately dodge a thrown metal bar. In that moment, he lost track of Trist, only the other students, watching the whole thing go on, saw where she moved. She leapt onto the side of the wall corner, then jumped off, landing on the other wall of the gym. Repeating this until she reached the railing of the second floor. Hyde noticed her then, following the eyes of the students, he saw her jump off the second floor and towards him. Mistake! he yelled, a blade of light slicing out. It would cut her in half, Aiden realised, and she couldnt dodge in midair. Then her pose shifted, suddenly she didnt appear to be falling in mid air, instead, she appeared crouched, and the blade of light passed under her, slicing dozens of gym equipment behind her, but completely missing Trist. Hyde froze in a frame as Trists hand clipped his foot. She fell to the ground rolling, before she sprang up with a flourish. Ill admit, you made me sweat a bit, but your dodging problem is still there. She seemed to examine the frozen frame floating in midair with disapproval, I see doing a few pushups made you sweat, well need to work on your physical abilities more as well. Aiden gaped. Most of the class gaped. Do you have a physique power Maam? someone called out. She glanced at him, Only a good exercise routine. After all, discounting your ability, you still have a physical body you need to keep in healthy shape. And looking at her toned muscles, Aiden believed her. Those were the results of real work. Now to get that idiot down A person stepped in, the boy called Sterling. Were next. The boy called Tusk, along with the girl called Lutrin Aya stepped up beside him. The latter seemed a bit nervous. Trist laughed, Oh, now youre finally thinking. Shes rewinding herself, Sterling said to his teammates. The hand she tied behind her back is getting used on herself, so that she can rewind to any of the postures and positions she had when doing those warm up exercises. I thought she said she wouldnt use that hand? Lutrin Aya nervously asked. I only said I would tie it behind my back. She can only have one thing locked in frame for each hand, Sterling glanced at the floating frame in the air, And until you knock him down onto the ground, Hyde is still in. Correct, Trist replied. Over Tusks body blue scales appeared, not like the tattoo like scales that Aiden had, but real, physical scales that burst through his skin and began overlapping his entire body. Meanwhile, the girl called Lutrin Aya just glanced between Sterling and the teacher nervously. The main threat for close range fighters like you two is getting frozen in a frame, Sterling continued, she cant do that without freeing Hyde, so you two are safe to engage up close. What about her other arm? Lutrin Aya asked. Ill keep it tied, Trist answered. Assume she can get into any position instantly, and that she can instantly hit anyone in a sphere around her, Sterling finished. Since it''s behind her, she can focus on changing herself rather than other people. Tusk started walking forward, armoured in blue scales, and Lutrin Aya followed, nervous and hesitating behind him. That is a very generous presumption you have, Trist said. Assuming your opponent wouldnt lie to you about the number of targets they can affect. Tusk paused for a step, and Lutrin Aya skidded to a halt behind him. Tusk looked back at Sterling. Continue, Sterling said, shes trying to psych us out, theres no reason for her to reveal a trump card like that. Are you sure? Trist asked, Maybe I thought that you would think that, and go after me even more recklessly than before. Lutrin Ayas eyes darted between the two of them, worry and anxiety clear on her face. Then well be extra careful. Do you really think you can match against a teacher with only care? This class only has a few powerhouses and I just took out two of them with barely a sweat. Do you think all three of you are a match for a speedster you can barely see, or a Glory? Dont listen to her, Sterling said, voice hesitating, shes buying time for something We need to attack now! The last bit came out with a fraction of desperation, though it was enough to spur Tusk to action. The boy rushed forward to meet Trist, fist flying. Trist tsked, then in the instant before the scaled fist met her, her body changed position, crouched with one leg outstretched, which she quickly transitioned into a- Someone yawned. A symbol appeared on Trists cheek. A circle with a triangle cut out, instantly, she flipped to another position, jumping back, the symbol still on her cheek. Aiden turned back to Sterling, who was yawning loudly, Darius did too, along with a number of students. The same symbols appeared on their cheeks. Aiden felt an urge to yawn, even though he wasnt tired, he drank a lot of coffee in the morning. Darius yawned though, and he instantly slumped to the ground, fast asleep. More yawns around him, the other students were dropping asleep as Tusk tried to land a blow on the slippery teacher. She kept rewinding herself, though the symbol on her cheek remained. Then she looked away from Tusk and Sterling. Aiden realised something and he quickly looked away from the still yawning Sterling. The trio positioned themselves in a way that allowed Trist sight of Sterling, and required her to look at him if she also wanted to see the other two. Only Tusk and Lutrin Aya, whose backs were facing Sterling, didn''t have the mark on their faces. Jun was about to look at Sterling but Aiden quickly stopped her, then crouched down to softly wake Darius, he groggily opened his eyes, the sleep wasnt supernatural it seemed, even if its cause was. The symbol was still on his cheek, feeling it, it seemed to be a physical thing, a bump in his very flesh. Trist was on the backfoot now, she was looking down on the ground, barely avoiding Tusk by guessing his movements from his feet, and Lutrin Aya was slowly closing in. Her hair had elongated into a smooth velvety thing, and a long, smooth furred tail that tapered off into a straight edge had grown from her backside. When someone observes me yawning, Sterling began, they will gain the symbol on any visible part of their body. This indicates they are Carriers. He was explaining his ability, Revealing his Hand. Carriers will become new vectors of my ability, they will feel the extreme urge to yawn, and once they do so theyll instantly fall asleep. Anyone who observes a Carrier yawning will also become a Carrier themselves, gaining the same effect, they will fall asleep when they yawn and spread the ability to any observers. This ability can be counteracted with stuff like coffee, or sheer willpower, but physical stimulation also works. Trist risked a look at the two approaching her, using the brief window where Sterling was explaining his ability. In that instant, she frame-shifted into a sweeping kick, knocking Tusk off balance. Aiden understood that no matter how tough his outside skin, his physical body and balance was still human. Lutrin Aya was different, however, she had a tail that slammed into the ground, keeping her balance as she bounced away. Sterling was walking closer to Trist now, though still keeping a good distance away. The symbol stays for a few minutes or until the Carrier falls asleep, whichever happens first. However, I have a secondary ability that takes effect in a twenty-five metre radius around me. I can only do it once per day, but it instantly forces anyone with the symbol to sleep, and activates upon- In that second, Jun grabbed Aiden, who still had the symbol on his cheek, dragging him away from Sterling. But Trist was too close, Sterling had gotten a good handle of her speed in the previous fight, she couldnt move out of range fast enough, he had won. -finishing my explanation of my ability. A pulse of Hume rang out of him, undetectable to anyone but a metahuman or advanced sensor, and the remaining symbols detonated. Only the few that had gotten far enough away from Sterling were unaffected. A few students fell to the ground, fast asleep. But Trist didnt. Sterling looked up, not believing his eyes. Trist was flying in mid air. No, flying was the wrong term. She appeared to crouch in a frame, be released and then jump, freezing mid jump and rewinding back to the moment she crouched, releasing and jumping up again, despite there being no ground to push off of. She did the same thing with the ball, Sterling realised. Even when she didnt throw it, the ball still flew in the air when all she did was rewind a few frames. That must mean that even though the targets spatial position doesnt rewind or go forward when frozen with her power, it kept the velocity state it had when released. That was what she was doing, looping back to the start of the same jumping motion that got her in the air for maybe a metre at most, freezing herself mid air to save her position, then looping back to jump up another metre. Looking at her uneven feet, she wasnt actually jumping off anything, but rewinding to the exact moment her feet left the ground, making the most of the increased upward velocity. And she was quick enough to get out of his circular radius. Trist fell on him, and Sterling tried one last yawn, but her hand grabbed his arm, twisting it behind him and forcing him to the ground. Lutrin Aya rushed in, but she was a were-otter. Not even some ferocious creature, but a meek and cute thing good only for fur scarves. Unlike Sterlings power, which was powerful under very narrow conditions, she was a generalist that was mediocre in every aspect. Dont attempt to use your one-shot ability unless you are absolutely sure it will hit, Trist said, almost chiding Sterling as he got up and watched the fight between her and Lutrin Aya. Trist was the superior hand to hand fighter, far better than they were. If discounting powers, she could brawl with everyone in the room and come out on top with no question. Without Sterling as cover, or Tusk to help, Lutrin Aya was soon knocked to the ground. Chapter 34 The Greatest Strength Part 2 Chapter 34 The Greatest Strength Part 2 See, on this slide is the bit where I defeat you with cunning and trickery, then the next slide is when I imprison you and have you watch this power point presentation of all my plans. - Megalovania, S-Class Super Villain. There was a small lull. Four students down, one frozen in mid air, only ten more left who wanted to try their hand at fighting a teacher. And a few of them seemed to be backing down. Only a few though. Right now our best bet is the rest of us all ganging up on her, Vince said. If we overwhelm her with different abilities, then its very likely she wont be able to keep up. That would need all of you to share your abilities though, Jun commented, quickly helping Aiden dust off some grime that had gathered in the moment she dragged him. Im not sharing anything, a girl called Ashley said. We dont have to, we just need to all gang up on her- For shame! a girl yelled, a girl named Lea, if Aiden recalled the roll calls correctly. Shes given us every advantage and youre still trying to make it unfair? A person put up his hands, stepping back, a tall boy with a mop of red hair called Christian, You guys have fun with that, I know I cant win anymore. Tick tock, Trist suddenly said, glancing at the frozen Hyde. You might want to come to a decision before I take him out officially. Lea stepped forward, Im next, and Ill do this alone. I challenge you, Trist Brake. Suddenly, both of them disappeared. A few exclamations of surprise were yelled, Aiden himself glanced rapidly around to find the two disappeared people. That girl has a teleportation type effect, Darius muttered. That or she can make two people invisible. Why would she do that though? She mustve brought Trist away, either to hide the full extent of her power or use a favourable environment- Darius could not finish, as both reappeared, now, Lea was face planted on the ground, clutching her hand. Good idea, but you didnt understand my ability enough for it to work, Trist chided, helping the girl up. Lea nodded, still clutching her hand, which looked bruised, slowly limping back to the crowd. Were next, Vince declared. Beside him was the pale skinned girl called Lilian, and a boy called Ejohar. Wait, Ashley stepped forward. Im joining you three. I thought you didnt want to reveal your ability? Lilian asked. I did, but we can win if mine goes off. I just need a few distractions, Ashley answered. Oh were distractions now? Ejohar asked. Youre entering as a four? Yeap! Ashley answered as she stepped forward. Are we sure about this? Ejohar asked. Vince shrugged, She cant be more harm than good. He then glanced at Lilian, who shrugged as she reached into her school bag, and pulled out a blood bag. It was shaped almost like a plastic jelly pack, with a mouthpiece that allowed for drinking. She drank the small bag of blood, drinking it dry before she put it away. Gah, stale blood. Ejohar and Ashley spread out in opposite directions, both circling the teacher at a distance. The former was irritated at the other doing the same thing, but didnt comment. Meanwhile, four floating dice appeared next to Ashley, changing in position as if slowly counting down. Both Vince and Lilian stepped forward. Both of the big name families huh? Trist said, Unlike the others, you along with Hyde dont have the safety of anonymity, your families are well known enough I have a general idea on what your abilities are. That is why we have a reputation to uphold, Vince answered, before he raised his right arm up, looking at the watch on his wrist. Lilian stepped forward, and burst into a massive colony of bats. The sudden flutter of bat wings was deafening as they spread out all across the room, yet Aiden still heard something, a click, then a slow ticking as Vince stepped forward. Vince rushed Trist, and she dodged to the side, moving to counter the blow Vince was throwing- One second. And she was kicked over by a leg that had passed through her blindspot. Trist instantly framshifted, getting back into a standing position, but every move she did, it was as if Vince expected it. Predicted it. Two seconds. Vince was fighting as if he were perfection incarnate, zero wasted movement, flawless predictions of all of Trists moves, smoothly transitioning from attack to attack. For the first time, the teacher was forced on the defensive in a purely hand to hand fight. Lilians bats had spread out into a ring encompassing the two, whenever Trist tried to jump away, they gathered and pushed her back, the combined strength of hundreds of bats enough to keep her within this ring. Outside of that ring, Ejohar finished circling around the battle. Everywhere he stepped, he left behind a glowing footprint, creating a ring of shimmering golden footprints. Aiden realised their strategy, Lilian formed the first ring, the bats pushing Trist back into direct combat with Vince, who seemed to be completely outclassing her in hand to hand, even displaying no blatantly supernatural ability. While Ejohar formed the second defensive circle, all to keep Trist trapped in a direct fight with Vince. Three seconds. Suddenly, Trist frame shifted again, and Vince, for the first time, paused in his smooth dance of combat. You can see the future? he asked over the deafening sound of bats. Four seconds. Suddenly, they were evenly matched. Vince still moved nigh perfectly, but it seemed like he couldnt predict Trists movements anymore, leaving them both trading and countering blows with equal measure. Vince moving supernaturally perfectly and Trists wealth of battle experience, in addition to her ability to instantly change her own posture and position. Five seconds. Lilian! You have to take this! Vince yelled, loud enough to be heard by everyone over the beating of bat wings. Six seconds. The watch on his hand sounded as the timer was up, Vince tried another punch, but Aiden could see the difference. It was a good punch, but it was clumsy compared to his earlier perfection. The difference between a baby and an adult. Trist easily locked the outstretched arm, sweeping Vince off balance and letting him fall as Lilian coalesced from the bats and swung at her. Lilians pale body seemed supernaturally fast, But she was not as fast as Jun. Lilian was frozen, and Aiden rushed to turn to where Hyde was. He was falling, while his previous position was standing in midair, right now he was in a push up position. A position where he was not flying. As Hyde fell to the ground with an oomph, Aiden realised Trist never said she needed to be touching a frame to rewind it. Ejohar rushed Trist before she could knock the Lilian frame down, but Aiden was beginning to see the problem. None of them were hand-to-hand combatants on the same level as Trist. Even with a hand tied behind her back, she easily sidestepped Ejohars clumsy right hook, backhanding his neck and knocking him forward. But moments before he lost balance and touched the ground, Ejohar disappeared, Aidens eyes quickly found him again, and this time Ejohar was actively teleporting around the gym. Disappearing and reappearing exactly on top of where he left those glowing footprints. It was a mistake, because in that second, Trist did the same frame release attack she did on Jun. Releasing Lilian the instant before her sweep made contact, knocking her onto the ground. At that moment, the final die floating beside Ashley fell to one. Your Turn to Roll. In that single instant, Ashley disappeared. Instantly reappearing mid punch right beside the teacher, Trists nose broke from the blow as she staggered back. It was the first good blow anyone had yet landed on the teacher. Time stopper, Aiden heard Trist say through gritted teeth. But the dice were back on countdown and in that instant Trist recovered, her ability rewinding her to before she was punched, and Ashley went down before her dice could count down another second. Now Ejoharall was all that was left. Maybe he hoped he could get a lucky shot in, but he wasnt able to, and all Trist needed was a single touch to instantly lock him in place. Ejohar couldnt knock her down either, in the rare occasions where the teacher was knocked down, she quickly recovered through frame shifting, and Ejohar simply didnt have the power or skill to do so. So it was simply a matter of time. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. But something else happened, Hyde, still on the ground angrily raised a glowing fist at the back of the teacher, Aiden began taking a step towards- Vince stepped in front of the downed Glory, glaring at him with wrath in his eyes. The light dissipated from his hand, as Hyde spat on the ground and pulled himself up. Ejohar soon fell. You guys relied too much on Vince as the crutch of your plan, Trist explained, Vince, Ashley, and Sterling, all three of you relied on your ability to win you the fight, but did you consider what would happen if it failed? She pulled Ejohar back up to his feet, And Lilian and Ejohar, you two did your job, and did it well enough. I know your main fear was me escaping where Vince couldnt reach me for his checkmate to finish me off in time, but the moment his ability failed, you shouldve rushed me and tried to salvage the situation. We can discuss the results later, but until then, is there anyone else? The remainder fell back, despite knowing more about what the teacher was capable of, all that knowledge accomplished was making them realise how out of their league they were. All except one. Ill have a go, Ms, the girl with pigtails, Judy, said. But I just want to test myself against a real opponent. Trist grinned, and this time it seemed genuine. A hand raised, Sterling, Can I have a retry as well Ms? Another hand raised, Me as well! Trist laughed, Youve all had your turn today! Wait till next time, for now, I presume this is our last match? The few students who didnt step up nodded in unison. And dont call me Ms, I told you it makes me sound old. And dont talk until I call your hand! Yes maam. Next time you do that youll be doing pushups, so make sure to remember, she said as Judy stepped up. Can I use a weapon? Judy asked. Sure. Aiden blinked, along with a bunch of other students. That was an option? Judy went to the gym equipment room, coming out with a large, padded bo staff. Walking towards Trist, she began speaking. My ability is a Geneline one, it doesnt have an official Name like yours do, but Im aiming for See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil or Three Wise Monkeys. What it does is that the first three times I hit an opponent, I first seal away their sight, then hearing, and finally speech, in that order. She twirled her bo staff, It works through weapons as well, which is why I have this. It only works on one target at a time, and I need to deactivate it on the previous target to affect someone else. Aiden felt something imperceptible slot into place, suddenly, Judy seemed much more noticeable. As if she suddenly became more. A classic and proper Hand Reveal, Trist nodded. But pure Hume does nothing for physical strength and skill, if you cant hit me with your ability then that Hume is wasted. Aiden understood what Jun meant by a mid fight power up now. Whereas Sterling had used his Hand Reveal as a condition to activate his secondary ability, Judy got pure Hume to spend however she wanted. Judy began circling Trist, who patiently stood there and waited for her to come. Seeing the teacher waiting for her, Judy became the attacker, rushing in with her staff pointed like a spear. Then she swung. Trist easily ducked, not even frame shifting as the staff was swung over head. But then something unexpected happened. A mechanical cymbal monkey appeared right in front of her. Loudly clapping its cymbals. And Judy dropped her staff mid swing, rushing forward to deliver a palm strike. Trist frame shifted out of the palm strike, landing an elbow strike onto Judys outstretched arm and knocking her down. A sigh went through the class, somehow, they thought she mightve been able to take her down, being the last to come up. But Aiden had noticed something. He wasnt sure if anyone else had noticed it, but judging by his body language, Vince might have suspected. Aiden was already good at sensing blows, watching the human body move as it fought, and after the fight with Johnjohnjohnjohn, hed been constantly enhancing at least two of his senses. It gave him weird looking ears, but it honestly wasnt that odd compared to kids like Tusk and the sparse scales on his body, or Lutrin Aya with her unnaturally smooth looking hair. That final palm strike Judy attempted, it was exactly the same as the ones Trist had been throwing out this entire time. Not a practiced copy, but exactly the same, down to the way her skin and muscles contorted. And he heard Trist say something as she helped Judy up, low enough the rest of the class couldnt hear. Jesus kid, how many abilities do you have? Judy nervously laughed, and answered, Three.
So, Trist began, looking at the class before her. Why did all of you lose? A hand raised. Ejohar? Because youre better than us. Trist nodded, Obviously, but where am I better? Sterling raised his hand, and she nodded towards him. Your power is better. Is that it though? Trist asked with her head slightly tilted. Tell me, if I suddenly swapped powers with someone in this class, do you still think I would be able to beat all of you? The students glanced around at each other, all mentally calculating, If she had mine, or someone elses power, would I still be able to beat her? No one could answer that question with absolute certainty, though many hesitantly shook their heads. No, I dont think I can, was the general consensus. If thats not it, then whats the other difference between you and I? Aiden raised his one hand. Aiden? Whats your answer? You are more adept at martial arts, youve weaved your ability into your fighting style, and you are also probably physically fitter than everyone in this class. Trist clapped her hands, Thats it! Well, now that you know that, I want you all to put that as your goal before you graduate, she said. This is the minimum you need to achieve if you want to be useful for your four-year term. A lot of you dont have physique or brick powers, meaning you''re still a squishy human meat bag. You might not be able to change that, but you can at least be a muscled human meat bag who knows eighty-seven different ways to break an elbow with a pen. And for those of you with physique or brick powers, I want you to be able to train your physical limits to its max. Being able to surpass human limits doesnt mean you dont need to train, only that your limits are higher up somewhere else for you to find. I know this will not apply to all students, she continued. Some powers do have the unfortunate detriment of limiting your natural physical ability, but I dont believe any of you are one of them. If I am mistaken, feel free to consult me personally. But other than that, you will also need to learn to analyse powers, she once again raised her palm. All the feats I demonstrated today couldve been predicted and seen through from my explanation of my power. Yet most of you were all surprised when I pulled out a new trick. You need to develop the skills to figure out all the possible applications of a power from the barest information. That way, you can not only predict opponent capabilities and better strategise around it, but discover new ways to apply your own. She put her hands on her hips, To do all that, I expect respect. When in class, raise your hands and wait for me to get to you before talking. If I ask you to get down and do push ups you should be getting down before I finish my sentence. Am I clear? Nods all around. Good, then everyone get up and start running laps. They froze. Chop chop, Trist said, I will hold this class back for lunch if you tarry. Aiden raised his hand. Yes Aiden? How fast should I run? She smiled, Fast enough to be panting by the end of the period. He nodded, and started running. The rest of the class followed after him with only a bit of hesitation. Aiden understood the difference, and he was sure everyone else was beginning to grasp it as well. By the standards of his old world, the class and the general population were fit and healthy well above the norm, enough to qualify as major gym rats. But Trist Brake was an Olympic Gold Medalist. While she was holding back. That was what he needed to reach. He did enjoy concrete goals.
Earlier I asked you all to classify yourself as either weak or strong, Trist said, circling the exhausted and panting students. Tell me, why did you make the decision that you did? Sterling raised his hand, Yes, Sterling? Because my ability has narrow use cases, it can be easily resisted if the opponent knows what it is, and I often need people to cover me? Trist nodded, Good answer, what about you Lutrin Aya? The girl froze, stuttering as she slowly answered, Because um Im an otter. Youre a physique package who could probably outswim everyone here underwater, you can become practically immune to hypothermia and you have an extra limb, Trist answered. Tell me, did you self classify as weak because these traits are useless or because you think these traits are useless? Not to mention otters are some of the most horrific monsters in the animal kingdom, Aiden silently thought. Lutrin Aya nervously looked away. Vince, why did you think you were strong? Vince put down his hand, Because with my power, I can face anyone and defeat them in six seconds. Then why was it your ass that fell to the ground? You had an application of your power which countered mine. And did you consider that possibility when constructing your plan? Vince shook his head, No mam. Hyde, what about you? Why do you consider yourself strong? Because my ability is strong, Hyde answered. It is, Trist easily agreed, however you were overconfident when facing me. You failed to keep track of where I am, or consider how a landlocked person might be able to reach you through the environment. Your ability is strong, but it isnt omnipotent. Why didn''t you fly up to me? Hyde asked, I saw you do it with the sleep idiot. Sterling shot a dirty look at him. Because if I flew up to you, you would just say my ability matched yours, Trist answered. That isnt the lesson you need to learn, but that a well fit and well trained human with a special trick or two can take you down. You had to use it to dodge my last attack, he shot. Even if that bisected me in half, do you know how long a human brain can continue to function after something like that? she asked. If someone were truly determined to take you down, they would grab onto your foot and unleash their attack while their lower half crashed to the ground. She looked over all of them, All of you have to realise there are no absolutes in this world. Nothing is truly impossible to accomplish. No one is truly invincible. There is a decent chance that out there in the wider multiverse, there is an ability that is the perfect counter to yours. That no matter how strong you are, how much Hume you have, will completely defeat you. The first semester of your Senior Self Defense course will focus on rounding you out. Figure out your weaknesses and create ways to mitigate them, figure out your strengths and create ways to consistently apply them. The best way to do this is to constantly train and experience a variety of different situations, abilities and enemies. As such, the passing requirement for this class is defeating at least five of your peers or teachers in spars like we just had. There was a collective pause, as everyone considered the people around them. Before you ask, these dont have to be one on one encounters. And another collective pause, as suddenly the options increased. These obviously cant be unregulated brawls, youll need me and another teacher as supervision, and you cant go for maiming or killing shots. You are however encouraged to try and face as large a variety of different students as possible, so you may team up with or face students from other classes, so long as theyre within your year level. A hand rose, Grenda? Whats stopping some of us from gathering into groups of ten or so, and ganging up on a single person? I am, Trist answered. You can choose to outnumber the opponent, who will also have a good learning experience facing multiple enemies, but I wont allow any extremes, anyone who fights needs to present me with a good reason, and all parties need to agree to spar. Aiden paused, catching the strange phrasing. He raised a hand. Yes Aiden? By all parties, do you mean that there can be more than two groups in any spar? Trist nodded, Yes. She looked around at all of them, To be clear, that you shouldnt see this as a checklist you need to mark off to pass, she continued, but as a learning opportunity to acclimate yourself with a variety of situations. I wont allow you to choose five people you perfectly counter for your spars, or taking only a single fight against five people, or forming a singular group for all of your fights. Anyone who uses this chance to its full potential will receive full marks, after all, five victories is only for passing. Any questions? A few hands were raised, and Trist answered them, mostly the same questions she had every year, before finally the bell rang. Chapter 35 The Greatest Strength Part 3 Chapter 35 The Greatest Strength Part 3 And this is the part where my second in command betrays me, after very little prompting from you of course. If that fails, I also have a tortured beast in a cage which you can free and will inevitably attack me. - Megalovania, S-Class Super Villain. This class was better than expected. No one overtly psychotic from her observations, which already made them miles ahead of some of the other classes shes taught. Even Hyde, who almost tried to shoot her in the back, backed down when the Zenin stepped in. This class had good heads on their shoulders, even the Manifestation students didnt seem to have any extreme personalities other than some minor bravado. So she was slightly surprised when a student stayed back, waiting until everyone else had left, he approached her. Aiden gave her a strange vibe. Not that of a child old beyond his years, but perhaps more accurately like an old man in a younger body. She was like that as well, as she was actually eighty-three, though her job required her to be in her physical prime, and constant use of rewinding left it that way. He was initially flagged as someone she needed to pay attention to, as several months ago he attempted to join the Guard, but was rejected when tests showed depressive and suicidal tendencies. Now? After Manifesting from those tendencies, those same people would likely welcome him with open arms. Ms Brake? he began. I told you to call me Trist, she answered. What do you need? I wish to learn more about Meta and Extended Techniques, he answered, I am aware it is generally considered too dangerous for Geneline students, but Ive been told Manifested students are different. I was wondering if there was an advanced class I could take, or if there are extra curricular activities. Trist paused, and really looked at him. Calm, black eyes, almost hawk like, yet she could tell, that was the eyes of someone desperate for something. Remembering what happened yesterday, the decisions the school faculty had agreed upon.
We can''t seriously be considering this! Grian yelled, tapping his walking cane in agitation. Another teacher, Tang Rou, paced around the room, an umbrella fastened to her belt. Calm down Grian. I dont like this either, but if we dont follow these orders, the repercussions could be- There arent any orders, Raj quietly said, the man sitting on a comfy plush couch, his leg bouncing up and down in agitation. It was a suggestion to speed up our education, the only explicit order was to the Principal General, telling him to remain here at the school. So whether we actually implement these suggestions is entirely up to us, Trist deduced. What of Dr Olivers thoughts? an elderly teacher, a bit older than Trist, William Afton asked. Oliver poked his head out of Rajs mouth for a moment, Apologies for not speaking, Im trying to calm down for the moment, but I am against it. Then before we jump to conclusions, let us wait for the other teachers, Afton said, where are the rest of us? The Principal General, Ms Taylor, Sister Savage, Mister Monday, Four or Foxy? Wendall is finishing a chore underground and will be with us shortly, Raj replied, Taylor is currently in the middle of a court trial against the Necron Overlord she arrested, so she wont be around for a while. Sister Savage is consecrating the mass graves of the Necrada zombies, and Mister Monday is- They all felt it, the sudden shift in reality, as everything felt more wrong. Speak of the devil. The lights of the room started to flicker, as in came Mister Monday. He was a large, hunched individual with a long ragged brown cloak that covered his entire body, hiding it, but it was clear, whatever was underneath wasnt in the shape of a human. He didnt walk, but his cloak dragged behind him in a long tail, and as he moved there was the sound of skittering, like hundreds of insect legs tapping the ground in a chaotic symphony. His face was obscured by a perfectly circular iron mask, carved crudely into the shape of a face. I am here, Mister Monday said, his voice odd, as if screamed from a dozen tiny voices. The man didnt bother sitting, instead standing in an empty spot. Soon after, two others came into the room. What is that? Isaac asked, Foxy following behind him. ?????? As she says, Mister Monday answered, I am the Diabolism teacher. Isaac paused, Mister Monday then? I believe this is the first time weve met. It is, Isaac. Isaac? Tang Rou asked, You became a teacher? Indeed, Four answered, following behind them, hes the new Meta Techniques teacher. I was just catching him up with the duties required. Worst employment decision Ive ever made, he muttered. Probably shouldve stuck to gadgeteering, theres still decent money in it, Tang Rou remarked. I spend it all too quickly trying new projects, Isaac lamented, My power isnt budget conscious at all. Tang Rou nodded sympathetically, Im glad I made it out of that phase quickly. May we return to the subject at hand? Mister Monday asked, glancing at Raj. The nurse sighed, Weve received a report that Hell will mobilize for another attack within the next five to thirty years, our Rus allies have also suffered major losses in recent Demon encounters, as such, we were given the suggestion to speed up student training, so that we may have more soldiers in reserve to rebuff such an attack. Suddenly, the staff microwave burst into flame, the TV projector lit up and began showing blind static. They come again, Mister Monday said, and his voice was the sound of ice thaw and desperate screams in the blinding tundra. We have met them on every field with steel, flame and pact. It shall be so again. Calm down Monday, Tang Rou said, I dont want to fix anything more than the microwave and TV. Apologies. I am against this, Grian spoke frankly, the blind teacher stabbing his cane down. All this does is leave poorly trained soldiers in one of the worst meat grinders in the world. I am curious about this as well, Afton said, historically speaking a country employing younger and younger conscripts is a sign of desperation. It is, but not in the way you think, Tang Rou answered, rubbing her forehead, the devils dont use any fancy tactics. They just keep throwing more and more bodies until the walls start buckling. Theyve always done this during a direct attack. What we need arent a few soldiers who can execute masterful strategies and tactics, but the numbers to hold a thousand different defense lines. They dont need to do anything other than to hold a line and survive the worst of it. Against Devils, quantity matters more. The true threat are Demons, Mister Monday said, Those will perform strategic strikes and break our leadership, we need Diabolists or elite units to match them. Doing this will stunt or slow some growth, prevent the next generation of our students, but we have to hope they are already good enough. Either way, war against Hell is a horrific loss, Oliver spoke again. Both in resources and the loss of life. Afton nodded, I am curious, I am aware of expeditions into Hell before, but none have been successful in sealing the Gate. The Gate is too big, Trist answered, it requires hundreds of trained metahumans working in unison, all the while needing a significant force to defend them against Demon attacks. If a single one of the formation is slain, the entire attempt will fail. And of an invasion into Hell? Unfeasible, Mister Monday answered, You cannot feel it, it is a sensation metahumans cannot comprehend, for you are too resistant. Normal humans can survive in Hell, but you do not understand the taste of ashes in your mouth, the feeling of a world revolting against you. To fight for every breath you take and every step you walk. Monday, youre the resident Diabolist, whats your opinion on this? Trist asked. The faculty fridges alarm began to shriek, as the sorcerers infected body began to leak. We dont allow them a single extra step into our world. And of our action? Conflicted, he answered, voice screeching like nails on a blackboard. I have paid many costs, I know the risks of sending Diabolists like me. But the lives of a few are worth it for the sanctity of the world. How many Demons have you banished? Isaac asked. The air turned heavy, as everyone turned to him. Seven and One, Mister Monday said. I was taught the Name of the first Demon, back when I still had the form of man, then I banished the other Seven, before I was sent here to be imprisoned. Imprisonment despite the fact he didnt do anything wrong. Yet none denied this, for Mister Monday was taught one demon and banished seven others. Which meant he knew the Names of Seven and One Demons. I have been useful in my time, Mister Monday said, To not be put down like a diseased dog is better than my kind deserves. Is that why youve never taken a student? Isaac asked. Hed seen pictures of Mister Monday before he was this. A sun tanned man with a bright smile, that reminded you of the look of a lumberjack, despite the fact he had worked in retail before. It is a joke position, meant for a retirement amongst people capable of killing me quickly. If ever I turn, I hope your blade will swiftly find its mark on me, Mister Monday answered, whatever emotion in his voice, lost in its cacophony. And I have found none of the qualifications necessary for a good Diabolist amongst these students. Despite my joke position, I hope my voice has sway. The Hells must not spread its roots any further. ?? You agree with him as well, Foxy? Isaac asked. He sighed, taking a seat next to Grian, I apologise, but I was there the last time they sent kids to a meat grinder, I cant agree to this. Grian nodded solemnly beside him. I wish to abstain, Afton sighed, this is a trolley problem, in which all answers are incorrect. I too abstain, Four said, all three heads nodding in unison. We are against, Raj said, always have been. Same here, Trist murmured. Weve paid worse costs, Tang Rou said. And any reinforcements we send only really need to hold till winter, even devils and demons cannot beat a Russan winter. Wheres the we in this? Grian asked, his blind eyes turning to where Tang Rou was. Most of us will still be sitting pretty back here. Half of them will die, or get injured so severely they end up abandoned in a hole somewhere. Tang Rou sighed, I see what this is about. Grian, injuries happen in war, it happened to you and you were sent here, get over it. Grians grip on his walking cane tightened, I knew what I signed up for, I know what kind of bloodshed happens far away from peaceful cities like these. But can you tell me with honesty, that every single kid in this school doesnt believe being a soldier is a blessed and unproblematic patriotic duty? This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I cant but- Grian clicked his tongue. At that moment, he disappeared. Everyone tensed, Tang Rou grabbed the umbrella on her belt, eyes darting around, before she saw the shadow. She drew her umbrella, breaking the cane that was about to smash into her face. But it was just a sheathe. Behind her stood Grian Gry, in his hand he held the handle of his cane, ending in a long, colourful blade. It appeared as if cut from an oil painting, yet it constantly changed, from one moment, it painted a grand frozen peak, the next, a willow forest. The shattered cane sheath fell between them. I see you still have the Monody, Tang Rou said. And you still have the habit of fighting with your umbrella, Grian said, couldnt have had a better contriving theme? I am a gadgeteer! Tang Rou yelled as the umbrella opened, revealing on its face the symbol of the Eight Trigrams. ˱ɡ! Grian clicked his tongue, and disappeared once again. It was true that Grian had once lost his ability. Before, all those who saw his eyes were sealed away as paintings, locked away until he released the ability. But when his eyes were blinded, he lost it, he was no longer able to create more paintings, only release the ones he had left. When this happened he had despaired, kept alive against his wishes because he had sealed away some truly horrific things in his day, and his death could release them all. Then one day, he had an idea. In his mind, he remembered and he painted. He remembered the face he saw in the mirror for over twenty years. He painted the shape of his eye, every single vein, the colour of it, all the tiny imperfections. He spent years recalling that memory, painting every tiny detail he had forgotten, until he could see it with perfect clarity. Until he could see his Minds Eye. Tang Rou saw the painting of Grian behind her, slamming her umbrella back, she yelled, ! The shaft of the umbrella swiftly shortened, till she was holding on the hooked handle like a shield. Grian became 3D again as he swung the painted blade, the spherical forcefield Tang Rous weapon created coming up just in time to- -be cleanly sliced through. Tang Rou jumped back, avoiding the blade just inches from slicing her arm, Who gave a portal cutter to a blind man! She glanced around, at the other teachers beginning to use their abilities, Mister Monday had an owl devil made purely of bones perched on his shoulder, Foxy opened her mouth, water was spilling all around them as Oliver willed his ability. If this came down to a brawl, the most dangerous were Mister Monday, Raj and Oliver, then Foxy, in that order. Mister Monday could nuke the city in the breath of a speech, Oliver could have them all eviscerated with a puddle of water, while Foxy could command them all slit their throats- Her vision branched into five, the sudden disorientation forcing her to her knees. Trist slowly pulled away her hand, moments from touching Tang Rou, instead looking at Four, who had all three of his skulls filled with a brain. Banach Tarski Paradox, Four said with three voices. Grian paused as a hand was gently, but firmly placed on his shoulder. Suddenly, every metahumans attention was on the gadgeteer, as the blade in Grians hand began to dim and slow in its constantly changing landscape. Grian clicked his tongue. Nothing happened. You are a Savant, Grian breathed. The blind teacher shook his head, slowly breathing out, letting the rage subside. Sorry, Grian said, I wont attack again, can you stop Isaac? This blade is all that remains of a dear friend. He lowered it, feeling the dimming of the remnant ability inside. I dont want to lose them again. Isaac let go of his hand, letting Grian slumped into a chair, the painted blade slowly brightening again. Tang Rous five visions slammed back into one as Four ceased his ability on her. You called me a fucking contriver! Thats your problem? Isaac asked. Mister Monday looked at them, at the teachers room that now had several new cuts in it. Halas, he said, banishing the owl devil on his shoulder. Foxy let out a sigh of relief. Attempting to use her ability on so many veteran metahumans wouldve been dangerous. Afton poked his head out from under the table, the one non-combatant here. They sat down, stewing in silence, for they could already hear the loud stomps that shook the very school ground. WHAT IN TARNATION IS HAPPENING HERE! Wendell Richard Monger yelled as he slammed open the door. We had an argument, Grian said, his voice tired, I attacked Mrs Tang in anger and almost severely injured her. I accept any punishment. Hey! Tang Rou said, I may be getting old but not old enough a blind man can sneak one up on me. The real problem is that he slandered me by calling me a contriver! Seriously, thats your problem? Isaac said again. I am a gadgeteer! ALL OF YOU SHUT UP! Monger yelled. He turned to Raj, ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH!? Raj sighed, They are, we were arguing over whether or not to implement the suggestions Command sent us. Monger seemed to slump, as he found a seat to sit down in. It does not matter what our response is, he said. No longer sat there was the powerful man, larger than life itself, right now, he just appeared tired. What do you mean? Trist asked. This does not leave this room, Monger said, his eyes hardening, Are you aware of Koscheis Law? That insane theorem? Afton said, The one that says the old forms of war between humans are no longer feasible, because the more you traumatise the opponent, the greater abilities theyll Manifest, thus any conflict between humans must be a harmless proxy war or a swift and complete genocide to the last man, woman and child? That is the intention of this, he quietly said. What do you- Many of our abilities do not scale up well to large scale and macro warfare, Monger said. Trist, despite being a superior combatant, in the army you would likely be relegated as a guerrilla or a field medic- Despite my lack of qualifications, she said. -while Raj and Oliver, the actual doctors here would be sent to directly face the enemy, he said. Because our individual qualifications do not matter much compared to our abilities, Raj said. Indeed, Monger said. In a direct fight, Trist would likely be able to defeat the both of you, but your abilities work better at a larger scale, so you would be the ones sent to the front lines. Where are you getting with this? Afton asked. Four shook his heads, He means that the large portion of abilities do not hold much use in a macro war, they hold value as smaller elite units, sure, but even if I could disable all of you with a thought, in an army, I would be spent duplicating supplies instead of sent off to fight any actual battles. This applies to many of our students, Monger said. The only ones directly fighting are the ones who can replace something like an artillery company, an actual function of the army, and those are the types we lack the most. We know this, Tang Rou said. Thats why Im here instead of in an engineering core, my gadgeteering hyper focuses on improving my umbrella. Hes saying that war against Hell is the perfect breeding ground for powerful Manifestations, Dr Oliver Oliver quietly uttered. And the room turned deathly silent. There is a part of Koscheis Law that was never published, Monger continued, It said that an army with over 70% casualties can still function at full strength because any war or encounter that would cause such casualties would cause a large portion of the remaining 30% to trigger abilities that replaced the armys lost function. In my observations, this is largely true. Manifestations are reactive, based on extreme stimuli, Four said, rubbing the brow of his leftmost head, when Hell first opened, there was a disproportionately large number of Manifestations that focused purely on large scale annihilation, survival and fighting power. The situation was so extreme that it scarred the Manifesteds psyche enough to create specific counters against the endless hordes of devils. The rain Demon that killed AC/DC was also completely countered by a girl who was traumatised by it. That is why they dont plan on sending me, Monger said, because they dont want to risk their strongest assets, but also want to gain new ones. The purpose of this isnt just containment, but bloodying our armies for future conflicts. Grian stomped off his chair, walking towards the exit. Where are you going, Lieutenant? Monger quietly said. Are you fucking listening to yourself! Grian yelled, I thought it was bad already, but I accepted it, Dawn does not fail, people get to live in peace, in exchange we pretend some criminals dont exist, and we have a fucking mole as a student guidance counsellor, I accepted that there were certain evils we look away from! Monger stood up, I will stop you. Koscheis Law applies, Four sighed, also standing up, we all know what happened in the Middle East. We dont root out this countrys evils because a civil war of that scale, with the loss of life on both sides not even counting external threats, the Manifestations it could cause would ruin us utterly. It could create an ability that was born for a singular purpose, the extermination of mankind, or at least, a significant part of it. That cannot be allowed to happen, not again. Grian raised Monody. You will die in the attempt Lieutenant, Principal General Wendall Richard Monger said. Then I died a good death. Grian, please, Isaac begged, you said that blade is the last remnant of a friend, if you died, who would carry their memory? The hand wavered. Before Grian slammed his fist against the wall, Damn it! None of us like this, Monger said. Hume is the only truly renewable resource in this world, Tang Rou muttered. Even if heat death comes, abilities that create resources from nothing will keep the human race sustained for eternity. But to do that, they need to keep a strong Geneline family, or constantly trigger people through starvation, Four said. Abilities either embody the user or occur as an answer to an external problem, that is the rule. Monger held his hands behind his back, They wont waste soldiers and resources, Commands primary goal is still the fortification of the Eastern Front. The threat of Demons coming here is still very real, we still need to help fortify the Eastern Front, but Command doesnt care if we change our curriculum or not. They only want people for the Heroes Junior League. As a propaganda unit, Trist muttered. Thats what this is really about. The creation of a propaganda unit so they may drum up patriotism in preparation to sending millions to their death. It may not be that bad, Afton murmured, you dont need death to be traumatised after all. They just need to keep them there long enough that psychology does the rest of the work. And they wont allow it to get too bad to prevent dissent back home. You say that as if it makes it better, Dr Oliver said. Sometimes I wonder if we both are really doctors. My Doctorate is in Philosophy, Afton meekly defended. They wont send an entire army to their deaths, Monger confirmed, the normal situation in battle is enough to trigger the Manifestations they require. Then the actual cost is nothing to us, Tang Rou said, a propaganda unit would be better cared for than most fighting units, so long as they are half decent, theyll be famous and well equipped. Losses would be unlikely to occur. Theres also a good chance whoevers in the unit at the time of the invasion will be sent to it as a stunt, Isaac said. Silence. Tang Rou, Trist Brake, Monger said, Im leaving you two in charge of selecting students for this Junior League, after they graduate they will be taken off, but ensure all you pick throughout the years up till the invasion will be most suited for escape and survival. The Geneline families will want in on this, Tang Rou said, the easy fame and prestige Do I just grab a few from the strongest families? If they do not fit then dont bother, Monger said. The top families may withdraw their donations if none of their children are in, Tang Rou said, or even worse, if we take one, but not the others, then we alienate and make foes of them. If that happens, none of your salaries will be affected, Monger answered, if they withdraw donations Ill take the pay cut and pay out of my pocket to make up the difference. Do everything in my name so blame falls on me. Tang Rou rubbed her brow, Youll be the object of ire for everyone. That is fine, Monger continued. Remember, we dont need to take action immediately, the threat is estimated to happen anywhere from five to thirty years from now. We can drag this on for up to two years if we wish so. When you say it like that bossman, it makes me want to not do that, Trist muttered, Ah fuck it, I have a class tomorrow that has I think three of the top families? Glory, Abercrombie and the Zenins, then the Tubas the day after that. Ill finagle a test and see what I can get out of them. Suddenly, Mister Monday screeched. Ah sorry, he quickly said, answering the questioning stares. I just found something humorous. With my Diabolism, I can easily cure many of my ailments, the voices screeched, I can return myself to the form of man. I know the right devils, it would not even be dangerous to me. Then why dont you? Afton asked. Have you ever played at a casino? Monday asked, A few people can win jackpots, but in the end, the House always wins. Thus, the greatest gambler is not one who is lucky, but one who knows when to stop, he said, It is the same with Diabolism. I can win the jackpot, but if I do not pay the price, someone else will. Maybe not in my time, but the universe will be made a worse place by every Pact. Thus, the greatest strength of a Diabolist is restraint. And why is that funny? Trist asked. I briefly saw a similarity here, how restrained our approach is, despite the power we could potentially wield, Mister Monday answered. Oliver Oliver shook his head, That is not funny. Do forgive me, my ability to feel humour is currently owned and divided between nine different devil shareholders. There was a bit of awkward silence. I cant tell if youre joking with that, Trist muttered.
Im sorry, Trist told Aiden, But there are no plans for an accelerated curriculum. Im afraid youll need to wait to learn Meta Techniques. Aiden looked disappointed, but accepting, Thank you for your time Ms. He turned to walk away. Wait, she said. Aiden paused and looked back. Why do you think you are weak? Because I simply am, Aiden answered frankly, I lack power, I have a dozen tricks but I don''t have a singular powerful one. What do you think is the greatest strength a person can have? He thought about it for a moment, before he answered, "Constancy, a normalcy that you can return to and rely on. Safe, treaded ground." Trist chuckled. Funny, yesterday someone told me it was restraint. I think that too, is a good answer. It depends on the context, Trist said, and she meant every word. Before you go, I cant teach you anything yet, but Ill get you up to speed with all the other Geneline families. This is just common knowledge stuff, Im aware you are an Awakened. Aiden paused, and stepped back into the gym. Chapter 36 Why We Go to School Chapter 36 Why We Go to School Ok, I know I stabbed the last guy to death but lets be honest we all wanted to do that. So now that Ive done that shouldnt we be better friends now? Our team name even alliterates now! - Reginald Cressler, leader of the Slaughterhouse Seven, wondering why literally backstabbing other members of the SS would lead to them betraying him. Jun waved down Aiden, hands blurring to gesture at the table they were all sitting around, What took you so long? I stayed back to ask some questions, Aiden answered. Oooh, Jun said with a sly look, are these special one on one lessons? Aiden rolled his eyes, Take your mind out of the gutter Jun. She caught a look under her shirt, Darius explained, and shes been talking about it ever since. She is hard down there, Jun nodded. Like I can grate cheese on that. Really? Wren asked, more out of strange curiosity than anything else. Really! Jun exclaimed, swiping her face to quickly put on his Daycore mask, forcing both Wren and Josh to shuffle to the side as Jun suddenly grew in size. Like theyre way better than mine, he said as he lifted his shirt, revealing his own abs. Eeee! Wren hurriedly covered her eyes, though she furtively peeked through her fingers. Was I this thirsty when I was teen? Aiden pondered as he sat down, Jun laughing with his deep baritone voice as both Luther and Darius lifted their own shirts to compare abs, showing they were not as impressive as Juns. Goddamn Physique cheats, Luther muttered as he pulled down his own shirt. After a bit of peer pressure, Aiden too gave in and lifted his own shirt, revealing abs that existed only because there was no fat on his slender frame. Incidentally, also revealing several animal tattoos on his skin. You have tattoos? Wren asked. Yeah? Didnt peg you as the type, Darius said. Too quiet and stiff, Josh continued, you feel too serious. The silent knight. Can I touch them? Wren asked, eyeing the still, almost lifelike ink. His eyes flickered to Jun who was keeping silent. Jun was letting him decide if he wanted to reveal his power. Aiden quickly considered everyone around him. They were sitting at a relatively far off table, away from other prying ears. He was semi aware of at least three of their abilities, Darius, Josh and Wren. Luther remained a mystery, so either he was trying to keep it a secret or it was something that didnt have an obvious appearance. The fight they barely avoided with that Dale character, and Trist single handedly defeating the entire class reminded him that keeping the exact capabilities of your ability a secret was a useful tool. One that could only be used once. Wren, Luther began. Youre being rude, those tattoos might be his ability. Wren jumped back, Oh Im sorry I didnt know, they just looked Pretty. Darius sighed, Sorry, I was curious about them as well, I saw you climb a wall and use a crow- Ranpo was it? Im sorry, since I was prying as well. Aiden paused. He already knew three of their abilities, he knew it through a fight, but it was an inconsequential playground brawl, but all of them happily showed what they could do, losing a first strike advantage just to have some fun. And now they extended a courtesy. Aiden clicked his tongue, three times in quick succession, mapping the surrounding area amidst all the distant talking of other students. There were no other students near them. He let down his shirt, instead pulling up the sleeve of his one handed arm with his teeth. As he did so, cherry blossoms grew and bloomed across his skin. Hes right, Aiden said, its my power, I can create living tattoos. He extended the hand to Wren, glancing at her to touch it. She carefully did, softly feeling the branches on his skin. Woah she murmured. This feels like real bark. But its smooth, Josh observed, he raised a hand, Can I? Aiden shrugged, and nodded at the other two boys as well. This is trippy, Darius said. Like, it feels like real bark, but the texture is the same as skin. It is, Aiden acknowledged, I got used to it. He gently shook off the teens hands off his own, and reached into pocket to remove a folded rabbit he had spare. A rabbit tattoo jumped across his skin, leaping from one cherry blossom branch to the other, as it soon reached his hand. There was a gasp as it slid onto the origami rabbit, animating it. Thats the gist of my power, Aiden said, lowering the rabbit onto the table, letting it jump around. I can create tattoos of living things and have them animate bodies. Luther sucked in a breath, Thats what the crow- Ranpo, Darius supplied. -Ranpo is, isnt it? Luther asked. Correct, Aiden said. Where is he? Wren asked, gently patting the head of the rabbit. Off somewhere, hes rather independent of me. That caused Luther to suck in another breath. Can they survive independently? Or even reproduce by themselves? Aiden shrugged, Former seems to be very likely from my observations, but the latter has yet to be proven. Though he highly suspected it was true, since Ranpo now required normal meals, there was no telling what limit there was to his creations becoming more alive. Jesus Christ, Darius muttered. Even if they cant, that would at least put you just a few levels beneath a Tiamat level Spawner.
Trist raised a hand, stopping Aiden from pulling up the sleeve of his cast arm. Dont tell me what your power is if you dont want to. She explained, As a teacher of this school, I am required by Law to log and report every one of my students observed capabilities. If you dont want to reveal it, dont do it. But Ill have to get my abilities classified later this month anyways, he said, remembering the government required declaration of his full capabilities. The MCS ratings youll have to do are generally pretty shit, Trist explained. I would classify as a Physique 1, Regen something and Striker 5, which doesnt really explain my capabilities other than the fact Im short range. Some idiots even once came after me thinking I was far weaker than I really am because the ratings mislead them. The ratings are a tool for the bureaucracy to easily classify your power, and only works on a massive scale. A lot of the nuance is lost, so you shouldnt care much about what you tell them. Just dont lie. I see, Aiden asked. Though, if you classify as a God Rating, it might be different, she murmured. You might have heard it on the news, though I think it''s overrated. Like I said, pure power can be broken. And having a God Rating is like getting called a talented child. But some rich families would try to buy you into an arranged marriage. When an ability at its basic form reaches a certain level, it is classified as a God ability. Movers get called Hermes, Tinkers get called Daedalus, after the first guy, Spawners get called Tiamat, etc, etc Again, dont put too much stock in this, since your power usage matters far more, and you get stronger as you grow older anyway.
Tiamat, an upper classification of Spawner meta abilities that imply the user is capable of creating entirely self-sufficient, replicating and varied creatures. Less a summoner of minions, and more the genesis of entirely new species. It sounded exciting, and Bu had previously wished he had one such God ability, and Lu might indeed have one of them. But he also heard what Trist had said afterwards. Dont rely on classifications, because the height of your first step doesnt equal the height of your final one. For one, as Ranpo had proven, the creatures he spawned had the capability of becoming entirely independent of him. He had no direct control over anything he made, other than the programming he inserted through giving mental concepts. And those could be overcome. In the end, his own body was the most reliable tool he had, and it was still a fleshy meat bag with slightly tougher skin. Maybe, he replied to Darius, I dont think Im at that level, and again, I dont think I want to be classified as a God Rating. Personally, he also thought it sounded pretentious as hell. Darius nodded sympathetically, as did Wren, though for entirely different reasons. Yeah, I know my mum would probably try to buy you out for a marriage with my sister. Aiden shuddered, shaking his head, That would be a nightmare. Wren sighed as she spoke, And shes not even the worst. Jun nodded, Yeah, I think my great grand aunt was forced into a marriage after the Jitos threatened her entire family. Thats what happened to our grandad as well right? Darius nudged Luther, He banged our grandma for twenty K and dipped. God you guys have horrible families, Josh murmured. All the other Geneline teens stared at him. Everyone in my family has married for love so far, Josh said. Oh yeah, Luther said, ...your family is kinda weird for that. Is it weird to want A FAIRY TALE ENDING!? Josh yelled, jumping up and swinging an imaginary sword. I mean yeah, but Wren shook her head, hands tightening for a moment, Even if Im the third daughter, I would probably have to pop out a kid for my mum at some date. Its a good thing all my other sisters were born with better abilities than I was. The fist slammed through the wooden table, scaring the origami rabbit, which jumped into Wrens hands. I can beat up your mum, Jun offered as he shook off the wooden splinters off his hand. Jun! Wren exclaimed, slapping his shoulder. MY BLADE IS YOURS! Josh yelled. Ill help out if thats not what you want, Darius offered. Though um I dont think I can hit your mother, shes a nice woman. Wren shook her head, Thank you all, but my mum is a good person. She did the same thing, thats my second step sister, and I still love the both of them. Yeah, Aiden said, shying away from the hole Jun left in the table. Violence shouldnt be your first and every recourse. You could just fall in love with someone with a good ability, Luther added, playing devils advocate. Maybe, she murmured, eyes briefly darting to Darius. They fell into silence. THIS IS TOO DEPRESSING! Josh declared, moving to slap the table, then pausing a few centimetres from contact, noticing the frightened rabbit. Josh gently tapped the table, before yelling, Battle brother Aiden! I dont remember becoming your brother- My ability is just a basic Physique, Josh continued. Like most of my family, it is a simple increase to all my physical abilities, amplified even more when I wear a tuba. I noticed, Aiden said, remembering the frankly extremely difficult to ignore members of the Tuba family. My goal is to one day inherit the Tuba Knight ability, Josh said, extending his left hand. To truly earn its Name and strength.
Most abilities deactivate or disappear on the users death, Trist explained. But there are cases where an ability might persist after death. This generally happens when the ability either has a significant number of rules and conditions, or the metahuman had a significant level of Hume in their body at the time of death. When that occurs, it remains, some are even intelligent to a degree, remaining in the corpse, or moving into an object with a strong connection to the person, frequently something they wielded in life. Some are even inherited by other people. They claim it from whatever vessel the ability inhabited, becoming the new user for the ability. Whats stopping everyone from doing that then? She shrugged, The ability gets picky, after death. Named abilities like ours especially. I dont think theres a single person alive who could inherit Frame of Mind from my corpse, even if I wanted them to. Generally, only close family Genelines, who already inherit a portion of the ability through their blood, can do this. And even then, its rather rare. Only the Tuba family is able to get mass inheritance, likely through some sort of secret, but no one has managed to pry it out of them yet. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Other than family, your best hope is to trick the ability into thinking you are the same person as their former wielder. Having a similar ability, personality, and history helps significantly. Some Geneline families try to mold their children into copies of past ancestors in order to do this. This still has a very low success rate, and the ability might even react violently to an attempt at trickery depending on who the former wielder was. There are abilities that can steal other abilities from people, but they come with a whole slew of their own conditions, and only apply to those with such abilities.
Aiden gingerly raised his own remaining hand, clasping Joshs extended hand. He realised some part of Joshs boisterous personality was just an act, maybe because he was trying to get the Tuba Knight ability his ancestor had, or maybe he truly enjoyed being a more energetic person. Whatever it was, Josh did it to divert them away from a depressing topic, he was a good person. You already know what I do, Darius said, placing his duffle bag on the table. I open a can and half-teleport a friend to me, when they drink the can they are fully teleported. Its also a decent way to explain conditions. He took out a can, rolling it around on the table, My power first fully formed when I was about eight, and all it did was let me teleport a hamster sized creature in a one metre radius around me. He passed the can to Aiden, who noted it was the coffee milkis brand he drank before. It was pretty shit to be honest, Darius admitted. It was fun teleporting Luthers pet parrot for a while, but I could only do it in the metre around me. So I started adding conditions. A limitation in that he needed to previously mark a person, and that it required consent of the other to work. A limitation and cost in the form of needing a can associated with the person to begin the teleportation, and requiring the teleported to completely finish the can for a full teleportation. A limitation in that he could only teleport a person to him only once every day. A limitation in that the teleportation was one way. A weakness in that there was a brief window where the teleported could be sent back, so long as they didnt finish the opened drink.
Conditions and Costs act as multipliers, Trist explained. Its erroneous to say that you are really limiting yourself, when the truth is rather different. Tell me, what do you think Vinces power is? He gets six seconds where he can move perfectly and predict the future? Astute, the teacher commented. That is more or less correct, theres likely a cooldown for it, though Ill let you figure that out on your own. Vinces family, the Zenins, are mostly Thinker types, and usually arent limited to only six seconds of their ability. Which meant Vince limited himself to six seconds as a willing choice. Why would he do that? To make more of a single moment, she answered. If his cooldown is one day, then what is happening isnt that he limited himself to six seconds of power every day, but that he compressed a usage spanning an entire day into a burst of six seconds, drastically multiplying his capabilities for those six seconds. Vince is essentially saving all his strength until he can spend it in a single moment. Costs are another thing, technically a Condition, but some people say it''s a thing entirely on its own. Adding Cost lowers the Hume cost of your ability. Most of the strongest Meta abilities already have innate Costs, a Tinker needing materials to work with, a Spawner that requires biomass to shape into new creatures. Some people add certain Costs to their ability in order to lower their Hume expenditure, and thus be able to battle for longer, or to have greater output with lower Hume. If I had to simplify, normally, a person only grows in strength linearly, but a Condition allows you to output strength multiplicatively. And how do you set these things? Two ways, she answered, raising two fingers. First, it happens naturally as a result of habit or usage. This one begins with a vow. Say theres a metahuman who vows to never take lives with their power, over the years as they enforce this vow, it slowly becomes a Condition, and they become unable to break it anymore
I went for the second way, Darius said, since the first could take months or even years to take effect, I placed a punishment on myself, allowing the Conditions to take into effect immediately. If I ever used my power outside of those Conditions, I would lose it entirely. Holy shit, Jun muttered, Going straight for the hardcore one. Darius shrugged, I was like twelve at the time, and didnt think much of it. He chuckled, My rents got mad though, until they saw my new range. Before I could only teleport things within a metre of myself at best. Now? I could call a cousin from the northern hemisphere. Darius teleportation range was multiplied and increased to an extreme due to the number of serious conditions he set on himself. Not to mention, the Hume cost for every activation of his ability was entirely negligible, unlike Aiden and Jun who had to watch their status closely for every usage. Luther took out a coin and an opened bar of chocolate, Im a bit like this idiot as well, though my power was originally just bad luck. He took a bite out of the chocolate, then waved it at Aiden, Want a bite? Aiden shook his head, No thanks, what were you saying about bad luck? Luther rolled the coin in his fingers, letting the sun glint on it, Ill show you. Heads or tails, and Ill rig this coin with my ability. Sure, Aiden said. Luther extended his left hand, Lets shake on it. He furrowed his brow slightly, but took the hand and shook it. Grinning, Luther set the coin on the table, Heads or tails? Heads, Aiden said. Luther flipped the coin, and it landed on tails. Smiling, he passed the coin to Aiden, Try it. Aiden flipped the coin, and it landed on tails. It will land on tails for the next eight flips, Luther said smugly. I just fulfilled all of my conditions to activate this ability. Aidens eyes curiously looked over the black teen as he explained. Luther needed at least one other person to play a game of chance with him. This game needed a physical medium, such as a pack of cards, a die, or a coin. He needed to take a bite out of a chocolate bar, then offer some to his opponents. He needed to declare he was going to rig the game with his power. He also needed to know the others name or alias, and have touched the person. Finally, all of that needed to occur within five minutes. Then the game tools would show the worst possible outcome of what the opponent wanted for the next ten rounds. That sounds excessive, Jun murmured. This is just a sub ability Im experimenting with, Luther said, the real thing is what I can do with this coin.
You cannot make your ability do something that it could not do before through Conditions, Trist explained, A fire manipulator cant say that if they drink five litres of water everyday, they can manipulate water. It doesnt work like that, but, if youve heard of Priority, you know of another benefit of conditions. Youve heard it from your Geneline friends, how some of them had abilities that never manifested because their Priority was too low, not enough to even clear the Beatles Bar, but that isnt the only use of Priority. She asked, Tell me, what do you think happens when two metal manipulators try to manipulate the same piece of metal? They fight over it? Aiden guessed. Trist shook her head. The ability with the higher Priority will triumph, she declared. If the second metal manipulator can only manipulate iron, then they will always be able to completely wrest iron from the first metal manipulator. When two abilities oppose each other on the same thing, the one with higher Priority will always win. This is why Conditions are so important, because the more you add, the higher your Priority is, and higher Priority abilities completely override lower Priority abilities. It doesnt matter how strong each ability is, in cases where different abilities intersect, the one with higher Priority will always win. They will only fight over it if their Priorities are equal, but that almost never happens. Only occurring in the extremely rare cases when the abilities are somehow exactly the same.
There is not a single luck manipulator in this school who can unrig this coin, Luther proudly declared. In most cases, the more specialized ability would overcome the more general ability. Luther specialized his luck manipulation so much that even a more powerful luck manipulator, one that might be able to affect the luck of entire cities, would not be able to move this coin. And I said this is a sub ability, Luther continued, rolling the rigged coin in his hand, its the prelude for the real thing. This coin stored ten losing flips worth of bad luck from you, he explained, now, Aiden you have about ten winning flips worth of good luck inside you. After two flips, this coin now contains eight losing flips worth of bad luck. He let the coin catch the light of the sun again, The rule with luck manipulators is that it''s a zero sum game. By taking away bad luck, I leave you with the equivalent amount of good luck. Thank you? Youre welcome cuz, he chuckled, thats what my power theme is. Redistribution of bad luck. I cant control it outside of these very specific use cases, otherwise itll keep absorbing other peoples bad luck onto myself in completely random and unpredictable ways. By setting the bad luck onto specifically making you lose this coin game, I can change its course into controllable ways. He grinned evilly at Aiden, but what do you think would happen if someone destroyed this coin before we finished all ten flips?
Theres a classification of metahuman, which theoretically anyone can be, the teacher continued. That is the Boogeyman. Boogeymen are absolute freaks, who have raised their abilitys Priority to needlessly high levels. They have at least five or more very difficult Conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for their ability to even activate. Then why do people do it? Because it keeps raising their Priority, Trist answered. At a certain, massive Priority difference, even abilities that dont directly oppose the higher Priority ability will start getting cancelled out and weakened. So some madmen raise their Priority so much that when it actually activates, it is impossible to defend against, usually, resulting in the instant death of the target, no matter what defensive abilities they might have had. Lesser Boogeymen have fewer conditions, but they use their massive increased Priority to constantly unleash undefendable attacks against their targets. Sterling could count as a lesser Boogeyman, but since his ability is so large-scale and repeatable, it loses out on individual danger.
If I break this coin before all the flips are finished, all remaining bad luck in it will be sent back to you at once, Luther said. Of course, since you still have ten flips worth of good luck in you, and this coin only has eight flips worth of bad luck left, it would actually leave you with about two flips worth of good luck. But my good luck can run out, Aiden said, eyeing the coin. Luther flipped the coin, letting it fall on tails again. Yeah, if I waited a day for the good luck to be spent, then the bad luck in this coin wont be cancelled out. I can do this with any game of chance, Luther said, coin flips are the easiest, since the required object is easy to store and hide, but if I do this with, say, dice, and the lose condition was to roll a one, then I would create a die that has ten one in six bad luck rolls, compared to a coins ten one in two bad flips. So a dice game with those rules would store more bad luck in the dice? Aiden asked. Luther flashed a grin, Exactly. The more in favour it is to the opponent, the more bad luck it would be to cause a losing outcome, but the generated good luck for the other person is always equal. Luther gave Aiden the coin, Alternatively, if you flip this coin seven more times, you would have spent all the bad luck in it, and gotten good luck for free. Aiden raised the coin, looking at it. And he flipped it again, watching it fall on tails. In this group, Luther was the wildcard. Now that Ive revealed my own hand, Luther continued. How did you manage to run on the wall before? Aiden flipped the coin again, before he reached out his hand, and created the octopus suction cups he had used. He gestured at his ear, These tattoos have all the abilities of their original, I use the ears and eyes of different creatures to enhance my own senses, and when I create these he paused, not remembering what exactly they were due to his power, ... these cups, I can stick to a wall much like the original animal. Like an octopus? Wren asked. He reabsorbed the tattoos, now swapping them over with octopuses in their entirety, Yeah. Then cant you regenerate your arm? Jun asked, glancing at his cast. There are animals that regrow limbs right? Aiden sighed, If I understand my power right, I cannot. My power doesnt give me the abilities of animals, it creates a tattoo which I can use, he said. Creating an eye tattoo on his palm, he showed it to all of them. I cant see out of this eye, but if I maneuver it He moved the tattoo quickly over his skin, past his shoulder and onto his eye. Here, on my eye, I can see through it, almost as if it were a pair of glasses. In this case, along with my ears and nose, Im not actually enhancing my own senses, just putting on something that can filter them better, and registering that. The capabilities of the tattoo is still limited to the creature, he continued. If I damage this On his arm, he generated an axolotl and paused as he forgot it. ... amphibian he hesitantly supplied by analyzing the characteristics of the pink creature. Say, cut off the tail, it wouldnt regenerate me a new hand, it would regenerate a new amphibian tail. I can use tattoos to enhance my strength by a bit, but my own flesh and blood doesnt have the structural or biological capacity to fully mimic the swipes of a bear or a tiger, he finished. If I do that, itll rattle my own bones and hurt my muscles, he said, remembering the only fist attack he attempted on Johnjohnjohnjohn. Thats why I still need glasses, he said, because under my eye tattoos, my sight is still shit. Reabsorbing the axolotl, he finished, I can certainly create an animal that can regenerate limbs, but I myself cant. Then why dont you make a massive army of animals? Luther asked. Aiden sighed, Materials, no idea where to procure them, not to mention I need a place for them to stay, and I need to feed them. I cant magic materials out of- Wait! Jun yelled, the Nightcore mask suddenly on her face. Wren! Huh? the girl jumped, having previously ignored them, and instead focused on petting the tiny origami rabbit. Everyone turned to her. One could practically hear the light bulbs turn on in each of the teens heads. MAKE A BEAR! After a brief, very frantic moment, mostly them dragging Jun off of Wren as she excitedly listed off things to make, they explained their idea. Wrens ability could transmute the pages of her notebook into real objects by writing the name of the desired object. Her size limit was about an A0 piece of paper, however, she could generate all the pieces of an object and assemble them separately. Once made, the object becomes permanent. She needed to fully understand how an object functioned to create it, so she currently couldnt make anything more advanced than a clockwork watch. Additionally, she couldnt create an object that had a metahuman ability in it, because those were unique. She couldnt generate living things, but she could generate food, however, she couldnt generate any animal products such as leather, fur, meat, milk or eggs, since the Awakened ancestor who originally Manifested this ability was a staunch vegan and it was reflected in the ability that was passed on in the family. When she ran out of pages, she needed to get a new notebook through certain methods she refused to disclose, but otherwise? It was possible.
I want to ask, Aiden began, what is the difference between you and me? Trist tilted her head, The difference? The spars earlier showed me the difference between me and a student who graduates here and enters into the military, he said. I want to know the difference between me and you. She looked at him, really stared for a while. Before she exploded into laughter. Alright then, there are about four things which separate us, Meta Techniques, Extended Techniques, experience, and exploits. Ive already explained the first two to you, the third is self explanatory, which leaves the last one. Exploits? From her pocket, she pulled out a fidget spinner? One that looked like it was made of pure gold. See, abilities really shine when you find something to synergise with, a way to utterly break and exploit the hell out of it. She spun the fidget spinner and let it go. Aiden watched as it floated and unfold in midair, becoming a massive carnival wheel. One that had a cartoonish face and pointed nose that acted as its arrow. SPIN SPIN THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE! the strange thing yelled. And Trist did, grabbing the side of the wheel and spun. SPIN SPIN! WHAT WILL YOU WIN?! it yelled as the wheel spun. And slowed, Aiden watched some of the choices pass, until it finally settled on something. YOU HAVE WON [5 kilograms of Osmium]! CONGRATULATIONS! the wheel yelled as a lump of shiny metal fell onto the ground. Trist grabbed the wheel again. WAIT WAIT! YOU NEED TO WAIT [23 hours, 59 minutes and 54 seconds] TO SPIN ME- The wheel was frozen in a frame as Trist rewinded it. SPIN SPIN THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE! the wheel yelled again, and Trist grinned at Aiden as she spun it again. The next spin gave a golden ring.
At Luthers suggestion, they made it into one of the private training rooms, Wren writing down different things in her notebook as they went. She ripped one page out. After much insistence from Aiden, mostly to Jun, explaining that while he could make a massive bear heavier than all of them combined and able to break their spines with a single swipe, there was a chance it could go out of control and he did not want to deal with a rampaging grizzly. For some reason that made both her and Josh more excited, but intelligence prevailed as the page Wren ripped out became a massive tortoise plushie. One big enough it reached Aidens knees. And he touched it. The tortoise tattoo slipped onto it with no resistance, and the plushie came alive. Chapter 37 School Days Chapter 37 School Days Just because we work well together doesnt mean Im not watching you! - Truth, to Dare halfway through an adventure in which they uncover an ancient conspiracy, the true origin of cheese, and the systemic institutional corruption relating to its sale and manufacture. Hume is the electricity, while meta abilities are the electrical appliances that use it, Trist explained. Pure Hume doesnt have a lot of uses other than enforcing the base rules of reality, thats why it gets rid of Bleed and can even weaken meta abilities if used by an experienced metahuman. Meta Techniques do nothing but allow a person to reinforce the rules of normal reality. Then what are Extended Techniques? Aiden asked. Trist spun a ball on her finger, The answer is pretty simple. She threw the ball forward, and while it was mid-flight, the teacher held out an open palm. The ball froze in mid-air, trapped in a frame approximately fifty centimetres away from her palm. The simplest way to describe an Extended Technique is an application of your ability that does not fit the initial version of your ability. Like Meta Techniques, they are divided into Expansion, Imbuement and Reinforcement. Expansion relating to literally expanding the possible uses of your ability, Imbuement is infusing your ability into another physical medium and Reinforcement is using your ability on your body in some way. That sounds very broad, Aiden replied. She nodded in agreement, Yeah, some people would say my self framing would count as a Reinforcement Extended Technique, but Id say that is incorrect. It is a different application of my ability, but not one that uses an inherently different version. Compared to that ball? Aiden asked, glancing at the frame floating in mid-air. Yeah, Trist replied. Most abilities have innate rules and conditions, mine requiring my palms to physically touch the target for example, but through Expansion, you can remove the conditions and limitations of your ability. She held up her hand, And before you start thinking this is some miracle method, removing the condition that I need to touch my target, to instead affecting things five centimetres away from my palm took eight years. The distance you see right now took almost twenty. Aiden frowned, How old are- sorry, never mind. Why did it take so long? Because fundamentally, the conditions of your ability are there for a reason, she answered. Especially for Awakened like us. To remove even a single one would be like removing a piece of an extremely unstable balancing puzzle. For conditions you set yourself, you generally know what happens if you break them, sometimes you even set up specific punishments that will occur if you broke the rule, but to understand what damage you might suffer from breaking an innate rule, requires you to understand why you manifested this ability in the first place. And she shrugged, At your age, it might be possible for some Manifested, but for an Extended Technique to even be created, it requires an intense degree of introspection and self-understanding of why you manifested this ability and not something else. To even begin, you need to understand your own beliefs and biases, why you believe them, what caused you to believe them, and where the possible flaws in them are. Expansion is when you break away from the beliefs and situations that caused your Manifestation. Imbuement is applying those beliefs to things outside of yourself, to other objects or people. Reinforcement is when you continue to embody those aspects despite any flaws you mightve seen in them. Its easier for Manifested to begin because there is a single event you can look back at where you manifested, and introspect from there. But for Genelines whove had their ability their entire lives? she shook her head. Unlike with Meta Techniques, this is not something that can be trained. We can teach you to push pure Hume in a bubble or envelope yourself in it because the only danger is overdrawing Hume. But for an Extended Technique? The simplest answer to why we dont teach Extended Techniques to teenagers is because many of you lack the emotional and mental maturity to even take that first step. Genelines have it especially difficult because their ability can be entirely unrelated to who they are as a person. Not to mention, once you learn an Extended Technique, the corresponding Meta Technique is forever locked away from you, so in order to make sure everyone leaves here with a full deck so to speak, we teach Meta Techniques as soon as the Genelines reach the age where their Hume level makes it safe to do so. Around seventeen to eighteen, correct? She nodded. Aiden sighed, And Awakened like you and me can only learn two of the three? Why is that? Can a Manifested person not introspect to the same degree? Trist shook her head, Sure there are some radicals out there, but most people theorise its an innate condition to being a Manifested, that gets lost when the ability is passed down in a Geneline. We have no idea though, some people even think its a defect that someone like us need to fix by having kids. You need to understand, Genelines make up a solid seventy percent of all metahumans, thats where all the study is, and what this schools curriculum is built on. Most power is inherited, not earned as an individual. Strangely similar to money, Aiden thought. Then which two do you have? Aiden asked, If you dont mind me asking, which of the two Extended Techniques did you learn? I dont mind, she shrugged, they are Expansion and Reinforcement. Its a purely fighting style, which I slightly regret now that Im retired. If I went for Imbuement instead of Expansion, I mightve been able to make tools immune to wear and tear by giving them the ability to rewind, along with Bleed Resistance from the Meta Technique training. Which wouldve made you a lot of money selling, Aiden muttered with a slight glint in his eyes. Yeah, she agreed, instead Im stuck with a mediocre ranged attack. A few minutes later Thats why you didnt learn Imbuement, Aiden muttered, looking at the golden carnival wheel. Trist sighed, Its one reason. Though honestly, as a production metahuman, I am still subpar compared to people whose ability is specifically to do this. Four alone could feed the entire city just by duping stuff, the only reason why he doesnt is that there are at least six others with the same capability in this city that are already doing it
Thats why prices are strangely cheap and normal, Aiden realised as an excited Wren kept writing more things down in her Heavens Door notebook. One initial culture shock was how similar, and cheap, his rent and basic living costs were. Aiden Lu needed to pay almost twice the amount he did in his old world just to keep a roof over his head. Here? It was comparatively so cheap he could cry. It wasnt an issue in this world because there were metahumans in every nook and cranny of society. The production capabilities of humans in this world probably surpassed his old one by leaps and bounds. But prices here were still similar to those in his old world because humans here were constantly pouring those resources into endless wars. The combined costs of every soldiers boots on just the Hell front would completely and utterly bankrupt a first-world nation in his old world, and there were countless such threats everywhere, the threat in the Pacific, the Goblin Wars in the US, the Kaiju, the Floridians, just to name a few. He suspected the only reason why they werent living in some post-scarcity society was because they needed to keep burning resources in the endless sink of inter-dimensional war. Even a massive worldwide horror like World War II would barely register in this universe, they were already constantly fighting such insane threats, what was one or two play fights? It almost sounded like he was downplaying, and Aiden realised that as he looked around, but referencing Bus basic knowledge of history, the massive World Wars that shook his old world to its core would barely be acknowledged if they happened here at the same scale. The deaths of nearly a hundred million people would barely be a dint this world. That was why Freddy sounded so callous when mentioning the death of many. It was an understood and accepted part of life. It was insane. And it felt strangely comforting. No matter how great of a mistake he made, it could all be washed away like footprints in the sand. No one will remember his mistakes. Aiden! Jun called, Wren made a wolf! He went forward, I am not animating a wolf for you! These are dangerous animals! But there was no real anger or venom in his voice.
Aiden finally sat down next to Wren, sighing at the stubbornness of youth as Daycore Jun was well, bearhugging a bear. He called it a bearhug though Aiden would much more liken it to a mauling. It wasnt mauling a large bear, Aiden had specified this one by species, thats why he still held the concept of a bear, but Jun kept burying himself in the things thick black and white fur, while the rest of the boys were gushing about the panda. Strange name for a bear species, then again this thing had weird colouring for a bear, next someone would tell him it primarily ate plants, how absurd. Thanks for this, Wren whispered, I I always wanted to be like a contriver type, she giggled. One that runs into a fight surrounded by fifty drones and all of my mechanical minions. Your tech is still limited by Hells Promise? Aiden asked, remembering the name of Hells Bleed effect. She nodded in affirmation. My stuff is completely mundane, she complained, its a limit the Manifested ancestor who got it had, and it stayed throughout every generation. She paused, and hesitated, ... erm Can you um give me umm What animal would you prefer? he asked tiredly, wearily accepting his role as this groups dispenser of living hug pillows. I do have to warn you, these things become entirely independent of me after a while. I can add some lets say programming to it, but they can learn to work past it. What would you suggest then? A creature with a good streak for intelligence, loyalty, or isnt dangerous enough to be a physical threat, he suggested. Numerous canines fit the bill, though some herd creatures and birds could also work. Many already domesticated animals would also be a perfect frame of reference, he continued. We managed to domesticate horses but not zebras for a reason. Can it be a cat? Like a really big one? I wont do a big cat species, he replied, those are predatory hunters who have the capability of hurting or killing you. After all, without her book, she was just a normal girl. Then just a normal cat then? Can it still be big? she asked, eyes practically sparkling. Why not just get a normal cat then? he asked. Wren grimaced, and Aiden saw enough. Not wanting the associated labour and cost of training a pet to be properly domesticated, or wanting some cheat with the care, it was a common thought. I have to warn you, Aiden began, you will have to feed and take care of it like a normal cat. I can do it, she replied. And it wont be that hard right? Itll be smart and can talk like Ranpo? The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Probably not talking, Aiden replied, their vocal cords are wrong, but intelligence I think I can do. Then lets do it! she said, What size body would be best? Around a metre, he answered, mind filtering through the possibilities. Furry, preferably grey coloured. This one will need frequent exercise, lots of space, and more grooming than most smaller ones. Weather gets hot so youll also need to allow it ways to cool down. Wren nodded, takings notes on her mundane notebook. Diet should be the same as most domestic cats, he continued, eyes distant in thought. What breed is it? A Maine Coon, he answered, may I borrow a pen and note page? She moved to her Heavens Door notebook. The normal one please, he said. She paused, moved to her mundane book and ripped out a page, putting it on the floor in front of him, as he took the pen she passed. He did Intelligent, Loyal, and Talking for Ranpo. He wasnt sure if those concepts had been fully relearnt in his mind, so he didnt use them. If he was testing for himself, he wouldve still used them, but this was for a friend. On the page, he wrote the words Maine Coon, Wise, Protect, Communicate, and finally, as a test, he put Regenerating. And in his mind, he put the image of Wren, her appearance, and he made a Wise, Protective Maine Coon that could Communicate. A furry, grey tattoo appeared on his skin, large enough to cover his entire arm. Wren hurriedly set down a page, which quickly changed into the form of a massive cat. Aiden touched it, eyes still closed, letting the tattoo flow off his arm. The fake fur ruffled beneath his hand. Is it done? Wren asked and Aiden flinched back, eyes opening to take in the appearance of the short girl beside him. Youre Wren right? Yeah? she replied. Aiden nodded strangely, then turned to look at the sitting cat. He still remembered who Wren was. But when he created that tattoo, he had completely forgotten her appearance and voice. The cat slowly dipped its head at him, nodding. And Aiden nodded back. The cat rustled forward to rub itself against a laughing Wren, who threaded her fingers through its fur. Glancing at the page underneath him, he still remembered what Regenerating meant, even though he tried to give the cat a healing factor like he and Nightcore Jun had. It had failed, which confirmed a few things. He couldnt give a creature a concept that it was not originally capable of. He could give crows and cats intelligence, for both were intelligent creatures, or make them talk and converse, for both creatures were already capable of understanding people. He couldnt give one the capability to regenerate limbs, he would be able to do it with an axolotl, at which point its healing factor would be greatly enhanced, just like with Ranpo and intelligence. How can I pay you back? Wren asked, laughing as the rather long cat meowed and wrapped itself around her. From nose tip to tail, the grey-furred cat was almost as long as she was tall. Dont worry about it, he answered, stuffing the page about the cats breed and concepts into his pocket. Wait, your umm The cat turned to look at him, mirroring its owner, and glanced between its own front leg and his cast. Wren ripped out a new page, and on it she began writing something.
How did it happen for you? Aiden asked. Learning that Extended Technique. Trists eyes turned distant. It was a rather shit time. I was still serving, and by then I had realised what my Manifestation cause was. A desire to change, to make things better by returning to the point before or going to a better future. Its a rare thing, to have a Positive Manifestation, but I had one, and one day, my squad faced something it could not. We were slaughtered, I survived only because of my Reinforcement Technique, and when I came to, everyone else was strewn across an abandoned city. And I gathered every single piece, every rotted intestine, every fragment of bone, every tiny bit of flesh, every smashed in skull, and I brought all of them back, she said, I rewinded them back to before the fight, and I dragged them across a warzone. I kept rewinding myself and them, she continued, so that they would be healed, so that my body wouldnt need food or rest. I spent a month just dragging my squad across an active warzone, she said, eyes staring at Aiden with a blinding intensity. And when I finally made it back to our lines, you know what they told me? She chuckled, almost madly, They told me I shouldnt have bothered, they were long dead. Her ability, despite its Name, did not change a persons mind to a previous or future state. And when the body died, the mind could not be recovered. For a month, she simply dragged along a bunch of vegetables. That is when I gained the capability for learning Expansion, she answered. When I realised I could be too late. That there is a place I cannot reach. She walked forward, I couldve waited to gain Imbuement instead, but I didnt want their deaths to be in vain, so I pursued Expansion. And Trist touched his shoulder. Aiden did not panic when his body froze, or when it began rewinding. Its harder for me to rewind metas, she spoke, her voice carrying despite Aidens still prison. The extra Hume in their body makes it difficult, and their own ability might counter it. For a normal Metahuman, twenty-four hours is my limit, for one that knows Meta Reinforcement, only eight. Aiden was soon returned to his original state, nothing having happened. When did you lose it? Last week-ish, he answered, glancing at his cast. Shame, Trist said, I was out of the city for holidays. I do not blame you for that, Aiden replied, and he really did mean it. Still, I was too late, wasnt I?
Wren made a perfectly sized prosthetic hand. It was almost like the hand of a mannequin, wooden, its joints stiff and not made for movement. Try this? she asked. He shrugged, removing his cast and placing the prosthetic hand on his cast. And he created a Human Right Hand. The tattoo flowed freely off his skin and onto the new hand. Aiden stared at it. And began laughing, for he no longer remembered how to move his hand. Shaking his head, he said, Thank you Wren, but this wont work that well. Not without him spending time to completely relearn how to move the limb, one that he had no sensation or feeling in. She looked shocked, confused almost, It wont It could work, though it would be difficult, he admitted, experimentally moving the joints, but youve helped me realise this is an option. He didnt get his old hand back, this was a completely new one, one that he had to spend time to retrain and relearn. Reabsorbing the Human Right Hand tattoo, he replaced it with something else, black skinned, slightly furred at the wrist, and moved it better, now that he had his own movement as a reference. This could work, I might need a glove though. Wren passed him a pair of gloves, made of black faux leather that fit his new hand snugly. If that isnt enough I can This is enough Wren, he said, Thank you for that. Youre running out of pages arent you? Aiden pressed, Theres no need for you to do more. And on that new hand, he covered it with his cast.
What of innate conditions that cost something of the person? Aiden asked. Something that requires something important to them? Trist pursed her lip, I once met an Awakened whose ability burned through her own lifespan. And even to this day, I think she was one of the top ten most dangerous ability users I have ever met. All Awakened are off somewhere, its almost impossible for us not to be, it is the nature of manifestations to occur to those who deviate from the norm. But abilities that burn something like lifespan as an innate condition? She shook her head, It speaks of the insanity that caused her manifestation, that she believed shortening her life was worth the short bursts of ability usage. Fundamentally, an innate cost only appears if the Awakened is fine with paying that cost. They can overcome it or cheat it, but it says that they are the type to take that deal to begin with. An ability that costs something of yourself, your lifespan or your very body like with Allen the Annihilator, says that they believe their own life, their own body, are both expendable, and that is dangerous in its own right. Especially with Metahumans, there is nothing more terrifying than a person willing to pay any and every cost. Or a person who never saw value in themselves in the first place, Aiden thought.
HUH! Jun yelled, releasing the poor bear, You made her a cat! No fair! Aiden shrugged, You already have a pet. Fluffy being a goddamn treasure does not mean I dont want a bear! Aiden touched and reabsorbed the panda. Wait, so it actually does eat plants? FAREWELL! WORTHY FOE! Josh saluted to the panda body. Mr Checkerboard! Jun mourned. Why did you do that? He was so cute! You cannot take care of that many pets, Aiden muttered, not to mention you dont have any animal care qualifications. I can get them! he argued. Then come back to me when you do, Aiden serenely answered. Erm Wren began, still carrying the very large cat. I still want to repay you somehow Dont worry, Aiden replied. Its just a cat. Said cat shot him a dirty look. You dont get it, Wren continued, My mum told me that pets arent allowed since there was no point if it could die to Bleed or other stuff. And your ability might be resistant to Bleed, so my mum might finally let me have a pet! He paused, that wasnt the reason he had suspected, though it did make some sense. Dont worry about it, I dont need a gift. You would give things freely, but reject things given to you freely? Jun asked. He paused and shook his head, It is simply a matter of pride. Youve already done enough for me Wren. I wrote two fucking words on a page, I want to give more, Wren said. How about this, lets make it a trade instead, Ill give you the bodies you need, and well be even? That is very one-sided for you, Aiden quietly replied, his mental evaluation of Wren rising as she spoke. Then you just promise to help me when you can, and Ill help you however. And he paused. That was a very tempting offer. Wren, out of everyone here, had the simplest and most obvious way to earn money once she got her meta ability licenses. She alone would put a manufactorum to shame. But he cannot implicate her in what he might do with his ability. Aiden still needed a way to earn money, and though the most illegal methods he abhorred, there were still many ways to earn money with his ability. All the while he didnt have a license to make it legal. Aiden shook his head, Thank you, but I dont need you to make my ability work. It would be easier, I agree, but I dont need it. Crestfallen, Wrens shoulders slumped as the cat turned to nuzzle her face in comfort. Wait, didnt Ran Ran say something about needing a lot of grapes the other day? Jun asked. Grapes? Wren asked, head perking. Like he bribed the birds to scare some shitheads for us, Jun explained, but you still need to pay back the crows right? Aiden nodded, Yeah but- Wren was already scribbling in her notebook. Aiden raised his hand, Please stop, you dont need to- Wren shoved the notebook into his hand. Take it, I already wrote it down so you cant use it for anything else. Of the few remaining pages, every single one had a crate of grapes written across the page. You write really quickly, Aiden muttered, almost impressed she managed to cover over a dozen something pages in the breadth of a sentence. She smiled, Now youre stuck with it, so better make use of it. Dont try to convince her, Darius chuckled, walking up to them. She has the look right now. Accept my kindness lowly mortal, she laughed. You need a better laugh as well, Josh assessed. Speaking up, Luther said, Ive been meaning to ask, but we all have good synergy. Not a question but YES nonetheless! Josh answered. We should form a six-man team, Luther continued. For the SD project? Aiden asked. Not just that, but also for the school Paintball War. Oh, that? Jun muttered, nodding, Yeah, that can work. Paintball War? Aiden asked, glancing around. Its a one-day event that happens during Dawn Week next month, Darius replied, glancing up at the sky, and even though the ceiling obscured, all knew about the shattered moon. Dawn Week, the anniversary of the end of the Long Night. It was simply a week where nothing happened. A week of peace. Every student in the school can participate and win points to earn prizes. Same rules as normal paintball, but you can use your abilities, Luther explained. We ran as a three-man last year, but me and Darius arent heavy hitters. I would wreck shit with Nightcore, Jun chuckled. I guess, but it sounds Aiden didnt want to say immature out of politeness, but he believed it to be exactly that. You can win prizes, Darius continued, the more students you take down, the more points you get. Some teachers are also participating. It sounded too tedious, an entire day of just dealing with teenagers? At least Darius bought him free drinks- And the last team standing gets scholarships, all cash. Im in, Aiden immediately answered. But I hadnt even explained- Doesnt matter, Im in. Chapter 38 To Sing a Song of Swans or a Final Requiem Chapter 38 To Sing a Song of Swans or a Final Requiem What is the answer a person gives when both their body and life have come to naught? What is the Truth they speak? Do they shout in defiance? Do they resign to peace? Or do they try to bargain with Death itself? That is a Defining Moment, what a person does when faced with both Deaths. The bell rang, and Aiden bid his farewells to the other students, though it was not the school gates that he walked towards, but the fields where a garage lay. There are three main types of instantaneous power-ups that anyone can use, Trist had told him. All of them require a significant cost to occur. The first and simplest, telling your opponent what your ability is. This only works in a setting where you are opposed to an enemy and requires your opponents understanding of what it is. The cost here incurred is your opponents understanding of your ability, in return, you get a temporary Hume boost that lasts until the battle is finished. Although this only works once per person, you can extend the Hume boost by telling your enemy what you plan to do as well. That joke of a villain monologuing his master plan falls under this category. The next two are more complex, they are respectively called a Swan Song and a Requiem. They both cost your life to use, but in different ways. A Swan Song costs your future, all your potential, all that you could possibly achieve, in return, it temporarily changes, bringing you to a form where you have mastered your power, where you stand at the apex of your potential. And the second, the opposite of Swan Songs A Requiem costs your past, it consumes every act you have ever done, removing your very existence and impact on the world and converts it to pure Hume. People who choose this gain more Hume the longer theyve been alive and the greater their impact on the world, since these acts are erased in order for them gain more Hume. Both have their pros and cons, and affect people differently, I for example would have an extremely weak Swan Song because Im already close to, or at my peak potential, whereas my Requiem would yield significant Hume because of how long Ive been alive and active. Both would probably kill me though. But very rarely, someone returns from a Requiem. They say they experienced a Defining Moment, though they are often vague on what it means. From what Ive observed, it allows them to retain all the Hume they gained through a Requiem, without annihilating their existence. Aiden stepped past the threshold, entering the garage, seeing Isaac sitting inside his dirty office, a TV playing some kind of soap drama. His perspective was different now, where before he saw Isaac as a normal person, he could sense the abnormal feeling he gave off, similar to that Judy girl after she had revealed her first ability. Aiden could sense the abnormal level of Pure Hume in his body. Savants are people who have mastered Meta Techniques to the point where they can nullify abilities, not weaken, but completely and utterly nullify. The cost of this is that their own ability is affected, often weakened or destroyed completely. They often feel abnormally normal to our Hume senses, more so the more experienced you are in sensing Hume. What are you here for? Isaac began, turning to him. Before he froze, staring at Aiden with a strange intensity. I had it, Aiden told him, Ive had a Defining Moment. You fucking idiot. Blunt, rude, but that didnt bother Aiden as he asked. What is (-) As Aiden stumbled, a hand steadied him, helping him stand up as the disorientation faded. You cant finish that sentence, Isaac said, pausing the TV, and neither can I. Youre just getting knocked in the head for no reason. What did I experience? Aiden gasped, I saw (-) Blood, dripping down his nose and onto the floor. Isaac scoffed and brought a tissue to his face, placing Aidens hand to hold it there as it soaked up blood. There are things that should never be said, Isaac told him. Things you are better off not knowing or telling. I am here for answers, Aiden hissed. Isaac sighed, Sit down, and Ill tell you of (-) Fucking damn it, the gadgeteer growled as he stumbled away from Aiden and leaned on the wall for support. I will tell him of gods, he grimaced. Not a specific one, but of the idols we call deities and how they come about. And he plopped himself into a chair, gesturing at Aiden to follow suit. What do you know of the Gamers Labyrinth? Aiden sat down in front of the older man, That thing? I know the Gamers corpse is at the heart of it, I know Daedalus built it, and I know of the effect it has on the people inside. Everyone inside the Labyrinth could level. Level in same way the Gamer could, access Status Screens and Skills in the same way the Gamer once did, over time becoming progressively more powerful. But its effect is only limited to inside the Labyrinth, Aiden continued, drawing on Bus memories. Any Player who leaves the Labyrinth loses almost all of their gains from levelling inside. But for every twenty levels theyve levelled, they get one real level that they keep outside, Isaac finished. Aiden nodded. A level sixty inside the Labyrinth, who is a level three outside, is the equivalent of a weak Metahuman, slightly stronger than a normal human but most importantly, immune to Bleed like we are. Aiden Bu had thought of dragging his sister Jaiden into that Labyrinth and power levelling her, but the numerous difficulties, such as there being a max limit of people who can be inside the Labyrinth, meaning someone had to leave before another could enter, the already massive queue to get inside, the dangers of travelling such a distance to Gorea, and the fact he had to power level her to sixty, left it ultimately a possible, but an extremely unviable option. Even more so than miracle potions, which he could just order from here. It would cost an extreme amount of money, but it was more possible than fighting through a crowd of people all seeking the same power. A weak metahuman might not seem like much, Isaac continued, but the ability to mass-produce them is. Why do you think the Muriganas tried to conquer that place? An ability like that is immensely useful. To my understanding, the Gamers original ability was not that, Aiden said. Isaac nodded, The current one is a blend of Imbuement and Reinforcement Extended techniques, remaining after death after being laid on top of the creation of Daedalus, but tell me, why do you think the Gamer got that powerful? Not waiting for an answer, Isaac continued, It is actually pretty simple. What is a game system but a framework with a shit ton of rules and conditions? Aiden froze, eyes narrowing, he was leading him onto something. The system the Gamer had was based on MMO types, they realised that after the Labyrinth was established, so every level or skill or class was innately balanced under the assumption the user would be engaging in both PvE and PvP type stuff. His power would actively Patch itself, weakening certain overpowered aspects while strengthening underperforming ones, those things made it innately conditional, but that wasnt the main reason why he got that strong, only that his final strength got multiplied. Strip away all the fluff and in the end the Gamers power was simply growth through death. You realise that he just suddenly appeared one day dont you? Aiden blinked, indeed, the Gamer was relatively unknown until he began streaming, and by then he was already immensely powerful. Someone of that power didnt just appear. We figured it out after his death, Isaac told him, Precogs, they found out that he had been entering Gates and invading the worlds on the other side of them. Four, he said, Four entire worlds, three of them completely silent, not a single speck of life remaining. But- Aiden began, for a Gate to open, there must be life on the other side, and he stopped, when he registered, the word remaining. Isaac nodded, Three entire worlds, genocided of all life, one of them had a civilisation almost on par with ours. Aiden throat felt dry, raspy, as he asked, The fourth? A stabilised Gate that left no Bleed. In it, an entire world bred to fight, he said. Every caste of society trained to be warriors, from factory men, farmers, merchants. Nobility was determined by fighting strength- -so they could fight him off? Aiden interrupted. -so they could be reaped, Isaac corrected. A civilisation conquered and farmed. They trained so that they were worth more XP to the Gamers ability. He had made himself their deity and they saw death to him as their afterlife. The fingers of Aidens remaining hand curled in, digging into his flesh, drawing blood as they did so. There is a great weight to death, Isaac continued. In dealing, experiencing, or partaking. It is one of the few constants of the Multiverse. And we lead back to Requiems and Defining Moments. Ive searched for a long time, but I can only find records of Requiems and Defining Moments up to three hundred years prior, he glanced briefly to the sky, towards the broken moon, despite the fact Swan Songs and Hand Reveals go far before that, even millenia prior, during the age of the Apocalypse, were records of Swan Songs and Hand Reveals, but not Requiems. What does that mean? Aiden asked. Did Requiems simply not exist? I dont believe so, Isaac told him. Instead, I believe they were completely self containing. Unlike a Swan Song, a Requiem consumes the past, stuff that is already existing, rather than the possibility of existence. I believe until recently, they consumed everything, including the final act a person dealt with a Requiem. Aidens eyes shown with understanding. Ranpo had not disappeared from existence when he had, the crow had simply forgotten him. Same with the blade he kept hidden under his cast. His Umbrella appeared and warped the ground, but that damage did not disappear even when he did. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Even when the footprints were washed away by the sea, Ranpo and the Umbrella remained. I see you understand, Isaac nodded, we who have experienced Requiems know not everything is taken, but Swan Songs, the opposite of Requiems, do. It is impossible to return from a Swan Song, Isaac said. Your future is completely gone, all that is left are your past actions and the present, all before the future which you begin to burn. So why is it that a Requiem does not also consume your final actions, or other marks of your existence, when a Swan Song consumes you in entirety? And Aidens eyes went wide. Because those Requiems were left Incomplete, he realised, before tensing for a censure that did not come. Youre safe, Isaac assured him, you didnt try to mention (-) Aiden rose to catch Isaac as he flinched, almost falling from his seat. Gah! That never gets easier. Helping the older man settle back into his chair, Aiden asked, But why? Why cant we talk freely? I suppose it is another condition, Isaac mused. Do you know how many idiots seek Defining Moments despite the fact it would probably kill them? If they knew a Requiem could be cheated, and most importantly how, more would be trying to cheat it. Scarcity is a Condition, Aiden muttered, thats probably also why the Labyrinth has a server limit. In lowering the number of people it affects, it strengthens the effect it has on those that already are. Now youre catching on, Isaac said, grabbing a napkin to wipe some blood that was leaking from his nose. That was why I was so vague with my description. I probably could get around the censor, but in doing so, on the off-chance you actually need a cheat out of it, I might invalidate you as a candidate for (-) Fuck! Isaac yelled as he grabbed his head, Aiden rushing out of his seat once again to steady the man. Is that really necessary! he ranted, Both of us already know! No one answered him, despite that, Isaac did feel better after swearing at a non-specific entity that was not identifiable from his speech, but whom Aiden knew exactly who he was referring to. He was swearing next to a child by the way, which only made Aiden lose that tiny bit of ingrained respect towards seniors which he had for the man. But then what- Aiden stopped himself, before rewording his thoughts, We know the how, but what is the why? Why was there an entity handing out Defining Moments? Why was there an entity that allowed people to cheat Requiems? Why did the Incomplete God exist? Isaac shrugged. I dunno. You dont know? Aiden asked, disappointment in his voice. I have theories, but to answer why a specific thing is, I cannot. What are your theories then? Isaac thought for a moment, likely prewording the ideas in his head, so as to avoid directly mentioning the entity. Sister Savage, the Priest of the Church, do you know of her? Or of the Church in general? I know they are part of the Mediterra Theocracy, Aiden answered, the ones keeping the southside of the Hell Gate completely bottled up. Isaac nodded, Far before the magic of Living Concepts started appearing, a group of powerful metahumans tried something drastic. They tried to become Gods, and they succeeded. See, he continued to explain, abilities really get fucky when you start getting a shit ton of conditions and rules associated to them. Making them more solid to reality. Sure there is strength in having a freer ability, flexibility beats raw power in most situations, but the ideal a single person can have in a world like this, is to cheat your ability into having a ton of conditions and rules, whilst being flexible. Getting the best of both worlds, Aiden agreed. But that is the ideal of a single person, Isaac stressed. What happens if a group of powerful metahumans, decided to each turn their ability into a single metaphorical cog? To altogether create a great clockwork machine that feeds on every other cog in the system? To build their abilities to utterly complement and cover each other. Aidens mind went to Wren. Her ability completely invalidated half the costs of his. Where he needed material to create his creatures, she could provide them easily with a single piece of paper, where he needed to feed his creatures if they remained, she could write a few words and create food from paper. Vegan food, but even then it was already extremely cost effective. But he shouldnt exploit a minor, even if his current body was the same age as her. And that was when neither of their abilities were built for each other, still existing as seperate, if synergistic units. What would happen if two metahumans had put conditions on their abilities so that they would only work off each other? What if that number was upped to three? Four? Five? If just Wren and Aiden could achieve this level of power, what would happen if you dragged that to its logical extreme? That is the Church, Isaac said, recognising the mounting realisation in Aidens eyes. Dozens of ability users who each sacrificed their self in order to become a collective deity. They would have both power and flexibility, Aiden murmured. But if a single one dies- That God doesnt exactly exist as a single unit, Isaac replied. To kill it, you need to kill every single one of its followers. He shook his head, But just as I said, the Churchs God is not a single thing or entity. It is present in everyone who follows its doctrines and believes faithfully in it. It is alive so long as its teachings are taught and followed. Thats what the Church does, Aiden realised, what Sister Savage and other Priests do, they are borrowing an ability collective, and using that, and the rituals- Are just conditions they need to fulfil to use those abilities, Isaac finished. Faith and belief is the condition to use, the rituals they do is a cost, that way even non-metahumans can be part of the Church, because the Hume cost is paid for in their blood rituals. It is a complete equivalent exchange. Aiden looked back at Bus memories, to the fields of crucified corpses, But why blood? Why human sacrifice? Surely there are easier things to pay? Isaac snorted, You know difficulty just makes the cost even better? But the real answer is that those metahumans used a previously existing Cults teaching as a framework. Theres solidity in using things with history behind them, and death weve established has massive weight, so they used the teachings of a cannibalistic blood cult that was around the time of the Apocalypse. What was that blood cult called? The Kristonity, Isaac answered, not much is known about them, since it lands squarely in the fog of ages, but it was already global before the Apocalypse happened. Wait a moment Aiden murmured, The Kristonity? Did he mean Christianity? Yeah? Isaac said. That cant be right, he murmured. Isaac shrugged, talking as if reading directly from a book, The Kristonity was a known blood cult, every seventh day they gathered in processions to listen to the chant of elders as they ate bread and wine, which most modern day historians agree were euphemisms for flesh and blood. They also seemed to worship the crucifixion and torture of people, along with ritually drowning their children, thats about all that was known about them. Honestly its a miracle so much of the Cult was remembered till the modern day. The Church uses an expanded version of their lore, but it is mostly historically inaccurate, due to needing to fill out the extreme holes we have on the Kristonity. Yeah, Aiden nodded noncommittally. Blood Cult He shook his head, How does this lead back to your theory? Oh yeah, Isaac shook his head to clear himself, you know abilities sometimes dont disappear when their users die? You should right, youve been here almost a week. I do. When abilities are involved, nothing is lost without benefit, Isaac said. You tell your opponent what your ability or plan is, you get a Hume power up. You set a condition that you cant use an ability for half the day, you power it up for the other half. You get the idea. Yeah, I do. So what happens when a Requiem fully consumes its user? Isaac asked. In the past, before what is now What happens in that final moment when a Requiem completely destroys the last dregs of existence there is in a person? It should be creating more Hume, Isaac pointed out, but the problem is, the user is dead, gone in a way that is complete and irrecoverable, so where does that Hume go? People would notice if reality suddenly became thicker at a spot, but there are no records of such anomalies, which means that Hume is being taken. And abilities dont just die, Aiden whispered. An Incomplete black marble statue, that looked like it was still in the process of slowly being carved out. That was the essence of Isaacs theory, that the Incomplete God was the dregs of every metahuman that had ever died to a Requiem, congealed into a single form- Until the dead abilities gained intelligence. Like the Churchs created God, it was a collective, a collective that continued to act long after the death of its many originators. Will was left behind in dead abilities, that was why the Gamers corpse still maintained the Labyrinth, that was why Josh needed to fulfil the conditions to inherit Tuba Knight rather than just saying it was his one day. And power could be inherited, there were numerous conditions to be fulfilled, but amongst all those dead abilities, there was a single common factor regarding their original users. They all died to a Requiem. Is (-) Aiden coughed into his hand, leaving some flecks of blood in his palm. Benevolent, he gasped, throat impossibly dry as he wiped away the blood with a tissue. Isaac shrugged, Who knows, dead abilities are known to mimic intelligence, but those with will are often just stiff machines who only act in a certain way and never deviate. The Incomplete God only appeared during a Requiem, or a persons Second Death. The God somehow allowed Requiems to actually have effect, halting it somewhere, instead of completely consuming the users existence. If the user of the Requiem passed some kind of judgement, then they got a Defining Moment. Those whove had a Defining Moment had their speech restricted so that they would not teach others of the entity. Instead of giving powerups willy nilly, it was an ability, an ability that followed rules and conditions like his did, just on a completely different scale, one that was global and affected every single metahuman who risked a Requiem. Holy shit. Yeah, Isaac murmured. If things are as I theorise. It would certainly not be the first God weve had, like most abilities that reach that scale and endurance, the level where they become a worldly law, as certain as our breath and the blue sky. It is one that is locked away behind the union of dozens of abilities, creating a singularity that is also restricted in its actions, but made the more powerful for it. The Gamer mightve reached that level, Isaac pondered, if he had more time to level, but he died before then, so he is stuck to only affecting the Labyrinth. But Requiems are just one half arent they? Aiden asked, remembering what Trist had said only a few hours earlier. Swan Songs, does that have such a god? Isaac shrugged, If there is, I have never heard of it. But- There are no records of a person returning from a Swan Song, Isaac elaborated, whether that information is being actively suppressed like with our speech, I do not know, but with Requiems, there is knowledge of Defining Moments, it is known that people have returned from it. There is none of that for a Swan Song God, he finished. Aiden nodded, I suppose. Thank you for your insights. Isaac scoffed, Its theoretically what Im getting paid here for now. He chuckled out of politeness, before the laughter slowly died as Aiden saw Isaac was completely serious. One last thing I want to request of you, Aiden said. Isaac raised a palm. Before that. Tell me something, how were you erased? he asked, What did the world you enter look like? What was it? When Aiden answered, his voice was strange, not speaking with his usual, soft-spoken and nigh emotionless tone, but instead, something almost wistful, nostalgic. I was at a shore, a shore I remembered in a past life, with beautiful stars and shining waters filled with Colorful creatures, where the footprints we walked were washed away by the sea. Isaac closed his eyes, breathing deeply, For me, it was the workshops of my family. Manufactorems filled with all our achievements, one that was slowly taken away by the rust of time.
Isaac? The gadgeteer? She nodded, Yeah, hes the new Meta Techniques instructor. Hes a Savant himself, which is why his ability is particularly piss poor, but his trained skill and knowledge is where his strength is at. Why does he keep trying to be a gadgeteer then? Aiden asked, remembering the rant the man had let out on more than one occasion near him. Thinker powers tend to make people a bit kooky in the head, she said, so expect a bit of weirdness from him. Aiden nodded, once again remembering how the man randomly broke into rants. It might even be a long term condition, she theorised, a vow type, one that needs him to continue to try to pursue gadgeteering wholeheartedly, even though he knows its a complete dead end for him.
Remember that place, Isaac murmured, imagine it strongly enough, and you can return to it. Why? Clarity, he answered with a strange reverence. It is not often a person can take a peek at the insides of their own ability. To some, it is the same as looking at your own soul and mind, it is valuable. Any advice less esoteric? Anything less would be too specific, Isaac told him. Abilities are unique to you, what you gain from such a place is also unique to you. Any advice I give you would be too flavoured by my own worldview and resolve, along with my familys. It wont work for you. Aiden shrugged, I see. What was the other thing that you wanted to ask of me? Trist said you can cancel out abilities. Takes a goddamn lot outta me though, Isaac murmured. Can I ask you to try that on me? Chapter 39 Red Hot Chilli Peppers Attacks! Part 1 Chapter 39 Red Hot Chilli Peppers Attacks! Part 1 Yeah, you do your thing while I do my thing, just dont bother me. - Pele, B Class Cape, when asked to improve the survival rate of her students. Crows crowded the roof of the apartment complex, cawing and squawking in equal measure as they fought over a few crates of grapes. That is a broken power, Ranpo murmured as he pecked at a bowl of assorted nuts and grains. It is indeed, Aiden agreed, taking a bite out of his sandwich. Still, not as dangerous as these Extended Techniques you tell me about, Ranpo continued. And Aiden nodded.
Aiden felt it wash over him. Pure Hume, simple, normal reality elevated to truth. The serpent he kept hidden in his cast writhed invisibly, no longer able to animate the form it took, fleeing off of the bandages and back onto the safety of his skin. The shadows in the room lengthened as the cat eye tattoos shrunk. But notably, not a single tattoo disappeared. They still swam on his body, his skin still felt scaly where Oros lay, and Aiden could still somewhat see in the dark. . Odd, Isaac remarked, Your ability has an abnormally high Priority level. It does? Aiden asked, rubbing his head, feeling the beginnings of an odd dizziness. Yeah, base reality, the Beatles Bar can be considered a Priority level of 1, most abilities manifest at 1.2 - 1.5 per Finchers Rule, but your ability is displaying a resistance equivalent to something around the 1.8 range, not something I can easily fully nullify. And that is strange? Aiden asked, his eyes closed and slowly tightening. I expected at least 1.4, given your higher Hume level, but Hume would only let you brute force your Priority to 1.5 or so. Past that you have to start adding Conditions. This resistance must mean you have at least three to four difficult innate conditions or rules to your ability. There is also Typhons Principle, abilities that manifest on or very close to the users own body tend to be difficult to affect regardless of Priority level. I see, Aiden answered. I think- And he stumbled, his body felt fatigued. Slower, harder to move, like a limp log he fell against a desk, knocking down numerous stacked pages. Isaac withdrew his Hume, and Aiden gasped a breath of relief. You alright there? the older man asked. Aiden raised his hand, Sorry, just give me a moment I told you it would be unpleasant, Isaac said, especially for a Manifested, your types tend to get secondary body enhancements unrelated to your primary power. When I hit you Im hitting that as well, which can affect your body in weird ways. My regeneration? Aiden asked after gathering his breath. Most likely.
Which of the three are you planning? Ranpo asked. Imbuement and Expansion sound like the most dangerous. Aiden swallowed the food in his mouth, Im thinking I should skip Imbuement actually. Hmm? With his thumb, he slightly pulled the outer part of his cast, revealing his Umbrella plastered underneath, right next to his arm. My ability already works on the basis of Imbuement, he continued. If Im looking to invest my own power into something, I can already do that for other powers. Taking another bite out of his sandwich, he continued with his mouth full, Its just that right now, I am unaware of the conditions it takes for me to create something with supernatural properties. Actually, Ranpo cut in, I have an idea for that. If we try it we would be able to rule out a lot of possibilities. Hoh? Ranpo told him his idea. Aiden nodded, That could work, we should try it somewhere isolated though, I dont want to mess anything up. Your schools training rooms sound pretty tough, Ranpo pointed out. Then well use those. He wiped a bit of jam from his cheek, Reinforcement is a must regardless, its Meta Technique version is essential. As defence? Aiden nodded, If I understand this right, an Extended Reinforcement version of my own ability would protect me against some attacks that directly affect me. The ones that directly oppose my own. But it wouldnt defend against Sterlings ability, which attacked wakefulness rather than anything related to his ability. However, he continued, remembering how Isaac fully nullified his ability on everything except his body, despite being a gadgeteer, pure Hume is a general counter to all abilities, even if I dont pursue it to Savant level, I would have a defence against every ability type, whereas my own would only counter specific abilities that are similar to mine. So tattoos? Possibly, Aiden nodded, it could be memory, or life giving, or all of them. Again, we still dont understand the full mechanics of my ability, thats why we need to test it out. Suddenly, a crow flew towards them, as Aiden focused on it, he noticed a particularly strange thing held in its beak. The crow placed a five-dollar note in front of Aiden and looked at him expectantly. Ranpo, he began slowly. What is the meaning of this? Ranpo turned away, looking almost embarrassed. Well see, I got bored and Go on. Well, I accidentally, he insisted, taught them how money works. How do you accidentally teach someone how money works? Aiden asked incredulously. Look, they kept pestering me about the debts I owed, so I needed to distract them with a tangential topic that would get them off my feathers for a bit. How did it even get five dollars? Aiden asked, eyes darting back and forth between Ranpo and the crow. That is a good question, Ranpo remarked, before cawing at the other crow. The other crow cawed back, and Ranpo winced. Yeah, I dont think you want to know. The crow cawed again, this time sounding impatient. It wants your sandwich, he added. Aiden blinked and sighed as he handed the half-eaten sandwich to the crow. The crow in question immediately went to town on the bread. You are surprisingly on board with the idea of corvids participating in the economy, Ranpo remarked. Why does that sentence sound so absurd yet at the same time completely in line with my situation? he sighed, mourning the loss of his normalcy. Five bucks was worth more than my sandwich at least. Thats the spirit, Ranpo encouraged. Dont even start, he replied as he pocketed the note.
Aiden entered the room with his best clothes and his hair mildly groomed. Hello hello! a middle-aged Caucasian man warmly welcomed him from his desk. I see youre here for the interview. I am, Aiden replied with a practised smile. Well, well, take a seat, introduce yourself! Well, I am Aiden Bu, Im currently studying as a student and your advertisement for a receipt filer attracted me. The man nodded, Where are you from by the way? Aiden slightly raised an eyebrow at that, though his slight smile didnt waver, Where Im from? Well, Im from this city. No no, the man corrected, where did you really come from? I was born here? he answered, a bit of confusion seeping into his practised tone. Ah no no, the interviewer shook his head, where did your parents come from? Aidens eye twitched, as some part realised. They were born and raised in this country as well. But where were they really from? A few minutes later, Aiden sped out of the room a step faster than his normal, practised gait. His smile twitching slightly at the edges. The reason for rejection? I dont think we can hire a person with such small eyes.
Aiden followed a smiling man up the stairs. Its a good thing you chose us, the man laughed, you would find yourself in no better place than Vynar Industries, were just like one big family here! Aiden politely chuckled along as they walked, seeing the warehouse complex beneath them, where dozens of workers carried and loaded boxes into delivery trucks. You can see we are a very productive company! the man boasted. Everyone works hard and plays hard! The man continued to talk, though Aidens eyes paused slightly at a sight underneath. A delivery worker, male, was pissing into a bottle as he walked, balancing several large cardboard boxes with one hand as he held the bottle with the other. When the worker finished, he zipped up and flicked the bottle with practised ease into a bin. Looking around, there were several bins full of bottles of piss. His eyes quickly turned back to the interviewer showing him around as they walked up another level. And Aiden noticed something strange. Why are there nets attached to the walls outside? The guide paused, then nervously laughed as he looked out the window, where large sprawling white nets covered the area between warehouses. Well, our workers get a bit stir crazy and get some fresh air upstairs, you know how it goes, and they, sometimes, very rarely, almost never happens, slip and fall off the building. Its the strangest thing! But we cant let family go after all, so its a safety precaution. Aidens eyes twitched. How many fucking times did a worker get some fresh air that they needed to install nets?
A woman shook his hand as he entered. Greetings, she said with a smile. I see youre here for the Assistant position? Aiden nodded with a smile, Yeah, I am. Both sat down by a table. I was just wondering, however, the job advert seemed a bit vague, what does the position actually entail? The woman shrugged, Dont worry about it, well work it out as we go. His eye twitched. I read that the position was occupied by someone else previously, what happened to them? The woman shrugged again, They left with only a two-day notice, but dont worry about it, I think you are perfect for the role! And what does the role entail? We can figure it out later, she said with a smile. Aidens hand clenched underneath the table. And how much does the position pay? After a few minutes, Aiden stormed away from the massive red flag of a company, somehow knowing less of what they wanted or paid.
This interview was going well. No massive red flags, the interviewer seemed like a sane well adjusted person, and he was perfect for the role described to him! Well contact you on Monday regarding the position. Smiling genuinely, he left. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Aiden never heard from that company again.
Aiden returned home, silently passing Ranpo who greeted him. He passed his room and briefly considered slamming his face into his pillow and screaming into it. But he did not, instead, slumping into a chair with a sigh. Despite the late hour, he boiled water for a cup of coffee. No luck? Aiden nodded, It seems along with death, there is another multiversal constant. Having a shit time looking for a job. Its that bad? Ranpo asked, flying off his position at the desk covered with zoology books. Aiden massaged his forehead, Honestly? Compared to my previous world this was rather tame, its just been a while since Ive experienced this. The kettle dinged as the water finished boiling, and Aiden glanced towards the balcony, where there was a bowl filled with dirt. George had said the paper would grow into a flower. Remind me again, what options he gave me, he asked Ranpo as he stood up and made his coffee. Ranpos expression was inscrutable, as he listed off. First one you genuinely considered, Adams and Gruts Homes, a construction company that hires a lot of metas with abilities useful to construction. Most of them are unlicensed and undocumented immigrants, so it''s considered largely illegal but because theyre damn useful at rebuilding and do it cheaply, no one actually bothers to arrest them, according to the paper at least. Second one you slightly considered, Jericho Pharmaceuticals. Produces a lot of basic off the shelf medicines. Needs meta humans for an unknown reason, will reportedly pay for a lot, but we know nothing about them. Third, this time Aiden spoke. The Hatters, a security consultant company made up of licensed metahumans. They break into clients locations to test security and assist in improvement. Sometimes they hire unlicensed metas for a role one of them cannot fulfill, Ive read up about them, they cant be considered consistent income due to their strictly commission status for unlicensed. Fourth one, bit more iffy, Ranpo picked up again, Keter Casino, hires metahumans as bouncers and has an active offer for luck metas to ensure the fairness of the game. They also run a drug operation on the side and is known as the Eighth Draw in criminal circles. Again, a largely illegal operation, which the paper noted to be due to massive bribes to officials. Aiden poured sugar and milk, then drank the still scalding coffee in one gulp. Putting the cup down with more force than intended, he muttered, Lets go out.
Aiden wore a hoodie as he climbed onto a rooftop, octopus tattoos disappearing from his clothing as he beheld the lights beneath. He tightened the white scarf around his neck, his breath creating misty puffs in the cold night air. Ahead of him was a massive crater, the Crater. An almost two-kilometre wide relic of some battle ages past, inside it, old and ramshackled buildings stood, their lights few compared to the city behind him. He drew in a deep breath, as he looked at the myriad rooftops, mentally mapping out a route. Hed been doing a lot of parkour in this body already, a byproduct of just needing to get to school. Aiden walked a step forward, then another, slowly increasing in speed, before he jumped. There was a brief moment where he was in the air, nothing but momentum carrying him forward. Then he landed hard on the concrete roof, the force jolting up his legs as he continued to run. He jumped from roof to roof, swung off balconies and dashed into the Crater City under moonlight. Actions he once thought himself too old and unathletic to perform, now came to him easily as he landed on tiled roof instead of concrete. Ranpo landed beside him. Silently, he now moved through the old neighbourhoods, only a few street lamps offering light. At one lamp, he sighted a figure, their face hidden with a hoodie. Another figure stepped into the light. They exchanged greetings, shaking hands, and Aiden caught the brief reflection of plastic as a ziplock bag and money exchanged hands. Suddenly, four more figures showed up, each wearing a skull mask. The man who bought the drugs from the figure also pulled out a mask as the dealer slowly edged away from the street light. He tried to run, but was run down and slammed into the ground, the dealer scrunched into a ball as the five jumped him, shouting as they kicked and punched the prone figure. The Pitters, a gang located within the Crater City, runs a protection racket for areas without police presence. He has good form, Aiden noted. Ranpo turned to him, Who? The dealer, he replied. He quickly scrunched into a ball, protecting his head underneath his body. His back is facing outwards and his arms are held defensively. Even with the five kicking and punching the curled up figure, he wouldnt get much more than a few hard bruises. He is definitely used to being jumped, he assessed. Suddenly, one of Pitters raised his voice, THATLL TEACH YOU TO SELL DRUGS HERE! And drew a gun. Aiden rose, his cast unravelling into a serpent- And he paused, as he saw the gun tip. The Pitter fired into the prone back of the dealer. What the fuck? Ranpo almost yelled, the Pitter was firing multiple rounds into the dealer! Ranpo flapped his wings to rise, before Aiden said. The sound is wrong. Ranpo paused. He was right. The sound wasnt loud, more like a puff of air. Its an airsoft gun, Aiden remarked. It would hurt at such a close distance but shouldnt harm greatly. Rubber bullets? Aiden snorted, Hell no. Before he shook his head, Ah, sorry, I know what you meant, I was just reminded of something. What? Ranpo asked, landing back on the roof. Eyes still glued on the gang jumping the man. Remember the friend I told you about? The one who liked zombie movies. The crow tilted his head, Yeah? Rubber bullets are about the size of soda cans, some even have metal cores, Aiden remarked, I learned that when a union protest he was a part of was put down. He wore an eyepatch to work after that. The Pitters had finished beating the dealer, and were now running through his pockets, taking whatever they had. A wallet, a phone, and several ziplock bags of something grassy looking, which one took with obvious disdain. They followed the rules of no-killing, Aiden murmured, glancing at the scrawled body of the dealer as the five left, one giving a final kick before leaving. The one that implied you wouldnt get anything more than a slap on the wrist so long as you dont kill anyone? Ranpo remarked. Aiden nodded. I half expected I would have to stop a murder. Or report one, he grimly thought. With the distance, there was little chance he wouldve made it before the first few shots were fired. It wouldve been awkward if that was the case, he didnt even know the person. Were done here. Aiden dropped down from the roof, landing on the concrete pavement underneath. And the concrete splashed like water as his feet sunk. His eyes went wide, as his cast fully unravelled into a serpent, dashing out to the side of him as his Umbrella fell into his hand. Where slowly, a figure in an ancient diving suit, the type with a large round copper helmet, rose from the very concrete itself. The concrete rippling like water as the entity seemed to rise as if walking up stairs. Who are you? Aiden asked, his Umbrella in one hand, his other a brown snake hissing at the figure before him. I am Urban Guerilla, they answered, their voice deep and clearly synthesized on some level. Whatever they looked like underneath was completely hidden by the large and baggy suit, the helmets opaque glass obscuring even their face. Still, Aiden could catch the change, You named yourself after your ability? They did not answer, instead, asking, What were you doing here? Both of his legs were completely trapped, the concrete, despite splashing like water around the figure, was cold and hard as stone to his touch. I was on a stroll, then decided to watch what was happening. His face was thankfully obscured by his scarf, its fabric slightly scaly as Oros disguised itself. Who are you? they asked. Do you want my real name or a cape name? he asked in return. I would rather not give the former, and I havent thought of a good one for the latter. A newbie then, that is why I do not recognise you, they remarked. Retract your weapons, I shall free you. Aiden considered them warily, slowly he put away his Umbrella, flat sticking to his stump arm as his serpent wrapped back around it, hiding both. Urban Guerilla took another step up, concrete splashing like water around them as they stood on the rippling concrete as if it were solid once again. They approached, placed their hands around Aidens waist, and pulled. The concrete slipped off his feet like water, and Aiden plopped back onto normal, solid ground. He took a few steps back, watching Urban Guerilla warily. This is the Pitters home, they told him, their form slowly sinking into the concrete. If you do not bring good, do not come here. That is your one warning. And they sunk completely into the ground, the concrete rippling and bubbling like water as they did so. The concrete slowly ceased its liquid like movement, leaving only its watery deformities as proof of the metahumans passing.
Aiden walked through a waking district under the light of dawn. Chinatown woke around him, it had a different name in this world, though to Aiden Lu, the red gates, stone lions and colourful architecture would always be Chinatown to him. This district was located next to a port, where ships came in from far off lands, delivering goods from across the world. Some, more illicit than others. The Scarlet Letter, a large scale illegal smuggling operation. Their current leadership came in recently and oddly they seem to lack metahumans compared to other groups of their size. Rumour has it they escaped Qin Land as it fell to civil war, and they smuggle in some choice products for government officials to stay under the radar. But his steps slowed to a stop, as he sensed something familiar in its unfamiliarity. Bleed. He hastened towards it until he arrived at a small park at the centre of Chinatown, where sitting on the edge of a fountain was a woman in the lotus position. She was the source of the Bleed. She was an Invader, Aiden was sure about it. There was no sense of normalcy coming from her at all, and though she appeared human it just meant she was likely from an Earth-like world. Her appearance was also strange. It was too perfect. Her skin was clear and pale, lips full and red, form lithe and healthy, hair sleek and black, her clothing, though normal, appeared ethereal under the dawn. Almost like she was a porcelain doll. Or perhaps, a doll made of pure white jade. One single eye opened from her meditation, black and beatiful, It is strange, this Bleed they speak of, she remarked to no one in particular. Even when I withdraw my Breath, you Gifted ones can still seek me out. Who are you? Aiden asked warily. She did not feel that strong to his senses, not to the level of Johnjohnjohnjohn, or even a normal goblin. Reality barely felt disrupted by her presence. I am the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass, many simply call me Rain. She spoke with an almost regal tone, a quiet voice of serene confidence and superiority. And Aiden realised the movements her mouth were making, did not correlate to the words he heard. You are not speaking English right now, he stated simply. She did not seem to be speaking any language that Aiden knew, yet he could parse her words in any language he did. I speak the First Tongue, known to all who cultivate the Breath, she told him simply. Why are you here? he asked. You do not hide your weapon well. She was right next to him. Not even the blink of an eye, yet Rain stood beside him, Aidens form stiffening in surprise. And he realised he had made a crucial mistake. A nuclear bomb wouldnt register to his Hume sense, despite its immense power and danger, because it worked off the rules of base reality. The goblins, however, would, for they were ability users. Metas in contriving. So was Johnjohnjohnjohn, being a contrived creation. Isaac too, having that level of Hume broke reality, even if he enforced it. But this woman wasnt an ability user. She wasnt a metahuman. She didnt have a high Bleed level because she didnt use that. What need did she have to break reality? When the laws of her home reality functioned well enough? Mage, he whispered. No, she chided, I am a Cultivator. And on her hands, on those soft and jadelike fingers, was a ring of pure gold, carved into a dragon biting its own tail. From it, she drew a sword, raising it in the air and letting it fly, dancing in the air in mesmerising circles. Suddenly, it was almost as if it were softly raining swords all around them. I dont seek violence, Aiden said. If he drew Umbrella he should be able to make it through the sword rain, but she was already too close to him. If he ran for it she would have an opportunity to attack. Yet you prepare for it, she remarked. It is a smart thing to do when dealing with the unknown. She shrugged, Perhaps. I was taught respect for the strong, yet like many of your kind, you cannot sense Breath. And how would I show respect? he asked. Your name for one, and a bow. Aiden immediately tilted his head down, My name is Aiden. I do not seek battle. A poor bow, she remarked, seeming bored, though it shall do. Raising her hand in the air, the flying sword flew back into her ring. May I ask why the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass is here? Aiden asked, head still slightly lowered. I am here until I can return home, though I do have to repay a benefactor before I do. A benefactor? he couldnt help but ask. Rain slightly pulled away the collar of her shirt, revealing a large red A on her nape. Youre with the Scarlet Letter then? he asked. They have been kind to me, she answered. For one, they told me I would not be unduly bothered if I do not grievously hurt anyone here. And a bead of sweat fell of Aidens perfectly neutral looking face. A warning and a boast in one. Then I will go with your leave. She flicked her wrist, waving him away, and Aiden left that place.
On Friday, Aiden bade farewell to his friends, as alone he strode towards a large mall near the centre of the city. Passing through numerous stores, he found one where children crowded outside, staring longingly at the displays inside. A candy store. The prices were daylight robbery, yet one child proudly displayed a grey wrapped candy in his cupped hands, before popping it into his mouth and to the dismay and jealousy of others, he temporarily grew wolf ears. Another candy let another child blow bubbles with burning flames in them, while another child swam through the air. The Sweets Shop. Sells meta toy candies to the general public, but doubles as commission centre for anonymous handymen. Generally focuses on taking out Invaders and other threats whom the capes and military police dont bother with due to it being low threat. That or commissioners dont want official actors involved. Some criminal gangs hire from this place. Looking inside, Aiden saw an old woman, greying hair tied into a bun as they managed the store with a kitchen apron. She looked, by all accounts, like someones sweet old grandmother. But one of her legs was a metal prosthetic, and when she pulled up her sleeves she revealed heavily scarred arms, each hand missing several fingers. The owner is a former vet, though her license has been revoked. She produces the candies and the paper warns she is dangerous in every sense of the word. This time, Aiden did not have an encounter before leaving.
What do you think of the city? Ranpo asked as the sun began to set. Youve definitely seen more of it than me, Aiden remarked, massaging his forehead. I didnt think it was this weird. Well, now you know, Ranpo tilted his head, It is odd though, how there are so many unlicensed metahumans out there. Maybe they dont want the massive student debt, Aiden replied, only half-jokingly. I am curious though, he continued, the Law considers earning money with your ability without a license as a serious misdemeanour, worth up to several decades in prison. Yet plenty of people blatantly break that rule, Ranpo finished. So you have to wonder, Aiden said, tapping his foot, why the Law doesnt change in response. Adams and Gruts Homes are basically completely legal, save for the metahuman license part, and the illegal migrants arent a big deal since they are beneficial, it would be easy to fully legalise them, so why has this system remained for so long? Why was it necessary for a meta to spend years in study and participate in long military service before they could be considered legally allowed to earn money with their ability? It was a lot of hoops to jump through when plenty of people just ignored it to make money anyways. Aidens phone rang then, a message from the group chat popping up on screen as he flipped it open.
JunMoon: YO! @AIDEN1507! Dar found a rlly cool mukbang place! Come join!
He paused, hesitation in his eyes as he glanced at Ranpo. The crow shrugged, Go, not having friends is a bad look for people your age. Aiden smiled slightly, whether the crow meant his appeared or actual age, he wasnt sure. Regardless, he replied to the group chat in affirmative. He felt the ping soon enough, as Darius cracked open the milkis coffee can he had. Instantly stepping into the restaurant from an unobserved spot, he laughed as he took the can, quickly downing it as he asked what they would be having. Five minutes later, Josh lay on the ground, writhing uncontrollably, and Aiden felt a burning pain spread throughout his body. Chapter 40 Red Hot Chilli Peppers Attacks! Part 2 Chapter 40 Red Hot Chilli Peppers Attacks! Part 2 I keep telling people, Sink or Swim works! 100% of those that survive my lessons have learnt a way to escape live volcanoes. - Pele, B Class Cape The owner and chef was a large fish person. His skin was covered in tiny green-cyan scales and he smiled a sharks smile, one filled with rows and rows of teeth. Got hit with Bleed, he told them with a thick accent. Almost suffocated on land, then got 츳. Gifted, Aiden translated the word. Heavens Endowment also worked, but Aiden didnt see a need to make a flowery translation. The chefs hands were mesmerising, constantly pulling and stretching the dough to create noodles of varying thickness as he cleanly prepared bowl after bowl of noodles. Five bowls were soon sent onto their table, one for each of them. Wren couldnt make it today due to having a Friday curfew. The challenge was simple, to simply eat as many chilli noodles as you can, the more you ate in one sitting, the more you got. From the meal becoming free up until a lifetime discount. On the side of each of the bowls given to them, was a digital counter, that recorded their progress. With the false hand Wren gave him, Aiden took out a pair of chopsticks, and tried and fail to use them, too unused to the limb. His real, left hand also didnt help. Sighing, he called for a waiter and asked for a fork. Ready? Darius asked. Yesterday, Luther snorted. On three! Jun declared, her mask pulled down. One! she readied her chopsticks. Two, Josh said, rolling a nice dollop of noodles with his fork. Three! All of them yelled together. At once, they slurped the noodles, except Luthor who bit down after every bite, cutting the noodles instead of slurping. A pleasant heat spread through Aidens mouth, a mixture of chilli oil, herbs and other ingrediants, mixing with noodles that simply bounced in his mouth. Even this is a bit too hot, Josh said as he panted, blowing air in a bid to cool his tongue. What? Luther asked, This is nothing cuz! Its still pleasant right now, Jun noted. Well you guys are built different, Josh answered, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead. He reached for his glass of water, still panting as he downed the cool drink.
Mistake, Mr Nguyen thought. Only a few tables from the students, sat a balding officeworker in his mid forties, casually doing the same challenge. Mr Nguyen was a regular of this store, having been here since the day it first opened, those two long decades ago, when Chef Hwuang was still discriminated for his fish affliction. He sat with Hwuang through the years, eating his noodles, and was one of the first to suggest and partake in this challenge that used the fishmans metahuman ability. Nguyen was a true connossieur of the ways of chilli eating, and he knew the pale skinned child would not make it. With a greedy gulp of water, Josh only felt a brief relief, before the water washed the flavour of chilli down through his throat. A silent scream ripped itself out of his mouth, as his throat and stomach burned with pain, Josh Tuba fell out of his seat clutching his throat, his face red as he writhed on the ground in pain. The counter on Joshs bowl stopped, and displayed a simple message.
Chilli Tolerance: Lvl 0, Mayonnaise is a bit spicy innit?
No prize, and the boy had to pay the full price for the meal. In not being able to handle even the basest level, the weakness of his mind was shown. Shit, Darius muttered, taking a break as he zipped open his duffle bag. I gotchu fam. And he threw a bottle of milk into Joshs desperate hands. The boy hurriedly unscrewed the cap and pulled off the plastic covering, taking a deep gulp of the milk. Nguyens eyes widened, as he saw the duffle bag, full of bottles of milk. Darius laughed at Juns questioning glance, Came prepared, you want some? Jun shook her head, flicking chilli oil around her. A cheat, Nguyen knew, not one that was disallowed, but one he personally frowned upon, however, this was a battle of endurance, where the weak were left behind. Milk cannot defeat Hwuangs ability, simple in its deadliness.
Shit, doesnt it taste a bit hotter? Darius asked as he drank another full bottle of milk. Juns face was turning red, though she adamantly shook her head, Nuhuh. Barelytasteit. At this point, all of them had noticed that despite eating for the past five minutes, the amount of noodles in the bowl had not changed at all. Chef Hwuangs ability could produce an infinite number of noodles from any bowl he personally prepared, however! As the noodles were eaten, they increased in heat and chilliness at an exponential level. The counters on their bowls all dinged at once.
Lvl 5, Ghost Reaper
At this point, all of them could feel the burn. Darius panted as he scrambled to down more milk. Jun had fallen limp on the table, her mouth gaping like a fish, hiccuping in her bodys bid to expel the spice. Holy shit, Darius panted, stacking another empty bottle of milk onto a growing pile. His hands shook, sweaty and weak. I think we should give- His voice was interrupted by the sound of Luther biting down on more noodles. Juns eyes shone with determination, as she weakly, forced herself up to grab the chopsticks again. Darius looked at his friends around him, and grit his teeth, rolling his fork in the noodles once again, he took another bite, and he could physically track the progress of the noodles as it went down his digestive track, purely from the waves of pain it generated. Gasping, Darius reached for his bag- Illtakethatmilknow. Only to lock eyes with Jun. In his bag, was only left one bottle of milk. Wecandothisthehardoreasyway, Jun panted, her face red as the heat seared her body. You are my friend Jun, Darius said, beads of sweat dripping down his face. But you test that now. Youvehadplentyalready, she pointed out, gesturing at the pile of empty bottles beside him. Dont make me do this, Darius said, his eyes hard. Jun grabbed her bowl with one hand, the other slamming down on the table to launch her in the air. But Darius was already moving, arm wrapping around his own bowl, he jumped back, pulling the strap of his duffle bag as he dodged Jun, jumping away from the speedster as she gained on him. In that brief moment, Jun was still in the air, her hands reaching for Dariuss duffle bag. Darius swung it, the bag slamming into Juns face as he spun the bag like a bola above him. Her noodle bowl almost slipped her hand, but a moment of sped time allowed her to grab it and catch all the falling soup, she turned to Darius, just as he pulled a red can from his bag. Jun rushed him, vaulting over other customers and tables, the bowl of noodles still in hand, to prevent him from summoning whatever that can was. Instead however, Darius threw the can, and took out the milk bottle. In that slow motion moment, when Jun reached him and grabbed the head of the milk bottle, hand unscrewing the lid as she reached for Darius, the Quokka Quola can slammed into a table, denting, its liquid spilling out, and Darius disappeared into soda foam, mere millimetres from Juns grasp. She quickly turned around, following the path the can travelled, to find Darius half soaked in Quokka Quola, an opened bottle of milk in his hand. FuckingGenelines! she yelled as she ran towards him anew. Darius reached for the bottle, one arm supporting the bowl of noodles, he picked at the plastic covering the head of the bottle, all that remained from him drinking that milk. And when Jun was moments away from reaching him, he slammed the heel of his foot into his other foot. And the teleportation was undone. I WIN! Darius thought in triumph, back where he started, Jun could not double back and reach him in time! His sweating fingers finally grabbed onto that tiny slip of plastic, the part that overhang from the bottle head, and ripped it off! And only that tiny slip. He stared uncomprehendingly at the bottle, the plastic seal was still perfectly on, he had only managed to rip off that overhang. Darius rushed to pull the seal off from another slip, but it was too late. Daycore, Jun said as she finally touched Darius. He was slowed down, and in this state he could only watch as Jun snatched the milk bottle from his hands. You probably cant hear this, Jun said, knowing full well their difference in de- and acceleration prevented any meaningful communication. But this is a dog eat dog world, and you were a single step too slow. Instead of pulling the seal off, Jun simply stabbed her thumb through it, poking through to the milk, she drank deeply, letting out a gasp of relief as she finished, the heat washing out of her body. All of it appearing as a swift blur to Dariuss perspective. So suffer, you who were too slow. Suffer in a world of slowed time as the pain of fire consumes you. The bowl dropped from Dariuss arm, falling onto the ground, it dinged.
Chilli Tolerance: Lvl 6, couldnt even make it to the good part.
And Jun began walking back towards their table, holding the bowl in one hand and eating with the other. As she sat down, her stomach rumbled. And Jun remembered she was lactose intolerant, with a highly enhanced metabolism from Nightcore. Feeling it already poking out, she leapt out of her seat, time slowed as she rushed towards the toilets. But speeding up herself, meant all of herself. She forcefully clenched, keeping it in as she finally reached the toilets, grabbing the womens door, she tried to open it. Only to find it already occupied. Ha! No problem! she declared, as she swiped both hands over her face, Nightcore disappearing into their left hand. But no Daycore. Jun turned to see Darius still in the middle of the restaurant, his time still slowed down. Shit! they yelled, Darius! Give me back my gender! Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Darius slowly turned to them, as Jun dodged tables, their asses clenched with the full willpower of their person. Jun slapped Darius with their right hand, taking back Daycore as they rushed back to the toilets. Every movement threatened to leak it out, but they were determined, as they finally threw open the male toilets, pulling his pants down as he slammed the door behind him. Jun breathed a sigh of relief as he let it all out. Back on the table, Juns bowl dinged failure.
Nguyen stared uncomprehendingly at the two still sitting at the table. One biting, one slurping. As the bowls dinged,
Lvl 8, Burnt at the Stake
Heat billowed like an aura around them, several customers were forced back as the temperature rose to a suffocating level. Like a burning flame, the heat from those bowls kept rising, smothering all around like a blanket. Yet, the two still sat there, one biting, one slurping. Nguyen looked at his own bowl, still at level six, and even then his body shook and sweated. His tongue burned and his face was red. He knew from experience he could not pass this level. That even in his prime, at the height of his youth, he could not pass the impenetrable barrier that was level seven. He could not surpass ten million Scovilles. And yet, those two teenagers continued on, entering the mythical level eight, where the heat physically affected the world. Hwuang was forced to turn on the air con, yet it was a losing battle, the heat from the dishes were smothering all things dry. Someone had even taken out marshmallows to brown on the heat. Nguyen wondered if this was his limit. He wondered if this was all he could accomplish, that even with decades of work, of training himself on countless chillis whose strength went into the millions, that after so long he could only weaken and watch others with a fraction of his experience surpass him in ways unimaginable. That in the end, talent truly triumphed decades of hard work. Even middle aged, if he tried to continue, all that chilli coming out the other end would cause him to shit a new asshole. His body wasnt as young as it once was. He should give up, and just take the year long discount he had already earned. Then dark-skinned teen locked eyes with him, who had long put down his chopsticks. A moment passed, before the teen took a now warm glass of water, drinking it deeply. Luther laughed, nudging Aiden as he asked, Can finally feel the heat now aye bro? Luther had drunk the water to intentionally worsen the pain, yet he laughed. Nguyen looked at his own bowl. And he once again, began eating. For when the teen had taunted him by drinking that water, a fire was lit in Nguyens belly. Not the literal flame caused by the chilli, but a metaphorical one. He had been battling this challenge since before these fuckers were even born. Nguyen refused to be one upped by teenagers still wet behind the ears! Fresh waves of pain bombarded him, he felt his chest begin to constrict as the pain made it hard to breathe. But he refused to stop, not until the one in front of him too relented. They ate, fresh waves of maddening pain washing over them.
Lvl 9, Forest Fire
His chopsticks started to char under the heat, and the teens forks began to turn red, yet none of the three relented, none allowed themselves to fall before the others did. As they all entered level ten.
Luther could feel his body burning up. Every mouthful felt like a lump of burning charcoal forced down his throat, he could physically feel the noodles going through his digestive tract, his mind began to panic, he had taunted the old man as a joke, but now he stared at them with unrelenting eyes. He missed the previously cold air, how every time he used to open his mouth it would cool him down, but now the heat was all encompassing. He needed an excuse to stop, but pride wouldnt allow him to be the first person to fall, so he turned to his companion. Aiden, how are you holding- And Luther paused, for Aidens eyes were glazed over, as he mechanically continued to slurp the endless noodles. Aiden had long ceased thinking. As Luther bit into another mouthful, he knew he could not beat the person beside him. Aiden was beyond determination or willpower. All that was sitting beside him was a mindless thing, whose only purpose was to finish the quest he had set out for. Uncaring of pain or sacrifice, Aiden will continue, no matter the cost. Luther reached into his pocket, removing a single coin. The same coin he had demonstrated his ability with. Luthers power was shit. It was conditional, its power was not immediately or visually applicable. He was not physically powerful or fast like Jun or Josh, he wasn''t flexible like Wren or Aiden, and his power did not have a powerful utility effect like Dariuss. So he knew, in order to survive in this world, he needed to play dirty. He had not lied to Aiden when he revealed the nature of his luck manipulation, however, he had swapped out the luck rigged coin with a normal, weighted one. So that Luther still had a coin with ten flips worth of Aidens bad luck up his sleeve. Rivulets of sweat fell off his arm as Luther bit down on the coin, his teeth viciously ripping into it, until it was deformed. And was no longer able to perform a flip. Suddenly, as Aiden brought his fork up for another mouthful, the fork melted and the noodles fell onto his lap. Aidens pants ignited, but his glazed over mind almost didnt recognise that. Until he saw his wallet ignite. Aidens mind returned like a truck slamming onto its breaks, he threw away the fork that was melting in his hand, pulling out his wallet as he desperately tried to put out the fire. Water! he yelled as he jumped up from his seat, running towards the kitchen. And his bowl of noodles dinged it a failure. Leaving only two.
Time ceased being a meaningful concept as Luther and Nguyen sat, only a few tables apart. Luther knew he would defeat Nguyen as well. The older man was hunched over his bowl, his sweat burning into steam and his eyes drying as he weakly continued to eat. His slurps intermittedly interupted by coughing fits. Luther was nearly at his limit, but he knew the other would reach it first. His body wasnt special but it was younger, compared to the older man who had long surpassed his physical and mental peak. In this competition of theirs, Luther would be the winner. Until Nguyen raised a single finger in the air. The area surrounding them had long since surpassed the heat of a sauna, none else dared come near them, so that movement was not to call a waiter. As Luther bit another bite, he wondered, what was the purpose of that movement? The truth was simple really. Nguyen was declaring to Luther, that he had made One. Single. Mistake. For Luthers experience with chilli was eating hot wings and fried chickens, foods that were eaten in bites which did not rise in heat as they were eaten. So he ate with a cut, twirling up a forkful of noodles and biting into it, severing its ends. Whereas Nguyen ate by slurping. As Nguyens lips cracked and dried, he knew the advantage he had. In a food battle where the food could rise in heat by tens of millions of Scovilles every second, Nguyens method of slurping exposed him to more consistent fire and pain. But it accustomed him to it, as he could physically taste the heat rise up. Whereas with cutting, Luther had short breaks with every bite, theoretically allowing more time to rest and recover. But it opened him up to getting blindsided by a sudden, extreme rise in Scoville. As that moment, the bowls dinged level thirteen, and Luther put a fresh mouthful of noodles into his mouth. That night, both tasted the Sun. And Luther choked.
We are never going out on Dariuss suggestion ever again, Josh groaned, poking his tongue out to taste the cool night air. Agreed, Jun groaned from beside him. Seconded, Darius himself agreed as he poured another gallon of milk into Luthers mouth. Aidens face was completely neutral as he regarded the lifelong discount he had just won. Stuffing it into his, mostly salvaged and only slightly singed wallet, he nodded in agreement, though he felt that he had won out in the endeavour. ˵ʲô? (What did you say?) the owner, Hwuang yelled on the phone from behind the counter. Ϊʲôͻ˰?! (What do you mean you cant do deliveries anymore!?) Aiden perked up, rising from his spot on the grass. The large shark man slammed his phone down, shaking his head and complaining about something under his breath, just as Aiden approached. ϰ! (Boss!) he called out, ˵ûһͻԱ? (I heard you say you dont have a delivery person now?) The man squinted at him, һѧ, (You are a student,) he pointed out. ¿οԹ, (I can work after class) Aiden answered. Hwuang drummed the countertop, г ȫзΧͻûоͲ! (Do you have a bike? We do deliveries across the city, if you dont have one then the answer is no!) Aiden nodded, ҿԺ׵õһ (I can very easily get one.) Hwuang nodded, Very well! he said in English this time, Youre hired, heres my number, show up before four with a bike by next week. You have GPS on your phone? Aiden furiously nodded, I do. I pay by the hour, and download the FoodBox employee app. Understood. The man turned back to his store, Make sure to show up! Erm, one question before you go though, Aiden asked. What? Do you have an ability license? And the man paused. Freezing in step. Hwuang sighed, ûС Why not? Aiden asked. ֮һ, he told him simply ֱʡ His body seemed to shake, as the older man averted his eyes from him, ... ܣ̫ˡ Hwuang shook his head, I understand if you dont want to have a coward as a boss. I dont mind, Aiden replied. And he meant it.
As the moon fell, Aiden stood on his balcony, a cup of cool water in his hands. One in five, Boss Hwuang had told him. One in five metahuman soldiers did not live to see the end of their service. Of their friend group, at least one of them was statistically likely to be dead before twenty-five. It makes sense why so many people dodge the draft then, Ranpo murmured. It is apparently a big issue, Aiden agreed, theyve been trying to lower the casualty rate for centuries, but one in five is the best that has been achieved so far, other than in rare times of extended peace. It made a morbid sort of sense, why Genelines, the main contributors to the ranks of metahuman soldiers, had so many children. Wren was only one of over a dozen siblings. Josh wouldnt even be able to name how many aunts and uncles he had. Or, had left. With how expensive and limited healing is, many metahumans also leave service with injuries that go with them their entire life. Is the license even worth it then? Ranpo asked. Aiden knew what he was suggesting. I still think it is, he muttered, the legal benefits of being certified to commercialise your ability is only a side benefit. There is a reason why Geneline families are so powerful, he continued. The license gives prestige. And prestige was its own form of power. Free travel to all countries, citizenship applications rubber-stamped, extreme leniency with bank loans and being able to use the license to exempt yourself from many education and professional degree requirements. Though the license itself cant be passed down, children who were born in such families already had a world of advantages. So it is worth a twenty percent chance of death? Ranpo asked. People will have different opinions, he answered, but I believe it is. Ranpo turned away, back to looking at the moon, Though that doesnt answer why the Law doesnt change, why they dont just make a simpler, lesser license with fewer benefits. It is curious, Aiden murmured as he flipped open his phone. On the side of the screen were some news updates, Aiden idly flicked through some of them, until he paused at one. A clip, showing a woman he recognised. The vice-principal, sitting in the prosecutors seat of a large courtroom. The judge finds the defendant guilty of crimes against humanity. The defendant is sentenced to 8106 years in prison with no parole, and to have all their supernatural properties Confiscated for the duration of their sentence. And the gavel was struck. The defendant, the Necron Overlord who battled the VP through Last Stand, spoke. It is not a subtle thing, what you attempt, the skeleton had snarled. Before all power was ripped from it, the skeleton crumbled into its seat as its power settled into an official-looking document. Oh, Aiden muttered. It was that simple, What? Ranpo asked, walking closer beside him. Law is a Living Concept, a type of magic, he murmured, through it, they are capable of Confiscating supernatural properties from people, including meta abilities. How many abilities had the VP called upon to battle? He couldnt remember, but the idea was simple. Multiple abilities, working in tandem, each increasing the effectiveness of the other. The Laws purpose isnt just to keep order, he muttered, that was its sole purpose in his old world, wasnt it? He had believed that, even as he moved into the new. Its to create one of the greatest weapon stashes in the world, he continued. One that cannot be robbed or stolen by outsiders, usable only by loyal practitioners of this country, kept in line by checks and balances. And it still kept order, just a different sort, one not represented by written Laws, but by silent agreements all have made. Right now Aiden was only aware of the VP who could access those abilities, but in time? As that Living Concept grew and gained more authority, how many more practitioners could access that stash? Everyone is a willing criminal because they understand that even now, they benefit the society that protects us, Aiden chuckled. It was that simple. Even then Ranpo murmured. Let me tell you a story, Aiden said as he sat down by the table, One of my previous life. I worked as an accountant for a water company and you know what happened one day? Ranpo tilted his head, silently asking him to continue. One of the suburban towns, it turned out their tap water got contaminated by a factory upstream. Lots of diseases and stuff, babies getting born wrong. And you know what my company did? My company bribed the local official to delay repairs to the water supply, just so they could muscle in and sell a few more bottles of water. Aidens hand tightly gripped into his other arm, his nails sinking into flesh until they drew blood. How do you know this? Ranpo asked, the question sounding like a judges gavel to Aidens ears. I was offered money, he said without pride, to keep two accounts for the company, a fake one for the taxes and records, and the real one. And you took the money? And I took the money, he stated. But, why? Ive asked that more times than I can count, Aiden answered, I knew that revealing such a thing was basically career suicide, I needed the money as I was beginning the raise Jaiden, but honestly? Strip away the excuses, and the truth of it all was that I didnt do anything remotely good when I made that decision. Why are you telling me this? Ranpo asked. Why now? Because now I know. Aiden told him, Now I know I am at least doing more good than I was in my last life. The next morning, the shredded pieces of paper Geoge gave him sprouted in the dirt bowl Aiden had left it in. And Aiden knocked on the shutters of the Sweets Shop, meeting a grandmotherly old woman and got his second job in this world. Chapter 41 Tāo Tiè Chapter 41 To Ti And greed, again, and the blind lust of honours Which force poor wretches past the bounds of law, And, oft allies and ministers of crime, To push through nights and days with hugest toil To rise untrammelled to the peaks of power- These wounds of life in no mean part are kept Festering and open by this fright of death. - Some dead poet who thought too much. The third universal constant, Aiden sardonically thought, was systemic hypocrisy. His story to Ranpo was not the only he had of his old world, his mentor- the person who showed him the ropes when he first took a job- once worked at an oil company operating in the arctic circle. Said company realised the implications of fossil fuels on the climate decades before anyone else did, spending millions on researching its effects on the world. Years before the first major scientific discussion, the oil company realised the overuse of fossil fuels led to climate change. They decided the melting of the arctic circle would lead to easier access to their drilling stations, saving them billions of transport costs over the years. And so, they said nothing as the world burned around them. Compared to that, his water bottle story was tiny, inconsequential. When the HR manager pressed a wad of cash into his chest, laughing about how he should buy a fresh bottle of champagne with the money, he did not immediately take it. He did not immediately begin working on the falsified accounts. Aiden Lu had stewed over it, realising the hypocrisy of a company that claimed to be working for the benefit of its customers. And when this world gave him another choice, when they pressed another metaphorical wad of cash into his chest, he had pondered again, of why it asked him to go against their written laws, the ideals they held in high regard, why this society criminalised a significant portion of its people. The answer was simple. Because they benefited from it. They were both, in the end, reliant on hypocrisy, he murmured. In realising the world wasnt good, it lowered the bar on what his good can be, giving him more leeway on his definition of morality. It was hypocrisy, and he knew it, he knew that he was retracting the ideals of his old world, the adherrance to law and order, because the current one did not see such things in the same light. In his previous world, if he got a reckoning, he might be thrown in prison for a few months, maybe gotten a large fine, if he was unlucky he mightve been used as a scapegoat and the sentence rose from months to years, but his time rotting in jail would only serve to waste taxpayer money. Here, a reckoning came with the only thing worthwhile to his existence ripped from him and given to someone better qualified. Oh sure, he would get it back after his sentence was done, but it was stupid to believe several years or decades with a Spawner power as good as his would be worth less than the cost of a jail cell. It was better, if only slightly. Now he knew that the society he was in would not shun him, would not ostracize him for taking this path, his worries were abated. There was still the niggling idea of someone punching his door down and arresting him in the night, but so long as he didnt step over that unspoken line, so long as he fulfilled the expectations of the world, he could profit off it more than it risked him. Barely two weeks old and I have already learnt that morality is relative, Ranpo blithely commented. Truly, I am speedrunning old age. He did quietly disagree with that. Good men lived good lives, Aiden still believed that, well and truly. But never once did he truly believe that he was good. The world wasnt right, and neither was he, so his heart only felt a familiar emptiness. Old age isnt such stupid life lessons, Aiden chuckled. It is realising your favourite kebab place has closed down, it is finding more hair on your pillow every time you wake up, it is hearing your college friends had gotten married and become completely different people. His eyes turned to the hospital he was leaving, the rising dawn casting long shadows on its structure. It is realising you have outlived what you believed to be constant. In the hospital, there was a vase of fresh flowers by a comatose girls bed. I refuse to outlive constancy again, Aiden muttered. As Aiden turned and left, Ranpo saw on his creators cheek, Oros, the white serpent biting its tail, a symbol of infinity. Or perhaps, the crow mused, self destruction. Aiden had stopped by a cart, one selling various masks, bargaining, he bought one, and gestured at Ranpo to hurry up. As the crow did, he looked at the details of the mask Aiden had just bought. Metallic, either bronze or copper. The mask was carved in an old eastern way, angular with squarish features depicting a bug-eyed creature with no lower jaw and goat horns that curved like squares. All in all, the mask would completely cover Aidens upper face. What is it? Ranpo asked I heard it is called a . Taotie, Ranpo heard. Its a rather funny name, Aiden told him, both words individually mean gluttony, added together it just means gluttony again. I suppose its a pun of sorts. What is it supposed to depict? the crow asked, peering at it, A chimera of some kind? Aiden shrugged. Who knows. What the creature meant or was named is forgotten even in my old world, was just a later name that was given to it, long after its first was lost. He continued, talking as he walked, It couldve been a god that was worshipped, it couldve been a monster that was feared, it couldve just been a misdrawn goat. And he put the mask on. Whatever it was, it doesnt really matter now, does it?
Boss Huang noted he would pay Aiden $10 per hour, a generous $1.58 above the teen minimum wage, almost 20% more per hour. If he worked the entire week, took every shift from 4pm to 10pm night, it would yield him about $420 per week. Teenage Aiden Lu mightve cried tears of joy at such rates. It was blindly obvious that it wasnt enough. He was on week three in this world, taking just this job would buy him only two and a half weeks before his inheritance runs out. Jaidens plug gets pulled on week eight and a half instead of on week six. The time he was allowed faffing about was nearing its end. He patted Ranpo on the back of the head, I go this alone, dont risk yourself. The crow frowned. Im not going to leave you alone on this, Ranpo answered. Theres no need to risk yourself on this, he gently said, I risk no life other than my own. The crow scoffed, As if your life is worth any less than mine. It is, Aiden quietly said. Without listening for an answer, Aiden left the crow outside as he entered. Wearing the taotie mask, a large hoodie and a scarf that obscured a lot of his features, he knocked on the shutters of the Sweets Shop. The old woman that opened the shutters was shorter than him, at least by a head. She looked as he remembered her, appearing like a sweet old woman who wouldnt look out of place in a primary school. But he noticed the limp she walked with, how one of her legs fell harder on the ground than the other, and the scarred hand that was missing its ring and pinky finger. I heard you give commissions? The old lady appraised him for a moment, and gestured inside, Hurry in, I will tell you of how this works. He entered quietly after her, passing rows and rows of strangely coloured candies. Each of them were perfect spheres, reminding him greatly of gobstoppers. She opened and entered the staff room in the back without a word, and Aiden followed. Entering, he found a sparsely decorated storage area, filled with cardboard boxes and a stray computer hidden behind a tall pile of boxes. The tops, shelves and such, he noted, were covered in dust. Its been a long time since I was young, the old woman amicably began as she rifled through a box. I cant quite reach the places I could before. You could get some help, Aiden replied, the costs of your cover store is practically daylight robbery. She chuckled, still bent over, searching for something in the boxes. Oh sure I could hire someone else, but there arent a lot of people I can quite trust at this age. And when she found what she was looking for, she rose and turned around. Aiden eyes narrowed slightly, as he saw a clear plastic pipe tube in her hands. Within the tube were five multicoloured candies. Oh you didnt believe those small parlour tricks were the limit of my ability did you? she asked. My name is Sarah Sour, but just call me Sarah. Is that a threat? Aiden asked, eyes watching the tube. She had done a good job calculating distance, Aiden wouldnt be able to reach her before she ate the candies. So he stood planted to the ground for now, not making a move. She shrugged, Just an extra measure, my operation is nowhere near a secret, and there are plenty of people who can profit off of an ability generator, even if temporary. So why dont they? Aiden asked. Sarah shook the tube, rattling the five candies inside, Youre looking at it. Five unknown abilities that can be accessed by the person in front of him with a single mouthful. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Fair enough, Aiden agreed. It didnt permanently grant, that he was sure of given that none of the ones in the store lasted more than an hour. But a fight could be ended in less than a minute. And what were the chances that the five candies were a bait? If it were such a valuable defensive weapon, why did she keep it in a box at the back of the store? She must have some other way of protecting herself, maybe she hid more candies in her clothing, maybe she had an ability item like his Umbrella or the fidget spinner Trist had. Not to mention, she was one of the only people the paper mentioned as actively dangerous. I know you are sizing me up. Aiden paused, and shook his head, Sorry, force of habit. I dont blame you, she mused, it is one of the better habits. She gestured to the computer desk, towards a sheaf of papers. How I function is simple, write down your phone number on one of those papers, and Ill text you the website and your password for logging in. Itll display to you a list of requests from people who require a more specialised hand. You choose whether to take them up, but so long as you follow the clients requests there will be no problem. He moved to write his number down, his left hand still slightly unused to such dexterous movement, but the end result was readable. And finally, I need to ask if you are a meta. Aiden paused, considering the person before him. Hes already come this far. I am, he said. Then we will need this. Suddenly, something began to manifest to Sarahs left side, Aiden shifted a step back, watching the thing warily as it phased into existence. It at first appeared like a UFO, the circular kind made of some kind of smooth metal, with eight glass bulbs spaced evenly underneath, but from the top centre of the disk rose a large pink foamy thing, its material almost looking like a pool noodle. It blinked at him, eyes placed to the side of the foam shape, and as the foam expanded behind it, he realised it looked like an octopus. A pink octopus made of pool foam, whose body underneath its eyes was replaced by a shiny, metallic UFO. Blend S, Sarah said, the second part of your contract is simple. Every week you intend to use my service, you come here and let me imprint my ability with yours. What does it do? Aiden asked, examining the strange thing. It will be simpler to show you, she said. Suddenly, a green light lit up above one of the glass bulbs, the one pointed directly in Sarahs direction. Blend, a voice rang out, coming from the summoned entity. Suddenly, multicoloured liquid poured out from inside the UFO and filled that glass bulb until the entire thing appeared multicoloured. Another light lit up, the one above the bulb directly clockwise after the last, this time the light was red, and the bulb was pointing towards nothing. No liquid fell into the bulb. Dont move, or youll mess it up. Aiden stood still, watching the thing as another light lit up red, then came the bulb pointed in his general direction. It lit up green. Moult, Blend S said, and liquid was pumped into the glass bulb, milky white, and strangely, a bit scaly. The summon remained stationary, not moving as the lights passed one by one. The remaining glass bulbs all lit up red, no one being in their direction. Once all eight bulbs were finished, six empty and only two filled, the disk began to spin, the colours of the two filled bulbs blurred together as the thing spun, a whiring sound filled the room, not unlike a blender. Then there was a ding as it slowed to a stop. The two filled bulbs were now empty. Sarah placed her hand underneath the octopus, where a hatch opened and a scaly white candy with rainbow highlights dropped into her palm. Aiden took a step back. He almost wanted to swear at the cold sweat that just went down his nape. She didnt make abilities, she copied them. And that octopus thing had eight bulbs. Are those exact copies? Aiden asked, the curiosity opening his mouth before sense could shut it. Why should I disclose such a thing? she mildly asked. At this point, Aiden remembered she still held six candies on her person that he was aware of. He mused over the question for a moment, before deciding with half truth. If it is an exact copy, then you wont want to use my ability without knowing what it is. Hoh? And what might your ability be? She couldnt see his mouth underneath the scarf, but he was smirking when he replied, Why should I disclose such a thing? Sarah rolled the white scaled candy between her fingers, I can tell it is one with a decently high difficulty level if you gave such a warning. Though such a business should begin first and foremost with trust, she continued. You can find this information rather easily, especially if you met some of your peers. My ability does not copy others, it takes impressions, themes and general ideas. It recognised your ability as having the general theme of moult, so that is what it generated. Whatever it is can be completely different from what your ability really is, or it can be exactly the same. So long as it follows the generic theme of moulting. Are there different themes for each ability, he asked. Of course, some people even have the same themes, in which case they can be counted twice. And your ability can take up to eight? She shrugged, Of course it can. They mix into a single ability that is more complex the more themes that were taken. Though the abilitys strength is not determined by number of impressions. Something else then? What determines strength? he asked, before pausing, Should you really be telling me this? You are wasting a potential Hand Reveal against me. She blinked, then chuckled, So one of the M.I.A kids. Aiden froze, his expression becoming completely neutral, despite already being hidden. Dont worry, my ability isnt worth anything in a direct fight, and you arent the first from that school to take a jaunt here. She mimed zipping her lips, Your secrets are safe with this old lady. He was wary, more so than he was before. I think Ill go before I reveal something else, he said, turning his back to the woman as he headed for the door. A fair choice. As Aiden stepped out of the store, he noticed a small shadow dart away from under his feets, eye following it, he mentally cursed as he made his way back outside. Where Ranpo slid off the concrete and onto his body. You followed me. Ranpo shrugged, Only into the store, I couldnt get into the back without your notice. Are you fucking stupid? Aiden asked, We didnt know who we were dealing with, what they were capable of and- He stopped, and very deliberately sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. Rubbing his head, Aiden asked, How much did you hear? Enough. Then well talk about this later, he said, flipping open his phone, seeing the new text message that just popped up. Sat on a park bench, Aiden inputted the details that were texted to his phone, logging into the website Sarah had linked him. The website listed various commission requests and their details, the location, what they needed done, and how much they were willing to pay. Finding one he found relatively simple, he clicked on it, requesting to be the one completing it. After a few seconds, his request was approved.
The location was rather close by. Only a few bus stops out of the city, into the suburban areas. From the disrepair and overgrown lawns, he knew most of these homes were unnoccupied. Except for one. Looking almost blindingly obviously, it had piles and piles of delivery boxes marked with the logos of various corporations littered across its porch and driveway. Aiden checked the details on his phone again. Ranpo, this time make sure you stay back. The crow nodded, he did not argue back, for he was smelling the same thing he was. The smell of rotting flesh. Aiden took a step onto the asphalt road, walking towards the house whose front was covered in delivery boxes. He took a step onto the pavement, onto the walkway, adjusting his mask as he neared. Then he took a step onto the grass. One of the delivery boxes ripped itself open, a long fleshy tendril barbed with teeth lashing out towards him! But the appendage stopped, less than a metre away from Aiden. Delivery mimics, he muttered. Creatures that disguised themselves as delivery packages, spreading throughout society through the delivery system and once delivered began preying on anything that got too close. As he walked forward, more boxes lashed open, meaty pink tendrils lashing blindly towards the source of movement. All stopped before they could reach Aiden. His Umbrella in his left hand, Aidens false right rose up as a serpent, biting into the still tendrils that surrounded him. Injecting venom. It took a solid hour before the last of the delivery mimics died. At the end of it, he knocked on the door of the house, the peephole flashing briefly before the tired man behind it opened the door, eyes widening and tearing in elation as he saw the things trapping him inside had all died. Aiden was thanked profusely, asked to ignore the meth lab underneath the house and given two hundred dollars in bills. For one hour of work.
Fucking hell, Aiden muttered as he examined the corpse in front of him. I can see why this is so profitable. With his Umbrella, he nudged aside the dissected flap of the delivery mimic. Redundant organs, a distributed cardiovascular system, multiple brains It would be extremely difficult to kill one of these normally is what you are saying? Ranpo asked. He nodded. Australia went to war with emus once, and they found that those buggers were tough as hell to bring down. Unlike humans, their vital organs only occupy a small portion of their body, meaning most could tank up to ten bullets without going down. Aiden wiped some blood off his Umbrella, And these mimics are that but on steroids. Even if they are stationary targets, Im not actually sure if firing an entire round into them would actually kill them. You need to spread the damage through the entire body, otherwise the redundancies will kick in. The appendages also resemble octopi, so they might independantly act after the main body is dead. You can pick them off sure, but it would take a lot of bullets. Not to mention the colateral damage. To his knowledge a few non-ability users also used Sarahs service, about equal to the number of metahumans, fulfilling commissions themselves with normal tools, paying just a service fee rather than with their abilities. With the amount you just fought Ranpo murmured, mentally doing arithmetic, It wouldve been extremely costly in munitions and weapons maintainence. That explains why someone didnt just give it a go with their rifle, even if they can, the profit margin would be minimal. But we sidestepped all that, he muttered, glancing at his arm where Oros slept. With my ability, the only real cost was showing up. I didnt have to spend time or money buying bullets, training with weapons or regularly maintaining them. And it wasnt even that dangerous because of how good of a defensive ability his Umbrella was. This feels weird, he muttered as he shoved the corpse back into the garbage bag. That meth maker was undoubtedly one of the more desperate clients on the list, but he still made two-hundred dollars in an hour. Sure, you could add in the travel to and from, along with the bus costs, but at best that just lowered the value to a hundred dollars an hour. That amount of money that quickly just felt weird. Jesus christ, is this what people feel when they quit their desk job and open an OnlyFans? he asked. Suddenly realising that the job they trained for their entire life paid less than intelligently utilising an intrinsic quality of themselves? That woman who acted as a dog was onto something. Is this what they mean by work smarter not harder? he asked, feeling an epiphany come through. What is an Only Fans? Ranpo asked, poking the corpse meat. Dont ask, and dont eat that, it has cobra venom in it. I know, Ranpo sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed. It wouldve been interesting to sample mimic though. Killing those mimics wouldve needed a specialised weapon, either gas or a flamethrower, and those were costly, especially if you wanted to manage damage control. Aiden checked that website again. The other jobs didnt seem as easy as the mimic one, or at least, not as well suited for him. Prices also varied greatly, though the average seemed to be in the range of eighty dollars or so for similar extermination requests. That meth maker was also clearly desperate to be freed from his home, so he mightve risen the price a few times to entice more people to help. I can do this, Aiden muttered. The commissions werent consistent income, that was their limitation. If he did five per week then he would clean out all jobs in the city in less than a month. After that it was moving farther and farther away into the suburbs, where the time spent travelling would dint the efficiency of the method somewhat, along with waiting for new commissions to come up, which was still unreliable in his eyes. It was a short term fix, an extremely good short term fix, but a short term fix nonetheless. I will need to route the cash through something to make it legit, thats another cost, Aiden muttered. But doing this buys me at least another month, maybe two if Im lucky with new commissions. Aidens eyes glimmered, Yes, I can see it. This is becoming doable. Chapter 42 The Cost of Power Chapter 42 The Cost of Power When you reached the top, do you still remember why you climbed? - Megalovania, S-Class Super Villain. Aiden notified the local waste disposal company through a phonebox, repeating the address where the mimic bodies were dumped.
HELP! MIMICS! Payment: $200 Resolved by Taotie
Aiden squatted down and sniffed the dried and desiccated corpse of a golden retriever, the dog was practically mummified. He turned to the grieving old man beside him, Dont worry, Ive got the scent now. On the dogs neck was a massive hole, as if something had punctured through it. Following the scent to the local park, in a lake surrounded by trees, did Aiden hear the loud buzzing that was described to him previously. A massive, blood engorged mosquito clawed itself out of the underbrush, its wing flapping wildly, yet they were not strong enough to allow this almost bowling ball-sized creature to fly. It tried to rush him, its long spindly legs surprisingly agile. It could not reach him, but Aidens snake arm certainly could.
Find out what killed my dog Payment: $80 Resolved by Taotie
Johnny snake arms is starting to sound less and less like a joke, Ranpo said, remembering how he had resolved the last two cases. Using the enemys aggressiveness to trap it within the Umbrella, then finishing it off with a long snake arm that could move freely within the Umbrella due to being directly attached to Aiden. To Ti still sounds better, Aiden replied, before gesturing towards the top of an old abandoned house. Can you talk to it? Ranpo followed his gesture, towards the massive birds nest where a four-eyed magpie stared down at them. Oh because all corvids know each other do they? Its worth a shot. Ranpo snorted, before cawing at the mutated bird. The magpie quirked its head before it cawed back. Oh, you take that back about my genitals! Ranpo yelled in response. Go get him boss! Aiden rolled his eyes, It was worth a shot. When Aiden broke out into a running sprint, the trees around him rustled, as the leaves shot out from the trees and flew like knives towards him! They paused when they entered the Umbrellas range, but when Aiden ran past the frozen razor leaves, they resumed movement, causing them to slash at his skin with dozens of small cuts. Seeing an unknown power, the magpie cawed and manipulating the nearby leaves, created a blanket which raised the nest and flew off with it. Aiden stopped, watching with slight regret as the paycheck escaped. Though the animal was likely only defending the contents of its nest, magpies in particular got really aggressive when chicks were involved. Wiping some blood off his cheek he said, The Umbrella isn''t an omnipotent defence, if I walk into an attack, it will enter the unaffected zone and proceed as normal. The cuts were already scabbing, leaving behind irregular red lines where the leaves had slashed. Projectile manipulators like that one are a problem, Ranpo agreed, After it entered the thirty-centimetre safe zone, the leaves could be freely manipulated. I think I would also have problems if I walked into a melee attacker. That depends, Ranpo replied, They would need to practically stick to you or enter the inner range of the Umbrella. Glancing absentmindedly at the cuts on his clothing and skin, Aiden took a note, I need to bring a bag with extra clothing and nutrients, probably a medkit as well. He glanced at the spot where the nest was. Do you think we still get a partial payment?
Kill the manifested magpie that attacks passersby Payment: $100 $50 Resolved by Taotie Note: Magpie is still loose
Im starting to remember something. What? Ranpo asked. A decent exterminator would probably cost you $500 back in my world, more if your house is large. So now you think were actually getting underpaid? Aiden raised an eyebrow, The novelty is wearing off. So is this job worth it? Ranpo gestured at the small convenience store, where the roof had fallen in. Inside, all surfaces were covered in a writhing layer of maggots that spat out a strange clear slime. From a distance of several dozen metres away, it actually looked like the store was filled with sticky white rice. Unless you have a flame thrower on hand? I believe that is called arson, Ranpo commented.
Clear out the bugs infesting my store! Payment: $250 Unresolved
This is much easier, Aiden murmured, his serpent arm coiled around an increasingly panicking cat. I think the owners want her alive. Aiden shrugged, If you can lend me a hand- oh wait, you cant. Is that a pun I hear? Ranpo asked as he landed on his shoulder. I wasnt aware you had humour inside you. Stranger things have happened, Aiden replied cheerfully as he returned the cat.
Find our beautiful pet cat, Lucy. Payment: $50 Resolved by Taotie
Aiden counted the money in his hand. $380 after a single day of work He counted it again, almost afraid the money would evaporate from his hands. This is more than a Bachelor''s Degree makes after graduation. Is that a lot? Ranpo asked. It is a salary comparable to someone who has several years of experience within their field, Aiden drew the comparison, before shaking his head, Sadly its not sustainable. I can only keep up this kind of pace for a few more weeks. He took out one hundred dollars in notes, then stashed away the remainder, This is enough to pay for the bike I need for Huangs job and for replacing this set of clothes He paused slightly before he took out the entire wad of cash, No, I have to spend this all on more durable clothing, or one that is easily and cheaply repairable. There are tinker and meta shops that sell good, durable clothing for this purpose. Why so? Ranpo asked, quirking his head from his feeding bowl. Its simple, Aiden answered. Say you have two people, a middle-class person and a poorer person. For their job, they both need to buy a pair of boots, say a good pair of boots cost about three hundred dollars. But the poorer person has a low salary, he only earns about five hundred a week so he cannot save up for the boots. Instead, he buys a pair for say, fifty. He continued, counting the money again as he spoke, The middle-class person can afford the three hundred dollar pair of boots, and they are good boots that last him ten years. However, the poor persons boots only last him a month, or even only a few weeks. Aiden put down the money, In the end, the poor person buys a new pair of cheap boots every month, spending fifty dollars every time, after a decade, he wouldve spent thousands more on a pair of boots than the middle classed man. Why wouldnt the poor person just save fifty dollars each month for six months and buy the boots? Ranpo asked, his head quirked. Because the boots are needed for his work, Aiden replied, Maybe hes the breadwinner for his family, and if he doesnt have boots his boss wont let him work due to safety regulations, or maybe he uses the cheap pair for the six months and the water and muck seeps into his socks, causing him to catch a disease on his feet, forcing him to rest in the hospital and shoulder treatment costs, along with missing more time at work. Aiden shrugged, The boots can be replaced with a thousand other things. In the end, the easiest way to make money is to already have money. Ranpo was quiet for a moment, ... Poverty really sounds expensive. Be glad neither of us was born into it, Aiden smiled. Continuing, he spoke, Well use the initial payments for this week to invest into more durable gear, along with a to-go bag with a medkit inside. Along with some highly preservable foods. Something like that nutrient bar the military medics fed him after his trip to Last Stand, though it was boggling expensive, if he ate one after the encounter with Johnjohnjohnjohn then he would not have had any problems dealing with the remaining goblins. To him, that kind of nutrient-dense bar was a hail mary and second wind. His innate regeneration worked wonderfully when there was something to supply it. The durable clothing was a good idea even if he didnt plan on constantly engaging in combat, one must was an indestructible pair of glasses. His current one was barely holding up, and using eagle eyes could only enhance his sight by so much, it also came with the problem of not allowing him to see in the dark. His eyes flittered as he mentally calculated the cost, It should total to maybe a thousand, I need to spend tomorrow doing commissions like today, along with the work I get next week from Boss Huang, I should be able to pay it handily. Youre still just barely breaking even though- Suddenly, there was a tapping coming from the balcony. Aiden and Ranpo both turned towards it and saw that tapping the glass sliding door, was a murder of maybe five crows. One, that was missing a leg and scarred in one eye, cawed towards Ranpo. Ranpo blinked. You cant be fucking serious. Aiden, who mentally began calling that crow Uno due to it missing its leg and eye, asked, Whatd they say? Ranpo didnt have a chance to reply before the several more crows flew down. Some were carrying shiny coins. Some of them were carrying green notes of money. They want to buy food, Ranpo spoke disbelievingly. Aidens expression froze. Silently, he walked towards the balcony, sliding open the door, the crows backing off, leaving a small circle with a pile of money at the centre. He squatted down, and silently looked over the pile, not yet touching it. Aiden saw at least two fifty dollar notes, along with six twenties, a number of tens and fivers, along with a pile of golden dollar coins and silver cents. Ranpo, how did they get this money? With a strained voice, the crow asked, Do you really want to know? What is the danger of me knowing? You might not take it, knowing its origins, Ranpo replied. Aiden closed his eyes, silently repeating under his breathe, Ignorance is bliss, ignorancing is bliss Dont think of what the birds mightve done to amass this pile of wealth, think only of Jaden, think only of her laying comatose in her bed After a while, Aidens eyes flittered back open, How much food do they want? Enough to feed all of them? Ranpo hesitantly replied. For how long? The expectation seems to be just this day. And Aiden realised something. The crows didnt actually understand how much this was all worth. They just understood that humans used money. Aiden stood up, walked back into the apartment, and dragged out the twenty-kilogram bag of bird feed he had bought for Ranpo. After showing it to the crows, whose numerous beady eyes had all locked onto it, he gathered the money into a bowl, before dumping the entire bag of birdseed onto the balcony. The first to step forward was Uno, who began eating its fill, emboldened by their actions, the rest quickly descended, pecking at the plastic to rip open more openings to feed from. Aiden counted the money they had given him. And sighed. He sighed deeply as if he had suddenly realised his lifes work was meaningless. The bag of bird feed cost him thirty dollars, it was enough to last Ranpo alone for several months. The crows just gave him $348.55. This feels wrong. Catching onto his tone, Ranpo quirked his head, Committing actual crime compares to this? This feels worse Rubbing his brow, he muttered, I just I never realised I was the type of person to care so much about working for a living. If he was female, was this the point where he opened up an OnlyFans? No, he shook his head, the prerequisite for that was that he needed to actually be attractive. If his current malnourished state was any indicator, a female version of him would likely be lacking in those areas. Then his treacherous mind began to question the requirement to be female to open an OnlyFans, and Aiden almost attempted to use Colorful to purge his mind of that idea. The next day, after doing a few more commissions, earning a total of $430, he brought home two sets of tinker created clothing, outdoor pants and hoodies that were significantly more durable than any of his current clothing, as they were immune to cuts, burns and even bullets to a certain extent, a few bars of nutritionally dense foods, a tinker made gym bag to carry all of it, and finally a bicycle according to the specifications Huang gave him. He still had about three hundred dollars left. In the end, the fucking birds paid for my savings, he muttered. Do you regret it? Ranpo asked. I feel morally dubious, he answered honestly. At least with Law, he understood that the vast criminalisation of the meta population was the desired intent, meant to fulfil several conditions for a power grab. It was endorsed by society to a certain extent, and thus, morally acceptable with big air quotes. But the crows? Even if on a much smaller scale, the amount of money they gave to him was simply suspicious. So he had no choice but to worry about it while knowing it would be best to not know. He sighed and continued with the stance that it was best not to think about it. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Should we do that test tomorrow? Ranpo asked. Aiden nodded, Yeah, you need me to borrow several books for that right? The crow nodded. I have a training room booked for the occasion, he said. Boss Huang needs me on Tuesday, and Im nearing my month limit to register my power Cant you apply for an extension? Aiden shrugged, Its best to get some version of it out there, Ill embellish a few details, such as you needing to stay within a certain range of me, or saying my tattoos cant greatly improve my own bodys function. His enhanced senses and wall climbing were already revealed at M.I.A, and some people also thought he was capable of controlling a large swarm of crows. It was true to a certain extent, in the same way a store managers only power was to pay their employees. Throwing in some real weaknesses, such as his creations learning to become independent after a while, would also help with this. Aiden decided this mostly so that he could lay low, for now, he didnt want the attention of something he couldnt handle, and he didnt fully trust his government to not get grabby if they thought his power was good enough. Powers that created secondary powers like his Umbrella was also somewhat common amongst Spawners, who mainly fought using secondary agents. Generally, the more spawned, the less individually powerful each Spawners creation was. So his ability copying wouldnt be too great of a problem if he also pretended there was a limit on the number he could create and control. And if he was forced to reveal more tricks later? Then hell just say he discovered it and put off adding it to the registry. So all that was left was figuring out how he could produce meta powers tomorrow.
Excitement and anticipation came hand in hand. He spent the majority of the day tapping his foot, waiting for the final bell to ring. Aiden long thought himself free of such habits, but some things never went away. Anticipating something? Jun whispered next to him. Aiden shrugged, Im meeting Boss Huang for the job today, he lied. She had a thoughtful look. Maybe I should do something like that When the final bell rang, Aiden walked with noticeable speed back to his locker, bringing out his bag filled with books, he briskly entered the gymnasium, Ranpo landing on his shoulder as he pushed open the door to the private training room. Spread the books out, Ranpo ordered, and turn your back while I flip to the right pages. After a moment of flipping, Ranpo got to all the pages he needed, Alright, first, check the wolf. Aiden nodded, glancing at Oros, who was pure white at the moment, he reabsorbed the Dire Wolf tattoo that he had on his body for the past few days. He suddenly became slightly more aware of himself, as Oros raised its head to look at him. Rainbow scales sprouted from the serpents head, spreading down its body. About the same length, as the Hume spent to create the tattoo. So when the Hume is full, reabsorption overfills Oros body Ranpo quickly deduced. Though almost as quickly as they appeared, the rainbow scales fell off of Oros body, shedding itself on Aidens skin, their colour draining until they disappeared. I can create much larger creations with this, but I need to do it quickly before theyre dissipated, Aiden followed on. Works well enough, Ranpo said, there was the sound of shuffling behind him. Ive placed a book behind you. He nodded, knowing well enough what they planned to do, moving his hand back to feel the book, he brought it to his lap. Behind him, Ranpo flew to a keyboard, pressing several buttons, letting a projector lower down and project a screen in front of Aiden. He looked down and read the entry in front of him. The City of Youth, Tr na ng. The projector showed a video, the perspective of a wheeled drone that moved through the dense underbrush of some jungle or forest. Quickly, it neared something, its camera rising to see a common high rise building. Except it was almost entirely formed from wood and vines. The camera kept going forward, entering a city entirely formed from plants, as it moved, its camera rose to see statues of people, almost entirely formed from plants and vines. Seemingly frozen in time. There was a couple who held a vine where a still dog mimicked walking. Cars made entirely of plants waited behind traffic lights of the same, where red, yellow and green leaves mimicked their function. Statues of people sat in cafes, raising cups and reading spread out leaves like newspapers. None of them moved, as if frozen in time as this drone kept moving forward. It was as if Aiden was looking at the most complex garden hedge decoration ever concieved. The video neared its end, towards the centre of the city. Where a single massive tree grew, its body curled around a clear glass orb, as blue as the sky. As the drone neared the tree, it saw something inside the orb. A single tadpole, its body made entirely out of green wood. Then the tadpole saw it. And suddenly the video turned strange. The blue sky in the background turned grey as a bright white line drew a half circle, numerous smaller lines with a dimmer light spun itself in the sky, as suddenly all the plant statues came alive around the drone. The couple walked their dog with casual grace, the people drinking at the cafes lifted their mugs, and the wooden cars moved as the traffic lights gave their signal. It ended then. The ability Tr na ng, Ranpo introduced. It is definitely a meta ability, everything that enters that tadpoles city wide radius is turned into a plant like version of itself. Flesh is instant, but machines and non-organics require the users attention to be turned. The plant versions are slowed down significantly, he added on, they experience life at an extremely slowed down pace, a decade of ours equates to a single minute to them. They arent frozen in time, just moving too slowly for us to catch unless we observe them for years on end. And what happened to the video? Aiden asked, examining the curved white lines that dotted the grey sky. The drone also experienced this, the last few seconds of video is the automatically compressed result of several years of recording, Ranpo answered. The sky looks like that because it was slowed down so much that the sun, moon and stars appear like nothing but lines of light in the sky. This effect does not end when an object leaves the city, people who leave Tr na ng are often unable to interact with normal society or even survive because they move on a completely different timeframe. Aiden nodded, This may be a poor idea for a first try, but here we go. He raised his finger, and he thought of that tadpole, he thought of the ability Tr na ng. Nothing happened. A somewhat expected result. Ranpo nodded in agreeance. Next up, he flipped the pages of the book in front of him, arriving at a picture of a marble Greek statue. Xotan ereu, the Idols of Parasitism. Flying back to the keyboard, Ranpo typed in the name of the creature, and the projector showed numerous pictures of statues, some cut open to reveal the truth inside. Xotan ereu, the crow explained. Otherwise known as the parasitic statue. It is a species of evolved fungi that have incorporated an ability, Ranpo said. They grow in the shape of statues, creating a hard mineral shell that mimics the hardness of a statue. Aiden glanced down at the book, where a dissected portion of the fungal colony was revealed, showing a white, sponge-like interior. Its ability allows it to feed off adoration and attention, Ranpo noted, it is believed they didnt originally look like statues, and later selectively evolved into the shape by pure random chance, as human attention granted it the best chance of survival, but also needed to be discrete enough they werent annihilated. Aiden once again raised his finger, only thinking of manifesting a small, tiny portion of what he desired. Nothing happened. Another failure, Ranpo muttered. Ive placed another book behind you. Aiden reached behind him, not looking at the scattered pile as he brought the book forward. What was pictured in front of him was some manner of beetle, but not one that he recognised. It was about the size of a lighter and had a large abdomen. It was held in a hand, and a diagram beside it showed an inside view of its abdomen. Aiden paused as he recognised the portions within. They were extremely similar to the separated sacs of a bombardier beetle. The lighter beetle, Ranpo introduced, Brachinus flammus. An evolved form of bombardier beetle that can produce fire. The projector showed a man with a lighter beetle, squeezing it a few times, he made it spew out a flame, and he lit a cigarette with it. Aiden once again read the details of the Brachinus flammus. It created its flame through a purely chemical based reaction with the air, its abdomen and body were also adapted against high temperatures. Aiden raised a finger, and thought of the creature. A tattoo soon covered his finger, and a small flame spewed out from the tip of his index. Success Aiden blinked in surprise, feeling the real heat warm and scald his fingers, before he blew out the light. Reabsorbing the beetle, the memory returned to him as normal. It seems like creatures that follow the laws of physics can be made, even if they have strange abilities, Aiden determined. Ranpo nodded, Good to know, but were here to figure out the method to mimic a meta ability. Flying beside him, Ranpo flipped through the pages of the first book, until he landed upon a spread of a stony three-legged frog. Symbol of Wealth, Pearl Frog. The results of a Bleed effect, Ranpo explained as Aiden read through it, these frogs were forcibly merged with clams, and feed in a very similar way. They are capable of forming pearls inside their mouths of a superior quality. But it seems like they are dependant on this Bleed effect, Aiden noted, seeing a paragraph detailing the attempt to purge the Bleed from the creatures. None of the frogs survived the tests once the Bleed naturally dissipated or was removed through the applications of a high level Savant or rare ability. Theyre used as a symbol of wealth in many countries, their low maintenance makes them a preferred pet amongst the rich. Some even use them as ingredients for medicine. Not that surprising, given what a Health Potion was made from. Aiden once again raised his finger, and attempted to create the creature. Nothing. I cant create a Bleed effect it seems, Aiden said. In line with previous observations, Ranpo agreed. Next, Ranpo pushed another book forward, Aiden took it, seeing an illustrated creature. The Red Sugar Glider, Ranpo introduced, It was observed by a person who crossed a Gate and explored an Earth-like world, presumed to be an alternate version of this dimension, where the physical laws are exactly the same and Gates are not a problem. Mammalian, Aiden noted, appeared much like the sugar gliders he knew of, except a bright crimson in colouration. Nodding, if this world was really a one to one of earths laws, then he should be able to make it. He tried and, Nothing. Aiden frowned. This is slightly less expected, Ranpo said, flying down beside him. Flip through more of the book, see if you can make anything else. Aiden did. The entire book documented the various species that lived on the Earth-like world Carmin-3, they documented their biology, their habits and environment. All of it was plausible, yet Aiden could not create a single one. Perhaps there was an unknown Bleed effect or meta ability associated? We can disprove belief, Ranpo quietly said. Aiden turned to look at his companion, an eyebrow raised in questioning. This book is purely fictional, the crow explained. None of the creatures within actually exist. Realisation dawned on Aidens face, You were testing whether or not the abilty mimic block was mental. Ranpo nodded. Good job, Aiden replied, turning back to the book, This is so well written and documented I actually believed it to be of a real world and real creatures. And he still failed to create anything, This means that the generation of creatures is not based on whether or not I believe it could exist. However, Ranpo added, when you actually create a creature, your bias and perception of it flavours how it will act. Thats why I could create an intelligent crow but not an intelligent koala, Aiden agreed. He simply perceived one of the exemplary traits of a crow as intelligence, but not with a koala. In which case my perceptions matter when I want to enhance traits. He casually patted Ranpos head, You did well with this. It it took a while to find a book with the exact specifications I needed, Ranpo said with a strange tone. If you had looked at them when you borrowed it, this wouldnt have worked. We wouldve figure it out eventually, Aiden said, show me the next one. Ranpo nodded, a renewed gleam in his eyes as he pushed forward another book. Replicating Pin Badges, they appear like human-made pin badges but when attached to a person, they takes cookie-cutter shaped bites out of the person, creating a new one after each bite Failure. Its reproduction was linked to a meta ability, that was why it was instant the moment it ate. The Surveillance Bird, a pigeon that can attach itself to any surface much like a gecko, and when still appears exactly like a surveillance camera, with the tail end appearing as the camera Success, it had no paranormal abilities, its appearance was the result of a gadgeteer messing with genetics, proving Aiden was capable of creating created creatures. Parasitic Hair Pin, a species of mosquitoes that have evolved to look like beautiful hairpins, feeds off humans by sucking blood directly from their heads Another success, this one confirmed the results from the Surveillance Bird and Lighter Beetle. The nation state of Emus, who rule over the western portion of this continent Failure, the intelligence of the Emus was dependant on a Thinker ability that was passed down through the species. The Shadow Cat, a cat like entity that lives on the surfaces of objects, often appearing like a black shadow Failure, the creature was the result of a Bleed effect. Delivery Mimics, you met those just last Saturday Failure, some portion of its biology seemed to require an ability to function. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. When Ranpo frustratingly kicked away the last book, not one of their attempts to replicate a meta ability or Bleed effect had succeeded. Have you tried copying one of your classmates? Ranpo asked. Trying, Aiden replied, now laid on the cold floor with his hand raised above him. Cycling first through the memories of his friend group, then his other classmates, then random people he had met on the street. Nothing but failure so far. There has to be something we are missing, Ranpo muttered. Your stupid Umbrella came out just fine. Maybe it requires me to be life-threatening danger? Aiden suggested. The crow shook his head, No, the conditions we know so far are all related to each other somehow, even tangentially. I think we might be down to our last option. They both glanced at the Umbrella, laid beside Aiden. Reabsorb the Umbrella, quickly figure out what he lost to create it and recreate it before the Hume overcharge wore off. That should be our final option, Aiden said, the ability the Umbrella had simply too good to recklessly test its creation. I dont have any ideas left, Ranpo said with frustration. Maybe theres something we missed, Aiden calmly suggested as he flipped through the books. His hand slowed as he came to the page with the Gapple. I thought you failed to make that one as well, Ranpo said, remembering Aidens numerous staring contests with the bag of Gapples in the kitchen. I did Aiden muttered, his eyes was reading the page, not fully paying attention around him. And Aiden learned the story of the Godfathers Apple. In a wasteland near the north of the continent now name Afrikaans, where the corpses of devils and demons littered and stained the land till nothing could grow, there lived a farmer. He was one of hundreds of nameless individuals, and though the village became a wasteland and the people migrated to the sea, he had to stay behind. He had a sick, bedridden son whom he cared for, whom he knew would not make the journey alive. He broke the dried and dead land, working under the blazing sun, his food slowly dwindingly as time went on. His olds crops withered and died, barely even a sprout could grow from Hell corrupted lands. On many days, he consumed dirt to stave off his hunger, sparing all his food for his sick son. Until one day, that son crawled out of his bed, his legs atrophied from disuse, his muscles withered and almost dead, the son tried to raise a hoe and break the land along with is father. The son could not, for he was too weak, malnourished and burdened with disease, he could barely stand, let alone raise the hoe to farm. Even as the father tried to bring him back to bed, the son fought weakly, but fiercely against. The son begged his father to abandon him, to save his own life migrating to better lands. The father was moved. And at that moment, was born the ability of the S-Class known as the Godfather. With his new ability, he could force plants to grow, create nutrients in the soil when there were none. He hybridised new plants that could survive the harsh environment, slowly purifying the land of the Hellish Corruption that tainted it. The son grew healthy, now with better food to eat, he grew strong, and people eventually moved back to the village. And yet, it was said that the Father was not satisfied. As outsiders came, they told him of other places, of other people suffering just like him. They asked to go and save them as he had saved this wasteland. But the Father could not, for his ability was centered around him, the miraculous growth effects ceased when he was a certain distance away, if he left, the Hellish corruption would return to his village, it would waste away without him. He saved his son, he saved his village, but he could not save everybody across the entire world. But he wanted to. And so, he sacrificed his future, activating a Swan Song. The Swan Song brought him to the maximum possible potential of his person, and with it, he created from a potato and several strains of fungi, a fruit that could feed a person, that could be grown anywhere, and revive dead lands. When the Father began to crumble away, he was asked why he did so, why did he waste his life to create this! And he simply said, Is it not the duty of the father to feed his children? Aiden read aloud, his face unreadable. And so was born the Godfathers Apple, a proclamation that all who ate it had him as their Godfather. He was later posthumously awarded as an S-Class, after the sheer survivability, nutritional value and environmental repair the Gapple was capable of came to light. Aiden raised his hand, appearing like he was reaching for the sky. The tattoo of a Godfathers Apple appeared on his hand. Ranpo was shocked, staring at the paranormal creation, before Aiden reabsorbed it. Tears immediately fell down his face, as the memory of the story returned, and the emotion he felt, the emotion he had bottled up as he was reading, now slamming back all at once into his mind. Why Aiden raised his hand, he kept trying to wipe the tears, but they kept flowing no matter how much he wiped them, no matter how much he tried to blink them away, no matter how much he tried to not show weakness. The tears still flowed. I see now, what the condition is His eyes seemed to move to a far away place, as suddenly he was no longer sitting on hard steel flow, but on a soft sandy beach, where black waves lazily lapped at his feet. Aiden turned around and saw him, Johnjohnjohnjohn. I can make you, Aiden said. The hobgoblin nodded in agreement. The beach receded, and Aiden was back in the training room, wiping wet tears off his face. He recreated the Gapple on his hand again, and with the Gapple tattoo still existing, he read the story of the Godfather again. And he felt nothing. He coldly read over the words, registering their meaning, but he felt no emotion, nothing at all to the story of struggle that made him weep a moment earlier. Aiden reabsorbed the Gapple tattoo, now knowing the cost of mimicking an ability. Emotion. Something that was deeper than a memory, something that affected him on a fundamental level, which he would lose upon mimicry. I can make a hobgoblin, he hoarsely stated. Aiden could gain the strength to rip apart steel, to break concrete as if were a biscuit cracker, he could get the explosive power that caused a building to crumble. All it would cost was the emotion he felt in his chest when Johnjohnjohnjohn talked to him. All it would cost was his empathy. Aiden shook his head. I promised you, I would not forget you, he spoke quietly, almost like it was a mantra, a core unshaking belief. Because no matter what, a promise still had to mean something. He could eventually mimic all the powers of his friends, he knew that. All he needed to do was feel something. Right now, they were friends, good friends, he might even lose sleep if they died. But they did not shake him. They did not affect him deeply, he still felt of himself as an outsider, his old inner age a continuous barrier against real connection with mere children, he merely tagged along with their antics. His impression of them wasnt strong enough. But if it was, would I still be willing to forget them? he asked. He couldnt find a good answer. He turned to his Umbrella, now feeling a deep sorrow. He lost something to create it, something that mightve been negative, something that mightve been positive, but he still lost something that was once a part of him. He forgot an emotion, one he may never feel again, so long as it remains separate from him. He cannot create an ability without strong emotion, he cannot lose a strong emotion unless it was associated with an ability. That was the Condition. Chapter 43 For Better or Worse Chapter 43 For Better or Worse Be afraid of the madman, so steeped in it they do not realise their own madness. - Hayden Xin, S-Class Prophet and founder of the Remnant Foundation Aiden wasnt sure what to do after that revelation. He didnt do much more testing after that, well, he tried one last thing. The training room shifted as Ranpo manipulated the controls, revealing a sandpit. Holding his Umbrella, he consciously controlled the tattoo on it. Grey fingers closed onto his own, as the tattoo reached up to his own arm. The Umbrella was not noticeably changed, it was already heavily compacted, the true size of the entity squeezed into a broken butcher knife. Aiden then stabbed the end of the weapon into the sand. Then he began manipulating the tattoo again. Arms weaved together like petals spread out, the blade at its centre, covering sand and rising upwards like a flower blooming. He could control it, like any one of his tattoos, so long as he was directly in contact with it. Then Aiden shoved it all back into the blade, and the risen hands collapsed, their forms nothing but sand. No one but you can manage that huh, Ranpo remarked. Testing with Ranpo, the Umbrella could be used by people other than himself, though for Ranpo it was slightly dangerous because he didnt have a Hume status, the only indicator the crow had for when he was using Hume was when he started phasing out of existence. But only Aiden could directly manipulate the tattoo of the weapon. He unpacked the tattoo again, letting it flow onto his body until he was entirely covered in grey. Tapping his grey covered skin, he found it cool and hard as stone. It was a direct defensive upgrade from all his previous tattoos. When he was manifesting the woven arms around him, he would be forced to remain stationary due to needing to remain in contact with the tattoo. The range of the Umbrellas ability didnt seem to increase with the unfurling, remaining completely static, even if its petals reached far out of its coverage. The only problem is that this would be damaging to property, Aiden noted. He began to push it all back into the blade, and for a brief moment he wanted to reabsorb it, just to see what he had spent. It would be quick, he knew, and he could remake it later. But he didnt know if the emotion in the Umbrella was something he would want to keep. Aiden was fragile. He saw clearly the difference, while glancing blows by Johnjohnjohnjohn had almost killed him, Jun tanked dozens and dozens of direct hits with only a few bruises to show for it. Aiden was sure a direct hit by Johnjohnjohnjohn wouldve simply turned him to paste or directly gored him. Right now the question was whether or not the emotion within was worth the defensive power the Umbrella gave him. It was not. For he only had one life. Death was not an option for him. He wasnt sure why it ever was, but so long as he breathed he needed to fight against it, because so long as he was still alive, there must be meaning to his actions. So Aiden did not reabsorb it, instead packing it back into the Umbrella. Lets go, Aiden said after he packed the books back into his bag. By his phones clock, it was almost night. Right, Ranpo replied, hesitatingly following behind him. The crows steps were slow, for he was considering something. If Aiden cannot recreate a creature derived from purely fictional sources, how does he- or his ability know that it is fictional? If Aiden was truly fooled with the red sugar glider, then how did his ability differentiate it? Did it have a separate intelligence? Was there some intrinsic factor to real creatures that could not be drawn upon from a fictional one? As Ranpo waddled on the ground, he was about to open his beak and discuss this question, but he saw something white slither onto the surface of Aidens pants. Oros, its slit eyes staring right at him. Then it raised its tail to its mouth, not to bite it, but to touch the side of the tip to its lips, showing a universal sign. A quiet shush, telling Ranpo not to speak.
Group two rest! Trist yelled. Aiden heaved deep gulpfuls of air as he slowed to a stop. Trist had divided them into groups, group one had abilities that physically buffed their bodies somehow, group two didnt. Surprisingly, Jun was in group two. Can''t I just wear my mask, teach? they yelled, sweating as they stopped beside Aiden. Weve been over this! she yelled back as she ran beside group one, Your ability buffs your existing physique only while wearing it, train your base body so that there''s more to buff! Five pushups for talking back! Jun groaned as they lowered themself, I already always wear it they grumbled. Five more pushups for grumbling! The rest of you jog in place! Groans all around, even Aiden almost let out a slip before he began dutifully jogging in place, each of his legs felt so much like heavy logs he was inclined to yell Timber! when he would inevitably fall from exhaustion. That never came, however, as Trist finished riding group one dead tired like a mule, she pulled out a white board from the back of the gym. Now for the theoretical component, she calmly said. A bit of sweat and perspiration was on her face, Aiden briefly wondered why she didnt rewind herself to get back into full form, before realising, She wouldnt gain any muscle strength like that. She cant train her body if she constantly rewinds herself. Is now really the best time to be learning theory? Vince panted with a raised hand, noting the tiredness of the class. It is not, which makes it the best time, Trist answered. When the Guard or military police deal with a metaphysical incident, they have information on their abilities, plans, doctrines and specialised equipment in place. You will not have that. She coldly looked over each of them, Some of you will become first responders to a meta incident, or be placed in situations where such information and equipment cannot be accessed quickly, safely or reliably. In such situations, you will not have the privilege to think with a rested or readied mind. It is better to get used to such situations now than in the midst of a firefight. Trist turned and began writing on the whiteboard, So well be having such theory classes after exercises, today well be learning the Wanderers Code and basic military doctrines against each classification of meta. You should already be aware of most symbols of the Wanderers Code, namely, the ones that tell you to immediately get the hell out of a situation. Today, well be learning the symbols that give information on how you can actually fight. She drew a number of stick figures, boxes, squiggly lines and other symbols on the board. Aidens narrowed onto one, a stick figure holding a gun and a cross. The same symbol as written on that bus stop. Trist tapped onto it, This one means that whatever you are fighting, you must pray while doing so. Vince raised a hand, Pray? Trist nodded, It can be to anything, gods, a random mountain, or even your favourite musical band. The only need is that the prayer has to be genuine. If the target of the code requires you to pray for a specific thing, then the cross will be swapped out with a corresponding religious symbol. She briefly drew a few symbols beside the cross, an oval egg, a hammer and broken chisel, a scale, an eagle, a wheel and an upside down cross.
Can you ride a bike? Huang asked me. Aiden nodded, thinking privately, Slightly redundant question. And you know how to speak Qin Huang muttered. Do you have a Qin name? No I dont, Aiden answered honestly. Huang was silent for a moment, thinking. He shrugged, and dumped a large food delivery bag into his hands, Youre hired. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Aiden was taken aback for a moment, almost suspecting a joker''s trick, before he asked, Did you only hire me because I spoke Qin? The chef sighed, There is only so many of us left now չԼˡ (We should look after our own people.) Aiden was slightly taken aback, before he silently nodded. ллϰ塣 (Thank you boss.) He chuckled, ˵˵˾ú Aiden let out a slight smile, only slightly faked this time. After a moment where he familiarised himself with the app, and orders began piling in.
Is there any specific reason you need to do this? Ranpo asked, flying beside Aiden as he cycled. We just had a master class on why this is not necessary. It keeps my old bones fit, Aiden answered, breathing evenly as he cycled. Ranpo rolled his eyes. There is a better reason though, Aiden continued, the government healthcare insurance in this country is linked to hours worked, if I work fifteen hours every week, I can qualify for their lowest health insurance plan, which is vastly cheaper than the commercial one, and I obviously cant list my gallivanting around as a job. Huh, Ranpo answered, That actually is a good reason. Why didnt you bring it up before? The bike slowed. Aiden raised his false hand, rubbing his brow. That why didnt I think of getting health insurance before? After losing his hand, the sensible thing wouldve been to immediately look into it. Yet it seems like he didnt even consider the idea. Not until He glanced at the two bags behind him, one, a massive square thing covered in advertisements for Huangs restaurant, the other, his to-go bag with a med kit, spare clothes, food and, His Umbrella. Im starting to have an idea on what I mightve lost, he muttered. Slowly, rain began to drip down from the sky, wetting the earth and patter in rhythmic sequence. Ranpo landed on the middle of handlebars as Aiden took out his Umbrella to use it for what it was named for. The rain paused above his head, sliding off behind him as he cycled.
It was a surprisingly easy job. Most customers paid online, so all Aiden had to do most of the time was knock on the door, pass the order to the person and just leave. Huangs store was also rather popular, the hustle and bustle meant the waiters would just leave the orders on the counter for him to take, his interaction with the other employees were minimal. And when he did, no one commented on the fact that the rain did not touch him, and was in fact pooling in a puddle above his head whenever he stopped moving. The casual apathy to the blatantly supernatural was still rather odd to Aiden, even if he was the source of said supernatural event, but then again, after seeing random old people from nursing homes going on mass zombie killing sprees, he suspected that nothing would really surprise him either. The weirdest was the cancer patient, Ranpo muttered as they left. Like old people I can understand, you probably need to be crazy to live to old age, but a tiny kid with emaciated arms and a bald head beating a zombie about eight times his size into the asphalt was extremely dissonant. Its just a strange image right? Aiden replied, cycling through the rain, But apparently its not that uncommon, people originally with weak bodies tend to have the strongest brute and physique type powers. Dont they usually change with it? Ranpo continued. Like Jun, she- I mean, they have a pretty weedy looking base form. Not that bad to be honest, Aiden noted, they have a basic physique power without the mask, like I do with my regen, its just that certain aspects of their physique gets buffed when they are wearing a mask. Nightcore Jun got enhanced regeneration, while Daycore got enhanced strength. The speed was a byproduct of speeding up time, while the durability was a byproduct of slowing it down. Aiden didnt fully understand how it worked, the Daycore portion in particular, just that it sorta did. Ranpo suddenly shivered, tucking his head and beak into his feathers, Does it feel a bit colder now? Aiden raised an eyebrow, the rain seemed to have stopped, yet behind him, he could still hear it patter the earth. He experimentally blew out a breath of air, seeing it quickly whiten and mist. It had been getting colder, slowly enough that they didnt realise the difference until now. Aiden slid open his hoodie, letting Ranpo shuffle in as he zipped it back up. What time is it? Ranpo asked. 9:46, Aiden replied, glancing back at the largely empty delivery bag, I believe this is the last order we have to deliver. Lets hurry then. The place was close, only a few more blocks, yet as Aiden cycled closer, he felt the temperature continued to drop. Sensing something wrong, he stopped, opening his own bag and taking out a hoodie, not anymore thicker than the one he was wearing, but its material swiftly changed as Aiden used Polar Bear Fur and Skin, on the outside of the coat, and on the inside he used the Arctic Fox. Draping the end result over his other coat, he felt the chill on his torso lessen. After another application on his pants and shoes using different creatures, he pulled up his hoodie, so that only his face was exposed to the cold. Ranpo snuggled beneath his chin, Aiden kept riding, the temperature continuing to drop as he came closer to his destination, a single suburban house that stood amongst nothing but empty lots. Is the sky supposed to be blue? Ranpo suddenly asked. Aiden almost retorted, Of course you idiot, before he looked up. Seeing a pure blue sky. At nine PM. Are we stuck in a Gate? Aiden shook his head, I dont sense any alien Hume, its probably an ability. The world was quiet, Aiden didnt notice how utterly silent it was until he stopped talking. It was like the morning after fresh snowfall. The world was cold and muted despite the fact Aiden saw no snow. And the sky was blue, yet it was blue in a way that felt painted, cloudless and without a sun. As they got closer, the temperature continued to drop, to the point Aiden began to see frost on the ground. Suddenly a door creaked open. The sound was deafening in the silence, and both man and crow unintentionally tensed. The singular house in this street opened its door, as a person heavily clad in winter clothes stepped out. They were clad heavily to the point that they looked like a ball, their face was obscured by a hoodie, beanie, scarf, skiing mask and goggles. The person was carrying something, a pile of flat cardboard boards. They raised one high above their head. SORRY! YOU MUST BE NEW. PLEASE LEAVE THE NOODLES WHERE YOU ARE! SORRY! After a moment, likely to wait for Aiden to read the text, they put that board down and raised another one. I CANT DEACTIVATE MY ABILITY! SORRY! IT MAY BE DANGEROUS IF YOU GET ANY CLOSER! SORRY! They wrote sorry a lot, Ranpo observed. Aiden got off his bike, taking out the sealed plastic bowl inside his delivery bag. Should I just leave it on the ground? he yelled. The person seemed to shiver as they froze in place, before they rapidly nodded their head. Should I stop further back next time? The person kept furiously nodding, though Aiden had the feeling they barely registered what he had just said. Regardless, Aiden walked a bit further, and placed the plastic bowl on the ground, before returning to his bike. Then the heavily clothed person raised their hand and grabbed something. Aiden watched as they seemed to grab the air itself, the scenery where their hand was warping, as if it were a picture and someone had scrunched it up a little. The space between the figure and the bowl took on a blue tinge, as they seemed to pull at the blue like it was a piece of cloth. Like a person pulling the tablecloth of a table to bring forward a dish, they slowly dragged the bowl closer as space itself was warped in a myriad folds. When the bowl reached them, they casually grabbed it and let go of the blue tinge, space snapping back to normal as they did so. Without looking at him, they hurriedly ran back into their house.
As Huangs shop was closing, and the boss himself was busy wiping down the kitchen, Aiden stepped in, casually grabbing a spare mop to help. Huang raised an eyebrow, but didnt comment as Aiden began helping him clean. Who was the person at 52nd Cloud Street? Ah, he said, I forget she orders today. She? Aiden noted, not realising the persons gender before, in part because they covered themself in so much. She is shy, Huang answered. Her ability is particularly strong, but it keeps a lot of people away from her. How close were you able to get? Probably a hundred metres or so, Aiden replied. Barely enough to hear each other through yelling. She talked to you? Huang asked, temporarily pausing to look incredulous. Aiden shook his head, No, I mean I yelled at her, so that she could hear me. Huang nodded in understanding, likely having had a similar experience, How were you able to get close? I used my ability. That seemed to pause conversation for the moment. Huang seemed to be aware of the etiquette to not ask too deeply about such things. She is a good person, Huang continued, I dont think shes Qin, but she likes my cooking. Is that all it takes to be a good person in your books, ϰ? Aiden joked. Huang chuckled, before slapping Aiden on the back. Aiden tensed, eyes watching Huang. The older man didnt seem to notice as he continued to say, Head home for the night, brats like you need sleep. Realising the slap was playful, Aiden smiled and nodded, Night boss. Good night to you as well.
Aiden let out a sigh as he stepped out of the restaurant. Huang didnt mean anything with that slap, and he had been hit with far worse before by more dangerous things like goblins or Johnjohnjohnjohn, it was just that Huang was an older, asian male. Aiden shook his head, Aiden Bu wasnt abused in this life, it wouldnt make sense for him to have such a reaction, so neither should Aiden Lu, the current owner of the body. He briefly pondered if he should try to make those memories into a tattoo. He might be able to succeed, even if the memories werent linked to a particular creature, he was able to forget mundane things like appearance, ideas and even entire portions of time when he had absorbed and remade Oros those few times. But would he be able to forget the emotions? Aiden had read somewhere in his past life that PTSD victims did not cease symptoms when they gained amnesia, the responses they had were ingrained. Since there was no ability linked to the memories of his past life, would such an attempt only remove his memory of the events, but not the emotions and instinctual reactions he had? Should he even attempt it, if he could remove those emotions? What would be left of him, if he had removed that, what was left of him, if he removed such a core experience? For better or worse, his previous life defined who he was. Would he still act with the same determination, would he still doggedly pursue a path forward, would he still seek a better life, if he had no memory or emotion of the worse one? Aiden did not know. Right now he just had a single mission, a single job. To get Aiden Bus sister back. All the rest was noise. He can find the noise pleasant, he could even pause and enjoy it. But Aiden always remembered that there was something that had to be done. If removing the memories of his past life was needed. Then Aiden would simply do it. Chapter 44 Lies and Deceit Chapter 44 Lies and Deceit You know, generally Im the one throwing people into volcanoes, - Pele, B Class Cape, making casual conversation from under five hundred tons of magma. As the sun peeked through the early morning, Aiden was sitting in a bus stop, Ranpo beside him, leafing through a book at the crows direction. Then Aiden snapped shut the encyclopedia. Fugu pufferfish, black banded sea krait and the cone snail huh.
Aiden1507: I wont be present at school today. WrenWood: Are you alright???ࣩ Aiden1507: Im fine, I just need to do my ability evaluation, Ive already called ahead with the school. JunMoon: Oh ye u hvnt fin that yet AspiringTubaSquire: I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK! AspiringTubaSquire: TO BE FOUND WITH THE STRENGTH OF AN OX! THE DEXTERITY OF AN OCTOPUS! AND THE CONSTITUTION OF A HEDGEHOG! JunMoon: Wut do hedgehogs hav to do? WrenWood: Hedgehog? (??_??)? AspiringTubaSquire: MY WAY OF KINDLY SAYING YOU LOOK VERY FRAIL! AspiringTubaSquire: Because I''ll be honest, you are rather skinny! LuKing: Next to brutes like you and Jun anyone will look frail DarKing: Fucking Josh ate a baseball bat to the face, there aint nothing that can move the idiot Aiden1507: Hedgehogs are incredibly dangerous to predators, Ill take it. Aiden1507: Also, a baseball bat? When did that happen? JunMoon: Oh ye afterschool baseball prac AspiringTubaSquire: The bat slipped, BUT MY FACE WAS HARDER! JunMoon: He was goin fr a home run Aiden1507: Are you ok?
Jun then sent a picture of a metal baseball bat that had a noticeable nose shaped indent in it. He briefly felt the bridge of his own nose, imagining the durability contest between his face and a metal bat, knowing full well it would result in his loss.
Aiden1507: Well, as long as you are ok. AspiringTubaSquire: I MOUNTED THE BROKEN BAT ON MY WALL! MUM IS INCREDIBLY PROUD! JunMoon: Oh ye @Aiden1507 can u teach me how to cook the food for Fluffy? Aiden1507: The mix I prepared for him earlier? Yeah I can show you, its very simple. JunMoon: Grt, aftr school, my place WrenWood: You guys are having a pet meet? I wish I can come with Milo o(TTo) Aiden1507: How is that cat? Is he well? WrenWood: He is! Even mom gave me her approval after seeing how smart he is! () Aiden1507: How did Milo demonstrate intelligence? WrenWood: He broke into her office! Didnt even trip any alarms! Mom found him sitting on her chair when she returned! (????)
The classification system we use for Spawners is termed SARPP-VIC, the official explained to him. Standing for Source, Amount, Range, Power, Permanence, Variability, Intelligence, and finally Control, we rate them each up to a total of ten, and the final average total is what your spawner ability is ranked as. Aiden nodded along as he read the handy infographic detailing the numerical levels of each category. This is pretty simple, answer my questions about your abilities, give a demonstration or two, and were good, shall we begin? Im ready, he replied, putting down the infographic. First one, source, describe to me where your spawns originate from. They originate on my skin as tattoos, after which I can move them onto inanimate objects to animate to living. They have difficulties animating a body that is not of their shape, and I cant make the same spawn twice in quick succession without reabsorbing the previous one or doing a certain action. Ignoring the vagueness of the latter part, the official jotted down on his notepad, How long does this certain action take and does it require anything in particular? Can take a few minutes to weeks or days, depending on what I made, though I have made it pretty quick, and I only need some easily accessible things. How much preparation do you need to create a creature? I can spawn the tattoo immediately, Aiden replied, demonstrating with a quick flash of octopus tentacles across his flesh arm, the problem is finding a suitable body to hold it. Youre on the lower end then, he replied, pen now moving to an official looking document, Ill put you as a four out of ten for Source. Next is Amount, what is the total number of things you can spawn? Are you aware of an upper limit? I am limited by the amount of Hume I have, Aiden replied, With my current Hume level, I can create a total of about eight large dog sized creatures, or something bigger but lower in number, or smaller with greater numbers. Not surprising, also on the low end again, but with potential to be better, a four for now. Oh yeah, Aiden added, I can use my tattoos as stores of Hume, since I regain all Hume spent on one when I reabsorb it, which can temporarily raise my maximum Hume level. The pen paused slightly, Hume storage is notable, are you capable of transferring this Hume to others? I was successful once, Aiden said, recalling the time at Last Stand when he pushed his tattoos into Juns body. Though it felt to me like an application that did not seem original to the power, I based it off the Transfusion meta technique which I have heard about. You must have some innate talent with Imbuement, given the nature of your power, he replied. The ability to prepare and increase your maximum is notable, Ill bump you up to a five. Your Range? Ive had a flying spawn explore the city, he has been to the city limits and has been fine, though anything past that seems difficult, Aiden lied with a completely straight face. The official raised an eyebrow, That is a significant range, minimum six. How powerful can you make one? I am limited to real animals that exist within the laws of reality, Aiden answered. I could make something on the strength level of an elephant or rhino, and everything lower than that. The official thought for a moment, Power five then, though your Variability would be around a seven, whats your Spawns Permanence? Ive had the flying one around for several weeks, it has yet to disappear, he answered. Im not aware of a time limit to its existence. That is a very good time, the official replied, nodding, permanent creatures would easily land you into ten, though since we cant confirm it yet, Ill put you as a six. What about Intelligence and Control? Intelligence wise I can make them intelligent enough to speak and communicate, though I have limits, he replied. For Control I am limited to verbal commands and any pre-programming I place during its creation, I am unable to telepathically control them or do something like see through their eyes, they act independently from me. A frown, That is quite problematic. Intelligence would be a solid six or seven, but your lack of ranged Control would land you as only a three. Finishing writing, he said, Protocol dictates that I place your values on the lower end for first valuation, with the expectation that they increase in time. Intelligence I shall place at a six for now. I require you to demonstrate each of these scores to ensure you are capable of them, shall we move into another room for this? Aiden nodded, standing up from his chair. The next few tests were very simple, they just needed to confirm he was minimally capable of all the things he had listed, with intelligence he had simply demonstrated by calling Ranpo and having him communicate information with him through a wall. Leaving him with only one last test. He was sat down and blindfolded in a room the size of a very large gym, and something was wheeled in, something that gave him a sense of discomfort. Is that Bleed? Aiden asked aloud. The wheeling paused, You sensed it as soon as it entered the room? Aiden nodded, Its coming from the left of me, front left, I can feel it is about two-hundred metres away. There was a sound like a measuring tape being unfurled, quickly being pulled next to him. Correct, its one-ninety-two metres away from him, the man beside him said. You can take off the blindfold now, a voice further away said. Aiden did, noting the non-descript rock which was placed on top of the trolley cart. If it werent the source of the Bleed he felt, he wouldve completely ignored it. That is a significant Bleed sense, the official remarked. A few more tests, well need you to describe the location and movement through walls and other obstructions. He was found able to sense Bleed easily through walls, though the weaker the source the closer he had to be. That rock was an old remnant from a Gate and thus he lost track of it past two-hundred and ten metres. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Stronger sources he could sense further away. Around three pm, he was let go, in his hand was a new document detailing his abilities. Spawner five is what they settled you on huh, Ranpo said, peering at the document from his shoulder. That and Regen two, which was a known factor after he had lost his hand and the mechanism of his regeneration was revealed to the Guard. A successful lie, Aiden murmured, heard only by Ranpo. Ranpo nodded, he had done the math as Aiden had his Bleed Sense tested, quickly calculating Aidens true Spawner capabilities. He had settled on Spawner seven or eight. Almost every one of his values were higher than Aiden had pretended they were. Most of his scores were closer to nine or above, as ten meant effectively no limit in that category. The only exceptions were Source and Control, which both agreed were a two and a one respectively, compared to the four and three he was given. Two for the simple reason his Spawns also took memories and emotions, while for Control, Aiden had absolutely no control of a tattoo once it left contact with him, all that he could rely on was preprogrammed instincts which could be overturned and the creatures loyalty to him. Though Aiden had also left out the fact that he could wear his tattoos, gaining their capabilities in a way similar to armour or equipment, which both agreed would also give him a Shifter two rating. So his official MCS rating was: Spawner 5 Regen 2 While his true one was likely: Spawner 8 Shifter 2 Regen 2 Aiden sighed, I get what Trist meant by these things being unreliable. Ranpo cocked his head, How so? Spawner eight sounds impressive, Aiden replied, only two off being considered a God-rating, but the drawbacks of my power are enough that I wont be able to demonstrate such a level without a lot of prep. And a lot of sacrifice, he thought but didnt say. Plus I cant really control anything stronger than me, he muttered. Is that why you have yet to create anything stronger than a house cat? Ranpo asked. Part of the reason, Aiden replied, the other part is how the fuck do I take care of something like an elephant? There would be nowhere for it to live, eat or sleep, and though he could shrink it down, without a body actually the size of an elephant, creating one would be rather redundant, and where would he put a massive elephant body? His apartment certainly wasnt going to fit. Im going to need a large zoo if I want to fully use my power, he murmured, rubbing his brow. Right now the limitation of space and resources meant he could only really use a minor portion of his abilities. I might be able to make a dog and work with it, he murmured in thought. Though its cost of living will have to be added to my budget. Currently the cost of Ranpos food and board were negligible, all he had to do was buy a few nuts and Ranpo was fine nesting on a pillow. Hey, Im a net positive, remember? Ranpo cut in, If it werent for me, you wont have stupid birds buying food off you. That is true, Aiden replied, just as they returned home. More crows were waiting on the balcony, and Aiden methodically prepared a large dish of bird feed, a mixture of nuts, mealworms and some fruits. As he slid open the door, the crows flapped away and made space for him to place down the dish, then left him space to count their spoils. A large number of notes. Ranpo had told them that humans valued the notes more, which was a difficult thing to get across through crow culture as they valued more solid and shiny objects like coins. Judging by the nests that were starting to spring up around their neighbourhood, the crows gave him the notes while keeping most of the coins for themselves. The few coins that were given to him, if Ranpos intuition was correct, seemed to indicate friendship. There were fewer large notes this time, the crows seemed to have given them all that first time, leaving him with only a few fives, tens and twenties, in total, eighty-five dollars. After sorting the notes and putting them away, he sighed, I cant believe the most lucrative job I have right now is bird feeding. Aiden had prepared enough bird feed to last the week, and it only cost him around thirty dollars, even if he had bought particularly high quality stuff out of guilt. On the first day he had already made a net gain of fifty dollars, and the crows would only return later on in the week, bringing more money with them. Both labour and cost wise, this was the most efficient method. Should I expand into more areas? he muttered, biting the nail of his thumb as he thought. Currently he was limited to this house and only a singular shop. Aiden could theoretically expand and get more buyers. The only problem was the source of the money. Unlike his gallivanting killing mimics and finding lost cats, this application of his power was criminal in both Law and morality. His outings as To Ti would get ignored because even if he was blatantly breaking the Law by earning money with his ability, he was helping people by doing so, actually contributing to society. He did it for a paycheck but he still did it. Earning money through actual thievery was a significant leap from there. There was a degree of separation since he got it from the birds, but he could not argue ignorance on the moneys source, as it wasnt likely that the crows had jobs or legal sources of income. He cant scale up for the simple reason he would be breaking the unspoken rules. If corvids started suddenly mugging people in broad daylight, such a disruption, even if not the strangest thing, would be investigated and might eventually lead back to him. So keeping operations small scale enough that military police looked the other way would be best. Where are you going now? Ranpo asked as Aiden headed towards the door. I need to drop something off at school, he replied, then Im going to Juns.
Finding Trists office was simple, it was a room on the top level of the gym. Knocking on the door, he heard a Come in, and entered. Trist put away a book she was reading, tapping her desk as she turned to Aiden. Yes? Aiden went straight to the point. I would like to apply for the advanced Meta Techniques class. Trists tapping stopped. Do you meet the needed requirements? she quietly asked him. Aiden pulled out a form which he had swiped earlier. The advanced Meta Techniques class was an extracurricular class that allowed students to begin learning Meta Techniques several years early during non school hours. There were two main requirements. I have a method of storing Hume for later use, and my grades speak for themselves. The first was to have the Hume to begin safely practising without risk of fading away, generally this occurred at seventeen years of age for geneline children, but there were exceptions, some simply had more Hume, and some had powers that allowed the user to store Hume for later use. The second requirement was to have exceptional grades. Aiden was a Grade A student. It had only been five weeks, but to the almost thirty year old soul inside Aidens body, most class and homework amounted to nothing but simple busywork. He had already completed the majority of the subjects in his previous life and Grian was extremely chill regarding Visual Arts grades, giving everyone good marks even if they didnt pay much attention. Only Fours Magic class and Trists Self-Defence were anything new. However, the lack of pressure from his other subjects meant he could devote most of his time to them. Trist took the form from him, glancing it over, seeing everything filled out and written neatly. Seriously considering the paper before her, she asked, Why are you looking to do this, kid? I wish to begin earning a military salary as soon as possible, Aiden replied. Even with all the bullshit he started doing, working with Huang, doing odd jobs all across the city or feeding crows, he could not reasonably achieve his goals with such chump change. He was breaking even, not saving Jaiden. A military salary, even with a portion going to his student debt, was significantly more reliable and higher paying. Not to mention it accelerated him earning a Metahuman Licence, allowing him to legally acquire money through his power, which meant a significant expansion of his current scope. Trist put down the form, looking seriously at Aiden. You chose a very bad time to do this. Of all the responses he had prepared for, this one caught him off guard, Why? She shrugged, Currently military secrets, though you should learn soon enough. Aiden frowned, Would it affect me in any way, should this application pass? It might, she answered vaguely, you might see some action, though there is also a chance you wont. Then my answer remains the same, he replied calmly. Isaac is the one teaching the class, she replied, itll be his choice whether you go through or not. I understand that. She waved her hand, Anything else? He shook his head, Thats it, thank you for your time.
Isaac stared at the application, neatly written at the top, was the name Aiden Bu. Everything was filled out correctly, including the MCS rating which he seemed to have only gotten this day. Are you going to accept him? Trist asked, wrinkling her nose as she sniffed his office. He put down the form, turning to Trist, How is he doing in your class? He has a good head, she replied, sensible, a lot more than most others. Steady and quietly reliable is my impression. Hes mostly been in the background, and has yet to really make an impact on anyone in the class. She rapped the desk, That is precisely why I didnt throw it out immediately. Hes hiding a lot, she continued, Ive yet to see him use his power in a serious setting, and though I have his MCS I have the gut feeling it isnt fully accurate. Isaac scoffed, I thought you always thought those things were bullshit. His one feels particularly bullshit, she replied, leaning back into her chair. So? You think its worth getting him in that propaganda unit? During normal times, Isaac wouldve simply rubber-stamped this application. Currently however, war with Hell loomed in the distant horizon, and though it may be years or decades before it occurred, policy was forced to shift in preparation. It depends, he replied, threading his fingers, do you plan on adding him to this Junior League? Trist scoffed, almost insulted by the insinuation, Not when I dont know what he can do, and there are plenty of better options in the older classes. For me or Tang Rou to pick him would require him displaying something that makes him more valuable than a senior student, she told him. And we already have a list, were just waiting for the official announcement before we make offers. Isaac nodded, Then I think I can approve this application. I think this is for the best as well, Trist replied, one way or another Hell is going to be a problem in his time, accelerating his schooling wouldnt change that fact. He nodded in response, though in truth, there was another reason he had approved of Aidens application. His Hume level was abnormal. Not because he had an abnormally high amount from experiencing a Defining Moment, but because he had an abnormally low amount. Isaac had grasped Aidens Hume level relative to his own during that brief moment when he had disabled his power, and for a survivor of a Requiem, Aidens Hume level was too low. The more impact a person had on reality, the more Hume they got from a Requiem. Naturally, people who were older tended to have greater gains than younger ones. But Isaac had had his Requiem around the same age as Aiden was currently, and with his knowledge of Freddys Hume level post Requiem, he could figure out that Aiden could not have gotten more than a years worth of Hume from his Requiem. Isaacs current low level was because he had spent the majority of his Hume Imbuing his one decent gadgeteer creation, creating a Focus, but Freddy was freer in his use, so he still retained the same level. Isaac began jotting down notes and reminders, one to contact Freddy once he finished his mission, and the next he began crossing out days in a calendar. Whats this? Trist asked with passing curiosity. My predictions of when my Gadgeteer trance will appear, Isaac replied. I finally have enough data to figure out a pattern, so I can plan for the future. Judging by his predictions, Isaac would just have barely enough time to train an additional class in Meta Techniques before his ability whisked him away. It would have to do. Chapter 45 Like Father, Unlike Son Chapter 45 Like Father, Unlike Son Ah we taught him that right? I didnt teach him that, and you definitely didnt. - someone talking to themself from another universe. The Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass sniffed the air around her. It was a strange world she now inhabited, one devoid of Breath, yet life still somehow existed here. They still breathed of course, but not in the same way she did. Air merely filled their lungs when Breath filled her body. So she was left stifled and suffocated, and had not breathed a single Breath since she came here How many years ago was it? She remembered five. Five something. Was it five years and a few months or fifty years ago that she came here? Rain would have to consult one of their calendars to find out definitively, though she wasnt really pressed to find out. It didnt matter whether her time here happened in a blink or half a blink. So she rose from her spot at the fountain, disturbed a day ago? Did the sun spin once or twice during the time she meditated? Time here sped by far too quickly, where back home a mortal life time could be passed thrice over before the sun had reached noon. Though speaking of mortals, she had hoped that the one who disturbed her had given her a bout. Every Gifted was a surprise for her, as she could not estimate their strength by their Breath, and their strange abilities made for unique battles unlike the clashing of blades and martial arts she was used to. Rain stood and walked slowly as if she had all the time of the world. Truthfully, she could be at her destination with the expenditure of a single Breath, but this fast world required calm and patience. Time to watch the scenery and people. Usually, she stared up into the night sky on walks like this, but the sky was pitch black, only the moon, marred by occasional chunks of black debris shone through. It was the strangest thing she had witnessed upon coming here. She had seen Cultivators blacken the sky, but such a grand thing was a mere byproduct of their civilization. Lights shone so brightly that the stars could not answer. Blackening the sun was another matter though, and the mortals here had apparently succeeded in freeing theirs. Clothing lacked severely though. No beautiful silken sleeves or fluttering cloaks, hallmarks of pride within her old world. This worlds fashion was disgustingly utilitarian, practicality bled through in every scrap of cloth. To be able to battle like rain that shook the morning grass was her test to show she had obtained a Nascent Soul, but she could scarcely recreate the feat with the poor selection she had in this realm. Unfortunate, but it was another thing Ya had convinced her to adopt. And she now stood at the back of a quaint mortal shop, one that sold tea and coffees. In front of her was a door frame, held between it was a purely black space. Rain poked her hand in it, marvelling at the Gifteds ability. There was no sense of difference when she entered the pocket dimension, only that there was no light. There was a light pushing feeling, as the Gifted noticed her and tried to eject her. She could have resisted, but she stepped calmly outside, and the blackness slid off the frame like water off a ducks back, revealing a red door. Rain entered. The doorman needs some work, she said as she sighted Ya sitting at his desk, reading a scarlet letter. He was a large, dark haired man that reminded Rain of a merchant. On his left hand was a scarlet ring with the letter A. Hes too good of a thief to replace, Ya answered. Finally back after a week? You know youre starting rumours sitting at a fountain day in and day night. Let them gossip, Rain replied, my meditation is more important. So, she said, glancing over the letter, what does it say? Truthfully she had already fully read the contents the moment she stepped in. Incoherent scribblings of a goblin asking Ya the method to remove the bomb collar. It did as we asked and led the goblins into the abandoned district, Ya replied, offering her a cup of tea, but it turns out we didnt need the distraction, that day was just hectic all on its own terms. You still have those underlings? she asked, taking a sip of the tea. The tea had no Breath, but it tasted fine enough for her to indulge in the act of eating. No, Ya answered with a sigh, some passing teenagers from the M.I.A academy wiped them out, it was rather thorough, I saw the bodies. No great loss, she remarked. Ya looked pained, One of the goblins had an ability Granted he stopped contriving after he gained it, but it was a rather good one. Puppeteering ever leaves the puppeteer weak, Rain answered, you should know this mortal. Ya had a deprecating smile, What choice do I have as a charlatan amongst demigods? Not a lot, Rain admitted, your kind cannot cultivate Breath at all, even worse than the mortals of my realm. So, what did you gain this time? she asked. After all, their doorman was a very good thief. A moment, Ya said with a smile. He took out an envelope, wrote some meaningless trite in a letter before folding it into the envelope. And he took out a small, blinking electronic device, placing it into the envelope, before he closed it. Taking some hot wax, he stamped the envelope with his ring, and a brief scarlet glow shone through, staining the entire envelope crimson. The Scarlet Letter. He flicked off some non-existent dust on the crimson envelope, before raising it, as if handing it to someone. To the goblin, Gerrygerry. And the envelope disappeared.
In some sewer somewhere, a goblin paced anxiously around a dimly lit and filthy room. It wore a collar like contraption around its neck, and on its shoulder was a large red A. Suddenly, the A began to glow, as a letter was pushed through it. The goblin yelped in happiness and began ripping open the Scarlet Letter. And the bomb collar detonated, the signal from the device within the letter triggering it.
Goblins are pseudo living concepts, Ya explained. But unlike true Living Concepts, they are also sources of belief. An energy source and the mechanism to use it bundled into one. If I had actually given it instructions on how to disarm the collar, even if it was completely false, so long as the goblin believed the instructions would work, it would successfully disarm the bomb even if it were meant to trigger it. So you didn''t give it the chance to interact with it, Rain finished. So I didnt give it the chance, Ya concurred. They stopped at the basement door. Stepping down first, Ya took out a sheaf of papers, We got a lot this time, the military police couldnt afford to staff their stations as a crisis occurred. He showed her the papers. Data on every active metahuman affiliated with the police below the B rank, and even some of the B rank, unfortunately the ones above that have significantly harder to crack files. Useful, Rain replied, leafing through them to find if there were anyone interesting. A Murican has already offered to buy it, but the true prize was this. Ya took out three bottles of golden liquid. NectarTM, he said with a smile as he turned to look at the thing at the centre of the basement. It was a massive glass box, its metallic frame inscribed with alien script, while the interior was completely frozen over in ice that never melts, all to hold a single entity. It sat in a chair, it had a humanoid figure, yet was anything but. Its clothing was that of a postmans blue winter uniform that covered its entire body, leaving no sight of skin, a hood obscuring its face in darkness. It was something a person might have passed on the street without a second thought. But Rains eyes could see much more than mortal ones. Hidden beneath the darkness of the hood were countless black scabs, thin and wiry like worms, they writhed and shifted like them, threaded as if someone had taken a pencil and slashed a single spot in paper for hours on end. Living Concepts require belief to manifest, in a world without belief, they wont exist, Ya spoke, gently admiring the NectarTM in his hands. But because of that belief, they retain all the weaknesses of their respective Concept, they can be controlled, repelled or destroyed by things that would destroy their Concept. Some madmen try to merge with their Living Concepts like with Law or Democracy, but that only works with human made ideas. Humans cannot merge with primal Concepts, and while multiple of the same Concept can exist at the same time, this one in particular is rather unique. My master tried to control this using only a few hundred bottles of antibiotics, and the mistake caused him to die horrifically from infection. Ya set down the bottles of golden liquid, But perhaps with a panacea on my hands, I can hope to tame the Living Concept of Anthrax.
Aiden was not sure what he expected when he knocked on the door of the housing flat on Rockefeller Street. Only that when Jun opened their door, his face twitched. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Everything past the door was disturbingly filthy. Litter from weeks of takeaway foods, bags and packaging from various malls, used and discarded clothes of countless varieties, all scattered around without rhyme or reason. He tried to ignore it, eyes continuously twitching at the side despite greeting Jun with a perfectly business like smile. Then he entered the kitchen. Jun what the fuck? Huh? He wanted to yell, but he pushed down the urge as he looked up and down the kitchen, then around the house. You need to clean. They at least had the decency to have a complicated look on their face. I mean Aiden shook his head, No, scratch that, do you have a cleaning rag? Uhh I think the last tenant left one in the cupboard they trailed off as Aiden pulled out the old rag, almost blackened by dirt and dust. Running the water, he let it soak in the sink as he began picking up the trash littered around the place. Grab a basket or bucket to put your clothes in. Hey, dont tell me what to do, Jun answered, but she put on her Nightcore mask anyway as she began scouring the place for a basket. Aiden continued, walking around the curious Fluffy as he tossed clothes and trash into their respective piles with practised efficiency and the tired passion of a mother cleaning up her sons room. Jun mimicked him, but not as well. Jun try to sort your clothing by colour, itll make laundry easier, and keep recycling and trash separate! Theyre all gonna end up in the same place anyways, whats the difference? The difference is that darker dyes can bleed into lighter ones, Aiden replied as he tossed a sports bra and a pair of boxer briefs into the dark pile. And keeping trash sorted is just responsible. Because of the Pacific Threat? she asked. Aiden frowned, not knowing that entity at first until he looked at Bus memories. Not just that, but also because it is decent. And have you been eating nothing but takeaway? he asked incredulously, changing the topic away from the thing that should not be Named as he tied up another plastic bag full of leftover packaging. I dont know how to cook, ok! Aiden shook his head, Kids these days Youre the same fucking age as me! she retorted. Its the mileage, not the years, he answered, for some reason thinking that would be exactly what Ranpo said if he were here. And do you have a washing machine or do we need to visit a laundromat? Erm I think I do have one, she muttered, quickly disappearing from sight before coming back. Ido! Theres one downstairs. And you havent been washing your clothes!? Aiden asked. No one ever taught me to use the damn thing! Aiden rubbed his brow, Just Ill teach you how to, just help me haul all this over. He had brought the fake hand Wren made him, but he didnt want to stress test its weight carrying capacity yet. She grumbled, only minimally, as she began transporting everything, tossing the plastic bags full of trash outside, and the laundry into the basement, all as Aiden made his way to the washing machine. Jun slowed down next to him as he kneeled down in front of the washing machine, Its not that difficult he began, pressing the buttons and dictating the various settings, Add in the laundry detergent, pick a temperature and spin cycle ...then load in the clothes, he finished as the washing machine croaked to life. Jun nodded, I couldve done that. Then do so in the future, Aiden continued, standing back up. Next is the kitchen He went on to wash Juns dishes, using the leftover soap water to rub and clean the dirty rag before scrubbing down every surface in the flat. Explaining the steps and proper posture as he did so, giving Jun the opportunity to help out and try for themself. When they were both dirty and dusty, did Aiden heave out a sigh, seeing the now cleaned flat. See! Barely any effort and everything is cleaned up, do this every week or two and you wont have to worry about breathing black mold or something. Fluffy explored the now greatly freed up space, sniffing the detergent scented air. Well at least Fluffy is happy, Jun admitted. She doesnt have to dodge a take away box every other step, Aiden replied. Now, what was I here for- Fluffy grabbed the rim of a feeding bowl and stared expectantly at them. -right, Jun you did buy all the ingredients right? Yeap, Jun nodded, speeding to the fridge. Right, have you had dinner yet? Nah I was just going to eat out- They saw the pained expression on Aidens face. Alright, what is wrong with eating out? they asked. Its fine maybe once or twice a week but youre doing it every single day. Maybe Im busy, they defended. What do you do with all that time? Aiden asked as he looked through the fridge. There was a brief moment of silence. Alright, I dont have anything really going on except school Then you should at least figure out how to cook, Aiden replied, its an important skill to have, and you can save a lot of money compared to eating takeout. Im not telling you to never eat out, its just that you should do so in moderation. Jun sighed, Its just no ever taught me man. Aiden took out a kitchen knife, feeling its sharpness. Let me show you, we have enough to make dinner as well. Woof! Fluffy barked. First off, let me show you how to dice a tomato
The meal was simple. Some stir fried vegetables and meat mince, with sliced bread to top it all off. There was a clear difference in the shapes and sizes of the cut vegetables, some were cut cleanly into evenly and uniform shapes, all with practised ease. The others were misshapen, the shapes cut unevenly and imperfectly. Regardless, they all tasted the same. So hows your job at Huangs place? Jun asked. Dont talk with your mouth full, Aiden replied. And hes not bad, certainly not as bad as some other places Ive visited- stop passing off your vegetables to Fluffy! Like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, Jun guiltily looked up. Cmon! I hate spinach! Whenever you learn to cook you can get rid of all spinach in your food, Aiden answered, but while youre eating my cooking then you have to stomach it. They grumbled, but finished their portion anyway. Narrowing his eyes, Aiden asked, Youre still missing a tooth? Hmm? Oh yeah, Jun replied, fingering the empty space in her mouth. Ive forgotten about it. Do you think I should get it replaced or something? Your choice, Aiden replied, finishing his own meal and taking his dishes to the sink. I figured I should, she replied, but those cost a ton right? I would have to check, Aiden answered, I dont know such info off the top of my head. Whats your current stream of income? Just the one k the government pays me. And how much of it are you saving? Erm they didnt answer, but the tone was enough. Aiden looked around the flat, briefling recalling all the trash, leftover packaging from at least a dozen different clothing stores and fast food brands. Figures How could he expect financial responsibility from a teenager given a thousand a week to do whatever the hell they wanted with? Ok, you are never saving for a new tooth if you spend everything every week. Thats why I was thinking about getting a job at Huangs place! they perked up, How hard could it be? Depends, Huang seems to welcome extra hands, what are your applicable skills and experience? Their face turned blank. My what? Somehow, Aiden was expecting this response, though it did not make him any less disappointed. Where have you worked previously and what can you do to help around, he elaborated. Erm Im fast! I can do delivery! Do you have a bike? Aiden asked. Nope! You can buy one pretty cheaply, Aiden said. Its good to have if you dont have other means of transportation. I can just run fast, they replied as they patted Fluffy. Bikes get you further and faster, Aiden replied, recalling what Trist said about enhanced physiques, Just because you are faster than a normal person on a bike, doesnt mean you on a bike would be slower than you without. I can just run, how much do I need to deliver anyways? Aiden took them outside and showed them the delivery bag on the back of his bike. It was almost his height. Huang is popular enough that you can expect the bag to be half filled at any time, granted, if you are signed on, you helping out should halve my current load, but a bike would just be better. Also, he added on as an important afterthought, you arent legally allowed to earn money with your ability, theres more leeway for passive abilities like you, but a bike would give you a layer of deniability. Oh yeah, Jun nodded, looking over the bike, I heard about this, its why families trade favours and material goods instead. Material goods? Yeah, Jun replied, Like, they need a kids ability, but they cant pass them a fiver to do it, so they give them a diamond worth five bucks, or promise to help them out later. Diamonds should be worth significantly more than five bucks, though I get what you mean, he replied. Yeah, you and Wren did the same thing right? Aiden paused. The concept was not at all foreign to him, he recalled a rather famous incident where a politician got egged after receiving an alleged bribe in the form of two tailored suits, or how his old companys CEO had gifted several famous paintings to the governments environmental administrations department. He simply did not conceive that he had participated in such money laundering. Huh, he said. I suppose I did. A companion for a right hand, it was fitting in an odd way. Glancing up at the setting sky, Aiden said, Its getting late, Ill head home for now. Wait a moment, Jun asked, raising a hand, can I try your bike for a second? Sure. Jun stepped up to the bike, examining it with a strange look. Breathing deeply, they sat on the seat, with one foot on the ground, they gave it a test pedal, before they kicked off and rode- For a solid second before they lost balance and slammed their foot into the ground. I dont know how to ride a bike, Jun frankly said. How could you- Aiden stopped. He stopped and thought about his visit. He had come to just teach Jun how to make the mix he gave Fluffy, but he spent so much more time here didnt he? Jun didnt know how to cook for themself, operate a washing machine, and had no job experience. Why? No one ever taught me. He remembered. Fresh into his twenties, long after he left his foster home which was barely better than his original. Months of nothing but cup ramen until a nutrient deficiency knocked him in a hospital for five days. Clothes worn and washed till they faded. Pouring rain as he installed training wheels onto a bike hed never learned just to save the slightest bit of money travelling to a job he hated. Aiden looked towards the setting sun, then at the quiet street with no active traffic or cars. Theres a helmet in the bag, put it on, he said as he stepped towards Jun. Dont try to pedal immediately, he gently told Jun as he helped them strap on the helmet. Sit and use your legs to kick off the ground, do this and keep building momentum, at a certain point the momentum cancels out any imbalance you will feel Good good now only use one leg to kick off, keep the other on the pedal Jun didnt get it at first. Like a blind drunken walrus tap dancing down the freeway, Jun stumbled and cursed, wobbling far too much as they overcompensated in a myriad different ways. Dont balance with your legs, do so with your upper body But slowly Jun got the hang of it. As they kicked off the ground, the bike sped up, and they maintained their balance for longer and longer. Try turning now That caught them up, the sudden shift from a straight line to a curve, but in time, even that was conquered. Holding the bike from the back, he said, Now try peddling And Jun did. They pedalled forward, Aiden holding the back of the bike in balance, a reassuring presence as they rode through the street as night lights lit up. Slowly, Jun gained more confidence, they rode quicker, faster, and Aidens measured steps turned into a jog, then a sprint. Until he couldnt keep up at all, and Jun rode, not even noticing that Aiden had let go a long time ago. Chapter 46 The World Waits for No Individual Part 1 Chapter 46 The World Waits for No Individual Part 1 We set out to save the world in the end we could only watch. - Paradigm, Leader of the Defenders of Dawn and Hero of the War Within. It was evening when Aiden was reading through his textbooks, Unifying Theories of Living Concepts, the crows were out on his balcony, not eating, but it seemed like his home had become a gathering spot for them. With a flap of wings, Ranpo returned. Aiden, the crow began, have you noticed there seems to be more military police patrolling? Aiden raised his eyebrow, I wouldnt know. He flipped open his phone, an unnoticed habit, until he saw the top headlines. War with Hell to occur within 30 years.
People flocked to stores, buying out and stockpiling dozens of goods, canned foods, non-perishables, survival tools, weapons and ammunition, all bought out within a matter of hours. People act the same even here huh, Aiden observed. Hmm? Ranpo asked. People like to stock up in times of crisis, Aiden continued. Its sensible in a way, but also not a great idea due to supply chain issues. As he spoke, he saw employees rapidly stock the shelves back up. ... Though it seems like this world anticipated the increased demand. Aiden browsed the news as he walked, passing patrolling military police as he went around the city. The police presence would likely be up for a long while, Aiden deduced, a preventative measure for riots and panic, but also a show of strength and safety. Local Heroes to be transferred to the Rus Yuro-P exclusion zone. Glory Woman, Jericho King, Tuba Heavy Gunner and Fastpass huh, Aiden muttered. It also notes a bunch of non-hero metas would be following, Ranpo noted, staring down at the screen, Mostly military and commercial metas. The latter would make up the greater force, Aiden said, biting his thumb as he thought, the Tuba Brothers, Allen the Annihilator, and a bunch of other names I dont recognise. He did recognise the surnames though, mostly from his other classmates. Why are they sending off so many people so soon? Ranpo asked, The actual war wont happen for years or decades. Thats what Im wondering, Aiden replied, certainly some people would get sent as a diplomatic thing, but the numbers are too high. Sending some people along would be polite, and reinforce the alliance the countries had, but every region and city was contributing a few metas. This city in particular contributed most of its big names, and there were bound to be significantly more unnamed metas who were following in the background. It was simply too many for a diplomatic show. Ill just ask them.
DiceBot has joined the chat. Say Hi! DarKing: Its because the situation in Rus is pretty bad rn LuKing: Its not public knowledge yet, but a lot of the top Rus metas were annihilated in a battle against a Demon, the economy is also shot cause they needed to rely on tech to bring it down DarKing: Jericho told us, he said hes going to help stabilise the situation JunMoon: wut kinda demon was it? WrenWood: You know we cant talk about Demons Jun! (??) LuKing: Jericho said it was some kind of power shifter, but he didnt get anymore details, it''s dead anyways.
Aiden frowned. I see then Ranpo muttered, With Rus weakened, the entire eastern side of the Gate is vulnerable. Five to thirty years that is a massive range, Aiden murmured in thought, devil and Demon attacks would also increase massively before the actual invasion The situation there seemed pretty bad. If they came in five years, they might catch the country with its pants down, heavily weakened from previous attacks, Rus may fold under a sustained Demon assault. But thirty years might even be worse. Though it meant more time to prepare, it also gave more time to stew in fear of an inevitable attack. Public opinion was a beast, would morale hold that long? It was enough time for the majority of the population to flee and migrate in fear, leaving the country without key human resources. Rus supplies the majority of our healers, Aiden muttered. Plus theres the Black Fields. The Black Fields? Ranpo asked. Its a large stretch of land where you can plant people, Aiden replied. When a person is buried there, they grow and sprout like a plant, eventually fruiting a bunch of clones of the original person, only without their memories. The clone would still have to be raised normally from a baby, but it was the main reason Rus was able to maintain its ridiculously large metahuman army. Massive even by this worlds hyper militaristic standards. And also where our healers come from he murmured. There have been very few cases of large-scale healer usage, the only recent example was Misha, that girl who punched a kaiju till it died. She was so heavily injured that an entire generation of healer clones were spent keeping her alive, even then, they couldnt save her leg. I wish I could be such a spendthrift with healing, Aiden muttered. It shouldnt affect us that much right? Ranpo asked as they stopped in front of a massive and ancient arch. That should be correct, Aiden replied. The teleporters will keep our countries relatively close despite the massive distance. Ranpo previously went through one of them, ancient things so old no one remembered who made them or even how to operate them. They opened at set times every day, were somehow immune to Hells Bleed effect, and you could go to the other side of the world through them, that was all people needed to know to maintain them. God, travel was never so easy back in my old life, Aiden muttered. But here it carries its own risks. Aiden nodded in agreement. In his old world, he couldnt travel due to financial reasons, after he found a home, he stayed in place working. He kinda wished he spent his paid leave. I heard Rus is a beautiful place, he said, not to anyone in particular, but with a strained longing for a world that never was. Maybe you can visit it when everything blows over. Maybe, Aiden said as he turned away. Even if the end of the world was in sight, the current world needed to continue. Nothing much happened during this time, the increased security meant there werent as many jobs listed on Saras app, leaving his only work at Huangs place. The first few days passed by quickly. Until one day, Aiden got challenged. Aiden didnt have a large impression on Lea Lend, she used her power against Trist during the first class and both of them disappeared, only reappearing afterwards with Lea having lost. She was better at hand to hand than most of the class, disregarding those with abilities that worked well in close range, her power used some kind of teleportation and probably worked as some kind of alternate dimension. That was it. Remember, no maiming or intentional harm, Dr Oliver Oliver called out from within Rajs mouth. Ill dock your points if you do, Trist warned. The four-five, Aiden mentally corrected, since Oliver and Raj counted as two, stood in a loose circle. Around them, the rest of the class watched. Beat her up! Jun cheered. Dont care if shes a girl! Be a proponent of gender equality! Um Sure? Aiden replied, not really sure how he shouldve answered that. Lea smiled brightly at him. Why do you want to fight me specifically again? he asked. You didnt fight Trist before, she replied. I want to figure out what everyone can do. I see. He briefly checked over everything, his scarf, a pair of gloves, the fake hand Wren gave him and his gym bag filled with rope along with his Umbrella. You two will go at it until one side surrenders or until one of us calls it, Trist said. Both nodded. On three, Dr Oliver Oliver said as Raj raised his hand. One. Aiden pulled off his scarf and Oros animated it as it dropped onto the ground. There was a slight commotion, as this was the first time many in the class saw his power at work. Two. Lea entered a loose stance. Hopping in place as she raised her fists. Three. Raj threw down his hand. I challenge you, Aiden Bu, Trist Brake, Raj Reddy and Oliver Oliver. The world suddenly turned monochrome and the students behind them disappeared. Oros leapt in front of him, hissing as Lea stepped away, both combatants warily watching each other. It is startlingly similar to an Expansion, Raj commented. Yeah, Trist answered, I almost activated my Reinforcement on reflex last time The teachers were off to the side, having asked beforehand to be brought into this pocket dimension. Both Aiden and Lea ignored them. Suddenly, white scales appeared on Leas face. A white snake tattoo slithered across her skin. Aiden frowned as he realised her power. Attack her now! he yelled out, Oros quickly obliged as they both rushed Lea. She leapt back, more tattoos appearing on her arms, however, her face was swiftly filled with a dumbfounded look. She recognised none of the tattoos on her skin. Oros leapt at her, clearing the distance between the two of them in a single leap- Before stopping in space, no longer able to approach her. My Umbrella! With a smooth motion, Aiden unzipped his gym bag, the tattoos of both the Giant Pacific Octopus and Colossal Squid flowing down his arm as he thrust it into the bundles of rope within. In a single instant, animated rope all loosely attached to his arm all sprung out towards Lea. She dodged to the side, but that was the trick, his Umbrella power could stop something from going directly towards or away from someone. But not when something went beside them, and certainly not when she jumped into it. Only a single tentacle had to enter the unaffected range, and it was enough to quickly wrap around her, the moment contact was made, Aiden rushed in, the Umbrella power no longer effective once touch was established. Lea struggled, ripping herself out of the tentacle, and throwing a punch towards Aiden. He quickly blocked with a flurry of tentacles that wrapped around her arm. She gripped onto the tentacles, then roughly pulled it in, hoping to draw Aiden closer, but the large bundle of ropes only blocked her vision as they detached. For a brief moment, she lost sight of Aiden. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. A roundhouse kick slammed into the back of her head, knocking Lea down. Aiden didnt give her any space, the reality of the copied Umbrellas power meant he was forced to stay within close range. He stomped down on Lea, only to get his foot caught by her hand. She pulled him down and Aiden landed ass first on the ground. Lea leapt on him and they wrestled on the ground, rolling on the cold floor. Lea quickly got the upper hand, making it clear she had some kind of physique power. Getting hold of Aidens neck, she slammed him into the cold floor, a fist raised above him. Oros finally made it through the copied Umbrella power, jumping and coiling around Lea as she yelped and backed off of Aiden, falling on her ass as the serpent tripped her. Panting, Aiden rose back up, but as Lea struggled, she slammed and kicked and elbowed Oros, holding onto the serpents neck to ensure it didnt get close. Every blow was reflected onto Aiden. It looked rather strange, he was just standing there yet it looked like he was getting beaten by several people at once. Not staying idle, Aiden stepped on the scattered lengths of rope on the ground, once again controlling them to target Leas legs and wrists. The copied Umbrella was still active, so Aiden had to carefully manoeuvre them around. Lea quickly noticed, jumping away from Aiden with Oros still wrapped around her, but the serpent did not allow that, tripping her with its tail as she did so. One tentacle made it through, tightly coiling around her wrist, pulling it outwards and trapping her movement. The moment one made it, the rest followed, trapping her other limbs and freeing Oros. Giving it the chance to close in to bite onto Leas neck, its fangs stopping just before breaking her skin. ... I lose. The monochrome world shattered, and as it did, the tattoos on Leas arms disappeared. A look of understanding suddenly flashed through her eyes as she recognised what the gone tattoos were. Well thats all well and done, Oliver announced, drinking from a teacup that had appeared during their fight. Aiden sighed, wincing at his bruises as he withdrew the scattered tattoos. Lea was comparatively better off, Aiden had focused mostly on restraint and not on the more lethal creatures he had in his repertoire. All the rest of the class saw them disappearing, then suddenly reappearing after a while, sweating and panting with a bunch of rope laying around. Who won? Ignoring them, Aiden stepped forward, Oros letting go of Lea as he helped him up. Why didnt you use Trists, Olivers or Rajs power? he whispered. Lea copying Colorful and the Umbrella forced Aiden into a quick close range fight, he couldnt give her the time to figure out the nature of Colorful and the Umbrella nullified the few long range options he had. If Lea had used Trists Frame of Mind, the close range battle wouldve been quickly lost. Not to mention Raj and Oliver Olivers power. Aiden had yet to have his common sense fully corrupted by this world, so he recognised that a tongue louse the size of a football could not feasibly fit inside Rajs mouth. It was just a fight between us, wasnt it? she replied with an honest face. Seeing this, Aiden was slightly taken aback, before he chuckled, Good fight then. Alright, this round goes to Aiden, Trist declared. The declaration broke the rest of the class out of their stupor, as they clamoured to the two combatants to understand what occurred.
So she copies meta tools as well? Luther asked. Aiden nodded, I carry around one for protection, I didnt expect it would get used against me. The group was currently lounging around in one of the training rooms, Luther typing down notes on a laptop. Shes rather tough to deal with, Aiden admitted. Against me, she didnt understand my power and didnt have anything prepared to animate, so I was able to take her down, but she seems to have an all around physical buff in that world. Against someone with a power she understood and knew to use, Leas bonus physical prowess should theoretically give her an upper hand. Shes pretty difficult in a straight one on one huh Jun pondered. Not only that, she can drag multiple people into the same pocket dimension, so she can stack their powers, Aiden pointed out. Everyone fell into silence, imagining a scenario where Lea dragged one opponent and multiple allies into her pocket dimension. Even without allies, she counters simplistic powers like mine, Josh or Juns, Wren said. We dont have a lot to our powers, so she would be able to understand it quickly and overpower us with her physical power. Shes a definite avoid then, Darius said, just as Luther typed down the exact same thing. Aiden leaned over, looking at the document Luther was typing up.
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Anyone else whose power we can guess at? Luther asked. Aiden thought for a moment, before saying, Judy. Who? Jun asked. The one with the cymbal monkey, Josh reminded. She has multiple powers, Darius added. We know her first is a debuff type that activates on hit. She has three in total, Aiden told them, I heard Trist ask her after their first bout, and from my observation, her second seems to do with mimicking techniques. He briefly described how Judys last attack had been exactly the same as Trists own attack. So one is the debuff on hit, the second is some kind of skill mimicry or advanced learning, and third is whatever that cymbal monkey was? Darius asked Aiden to confirm. Aiden nodded. The big unknown is that cymbal monkey thing, Luther analysed, we dont know what it does, it didnt seem to fight Trist, but that doesnt disregard her as a spawner type. Some kind of boogeyman that activates once certain conditions activate? Wren guessed. Maybe, Luther said, we dont know enough about it. Who else in our class is dangerous? Aiden asked. A lot of people havent shown their abilities yet. Those who didnt fight in the first week against Trist have largely kept their powers secret. I know some of them, Luther said, Lilian- the bat girl- becomes a vampire the more blood she consumes in the short term. Gaining new powers as she drinks more, but she gains their weaknesses as well. Sunburn, dislike of holy symbols, along with weirder ones like being unable to enter a house without invitation or being unable to cross running water, Darius added onto his cousin. My little sister is also in your class, Wren mentioned. Shes Caitlyn, her power is completely non-combative, but its an inherited Name. Josh perked up from his seat with a game controller. Its Google Your Own Death, Wren continued, whenever she uses a search engine of any type, she can search a persons name and death, giving her information on their most likely cause of death within one week. Its not a deterministic prediction, it only shows the most probable death, its not a guarantee they will die or even that they will meet that specific death, but she can get a lot of info from it, including who killed them, their powers or other stuff. Aiden raised an eyebrow, Thats definitely a powerful one Not a combative one, Jun said, so she should be easy for me. Its an information gathering type, Luther said, those are dangerous no matter what, she might even have information on all our abilities. Thats a tricky one, what about in your class? Aiden asked Wren, Luther and Josh. Well, in our class there''s After a while of discussion, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Well, I have to head to Isaacs class now, Aiden said, slinging his bag over his back. I wish my fellow comrade good luck! Josh said, May you gain an advantage over us all! Pfft, Luther replied, taking out his phone, I can do better than wishing. On Aidens own phone, there was a notification, a message from Luther in the group chat. Luther took out a chocolate bar and took a bite.
LuKing: Want some chocolate?
Raising an eyebrow, Aiden replied.
Aiden1507: No thanks. LuKing: Lets use Dicebot to play a game of chance, I plan on rigging it. 10 20 sided dice rolls. JunMoon: Ooooh this will be gud Aiden1507: Sure. LuKing: r/1d20 DiceBot: 1! LuKing: r/1d20 DiceBot: 1! LuKing: r/1d20 DiceBot: 1!
As Aiden walked out of the gym, a crow slammed into the window, dropping a twenty dollar note directly into his hands as it fell to the side. As he went to help the crow, he found three dollars in coins hidden in the grass where it landed. Since Ranpo wasnt here, the crow flew off without a single word- caw? Then, as Aiden shook his head, he slipped, and landed right into an empty cart pushed by another student, who was busily chatting on his phone, somehow not noticing Aiden at all. The scenery around them changed as the student teleported Aiden along with him. Aiden got off the cart, apologising to the student who just noticed him. As he looked around, he found himself exactly in front of Isaacs classroom, skipping the short walk there entirely. Back in front of the gym Holyshit, Luther luck me as well! Jun demanded. Luther chuckled, If you give me half of everything you get
As Aiden stepped into the classroom, he saw several other students sitting inside. One of them was Lilian, who was fidgeting with several packets of blood. She can probably regain Hume through blood as well. Mentally noting down his theory for the next time his group met up, Aiden sat down, he checked through his own tattoos, hidden right underneath his sleeve. Isaac stepped in soon after, his messy hair tied up in a ponytail. Afternoon, Im Isaac, Im taking this class from now on. No one was teaching this class before, someone sighed. Unfortunate, but were always low on people, Isaac replied. Due to the nature of Meta Techniques, I wont be doing much in the way of teaching, my job here is to act mostly as a battery and give you pointers on how other people have activated their Hume. Keep a close look on your Hume Status, if you cant refill it in time, I will inject mine into yours. Get into a position youre comfortable with, this class will be on activating Simple Reinforcement. If youre a manifested and dont want Reinforcement to be taking up your two slots, then sit back and watch. Keep questions quick since I need to keep watch on all of your Hume levels. Hearing this, Aiden got out of his seat, and found a spot to sit down cross legged. Meta Techniques are easy, just figure out how you currently spend Hume to use your ability, then remove your ability from the process of manipulating Hume. Reinforcement just needs you to cover your own body with it- Suddenly, a phone rang, loudly interrupting Isaac. Whose phone is that- oh wait its mine. Isaac answered his phone, muttering some things before glancing at Aiden. Aiden, its for you, he said as he tossed the phone to him. He caught it easily, seeing the caller, Freddy. Hello? he said as he went to a quiet corner of the room. Yo! Freddy answered, from the background noise, Aiden could determine he was on a train. Ive been meaning to call you but I didnt have your number, plus all this recent shit about the Hells has kept me busy, just got some free time to call Isaac, and you happened to be there as well! What do you need me for? Aiden asked, mentally noting how lucky it was for him to be in the same room as Isaac as Freddy called him. Want a new hand? Freddy asked. Aiden paused. I know that a public student like you wont have any military insurance, unless you have another one? Im responsible for you losing it, since I couldnt protect you well enough. I have enough money squirrelled away to hire a decent healer, so fixing it should be easy. I dont blame you for that, Aiden replied, but if youre offering, I have a request. Hmm? Please use the money to get a healer to look over my sister instead, or better yet, purchase one of the panaceas on the market. There was a pause. Your sis is the one suffering Bleed right? Long term, means her change has become permanent, I could do it, but it would be pricey, I wouldnt be able to add onto your hand treatment- That is fine, Aiden said, looking at the gloved prosthetic that Wren gave him. A friend got me a new one, plus I never really cared about it, a hand, a leg or a kidney, losing one or both never mattered to me. There was a laugh over the phone, as Freddy slightly grasped the madness of the other manifested. Very well then, Ill look into it, tell Isaac to give you my phone number, Ill be busy for a few months, plus I need to change the gold into actual currency- actually I might be able to skip that step. Gold? Yeah, way safer than keeping it as money. You never know when the country you live in goes kaput. Interesting advice. They chatted for a while longer, before Aiden hung up and passed the phone back to Isaac.
Freddy hung up, chuckling slightly as he put away his phone. Interesting conversation? the woman beside him asked. It was, Freddy answered. There were two of them, riding on the economy section of the train to their next mission. The woman, Janna Zenin, asked, Do tell. Its this kid I met when I got those white corpses for you to analyse Unlike most of her family, Janna Zenin wasnt able to inherit the thinker power that made that family dangerous, but she was an accomplished mage, who was considered their resident expert in Living Concepts and Bleed. As they talked, Freddy noticed something. Four people, two in front of their seats and two behind, both of them suddenly disappeared from his power sense. Such a thing wasnt impossible, if a person was bleeding in any way, then they automatically disappeared from his power. It was just rather strange. He spoke up, What- The bullet pierced through the chair as he was shot in the head. The four people around them got up quickly, firing their guns in the air to pacify the rest of the panicking passengers. Each of them had a bandage that was swiftly reddening with blood. One of them surveyed the two corpses, seeing the blood seeping out of the back of both Janna and Freddys head. Both targets are dead, he declared, turning away. We need to get off this- Freddy stood up. The assassin immediately fired again as a knife shot out of Freddys clothing. The knife slammed into the assassins shoulder, carrying him up and impaling him to the seat across. The bullet slammed into Freddys chest, breaking his skin, and causing some blood to seep, but did not go any deeper than his skin. God, Im going to develop thrombosis like this. All three others immediately ran upon seeing the situation, but Freddys blades all shot out, impaling their hands and feet to the chairs, walls and floor, trapping them. Now who sent you- Suddenly, something appeared beside him. A floating, flat digital screen, almost like a smartphone, it had a cover with a stylised design that looked like an owl. Welcome to the Owl City network! the owl said as those same words flashed on its screen. Freddy immediately threw a knife at it, stabbing it into the floor. But though the floor was dented, the knife failed to piece the owl. The owl spoke again, Frederic Goethal, user of an unnamed Manifested Power
... possesses the Meta Tool codenamed Batros Spinal Cord. Batro was a death-row inmate executed before the formation of Law. His spinal cord creates a qualitative change to the users neural system, allowing them to program automatic responses that dont require their spinal cord or brain. Frederic Goethal has the preprogrammed response to activate his Extended Reinforcement Technique whenever his epidermis is breached. On the other side of the train, inside the first class section, an elderly man calmly listened to the explanation by the owl, a phone by his side. It seems like the information we bought wasnt fully accurate. I suppose that is what we get for trusting a broker from a tiny island nation, the phone said. Your Owl City is helping me enough, the elderly man answered the phone. I just need to kill him, correct? It will be best if you can get some information out of him, were relying on you. And the phone cut. The elderly man sighed, To think nowadays people are grafting entire spinal cords into their body. His power isnt Named, yet its manifested? An impossibility, but the world is wide. He got up with a tired sigh, tapping his walking cane. Well, work is work.
Freddy checked the pulse of Janna, only coming to the same conclusion that the other man had made. She was dead, the bullet went clean through her brain. And soon, all the four assailants were dead as well. Their dying words the information Freddy tortured out of them. He glanced warily at the floating owl, but other than loudly speaking his information, it did nothing. An information gathering ability, was my attack what triggered it? They said there was a meta that could kill me, so Im facing at least two more enemies, the user of the owl, and another attacker Chapter 47 The World Waits for No Individual Part 2 Chapter 47 The World Waits for No Individual Part 2 You want to silence me!? Are you not content to watch me waste away, so desperate you are to seize power!? - Paradigm, former Leader of the Defenders of the Dawn and High Traitor to the Human Race The real fight began when half of the train carriage was blown off. Rushing winds slammed into Freddys face as he dodged just out of the way, only years of experience allowing him to notice that something had attacked. He took in information quickly, the top half of the train carriage was blown away, likely by some kind of explosive. No sign of a clear attacker, and the collateral shrapnel had shredded into several people, they did not have a protective technique like him. Freddys hand held tightly to the window frame, other than his fingers which were touching the glass, he was completely hidden behind cover, out of sight of everyone else. At this moment, he could not trust any single person on the train. Four passengers had already fired onto him, their blood was still drying, and the owl orbited around him, as if waiting for a prompt. Currently he had little idea of what the specifics of Owl City were, immediately upon attacking it, it revealed information about him. Any interaction with it could result in more information about himself being revealed. His enemies were at minimum aware of his power, and of how he could control a person through their bodily liquids, taking appropriate measures against being detected by him. Secondly, they now knew about his second spinal cord that he uses to react to attacks. His actual defences were heavily limited, working only through a mixture of flash coagulation and freezing a layer of his blood to form a second wall, maintaining the enclosed environment of his body even if superficial portions of himself were damaged and bleeding. It came with the risk of thrombosis and became rather fragile after the ice melted. As the wind howled and the temperature dropped, he tightened his hand. Freddy sensed every moving body with liquid inside them. Panicked passengers clung tightly to the stumps of their chairs, some were running, holding tightly onto any handhold as they made their way to the other carriages through the rushing wind. It was getting cold, the train hadnt stopped yet and the wind kept blowing fiercely. The temperature of many passengers was dropping. Far too quickly. Liquids were freezing at a visible rate, disappearing from the senses of his power the moment they changed to a solid. Shocked, Freddy stood up, letting go of the window frame. Blades danced around him as he forcefully heated them by rapidly moving the liquid particles within. The enemy was still attacking. Freddy raised his hand and- He had lost his fingers. Turning to the window, he found the top distal joints of four of his fingers frozen onto the window, leaving only his thumb intact. The cold had numbed him to the point he hadnt even noticed. With a thought, he immediately activated his power, a reddish blush covered his body as he circulated his blood several times its normal speed. A lucky guess or did they know more? The middle joints of his fingers were frozen and completely numb, there was no recovering them this soon, so he resolutely cut circulation by scabbing the blood vessels leading to them, maintaining the enclosed environment. Freddy spread out his power, activating his Imbuement technique. Bloody Stream. There was a flare of Hume within the bodies of a now frozen passenger. Freddys range was large but limited, through his Imbuement technique, he could turn enclosed blood into a range extender, and he could chain such extenders, until he now covered the entire train. There he found them. The only person on the train not shivering. He closed his remaining hand into a fist, forcefully ripping that person out of their seat, not even letting a single muscle move as he restricted their movement. Then with a single flick, he compressed their blood into one hyper dense ball inside them. Then let go. The blood exploded outwards, and he lost his awareness of the enemy. And the freezing winds stopped. His water bottles floated out, and he stepped onto two, using them to fly to the first class carriage where he found the body. Blood was splattered everywhere, their chest had torn open from the blood escaping their body. It was a woman, her last look one of utter shock. How did you figure that one out? Freddy swiped around to the source of the voice, his blades were faster, already closing in onto the persons carotid artery. The elderly man with a walking cane was faster. When Our Bodies Wash Ashore.
Whats the most dangerous thing a metahuman can do? Aiden asked. Isaac scoffed, Thats a question without an answer, theres been people who can shatter moons, lay waste to entire civilised worlds, the simple, answer is no one fucking knows. Aiden shook his head, No, I dont mean in terms of natural abilities, but what is the most dangerous thing a metahuman can train to learn? Expansions, Isaac replied without hesitation, not even waiting for Aidens question, he answered, All Extended Techniques of the Expansion side are identical in a way anyone who learns it is automatically considered a severely more destructive combatant. What is it? An Expansion Extended Technique is when a person constructs a sub dimension, Isaac answered. A dimension based on that same inner world you dream about. Pocket dimensions arent that troublesome, but an Expansion is dangerous in particular because
It forms a world with a Bleed effect that can overcome a metas natural resistance. The train disappeared. Reality bled away as suddenly Freddy stood on an island, in front of him stood a massive corpse city, built immeasurable eons ago in loathsome architecture from the dark side of the universe. There was a heavy scent of thick sea salt, one that seemed to permeate into his very bones. Freddys blades flew, words leapt from his throat to the tip of his tongue. He was too slow. 0.2 seconds after the Expansion opened, all of his blades violently deformed and exploded. 0.4 seconds after the Expansion opened, the skin of all civilian passengers caught in it bulged up, appearing bubbly like bubble wrap. 0.6 seconds after the Expansion opened, Freddys skin began to bulge similarly, as if bubbles were trying to rip themselves out of his body. 0.8 seconds after the Expansion opened, the bubbles on all civilian passengers violently exploded. 1 second after the Expansion opened, the bubbles on Freddys injured arm exploded, blowing flesh and bone shrapnel that tore through the rest of his body. 1.2 seconds after the Expansion opened, Freddy completely lost his left arm, the stump not even bleeding as Batros Spinal Cord forcefully sealed off the blood vessels. 1.4 seconds after the Expansion opened, Freddy finished the words he was saying. Simple Reinforcement! Pure Hume flushed through his body, his skin ceased its violent bubbling. He could not breathe even a sigh of relief, for then, the elderly man raised a gun and fired. The bullet pierced through his chest, boring a hole through his left ribs and lung. A second bullet flew and punctured his left shoulder. The elderly man did not stop, and a third bullet was shot. This time, a black, frosted arm stopped it. Freddys remaining forearm was completely frozen stiff as he fully solidified all liquid in a layer below his skin. The weakness of all Simple Meta Techniques is that they use pure Hume. Thus, they disrupt even the users abilities. While Freddy was maintaining his Simple Reinforcement, Batros Spinal Cord was fully deactivated, the automatic responses of his Extended Reinforcement would not activate. He did not naturally possess the ability to quickly react to damages to his body and implement his wound specific flash freezing. Blood began to seep out of his mouth, his punctured lung burning with pain as he stood within this pocket dimension. He normally would not flash freeze such a large area, as it severely increased his risk of developing thrombosis along with completely necrotising the entire limb where it was applied. But at the moment, he decided the elderly man in front of him was a greater threat. As expected, the elderly man sighed as he tossed the gun, I cannot kill a Gifted with a mundane weapon. The entire left side of Freddys torso was dead. He had completely cut off all liquid connections the moment the bullet passed through his lung, just to maintain the enclosed environment within himself. It was luck, or perhaps an underlying condition of the elderly mans powers that let Freddy lose only his injured arm. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He was also bleeding somewhere, thats why Freddy couldnt sense him with his power. The elderly man let go of his cane, letting it slowly fall to the ground. And it softly fell onto the sandy beach. Both moved. A palm redirected Freddys approaching fist, parrying it off target, instead, he gripped onto the old mans shoulder, grappling him and tossing the elderly man into the ground. Freddy moved in to punch with his other arm- An upwards kick with surprising force sent him flying, Freddys frozen arm ripped off the old mans coat, but little else. Youre not used to it yet, his opponent commented, dusting some sand off his body. A bandage was on his right arm, stained red with blood. Youre right, Freddy spat out, along with his blood and other bodily fluids, clutching his abdomen where he was kicked. He threw off his torn clothing, revealing the water bottles he kept fastened to his chest, with a thought, they flew out, assembling where his stump was, forming a new limb. The Bleed affected things based on their Hume level, his knives, which only had a minor amount of Hume invested were destroyed first, then the normal civilians, and finally him. But this close to his body, Freddy could simultaneously keep up his Simple Imbuement and ability, allowing the bottles to be exempt from the Expansions Bleed effect. This of course was only a temporary measure, as Freddy could feel himself steadily getting more and more thirsty, his Hume Status showing his weakening capacity. Having Simple Reinforcement is only the first countermeasure. Youre still stuck in the pocket dimension. Discounting specific ability interactions, the only way to escape is to either find the boundaries of the dimension and forcefully break out with pure Hume, activate a superior Expansion that forcefully overrides the current one, or kill the ability user that created the dimension. Even now, Freddy was eyeing the boundaries of the world. The sea around the island appeared endless, but that was just a visual effect. No human possessed the Hume capacity to fully create an entire world. Youre not coming to me? the elderly man asked. Then I suppose its my turn. The sand beneath Freddys feet started bubbling. At that moment, he made his decision. Freddy rushed forward, circulating what blood he had left as the beach exploded behind him. Rushing that old man and the city with maddening architecture. His range had been lowered to a few metres, while his opponent''s range was the entire pocket dimension. The risk of him dying from one-sidedly receiving attacks while he tried to find the boundaries was simply too high. And lacking his own Expansion, Freddy was forced to attempt to kill his opponent. Explosions rocked the beach and sand was thrown everywhere, in a single moment when the sand flew high into the air, Freddy disappeared. A single shadow on the ground was all the warning the elderly man got as Freddy fell from the sky, a single water bottle under his foot keeping his flight. The elderly man dodged as a black fist slammed into the ground, throwing up sand and blocking his vision. As Freddy got up, he swept the ground, throwing sand directly into the elderly mans face. Blinded, the ground all around the elderly man started bubbling, and exploded before Freddy could capitalise on the advantage. The moment the elderly man was visible again, a bottle slammed directly into his gut, crumpling him over with sheer force and forcing spittle flying. With a glare the bottle deformed soon after, as a white powdery substance materialised within before exploding. Explosions rocked the ground where Freddy stood, but he flew high, avoiding most, but his drying throat forced him to land back onto the ground. The elderly man slammed his fist into the ground, and a wall of explosions circled around himself, covering him completely from Freddys sight. Give up, the elderly man called out from behind his wall. This has become a battle of attrition, one where neither of us has a surefire killing technique. Except you are within my domain, and without a single way of killing me. He understood that, it was why he quickly ceased flying. His Hume was lowering at a rapid pace as he kept up four simultaneous abilities. Simple and Extended Reinforcement, his base ability and Simple Imbuement. But of all Meta Techniques, Expansions were the single most costly one. The heavy scent of sea salt seemed to have gotten weaker since Freddy entered, enough that it was noticeably easier to breathe. That was the elderly mans Hume Status. For the first time, Freddy spoke back, What pointless words, dont you know that even a cornered rat will bite a cat. The explosions to prevent him from closing in was just a show of force, Freddy doubted the elderly man could keep the explosions up long enough for him to fully run out of Hume. That metaphor does not tell you what happens to the rat in the end, the elderly man answered. Maybe Ill only nibble off an ear, thatll be- Freddy shot off without finishing his sentence. In a battle where every single second mattered, even concentrating on a conversation could provide the narrowest of openings. He could only hope it was enough, as he forcefully slammed every drop of liquid he had in his body into the direction of the elderly man, forcefully propelling himself right in front of him. His arm made of water bottles raised high as water shot out after being explosively compressed, forming a sharp blade of ice that stabbed directly into his chest. The elderly man vomited blood, and Freddy gripped the false arm with his power, forcing it down and deepening the cut. And the ground underneath them started bubbling. Freddy looked down, but it was enough. A gunshot sounded out, square into his chest and heart. A second followed, creating a hole in the bottle with the ice blade. The third shot into his leg, stopping his ability to further move without his ability. The elderly man throwing away the gun, constantly exploding the ground and emphasising that neither had a sure kill ability that could end the fight in an instant. It was all to make Freddy believe that the domain and meta ability were the real threats, not the second gun hidden on his body. A metahuman battle is fought and won with deception, the elderly man told him, gun pointed right at his head, remember that when you pass on. Freddy coughed, a cold spreading through his body. With his last breath, he whispered. Requiem.
Freddy dreamt of childrens drawings. In a place like the childrens section of a hospital, clean and sterile, but with many dashes of prepubescent colour and crayon like drawings. It was a place without windows, a place without doors leading to the outside world. Here, adults with smiling faces took care of many children, attending to their every need, letting them play and run around and caring for them only as parents would. It was where Freddy grew up. And as he ventured through the familiar hallways, he found the large underground complex nostalgic, his heart aching for a childhood that had long since ended. Slowly, as he walked, lights began to turn off. Slowly becoming dilapidated, or caved in. Until Freddy stopped at a doorway with stairs leading upwards. There he was, waiting, a black marble statue, dressed like a musketeer from mediaeval times, a statue half carved, a potential silenced, a hope diminished. Freddy greeted him like a friend, despite only meeting him once before, Aborted God. (Frederic Goethal.) I presume Ive used my last chance? he asked casually. (Only once can a person defy death so. You know where you must go now.) Freddy chuckled, somehow, the fact of his imminent death had wiped a lot of his worries, gone as easy as flicking dust off his shoulder. All behind him was the scene of the experiment facility collapsing into dilapidation and wear. Every speck of rust was another person forgetting his name, every cave in was another place that forgot his name. It was a place where they experimented on children to see if they could force manifestations, Freddy said. The Aborted God was silent. They tried a variety of things, among many different facilities, but this one was rather nice. They tried to raise children in peace, all the while injecting the Hume infused blood into them. Trying to force a positive manifestation as those tended to be more powerful. I was the only one where it worked out, but I only showed increased Hume, not an ability. He chuckled, That was, until I left and I saw the world for what it really is, that was when I manifested, in many aspects, I am much closer to a geneline than a manifested, I think that was why my first ability never had a Name. Peace ripped away, childhood naivety lost to grim reality. Thanks, I really wanted to see this place again. And he walked up the stairs, following the same steps he walked all those years ago.
An enormous amount of Hume exploded out of Freddys body. The elderly man felt his domain crack as so much pure Hume forcefully ripped at the altered reality. Gunfire sounded out, as no matter how much pure Hume one had, it did not make them immune to bullets. But it was stopped. Freddys head was frozen black, he had decisively frozen the liquids surrounding his skull to allow his brain just a few more seconds of safety. The elderly man deactivated his Expansion and both fell onto the empty train tracks, the train having long since left them behind. His Hume was too low, the smell of sea salt was almost gone from his nose, so he decisively ran away. Fleeing the area as he sensed the massive Hume bomb behind him. But as he ran, his arm began to feel itchy, right where the cut he had made was. He ignored it, and kept running. Then the itching turned to pain, and he began to spit out blood. He tore off the bandage where the cut was, finding the small incisions within the forming scab. He died shortly after, not knowing what killed him, or how. It was quite simple actually. Microglass blades, hidden in a lattice structure within Freddys own water bottles, all with a microscopic drop of water inside. When the bottles were filled with water, it was impossible to see them. Afterall, Freddy knew that the primary way to nullify his power was to be bleeding somewhere. So he had hidden microscopic blades within his seemingly harmless water bottles. A condition he had was that he could only use them once an opponent broke the water bottles enclosed environment. It couldnt be used within the domain, with so much debris and explosions flying about, they wouldve been destroyed before reaching their target. They could also not pierce skin by themselves, they were too fragile. Only through cuts made by a person upon themselves to avoid his ability, can these blades enter. So many different conditions, some were natural ones due to the consequence of the glasses nature, some were self-imposed ones. But once it activated, Simple Reinforcement couldnt stop them from ripping apart a persons soft internal organs, even a Savant like Isaac had trouble deactivating their effect. Afterall, the primary threat from Freddy was his ability to manipulate bodies and his vast array of flying knives. What harm could a few water bottles do? Might as well just get rid of them to lower his manoeuvrability. A metahuman battle is fought and won with deception, Freddy whispered with his dying breath, remember that when you pass on.
Aiden paused as he stepped out of the school, Ranpo landing on his shoulder. Rubbing his brow, he closed his eyes. Odd I just forgot something. You forgot something? Ranpo asked. He nodded, Ive gotten used to the feeling, so I know I just forgot something. What was it? Ranpo asked. Aiden scoffed, How would I know, I forgot. He took out his phone to check the time, before narrowing his eyes at the last page he had visited. Why was I looking to buy gold?
Grian Gry felt the carvings on his new white cane, an odd warmth in his chest. After news got out that he slapped Tang Rou with his cane, the students had pooled together to give him a new one to replace the one he broke. Of course, a mundane cane could not hold Monody, that cane was still in production, but if possible, he wanted to keep using this one for a while. Wheres the principal? he asked a nearby student. Oh, hes at the wall, Ad Infinitum. Grian raised an eyebrow, but with his new white cane, he found the way there. Principal General! he called out. Heavy metallic stomps soon answered as the massive man stepped away from the wall. One of our own has died, the Principal General told him. In the Principals office, there was a pierced bottle leaking water on the ground. A few moments ago, an ice blade had sprouted out of one end before it floated in the air and carved a message on the walls. Attacked. Forced to use Requiem. Info on powers leaked. B-Class. Train to OSW. And on Ad Infinitum, the wall that remembered all who carved their names on it. There was a name that Principal General Wendall Richard Monger did not recognise or remember. Get Taylor, we will find out everything. Chapter 48 What We Aim to Do Part 1 Chapter 48 What We Aim to Do Part 1 If you truly believed in your ideals, you would kill me, no matter the sacrifice. - Unknown, to Paradigm I forgot something. The cat fled over the fence, disappearing from Aidens view. Stop standing around! Ranpo yelled from above. I forgot something. Ranpo tapped his phone, looking at more jobs available. I forgot something. The scent ended here, his nose overwhelmed by the smell of rotting garbage, he threw open the bin, finding a child underneath. I forgot something. Thank you! the childs parents cried as they vigorously shook his hand. I forgot something. Sarah Sour let him into the store by a backdoor. You running a charity or something? she asked, Finding that kid barely paid you anything. I forgot something. The military police are up in arms, Aiden replied, I dont have a lot of options. The old woman shrugged, Well, Blend S. Another one of his power candies was made, the fee for that week. I forgot something. Something on your mind kid? she asked, putting away the scaly white candy. Aiden shook his head, Nothing much. She looked at him, in the same way a mother might when she knew her child was lying to her. Not that Aiden knew that look. I know your sort, desperate, but dont go burning yourself out. I forgot something. Aiden sat alone in the park, blankly watching the people pass by. Whats on your mind, Ranpo asked, youve been distracted for the past few days. He didnt answer at first, instead raising his arm. On it, appeared a tattoo of flowering branches. I know the sensation of forgetting something, Aiden replied. Its quite distinct once you realise it, that feeling of an emptied space within your mind. Ranpo slowly nodded. Are all my creations currently accounted for? Aiden asked. As far as Im aware. Then it wasnt his power. What did I forget? A notification on his phone, a new job posted on Sarahs website.
Capture the person breaking property on Hill Street. $3000 Appears at 11 pm to 1:30 am.
The world did not stop for him, so he stood up, and made his way to the street in question. It was definitely one of the higher income districts. Houses appeared notably better made and more decorated than others he had seen, and he was texted several pictures of the damage left behind. Trees, fences, lamp posts, all cut into multiple little pieces. Inspecting the stumps left behind, they found the cuts perfect, straight with no signs of sawing or deviation. Thats why theyre asking for meta help huh, Ranpo remarked. This may be a bit dangerous, Aiden replied, looks like a cutting ability of some kind no corpses or blood, which may be why the military police arent involved yet but is it fully limited to that? Should we try it? Ranpo asked. He thought about it. Three thousand dollars, far exceeding every other job he had taken thus far. We hide and look at the situation, Aiden said, if we can deal with it, we make the attempt, but if it looks dangerous then we simply leave. Heh, and if they leave us a bad review? Ranpo asked. Bad reviews wont kill us.
Night set on a quiet street. Somewhere, Aiden was looking at his phone, counting the seconds as the time hit 11 pm. Nothing happened at first, the street completely silent for the first hour. Ranpo got bored enough that he started to browse the news on Aidens phone. 12 pm came and passed. At this point, Aiden began glancing at his phone, Ranpo shuffling to the side to allow him a better view as they read news from around the world. 12:54 pm, a woman wearing a medical face mask and appearing like she just returned late from work, came into sight. Huddling close to the street lights as if their glow was a safe haven and glancing quickly around the darkened corners of the street. Ranpo followed Aidens gaze towards the woman, but turned back to the phone. Aiden did too, but a shrill shriek quickly tore his eyes back towards the woman. Blood. A leg severed and lying on the ground as the woman clutched the cut stump. Shit, he muttered, its attacking people now. Ranpo turned to him, but he was already moving. On a nearby rooftop, a patch of roof changed colour as Aiden reabsorbed the various octopi and cuttlefish that he used as camouflage and used their suckers to climb down quickly. His bag slung over one shoulder, his Umbrella held in his left hand. Help! the woman cried, tears dripping down her face and staining her mask. She clutched her leg, cut just above the knee, Can anyone see me!? Im here! Aiden yelled, easily navigating the obstacles of suburbia as he ran, Just stay there! Aiden! Ranpo yelled above him. Can you see me? the woman yelled, not yet seeing him. Ranpo call the cops and ambulance! Aiden yelled to him, Were dealing with a meta that attacks people, this isnt a small thing anymore! To the woman, he yelled as he stepped onto the road, Im coming right now! Ranpo flew next to him, But no ones there! Aidens steps slightly stalled as he began to turn to Ranpo. But the woman turning to face him caught his attention. You can s??????????????e???????????e??????????? me. Suddenly the world changed, colour became inverted as suddenly the night sky became white and everything became overtaken by negative colour. Even Ranpo beside him became pure white. All except for Aiden and the woman. He stopped in his tracks as suddenly something restrained him. Looking down, he found numerous zippers of various widths and lengths, wrapped around his body as if glued to it. He was inside an ability. Ranpo circled around him, yelling and asking what had happened. It was all white noise, as Aidens mind furiously went through what had happened. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Why are they called boogeyman abilities? he had asked Trist. The self defence teacher, had at the time replied, Abilities with a lot of conditions attached to them have the greatest chance of remaining after death. In this state, many go berserk and attack whoever happens to meet their stringent conditions. Thus people feared them like boogeymen, so the name stuck. The woman- no, this close Aiden could see that the thing in front of him only had the appearance of a person, it was still a woman with long black hair and a face mask, but the details were wrong. Clothing and skin bled together without separation, zippers appeared all over the body without rhyme or reason. Hehehe it was giggling softly, You can s??????????e????????e?????? me. You can s????????????????e??????????????e???? me. You can s???????????e??????????????????e???????????? me It continually muttered the same thing just under its breath. It turned to its severed leg, and in this strange space, Aiden saw that the leg and the stump both had the two corresponding halves of a zipper, wrapped around both circumferences, right where they separated. Aiden, hurry up and answer me, what happened!? It crawled and grabbed its leg, and then put it back on its stump. Grabbing the zip slider on one end, it pulled the zipper together again, fusing both halves and healing the leg before standing up. With a single hand, it grabbed onto a nearby fallen stick. Why are you standing still now!? Is there an attacker? Where are they? A closed zipper appeared in the middle of the stick, and pulling the zip slider, the entity severed the stick perfectly in half. Ranpo suddenly turned to the entity. Who broke those sticks? Then, it snapped its fingers and both zippers disappeared. It demonstratively stuck both separated ends together, but without the zipper, they could not fuse back. Suddenly, the entity seemed realer, its strange details lessened as it appeared more like a human woman as Hume flushed through its entire body. A Hand Reveal. Ranpo, he said for the first time, Run. It took a step forward, straight towards him now. To his body covered in zippers. What run? Ranpo yelled at him, Whats happening? Wheres the threat? Oros slid onto his scarf, hissing at the zippers that held him in place, but too cautious to attempt to unravel them. Aiden manipulated another snake tattoo into his bag, finding the ropes he held there. It began working on the normal zipper that held it inside the bag. He could not do it fast enough, the entity came closer, reaching its hand towards him- Before stopping, just ninety centimetres away from him. Aiden was still tightly clutching his Umbrella. It had a confused look, glancing at its steps that did not travel any distance. Aidens mind furiously went through the past few minutes. Just now fully realising that Ranpo never reacted to this entity. Can you see anything in front of me? he asked. A pause, but a quick reply, No. There were multiple conditions at play, first, sight- no, was it him acknowledging its existence that set it off? It didnt attack when he saw it, but when it recognised that he could see it. The entity tried moving forward and backward, neither steps making any progress or travelling any distance. Ranpo could not see it for whatever reason, was it because he was a crow or because he was a created entity? Then it followed his gaze and looked at Ranpo, who was still circling him within the 90 centimetre sphere. Can you see me? it asked the crow. Cold sweat ran down Aidens brow. Ranpo, do not acknowledge her. Ranpo stopped in mid air, landing on the ground, I dont see- Ranpo, he interrupted before he could speak. Whatever happens, no matter what happens to me, no one else is on this street. Can you see me? it asked again, before beginning to mimic the crows movements, walking sideways in a circle. Slowly getting closer to him. Dont speak, dont turn to the direction Im facing, he said, eyes fixed on the entity. I need you to run, and to tell the person that comes after me to not acknowledge the entity here. The crow looked up to him. After you? And Aiden sadly smiled towards him. Im not sure if I can get out of this. And the crow stared at him. Youre not giving up again. You told me once that you would leave me one day, Aiden said wistfully, are you just talk? The crow ruffled its wings, shaking, before turning away, no longer facing him, but outwards. You better survive, I still need your thumbs. Isnt it just thumb? Aiden jokingly replied. You know what I mean, Ranpo said before he flew off. Aiden watched him go. Live long and well, Ranpo, he said under his breath. And the entity stepped into the 30 centimetre unaffected area. He met its eyes, surprisingly human, as it reached out to touch the zipper on his neck. Suddenly, a bluish grey snake shot out of his bag, aiming straight for its throat- It bit down, but bit nothing, as the snake simply phased through it. Oros however, successfully wrapped itself around its arm, but doing nothing, as a sheer, almost inexorable force allowed the entity to touch the zip slider on his neck. One hit, but one couldnt. Why? Then he noticed that the snake he had created had its colours inverted, while he and Oros retained their original colour. Oros turned and hissed at the entity, but now too afraid to attack, Aidens throat literally in its hands. Am I pretty? it asked. Aiden blinked, the question seemingly coming out of the blue as his mind momentarily blanked in surprise. But it began working fast. Why did it ask that? If an ability does something weird that doesnt make a lot of sense, its probably a condition. Abilities followed the general principle of greater risk and cost equalling greater rewards. Darius could manage cross continental teleportation with some minor tweaking, while Trist could completely freeze a target but needed to touch them with her palm first. This ability seemed to follow the same principles. Something unknown separated him and Oros from Ranpo and the snake he had made. He was able to see and interact with the entity, that was the first condition. The second mustve been him acknowledging its existence, or making a move to help it, and being recognised as such. With both those fulfilled, he was brought into this liminal world and had these zippers automatically applied to him, surpassing the defences of his Umbrella and binding him to this position. Then the entity gave him a Hand Reveal, forcefully increasing its Hume energy. Through that reveal, Aiden understood that damage did not occur until the zippers were opened, and could be repaired entirely by zipping the two severed halves together. And now the entity literally had its hand on his throat, but wasnt yet beheading him. It was waiting for a response. The question too, was a condition. It would solidly fall under the risk category, not going for the instant kill, but allowing a chance to slip out, a chance for Aiden to escape. But the reverse of that thinking was that if Aiden answered incorrectly, he would be hit by an ability empowered by multiple conditions and a Hand Reveal. Aiden had the sinking realisation that this ability was meant to kill entities far more durable than he was. But could he avoid all of that? Could he wait until help arrived by simply not answering? That possibility quickly disappeared, as the entity lightly tugged the zipper. Aiden felt a spike of pain on his neck, as a small drop of blood seeped out of the tiny opening. Are you answering? If the target did not answer quickly enough, they would be killed anyway. I will, Aiden replied. Mind working furiously. He didnt have much, it was a yes or no question, either could be the correct one. A fifty percent shot? Aiden couldnt tell, but the entity was wearing a bit of makeup and eyeliner, from far away it could even pass as a reasonably attractive female. Was that a clue or a trick? Or did it require the target to answer honestly? Answer now, it said, fingers tightening on the zipper. Yes, Aiden gambled. Yes, you are pretty. The zipper was pulled closed and the bleeding stopped. The entity, its hand still on the zipper on his neck, giggled lightly. So you think I am pretty? Yes, Aiden said. I do think that. It did a small jig, dancing and giggling while holding onto Aidens neck. Then, with its other hand, it pulled off its mask, revealing its mouth, slit open wide in a cruel smile, as if someone had taken a knife and carved its cheek until the cut reached the ears. Do you still think I am pretty now? it asked again. A moment passed. Yes. It let go of his neck. Smiling wildly as it giggled with its hand shyly hiding its lips. Oh Oh someone finally thinks I am pretty You You can go Aiden breathed a sigh of relief, but found he could no longer open his mouth. But lets be pretty together. The entity zipped open the zipper that had appeared on his mouth and went all the way from ear to ear. Oros leapt from its perch, aiming straight for its throat, but it bit nothing, as Aiden collapsed onto the ground, clutching his bleeding mouth. The world returned to normal, the zippers on his body were all gone, as was the woman. Stapler, he growled, blood dripping from his mouth. Aiden could feel the familiar sensation of unnatural regeneration and scabbing, his mouth was already healing. Into two separate halves. Oros fished the bag he carried with him, pulling out the medical kit. Taking the stapler out of the snakes mouth, he brought it to his own. And pressed down. The staples pierced flesh and cheek, binding the two halves. He pressed again, and again and again and again and again. The click of the stapler rang through the silent night twelve times.
Youre alive, Ranpo breathlessly said. Already, the sounds of the ambulance and a military police vehicle could be heard rushing behind the crow. I think I got off easy, Aiden said, sitting with his back to a tree, his body exhausted despite not doing much. He felt the ridges on his mouth, going from ear to ear. Thats going to scar. Chapter 49 What We Aim to Do Part 2 Chapter 49 What We Aim to Do Part 2 You are a disappointment, a demonstration of the failure of hero ideology. For all your long life and power, you have accomplished nothing. - Unknown, to Paradigm In an empty part of the forest, a man stared disdainfully at the corpse of an elderly man with a cane. You cant even take an ability user from some savage island nation, the man spat. There were signs of Simple Reinforcement being used, but it had evidently failed as his ability told him the elderly man had perished due to severe internal lacerations. A boogeyman ability, the man noted, a crutch of the weak to reach their betters. But he had to admit the facts, the glass shards inside the corpse had enough Priority to overcome the nullifying effects of Simple Reinforcement. And the elderly man had completed his job. Adam no longer remembered the person who killed him, only the other body still on the train. Clean up the corpse, he commanded to the empty clearing. We need to stall for time as much as we can. The body slowly rose into the air, as if being lifted by something. What are the status of our other agents? he asked as he walked, the corpse floating behind him. Hmm? Adam replied, Thats good then. The more of these savages we kill or disable the better. Disperse their numbers as much as we can, only one mission here is important anyway. He pulled out something that looked like a stylised smartphone with an owl cover design. We simply need to get the One Man Army to attack my ability, the user of Owl City said. Both of them knew the weight of such a mission, even if their tattoos were removed, they still felt where it would be. The only metahuman of Ozzstraya that could be considered a National-Level Hero by their system, Wendel Richard Monger. For the sake of such valuable information, even if their entire company was annihilated, it would be worth it for their country.
The military police station was an area of calm. Of quiet footsteps and clicks, of people going about their jobs as usual. Aiden gave his best witness report, detailing every single action, movement, and thought that was relevant upon encountering the boogeyman. From start to finish, no one asked him to remove his mask. The honestly rather shoddy taotie mask stayed on his face for the entirety of his stay, and the medics later removal of his staples and bandaging of his cheeks only served to obscure his face just slightly better. That mightve been the point, now that Aiden thought about it. They saw full well that his cheeks were already regenerating. He was asked after giving his account to stay for at least twenty-four hours to ensure an unknown secondary effect didnt activate on him. Some part of the officers tone informed Aiden it was completely optional, and that they would not do anything to stop him should he try to leave. Aiden informed M.I.A. of his absence tomorrow without stating a reason. It should get cross-referenced rather quickly with the military police database, but he never put stock in keeping his identity secret. There is no real point, Aiden told Ranpo. It is rather impossible to stay anonymous in this age under any sort of scrutiny. In his previous world, random internet goers could find a flag from nothing but the location of the stars and the airplane trails that were in the background. With specific information gathering powers existing here on top of that, it was a matter of time and scrutiny before his dollar store mask was unmasked. Still, all official public records listed To Ti as the one staying the night, likewise, Aidens private school record would list his absence as occurring on an entirely separate month and day. This, Aiden knew, was a small exchange and understanding. Sending a notice of his absence the minute after he was asked to remain for the night and day after was a clear signal for officials who cared. But people had a vested interest for the unlicensed to continue meta work. If even the police pretended they didnt know your identity, who would prosecute you? All to keep the absurd state where the government could still freely harvest abilities through Law, but still have a significant unofficial meta presence being good samaritans. So Aiden and Ranpo were left resting in a private lobby with a minifridge of drinks, a TV, enough trashy magazines to make him think he walked into a barber shop, and told if he wanted some food he just needed to hollar. Some morbidly curious part of him wondered if he should try to ask for bird seeds for Ranpo, to see just how far the depths of hospitality for metas went. Do you think we can ask for bird seeds? Ranpo asked. Im kinda curious how far this meta privilege goes. Ranpo, Aiden chided with his better judgement, pretending that he was not thinking the exact same thing, Im still unlicensed, they cant be overtly supporting people like me. Though that did bring to question what it would be like once he got licensed. Ranpo quirked his head, That is true, though as I am bird and you are a monkey, if you are fed and Im not, it should be a case of race privilege. Really? Aiden asked, shaking his head, Youre pulling the racism card here? Or is it specism? Ranpo mused, All you humans look the same so the context of the word doesnt really work here. Can you really not tell the difference between two humans? Aiden asked, quirking his head to the side, much like Ranpo did. He tsked, No, crows are obviously capable of that, not that you would know anymore- Wait, you would know. Its been a while since you made me, and youve been reading up, haven''t you? Aiden nodded, I just wanted to stimulate conversation. That brought a moment of silence. How was it? Ranpo finally asked. So far, they hadnt had an opportunity to discuss his close run in with death. I felt like I was going to die, Aiden said, thankfully the boogeyman was meant to kill tougher things than me. It felt counterintuitive to say he survived because of the abilitys lethality. But that was the truth. Aiden suspected that the original version of the ability was what the entity had displayed to him through the Hand Reveal, placing a zipper on something, and through unzipping it, severing or opening it. If that wasnt true, the Hand Reveal wouldnt have functioned because it would be a deception. That original version mightve been limited by touch, so the additional conditions were meant to give it the ability to instantly apply numerous zippers at once and at range. Once the target was restrained, the entity would walk towards the target and unzip them piece by piece. Leaving a rather butchered body behind. Why it continued to ask questions instead was what mystifies me, Aiden continued explaining to Ranpo. It had already locked me into an effective checkmate. Ranpo ruffled his wings in thought, Whats the general equivalency of conditions and benefits? How much does each new effect cost in conditions, and how much does each condition earn you? I have no fucking clue, Aiden answered honestly. Even asking around hasnt helped me a lot, since the general consensus is that it is different for every ability, different conditions have different weights and results for what youre trying to do. Genelines know theirs because its been passed down, but were stuck with trial and error. The scientific method, Ranpo stressed, that sounds so much better than saying you have no idea what youre doing and are just blindly groping in the dark. Not entirely groping in the dark, Aiden muttered, I was taught a lot. You have a blind mans cane with you, congrats. The bird thought about it for a moment. Do conditions have to occur before the activation? Aiden paused. No, nothing anyone has told me thus far has restricted a condition to needing to be fulfilled before activation, heck, some are just punishments thatll occur if you dont do something a certain way. That was used to speed up the enhancing of powers through conditions, like Darius vowing he would lose his powers if he broke out of his specific soda can summoning method. But looking at it another way, the power enhancement Darius got was the ability to skip the months or years of repetition needed to fully set down an ability modification, while the condition he paid was his loss of power if he ever went back on it. Thus, thinking like this, the questions could be fulfilling conditions required to entrap you in the first place, Ranpo analysed, the only difference is time and- Risk, Aiden muttered. Giving the target an opportunity to escape. Before he shook his head, But why? There mustve been easier ways to do it. Easier ways to straight up kill someone. That is, Ranpo interjected, if you presume this ability was working alone and not in tandem with someone else. And Aiden froze. I was still able to interact with you even when you were locked in place. Fuck. It wasnt a killing ability. It was a targeted isolation and entrapment ability. While the original ability user trapped someone, their teammates would have continued to attack the unmoving target, and any allies of the entrapped would not be able to interact with the user of the ability or fall prey to the same trick. In fact, given the womans hurriedness for an answer, an ability that straight up removed sound from a target would be utterly lethal with it. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. But what was the spatial effect? That world of inverted colour? Why was it that it was only visible to me and not you? Invisibility to certain targets would be an additional effect, Ranpo murmured. But what designates a person to be able to see it? Aiden asked, Do they choose from a case by case basis or is it preset? And if it is preset, could being unable to affect certain targets itself be a condition? Limiting your ability to hurt targets that could not see you, making the strength of invisibility itself a weakness in a certain sense. And the spatial effect matches Expansions which Ive heard about, but it felt more limited compared to the descriptions Ive heard. It was only an overlay on reality while true Expansions are more like pocket dimensions. Descriptions? Didnt you say one of the teachers could pull one off? Ranpo asked. Trist Brake, yeah, I asked her to demonstrate, but she declined, Aiden replied. She said that such things are generally last resort trump cards, since their Hume cost is nothing to scoff at. She didnt give me anything specific, but noted that even among people capable of one, theyre usually limited to once every significant period of time Aiden paused. What if the conditions were meant to cheat out an Expansion? Lower its Hume cost to a manageable sum so that it could be repeatedly used at the cost of making it more specific? Aiden suddenly began reevaluating the entire thing once again. Which was which? Where did the conditions begin and the bonus effects end? Aiden rubbed his brow, a headache already coming on. I feel like I just cracked open a microwave and am trying to understand how it works with only high school level education. There is a certain advantage to making your ability utterly incomprehensible, Ranpo noted. Nonsense conditions could give you additional effects while not bound by any logic that an opponent might predict and exploit. Aiden nodded in response, Doesnt make me want to slam my head into a wall any less. Oros looked sympathetically from his shoulder, his scarf wrapping a bit tighter around him, in part to comfort him with warmth, in part to soften the blow on his head if he did slam it somewhere. I just barely got used to my own abilities and am thrown into this shit. Look on the bright side, Ranpo said, You could be going at it blind. I thought you said I was blind with only a walking stick? Semantics, the crow shrugged. Aiden wanted to retort but instead, he just sighed. I need rest. This body was healthier and fitter than his old one and he was well used to forgoing sleep, but he knew that debt had to be paid eventually. And it was rather late into the night now, a quick glance at the clock showed four AM. So, he leaned back into his seat, eyes fluttering closed, telling Ranpo, You should rest as well. What if the secondary effect theyre worried about only triggers when you fall asleep? Aidens eyes didnt open, but he did raise an eyebrow, Then I die tired instead of in my sleep, it makes little difference. I suppose Ranpo muttered. Just making conversation. A moment of silence passed. Aiden Am I useless? Only a snore answered him.
The next morning, Aiden returned home. Unwrapping the bandages around his face, he found the pale white scars extending from the corners of his mouth to the edges of his cheek. You look creepy like this, Ranpo said. Aiden nodded in agreement, My cheeks werent healing together, I suspect the ability mightve interfered with my regeneration. If not because of an intended effect, then because of the sheer difference in Priority. He glanced at his arm stump. Maybe I should try creating a condition he quietly muttered. The ideal for a single person is to create a set of conditions that are meaningful but dont matter, Ranpo murmured in response. A set of conditions that exist but cant be exploited by an enemy and arent too difficult to fulfil. And for a group? Aiden asked, despite knowing the answer. For everyone to play a role and build a greater whole. Aidens thumb traced the scars from his mouth to his cheek, as it moved, Aiden created Human Skin over it. Ranpo hopped towards the mirror. The scars are covered but the bumps are still there, it wont hold up if someone is too close or touches it. Theres a medical mask in the med kit, I can just fake germaphobia, Aiden replied. Ranpo scoffed, Fake? Given your record, I think that should be rather easy. Aiden rolled his eyes. So, whats your idea? Probably something simple, Aiden replied, glancing at Oros. Have you heard of compound interest? Hmm? Ranpo asked. The simplest condition to do is timegating your power so that you can bring forth a stronger portion later on, Aiden replied. I dont have to do the full thing, but suppose I stored away twenty percent of my Hume every day from say nine am to ten am. You want to see if the stored Hume gains interest and increases so to speak? He nodded, Constantly investing Hume into myself, so that I can withdraw it later on as I need it, thats the idea. Aiden was already doing something similar in his MT class, expanding it slightly shouldnt be too difficult. He continued to bounce some ideas off Ranpo, but he wasnt going to attempt such a thing so soon. Though he didnt have anything else to do that day. Huangs store wasnt yet open in the morning and Aiden had already submitted his absence notice, while he could return to M.I.A, it would be rather awkward. So Aiden left his home. Only a normal medical mask covering his face as he went on a walk. Strolling around the city, without a particular destination in mind, simply just seeing the familiar yet alien sights. Still, he passed by the farmers market, buying some fruits as he made his way to the hospital. Jaiden was as she always had been, and though Aiden sat down beside her, he did not come closer, simply silently taking out and peeling some apples. It was slightly more difficult, for one, he had no sensation in one of his hands, and every action done with it wasnt instinctual, but thought out from the start to finish. Still, several apple slices were arrayed neatly beside her table. He opened his mouth, but closed it, sighing. You cannot hear it even if I say anything, he murmured. So instead, Aiden stood up, leaving the room. There was a sound behind him. His head turned around, looking back at the hospital room. Nothing was different. Did you hear that? Aiden asked. Ranpo in his tattoo form poked his head out of his pocket, Heard what? Raising an eyebrow, he simply shook his head and left, heading back home. As he returned, he greeted his old neighbour, Mrs Jemina as he went up to his apartment. But as he stopped by his door, he paused. Something was wrong. I dont hear any of the crows. Aiden pushed open the door, seeing the inside of his home. And who was sitting on the balcony in a lotus posture. Appearing almost like a perfect jadelike doll, the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass meditated silently, only opening her eyes as Aiden stepped in. What may you be doing in my home, Ms Rain? Aiden asked. She reached into her pockets, withdrawing a bunch of photos. My benefactor wishes to blackmail you. And she tossed the photos towards him. Quick reactions allowed him to grab some as they flew by, but their images made his face turn cold. These are Ranpo began, before turning silent. They were all of Jaiden in her hospital room, some of them had him in the frame, peeling apples. Did you take these? Aiden asked, voice completely cold. Instead of answering, she took out a laptop, opened it and began tapping the keyboard. He will speak to you himself. A few silent moments passed as Aiden stood there, completely still with his eyes glued on the woman before him as she used the laptop. Then she frowned. How do I use this thing she muttered, before turning to the table between them, Doorman, help me use your strange formation spells. A moment passed. Then, under the gaze of both Aiden and Rain, a pure black hand reached out of the shadows underneath the table. A male, with their entire body covered in something like black paint pulled himself out of the shadows. He walked towards Rain, crouching down as he helped her use the laptop. Finally turning the laptop screen towards Aiden. There was a live video call, showing an older dark haired male wearing a business suit and a scarlet ring on his left hand. Are you from the Scarlet Letter? Aiden asked. The man nodded with a business-like smile, Greetings, I am Ya, unofficial leader of this small group, I heard much about you from Rain here, whom you may be acquainted with already. Aidens hand tightened into a fist. What is this about blackmailing me? For a moment, a pained look appeared on Yas face as he glanced towards where Rain was, but it was quickly wiped away. Just a slip of the tongue by Rain here, he laughed it off, she doesnt quite get everything in this world. Rain shrugged, I speak as I see it. I am simply here to offer employment, Ya cut in, you require a lot of money to pay for your sisters medical bills, I am here to offer you a worthwhile job that can cover such expenses. Aiden rubbed his brow, You people are smugglers correct? Along with doing numerous other petty crimes. Im just a businessman selling things people want, Ya replied with a smile. Not good, but not bad either. I know first hand the sort of money that can be made like this, Aiden muttered, rubbing his brow. This is a decent proposal worth considering. Before he lowered his hand, eyes glaring at the three of them, That is, until you horse-faced gobshits threatened my fucking sister. A moment of silence, before Rain smiled. This is better, she said. Negotiations have completely broken down because of you, Ya said with an exasperated tone. Those with power require beatings to fall in line with you, she said as she slowly rose from her lotus position. Otherwise they will hold no respect, only bound by interest. Maybe in your insane world, but here, interest is usually enough, and learn to use a fucking laptop, you forced Vanta to reveal himself for your stupidity. A thief has little use in a fight, Rain replied. Ranpo, Aiden said. Leave. The crow moved, but Vanta moved as well. He threw out his arm, spraying what looked like black paint into the air. It stopped before reaching Aiden, but wherever it hit, it stained all with black. And when the black paint hit Ranpo, he disappeared as the paint flew through where he was, splotching the walls with black. Ranpo! Im still here! his voice yelled back, coming from where the paint was. Its all dark here! Create me a proper arena, doorman, Rain commanded. Vanta crouched down, touching the floor. Paint It, Black. Black paint flooded out of him, covering the floor, Aiden jumped back, but that was a mistake. For the second he was in the air, the Umbrellas effect no longer covered the ground. The black paint sped up behind him, covering the entire floor in black, and when he fell, he found it was as if there was no longer a floor underneath him, as he fell through the black paint and crashed into a perfectly black space underneath. Above him, he could see the apartment above him. The black paint is a portal! Ranpo yelled out, now beside him in the same space. Various muscle fibre tattoos covered Aidens legs, he crouched, tensing all the tattoo muscles that covered his legs, and leapt. He didnt go far compared to his normal leap, but it was far enough. His head popped outside of the black paint for a moment before he fell back down. But now it was too late. The black paint was being withdrawn and the portal above quickly shrinked to only a small circle above them. A circle from which Rain fell through, landing gracefully onto the ground. Tattoos covered Aidens eyes, ears and nose, greatly enhancing his senses. I am the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass, she said as she slowly rose, Disciple of Overcoming the Eight Shattered Mountains Sect. Aidens coat and clothing turned scaly and reptilian, and underneath on his bare skin he manifested a Gorilla Torso, using the stronger muscles of the tattoo to strengthen his body slightly. Rains fist hit her palm as she bowed, Warrior of the Airless Lands who cannot sense Cultivation, I am a Cultivator of the Sixth Stage. Let us trade pointers. Chapter 50 What We Aim to Do Part 3 Chapter 50 What We Aim to Do Part 3 It is because I do not believe in your ideals, that I refuse to kill any more through my action. - Paradigm, to Unknown. Ranpo get away! Aiden yelled as Ranpo flew away, eyes trying to find the boundaries of this space. Turning back to his opponent, Aiden began the fight with a snake. A brown serpent lashed out like a whip towards Rain, however she easily dodged, and with what appeared to be a single step, appeared directly in front of Aiden. Ninety centimetres in front of him. She glanced to the ground as she found that her steps no longer travelled distance, for though Aiden wasnt holding it, he had wrapped it around his leg, so that it still contacted his skin. The serpent struck out, aiming for her neck. But Rain casually caught it with a single hand, eyes still glued to the ground. Aiden leapt back, and suddenly Rain was able to move a step forward. Three ruler lengths, she said. Aiden kept retreating. The defense of the Umbrella was great, but not omnipotent. If he allowed Rain to properly measure and observe its capabilities, he would lose an entire ability. However, Rain didnt chase after him, instead flicking her hand. The one that wore a jade ring. A sword appeared in midair, pointing towards Aiden, and with a tap on the hilt by Rain, it multiplied to two. Then four. Then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. And just kept doubling until all Aiden could see before him was a wall of sharp blades. All blades flew, and Aiden was forced to stop in his tracks, lest the changing movement accidentally put him in the way of a blade. All flew true, except for the ones directly approaching him. Numerous passed by his sides, stabbing into the ground, for they were moving parallel to, not towards him. And in that single moment when his sight was blocked, Rain was beside him, an opened palm striking the air. There was a sound like a thunder crack as Aiden lost his hearing. Wind roared as the sheer strength of her hand compressed the air into a burning red hot bubble that shot towards him, before hitting the range of the Umbrella and utterly stopping. But where it could not go forward or backward, it escaped sideways, throwing a secondary blast of hurricane force winds that whipped the area, none directly reaching Aiden, but they whipped around him with such force that he was forced to kneel to the ground, hand holding onto the black surface for support as the leftover blades were scattered all around the area. Aiden only heard a loud ringing. Only stops things that move towards you, similar to the Void Spatial Reality Warping Arts, Rain said, somehow, despite the ringing of his ears, her words came clear. Yet sound still reaches you. Aiden dabbed the lobes of his ears, finding his fingers red. It seems I have poor luck with women in strange sub dimensions, he quipped, but he heard not a single word he said, only the sensation of vibration in his throat and mouth gave any indication to his deaf ears that he had spoken at all. Not your first time? Rain asked with a raised eyebrow. I suppose it would be too boring if it was. She raised her fists, Now tell me how durable you are, before I am forced to find out myself. Why would I tell you that? Rain shrugged, Because of this. Rain moved. That was all Aiden managed to process when he saw her directly next to him. She figured it out. Half of her body was outside the thirty centimetre zone, the other half was firmly inside. And she took a single step with the inside half, bringing the rest of her right in front of Aiden. Aidens fist shot out, his arm screamed in pain as his tattoos forced it to strength beyond what it was normally capable of. An average gorilla can punch with many times the strength of a normal human. He no longer knew the exact amount, but the Aiden that made the decision to do this knew this was likely the strongest force he could exert within the limits of his human body. His fist slammed in Rains nose, the soft tissue of her body, and his bones broke. His fingers breaking and splaying out as all that was left of his fist was a nose shaped indent. Is that the best you could do? His other hand, the prosthetic shot out with a serpent tattoo that slammed two fingers covered in the fangs of the Inland Taipan that easily pierced through her coat and shirt- And broke when they reached her skin. He instantly changed the claws of his prosthetic to the Giant Anteater, a creature known to mortally wound and cripple jaguars with their claws strong enough to tear into termite mounds as hard as concrete. His claws slammed into her neck, and did not move. Thats it? she asked. Then Rain punched him in the stomach. Every single layer of his clothes in addition to his skin was covered in tattoos. It did not help him as he was thrown several metres away, slamming into the ground rolling before he forced himself to a stop with Octopus Suction Cups gripping the ground. But the moment he rose, Rain was in front of him. He could not see how many times she punched him. In that single second, her hands blurred until they could no longer be seen, and Aiden simply began to collapse. Yet before he even fell to the ground, a kick struck his midsection, punting him further away. Even holding back, you can only take this much? Rain asked as she strolled towards him. Aiden vomited blood onto the ground, even as he forced himself back up. She was right in front of him, waiting. Show me your best, she told him. Aiden obliged. He ignored the pain of his real hand as he pulled it back for an attack. The strength of a tiger swipe was known to instantly behead people, and he stacked concepts until he had a Supremely Physically Overpowering Strong Siberian Tiger tattoo that covered his real hand, arm, shoulder and the rest of his body, so that he could exert the full force of momentum as he swung with the whole of his body. The swing was fast enough to completely escape his perception as it slammed into Rains face, a sonic boom rang out, which he only felt because of the sheer force of vibration as powerful winds whipped the air around him, splaying Rains long hair into a multitude of directions. She staggered to the side slightly. Rain grabbed his outstretched arm. All that just to ruin my hair. She threw him. Aiden flew, yet before he could land, a hand grabbed his neck, a fist flew out- Before stopping inches from his stomach. It appears that anymore and you may die. Blood seeped out of Aidens mouth, yet worst was his left arm, underneath the tiger stripes it was horrifically mangled and bruised. The attack was less like a swipe, but more like a whip as Aiden threw his arm with such strength. And what was left of his arm was as limp and disjointed as a whip. It was barely together because the tattoo held it together. Was that your strongest attack? Rain asked, The strength to shatter a boulder, but a Cultivator of the Third Stage practices such strength every day. She raised him higher by the neck, like a piece of limp meat. Aiden spat blood onto the ground, coughing as he tried to weakly speak. His voice was weak and quiet, but Rain could hear it fine. I I have better bites, but I fear I would only break my jaw like that. Hah! Rain laughed, To resort to biting your opponent, this isnt a bar fight, but I suppose you do not have the luxury to have class. Aiden tilted his head- no, more correctly, he let his neck go limp. What now? his voice croaked out. Will you kill me? My benefactor might complain if I do, she shrugged, I only planned to beat you up slightly, yet you went ahead and broke yourself wielding such mediocre power. I admit, I am not the calm thinker that I want to be, Aiden coughed out, before he smiled slightly. How strange you are the second person I have so earnestly wished to die. He could feel his hearing returning as his regeneration did its work. However, despite eating much more recently to account for the increased caloric need of his regeneration Aiden knew he could not save his remaining arm without dying of starvation in the process. Who was the first? Someone who doesnt exist in this world, Aiden replied. She tilted her head at that, but seeing as he didnt elaborate, continued. So, Rain asked, peering directly into his face, do you still want to kill me? Aiden gave her his most radiant smile. I want hyenas to rip clean your flesh, I want vultures to swallow your bones, and I want to use the resulting shit as fertiliser for a garden. He never had a garden before, it would be an interesting experience. Rain smiled and laughed. Cries of a weakling, lacking in substance. And Aiden thought to the one memory he had that he could use to match her, if only for a moment. Tacking on numerous concepts to the tattoo allowed him to briefly emulate his physical strength, but that was an enhanced version. The tigers base strength was nowhere near the base strength of him. If he enhanced that, he might be able to wipe that shit-eating grin off her face. Johnjohnjohnjohn. Hmm? Rain asked, Is that defiance I see in your eyes? One final trick that you have? You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Aiden ignored the pain. He ignored the cracks of the shattered fragments of his arm bones grinding together as he moved his arm purely through his tattoo. If he threw all those concepts that he used on the tiger onto Johnjohnjohnjohn, he might be able to hurt her. She leaned forward, baring her face for his hand to strike, taunting him. He reabsorbed the Supremely Physically Overpowering Strong Siberian Tiger tattoo. And- Thank you, I will try to remember you, to never forget who you were. His arm fell limp to his side. Hmm? Rain tilted her head towards it, Giving up? Apologies, Aiden replied, the fight leaving him, I will not use him. Why not? she asked, Do you believe you cannot beat me even with that technique? No, Aiden replied. I believe I can still harm you if I used him. But I promised I would not forget him. Silence. Rain stared at him. Moments passed, until slowly she gently lowered him to the ground and took a step back, staring at her hand. Then once again at the sky that was not there. Aiden! Ranpo yelled. Returning once the brief sounds of battle subsided. I have committed a great injustice, Rain muttered. I have spent too long in these lands to even forget honour. To everyones surprise, she lowered herself until she knelt, and bowed until her head touched the ground. Immortal Warrior, I have shown you great disrespect and mocked your techniques. And she slowly rose back to her full height. Stand. Aidens response was more a reflex, as he struggled to bring himself up to his full length. I have not been using any of my Breath techniques, thus far using only my Physical Cultivation to battle you, she quietly explained, flicking her hand to reveal a sheathed sword. I shall rectify this. And she unsheathed the sword. Strangely, there was no blade, only a hilt and guard, nothing above. To match your boulder breaking strike, I shall use a technique that shall similarly cost me greatly, for I cannot replenish my Breath energy within this airless world, she said as she entered a stance. It was a beautiful, practised movement, the result of centuries of tireless repetition and training. She held the hilt as if it were a true sword, its tip pointing right towards Aiden. What is your name? Aiden, he gasped out. Son of Fire, that is a fine name, Rain replied. I will remember it. From above, Vanta popped down from the remaining opening, seeing Rain in her stance, before hurrying back up. Ranpo desperately beat his wings, trying to get to them just a little bit faster. And Aiden wondered if he should try to run. He figured he shouldnt bother, his legs were too weak anyways. And the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass began speaking. No, it was more like a Buddhist chant, a quiet thing under her breath, rhythmic, regular, droning yet Aiden felt like he would never forget it. We are eternally trapped in the cycle of reincarnation. Reach towards the endless Heavens, cultivating to achieve immortality. But the words, the meaning of the words spoken didnt sound right. And Aiden realised it was the strange translation effect of the language Rain used. The sounds she was speaking sounded melodic, beautiful, haunting, they rhymed and had rhythm, yet when it was automatically translated to Aiden, only the literal meaning carried. But immortality is ever a lie. We cultivate to escape old age, to live ten thousand years, yet we still die of old age at ten thousand. Aiden had the realisation that he may never fully understand what Rain was truly saying. The translation effect of her words, her name which mightve sounded perfectly normal in the sound of her original language was rendered a long, meaningless word soup. Just like how she had called him the Son of Fire, the meaning of the name Aiden was carried, not the actual name. Even if he did his best to match the meaning in English to the foreign words she was speaking, they would never perfectly fit. We rage against the Heavens and Earth, we cultivate immortality so we can declare ourselves above both. Yet in the end, Heaven and Earth always outlasts us. Her bowing, a meaningless gesture when Aiden prepared to fight. Her falling to the ground in apology for a reason he still couldnt fathom. She wasnt an ability user, she gained no advantage from such actions. Aiden may never understand Rain, and Rain may never understand Aiden, for the simple reason that they were from different worlds and spoke different languages, that no matter how well they were translated, simply didnt mean the same thing. As the First Sage, the only one to be Honoured Between Heaven and Earth had declared. There is no immortality save that which lies in the memory of men. In the legacy we carry and leave behind. Rain! Ya yelled through his computer screen, Dont kill him! It was too late. Sword Technique, Hollow Immortality. And the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass stabbed her bladeless hilt forward. The Umbrella was still touching Aidens skin, its effect was still active. But it blocked nothing. There was nothing to block. And nothing stabbed into Aidens heart, piercing a hole through his chest and back. Aiden fell to the ground with nothing stabbed through his heart.
Blood pooled beneath Rains feet. There was a moment of quiet shock. The Son of Fires crow beast had turned silent upon landing next to his master, his crow face unreadable to her. Worse off was Ya, who had turned deathly pale upon seeing the body, before vomiting off screen. You you killed him, Ya finally said, wiping vomit from the corners of his mouth. No, Rain replied, Not yet. And she saw the crow realise the same thing she had. The blood was pooling in a perfect circle around the body, around a rulers length, before stopping, unable to move towards or away from the centre. It was still leaking to the side, like a flood that hit an unbreakable wall, the blood was moving tangentially to the circle, so that the pool still expanded, but at a lesser pace. And she saw the crow ready its resolve as he turned to her. You intend to save him? she asked. I do, he replied to her simply. With what power? she asked him. That stung him, she saw. Like she suspected, the creature before him was no mythical creature, it didnt carry any strength. You are just a bird who can talk, she said as she sheathed her sword. Despair. Silence. Then laughter. I am! the crow yelled with a harsh laugh, I am just a bird who can talk, what manner of life form is not greater than me? Many, Rain replied, the worms you feast on for one. And you? the crow asked. I am above you, she told him the truth they both knew. Then do you have a way of saving him? the crow asked. Rain thought about it, even as his blood stained her shoes. The crow was getting impatient, stealing glances toward the unmoving body. Even mortals could live without a heart, though not for very long. Then Rain remembered that the doorman had stolen three alchemical elixirs of some sort a few days ago. I do. A flash of relief. But why should I? she asked him. Silence, for a breath and not a moment longer. You spoke of legacy, and of remembering people. I did, she answered simply. Yet you cut his short, he accused. She shrugged, The heavens are cruel, countless perish due to reasons beyond their control, what difference does his death make? Of everyone Ive met in this city, he has the most potential, the crow replied with a steel in his voice. His power is difficult, it has its weaknesses, and he is a bit fucked in the head, but give him enough time, and he can achieve whatever he wants. Geniuses of every age and era perish before greatness, Rain said, They are born to impoverished villages and starve before they know how to count, they grow and are sent to wars before with swords taller than they are, they are accidentally killed by wandering masters, or they simply find power not worth the risk, and retire to die of old age. Then did you feel good beating him? the crow cut in, Did you feel anything fighting a person who has had their power for barely two months, did it feel nice cutting off any potential he had? To beat up a child? Do you feel anything when you hear the yapping of an ant? she asked him. Do you feel anything when you step on it? He shrunk back slightly, but did not cower. If you felt like he was an ant, why did you humour him with a technique? Afterall his eyes went to her sword, You sheathed your sword, you would not use a sword to kill an ant like me, yet you did with him. Do you think that you can change anything with your words? If a farmer had to go to war with no weapon, they fight with their hoe whether they like it or not, the crow answered her. And she took a step towards him. He did not move. She took another step. He stood in place. She took one last step, until she stood right in front of the crow, a fist pointed towards him. And she swung. Faster than the crow could perceive, faster than sound itself. It stopped, inches from the crows head. The crow did not move, he did not flinch, he did not run or scream. What is your reason for saving him? Rain asked him. Because he can do better than me, the crow replied. I am not the limit of his power, I am a random test he decided to do one day. And the crow stepped forward, flapping its wings until it landed on her outstretched arm, and stared directly into her eyes. He can do better than a bird who can only talk. A meaningless metric, she answered. Do you think he can create something to threaten me? He can copy powers, thats what the distance effect is, the bird replied, but his eyes werent looking at her anymore, it was to the computer screen behind her, still held by the doorman, towards Ya. He was trying to move her through Ya. Its just a matter of time until- Rain did not let him. Answer my question. The crow paused, eyes finally turned back to her. With my entire being. She met his eyes. I like you, she said. She withdrew her fist, and the crow leapt off, flapping his wings to stabilise as Rain turned towards the exit. Doorman, make sure they dont run. With that said, Rain moved. With a single step, she leapt out of the building Aidens apartment was in, with a second step, she reached the cafe where their base was. Opening the door, she saw Ya waiting, anxiously ripping into his already dwindling hair. Fucking hell, you had to make this complicated. Do you object to me taking one of the elixirs? Rain asked. Do you think I can stop you if you want to take the NectarTM? Ya asked instead. Not at all. Ya sighed, removing the scarlet ring from his finger, Use the Scarlet Letter on the both of them, it should take easier since were giving away such a valuable thing. Taking control of that Concept will be more difficult, but having a power copier on our side might make it worth it. Even if one of them wishes for our tortuous deaths? she teased. You know the actual rules as much as I do, Ya sighed, were fucked if he dies, at least hes a known threat, we cant take the thing that enforces the real rules. You keep saying that, yet it has yet to face me, Rain replied. Just take the damn potion before I regret it.
One sip. One sip of the golden liquid and the dying man hacked out a glob of blood as his heart restarted and he instinctively cleared his airways. A second sip, and that broken, purple mess of an arm snapped back to normal, the inflammation, the horrific bruising, gone as if wiped away like an ugly stain. A third sip, the bottle emptied, and the bony appearance brought about by his natural regeneration healed as his body looked plump and healthy. Something even sprouted from the stump of his arm, they looked like fingers, but were much too small. Understand that the both of you now owe us, Ya said as Rain stamped a scarlet ring into Ranpos chest, before moving to do the same thing to Aiden. Dont try to contact any authorities, well know, and they wont be able to remove the mark. A scarlet A appeared on his chest, as did on Ranpo, though his was obscured by his feathers. If we need you, well contact you, he finished as Vanta sunk into the shadows with the laptop. Rain turned to them before leaving. I look forward to the future, she said simply. And the two were left alone in silence. Are they gone? Ranpo finally asked. I couldnt sense the one covered in black paint before, I doubt I can now, Aiden replied. Either way, Ranpo hopped up close to Aiden, right next to his ear so he could whisper something. When that crazy woman left it was only for a moment, barely a minute before she came back, but Vanta, that one didnt turn off the face call. Ranpo had heard everything Rain and Ya had discussed. One of the elixirs, Ranpo quoted, the one they fed you isnt the only one. And a harsh smile appeared on Aidens face. Do we call the cops for help? Ranpo asked. No, for who calls the cops to help them rob someone? Aiden laughed, If we called them, they might take it for themselves as civil forfeiture. Theyll be the backup option. They were refreshingly similar to his old world in that one regard. And to be perfectly honest, theyre not the worst boss Ive had. And just like them, Aiden had no loyalty, he worked so long as he was paid, and would leave when his goals were met and better pastures were found. Its just this time, it would be personal. Chapter 51 What We Aim to Do Part 4 Chapter 51 What We Aim to Do Part 4 In the end you will lose. Alone in your madness, you will find yourself without friends or allies. Even if you die here alone? I am not alone, that is the difference between you and I. - Paradigm and Unknown Aiden and Ranpo decided to split up. Currently, there were multiple obstacles to their plan. First and most obvious, the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass. While Aiden didnt know what kind of magic Cultivation was, it gave the woman from another reality freakish physical strength, a host of magical items such as rings that could store items and swords that could duplicate and fly. Along with a technique that surpassed all his defences. There was not a single cut on his clothes or tattoos, it was as if she had bypassed all those things and stabbed his flesh directly. Second, the red A now branded on his chest, just below his shoulder. The ability and its effect were completely unknown. All they had to go off of were the few sentences Ranpo overheard. It required a ring with a seal on it, the type used to stamp letter wax, to physically make contact with a target. Ya believed it gave a level of leverage, how that leverage manifested, neither had any clue without observing it. However, one clue Aiden had was that Rain had a similar brand on her own chest. She had no problem showing him on their first meeting, indicating that it may be benign, or beneficial to her somehow. She didnt care if she was marked, and didnt mind showing it to a complete stranger. If the ability Scarlet Letter did not have different modes and usages, it could mean that the letters on both Aiden and Ranpos chest were benign as well. Could. Third, neither Aiden or Ranpo knew where Ya was. He conducted his meeting from a laptop, though his face was known to them, and though they knew the NectarTM came from where he was, they had no information on where that was. Fourth, and perhaps most troublesome, that doorman, Vanta. The only ability user they saw, his ability seemed more and more troublesome the more either of them thought about it. As they understood it, Paint It, Black created a black paint that Vanta could spray everywhere, and the paint acted as portals to a dark sub dimension. Aiden had already seen it employed in both stealth and capture, and he theorised it could also act as storage, meaning wherever Yas base was, there was the potential Vanta could move it all, if it wasnt already within that dark pocket. Knowing all this, Aiden and Ranpo knew there were multiple avenues for them to spy on them. The unknown limits of Rains magic system, the mystery of Scarlet Letter and Vanta listening in from a dark corner. It was not a matter of if Rains magic had an ability to hear every conversation, if the Scarlet Letter acted as a direct phone line from them to Ya, or if Vanta was hiding in a dark corner near them. The chance of any one of the three being true made continued planning and conversation difficult. Three enemies. One was powerful, one had a useful ability and one was mysterious. This was going to be difficult. Meanwhile, Ya was thinking the exact same thing. A spawner who could copy powers and has unknown limits he muttered, brow furrowed in thought, Showed applications of shifter types, but with severe backlash, at least strong enough to physically shake Rain Ya knew any blow strong enough to shake Rain would be able to turn any normal human into a burger patty. Most dangerous however The intelligence of the crow. Any spawner capable of creating autonomous entities removes the option of taking out the spawner to take out his minions. But why has he made just one? As Ya continued to think, he continued to frown slightly. Bemoaning how utterly they fucked up initial contact. Even discounting Rain, there were many instances where he couldve helped alleviate tensions, if not to build a close relationship, then one purely motivated by business. Aidens power seemed useful, a good utility counterbalance to the physical brute Rain was. Good relations need good first impressions, since weve ruined that, we need to build better foundations and fix old quarrels, he ascertained. So Ya stood up from his desk, putting on a coat as he made for the door. Business? Rain asked, her eyes not even opening as she sat cross legged meditating. Im going to fix the mistake, Ya answered. Aiden Bu has the potential to become an extremely valuable asset, thats why I must answer with sincerity. Vantas black paint dripped down and disappeared, revealing the red door hidden underneath. From the black paint, Vanta rose up, his hands flashing in sign language. (Need a guard?) Not for a trip to the bank, Ya answered, directly facing Vanta so he could read his lips. (Do you think the enmity can be solved?) Vanta signed. Money is a great motivator, combined with family, it is worth killing over, Ya answered. In the end all it comes down to is the transaction. He can hate us, but so long as he is still willing to work for us, it is enough. And what if he is a prideful person? Rain asked. He is not, Ya told them with certainty. I knew that the moment he seriously considered our offer, despite the anger seething within him. He is the same type of person I am. (Entirely too greedy?) Shallow minded? Rain proposed. Business oriented, Ya cut in. You were the one who stabbed him, so the NectarTM does not count towards true owing. That account is settled, but we need him to owe us. Shallow minded, Rain repeated, to believe relationships are dependent on a transaction and account book. Ya ignored her and left.
Parkour was getting easy. The ever shifting parkour course outside the school became easier every day. Out of curiosity, he timed himself, not all that precisely mind you, only glancing at the time start to finish. He was a few minutes faster, and stood in school much earlier than he expected. He was only slightly out of breath because he wasnt used to wearing a medical mask. Early in the morning, with not a lot of students around, and classes not yet open, Aiden wandered. He wandered until he passed by a wall. Strolling past it, Aiden saw all the names on it. As he walked, more and more were crossed out. Until he stopped. There was a name written and crossed out on Ad Infinitum. There was no realisation, no return of memory, all he could tell was that this name was crossed out recently. But Aiden remembered that feeling he had a few days earlier, of him forgetting something, but not knowing what. He left and continued on with his day, because there was nothing he could do. Aiden went through his classes in a quiet daze. Silent, aware, but not quite there. He was quieter, moodier, any of his replies went down to only one word. Terse and empty. There was no specific reason he could give to explain this state. No small or big thing he could pin all the blame on. Sometimes you just felt empty and nothing could be done about that. When the lunch bell rang, he wandered alone, not seeking any of the people who became his companions. Silent and alone as he let time bleed away. No one noticed him, and he mightve stayed that way for moments or days if left by himself. But he wasnt. Aiden! A familiar voice, a person who finally tracked him down. Waving as they ran to him, holding something in their hands. I finally figured out how to cook! Jun proclaimed, waving the food in front of them. Aiden was silent for a moment, his expression did not change, Jun did not notice anything wrong with him. But he slowly raised an eyebrow. Those are cup noodles, he said as he began walking beside Jun. Hey fuck off! I threw a sausage and egg in there, that makes it a meal! Jun defended. Proteins and carbohydrates? You need vegetables in there. I had an apple slice earlier, Im healthy, they replied. Also whats with the mask? Caught a cold, Aiden lied, before quickly changing the subject. You need more than an apple slice everyday. Jun scoffed, swiping her left hand past her face quickly, Thats the neat part, I dont! Just swipe a mask on and I look great! Your power covers nutrient deficiencies? Aiden asked, genuinely curious. Fuck if I know but Im going to find out! That is a terrible policy to take with your own well being, Aiden replied as together they walked back to class.
When the bell rang, and Aiden left class, he saw crows. Without a word, he left the general cluster of buildings where most of the students and teachers congregated together. Until he stood alone in a hidden crop of trees, with only Ranpo beside him. I thought the idea was to split up, Aiden began, leaning on the trunk of tree. I had a thought, Ranpo said. That principal of yours, what was his name? Principal General Wendall Richard Monger, Aiden replied. He noticed that spat that kid had with Jun, right? Ranpo asked to confirm. Aiden narrowed his eyes. Youre thinking that he likely has some awareness of everything in the school? Which means theres a chance that the Vanta fellow wont be able to follow us here, same with Rain, Ranpo continued. They risk running into any of the numerous meta students here, along with the trained staff. If they were intelligent individuals, they would know the risk. Adding on, he said, At the very least, it would be significantly safer than discussing at home. Aiden unconsciously rubbed his chest, where the red A was. Leaving only this. So, Ranpo began. Do we dare make the assumption on what the Scarlet Letter can do? Aiden finished. A moment of silence passed between them. Its better than nothing, Ranpo said. Locations with good security cant surpass this place by a lot. An open hand is also important with meta abilities, Ya only dictated that we cant contact any authority figure Revealing your hand is a suggestion with a benefit, Aiden replied, eyes deep in thought, that phrase could be a complete red herring. A way to make us mentally limit the abilities of the Scarlet Letter. Well end up with the same result as the slit-mouthed woman if we think like that, Ranpo argued. Going in constant circles trying to figure out which is which. Aiden was silent for a moment, but he nodded. M.I.A is probably the safest place for us to conduct our discussion then. I agree, Aiden replied, what did you need me for? Rain, do you have an idea on how we can check her? Ranpo asked, Something physically powerful is needed. Aiden was silent again, for only a second, but it was a second noticed by Ranpo. Not physical, Im not sure if I can reasonably create something with enough enhancing concepts to threaten her and also have a reasonable degree of control over the thing. Other than doing it with my own physical body or just letting it rampage. Ranpo looked at him. Really looked at him. Youre lying, he said with a tone of surprise. As if he had realised something so obvious, that he never had before. I- I never noticed this before. You lie a lot, so much and with such a straight face. Aidens eyes flickered to the crow. Am I? he asked. Theres no difference, Ranpo muttered, mind lost in thought, no difference from when you normally speak and when you lie. But I know you are. I know you are lying to me somehow right now. Ranpo broke out of his trance and stared at Aiden. Why are you lying about being unable to create something powerful? Silence. A moment, a second moment, a third moment, before Aiden sighed. I heard this before, Aiden said to no one in particular, that strict parents raise good liars. Mine were different, but it seems like the results were the same. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Aiden straightened himself, looking at Ranpo. Imagine creating something, completely by accident, not knowing the full extent of the power you possess. Treating it as a thing until they show you otherwise and the realisation hits you. Imagine living with them, learning to like this person, enjoying his sarcasm, slowly finding yourself emulating some of the sarcasm, following along as you watch him discover the world. And one day, Aiden began, voice dying. That person comes home in a body bag, or youre in a fight and they die protecting you and you know it was your fault. Ranpo took a step back. You- his voice died in his throat, for Ranpo knew not what to say. The temporary ones are fine, Aiden murmured, they exist for minutes at a time, I wont spend enough time to get attached to them. The Umbrella is fine as well, its just a tool. You though? You are a line I dont want to be crossed. You dont want them to die on you, Ranpo realised, You dont want anyone to die on you, so you refuse to make that connection in the first place. You can leave Ranpo, Ive always let you be free, Aiden told him. Why have you always given me my freedom? Ranpo asked. Because I of all people know how much a child can hate their father. Silence. Because what else could be said here? And slowly, Ranpo opened his wings and flapped away. Aiden watched him go into the sky. Is that the choice you made? he pondered, standing alone in that crop of trees. Only a few minutes later, did Aiden realise he was wrong. As running in from the distance, from the crowds, there was a familiar figure. Closing in on him with a crow flying close behind. Jun skidded to a halt, panting in exertion, as if she had run the whole way here. You- Aiden began, but could finish, before Jun rushed up to him and grabbed his face. She quickly pulled the straps of his medical mask off, feeling his bare cheeks underneath. The skin looked fine, Aiden still had a Human Skin tattoo obscuring it. But Juns finger could feel the bumps of the scars. Fuck, you were telling the truth then Ranpo flapped to a stop behind her, Of course I was. Ranpo, what did you tell her? Everything of course, the crow said, Ive realised Im not a big fan of lying. Thats a new thing Im discovering about myself. Why the fuck did you tell her anything? Aiden almost yelled, an almost unknown emotion in his eyes. Why the fuck didnt you tell me anything! Jun yelled back. This isnt your business- Why isnt it! she interrupted, tears dripping down her face. You saved my fucking life while I ran like a coward! You taught me how to cook, you taught me how to ride a fucking bike! she yelled. No one else has ever done this for me! No one else has ever given a shit about what happens to me! Jun was hiccuping as they forced more words out of their throat, I didnt know I was alone, but then I did, and I realised I wanted to be like you, to be someone who was there for people you know? Someone who takes care of other people, someone whos a good person! They were someone used to loneliness. To the point they forgot other peoples warmth and their solitary self became their normal self. In the end pushing others away. Talking too fast for others to hear them, and generally being obnoxious. And what do I hear? Youre getting your ass beat every other day! Aiden wanted to speak, but he hesitated, looking at the crying figure before him. And he took out his Umbrella. It was a treasure. Something that had blocked numerous bullets from the goblins, stalled for time while the slit-mouthed boogeyman attacked, and allowed him to last several more seconds against Rain. He would not be alive without it. Aiden reabsorbed it without hesitation. And a shudder went through him as he remembered why he saved Jun. He tossed the broken cleaver, for that was all it was now. The excess Hume he turned into numerous other tattoos, storing their Hume before they dissipated. And he took out a napkin, wiping away Juns tears. Lets sit down, Aiden said, his voice sounding deathly tired. Lets sit down and talk. And they did, on that grassy bed. I am not a role model to aspire to, Aiden said, his eyes staring into the ground. You- Aiden gently raised a hand, Please let me finish. They paused. And with a silent sigh, Aiden said, I am not a role model to aspire to, I am not a person you should aim to become. I am flawed, he said, looking at his right arm, where the stump still was, Most people care about bodily injury, they would care if they suddenly lost a limb, they would care if they were beaten all day. And most importantly He didnt look at them, he didnt look up from his view of the ground. Most people would care if they died. Aiden sighed. Do you know what I felt when I made the decision to save your life? Jun shook their head. Relief, Aiden replied, because I finally got to die for a good reason. Juns hand tightened into a fist, Ranpo sighed but he had long realised it. I realised at some point, I had stopped trying because I wanted to go on, but because trying was all I knew to do. That continued struggle was the habit I fell into even when it became hollow. For the first time, Aiden looked up and met Juns eyes. You called yourself a coward for running, well I say I am the same, for I was also running, just in a different direction. Silence. A pause. Then Jun leaped towards Aiden, tackling him into the floor, arms wrapped around him. BUT YOU STILL FUCKING SAVED MY LIFE DIDNT YOU! they yelled. Aiden froze. JUST BECAUSE YOU DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOURSELF DOESNT MEAN IT DIDNT MATTER TO ME! AND HONESTLY FUCK YOU! ARE YOU SAYING MY LIFE WAS ONLY WORTH YOU DYING WELL? AHHH I CANT BELIEVE THIS! As Jun babbled on, their arms wrapped tighter and tighter around him, their tears and snot stained his shirt. Aiden hesitated. He realised with slight panic that in his entire life as Aiden Lu, this was the first time this had happened to him. He didnt know where to move, every slight twitch of his arms was filled with awkwardness and hesitance. He could only instinctively wrap his own arms around Jun. It was the first time he had done such a thing, but it was a hug nonetheless. He didnt know when they stopped crying, only that the sun was setting as they did so. What do you plan on doing? Aiden asked. Duh, doing the same thing you were going to do, Jun replied. Rob them and help your sis. This isnt your fight. Ive decided it is. And if I dont want you? Im still here, Ranpo said. Jun chuckled, He may not have my wit or good looks, but I figure the two of us can pull it off. You have no plan, Aiden said. We can make one up as we go, Ranpo said. Aiden sighed. Will I be able to convince you that this is stupid? Are you able to do so for yourself? Ranpo asked instead. No, Aiden soberly shook his head. No, I would not be able to. He sighed again. If thats the case, get up, I have spare Hume to spend right now.
All the excess Hume from the Umbrella, which he had transferred into a dozen different tattoos that covered his body. All spent, as Aiden began to phase slightly in and out of existence, Oros white body completely covered in black bark and colourful flowers as Aiden spent his Hume to the limit. Aiden wobbled back, but Jun quickly caught him, eyes staring at the thing he had just created. Anger, hate, alienation, all these emotions and a list of other concepts and memories gone from his mind, the only proof of it was a thin paper slip, detailing everything he had put into it. Shes pretty Jun murmured. Aiden regained his bearings, then noticed a problem. The problem of Jun staring with rosy cheeks at what he had just created. The new creation was naked. All of them were now that he thought about it. It was not generally a problem with all his other stuff, but this was Aiden slapped his hand over Juns eyes, Hey! Stop that you horn dog, Aiden said, shaking his head as he reabsorbed the creation with his other, real hand, leaving only an inanimate training dummy that they had found in the school gym. Im going out to buy clothes, wait here, Aiden said. Hey dont you think I should be the one buying the clothes? Jun asked. After all Im a girl like eighty percent of the time. Aiden stared at them. No, because I dont want her to end up in a maid costume. Maid costume! Jun said with utter outrage, Its short shorts and a sports bra! That or yoga pants! Ranpo began laughing. Aiden edged away until he was out of touching distance of the crazy teenager, and silently turned and left to buy proper clothing. Jun snorted as she followed him. They returned and clothed the training dummy with something normal. And Aiden put his hand on it and pushed the tattoo back onto it. Her hair is so long Jun murmured. This is just another tool, Aiden said. A- he paused, as he realised he no longer remembered the word he was going to use. Puppet, Ranpo supplied for him. Yeah, whatever that means, Aiden said. Knowing he would have to pour through a dictionary later on. Jun cracked her knuckles. So I just need to be able to beat her? Essentially, Aiden said. She stepped forward, Hey puppet, Im Jun. And the puppets eyes flickered open. Remember, it doesnt have its original personality, and it''s only a copy at best, Aiden told Jun. Aiden couldnt risk her personality incarnating through his power, dealing with one was difficult enough, two would be a nightmare. So he did the same thing he did with the Umbrella, removing will by adding the concept of a tool, except here, he used the concept of a puppet. I am the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass, the puppet said in a language neither of them spoke, but could easily understand, Disciple of Overcoming the Eight Shattered Mountains Sect. Is it supposed to do that? Jun asked. Aiden frowned, not knowing enough of the woman to make a judgement. She said the same thing when you fought her, Ranpo supplied, it mustve stuck in your head. The puppet clasped its hands and bowed. Warrior of the Airless Lands who cannot sense Cultivation, I am a Cultivator of the Sixth Stage. Let us trade pointers. Jun smiled, Lets go. And they fought. For about two seconds, before Jun slammed into the wall of the training room. Stop! Aiden yelled. The puppet immediately stopped in its tracks. Holyshit! Jun groaned as she rubbed her bruises, Yeah I can see how you lost to her. Can you do it? Aiden asked. Hell yeah! she replied as she ran back up to the puppet. Both blurred. Aiden could barely keep up with the speed, but even as Jun was beaten back again and again. He saw that she was able to react to puppet Rains movement. Ranpo left the building, flying outside until he landed upon its rooftop. There, waiting all around him were dozens upon dozens of crows. Help us find this person, Ranpo cawed out to them, pushing out a sketch of Rain, Ya and Vanta, describing their features to the murder of crows before him. Tell us where they move around, try to determine where they live, especially the male. The previous deal of food still stands, Ranpo told them. Just this time you can trade this instead of money Below him, Aiden had left Jun to her practice, walking towards the library. Until his phone rang. An unknown number. Aiden answered it. Good afternoon, Ya greeted him. Do I want to know how you got this number? Aiden asked. Phonebook, Ya replied. Why are you calling? We got off on the wrong foot, Aiden Bu, Ya said, I wish to make amends, to salvage whatever part of our business relationship can be. Aiden closed his eyes. Right now, his anger was all in that puppet Jun was training against. I am listening. Your sisters weekly hospital bills cost two thousand and a hundred dollars, Ya stated. As an apology, I have paid all costs for the next year. One hundred and ten thousand dollars, Aiden quickly calculated. Is that what you want me to owe you? Not at all, Ya replied. As I said, this is an apology. A gift that you do not owe me. In fact you may choose to leave now, and I will never bother you again. So long as you keep the Scarlet Letter on you to remain as a contingency for myself. Aiden briefly closed his eyes. You want to show me you are capable of casually dropping this sum of money. He could almost hear the smile on the other end. Very well, you understood. That is the array of wealth I am offering, can I rely on you? What does the Scarlet Letter ability do? Aiden asked. A pause. I can tell you if you decide to truly join, Ya replied. You- Suddenly Ya paused, leaving only silence on the phone. We will continue this conversation at a later date, Ya suddenly said, I hope you will have an answer by then. And hung up.
Elsewhere, Ya hurriedly put away his phone as he glanced at the television screen before him, and of the casualties displayed due to a terrorist attack on a train. And the names he recognised from the list of registered ability users that he had sold. Ya immediately called home, which Vanta picked up but passed to Rain. Rain, escort me back to base. Vanta, gather all the data we have on the man we sold the information to. The Murigan. You sound worried, Rain said over the phone. I made a mistake, Ya said. Ive sold intelligence to a foreign power if it were any other, it wouldve be fine, but I didnt think these fuckers would actually make a move now. Theyve been silent for decades. Who are? Rain asked as she landed beside him, the phone still in her hand. One of the Five Threats, Ya answered grimly. Which are? Ya paused, and almost slapped his forehead if not for his incredible self control. This world has five classified threats that we recognise as being if not world ending, then civilisation ending, he grimly replied. Pointing up towards the shards of the shattered black moon he said, The first is a higher civilisation that tried to starve us out of sunlight by blocking it with a massive moon over six hundred years ago. Theyre the reasons we dare not take a step out into space. He glanced around, eyes staring into the east, The second is a threat in the Pacific, which humanity has long since lost the right to name or describe, I cannot tell you more, for then I will attract its notice, but know that every human knows what it is, for we pay a great price to pass the information to our children, and if we forget it, then it will win. Third is the shattered timeline, he said, glancing at a clock. Time is currently broken and does not occur the same or correctly across the entire world. This one is not as dangerous, as The Order of the Clock Tower has made great strides in stabilising time. You may only experience a few continuity errors in reality. Fourth you should already know, the forces of Hell and their Gate from Yuro-P. Legend has it that Hell is already shattered by some unknown hero, and their sword is left in the magma lake of Hells core- Rain perked up slightly at the mention of the sword. -However whether or not that hero or sword exists is up for debate, and Hell doesnt actually seem inconvenienced if it was shattered. She shrugged, The last one? The last is the most recent, only appearing in the last two hundred years. It is the one that were dealing with, and the one Im most familiar with, Ya murmured. It has taken over both the North and South Murigana Continents, and is the Living Concept of Democracy turned mad.
Aiden put down his phone and continued onto the library. Waving at Four who was at the desk reading a book, he entered, looking for a certain section. He did not go and ask Ranpo to stop his search, nor did he ask Jun to cease her training. He wouldnt, for he knew now, what kind of person he wanted to be. During the time when he had the Umbrella, when he had lost his acceptance of death, he was far more daring, far more motivated, far more willing to act. For death was no longer an option for him then. That proclivity slowly returned to him, even gone from his power, the emotion slowly built itself up, because Aiden was fundamentally the same person, just with a piece missing, a piece that his mind slowly tried to refill. But what that gave him was a perfect comparison of two hims. One who accepted death and didnt even care to fix his own hand. And one who didnt, who acted and risked. He knew now which was the better him. And though he was not in a hurry to remove that part of him again, he knew now how to act. Aiden knew now how to be a motivated person. So he simply wrote something down on a slip of paper. Then he tried to make that thing with his power. Looking at his arm, no visible tattoo appeared, yet when he read the paper, the name was gone from his memory. It was a success. Aiden didnt want to create something he could get attached to and be exposed to danger. That limited him to mindless tools like the Umbrella and Puppet Rain, object manipulation through tattoos, body shifting, and some very temporary creations that wouldnt last. But against opponents like Rain, who was physically powerful enough that even his best attempt barely phased her, there was a limit to what he could do. He might eventually be able to break that limit, but he would be playing behind, facing a brick at their well, strengths. So instead of constantly thinking bigger Aiden decided that perhaps he should think smaller. And he found the book he was looking for. A book of microbiology. S-Class Files: Close to the Sun S-Class Files: Close to the Sun ... test observations have concluded that Requiems can be classified as a natural law of this dimension, currently classified as Earth Bulwark. The extent of its causality erasure does not interact with foreign Reality, and is only limited to Hume. Though traces left by ability users can be erased from foreign Realities through a Requiem, it fails to complete erasure where it intersects with foreign Bleed - The notes of the 500th President of the United States, Caesar the Regulator, later reconstructed from ashes. The sun was blocked. Nothing else could really describe it, she thought. A big, hunking black rock blocked the sun, leaving only an eclipse shading the world. Everything in the sky had completely stopped as well. She vaguely knew it to be a Bleed effect, the passage of time had been stopped for all but living things. The stars in the sky did not move, the earth did not turn, the weather never changed, iron and metals did not rust. But living things still felt hunger. She looked outside of that small pocket of green grass that was her ability. Like a great circle drawn in the earth, there was green surrounding her, and past it, all grass had died and withered, trees were blackened and rotted, starved from the lack of sunlight. The world was desolate, lacking in warmth and green. The woman didnt care, she glanced at her watch, seeing another day had passed, and returned inside, passing a great grey wall where she absentmindedly slashed a single tally. A way of meaninglessly keeping track of the time that had passed. She went inside to her prison, heading underground. Electricity had long since left this place, but her ability kept the surroundings at a light level akin to midday, and she never hungered as well. She sat down in the prison library, looking at the shelves and shelves of books, wondering how many times she has read through the entire catalogue. Instead she shrugged, sitting down and opening a book she has read many times before. She wouldve spent all the time in the world reading that book. Sitting in this prison until the end of days. She used to get bored once, but had long forgotten the concept. It was just that on that particular day, she had a visitor. A woman dressed in thick clothing to traverse the frozen wastelands, stood waiting at the boundary, peering inside. Claudia! she shouted, Claudia Putman! Are you still alive or is this just a dead ability? A name, one familiar, yet rusted and dusty from misuse. Claudia opened her mouth, using a voice that she hasnt heard for a very long time. I- I am. Claudia welcomed the person in. The woman was a stranger in some ways, but in others, she knew her very well. Suddenly feeling rather self conscious of the state of affairs of her home, she nervously led her in. The woman glanced at the wall where Claudia left her count of the days, and silently followed. I dont have much to treat you with, Claudia said, most of the food got taken when the prison broke, and the rest I finished slowly over the course of time How did you manage so long with food? the woman asked. I just stopped needing it after a while, Claudia replied, her eyes turning distant. The woman smiled, before reaching into her bag, Ive bought ice cream. A pause. The words almost felt alien to her, Claudia couldnt even remember the last time she even conceived of ice cream. Yet there it was, a small tub in the womans hands. Coffee jelly flavour? Claudia asked incredulously. The woman shrugged with a smile, I wasnt exactly inundated with choice. Claudia paused, and she really looked at the woman before her. What do you want, Truth? she asked the heroine before her. You tossed me in this prison god knows how long ago, and after the world has ended you show up again with ice cream in your hands. Truth smiled. Im glad to see the legendary thief still hasnt lost her instincts. Claudia pulled back a chair, and gestured to Truth to take a seat. Instead of continuing her questioning, Claudia took the ice cream, sniffed it, then began digging mouthfuls out with a spoon. She casually asked through a half-filled mouth, What happened to Dare? I thought you two were glued at the hip. He has died of old age. The spoon paused in Claudias hands, just centimetres from her mouth. Really? she asked in genuine shock. He shouldve been a bit younger than you, not much time has passed- Claudia, Truth interrupted her, what year do you think it is now? She paused. When the black moon came, it was 9:36 AM, May 15th, year 1139 of the Vulgar Era, Claudia began, she remembered the date clearly. It was frozen on most clocks in the prison after all. It cant have passed too long from then, maybe a few decades at most. Claudia, Truth said softly, have you seen the wall you mark your days with? Of course- Claudia paused. Then looked at her watch, the one she used to track the days with. It was frozen at 9:36 AM, as was every other watch in this prison. The chair fell down as Claudia rushed out the door, her mind spinning as if a slow fog was lifting. She ran outside, where pleasant winds and green grass grew till the boundaries of her ability. And she found that wall. Perhaps if it was just covered in tally marks, she wouldve merely been shocked, but it wasnt. The wall had long since been carved in. Solid concrete, a single slash, perhaps not one every day but with enough regularity that Claudia thought it was once per day. All that was left of the wall was a concave, one so deep Claudia could stick her entire arms length and not touch the back and so large that she could crawl in like a child in a demented playground tunnel. Over who knew how long, she had left enough tallies to almost carve a tunnel, one straight through the thick concrete walls of the prison. She knew it then. She had lost track of time. She knew that if she were to intentionally focus on carving a way through the wall, even decades may not suffice for her to reach this level. So how long had passed, with her only casually making a stroke every now and again to reach here? Truth had long since stopped next to her. What year is it? Claudia asked her. I do not know, Truth answered her. Time is broken now, and has since lost meaning. What do you mean? Claudia asked her. You may wish to sit down for this. She took her suggestion, however she sat inside that concave she had carved, Truth sat down next to her, and they found ample space to fit three more people. Time is broken, Truth repeated. No one noticed it at first, but the gradual build up of Bleed had been slowly chipping away at it, once it was barely noticeable, but it has only gotten worse with that stupid rock, she pointed upwards to the starlit sky, where the obsidian moon covered the sun. Now barely anyone is closing Gates. Bleed effects are ravaging large parts of the earth, combined with the Moons own temporal effect Im afraid we are living in a time where time has ceased to matter. Without her prompt, Truth continued, Do you know who created the letter class system to rank us? The one that ranked you and Dare as C Class before you found out about the cheese conspiracy? Claudia asked. Truth nodded, Yes, that one. I dont quite recall that one, Claudia replied honestly, I only looked at the fact I was classified as a low C class because I wasnt dangerous. It wasnt the most universal thing, though it was snappy, and was the basis for many dick-measuring contests. Truth looked up at the sky. Im pretty sure the person who created that classification system is from the future. What? Claudia asked. You mean they came back into the past through one of these gaps? I dont believe he personally did, Truth replied. The idea of the system he created simply flowed back. Does time not flow like a stream anymore? Dare said it is less like a linear stream, and more like a communal pissing pot, Truth joked. I find that metaphor apt. Things and ideas from the future and past are bleeding over, time occurs at different speeds for everyone, and some people simply seem to forget to age. Things from far different eras are mixing together. Wars that ended centuries ago I have found still being waged in certain places. Ideas and technology from the future appear and remain as if it were always here. And some people simply slip into a different era at times. Is that what happened to me? Claudia asked, fingers scratching the massive concave she had carved unknowingly. I believe it was a combination of things that happened to you, Truth replied. Another thing has become apparent with the breaking of time. Older metas are far stronger, increasing slowly as they age, but inevitable nonetheless. This seems to come at a cost. We are becoming more rigid, she continued. Its a slow madness. Our minds arent going, but our thoughts seem to become more robotic, more set in certain ways. Some of us whove been heroes for very long are also seeing ourselves unable to extricate ourselves from a heroic line of thinking. This didnt happen overnight, its a slow unnoticeable buildup. We know that if we restrict our powers in certain ways, we can make them stronger somehow, but it seems the more we lean into these restrictions, the more our minds follow. And the sensitivity of creating such a condition is greater than we expected. Claudia looked around her, at that patch of green grass that surrounded them. Was Green, Green Grass of Home always this strong? Did it always have a radius this large? I understand what you mean, she murmured. Every breath I take, every action I repeat, every habit I develop, they all are slowly becoming Conditions. And for how long has she been doing the same routine, over and over again? Then you should know- I do know, Claudia interrupted her, I didnt put a specific punishment for breaking them, so I can simply stop, I would suffer some loss of strength, but it wont kill me. What I want to know now is why you are here. Truth sighed, Using one of the many time cracks, I sent an idea backwards in time. Nothing much, the process is extremely random and impossible to control, but I was able to ensure that there are twelve seed vaults scattered around the world. Each contains the genome of every known living organism and are constantly being shielded from Bleed through a Reality Anchor. She knew what she meant, looking past the boundaries of Green, Green Grass of Home, there was no life left. You plan on repopulating the entire planet with those? Indeed, Truth replied. And what do you need me for? Not all those Vaults are located near civilisation, Truth replied. Some are rather far away, and require resupply, or theyll gradually fail. You want me to carry those supplies. Truth nodded, The journey cannot be made by normal humans, the areas surrounding are littered with Gates and Invaders. And why should I bother? Claudia asked. Silence. Do you remember Pele? Truth finally asked. The crazy bitch who hucked lava at everyone? Claudia asked. Shes dead as well, Truth told her, she tried to raise lava from the ground to form a geothermal heat source and Truth simply pointed up to the sky. She was attacked and killed. Silence. Truth continued, Any settlement that creates a large source of renewable energy is attacked from orbit, as is any settlement that gets too large and populated, that is why of the original twelve vaults, only four remain. The rest were located too near civilisation? Claudia asked. Indeed, Truth sighed. I know things like please wont affect you, so I will simply tell you why I do this. When Dare died, he left for me in this dark world a bright, beautiful young man, who strove to improve everyones lives. He didnt desire anything grand, just to ensure everyone lives a little bit better. To continue to teach everyone about the sun we had lost. He was the joy of my life. And emotionlessly Truth said, And I have watched him grow old and have children and die. By now, I have seen eighteen generations of my family and descendents be born, grow old and pass away. At that moment, Claudia realised something she had overlooked, when Truth was discussing the rigidness and power of old metas. She had used the word we. Amidst the sunless silence, there was only Truths voice, slowly talking. They all lived full lives. Time was not distorted for them, but for me. Age has forgotten to take me, and the meta madness has been slowly clawing at me, she murmured, looking at her empty palm. Sometimes I wonder if I can still truly be considered sapient, and not just a rampant ability like a Boogeyman. Activating only on whomever happens to fit my conditions. And Claudias hands scrunched up, almost defensively, she tried to make space between her and Truth. Truth had been talking to her, she had been genial, if a little long winded. She talked and acted just like a normal person. But so did many Boogeymen. I just know that I had this desire, Truth said, I wanted Dares child to know what the sun is, to know what the green grass of yesteryear is without looking through an ancient history book or in some controlled greenhouse. But he passed, so that desire can never be fulfilled. Truth smiled, So now, I simply desire a future where children know the warmth of the sun again. Still wary, Claudia asked, Will you attack me if I say no again? I will not, Truth said, knowing Claudias fears. Then what will you do? Truth reached down to touch the green grass that was Claudias ability. I would thank you for reminding me what grass looked like. Truth stood up from her spot, Please consider my request, I know it is entirely within your right to refuse. The world has done nothing but fail you, hate you and imprison you. But? Claudia asked, expecting an argument. But nothing, Truth said, it is entirely within your right to watch this world die. She was taken aback for a moment, Is that really something you should be saying? Truth shrugged, Its the truth isnt it? I cant force you to do something, if you want to sit still and do nothing, platitudes arent going to change your mind. Is that all? Claudia asked, No rousing grand speech? Dare was better at those, Truth replied. Dare also shot someone for inventing Brie. Truth smiled, He had his moments. And Truth turned and said, I suppose I have stayed too long, this is goodbye, if you have an answer, please find me again. Despite what Truth said, as Claudia watched her go, she had this feeling, this feeling that if she let her go right now, it would be the last she ever saw her. And she looked at the sunless sky, at the black and desolate world Truth was returning to. Then back at herself, at her quiet prison, still green, but the carved wall showed its own madness. It might not be too bad, Claudia muttered. Truth stopped. This meta madness, the slow stagnation of our own minds. Its not that bad if you think about it another way. How so? Truth curiously asked. Theres no free lunch after all, Claudia said. Thats what so many of us thought about abilities at first, didnt we? This magical thing that gave us super powers, but weve just been eating at a restaurant for free, and now its asking us to pay our tab. Thats an interesting perspective. Claudia nodded, and asked her, Truth, tell me honestly, do you think were supposed to live this long? That is a loaded question. Because everyone used to say that immortality is a monkeys paw, Claudia said, a scam for idiots who cant think far enough until the heat death of the universe, but Ive got immortality, in a way now. So long as I dont leave, I wont be hungry, I wont be tired, I wont even be bored. I might get offed eventually, but it will be a while. She thought boredom mightve been the problem, but it wasnt. In this dark and empty world, she had achieved something the animal ancestors of her past could only dream of. Lasting safety and contentment. She needed nothing, desired nothing. A perfectly fulfilled existence. How dangerous would the trip be? Very, Truth replied, Ive already lost contact with multiple parties. Claudia nodded. And without much hesitation, she stepped out of her ability. Popping that strange space as one might a large bubble. Green, Green Grass of Home. And with a word, the light, warmth and grass all ripped themselves off their anchor, instead rushing back to Claudia, wrapping themselves onto her until they formed the shape of a large backpack. She immediately shivered as she felt the cold. Gods the cold. She knew the outside world had become cold, but never to this extent. And then there was the emptiness. She felt hollowed, like someone with a full belly suddenly feeling the bite of starvation. It wouldnt kill her, but there was some cost to breaking an ancient Condition. No longer was her ability large enough to cover the length of the prison, now it was barely a small bag, only large enough to carry. Without a word, Truth wrapped a large coat around her. She did not ask Claudia why she made the decision, and Claudia was kind of glad for it. It was a silly reason after all. Not something as grand or good as what Truth wanted. It was a decision that was simply hers.
Returning to civilisation was strange. Almost alien after spending so long in isolation. Their trek through the darkened wastelands was not silent, they reminisced of the past, of people they once knew and places that no longer existed. Without her domain, Claudia needed to eat again, and she sampled many of the rations Truth had brought with her. Until they reached their destination. Humanity now lived deep underground. As Claudia passed through the ancient stone gateway, she saw carved upon the ground, When Dawn Fails, From Earth We Return. What is that? Claudia asked. A promise, Truth replied. And they descended, ancient, dust filled steps. Claudia called it ancient, because that was how it felt, despite the fact theres a good chance she was older than it. At the end of it, was a rather modern looking elevator. Without a word, Truth keyed in a passcode and the elevator dinged open. Claudia memorised it, mostly as a habit of her former profession. Its no use, Truth said, the passcode is actually a trick. Its actually a fingerprint scanner. Smart, Claudia replied as they stepped in. There are other entrances? Many, though this gives a degree of privacy. Why would that- her voice stopped as the scenery suddenly changed. The elevator was transparent, and she could see the city below as they broke through the upper ceiling. They were almost forty metres high up, beneath them was a sprawling settlement, there were dozens of buildings of ugly and squat white concrete, but she saw brightly painted over them were paintings and graffiti, some so old the paint had long since begun peeling. One common theme among the paintings was a stylized sun. A yellow circle with triangles surrounding it as rays. Over the horizon, she could see a bright, warm reddish glow, and she realised with a start that it was lava. We dug around a lava tube, Truth said, with the freezing of time, those things no longer cool down, the heat is stuck. Trapped in an eternal stasis, sorta like us. And more surprising, was the realisation that there was something growing on the lava. Tall, scraggly white tubules that seemed to sprout out of the surrounding ground. There were people that appeared to be farming it. What are those? Claudia asked. Three gadgeteers and a contriver a dozen generations ago got inspired by tube worms who fed on hydrothermal vents. And you guys eat that? she put a hand to her mouth, Is that what youve been feeding me? Yes in both cases, and most people here would not even have a concept of the food we had in the past. Right, Claudia murmured, still grappling with the idea of being a woman out of time. I can understand the sentiment, Truth replied, though I have it better, as I stayed with people the entire time. Truth continued to explain, Anything that is not alive does not seem to progress in time. There are certain strangenesses with how that seems to function. A battery may continue to supply power centuries after it was supposed to have been exhausted, food may never rot so long as it is properly decontaminated, and lava as you may see dont seem to lose its heat. It seems to try to maintain the state it was in previously. Its how you guys have managed this long, Claudia deduced. One of the reasons, it was more important in the early days, but it remains important now, Truth said as they reached the floor and the elevator dinged open in an unoccupied building. Do you wish to explore? You will be noticed rather quickly as an outsider, but just tell them you are a guest of mine. Claudia looked outside, through the tinted windows of the building. There were people out there, and though the number on the streets were greatly dwarfed by the cities of old, she hadnt seen anyone else in a very long time. There is no need, Claudia replied, Ive come here for a single reason, and theres no point in adding extra stuff. Truth nodded, but did not comment. Together, they went deeper into the building. Theres a resting room and amenities, well meet your team and get a brief down as soon as possible. That would be for the best, Claudia replied.
Despite what she said, Claudia could not disguise the degree of curiosity that appeared on her face when Truth returned. Sat in a well lit room, she saw a man follow behind Truth. He was hunched, a mop of brown hair, most distinguishing was that he appeared to be carrying a baby. A large porcelain white baby, with bands of red wrapped arounds its arms and neck. The baby had its arms wrapped around the mans neck, holding on tightly, almost as if it were a part of him. Is that Claudia began, Babyface? The man groaned, Fuck no, though its been a while since someone mistook me for him. He glanced at the grassy bag that was near Claudia. Leprechaun? he asked, The one who robbed the Hidanak National Bank? It was Claudias turn to groan, God I hated that name, all I did was have a green aesthetic and steal some gold. Youre someone from the past as well then? the man asked. Claudia nodded. The manpower we have is limited, Truth started, gesturing to the man to take a seat. And were limited to teams of four for every expedition. You two are the only past metas wholl be coming on. And the other two will be from this era? Claudia asked. Truth nodded. There is a power requirement, Claudias spatial pocket will act as a haulier for the resources needed to maintain the seed vault. And Caseys thinker ability will be needed to solve any difficult problems you may encounter. As for the other two she paused slightly. Fanatics are they? Casey asked with a resigned sigh. What do you mean? Claudia asked. It has been a very long time, Truth replied. People like us, though we are just people, have been slightly mythologised. Sunborn, Casey told her, you didnt catch that upon coming? I didnt go out, Claudia replied. Casey nodded in understanding. They wont have any problems, though they may err on tones of respect, I wished for you to understand that before meeting them, Truth told her. Claudia shrugged, Just send them in, how bad could they be? Truth knocked on the table, and two people soon entered. The first was a woman who had a serious look to her, her posture was upright and tight, Claudia unconsciously adjusted her own posture upon seeing her. The second was a young man, but perhaps boy might have been more accurate. He barely looked older than herself- Claudia paused, and remembered with a start that she was older than him. She kept forgetting that, the age when she got tossed in prison compared to the actual age she was. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Sam Aestas, the woman introduced herself. Pleasure to meet you. Jeffrey Smith, the boy stiffly said. These two are volunteers from geneline families with abilities bred for the purpose. Bred? Claudia asked. What about the Beijing Pact? Jeffrey looked lost at the term, while Sam kept a straight face. In such a time, necessity overtakes good will, Truth sighed. Claudias retort died in her mouth. The sun was gone, most life except the particularly stubborn had gone extinct when the plants starved, and the world was slowly cooling down. What are their roles? she asked instead. Sam stepped forward, on the tip of each of her fingers, a red flame lit up and danced, My family has acted as Firemothers, and I will fulfil that role. Jeffrey was more hesitant, he put a step forward, then to the right, then left, then one behind him. A compass soon appeared on the ground around him, adjusting itself to the cardinal directions. Navigator, honoured Sunborn. My name is Claudia, she told them. Casey, he followed up. Introductions out of the way, Truth set down a map onto the table. The way will be treacherous, Truth said, the temperature along the way has been measured as low as negative 50 degrees celsius, several Bleed effects have been noted, and there are predators that seem to prowl the area. Predators? Casey asked. Truth nodded, removing a pile of photos from a file. Weve only found this out by examining photos of previous expeditions. The photos were passed around, the oldest ones were casual photos, normal ones with family or alone. In every single one of those photos, there was a person whose face was missing. We suspect a face stealer, Truth said, or some kind of specific Stranger or Blank. The newer photos were taken with the entire expedition. A precaution once the strangeness was found. Always four people sat together, many with one or two faces missing, some with all four people missing their faces. The most recent ones arent missing their faces, Sam noted, showing the photos she had. Indeed, we suspect the entity may have been slain or forced away at some point, which may point to an unknown danger not listed in our data, Truth said. Claudia skimmed through it all, making a mental note to read through it all properly. It was detailed, as expected of Truths work. All known information and hazards listed dutifully, with proposed responses and answers to avoid them. But there were many unknowns listed, entire stretches of land marked with nothing but question marks. Corpses of expeditionary members found in places miles from where they were supposed to be covered in impossible wounds. Sightings of things whose pictures hurt to look at. Your goal is not combat, Truth said, not to trailblaze a path or to figure out some secrets, but to make it to the vault, deposit the payload and return. Nods all around. It would be a dangerous expedition, they all knew that.
Leaving was a muted affair. Sam and Jeffrey, the only natives of the settlement, said their goodbyes to families. It was Truths decision that their expedition would not be revealed until after they left. She didnt want there to be a grand ceremony, and Claudia agreed with the thought. So, stuffing as much supplies as she could into her ability bag, along with a real bag filled with items Imbued by a Savant, so that it was naturally resistant against Bleed effects, if only for a while. Those things she couldnt stuff into Green, Green Grass of Home, since both would interfere with each other. Hidden at the bottom of Green, Green Grass of Home, was a metallic cube, two metres in length, width and height, with numerous engravings carved upon it. It was the supplies they were meant to deliver. Together, they all got onto a rough terrain vehicle. Truth, in the driver''s seat, drove them without sleep for a long time. Claudia didnt trust her sense of time anymore, but by the times she fell asleep, she suspected at least two or three days had passed before Truth said, This is as far as I can take you. Before them, was a massive wall, black and built of bricks that reached high into the sky. And at the base of that wall was a massive behemoth of gears and pipes, a furnace at its centre burning with a heart of coal. Dawn has failed, the titan rasped with a voice like the hiss of steam. Yes, Truth answered. Are they here to return the day? Yes, Truth answered. The City Must Survive. And the giant opened the wall, revealing the way forward. Slamming into them like a physical force was a freezing wind, like frozen knives that carved warmth out of their bodies. Before them now lay a snowy white wasteland, stretching as far as the eye could see. Double check you have everything, Sam said, her breath coming out white. They did, each of them several times. Each of you take one of my fingers, Sam said, reaching out with her palm faced up, above her fingers once again danced those candle-like flames. Claudia touched the pinkie finger, as the flame touched her, it extinguished, and an inner warmth flared up inside her. The other two each touched a flame, leaving Sam with her index and thumb still alight. She touched herself with her thumb flame, leaving only her index. Be safe, Truth said, if nothing else, return alive. They nodded, and waved their goodbyes to her as they stepped into the snow. The walking furnace creature slamming close the walls once again. And they marched, their footprints leaving a long trail across the snow.
Why did you guys join up for this? Claudia asked one night around the campfire. What? Casey asked. Its a simple question, Claudia said. Despite the cold, she had yet to enter her sleeping bag, all thanks to Sams ability. With a simple answer, Sam replied, it is our duty. A necessary effort to ensure humanity can survive what comes after. How do you know there will be an after? Casey asked. Do you know for certain there wont be? Sam asked. I know a lot of evidence points towards it, Casey replied. And I know more evidence points towards survival, Sam answered, that is simply why, Sunborn. What about you, Casey? Claudia asked. I got bored, the man answered. Casey thumbed towards the large baby thing on his back, This baby is only going to get heavier every time I use my power. Its gonna squash me eventually, so I figured I should go to a wasteland where it wont leave as much of a mess. Ew, Claudia said. What about you, kid? Casey asked Jeffrey. The boy was curled up into a ball, Someone has to, might as well be someone no one cares to lose. Casey snorted, Hah! Good one kid, Claudia, did we bring any alcohol with us? We did not, Sam replied with her nose slightly curled up. Claudia actually rummaged through Green, Green Grass of Home before answering. Nope, unless you brought a secret stash. Ah, bummer. Please have some more discipline, Sam said. Youre a living artefact. People like us shouldve died in the past, he replied. Now were clogging up the present, right? Claudia didnt respond, but neither did she disagree. They slept in shifts, a necessity that showed its worth quickly when during Jeffreys shift he shook them all awake. The sky was filled with eyes. In the distance, there was a creature of pure grey, it appeared like a dozen massive hands that were maddeningly superimposed on each other until all that could be seen was a mass of fingers. It crawled across the horizon with a broken and uneven gait, sometimes it seemed to give up its movement entirely, and roll across the land like a tumbleweed. Jeffrey stared at the entity with fear, and they agreed to move, only a few hours of rest in each of them. Their Hume Statuses were all visibly lowering due to the Bleed effect. So they trudged along. Metas werent immune to Bleed, they just had a longer period of resistance compared to normal humans. If the hourglass ran out, they would suffer it all the same. Claudia knew she had already been altered by the Obsidian Moons Bleed effect when her Hume had run out who knows how many years ago. Yet humans were adaptable beasts, and her Hume had naturally regenerated, now no longer in opposition to the Moons Bleed. Her body now saw this altered state of reality as the natural one, and no longer fought against it. It was an unavoidable fate. As they walked, Claudia pulled off blades of grass from her backpack and scattered them around the ground. It was a needless precaution, as they left the Gate without any hassle. Jeffrey tapped the ground four times, and his compass appeared, once again directing them towards the vault. Following it, with their maps, they continued on. Their journey was lonely and silent in the snow. It was Casey who first felt the warmth. A light that shone across the darkness and blotted out the stars. It was him who first yelled, Dont look at it! Claudia shut her eyes and faced the ground as a warm light passed over them. A light that reminded her of the sun. Seconds passed, then minutes, until they were sure the light was gone, Claudia opened her eyes again. Hah Sam breathlessly said, Page 42, if you look at the light then you will disappear. You memorised the exact page? Casey asked. Its the least I could do, Sam replied. We can make camp again, Truth''s guide said the area would be safe for a while after the light passes. Casey slumped down first, sighing in relief. Claudia didnt blame him, he was the most fatigued, carrying both his ability and his pack. She pulled out more blades of grass from her backpack, scattering them around in a perimeter. After a simple meal and rest, they moved on again. Walk and march, check the direction, consult the maps, hide from unknowable entities as they passed by, and rest. If horror could be turned mundane, then repetition would be the instrument. Time went on, until one day in the mundanity, Claudia stepped on snow, and found it give. The ice underneath cracked as she fell into a hidden lake. The ice cold water slapped into her face as she scrabbled for breath and air. She was quickly pulled out, now drenched in water, but even as she came out, the water began to steam. Sams fire was still burning inside her. Start building a fire, Sam ordered as she helped Claudia stand. Your ability has got it, doesnt it? Casey asked, though he still moved to push away snow to find the dirt underneath. Its not a certainty, so its better to be sure, Sam answered. Each of their packs had a bundle of tinder and firewood, Savant Imbued to be resistant to Bleed. Claudia carried more in Green, Green Grass of Home, but seeing her shivering state, Sam didnt ask to use those yet. A fire was quickly started, burning fiercely in the darkness. Claudia began warming herself, though she did find it unnecessary, Sams ability evaporated the water well enough. They made camp there, unsure of where the lake remained, and too tired to find it right then and there. Claudia scattered her blades of grass, and went to sleep. Time had long ceased to be a concept for any of them. How long they had been travelling was a distant mystery. All they had to go on was how many times they stopped to rest. It was during that rest, beside that frozen river, that Claudia was woken up by a ringing sound. She rose, finding to her side Casey, awake and guarded against the source of the ringing. It was an old school rotary phone, one that floated several feet off the ground, so that it was perfectly waist length to Casey. What is that? Sam asked. And suddenly, there was a second ringing sound, as another rotary phone appeared right beside Sam. Caseys eyes darted to the thing, understanding in his eyes. Dont talk! he yelled, It activates on communication! The ringing continued, Claudia and Jeffrey both had their voices stuck in their throat as they slowly stood up. What the hell happened? Sam asked. After all, she already had been marked. I was going to wake Claudia up for her shift, Casey replied, then this thing appeared- His phone stopped ringing. And suddenly, a massive pair of lips appeared right behind Casey, red and full, it opened and yelled: DONT IGNORE A CALL! The sound deafened Claudia, and sent Casey tumbling to the side. Blood leaked from her ears as the world spun for a brief moment. Sam was yelling something, but Claudia could not hear it, all she saw was her lips moving, shouting yet no voice reached her. Were under attack. Jeffrey was still in shock, but both Sam and Claudia moved. Sam pointed her index finger, still burning with that candle flame, and blew a massive cone of fire onto the phone. Scorching the air and melting the snow. The phone continued ringing. Claudia plunged her head into her grassy backpack, activating Green, Green Grass of Home. Inside, she saw a kaleidoscope of different views, all the blades of grass she had scattered around them, now she could see through like slivers of a looking glass. Through one of the blades of grass, she saw them. A monstrously large boar, easily larger than a bus, its hide was covered in scars and stabbed deep with innumerable weapons. Spears, swords, steel rebars and arrows, all littered its back until it looked more like an echidna. Standing beside it, humorously dwarfed by the boars presence, was a thing that was a man yet not a man. It looked like two people conjoined. One was tall and thin, and made up the majority of the body, from legs to half a torso. Its head was pale white and smooth, with a large hole in its face that left only its mouth. Conjoined to its right side, was a skeleton, dressed in the rags of winter camo. The skeleton held another rotary phone to its ear, listening, waiting. Sam picked up the phone. And the skeleton started whispering into the phone. ...S?kkij?rven polkka and Pigstep, Sam''s voice slowly spoke. Two of you? Claudia pulled out a gun and shoved it into her bag, through that blade of grass, a hand and a gun soon emerged, and fired upon the two enemies. But as the bullets neared the boar, it curved unnaturally so that it flew over the boar. The head with a hole turned and stared at the blade of grass Claudia was looking through, and its mouth smiled a wide and toothy grin. Would you like to know a secret? it asked her. Dont! Casey suddenly yelled, clawing himself out of the snow, both ears bleeding, he clearly could not hear anything, having directly taken the sonic blow, but still he screamed. Dont listen to it! Put the phone down! Claudia was fast, pulling her head and hand out of the bag, quickly severing the connection, but Sam was a moment too late. Is that true? Sam whispered, her voice frightened, her eyes widening, as slowly, she fell to her knees. Her hand fell limply to the side as the phone disappeared. It is true, Sam whispered, there is no point. Cognitohazard, Claudia realised, even as Casey screamed it at the top of his lungs. When she threw her head into the bag this time, she separated her ears from her eyes, watching the approaching entities. She fired upon them again, and each time when the bullets neared the boar, they curved away, as if pushed. She switched tactics, and fired upon the two headed entity that controlled the phone. The first missed by sheer chance, and by the second, the entity had pulled out a sword from the boars hide. Holding the weapon by the blade, it pointed the hilt tip towards where Claudia was firing. The bullets were pushed back. Vector manipulation! She pulled her head out of her bag, about to yell out the boars ability, but she stopped as she heard ringing. Jeffrey was up, shakily pointing at Casey, towards the new rotary phone beside him, ringing loudly, but not loudly enough for his deafened ears to hear. He had been communicating with them. Caseys position meant he could not see Jeffrey, so Claudia frantically gestured behind him, and the man paled as he turned to see the rotary phone behind him. Gritting his teeth, he picked up the phone, but did not bring it up to his ear, instead dropping it to the side, so that it would hang in midair by the wire. There was a way around it. Vector manipulation! Claudia yelled out then, Theres a massive boar, its ability is to push things away from it! Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, another ringing sound appeared beside her, she quickly threw the handset off the receiver as she went back in to track the two enemies. This time, she popped her ears back in the clearing they were in, so that she wouldnt lose track of her allies. They were moving, faster now, fast enough they could feel the thumping of the earth as the giant boar moved. Dont speak, Jeffrey! she heard Casey yell. Claudia fired upon the two monsters again, trying to find a weakness in the boars defence, or at least distract it to buy time. We need to run! Claudia yelled. It can track us so long as the phones are with us, Casey yelled, and they wont disappear until we hear what it says! We cant listen to it! Claudia retorted. Sams blank stare into space was all the proof that she needed that listening to it was a terrible idea. You have to put the phone back on the receiver, Casey told her. There is no other way. Claudia pulled her head out of the bag, anger bubbling, Gods, I fucking hate Boogeymen! She shoved her head into her backpack, using the dozens of blades of grass scattered around, she carved into her head like a cake, teleporting pieces of herself far away. And she put the phone back on the receiver. A pair of lips soon appeared, and though she braced, the scream was enough to send her flying. Her entire body was shaking, but she pulled her head out, returning all the various parts of her face she had separated, including her ears. Her hearing was not compromised thanks to this trick, despite the fact the scream was loud enough that she could hear it from her separated ears at the very edge of her range. You two have to run! Casey yelled, he was crawling on the ground, breathing hard and desperately exerting effort to stand, but it was clear that he could not. He had asked the baby a question, he had used his power. The phone was still hanging beside him, its speaker faintly whispering. And finally, the two enemies stepped into the clearing. The place went very still. Then the two headed entity, S?kkij?rven polkka, spoke in a conversational tone, as if greeting a friend. It has been a very long time since we met others, right Pigstep? The massive boar simply lumbered towards them. It spurred Claudia and Jeffrey to action, backing away together as the boar trotted towards the still Sam. We tried hibernating, like bears, yes we did. But this winter was long, and our stores werent enough, S?kkij?rven polkka said. Jeffrey almost opened his mouth, but Casey screamed, Dont! The two headed thing smiled with its holed head. Aint you a smart one. It was trying to prompt them to speak, to activate its ability. The skull head was still whispering into its phone, its voice transmitted to the counterpart right beside Casey. Both entities reached Sam, who simply sat there, eyes wide and blank. Whatever S?kkij?rven polkka whispered to her on the phone, it was enough to break her mind. Enough, that she didnt even scream or react as the boar opened its mouth and tore into her. Jeffrey and Claudia moved. Jeffrey tapped the ground four times in the cardinal directions as he pulled out a gun, running in a circle around the two as the compass beneath swung to point towards his desired direction. Claudias hands were shoved into her bag as she fired out of the blades of grass she had scattered around them. The bullets all swerved before they hit Pigstep, and S?kkij?rven polkka, with its free hand swung around that blade, pushing the bullets away as the boar peacefully ate. At that moment, Jeffrey reached his desired destination, the compass at his feet stilling as he reached the direction from which he could harm Pigstep. Jeffrey fired into the gap between the weapons stabbing the boar, and drew blood. Pigstep snorted, as if not even noticing the wound, and continued on. Seeing that, Claudia withdrew her hands from the blades of grass, instead reaching inward and pushing out a large rifle from the blade of grass next to Jeffrey. He wordlessly took it, and fired the entire clip 6mm rounds towards the weak spot. And they all curved, as a sudden, massive pushing force slammed into him and sent him flying, crashing into the snow and dense dead forest. Claudia froze, almost speaking in surprise, why was it blocked? S?kkij?rven polkka patted the massive head of the boar, Be gentle now, we dont want to wake whats beneath us. Claudias mind was working overtime, even as she was moving to find Jeffrey. The boars ability, Pigstep, allowed it to exert a pushing force, one that it used to deflect bullets. It was covered in weapons that stabbed deeply into it and when S?kkij?rven polkka blocked some shots, it was by holding a sword by the blade end, and pointing the hilt towards the bullets. Clarity came, as she realised the weapons were the medium in which it exerted its power. A sharp end pointed towards it, and from the dull end the pushing force came. When Jeffrey shot into it and drew blood, the bullets fulfilled the conditions to be a medium. In the end, they did nothing but cover its weak point. At that moment, the sharp bite of winter hit her face as the warmth within her extinguished. Sam was dead. Eaten alive, and the boar was finishing the last scraps of her body. Casey, still on the ground, burdened by the heavy baby on his back, asked, Birthday Kid, how can they escape this situation? And the baby answered, Flee away from this clearing, and you must hold them back through conversation. The corresponding weight increase slammed into him, Casey gritted his teeth. He was sunk deep into the snow now, and he could feel the ice beneath, somehow thick enough to hold his current weight. Though it was cracking. The both of you have to run! Claudia looked at him, a single moment, and no hesitation as she pulled Jeffrey out of the ground, letting him lean on her as they ran. Not angry they left you? S?kkij?rven polkka asked Casey. This damn baby is too heavy, Casey said in response. He was already marked, he didnt need to be afraid of the ability activating again. What an inconvenient ability, S?kkij?rven polkka said. I agree completely, Casey snarled. Casey could ask Birthday Kid anything, and it would give him a true and correct answer in the spirit of the question, but every time he asked something, it would grow heavier, and the greater the question, the greater the weight the answer incurred. Why arent you chasing them? Casey asked. Well Pigstep wants to finish his meal, and you are a great conversationalist. That cant be completely true. Was it a condition of the Boogeyman before him that it needed to respond to all conversation given to it? It wasnt the strangest thing. Boogeymen tried to make their rules as arbitrary and contrived as possible, but still within a general theme. Trying to figure out why they decided upon their conditions was a lesson in madness and futility. But this was intelligent, in a way, it was capable of holding a conversation, and though Pigstep was an animal, it was capable of great power- A massive pushing force slamming into Jeffrey, tossing him like a wet rag as he flew out of the clearing. It was capable of levelling the entire clearing, to throw them back and wound them, so why didnt it? S?kkij?rven polkka patted the massive head of the boar, Be gentle now, we dont want to wake whats beneath us. They wanted them to run, to leave this place, so that they wouldnt have to fight at this location. Birthday Kid, he began, What is it they are afraid of? The weight slammed into him, and the ice beneath him began to crack ominously. The corpse that is rotting in the cavern below. S?kkij?rven polkka jerked in horror towards him, its mouth curling down in a large frown. Pigstep, we need to- Birthday Kid, Casey asked, and the ice continued to crack and dent as it tried to bear the weight of him and the baby. How thick is the ice between us? And the baby smiled, Not thick enough. -leave. Birthday Kid, tell me the meaning of everything. And Birthday Kid told him. The sudden increase in weight slammed into him like the blow of an angered god, his back was instantly crushed into meat paste as the ice cracked. A massive sinkhole was born right where he was, dragging everything into it. Including Pigstep and S?kkij?rven polkka. The greater the question, the greater the weight. Caseys head was violently severed from his body by the sudden change in weight, it flew in the air for a few moments, and saw what was underneath them. Underneath the snow, underneath the ice, underneath tons of rock. A great cavern, a field of green stalks of corn. As his head fell onto the black and healthy soil, he saw briefly, the corn stalks turn to stare at him. The husks of the corn peeled back, and revealed that the corn had human faces.
Claudia and Jeffrey marched, one leaning on the other. Claudia was still thinking about him, about Casey left back there with those monsters, until suddenly, she realised with horror that she could not recall his face. Fighting back tears, she reached into her breast pocket, pulling out the photo they had taken together at the start of their expedition. Caseys face was now blank and empty. Tears almost came, but she continued to move in the stinging cold, supporting Jeffrey as they tried to make as much distance as possible. Four down to two, now marching across the frozen wasteland. Neither dared to talk in case S?kkij?rven polkka was still alive. Claudia was truly feeling the cold now, where before Sams ability kept it comfortably at bay. They walked for what felt like miles, neither resting or stopping. Days might have passed, though neither knew how many, or if any at all. Until one moment, Jeffrey simply collapsed. Words came unbidden, Claudia no longer caring about the dangers, Whats wrong!? Nothing, Jeffrey breathed out, Im just tired. Cant feel my legs Jeffrey was hot, too hot. Claudia quickly pulled off his boots, and she saw with horror, his feet were blackened by frostbite. When Jeffrey was thrown by Pigstep, he had crashed into the snow and gotten water into his boots. That was all it took. Claudia hurriedly put his boots back on, leaning Jeffrey onto the trunk of a dead tree as she pushed away snow. She took off her gloves, her fingers instantly turning numb as the cold assaulted them. Firewood, tinder, matches, the fire burned, quickly and the numbness of her fingers went. She pulled off Jeffreys boots, letting his frostbitten feet warm by the fire. It was her inexperience that got her. The fire, burning close underneath the tree Jeffrey leaned against, heated the ancient snow and ice that weighed the trees branches. The long dead tree had no strength, and cracked. Snow fell upon them, snuffing out the fire. Claudia threw off the snow, her hands quickly numbing. She put her gloves back on, slapping her hands on her waist as Truth taught her to get the lifeblood flowing again. Claudia hurried to Jeffrey, his eyes flitting in and out of consciousness. Dont sleep! she yelled, hurriedly slapping away the snow from his body and putting his boots back on. She kicked his feet, to try to get blood flowing. Panic was the first instinct of her mind, yet she knew she must remain calm. She made a mistake, a dire one, but not unrecoverable. She took out more wood and tinder, this time she started the fire in the clearing. Her numb hands quickly heating up again as the fire burst to life, she yelped in triumph and turned to Jeffrey. Jeffrey was still laid there, his eyes were closed, in his hands his compass appeared, twisting, turning, pointing in one last direction, before it faded. Claudia shook him, yelled at him, hit him, screamed at him to just wake up. He never did. She tried to muster up Green, Green Grass of Home, to create that domain she once inhabited, the Expansion Technique she had once mastered. It did not come. That was a product of centuries, one she had tossed aside to gain freedom. She broke that condition, she would not have the Expansion again. And Claudia was left alone in the cold. She wept now, and when her tears froze on her face, she punched herself, right in the eyes to try and shatter the ice, but her tears kept coming. She could only feed the fire. Time passed with her alone in that clearing. She ate through her supplies, but they had brought enough for four people, so she had plenty. She buried Jeffreys corpse, taking his clothes and supplies. She would need them more, and turned to the direction where his compass last pointed. He too had broken a condition, he had broken the condition that he needed to step on the ground four times in the cardinal directions. For that, he would lose the ability, but for a dying man, it didnt matter. So Claudia set off, to finish what was started. She marched alone for miles and miles, days or perhaps years passed all by itself. All alone in the white hell that surrounded her. That was what the Obsidian Moon desired, to leave the entire world a frozen and lifeless husk. To what purpose or why, perhaps no one will ever know. Claudia simply kept walking. And walking. And walking. And walking. She knew not how long had passed when she sensed it. Her Hume senses tasted it, an area of greatly enhanced reality. The vault. Ice and snow clogged its entrance, but she had a shovel for this very purpose. Digging away the snow, she tapped the ancient keypad, entering the code Truth had given her. The door slid open and Claudia entered the dusty place. She contemplated how this was not the first vault she had entered, though it was the only one where she was allowed in. Shelves and shelves of boxes, each labelled with a species name, stored where the cold would preserve it for millennia until people needed it again. At the centre of the vault, was the Hume Reality Anchor, the wellspring where Hume flourished and fought off Bleed. It was the brain dead corpse of a Savant, artificially kept alive through technology stolen from the future. Claudia reached into her bag, pulling out a single corner of the massive cube they were meant to deliver. She slotted the piece into the large indent on the ground, then slowly pulled her bag away, as she did so, the cube reconstructed itself. Her power, Green, Green Grass of Home, wasnt fundamentally spatial storage, that was simply one of the uses she had figured out. It was the ability to create blades of grass, and through her bag she could reach into and out of the flat of the grass. Almost like a portal. It was a type of teleportation that was complete, and didnt create anything like a portal cut. When something was bought out of the bag, they simply reconstituted with all the parts back together. Her storage occurred when she left things in the gap between the backpack and the grass, where it was not quite through the portal, but certainly somewhere. Through that, she could separate large items into much smaller chunks, only needing to carry one piece of the much bigger whole. The metal cube fully reconstructed itself, and pressing the button, slowly sank into the ground. Claudia watched as the facilities various bars began to fill. Energy, heat, the nutrients keeping the Savant corpse in a state of half life. She was done. Their mission was over. They had succeeded. The vault will continue operating for centuries or more. And for a moment, she simply rested. She had enough supplies to return, enough food to last the journey, but the dangers of what might be there, and the all encompassing cold, without her former companions to combat it, meant that there was a good chance she would not survive the return trip. And more importantly, Claudia was tired. The reason she had left was because she realised she had lived too long. She had no one left, the world she came from had long since died. Truth kept going, but Claudia Putman wasnt Truth. So, she buried her remaining supplies in a marked location outside of the reality anchor, knowing that the cold and the Moons Bleed effect will keep it preserved for the next people who come. On the wall outside of the vault, she marked it. Not with tallies this time, but with names. Expedition 1 Claudia Putman Jeffrey Smith Casey Wei Sam Aestas She didnt know what number they were, so she just put it as Expedition 1. Claudia figured they deserved the right since they were apparently the first to make it in a long while. She didnt know why she had carved it, perhaps it was just something spontaneous, perhaps she wanted someone to know, someone to remember. Nonetheless, Claudia Putman looked at the snowy white landscape. She didnt know if their sacrifices were worth it, she didnt know if this vault would remain, she didnt know if anything they did mattered in the grand scheme of things. She simply closed her eyes, and slept.
A long time later, three battered and wounded people trudged through the snow. One of them was heavily wounded, blood was already seeping through their clothing and dying the white snow behind them. As they entered the vault, the man died, but not before he threw out a massive metal cube from his spatial pocket. The two remainder pushed the cube into the correct place, charging the vault once again. Later, they would find the names carved upon the wall and dig up the supplies Claudia had left. They added to it, leaving themselves only enough for two people. As they left, they carved on the wall, Expedition 2 More time later, a single person trudged through the snow. She was alone, and she opened her pocket and dumped the cube in the same place as the last two. On that wall, she carved, Expedition 3 Much, much later, a full group came, they were cold and tired, but they were all alive. On that wall covered in names, they carved, Expedition 9 They took the supplies their predecessors left, and because of it, they would be the first ones who successfully returned. More groups came, in full or only their survivors. Over the course of who knew how long, more names were added to that wall. More people carved in their expedition number. Until one day when the wall was completely covered. But still had enough space to carve new names. Expedition 56, when they found the wall, they found the space around it warped. When they walked on its side, it would stretch, like a film reel and would only stop until they reached the point where Expedition 1 was carved. They carved their names, and tried their best to make the return trip. When the Obsidian Moon was shattered, its blackened pieces lay broken in the sky, and the sun shining gloriously in the heavens. The final expedition came. They found the last seed vault derelict, but still functioning, on that wall filled with names, they found the final Expedition carved with an insanely high number. Yet, as they tried to walk the length of the wall, they could not find its end, no matter how long they walked. They carved their names on it as well, the last of the expeditions. Not one of their sacrifices were in vain. Not a single one would be forgotten by that wall.
Of all the artefacts I have reviewed, this one is something surprisingly controversial. Some of the more militarily minded among us have questioned its classification as an S-Class artefact. It is, after all, nothing more than a pocket dimension with a wall that remembers names. However I believe Ad Infinitum deserves its classification. I call it Ad Infinitum, on account of how it was created, though someone else suggested Et al which, while humorous, I found rather inappropriate for such an artefact. Until we find out the Name of the ability, well stick with Ad Infinitum. Where was I? Oh yes. As I delved deeper into the past, the secret histories of the world are becoming more clear, and even clearer is how much has been forgotten. I now know the name of the sword Excalibur that is stabbed in Hell, but not the name of who wielded it. I know of the Swimming Cities that roam the sea, but not of who built them. I know of the Armoathen Virus, which has genetically modified humanity with an enhanced flight or fight response, but not who spawned it. I know of the Armies of Lead to Gold, still defending a long dead nation, but not who carved them. I know of the Grassland Scrolls, filled with maddening sciences, but not who wrote them. We know things are, but not how they got there. Some of the names written on this wall can no longer be found anywhere. They arent forgotten, that is an important distinction, those names simply no longer exist anywhere but here. As I study more into this, I am starting to feel something, or perhaps someone. I feel that entity most strongly around survivors of a Requiem. Maybe Through studying Ad Infinitum, I now know several things. It is a product of the accumulated spatial abilities of the expeditionary members that perished around the area, an ability singularity that created its own separate universe. Indeed, the area surrounding that wall can be considered a type of Gate. As time goes on, such singularities are becoming more common, as meta abilities fuse with each other, becoming more, yet in some perspectives, lesser. Great and unstoppable in power, yet narrow in application. Or perhaps what we see is only its inactive state, if it''s similar to the 42 Disciples who created the Kristonity, then what we see is merely passive projection upon the world, the tip of a very large iceberg. Finally, I have learned that the Golden Age of Gadgeteering happened before the Long Night. When the Long Night passed, someone desired for a quick return to the norm, so they exploited the shattered timeline, bringing an entire era back to reality. Returning ancient infrastructure, lost knowledge and hidden gods. Using the last surviving seed vault where Ad Infinitum was found, they were able to quickly repopulate the world. It was a repeat of the greatest Golden Age known in history. Yet it was once again ended by another Gate. No longer an Obsidian Moon, we were too sensible to explore space again, but we got an Endless Hell instead. Perhaps that was fate, in some twisted way, for that Golden Era to end. At least a devil is easier to shoot than a moon with an orbital laser (I call it a laser, because that is the closest word we have to describe that weapon). I am curious to see how the Order of the Clock Tower will grapple with this contradiction. To fix time in an era that would not exist without its breaking. Nevertheless, one thing has become clear. The loss of information may be one of the greatest threats of our age. History is no longer objective but literally whatever some people make of it. Not even mentioning the threat in the Pacific (may we never forget its name), the use of utterly impartial information keeping artefacts that cannot be affected by Bleed or powers or age will become more and more important, that is the prediction I make as someone named a Prophet. I will need to figure out how to get the Pacific Threats name onto Ad Infinitum, if it is successful, we may neutralise one of the Four Threats entirely. If not, then I have already named my successor, and he, his own successor. Pray I do not fail. The Memoirs of Hayden Xin Lest Dawn Fail. Author’s Afterword Authors Afterword The secret to being original is copying so many people that your detractors give up pointing it out. - Sir Nil, who encourages you to steal this quote without crediting him as he did with his own master. Hey! Sir Nil here, I figured I should get into the habit of writing ye old Afterwords, since I got such a positive response from the Mycology Afterword back in the day. This is just some random unhinged stream of conscious thoughts that I figured I should type out to give context to the story Ive been writing. Maybe Ill give away what sorta story this is supposed to be, but I figured I dont care if I give the game away. Im a pantser, this is an aspect of my writing that hasnt changed from the day I started almost five years ago. I start with an idea, either a world, a character, or just a scene I think will be cool, I start fleshing out the idea in my head, build a setting and what not then I start writing. Funny thing, the name Tautology actually originated from my beta reader Dissonant Serenity, who goes by ShinyRock on RR. I was going to call the story Chalk or something but she told me that this world was bizarre and hard to describe. You can only really describe it with itself, hence a Tautology. Which is so much better than calling it the story of One Who Dyes, get it, because he dies at the start and his power is- eh fuck it. But man has Tautology gotten away from me, originally this story was started because I really got into Pacific Rim and Warhammer 40ks lore, especially on Cadia and the Guard, the first real chapter/draft was an S-Class Files for the Guard of this world, detailing their actions during the Long Night, and how that Obsidian Moon I kept referencing was shattered. As for the rest? I got into Jujutsu Kaisen, Solo Levelling while also having a folder of superpowers for a Jojo fanfic. With a lot of background inspiration from Hunter x Hunter. Ive read the classic webnovel super power stories like Worm, Brennus, some of Whateley Academy and Summus Proelium to an extent, however other than blatantly stealing their power classifications, I didnt really like the western take on superpowers. Preferring the HxH and later JJK take. HxH in my mind embodies the Sanderson Laws of Magic pretty well, and I take more inspiration from that when I do power designs than I do of traditional western superhero fics. Thats the sorta mindset I had when I began writing for Tautology. Taking the rule Weaknesses, limits and costs are more interesting than powers, to an probably unnecessary extent and an unhealthy appreciation of HxHs Binding Vows and JJK Restrictions. If you cant tell, Revealing your Hand and Conditions are ripped straight from those two. Added onto that is a semi gripe I have with stories that make their main character just all around badasses. Generalist fighters who are useful in every combat context as either ranged DPS or melee fighter. For LitRPG enthusiasts, I mean the basic spellblade archetype. I understand why they do this, I even did it with Aiden. But one thing I set out when designing powers is for them to be useful, but not all encompassing, and for weaknesses in certain powers to exist not just in theory, as in, mentioned in passing but never actually used, but for them to be actually exploited, learned and realised by both the user and their enemies. Going back to Aiden, the limit of his power is his creativity, knowledge, morals and resources, but while he can gain physical enhancements and personally fight better than a normal human, he is shit out of luck when facing people with powers that actually enhance their bodies. Hence why he could only run when facing Johnjohnjohnjohn and was essentially fucked when he was dragged into a pocket dimension with Rain and no material to animate. The Rain fight was essentially a normal human being put into a cage with a bear. The human might be able to take down the bear if they had a gun and prepared or something, but they didnt, so the bear beared. Thats because even if I find the basic bitch all around physical enhancement type powers bland, they cant be useless, otherwise I invalidate their existence. I tried to contrast this strongly during Juns Daycore reveal, Aiden was knocked around and forced on the defensive just from glancing blows, while Jun was trading hits left and right with only a lost tooth to show for it. If I didnt, suddenly every physique or brute type power needs another gimmick and then it becomes power creeped so that the ones like Aiden or Darius who only have gimmicks now need physique powers to stay relevant. My philosophy is that a power can appear useless, but cant truly be useless. A power is only useless when the wielder is lacking in creativity, something I learnt from Jojos of all places lol. The situational strength of a power also factors in because I want this system to be more of a rock paper scissors type rather than x is more powerful than y, and z is more powerful than x, thus z can beat y. Where matchups between powers actually matter, rather than generalists doing everything. Every character needs a clear shortcoming, something they just cant do. You dont expect Jun to pull out camouflage in the same way Aiden can do with his octopus tattoos, and you dont expect Aiden to suddenly punch strong enough to shatter a building without wrecking his arm in the process. If there are generalists, they need the weakness of not being able to do one thing very well, or if they are capable of doing that thing well, they need time and resources, or are personally rather weak, as you may see with Aiden. When I designed his power, I had a bunch of requirements, something with high potential to justify power increases in a long running web serial and consequences that will stay forever relevant. I had an array of inspirations, a previous power design called Mushrooms, which is a song by the same artist as Colorful, which originally was just Feruchemy turned up to eleven. It allowed the conversion of certain attributes of the user, such as strength, speed or health, to be grown into mushrooms, which anyone can later consume to temporarily gain the stored attribute within. I went deep into this idea, but was, in the end, too determined on previous savings to fully meet my needs. I briefly experimented with the idea of making it so that storing memories or identity into these mushrooms would make them animated. Some finagling later and reading Warbreaker got me to Colorful as it is today. And if youre wondering why I spell it as Colorful instead of Colourful despite not being American, it is because thats how the song name is spelled. While Aiden has the potential to solve all his shortcomings, they arent something thatll happen quickly. Hes essentially the gadgeteer archetype with the DND wizard problem of constantly needing to recharge spell slots, but hes also still at the stage where hes lacking in resources and is rather inexperienced with his power. His own morals have made him focus on personally increasing his strength rather than creating and raising a pet tiger or at least having another dog. Can you be a gadgeteer when everything you make has intelligence? Maybe not sapience, but enough sentience they can feel pain, love and emotion? Would it be right to create something for the purpose of nothing but conflict? If your parents suddenly told you that they made you as a prototype, a test so they could learn to develop better living weapons, what would you feel? There are probably thousands of emo edgy stories just with the idea of a protagonist being created to serve as nothing more than a living weapon, and there is a reason those stories tend towards tragedy or rebellion. Its fine if your parents forgot the condom, but making a living weapon is where Aiden thinks the line should be drawn. And think about it from Aidens perspective for a moment, having a kid is wild. You suddenly have this meatball of flesh and other assorted materials that you dont know what theyre thinking, that can act completely independently from you but youre supposed to keep them alive and raise them right so they dont get fucked in the head? I know I would probably fail in the endeavour, I can barely count on myself to keep myself alive lol. He just doesnt want the responsibility of raising kids, and thats a perfectly fine choice. Thats why we get to the final point. Everything I just said needs to be able to be exploited and subverted in a way that makes sense and doesnt subvert pre-existing rules within the system, and characters need to know how to do so because they arent fucking idiots. The microbiology book reveal was meant to be an oh shit moment, because even if Aiden doesnt want kids, hes aware his own morals about the matter are rather loose. The deciding factor for him is personal attachment, and something too small to even see, not to mention interact with, is a great way to not develop personal attachment! Problems need to exist, characters need a degree of inflexibility and flaws, but as intelligent characters, they should also have the capability of recognising and bypassing their own flaws to find ideas that they could not have reached without their specific circumstance and mindset. Plus to overcome the limitedness of powers, I wanted to show the combinatorial strengths. Thats what I showcased with Trists use of the Wheel of Fortune spinner and her own Frame of Mind ability as an extremely basic example, and for a recent example, S?kkij?rven polkka, which only became dangerous because the user also knew a cognitohazard. Without it, it would just be a rather simple to overcome Boogeyman. The reason for this is twofold, first, I wanted to justify party dynamics and multi-character relationship development for the future. Second, I view it as a perfectly reasonable development in any world that has become dependent on any sort of advancement system. For example, think of antibiotics. A miracle of modern civilisation and science. No one person made it happen. Some guy discovered it by contaminating a petri dish, some guy manufactured it, some guy made laws to regulate it, and some guy transported it all across the world. A simple thing that requires countless different people of different skills, professions, lifestyles and more to get to your hands. Humanity does not survive the night alone, and I wanted to ensure that aspect is an important part of the story. Not in the least part because a major part of this story is just Aiden learning to make friends. As for why powers have song names? Its because Im a Jojos Bizarre Adventure fan. I fucking admit it. I dont even try hiding the fact that half this story is just shit I liked from other media, and theres nothing wrong with that, other than disappointing the peeps who thought I was trying to write something original lmao. There is a bonus of easy power generation due to the fact I can just search up a song and figure out a power from the lyrics, but let''s be honest this part is pure fan indulgence on my part lol. Anyways, Juns power was originally something from the Jojo fanfic I wrote that will never see the light of day. It was just Nightcore back then, a Stand that manifested as a pair of headphones. The aesthetic for her was because I really liked the K/DA Akali skin, the original one where she raps under blacklight in the train, and the general hip streetwear fashion aesthetic. I found that super cool so I decided to make a character around it. As for Daycore, I added it later on, largely as a side thought, originally Juns brother, but I figured it would be much more interesting to put it on the same person, sort of like a ying-yang thing. Daycores design is kinda of an inverse of Nightcore, being much more traditional looking and with bright colours. His lack of appearance also is meant to be reflective of the proportion of Nightcore/Daycores songs that exist, with Nightcore being the more popular one. At the time I had also just finished writing another trans character in Mycology, so I figured I should keep that train steaming. Not because I thought it would be good representation, but because I found the idea of having different characters with life experiences far different from mine to just be interesting, and that it would be a good way to expand into different forms of writing and viewpoints. I kinda only realised the ramifications like way later on, I didnt realise people might actually see Juns gender fluidity and desire good LGBT representation from them. Suddenly there was this random pressure I started feeling that I didnt when I was just making them up. So many times I wanted to pull out and just make her have a split personality instead, since it felt like a much safer option. It felt to me it didnt matter how I wrote them because some people are gonna sneer because of who they are and others are going to hold them to some gold standard that I could not achieve. But then I realised I didnt need to give a shit about peoples opinions! Like Maximilien Robespierre discovering the guillotine, cutting some people out of your life is just so much more refreshing. I suggest doing it with everyone you dont like. But obviously I dont advocate for cutting everyone out, a writers job when dealing with criticism and comments is to realise which ones are beneficial, and which ones are not. For Tautology Ive tried to reply to every comment, even the ones I find stupid, to explain my thought process and decisions. Which, Ill be honest, has only made me want to be able to ban some people from commenting. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, the story. As I wrote, the story gradually morphed into more of a character driven story than the epic I originally intended, which really ended up being my characteristic style. Readers of Mycology might already know what Im talking about, its a persistent apathy to the world that is kinda hard to understand without knowing me. On the recommendations from a friend, I started going to a therapist in the last years of College (High School for the Imperial measurement users), and she told me I had major depression. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. And I was like shit, people dont have suicidal thoughts since the third grade? That realisation was so weird. I reevaluated myself, and realised that I didnt really enjoy doing anything. I played games and read stuff but those emotions were always fleeting. I barely concentrated or put effort into class and had no friends and no common topics to share, yet I thought of myself as no different from others. Just a bit more alone, and I didnt care for the loneliness either. I spent my primary school years wanting to die, then middle and high school with an apathy to the world. Ive lived almost an entire decade feeling nothing, not proud of anything Ive done, not happy or sad of living, I was just simply there. Existing, with no particular feeling towards the matter. At some point I learned that people actually enjoy doing things, that they are motivated, that they know where they are going in life. Ive been told the apathy and self hate that defined my life was kinda shitty, and that people felt happy in a way I didnt. I kinda wanted to feel that. Not because I thought there was anything wrong with me, but more so because I figured it would be a novel feeling, something different. Having been this for so long, I had no correct frame of reference for what that feeling would be. It wouldnt hurt to try, so why not try it? I think now you can sorta understand why Ive written Aiden like I did. That and because I really liked the Nanami archetype. And please dont turn me into a martyr for depression or some shit. My life is comfortable, it is better than many in the world. Depression is something plenty of people have, and many hide it. I dont because I dont give a shit about my frankly rather boring life experience. Give a shit about people who are actually suffering, rather than some random internet penguin making shitty story metaphors online. And this is a shitty story, one filled with mistakes that I cant be bothered correcting. Remember Alexis? The tetris girl? I introduced her as a gag character then realised I didnt actually give her anything else, the joke also got old after two uses so I fucking yeeted her and replaced the gag character with the entire Tuba family. I shouldve explained the setting through the school counsellor (whose name I forgot and have just been calling George and hoping no one would notice) regarding the criminality of meta powers. So many people thought he was just encouraging students to rob people when the truth was just doing normal jobs without a licence. Not to mention I really wanted to have had a Sister Savage showcase with the powers of Christianity during the zombie outbreak, but I felt the usage of Law by the Vice Principal already took up too much space so I ended up dropping it. Plus I didnt actually have Trists character and her Frame of Mind power created when Aiden had that hand check up with Dr Oliver Oliver and Raj, so our lovable British parasite didnt even mention her. The S-Class files were also supposed to be something akin to the SCP style, but just like SCP it ended up being way more narratively driven than intended. Theres probably more that arent even coming to mind right now, but you get the idea. What is here is essentially the incoherent first draft of a pantser with no fucking idea of what hes doing. If its shit, Ill just fix it later. Im fucking embracing that stereotype of the fan author who just copies shit he likes without adding anything meaningfully new. Nothing is original, you cant write anything new, so plagiarise everything! And Ive seen a lot of people call Tautology dark, which really confused me for a moment because Ive never written with the intention of making it dark. In fact, Ive actively made decisions to make it less dark and edgy. For example, in Aidens fight against Johnjohnjohnjohn, I originally wanted to make it so that Aiden would end up trapped underground. The underground bunkers gate being the only thing separating him from the hobgoblin, trapped with his body rapidly starving to death as his regeneration worked and only goblin corpses around to provide sustenance. In the end I cut that because I felt it was both too dark and not at all useful to what kind of story I was writing or Aidens character arc. While it would be a great set piece to show the utter resolve of a character to survive, in that situation, Aiden wouldve just sat there and died, he fundamentally doesnt care about his own life enough to put in the minimum effort to live if a certain difficulty threshold is passed. Without the mutual life or death struggle both he and Johnjohnjohnjohn engaged in, he wouldnt have had the new perspective to keep trying to live. Someone else put in the effort and risk to kill him, so some kill stealing idiot didnt deserve his life. His life suddenly had value in the fact someone risked their own to try and fail to kill him. Is that a good way to view things? Is that a good way to gain self-worth? Fuck no, but it is one that is entirely his. As the first real fight he engages in, thats the sorta impact I want to induce. Johnjohnjohnjohn was the one who almost killed him, so only Johnjohnjohnjohn, or someone who put in similar effort, is allowed to kill him. The first part of the story is one where many take for granted. It is not about taking the first step on the great race course, but of gaining the ability to stand at the starting line. Aiden said it himself, he doesnt believe he is a heroic figure, and he would honestly be worried about anyone who characterises him as such. Hes almost blatantly suicidal, its just that he wants to trade his perceived worthless life with one that he believes actually has value. A seemingly heroic act. Hence why he utterly does not care about any injury or mutilation he might suffer. The way he sees it is the same way we might when we buy something at a discount. Pay something at a low value, and receive something of great value. The only difference is the low value thing is his own life and he would give it out for fucking free if he could. This first part of the story is for him to know what a better version of him could be, one that he could set his sights on becoming, because randomly losing and regaining parts of yourself make for surprisingly good introspection material. Beyond all the technical mechanics of the power, Colorful is a power that incentivises him to live and introspect. To feel emotions with people, things, and events and eventually recreate them. Lose those emotions and change, and upon regaining them, realise how those things had affected him. This isnt a story about paragons or perfect people, its a story about idiots stumbling through the dark until they happen onto the things that make them slightly better. In the end this story is just something I wanted to write. Something based on my preferences, likes, dislikes and life experience. As a new writer, I still try to stick to writing things I know, and I know my life was not one upward trend to where I am now. There wasnt a singular defining reason for my personality, there wasnt a great quest or desire I embarked on, the world was not changed by my existence or nonexistence. There is no dark lord to slay at the end of the journey. No linear narrative that goes in predictable lines all leading to a central conflict. No great tale or parable about morality or something. The universe doesnt trend towards dark or light, it isnt perfect nor is it grimdark. It just sorta is. A life is too small to know this insane world, and that idea permeates my writing. The world has been here before you came, the world will continue moving without your action, and the world will remain after you go. Everything can be explained, but why should the world bother explaining things to you? Its been said plenty of times, but the difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense. If you hold the real world to the same worldbuilding standards as fiction, you realise that it doesnt hold up at all. Like its not even close. The assumption that things need to make sense or follow some theme to me is a pretty fictional concept. I dont ascribe meaning or reason to my life and the things that happen around me, so when I write I tend to try to create worlds where characters feel almost incidental. I dont write chosen heroes or villains, at best they are coincidentally at the right place at the right time. They can have goals, lives, and dreams, but in the end that is just a random thing a meat computer ascribes to things. That counts as well for the weirdos who think grimdark is realism, my man, you are a fallible collection of meat tubes genetically coded with negativity bias, attempting to gain the intellectual and moral high ground through this perspective is a pretty stupid thing when those things only exist in the grey sponge between your ears. Small goals like saving ones sister is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it is still meaningful to those who undertake it. I dont trend towards some kind of grimdark nor do I really want to. In what grimdark story does an old lady feel young again as she beats up an endless stream of zombies? In what grimdark story does a girl beat up a kaiju through sheer force of will? In what grimdark story does an old man sacrifice his life so everyone can be fed? In what grimdark story do ancient heroes rise to save their world one last time? In what grimdark story can you read about idiot teenagers enjoying a night out eating chilli? In what grimdark story does someone sacrifice themselves to give their descendants a world with green? In what grimdark story does a man teach a young child how to ride a bike because he knew what it was like without a father? If theres one thing I know, the bleakness of the world and experiencing shitty situations does not mean you have to give up. Shit sometimes just happens, and nothing you do can change that. Theres going to be difficulty in life, and sometimes you fail, sometimes you only win because you got lucky, and thats just sorta how things are. A neutral idea of a world that just is. The world doesnt care if you are stuck in some malaise or if you offed yourself, things keep moving on with or without you. Just do whatever you like, its not like you will be remembered as anything more than a history footnote a thousand years later. In the end, when I realised I felt happy, I asked myself: Is this how normal people feel? I sorta realised something then. This sounds silly but I almost failed high school because I kept putting in the minimum effort to do things, never trying to excel, never putting in more or less effort than I believed was needed to pass. I never felt the same stress my fellow classmates felt as they came upon their graduation tests that seemed life defining at the time. Sure, with the hindsight of time I realise even if you didnt get marks good enough to enter your preferred university or course, you couldve always tried again at a later date. But at the time I didnt know that. I wasnt trying purely because I didnt care enough about my future life path to put in the effort. When I was certain of outcomes I ceased trying. Even if the outcome was horrible, it was still acceptable. I might still put in effort but I didnt put in any more or less effort that was needed. I know I will die, I know I will be forgotten, so my mindset was to ignore all the extra bits in between and just skip to the bit where I died. Sorta like skipping a cutscene in a video game. Ive changed a bit now, I know how this story will end, I know the exact scene I will end the story on, but I dont fully know how I will get there, and I am dying to find out. For no matter what my plans are, they can change and they can improve, that is why I am fundamentally a pantser. Thats what Im sorta trying to do. Along with giving the middle finger to the phrase: Reality is stranger than fiction, which has been my life goal in literature since I started writing Mycology. If there is a meaning to this story, a point to why I write, these would probably be it. All authors make a point, whether they are aware of it or not, the fundamental problem of having personality and life experience is that it will inevitably flavour their writing. Like how my own philosophy tends towards stoicism and existentialism, big words that dont mean all that much once you look into it. And I am aware my own perspective is biassed and limited. For one Ive realised I have a much higher tolerance of bad shit happening to characters, people cared a lot more about Aiden losing an arm than I thought. Much more than he did in fact, that part is a bit based on personal experience, since I didnt much care back then that I was getting my ass whooped and bullied, and it was meant to be contrasted with him fussing over Jun losing only a tooth, a show dont tell way of how he sees the worth of his own life compared to others. People cared about suffering, I understood that but I dont think I ever really internalised it lol. Another thing that was absolutely hilarious was the min wage I set down. I googled the Australian min wage and halved it for what I thought was a proper dystopian sum, and then some guy said, Minimum wage is up? And housing prices are down? Damn this world seems great to live in. Bless you that random person, for living in the real dystopia. Which does bring up an interesting point. Who is this story for? After all, the cast of readers here is rather diverse, some people are here for the powers and action encounters, some people are here for the worldbuilding, and some are here for the characters, every reader has their own vision and expectations of what this story will end up as, some of which overlap but some of which are incompatible. There is ultimately a rather obvious answer. The story is first and foremost for me. Writing is in the end a very serious hobby for me, I dont do this for a job and saying Im in it for the fame is pretty pathetic with less than 500 followers. Due to my style I find my work to be of little artistic or literary value so Im not chasing some abstract idea of perfection either. While I used to write because I enjoyed people reading it, Ive now realised that I write because I really do enjoy it. Ultimately an author cannot know how much an audience or reader enjoys their work, words are the closest thing humans have to telepathy and that has its own shortcomings. I am only sure of my own enjoyment of writing, so in this enterprise it is ultimately my perspective and vision that I hold to higher value. I just like creating stuff, in fact Ive been trying to learn how to be a digital artist on the side as well (its going shit, I cant even finish the fucking Drawabox classes). This is a passion project, I am not aiming for greatness or fame or perfection or money, if (big if) I get those, itll be a pleasant bonus, but I dont care about chasing it. I did care about the numbers a lot once, but I realised I wasnt putting in the same type of effort as those who update everyday or spend hours just planning a narrative perfectly or even just following the popular tropes. This story is, in the end, something I can say is mine, from the first to last word, I will know I was the one who wrote it. Sure I get burnt out occasionally and might not do everything perfectly or exactly how I wanted, and maybe Ill cringe in utter embarrassment years from now when I think back on this, but thats fine. Its fine if I make mistakes, its fine if I fail, its fine if I look back two decades from now and hate this work for all that it stood, because Ive had nothing once, and found that rather dull. So I would rather make a bunch of mistakes than nothing at all, because at least I can learn from mistakes. Sir Nil out. Also, a friend called me a tortured artist when I showed them this draft and that tag has been fucking with my head ever since. Sorta like a fishbone in your throat. This isnt a Russian story where the quality of the book is determined by the suffering of the author, readers and characters right? I keep denying it but the more I think about it Five Threats: A Game of Telephone Part 1 Five Threats: A Game of Telephone Part 1 In ancient eras they believed in the way of elections, granting citizens of all walks the power to vote and choose who leads them. Its a good thing we know better now. - Assanger Caesar, 787th President of the United States There was a place that was not really a place. Not in the way someone would imagine it, because once they did imagine it, it would cease to be, and something else would take its place. Not in a malicious way, though that can occur, more like the difference between a blank page and an origami. Both are pieces of paper, its just one had something extra added to it. Like white rice that had chilli spice sprinkled on top. Fundamental change, but always made of the same stuff. Some would call that place the Undefined. From that place, was Star-Witness-Mother-Last imagined into existence. All things born of the place knew their name, and from that name, Star-Witness-Mother-Last decided that she will be a she. She fell upon the stone, who she knew was Stone, because they told her. I am Stone. Stone was odd, they listened to all things, though it would be difficult to tease secrets out of them. Surrounding her was Air-Dust, they didnt deign to speak to her, though she was sure they could. Stubborn things, they thought themselves older than stone, and therefore above it. Standing on Stone, Star-Witness-Mother-Last expressed her second name, seeing existence for the first time. Someone waited for her. I am Grain-Interpreter-Cymantics. He cheerfully introduced himself, expressing Grain-Interpreter. Congratulations on your birthday! He taught her the ways of ideas given life. All of them were born with names, some more than others, and Star-Witness-Mother-Last was born with four names! Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics thought himself lucky to be born with three, though he was trying to gain a fourth. Maybe Teacher, or perhaps Midwife. He winked at her. I hang around so many infant ideas after all. She stressed the Mother name in exasperation , she didnt think herself young, the maternity of the Mother name made sure of that. All things here had names, the meaning of names came from worlds afar inhabited by the Solid. Many of those worlds she would never visit, not because she was forbidden, he assured her as he stressed Interpreter, but simply because there were too many. The more names one of them had, the more flexible they were. Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics could stress Grain, Interpreter, Cymatics, any combination of two or all three. Stone only knew how to be Stone, and what a tragedy that was. That was when she expressed Star-Witness, becoming a light in the sky and seeing the world below. Interpreter waved at her, and became Interpreter-Cymatics, song and sand, together they danced lines that spoke to the sky. What does it look like up there? The sand read. Beautiful. Star-Witness answered. All things were things with names, dotting the vast Undefined like their own stars in the night sky. Star-Witness-Mother-Last returned to Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics, Interpreter told her she would find others like them, they called themselves the Defined, and further divided themselves based on number of names. Most were Threes, though she would be a Fours, they will teach her more, though they will always let her be what she is and what she wants to be. Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics wanted to teach and greet new ones, so thats what he did. He was also trying to make Air-Dust and Stone to each take up a new name, failing that, convincing them to change. Air was the true challenge, he told her. For people inhaled air, and exhaled air again. Air did not change in the actions of the Solid, so its mind was stubborn and hard to change. It could become Wind sure, but it was still air in the end. Stone, however, kindly old stone, was a different sort of challenge. The Solid did many things to stone. It was dug up and thrown, mined and smelted, stacked and cobbled, broken and gravelled, it changed to so many different things, so stone was always so eager to change because of the actions of people. Yet, the Solid oddly thought Stone as unchanging, as this bedrock beneath them that disliked change and wanted to stay as Stone. It was an intentional deception, Grain-Interpreter told her, because the Solid didnt want Stone to change underneath their feet, otherwise they would have nothing to stand on! So Stone was always eager to change, but had difficulties doing so. What should I do? She asked, expressing Star-Witness-Mother-Last all at once. Try exploring. Grain-Interpreter replied. See what there is and what there isnt. But I just saw it all. Star-Witness said. The perspective of stars is distant, everything looks too small from those eyes. She nodded, and so left. Time didnt pass in the place, except when he did. Socks-Existentialism-Flowers-Time was a kindly one, and the first other Fours she had met. He introduced her to Asymptote-Tea-Scholar, once Asymptote-Tea-Wise-Thinker, but she had collapsed the two names into one accidentally. That was the danger of changing, Scholar told her, for though Scholar encompassed both Wise and Thinker, she was ultimately made simpler and less expressive by becoming a Threes. The two of them touched the Solid worlds, and have been working together to see if they can teach convenience store receipts existentialism. It was working as far as they could tell, receipts did nothing but float through life. Star-Witness-Mother-Last bid them farewell and luck on their quest. She expressed each of her names, testing them, tasting them. She enjoyed being Star first and foremost, being with Sky and seeing everything below. Mother was strange, it gave her concepts of identity. Last was disturbing, and she tried to not express it as much. When she had become comfortable with her place with the Defined, something breached into their world. From her perspective as Star-Witness, they were tiny green men, fiddling with strange tools and making odd things and ends out of old things. Asymptote-Tea-Scholar said they werent actually green, they simply wore green clothing, what an odd concept. Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics spoke with them first, being of the few that could speak to all. They were the Solid, those things that gave definition to all of them. They came and brought ruin and death.
What is Democracy? 787th President of the United States Assanger Caesar asked his grandson as they walked through the moonlit corridor. Democracy is the beginning and end of morality, the young boy, no older than five, spoke, as if repeating from a textbook. It is the one justice, the highest rationality. The older man nodded in approval, You have been reading the Rationality then. I have to know all the works by the 500th, grandfather. As you should, as we all must, Assanger Caesar said, looking out the window onto the moonlit garden outside. It was during Aurelius Caesars rule as the 500th President that the Mandate of Democracy was shattered, he said, leading his grandson forward to a great and beautiful plaque. It depicted a great battle, on one side the heroic armies of man, bearing the stars and stripes of the One True Nation, on the other, monsters of red and black, crustacean and crab-like. At the centre of the piece stood two men, one tall, handsome and cast of gold, leading the armies of man. The other man was monstrous, dark skinned with burning red eyes, he was depicted in the midst of smashing something, a pure gold disk. During his time, the High Traitor, Paradigm, sold out the human race to his alien masters, leading them to our reality. It was only thanks to quick thinking of Aurelius that humanity still goes on, for that, we owe him for his great heroism. But the traitor would not go down simply, Paradigm in a final, desperate act to ruin the world, destroyed Democracy, the President told his grandson. And so that is why it is us that must inherit the title of President, for the last man chosen was President Aurelius Caesar, and we are closest to him in mind and body as descendents of him. Come, the man said, leaving the mural, I must show you something. And together, they entered a portal, leading to a brightly lit hallway, where men and women in medical coveralls worked in the quiet and sterile place. There lay hundreds and hundreds of beds, filled with the old, sick, and dying. As the child followed his grandfather, he saw what they were doing. The people in beds were asleep, fed a constant drip of a clear liquid, and the medical people were mechanically, and orderly marking them with some kind of wooden stamp. Assanger stopped by a bed, right next to an unconscious old man who was not getting drip fed. He raised a hand, and a stamp was given to him. This is a miracle of civilisation, he explained, showing the child the stamp. It was created during the reign of the 634th President, and continues to be mass produced. What it does is that it forcibly awakens a mundane person to become a Hume Savant. And the President stamped it onto the unconscious, old man. And the old man frantically opened his eyes, and screamed. He writhed and thrashed, but he was restrained. They all were. You cannot yet sense Hume, the President said, uncaring of the mans screaming, so you could not have sensed the change. There is a cost associated with this change, a Condition, those stamped will suffer constant and unending pain. Pain that will grow and never be acclimated to. The rules of abilities, the boy murmured. A nearby nurse came with a drip, she was the only one who seemed to notice the mans screaming, the others continued to go about their work, some even looked vaguely annoyed, the man had interrupted their comfortable silence. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The man immediately quieted as the drip entered his mouth. The drip eases his pain? the child asked. The President shook his head, No, it paralyses them, so that their screaming and thrashing wont bother with the surgery. Surgery? the child asked. He asked with only the tone of a genuinely curious child. To remove their brain, that is the only part that is required, they need not sense the world to become a Reality Anchor, the President answered. Look, look young Almes at his tattoo. The old man had only a single star and stripe on his arm, he was a Tier One Citizen. The First Fathers dictated the worth of men and women and their place within the United States. Every man and woman we take here are common labourers of low worth, their ailments are simply not cost effective to cure or fix, if not for the work of the 634th President, they would be simply left to die. Instead, they continue to benefit our great nation thanks to our generosity and insight. And Assanger placed the stamp in his grandsons hands, I will soon retire to let your father become the 788th President, and though your brother will become the 789th, you must learn to support him. Learn what you must do, the sacrifices the position requires of you. An old woman was wheeled up to them. She mightve been a grandmother, an honest worker, a wife. All these thoughts passed through the young childs head as he stamped her.
It was late afternoon when Rell was informed that her parents had died in a mine cave in. They had perished the day prior. No one had thought to inform her, she only learned of it during her rounds. Pouring water for the council of second tier citizens. They were debating if they should bother retrieving the bodies of the cave in. With some shock and denial did she realise they were talking about the mines her parents worked in. The conclusion was quickly reached. Not worth it. They are only first tier citizens. Something changed then. Rell didnt realise it at first. She didnt realise when she was shoved out of the room. She didnt realise when stumbled through the streets. She didnt realise until she returned to the small hovel they called home. She realised when she fell to her knees, crying. Her tears were being caught in midair. Space bent as if it were a fabric, catching her tears. Pooling them in midair. Rell realised then. The world felt colder. Bleaker. Bluer. She grabbed space like one might grab a common cloth. And she pulled it. She pulled it and wrapped it around her just like a blanket. And Rell sat there, wrapped in space itself, crying. Hiding in the Blue. It was only when people began noticing the blue tint of the sky above her, that she was found.
Almes Caesar sat by his grandfather as he died. The old president never had the chance to retire. Almes father lasted only a few years into his presidency before he and Almes brother were both assassinated. Far too much freedom, Assanger murmured. Far too much. Remember Almes, he gave the low tiers freedom to choose what work they want to do, and what did they give him? You are dying grandfather, please rest. They killed him, they killed him along with your brother. Know this when you take the mantle. They did this to them, and they will do it to you too. Almes held his grandfathers hand as he stilled. Please rest, you have done enough. You have done enough for this country and the world. Arcadia! the old president suddenly gasped. You have to conquer it! Grandfather- Assanger didnt listen, he simply continued. I understood! I realised what the Democracy was! It was an AI! Built by the First Fathers to perfectly choose who should lead! For how could the human mind, even the First Fathers, have been perfect enough to choose the President? The presidents bony hands tightened around Almes with death grip. It foresaw this! It foresaw its destruction and the decline that followed! That is why it chose Aurelius. For I his descendant understands! And Assanger stared at Almes with dying eyes. You must continue the work. Conquer Arcadia. The Democracy must be resurrected! And the 787th President died. He would be known as Assanger the Law Bringer, for mending the chaos of the 788th who foolishly gave the low tiers rights. Like most other US presidents, he served his role for life. Yet that was cold comfort for the now 789th President, Almes Caesar. They settled him into his work quickly. Riots, rebellions and dissidents. Chunks of the country remained in chaos. Many of the geneline families only followed the presidency on the surface. The ungifted low tiers kept demanding rights. It was the same madness that struck his father. For as written in the Rationality, only what a person provided to the United States mattered. Several months into his presidency, Almes Caesar was swamped with work. Papers towered his desk, his computer flashed with tasks to complete. His assistant brought a fresh pile of paper. What is it this time? Savant production is stalling, his assistant replied. The stamps arent working as well as they did. Almes sighed. What is the reason? The value of life has lowered far too much, the sacrifices arent fulfilling the same costs as it once did, the man evenly replied. Almes tsked. We need to ramp up production, stamp more people. Extend to more than just the old and dying. Sir, the amount required would lower our workforce significantly. Perhaps we should lower the quota, allow the value of life to return to normal so that the spending can return to normal. He frowned. Rubbing his brow, he murmured. We cannot compromise on safety. It is a necessary sacrifice. Perhaps you should rest sir. You have spent far too much time working. I cannot rest, for the nation needs me. You will suffer loss in efficiency if you continue. Almes paused. Yes, that made sense. He needed to do his job efficiently. To rest was rational. But still, he asked. How should I even rest? I cannot sleep nor take my mind off this. His assistant offered him a teleportation bracelet. Perhaps to observe the great hallmarks of our country? Almes hesitantly put down his pen, and took the bracelet. Perhaps. And they teleported. First was to the Weshmin Mountains. There carved upon the rock were the faces of the First Fathers. Though their names had long been lost to time, their image and legacy remained. They were once four, but after his ancestor Aurelius rule, he too was added. Almes breathed the wild wind of the land. Once upon a time he mightve marvelled at the sculptures. At how the First Fathers had created the perfect utopia, before the Apocalypse ruined it all. Yet his mind was busy. His duty was too important. His assistant noticed it. Shall we go to the Green Lady next? See the prosperous lands under your rule? Almes shrugged. Sure. They arrived at the island quickly. Yet even the magnificence of the ancient monument failed to move Almes. He had seen it far too many times in pictures. But this close, he could see something at its base. An empty spot where a plaque wouldve been placed. Almes felt the edges, feeling the dust and grime. It had been removed for some time. What was written here? he asked his assistant. The man had to search it up within the secret archives. A poem, most of it has been lost. It was written in the old Injish and was ripped out during the Last Day of Traitors. Ah, Aurelius purge. His ancestor was rather thorough. His assistant gave him the tablet, showing the translated fragments of the poem. Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, It was no wonder it was removed. It stank of the rhetoric by the traitors that undermined the nation during the early days of the Apocalypse. The United States was a land of pure rationality. Why would it ever take something that could not benefit it? Yet, Almes eyes narrowed as he examined a picture of the original plaque. It was far too old. It was not set during the days of the Apocalypse, but before. He could not tell how he knew it, he was simply certain. Could the traitors have gone deeper than history suggested? No, that was impossible. The United States was a perfect nation before the coming of the Apocalypse, that was well documented. So this plaque full of traitorous rhetoric was placed by them? For what purpose. Unless The cogs in Almes mind turned. Right now they needed more people. More workers and bodies to spend to keep the nation going. Where could they get it, other than forcing another breeding program? Outside. His mind whispered. And Almes laughed. Finally realising what was happening. He asked a question of his mind, and his mind answered. Almes fiddled with his bracelet, following the steps his mind had given. His assistant raised his voice in question, but Almes had already teleported. He now stood on the shoulder of the Green Lady, overlooking the bay. The secret service quickly appeared around him, as well as his assistant. Questioning. Worry not, I just thought I needed fresher air. President, its dangerous up here- I have solved our problems, Almes calmly answered. Assistant, call our generals. We need to incite a war in Southern and Central Muriganna. His assistant paused. We are to make war on them? No, Almes answered. Make them war against themselves. A few choice assassinations should do. I already know the targets. For what purpose? It was poor form for a president to be questioned so directly, some mightve called it downright traitorous, but Almes humoured him. As the South and Centre destabilise, their people will flee to ours seeking peace. One of the Secret Service almost turned green, Allow non-citizens into the US? They can be re-educated, Almes replied. Once those nations are properly weakened, we shall go in as peacekeepers and conquer them. The fresh influx of resources should revitalise our nation. Not to mention reunification. They would unite the Murigannas for the first time since the Apocalypse. And if people refuse to be re-educated? his assistant asked. We need more people to stamp, do we not? he simply replied with a grin. Almes now felt invincible. For he realised that he by himself was not needed to rescue the nation. Judging by the plaque, such a plan had been used since before the apocalypse, back during the golden utopia of their nation. We stand on the shoulders of giants, Almes murmured. Best to make use of the view. He had asked the question, he knew the steps, and each of those steps expanded within his mind, full of intricacy. The original ability of Aurelius the Thinker was manifesting within him. It shouldve manifested in every president once they had taken office, but it only appeared pitifully rarely. Aurelius didnt have the chance to fully complete his Conditions after his battle. The last time was during the reign of the 642nd president, and all the things he accomplished all the things Almes will now accomplish! And Almes finally turned his mind to the sole thing he had refused to acknowledge. The final works of his grandfather. The war on Arcadia. The resurrection of Democracy. Assistant, show me what my grandfather worked for. Five Threats: A Game of Telephone Part 2 Five Threats: A Game of Telephone Part 2 He was led to see horrors. The first was a circle of eagles. One stood tall and noble, yet the other eagles looked truly wretched. More like plucked chickens than anything else. They scurried and crawled, for their wings were broken, and they plucked sticks and stones out of seemingly nowhere. Building the nest of the healthy eagle as it nursed its own eggs. When one of the wretched eagles tried to build its own nest, the healthy eagle pecked it. Peeling off more feathers and smashing their broken wings. Unrelenting even as the lesser bird screamed in pain. The second was the sound of a whip. It held no physical form, it was only the crack of a whip slashing a scarred back. The third was a beaten man. Not beaten in the physical sense. But when Almes looked at him, he saw something so utterly dead. A back weighed down by numerous chains, it had no face yet its face spoke only hopelessness and depression, a wretched, broken thing that only moved forward by the heavy momentum of its own shackles. Simply looking at it it tried to pull him in. A black hole of depression and hopelessness. To move not because of purpose, but because they were dragged. Almes looked away. His mind was fraying at the edges. Yet the power of his ancestors protected him. Wiping away the corruption of Bleed effects as a friend would dust on his clothing. These are all the Living Concepts of Democracy? His assistant nodded. There are more, however they are similarly representative of this. Whats wrong with the Living Concepts? Almes asked. These horrors they werent Democracy. They were bald faced lies. Something twisted from what was right. We have several ideas, his assistant said as they continued walking. These Living Concepts were captured in locations of high population density. Weve learned that population numbers and feelings matter more to the creation of these things than facts. Almes nodded, the low tiers were uneducated. It wasnt a leap of logic to see them misconstrue facts. And we suspect that our own reality is having a strange mixing effect. Leaning the manifestations more towards the negative. The rule of abilities, he nodded along. His own ability had already posited this, though it was good to confirm his men were not incompetent. And third They stopped to look at a fourth concept. It was a pile of sand, or was it grain? The particulates constantly shifted into different geometric patterns. It was quite mesmerising, if not for the fact that Almes understood what they were saying. The geometric patterns constantly communicated screaming. This one introduced itself as Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics, his assistant began. It was one of the first Living Concepts weve confirmed to have a degree of intelligence. It reached out to us first, and taught us many things about Arcadia. And why is it here now? Almes asked. Noting the numerous electrical wires, flame throwers, and other measures constantly keeping it restrained. It''s not immortal is it? That was the only reason he could see keeping a blasted alien alive. It taught us that Living Concepts could be altered, his assistant told him. We saw it do it, but we dont understand how. The process does not appear to be limited by distance, since they can choose when to care about distance. Assanger ordered us to keep it restrained until more could be learnt about it. President Almes furrowed his brow. And that is why Assanger declared war against Arcadia. The old president suspected that the sentient concepts in Arcadia were altering the creation of Democracy somehow. Corrupting and twisting it. However Almes was unsure. One did not necessarily lead to the other. Your orders? his assistant asked. Continue the war against Arcadia. Even if they arent the cause of the corruption of Democracy. They have the capability to do so. Such a latent threat cannot be allowed to exist, he answered simply. Ultimately, the enemy was not human. They were aliens existing in different dimensions of the multiverse. They did not believe in Democracy, nor could they be converted like their less enlightened kin. Conflict was an inevitability. Almes gestured at the Living Concept below, Also, kill this thing, its screams are annoying. Understood, his assistant nodded. And soon, the sands stopped moving. The president turned his mind to other matters. It seemed like Living Concepts would not be the silver bullet to solve all his problems. The natural laws of abilities were immutable, but predictable. Enough sacrifice should preclude more positive results. The problem that was left was the low tiers. Something had to be done about them. Their numbers and low intelligence corrupted what Democracy was.
They feared Rell now. The former friends and fellows of the work camp, the council of second tiers, they all feared her. Rell wasnt sure why, until she was taken away. Cleaned up, and her tattoo updated. Four stars and stripes. She was a tier four citizen now. She was of high enough rank that she couldve killed any of them, and not be questioned. If she killed everyone in the camp, then she would at best be asked to pay reparations to the other high tier who owned those people. That was the privilege of a Gifted. To have the ability to grasp an ability. She was simply above them. And yet, Rell felt it insane. Unthinkable. She didnt change as a person, she still felt the same inside. She didnt experience some sudden increase in intelligence and capability, she was still Rell. Only now she could grab space, her marker had three more stripes and she got a better room to live in. How could she be above someone else? So she stayed inside. Hiding. Barely eating until someone entered. He looked kind, though Rell could not remember his face. It was all indistinct. Who are you? I am the assistant to the president, he answered as he knelt down to meet her eyes. You possess a powerful ability, yet why do you continue to hide here? For some reason, Rell felt comfortable around this person. More so than the too soft cushions of her new home. Because I dont feel gifted, she answered. I didnt become smarter, I didnt become more capable. I can only pull at things. She pulled at the air, turning it slightly blue. He touched her, patting her head. I understand that it must be difficult for a child, but you are right. You are a natural gifted. One born of manifestation rather than bloodline. And that means you arent like the other mid tiers. You arent as gifted as a geneline. The trauma of manifestation often leaves a natural gifted with many mental defects. Thats alright, because you still have citizens above you. People who will do the thinking for you. You need not worry. His voice was soothing. Comforting, confirming all her fears yet telling her they werent something to worry about. She did not notice at all the silvery strings quietly attaching themselves to her. String Theocracy, the assistant murmured. You need not worry about thinking or worrying. The president needs you for a task. You will become friends with another meta named Jacob Ladders. His ability complements yours. You two will train and work well together. The strings kept wrapping around her, though Rell did not notice. Becoming more and more enamoured by the words of this unnamed assistant. You will go into a Gate, and you will fight for our country, for the human race. Follow your orders, and your life will be meaningful. Rell nodded. Her eyes glazed over. You will not remember me, you reached these conclusions on your own. You will not harm the interests of the United States and Democracy. You will seek to actively uphold it and serve the president. You will be assigned somewhere soon, you feel excited to meet others of your tier. You will do as ordered. Rell nodded one final time and felt peaceful. There was still someone above her, someone who she had to work for. So what if a few people got added beneath her? The world was still right.
Almes looked at the tier five citizen before him. Glancing nervously at the book he was calmly reading. What do you require of me, President? the man asked. Do you know what is written about the tiers in the Rationality? That a tiered system is the most logical method of sorting people- -into the roles that they most suitably accomplish, Almes finished, snapping his book shut. You know the words, yet you still dont know why youre here? Im- not sure why- We are all cogs, Almes said. All cogs of the great machine known as Democracy. We may be alive, but we are merely individual cells. And do you know what happens to cells when they steal resources? I- The man didnt get a chance to finish, before he was stamped from behind. They are called cancerous, and they are removed or repurposed, Almes said above the screams. The man was the citizen formerly in charge of the city where one of those false living concepts of Democracy manifested. Specifically the flight of eagles. He was embezzling rations and funds from the lower classes in order to build a greater mansion. The utter gall. A parasite who butchered what was great for self gain. If not for the Living Concept captured there, no one wouldve been any wiser of his schemes and treason. The man was sedated and removed, he would still serve the Democracy, but this time as a reality anchor. So Almes turned his mind to a more darker pursuit. Religion. Even now he didnt know why his power directed him to read such terrible works. Aurelius was very outspoken of the dangers of religion and actively combated it throughout his life. Almes himself could not even begin to understand how someone could believe in something so clearly irrational. It was obvious that many of the texts he found were written by the mad and conniving. Tricks and false ideals, trying to create a fake morality when the question of morality had already been solved by the existence of Democracy. Some works by Kristians even claimed that their depraved rituals were not originally part of their religion. Obviously false. Though it was amusing to see them adamantly refer to their cannibal rituals as merely bread and wine. Plus their sacrifice of children through drowning was well documented by Democracy scholars. Like most of its kind, the religion was grotesque and needlessly cruel. Yet, their corruption remained in the country the longest. Almost lasting longer than Aurelius reign. If the Last Day of Traitors did not come, they may still be in this country. That itself was a chilling thought. To have to wonder if the person standing next to you was a traitor, believing in something utterly insane. Almes recalled the third Living Concept. The Democracy that looked like a beaten man. The city where the concept was captured barely looked any better. The citizens there looked almost exactly like the Living Concept they had spawned. So this is the path, he murmured. Expunge the parasites within the high and mid tiers, and bring purpose back to the low tiers. He took out his copy of the Rationality, looking over it. A mere book, yet it contained so many truths. But its contents were inaccessible to the low tiers. Education was deemed unnecessary for the first, and only the second and third could hear snippets of it. Almes took out a pen and notebook, and began writing a simplified version of the Rationality. A gospel.
Rell was eventually deployed to Arcadia. The dimension was strange. The world changed at a thought, when she thought the dimension alien, alien flora and creatures spontaneously appeared. Only in the established bases was reality at least somewhat stable. With enough people believing it stable, it simply was. Fighting Living Concepts was strange as well. Embodiments of ideas itself, they werent actually harmed by their weapons or abilities. She was told it was the belief that they would be harmed that actually damaged the creatures. It was confusing, but she was not required to think. Rell followed orders. Go to this place, warp space, rip apart that thing, open another Gate here. It became routine over the years, until one day, War attacked. Living Concepts were far more vast on this side than in normal reality. On Earth, they got condensed into smaller, more understandable things. Entities you could see with your eyes and understand. War was in Arcadia, and thus it was a vast red mist that covered continents. Shadows of not-men wielded things only a blind god would consider a human weapon. It approached like a massive stormwall. Slamming into them. Covering the sky and world in red. Rell! Jacob yelled, Its still coming! Stop it! She quickly lost him, but still she reacted. Pulling space around her like a blanket, causing the red mist to swirl around her instead of actually touching her. She grabbed space, and ripped it apart. Slashing the mist apart. But they quickly filled the gap. Still, she had to believe she was damaging it. Otherwise it wouldnt be. Instead she targeted the not-men. Ripping apart the red shades one by one as she progressed into the eye of the storm. She pulled at space, dragging herself in the same way someone might climb a rope. Hours passed without progress, only more and more red mist. Until suddenly, calm. The red mist turned empty, and suddenly a warm golden light filled her. The not-men disappeared, instead were people of gold standing all around her. And she heard something. Peace, peace, peace, peace It was spoken, told to her. Whos talking? she asked. And the Living Concept responded. I am War-Peace-Convey. I am here to ask for peace. Rells eyes widened. She didnt know these things could talk. She knew triple concepts were more intelligent, but the only one that actually talked was the first one. You youre the Living Concept of both War and Peace? I am. Doesnt that contradict? I am not Contradiction. I was once War. Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics taught me, and I became Peace. I learned to be Convey to speak. No, I mean arent war and peace opposites? Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics taught me I could be anything. I did not choose to be Opposite, so I chose Peace. She was silent, which the concept took as a go ahead to continue speaking. I am here to seek peace between our kind and yours. Do you accept it? I dont have the authority to agree to that. Then I ask if you will be peaceful with our kind. I also cant agree to that, she said. And the concept looked at her strangely. You are human. Do you not have the capacity to choose? I- something shifted in her mind. Like pushing through a thick cloth. It wasnt unyielding, but it was still impassable. And suddenly, War-Peace-Convey screamed. A bright light encompassed the Living Concept, and suddenly her radio blared to life. Good job keeping it busy, Jacob yelled. We got a clear hit on it! The gold light and red mist started dissipating. And the Living Concept turned to stare at her. She raised her hand, prepared to receive an attack. Instead, it simply spoke. If you believe War-Peace to be opposites. Then know that I was once one and became the other. You can too. I believe in you. More metahumans charged through the mist, attacking the concept as it retreated. As it kept asking for peace. Until it was eventually killed. Rell learnt later there were zero casualties. The red mist that screamed war and violence did not attack a single person. Not a single person was harmed.
Grey hairs marked Almes head. He was still supposed to be young, but the weight of the crown was heavy. And Almes became more and more tired. Its finally happened. South Muriganna had discovered their meddling, and their worship of religion had given birth to a Living Concept. Huitzilopochtli was the name of their false god. Our enemies got to it first, he said. Yet his voice was joyful. But it just proves it can be done. Arcadia has been cleansed. Only a handful of sentient Concepts hid there, and they would be dealt with soon enough. His power told him that the long war on the Arcadian front was over. The ideals of Democracy were being spread to the low tiers and he was leading a second Last Night of Traitors on the mid and higher tiers. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The work was almost done. Almes turned to his trusted assistant, Recall some of the Arcadian troops. We need to defend our border and send these savages a message. The Democracy is not to be challenged.
Hayden Xin gingerly climbed the monument of the First Fathers. Following the directions of his power. Of all things, he didnt expect the Weshmin Mountains to hide an Inheritance. That was what he was starting to call these things. Ancient abilities and powers left behind to be used again. Following his power, he found a hidden entrance, leading directly into the head of the fifth statue. That of the 500th President Aurelius Caesar. Walking through ancient, slightly wet steps, he entered the head of Aurelius, and there, Hayden Xin found a coffin. A coffin that constantly whispered.
Star-Witness-Mother-Last watched her entire people die. The humans had killed them, one by one. Until all that was left were the singular concepts that they enslaved. She was the Last with Four names. She had hid from the humans for so long, a star was very distant after all, and she had witnessed them butchering her people, her friends, her family. The scream that Grain-Interpreter-Cymatics let out with his final breath still haunted her mind. Why did she exist? Just to witness everything end? To be the last one the humans killed? She wanted to stop hiding, just so she could be ended alongside all her friends. Yet as she floated in the lands of Arcadia, she bumped into it. The Undefined. It was the only place that the humans have not yet reached, for they always defined things. Expected the ground to be soft or hard. Expected the air to be breathable or poisonous. They could never touch the Undefined. But she could. And Star-Witness-Mother-Last knew her purpose. She reached into the vast Undefined, and she moulded. She defined it. She gave it all she saw, all she witnessed, she made into a Living Concept, a mould that the Undefined will fill. And she was finally a mother. The first of her creations stepped onto Arcadia. A creature with mottled green skin. It took the dirt beneath and redefined it into something else. Soon another appeared next to it, and they kept multiplying more and more as the mould was filled. They touched and changed things, turning them into weapons. And as a mass, they attacked the human settlements. Overrunning them. They captured the surviving humans, and changed them as well. Doing to them what they did to her friends. Torturing them, changing them into monstrous creatures of war and conflict. Star-Witness-Mother-Last had created the Living Concept of Humanity and they would bring war and ruin so long as humans existed.
Hayden Xin saw the past. An old man stood among wretched crab-like creatures in a dirty slum. He laughed among them, despite their clear differences. And he helped them build. Yet as he did so, an egg was thrown at him. People yelled and jeered at the old man and the crab creatures. A mob carrying signs. Humanity first! No aliens on our soil! Kill the invaders! And the old man simply gestured at the crab creatures to retreat, as he walked forward and stood alone against the crowd. The Hijarsi came here in peace! Seeking aid as refugees! Their world has already been destroyed by Gates! We as good people should be compassionate! The old man yelled. Traitor! the crowd yelled back, and Hayden finally recognised him. He looked nothing like the statues or the paintings, but there was still a minor resemblance. He was the ancient traitor, Paradigm. Paradigm was not the evil, war like man he was depicted as. He simply stood there, asking for compassion as the crowd threw trash and insult at him. It was only when someone tried to attack one of the small crustaceans, a child, did he move. Using his power to stop the attack and separate them without causing either attacker or victim any harm. Time passed in a blur, and Paradigm laid in a hospital. His old body was failing him. Even from his sickbed, he tried to be a hero. Leading initiates to help others. One day, a man entered. Paradigm stirred from his sleep. Seeing the man. A television in the room displayed the news, President Aaron Casey has been voted into president for life. President. Paradigm narrowed his eyes, and Hayden recognised him too. How could he not, when he stood in a statue of his head. Im here to end things, Aurelius Caesar said. Taking a needle and injecting a liquid into Paradigms drip feed. You should know that if you resist, then people will die. The president shrugged, Should be obvious, but I figured you might be too old to think properly. You want to silence me!? Paradigm spat. Are you not content to watch me waste away, so desperate you are to seize power!? I am merely cleaning up the last loose end, Aurelius answered. Be honoured, you are important enough I cant trust anyone else to kill you. Release your hostages, and then lets see who is killing who. If you truly believed in your ideals, you would kill me, no matter the sacrifice, Aurelius said. I honestly expected better. But you are a disappointment, a demonstration of the failure of hero ideology. For all your long life and power, you have accomplished nothing. It is because I do not believe in your ideals, that I refuse to kill any more through my action, Paradigm spat. You have the greatest thinker ability ever recorded, why do you insist on doing things this way? You could have brought peace, been a unifier, changed the world for the better! In the end you will lose. Alone in your madness, you will find yourself without friends or allies, Paradigm continued. You think you are the first tyrant? The first dictator? Look through history to see how that ends up. And Aurelius simply smirked at him. Hayden was unsettled by that look, it was as if the president was staring at some kind of amusing animal. Even if you die here alone? I am not alone, that is the difference between you and I. Aurelius smile did not waver, instead his smirk seemed to grow. He sat down beside Paradigm. I suppose you of all people ought to know the truth. I am a human from another dimension in the 892nd millennium. A transmigrator if you will. And that is the real difference between you and I. For I too am not alone, because behind me is a great civilisation that conquered our universe and exterminated all other opposition. I am not whatever you creatures are. There was a moment of shocked silence. You are joking. I am not, Aurelius answered. In truth my appearance here was unexpected. In all the history of humanity, we have never encountered this phenomena of meta abilities, and most certainly not the presence of a multiverse. But oh how convenient it is. For now there is an entire multiverse to conquer, starting with here. You arent human? Paradigm asked. No, I am human, but you? he scoffed. This species of creature on this planet is not human. At best you can be considered a primitive rung on the evolutionary ladder. One that will eventually lead to true humans like me. Though honestly I think your race is an evolutionary dead end, one not destined for anything. You are insane. I thought you were mad before, but this is something else. And Aurelius laughed. Oh that is rich coming from you monkeys. You still havent even solved problems like compassion. The weakness of emotion is what keeps you from being a sapient species. You monkeys arent sapient, you dont feel things. You are just a collection of the rules of physics firing off in pre-programmed ways. You are smart enough to know this to be true, but you still refuse to recognise the obvious. You wont succeed, Paradigm grunted, the poison taking effect. Aurelius stood up, Remember what they called me? The Gadgeteer President. Bringer of the Golden Age. I just made a few baubles that every knave knows and you primitives praised me like the second coming of god. I have already conquered your species with my superior technology, and it wasnt even that hard. When I bring a real human army here, you will fold just like all the other aliens and primitives we have conquered. But dont worry, Aurelius laughed as he left, some of us might keep your kind in a zoo. Hayden fell to the ground, recoiling from the coffin before him. That vision, that corpse that was still whispering even though it was long dead. Hayden recognised the whispers, they were steps. Simplified steps to accomplish in order to fulfil a goal. And he knew who it was whispering to, the current President Almes Caesar. Before him lay the corpse and thinker ability of Aurelius Caesar, American Idiot. But the visions werent done, as they showed him one last thing.
Rell went to a thing they called war. Yet it wasnt a war, not in the true sense, because it was a slaughter. Jacob Ladders had the ability of Carbon Manipulation, but his ability was so broad that he couldnt actually use it. It didnt even clear the Beatles Bar. In many ways, he was barely better than a baseline human. Until Rell helped. Rell ripped the fabric of space, opening a Gate to Arcadia. It didnt greatly change the surroundings. Arcadias Earth, Wind, and Fire ratings were Loam, Vento and Keneq. Low risk and disruption, but high spread, city scale in fact. As she was now seeing. The Gate quickly covered the enemy city, and Jacob went to work. While he cannot actually affect the carbon of a person, once they began losing Hume due to resisting a Gate, he could quickly gain control. One by one, people exploded into pure carbon dust, leaving behind all other materials as Jacob manipulated the dust into attacking those remaining. Enemy metas quickly closed in on them, but they werent alone, as Democracy metas moved in to defend them. They were fighting at a clear disadvantage, for while both sides were losing Hume to the harmless Bleed effect, Jacob was executing every enemy with carbon manipulation once their Hume fell low enough. It was a slaughter. The enemy quickly found shutting the Gate to be impossible, so instead they focused on helping the civilians flee. But walls and barriers quickly sprung around the city, trapping them. All the while Jacob went to work. In the end, the city that once held millions lay empty. Only corpses and dust remained. Good work everyone! their leader called out. A few more cities and we can all go home. They chatted about what they would do once their mission was complete. Some of them had partners waiting for them back home, some planned to bring them all to their favourite restaurant. All the while corpses and carbon dust lay around them. Rell kneeled down to one of the corpses. It was one of the metas that directly tried to attack her and close the Gate. In the end he was put down by a shot to the head. Dying before he lost enough Hume for Jacob to dust him. Come on Rell! Jacob called out, Boss smuggled us chocolate rations! We can get back to celebrate! Should we bury them? she asked her friend. Bury? Jacob asked. She gestured at the enemy corpses. And Jacob looked confused, Why?
Hayden saw the conclusion of President Aureliuss life. He stood under the bright blue sky, laughing as he activated the contraption. And an obsidian moon appeared, eclipsing the sun. People appeared next to the President, and he nodded at them. I am TX31039B, I was transmigrated here through unknown means, and I was the one who opened the path to the multiverse. He took out a hard drive, This is all the information I have gathered about this world, and my experiments on Hume and meta abilities. One of them took the hard drive, and answered him in a voice so devoid of emotion that Hayden thought it was a machine that spoke. Your contribution has been noted. And the people disappeared. Aurelius stood there confused for a moment. He called out again, and waited. And waited. The obsidian moon remained in the sky. Time had been stopped by the technology of the True Humans. Aurelius kept calling out at the sky, he kept asking for an answer. The only answer he got was from his ability. Telling him why they abandoned him. For Aurelius Caesar held emotion. He laughed at the primitiveness of the monkeys, gloated at one, and felt triumph when he had finally called upon the true humans. And so he realised, he had gained emotion and thus lost his humanity. So humanity was exterminating him alongside all the other primitive monkeys. Hayden Xin fell, leaning against the coffin as he breathed hard. This close, he saw that the corpse was still alive. It breathed, shallowly but still it breathed. And suddenly, he had a horrible premonition. Something terrible was about to be born.
Arcadia was not done. A new enemy had suddenly appeared. A creature they had tentatively named goblins. Endless in number and bearing contrived weapons almost as good as their own. Worse, is that they could trigger meta abilities, and convert their soldiers into theirs. However, the work was almost complete. Almes saw the steps, he saw how close he was to finishing it. The Southern continent was cowed as his soldiers dismantled their cities. The truths of Democracy were now entrenched into the people. Only a few more steps now. Assistant, walk with me. His assistant followed him. You are a loyal man, he told him. Youve been here since my first day in office. Doing the dirty work, tying up loose ends and ensuring that Ive been comfortable. The man nodded, and Almes could see that he was truly proud of having been of service. It was a shame what had to come next. So why is it, Almes began, that traitorous texts were found in your possession. His assistant stood shocked still. He opened his mouth to speak but he was already surrounded. Gagging his mouth so that he could not use his manifested ability. An ability he had kept hidden from everyone else. His assistant kept trying to speak, and Almes gestured at his guards to bring the reality anchor. Strapping the Savant brain onto his assistants neck before letting him open his mouth. President! You are mistaken! I am not a traitor- The poem you gave me that was once written on the Green Lady was not part of the archives, Almes interrupted him. A book was handed to him, a book that his assistant recognised. What lies are written here, claiming that the Green Lady was not built by the Democracy? he snorted. Other humans could not achieve a fraction of what the Democracy had achieved. They had brought about two Gadgeteering Golden Ages. Everything the rest of the world had achieved was because of aliens. All their technological achievements, all that they had built were the product of alien corruption and intervention. For what could those primitives in Yuro-P, Afrikaans, Usia and Oceanic have ever accomplished without Democracy? Almes ripped the book apart. I shouldve known that poem was a lie as well, our ancestors were smarter than that. Sir, that is the real history of the world! It was passed down to me as- You keep lying, expecting me to believe you, Almes said. When I know you have been brainwashing citizens with your unregistered ability. Sir, I was making sure that they were all loyal to you! Please! the man begged, I have been loyal to you, Ive never done anything against you sir! I shall know soon enough, Almes said, and he asked his ability whether or not his assistant was truly loyal. And it was silent. Almes kept asking it more questions, but the steps, they were gone. He felt no response from his ability, nothing at all. He was for the first time in a long time, alone in his mind. But he could not show such weakness, so instead he snorted, To own such texts is to be a traitor to the Democracy, but dont worry, you will still serve as a Savant. And he gestured at a guard to bring a stamp. His former assistant panicked as he saw it, No no, please, not the stamp! Not the stamp! He was stamped. The man immediately began screaming as pain overtook his mind, writhing and struggling with new found strength. But still, he yelled at Almes, President Almes! You must get rid of the people Ive mind controlled! Theyre all ticking bombs! Please! Quickly before I lose control! His former assistant was dragged away as his mind finally went out like a snuffed candle. Almes didnt know the veracity of his final words, was it a threat, or did he grow a conscience as he was stamped? Deciding to do good for one last time? It didnt matter, what was done, was done. The last traitor was purged.
Because theyre people, Rell said. Jacob laughed, Youre joking. Im not. Jacob furrowed his brow. Look, Rell, I know youre a good person. But you cant say stuff like that. He gestured at the corpses. Weve already been kind to them, we gave them a chance to join the Democracy, but they rejected it. Then they attacked us. There is kindness, and there is foolishness. Only citizens get graves. He shook his head, Please dont speak of such things, especially with other people. I dont want the secret police to take you one day. But- But what? She wondered. But- But- But- And Rell felt something snap as the user of the String Theocracy turned mad with pain. But my parents didnt get a grave either. They were citizens, just like she was. Yet they didnt get a grave, left to rot under hundreds of tons of rock. Forgotten, just like these people. And Rell wondered why she thought this way. Everyone else thought differently, they thought the right way. Yet Rell cared about these people. Was she insane? Yes, she was insane. Jacob suddenly backed away, shivering, Why is it getting colder? Rell, what is happening? What are you doing? Rell didnt answer him. She never spoke to another human ever again. Jacob fell down, freezing to death as Rell had her second trigger event. Hiding in the Blue expanded in scope as she obtained a Domain that roared out and froze the world to a halt. She looked down at her skin, where her citizenship tattoo lay. And without a word or change in expression, she ripped it off with her skin.
Something horrible was about to be born, and President Almes would be the one making it. Hayden Xin didnt know what, so he grabbed the body of the former president. He needed that thinker ability, that was the only way he could see to prevent it. But he could not grasp it, he was too different from the President as a person. Wake you idiot! He slapped him. Youre still alive in there! Act like it! Act like President Aurelius Caesar! And the corpse responded. Mummified eyes fluttered open and stared at him. Youre still alive! Hayden Xin yelled, Your descendant is about to do something horrible, you have to stop him? My descendant? Aurelius laughed, You think that I had descendants? Why would I ever copulate with you primitive monkeys! And Hayden paused. The line of Caesar, thats you isnt it? You survived the Long Night and brought back the Golden Age by exploiting the shattered timeline. That was you wasnt it? Aurelius kept laughing. My name in life was Aaron Casey! And I wouldnt even fuck you monkeys, what made you think I would keep living as one? I committed suicide the moment I learned that I was one of you! Hayden froze in place. This this society, you didnt do this? Aurelius shook his head, his mouth widened in a smile. I died before I could do any of the shit you guys attributed to me. All this? he gestured around them, to the nation of the United States. To the Democracy. You monkeys did that to yourselves. Haydens voice was shaking, You can still fix this. You are nigh omniscient! I am dead, its your problem now! Aurelius laughed. And he finally died. Like the end of a long sigh. Hayden felt a death comparable to the bearer of the sword in hell, not in type, but in scope. The feeling of something just as great coming to an end. The corpse crumbled to dust. Hayden Xin knew that Aurelius did not lie once. Everything he said was true.
Almes suddenly felt his ability roar into his mind. No longer just whispers, the ability American Idiot was now fully his. And possibilities rang across his mind, things he previously thought impossible, and a moment of utter enlightenment flashed through his mind. Thats all we are. Scavengers of corpses, he murmured. The old gods perished as myth, and their corpses tainted the power, now only those who share their regrets can drink the blighted water. The whole was broken into incompleteness and potential. Both seek the other yet they cannot push past the tainted water. Their power dispersed to the drinkers before they could find the other. It was all pointless. The world was dying, not suddenly, but had been for millenia. The world was a crippled old man drawing their last gasping breaths. What was the point? Why should he bother continuing, knowing the world had already ended? There is a point, he murmured. Humanity has pushed back the end for countless millennia. We have fought it in our cities, in the skies and on the beaches. We have cancelled the end even when it seemed inevitable. Why? Because of hope. Hope is not so easily extinguished, the 789th President Almes Caesar murmured. The end is knocking on our door, nay, it already has a foot in. Yet it is not yet the time to give up. Somebody will still stand up for what is right. I will still stand up for what is right. Even if everything seems hopeless. Because hope and strength is not a thing that exists without struggle. And if they failed, if the end did come, then Almes refused to go quietly. A new possibility appeared, one he could not accomplish before, but now he could. Almes would save them all. He fiddled with the teleportation device on his wrist. Changing it according to the directions of his power, he opened a Gate. And he breathed in, he could not do the next step without sacrifice. Swan Song. And he felt his potential burning, all that could ever be achieved with the power, spent in a single moment as Almes plunged his hand into Arcadia. And touched the Undefined.
Hayden Xin looked on in horror as his citizenship tattoo began glowing. He had failed. That monstrous thing had been born. He rushed for a knife, anything to flay the tattoo off- Hayden paused. What was he doing? Why did he want to flay his tattoo off, that was foolishness. He shook his head, recalling false memories about an encounter with Aurelius. What a fanciful thing his imagination did. Perhaps he needed rest, he was having hallucinations and was unable to distinguish them from the visions of his ability. Anyway, he needed to continue his work. Continue using his ability to find the Inheritances of the past. Anything to serve the Democracy.
With his final breath, 789th President Almes Caesar looked upon the beautiful thing before him. It was the Living Concept of Democracy, and it was everything he imagined it to be. Welcome to Earth Bulwark! Welcome to Earth Bulwark! Were you subjected to a dimensional anomaly? Do you find yourself in an almost earthlike world, but there are significant differences to your own reality? Then you may be in an alternate universe! Since the first appearance of parahumans, the existence of a wider multiverse has indeed been confirmed. While direct Gates to these locations remain a very rare anomaly, they have been increasing in frequency, as are the manifestations of parahumans. The United Nations Government has already classified our reality as Earth Alpha. (Addendum: Since contacting the Earth Multiverse Council, its been revealed that there are currently 15, 17, 29, 40, 63, 89 other earth like dimensions that have classified themselves as Earth Alpha. Negotiations are underway to ensure that we end up as Earth Alpha, but until a resolution is reached we cannot use the name.) There are many other earths that can be contacted through a Gate! Each with their own unique designation and characteristics! Explore the alien but familiar earths of the multiverse! But if you end up on Earth Bulwark then you are fucked. Earth Bulwark is currently the only earth identified to be connected to the wider multiverse. It is connected to non-earthlike dimensions, places where earthlike physics and logic do not apply. It is also the only earthlike world to experience Bleed due to constantly being under the interference of different physics. Before Bulwarks discovery, the Bleed phenomena remained only a theory. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. If you end up on Earth Bulwark, euthanasia is your best option, unless you are a baseline human, in which case it is the only option. Due to highly altered physics and logic, it is completely inhospitable to humans. Its reality frequently experiences irrational and impossible logic that alters every factor of the world. The current record for a normal human to survive on Earth Bulwark is 0.073 seconds, after which irrecoverable change occurs to their body. If you survive and adapt to the Bleed of Earth Bulwark, then I am sorry, but you can no longer be considered human. Your body, and the alien Bleed it possesses will be considered a Class 12 Reality Hazard. Yes, the classification does usually only go up to Class 3. No, the Class 12 designation is not incorrect. But if you do, by some extremely rare, and near impossible chance, successfully adapt to Earth Bulwarks reality, then you must for the sake of the common human good, attempt to establish communications between Earth Bulwark and the wider earth multiverse. There is a simple reason. Mounting evidence suggests that Earth Bulwark is alone holding back the wider multiverse from manifesting in other earthlike dimensions. If Earth Bulwark falls, Gates to significantly more dangerous realities will begin manifesting in other earthlike worlds. Currently the main threat of the multiverse is interdimensional war, but if Earth Bulwark falls, then the greatest threat will be the mere presence of other dimensions. Bleed will affect your world, and change it irrevocably and unrecognisably. A darker theory posits that there have been many Earth Bulwarks, perhaps thousands, millions, or infinite. When each one fell, the line against the alien realities was pushed back to another earth, then another, and another. Until one just happened to stop it. Perhaps due to something special about that specific earth, or simply by sheer chance. Whatever is the case, Earth Bulwark cannot be allowed to fall. No other earth currently possesses the capability to combat Gates and Bleed on the same scale as we suspect they are. So, if you make it to Earth Bulwark, make yourself welcome. Were all depending on you. Chapter 52 Ramping Up Chapter 52 Ramping Up On my journey to Earth Bulwark, I asked my guide why the people dont build walls to keep out the many threats that be. He laughed, and told me anything truly threatening could not be stopped by a mere wall. - I. La, the Bamboo Hat Meister. Aiden reread the book, his other hand swirled a scalding flask of yellowish liquid. He barely noticed the heat of the agar as he poured it onto a petri dish. His eyes glossed over the book one last time, confirming for the fourth time he was doing it correctly. It took a moment for the media to solidify. The process greatly reminded him of making jelly, despite the fact he had never made jelly. He cleaned his hands with an ethanol spray, the book recommended gloves, and to NOT contaminate media with your bare hands, however his power required skin contact. Aiden sunk a finger tip into the agar media. E. coli. There was a brief moment of loss. The memory gone from his mind, such that he barely even recognised that he had lost something. But the purpose of what he was doing, the action he had set out to do, even if he forgot the subject, was still there. He muttered the name of his power, Colorful. He moved all the tattoos on his finger onto the media. Nothing visibly changed, but when he withdrew his hand and tried to absorb everything on it, no memories returned. Success. Bacteria were obviously too small for him to see with his naked eye, especially when he was only capable of creating one cell at a time. He tried colony, group, bunch, and other synonyms, but Colorful was clearly limited to one lifeform at once, no matter how small. Aiden took out a few more petri dishes, ready to pour more media, only to pause in surprise. The media in the flask had solidified. Ah, Four? he called out with a slight hint of embarrassment. One head of the three headed monkey looked up from his book, Dont worry, I was expecting this. Sorry, I shouldve poured them all out at once huh? he replied. I kept spares. Four hopped off his seat, one head and hand still dedicated to reading his book. His spare hand pulled a brain out of one of his containers, putting it into his one empty head. Four opened the incubator, Banach-Tarski Paradox. The spare flask in the incubator split into two, and he passed the new one to Aiden. Thanks, Aiden called out as filled out six more petri dishes, emptying the flask. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani, and Vibrio cholerae. He lidded each of the petri dishes. Stacking them and opening a separate incubator dedicated to the task. Wait, Four held up a hand, those samples are all anaerobic arent they? Aiden paused, he used to know the answer. He went back to the book, and a moment later, he confirmed, Yes, yes they are. Use the box and the packets then, theyre in the back, and flip the dishes over. You dont want condensation to fall from the lid onto the sample. Wont the sample fall? he asked. Not at all, they adhere to the media perfectly fine. I knew that, Aiden replied. It was true, he used to know that. Thanks again for letting me use the school lab. You wont when I send you a bill for the materials, the monkey teacher replied. Even though you can freely replicate them? The amount youre paying is for labour costs. After properly putting away the dishes, he got a message, though not the one he was expecting.
Sarah Sours sweet store was closed despite the working hour. The door was unlocked when Aiden tried it, and he walked in to find the old woman with another masked figure. Awesome mask, the man told him. Thank you, Aiden replied. You guys can network afterwards, Sarah grumbled, shuffling off her seat. You know the drill, Blend S. The octopus wasted no time. Blend, Vaguery, Moult, it said in succession, before it began its mechanical whirl. Person, you can leave, Tao Tie, I have something to discuss with you, Sarah said. The other masked waved as he left, not waiting for a response. It was only a long time after that Aiden realised he could not recall any specifics of the man. What do you need me for? The old woman rifled around her shelves, muttering softly to herself as she collected three different candies. You need to stop taking so many requests. Take a break. Aiden paused for a moment. Why? Sarah sat down in her office chair with a soft groan before answering. Youre not the only M.I.A kid who comes here. I have an unspoken agreement to keep as many of you kids busy as I can. Helping people instead of doing something stupid with your powers. He nodded. Im basically a nanny, she remarked. Well, I wasnt going to say the quiet part aloud, he thought. But youve been taking too many jobs, so the other kids are bored. What Im saying is take a break to let other kids on the playground. Aiden frowned, Im not going to pass up on money if I can help it. Thats why Im bribing you, she presented the three candies. One a familiar scaly white, the second a rich lime green, and the last a softly glowing yellow. Oddly, that one looked somewhat familiar as well, though he could not place it. First one is yours, eating it allows you to entirely shed your skin once, leaving it baby smooth afterwards. You can use it to substitute a hit or create a nearly identical skin suit of yourself. Second one is regenerative, good for recent physical wounds that arent life threatening. If they are life threatening they can stabilise someone until they reach a hospital. Lasts for an hour. Right now demand for it would be high, Ill message you an appropriate sale sum for it if you plan on selling it. Third and final, allows you to teleport to a place youve been before. Its other condition is that it has to be somewhere that you can walk to in five minutes, disregarding any restraints of course. It has a decently high priority so its hard to disrupt, spends your own Hume so be sure to be careful. Take one of them. You should have begun with that, Aiden muttered as he examined the candies. Upon closer inspection, he recognised the glowing colour of the third candy. It was similar to the footprints his classmate Ejohar Wager left behind. These three are all defensive and utility candies. Glad to see youre still not an idiot, she replied. I only give these out. Having more protection tools out there is always better than the other one. That is a good policy, he murmured. Ill take the healing. Sarah squinted at him. That isnt for you, is it? He paused. Am I that easy to read? No, in fact youre better at hiding stuff than most. Im just especially good at that stuff. Your candy grants a degree of regeneration, so you undoubtedly already have that power. Who is it for? Jaidens face briefly flashed through his mind, before he shook his head, Im holding it in case one of my friends gets injured. It was only for recent physical injuries. It likely wouldnt work on her. She murmured something under her breath, his enhanced ears managed to catch, ...precocious brats before she spoke aloud, Take another one. He stood awkwardly where he was. What? she asked with an annoyed tone. May I have another of the regeneration candies? he asked. One of better quality. Ill buy it from you. That one also isnt for you, is it? she asked him. Of course not, if he was going to get two regeneration candies, he might as well test one on Jaiden, or just have it handy for someone else. Sarah shook her head, Im afraid not, these things are in high demand nowadays. War with Hell and all that nonsense. She spoke the last part with an annoyed tsk. As if a global catastrophe was a personal affront to her. Im only parting with that one since its middling. He had a moment to think then. While he was interested in the candy produced from him, which was a weird thought out of context, he ultimately took the teleportation one given his recent experiences of being trapped and unable to escape. May I ask a question? he asked as he picked the candy. Shoot, she replied. You have the ability and resources to heal your own wounds, he said, looking at her missing fingers. M.I.A doesnt teach you anything? she asked, shaking her hand. Of course I can. But this hand and limp became conditions without me realising. Everything does eventually, and it becomes worse the older you are. Their benefit to my power now is greater than a few day to day inconveniences. I understand, Aiden nodded as he headed for the door. Have a good day Sarah. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And don''t accept so quickly next time! It makes it obvious you have something else lined up, she called out as he left the shop. If you need a reference you have my number. Aiden thanked her as he left, briefly contemplating the surrealty of his life now that he was getting references from powered candy criminals. A distance away, Aiden placed the regenerative candy inside his go-bags first aid kit. For a moment he looked at the scalpel inside the kit. Then, with a pop, he removed the fake hand Wren had gifted him. A small, baby hand was growing out, getting visibly larger by the day. The limits of his own regeneration meant it couldnt regrow a limb, but the potion he was force fed grew enough of a structure that his regeneration could take over, and slowly grow it in size over time. It was like a balloon, his regeneration could not make a balloon, but it certainly could blow one up to full size. Now he was contemplating whether or not he should amputate the new growth, and go one handed for the rest of his life. He idly spun the scalpel. It would be him actively setting a condition. He wasnt sure if he could create an entirely new facet to his power, that seemed to be locked to metas who had Expansions. But he was certain, given the rules he knew, that he could empower some aspect of it greatly. In the end, Aiden closed the first aid kit and slipped the fake hand back on. There was a sense of finality, like a sprout withering, its dust and rot returning to earth. He had chosen to put an end to a burgeoning limitation. Instead he pulled out a small, hand sized notebook from his bag. As he flipped through the first few pages, he saw numerous still images of various creatures and animals. So lifelike one might think they were looking at the sketchbook of the worlds most talented artist. He reached a blank page, wedged there was a piece of paper detailing the meaning of several words, Frozen, Stasis, Unmoving, Still. Aiden read it and tattoos appeared on his skin. Moving off his hand and onto the pages of the book, creatures shrunken to fit the margins of the page. He did this until roughly a quarter of Oros became overgrown with plants, and he had been doing this every time he had full Hume. The serpent even woke him up in the middle of the night just for this purpose. Aiden didnt need to go one handed, however banking Hume was just practical. It was in the evening that he got the message he had been waiting for.
The Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass was meditating atop the rooftop when she sensed the Son of Fire. He sensed her as soon as she did. That strange supernatural sense all Gifted had that allowed them to detect Bleed made her stand out like a beacon, despite their significant difference in ability. Most of her normal techniques could do nothing against it. And they called her a mage. Gifted abilities were magic. Cultivation was just cultivation. The Son of Fire landed softly on the rooftop. Living tattoos of tentacles withdrew from his gloves. Im here. Something was different. His tone had changed, there was barely concealed rage in his voice the last time they had met. Revealing the beast behind the trappings of civilisation. That was no longer there. Had the Son of Fire reined his feelings? Rain immediately dismissed that notion. This was not merely the control of emotions, but a complete absence of one. Without a change in expression, she said, My benefactor believes you trustworthy enough to join us, but others do not quite believe people are easily tamed. The doorman was needlessly anxious, but she entertained his paranoia. And what do you think? That you have somehow excised all feelings of wrath from your mind, to the point where you no longer even consider vengeance. That you are certainly going to try to betray or kill us, but I am strong enough to prevent that from happening. He did not answer that, there was no reaction, nothing but a clinical look over her. It was as if she were a complete emotional blank for him. He did not even seem unduly worried about the unspoken possibility that she had invited him here specifically to kill him. Rain rose, Follow me Son of Fire, Ill modulate my pace so that you can keep up. She leapt to the next building as easily as a child may play hopscotch. Aiden followed a breath later. His movements were smooth and practised. His training was effective, and highly adapted to urban terrain. If Rain ever opened a sect, she considered adding a changing obstacle course as part of the daily routine. Though Rain had to slow herself to allow Aiden to keep up, they made good time. Arriving soon at a silent home. Aiden stopped to catch his breath as he landed behind her, What are we here for? One of our mortals ceased reporting a while ago, and an omen dictated his death. That last portion did not need to be said, since both of them could smell the scent of death. As well as an acrid, sour smell that she could not quite place. I dont sense any Bleed, its of our world, Aiden provided as she stepped forward. So it was either natural death or native Gifted. Rain was supposed to let Aiden go through the door first, in case there was a dangerous ability behind it. But she was eminently the more durable of the two, so without hesitation she pushed open the door, breaking the lock in the process. Aiden wrinkled his tattooed nose as a stench of stale decay hit them. Garbage and refuse went up to her knees, black bags filled to bursting festered inside. I think I know what this is, Aiden murmured behind her as they waded through. She glanced at him, but he did not elaborate. They stayed in silence until she kicked open the bedroom door. The corpse lay on the bed as if still sleeping. Its flesh was desiccated and thin like a dry reed. Piercing the skin were random pieces of rusted metal, shards of clouded glass, and paper packaging painted with old and faded colours. By the looks of it, they seemed to have appeared inside the body rather than added after death. Looks like the Pacific Threat got him, Aiden said. She turned to him again. He was hiding his right hand for some reason, though he tried to be non-obvious about it. Ive never gotten a clear explanation on what that is, she simply stated. Not a surprise, humanity has long lost the right to name or describe it, he replied, walking forward and poking the corpse. His right hand was still hidden to her. Its better if you dont know, this man mustve accidentally uttered its- Aiden stopped. He had said too much. Aiden pulled up his sleeve, and Rain could see several small bumps on his arm. Changing his index finger to a claw, the Gifted deftly dug out two rusted bottle caps, a soggy cigarette bud and a piece of cardboard packaging for a product that no longer existed. Without missing a beat, he opened his bag and went about cleaning and disinfecting the wounds with the alcohol from his first aid kit. Son of Fire, this man died in his sleep, Rain stated. And? Aiden said. She chuckled, I see. It didnt matter if he was aware he said it. How dangerous. You seem rather unbothered by this, Aiden stated as he wiped the dribblings of the disinfectant. The implication went unspoken, things here died with a word accidently muttered in one''s sleep. She could die just as easily. You forget even immortals die, Rain replied. His soul has returned to the cycle of reincarnation, as will mine one day. Rain paused for a moment. Forget? Or maybe it wont. I dont know if your world has a cycle of reincarnation. It is certainly backward in that regard, she played off her pause as she strolled into the kitchen. The scent of trash was overwhelming, but she still found the tea leaves within the cupboard. It must be nice to know where you go after you die. Not really, she said as she looked at the strange plastic kettle. It means you know you are repeating an eternity of mistakes. There is no end. She filled the kettle with water, then placed it on the stove. That is not how you use an electric kettle. Heat will boil water, I assume that is true in this world too? Rain challenged. Yes but why are you trying to make tea? Aiden asked with an exasperated tone. I desire it, bereft of Breath it may be. He rolled his eyes as he reached past her, placing the kettle on a similarly-coloured plastic circle that had a wire plugged into the wall. Flipping the switch, the kettle lit up with a blue light and hum. There, now please wait a moment. Aiden fished a few cups from the cupboards, while Rain took a seat by the table. When Aiden thought she wasnt looking, he swiped his right palm with his left hand. He finished brewing a teapot, and poured a cup for her. Rain tapped the table with her index and middle finger, which raised his eyebrow. You use that gesture as well? Rain took a sip, It is strange what similarities our worlds have. We both tap our fingers to thank for poured tea, yet fundamental things differ so greatly. She took another sip. It was damn excellent tea. The leaves werent of any noteworthy quality, completely base and benign, yet Aiden had somehow managed to maximise the flavour and temperature of it. With a flick of her fingers, she took out a faded crimson feather, laying it beside her as she took a third enthusiastic sip. You are very good at brewing tea. Thank you, though I am a coffee man myself. Coffee? she frowned. How could anyone enjoy that black bog water? I add sugar. You better not extend that same treatment to tea, she muttered dangerously. When I learnt that this world adds sugars and creams to tea I almost slaughtered someone. Her face creased in anger at the thought. This world was truly a backwards hellhole in that regard. Rain poured herself another cup, at least there were some people capable of brewing a good pot. I suppose someone forgot to tell you about boba and iced tea, Aiden said with a sly smile. Iced tea? she said incredulously. Tea is meant to be hot and- Her eyes narrowed. Your Gift allows you to create something at the cost of forgetting it, doesn''t it? she asked. He paused at the sudden change of subject. Eyes narrowing. Why would I answer that? But you already have, she replied, sipping her tea. During our battle, you denied a path to victory because it would make you forget someone, or did you forget? Aiden tensed and swiped the palm of his right hand again, this time in the opposite direction. Theres a copy of me somewhere out there, she gently stroked the crimson feather beside her. I wonder if she is as strong as me. Ah! But dont tell me. She wagged her fingers, What is the term you use in this realm? I dont want to be spoiled. I dont understand you at all, he muttered. Dont be so tense, she said. And Ive already told you, though you have forgotten so I will tell you again. The Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass stroked the crimson feather at her side, All things die. I will too, your realm has no air that I can breathe, while I am trapped here I am doomed to die a slow death of suffocation. And even if I save myself, gasp a single Breath of fresh air, it will only delay the inevitable. She placed a cup in front of him, holding the teapot aloft, Sit down, drink some tea, for there is no immortality save in the memory of men. You may not understand me, but I am a simple creature. I failed my ascent through the Shattered Mountains, my path to immortality has been cut. My cultivation is naught but a fading shadow. I may return to my realm to begin my cultivation anew, or I may perish here in an airless land, it does not matter. Since I see no path in which I can return home, Rain said, a worthy battle is a blessing for me. Take your vengeance against me, slaughter me, eat me, rape me, turn me into a stepping stone for your own future. It does not matter. I wont take it personally, for the moment I began my cultivation I already wrote myself off as dead. I will resist with all my might, and I hope you will reciprocate as a fellow Immortal Warrior. Aiden swiped across his right palm again and sat down. I think I get where you are coming from. Rain poured the tea, and Aiden tapped the table with his index and middle fingers. He drank the slightly cooled tea, and a moment of silence passed. What is the feather? It is a memento from a friend, she raised an eyebrow. Hmm, since you no longer remember me, I suppose I ought to reciprocate. I shall no longer call you by your name. You were saying it wrong from the start, Aiden muttered. Your language is crass and without subtlety, its less a language and more a street thug that mugs other languages of spare vocabulary. I cant say I disagree with that, he replied as he took a sip. Now, what was that about boba, tea brewer? Chapter 53 Ramping Up 2, Electric Boogaloo Chapter 53 Ramping Up 2, Electric Boogaloo My guide said it was fine to include his name in these entries, for it was nothing special and none would dare cross his father. A bit of a contradiction if I may say, but if Jarial Dhruv doesnt mind then it shall be so. - I. La, the Bamboo Hat Meister. Aiden caught his breath, and smelled the scent of rotting death. What are we here for? he asked. One of our mortals ceased reporting a while ago, and an omen dictated his death, Rain replied. I dont sense any Bleed, its of our world, he told Rain as she stepped forward. Without hesitation Rain pushed open the door and the smell hit him in full. Sour, acrid, the smell crawled up his nose like a living thing, wormed its way through his nostrils and raked his throat. Aiden almost dismissed his nose, just to weaken the scent somewhat, but the scent of death was still there. Hidden and buried under the mountainous scent of discard and refuse much like the original floor of the house. I think I know what this is, he murmured as they entered. When Rains back was turned to him, he swiped the middle of his right palm with his fake hand. From the direction of his thumb to pinkie. Underneath his shirt, Oros signalled that he was spending Hume. In front of him, a woman wearing a medical face mask appeared.
She does look freaky, Jun said. You can s??????????????e???????????e??????????? me. Instantly Jun was covered in zippers, wrapped around his whole body like rope. An instant later, Aiden reabsorbed the tattoo and the zippers disappeared. The memory hit him, as did the emotions. Cold sweat fell down cheek as he felt fear at an imminent death, but acceptance came as well. He knew Ranpo made it out safely. That was all he wanted.
Aiden had named it the Slit Mouthed Glove, which Ranpo said was a terrible name. Jun had suggested the Decapitator on the logic that a magic item with fewer words in its name was more terrifying. They met in the middle, naming the flesh coloured glove the Slitted Decapitator and agreed that it was still a terrible name. He wore it under a pair of mundane black leather gloves. It didnt look too odd, for he already wore gloves habitually to cover his false hand. The woman didnt look like a person up close, the most human parts of her were the medical mask, and long black hair. Outside of that, her clothing and flesh bled together smoothly without separation, her entire body was covered in zippers. Upon a second look, it reminded Aiden of a patchwork Frankenstein-like creature, with surgery scars and stitches replaced with zippers. Aiden curled his index finger, and the apparition walked forward. He followed behind her, the slit mouthed woman walking between him and Rain. They stayed in silence until Rain kicked open the bedroom door. Aiden moved the slit mouthed woman into the room first, then curled his middle finger, the apparition turned right, giving him a clear view of the inside room. He straightened his index finger as he entered, leaving only his middle curled. The apparition continued to turn rightwards on the spot, until he released the finger when it was facing him and Rain. If there was an indication that Rain could see it, she gave none, instead she studied the corpse still laid on the bed. Aiden had once seen a picture of a dead seagull, its flesh rotted off, leaving behind a skeleton covered in feathers and a stomach filled with plastic trash. That was what the man in front of him looked like. A seagull choked on plastics and human trash until it was filled to bursting, then died unable to eat a single thing more. The corpse drying away in the sun. Looks like the Pacific Threat got him. She turned to him. Looking at him and not at all at the slit mouthed woman beside him. Ive never gotten a clear explanation on what that is. Rain couldnt see her. Not a surprise, humanity has long lost the right to name or describe it, Aiden said, acting completely natural as he stepped up to the corpse. Its better if you dont know, this man mustve accidentally uttered its- Aiden felt pain in his right arm, the scent of acrid trash that drowned out the salt of the ocean. Islands and islands of garbage piled higher than the greatest mountains. Waiting. He knew what it was. The original Aiden Bu knew, everyone knew it and had to remember it. Humanity already lost the right to name or describe it, they could not, must not lose the right to remember it too. He was so focused on the Slitted Decapitator and Rain that he had slipped for the briefest moment, and almost said something that wouldve killed him. Choked him with discard and dried him out like a gull on the beach. Now Aiden ignored the other two as he turned his finger into a claw and proceeded to dig out the trash that had appeared under his skin. The sting of the disinfectant only served to further his focus. Son of Fire, this man died in his sleep, Rain stated. Aiden almost didnt answer, but he knew its conditions, everyone had to. And? She chuckled, I see. How she found humour in this situation Aiden couldnt understand, and he was literally incapable of fearing death at the moment. He wiped away some disinfectant that dribbled down his sleeve. You seem rather unbothered by this. You forget even immortals die. His soul has returned to the cycle of reincarnation, as will mine one day, she paused. Or maybe it wont. I dont know if your world has a cycle of reincarnation. It is certainly backward in that regard. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Rain entered the kitchen, rummaging the cupboards for something. He followed, fingers curling to manoeuvre the slit mouthed woman to follow after him. It must be nice to know where you go after you die. Not really. It means you know you are repeating an eternity of mistakes. There is no end. Then she put an electric kettle on the stove. That is not how you use an electric kettle. Heat will boil water, I assume that is true in this world too? she challenged. Yes but why are you trying to make tea? he asked with an exasperated tone. I desire it, bereft of Breath it may be. In a house currently filled to the brim with trash, where a desiccated corpse is laying just a room over. Aiden rolled his eyes, reaching past her, he grabbed the kettle and placed it on the charging base. The kettle could be calibrated to a specific temperature, and from the scent of the tea Rain was holding, Aiden judged the best temperature and set it at that. There, now please wait a moment. He fished a few cups from the cupboards as Rain took a seat. Since Rain couldnt see the slit mouthed woman, Aiden turned it off by swiping across his palm from the pinkie to thumb direction. It moved every time Aiden curled his fingers, and was having a rather eclectic time as it tried to parse the garbled instructions Aiden was accidentally making as he used the hand. He sniffed the tea again. This would be the perfect moment to poison her. But would poison work? The Slitted Decapitator was his sure kill method, a copy of a true Boogeyman whose Priority level could even suppress healing. However it didnt work on Rain. That was somewhat expected, since Ranpo could not see the slit mouthed woman while Jun could. He did not bring it with the expectation of killing Rain, but to confirm beyond a doubt that Rain was not an ability user. All her feats were mundane in her reality. Her physical body was comparable to a Type II speedster, her five senses were comparable, if not exceeding his. Aiden had no idea how different her biology was, if poisons that worked on earth animals would even function on her. Not to mention most of his potent poisons were protein based, many of which would denature under the high heat of the tea. And that was all without accounting for whatever magic she was capable of. Considering if a poisoning was successful, where did that leave him? Completely losing the trail on the Scarlet Letter, unable to steal their NectarTM. And for what? An anger he had sealed inside of Puppet Rain? Aiden had looked at prices for health potions recently, and all had skyrocketed to insane prices. The supply and demand for mundane stuffs could survive an imminent war with Hell, but not ability produced things. Prices could take years to decades to stabilise. The kettle dinged completion, and he simply brewed the tea. Steeping it for a moment to let the flavour soak in before he poured a cup. Rain tapped the table, and he raised his eyebrow, You use that gesture as well? It is strange what similarities our worlds have, she said as she took a sip. We both tap our fingers to thank for poured tea, yet fundamental things differ so greatly. She flicked her hand as she took a third sip, pulling out a faded red feather from her ring. It resembled a peacock feather in shape, and looked rather well cared for. You are very good at brewing tea. Thank you, though I am a coffee man myself, he answered. Coffee? she frowned. How could anyone enjoy that black bog water? I add sugar. He didn''t disagree that coffee was black bog water. You better not extend that same treatment to tea, her voice took on a dangerous tone. When I learnt that this world adds sugars and creams to tea I almost slaughtered someone. That seemed excessive, I suppose someone forgot to tell you about boba and iced tea. Iced tea? she said incredulously. Tea is meant to be hot and- Her eyes suddenly narrowed. Your Gift allows you to create something at the cost of forgetting it, doesn''t it? Aiden tensed at the sudden change of subject. Why would I answer that? But you already have, she replied, sipping her tea. During our battle, you denied a path to victory because it would make you forget someone, or did you forget? He swiped the palm of his right hand again, this time from the direction of thumb to pinkie, summoning the slit mouthed woman again.
There was a big problem with the Umbrella, Aiden explained as he was writing. It didnt have an off state. The moment someone made contact with it, it would start draining their Hume to put the field up. That isnt a terrible thing, since it is a primarily protective tool. And that wont fly with this, Ranpo said. Jun wiped some sweat off her face, Was that a pun? Ignoring them, Aiden continued. Ill use the concept of a Tool as the lynchpin. Then code a bunch of commands linked to the fingers and the movement of the hand. He finished writing and showed the paper to them. Youll be borderline incoherent after this, Ranpo noted. Thats why I have the dictionary and you guys, he replied. Most of it is movement commands. Ill learn what right and left are again pretty quickly.
Index and pinkie were for forward and backwards movement. Ring and middle fingers were for turning left and right. The thumb made the summon let out that same fake call of distress that ensnared Aiden in the past. A fist made the slit mouthed woman place a zipper on an object before her. It was without a doubt the most complex creation Aiden had created up till that point. Even then, the slit mouthed woman would randomly attack anyone who reacted to her, with the exception of the wearer of the glove. Aiden could not override any of the original rules of the ability, directing it was the limit. Theres a copy of me somewhere out there, Rain murmured, gently stroking the red feather. I wonder if she is as strong as me. Ah! But dont tell me. She wagged her fingers, What is the term you use in this realm? I dont want to be spoiled. I dont understand you at all, he murmured. Dont be so tense, she said. And Ive already told you, though you have forgotten so I will tell you again. And she did. That feeling was alien, and yet he knew it. The Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass knew her death and had accepted it. She had no strong attachments to the world and would accept the end with welcome arms. Aiden held that same feeling, he wore his acceptance of death as a glove. So he turned the Slitted Decapitator off as he sat beside her, accepting the poured tea. Damn, he really was good at making tea.
Elsewhere Jun was panting on a cold steel floor. Her mask was sticky on her face, its paint faded and peeled. In front of her stood Puppet Rain with a single crease on her shirt. Fuck yeah! Jun threw up her arms. I landed a hit! Then she promptly collapsed. Chapter 54 Ramping Up 3, Revenge of the Power Scalers Chapter 54 Ramping Up 3, Revenge of the Power Scalers The manifestation of meta human abilities in Bulwark differs significantly from my own world. But knowing the respective sources of each, it only makes sense. They have more of a selection. C I. La, the Bamboo Hat Meister Juns own snores startled her awake. Blinking away her sleep, she pushed off a jacket blanket. Who put that there? her mind pondered for a moment before she sniffed herself. Eugh! She quickly got up from the cold metallic floor, heading to the gym showers. Meanwhile, Puppet Rain sat in a lotus position in the corner of the room. One eye blinked open, watching Jun leave, before it closed, and the puppet was still. | Juns breath came out in mist as he unlocked his bicycle. Just sit in the back as usual, he told the still figure beside him. Puppet Rain robotically sat on the carrier seat. They made an odd couple as they biked. The clouds were made of glazed ceramic that night, filtering the moonlight in an odd way. Unlike when he was Nightcore, Jun was silent, a lot more stoic as Daycore. Not slower or dumber, but more thoughtful and contemplative. I finally landed a hit on her, but it had no power to it. Im either fast enough to keep up with her, but too weak to do anything, or strong enough to trade blows but not fast enough to catch her. At a red light, Jun paused and read his messages. DarKing: Yo @SolJun, @Aiden1507, theres a new arcade spot, see you there at 5? Aiden1507: Sorry, I have something else lined today. WrenWood: Jun? (? ?`)? Those were from a few hours ago. WrenWood: Is Jun ok? They usually respond quickly (/أ) AspiringTubaSquire: THEY MUST BE TRAINING! A MOST NOBLE PURSUIT! AspiringTubaSquire: @SolJun can I join you? Aiden1507: How did you guess that? Yeah, they have been. Wrenwood: () Theyre doing secret training? Thats so cool! (????)? LuKing: Youve also been squirrelled away in the lab Aiden. Have you been practicing something as well? Aiden1507: Just testing some stuff. DarKing: Shouldve called us! We need practice as a team for the paintball Glass shattering dragged Jun out of his phone, just in time to see a masked thief emerging from a broken window, stuffing jewellery into a bag. Stay here, he muttered to Rain as he got off the bicycle. Hey! he yelled at the fleeing thief, Stop running! The thief turned to him and yelled, NAH! and continued running. Rolling his eyes, Jun took off his Daycore mask, bringing her left hand up to her face. The world slowed, and Nightcore Jun sped up to the man, booped him on the nose, then stopped in front of him underneath a streetlight. In slow motion, the man skidded to a stop. He looked behind him, where Jun was a moment ago, then at her. Wha- Hey did you- Did you just change forms, run past me and boop me on the nose? Yeah? Jun answered. Justdropthebag- The thief threw the bag at her, and she caught it in surprise. As she lowered it down, she saw the thief untying his shoes. Dudewhatareyoudoing? Resigning, looking up at her, the thief enunciated every word, I will no longer participate in organised crime. Before going back to untie his other shoe. Jun looked in the bag, finding it full of jewellery. Youre not even going to try to escape? she asked, confusion clear in her voice. Noteventry? The thief spent a moment looking at her as if she were stupid, and given that she perceived the world faster, it was a long moment. For what? he asked, before with an accusing point he said, You want me to look stupid dont you? What? she asked. No, I was surprised- He pointed behind him, to another streetlight, You wanted me to do the whole bit where I run back and forth, and every time you run in front of me until I fall on my ass in terror and TRY TO CRAWL AWAY LIKE A PATHETIC MOOK!? NAH, FUCK THAT! Im leaving with my dignity today! LookI- Ididnt- Look this is the first robbery Ive stopped; it wasnt what I was expecting- The thief threw his shoes at her. She couldve easily caught it, but she was in so much shock she just let it bounce off her. Whyareyouthrowingyourstinkinshoes? They were bought with stolen money. I shouldnt have them, the thief told her. Iliterallycouldnothaveknownthatinanyway. He pulled off his balaclava, and tossed it towards Jun, Wheres the police station? So, you are really trying to turn yourself in? Jun asked, realisation finally setting in. He took out a phone, searched for the directions to the nearest police station and left. Jun watched him go, then glanced down at the bag full of jewellery. How do I return this? She glanced around as if it would give her an answer, instead she saw crows staring at her from the top of the streetlights. She eyed them back, they seemed to be focused on the bag, but ultimately the crows didnt move. Shrugging, she returned to the store, called the police, and waited by Rain. Wait a moment, she realised, face turning a bit red. It looks like Im out on a romp with the Puppet. God damn it, why did it have to be that attractive? | Anyways, thats the story of how I stopped my first robbery, Jun said as she passed the basketball to a howling Darius. He almost fumbled it with how hard he was laughing, but still managed to get it past Luther and pass it over to Josh. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. YOU DID GOOD JUN! the Tuba congratulated as he dribbled the ball towards the hoop, easily passing Wren before going for the throw. Aiden jumped to intercept, his hand came short, but Oros leapt off his outstretched arm and caught the thrown ball. Now firmly in his hands, he threw it over Josh to the other side of the court. Jun moved to catch it, but slipped as Wren covered the floor with soap water. Both Luther and Darius leapt for it, but the ball sprouted origami wings in midair, pivoting away from Darius and landing cleanly into Luthers hands. He scored a clean goal. Hey no fair! Jun called out, no messing with the ball! Nobody ever ruled that, Aiden took the basketball with a cheeky smile, absorbing the bird back into his body as he took off the paper wings. Yes, we are! Ranpo, add it to the rulebook! Sure, sure, Ranpo rolled his eyes as he picked up a pen with his beak. Thumbs he muttered under his breath. Josh slapped Aiden on the back, EXCELLENT PLAY FRIEND! He paused as he felt his back, AIDEN MY FRIEND YOU ARE NO LONGER SKINNY! Aiden chuckled, Yeah, Ive been eating more and just generally working out more. YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE CONSTITUTION OF MERELY A HEDGEHOG! Josh paused, deep in thought. An otter! he yelled. We already have an otter girl in our class, Darius pointed out. Komodo dragon! Also taken, Jun called out, Scale dude. But Aiden also has scales, so it works out. A zebra? Doesnt work cuz. He doesnt have a long face anymore, Luther pointed out. Aiden touched his face, I have a long face? A llama, Josh declared. YOU HAVE THE CONSTITUTION OF A LLAMA! Makes perfect sense, Jun quipped. I couldnt have said it better myself, Ranpo added. Its an upgrade from hedgehog, Aiden agreed. But what was that about the crows anyway? Luther asked. Jun shrugged as she got the ball, I was hoping you two could answer that. Both Aiden and Ranpo were blank faced. I UNDERSTAND! Josh said, YOU USED YOUR CONTROL OVER CROWS TO MAKE THEM FIGHT CRIME! Aiden glanced at Ranpo. Ranpo glanced at Aiden. Yes, Aiden said, that is exactly what we did. | We should get them to help, Jun said as she lounged on a lab chair. Sit up, and no, Aiden replied as he scraped bacteria off a petri plate with a tiny metal loop, before he smeared it onto a water droplet on a glass slide. What is that? Jun asked as she sat up. If I did it right then its E. coli, Im preparing a gram stain as well as some other chemical tests to confirm it. Cant you just absorb it? Ranpo asked. I need to be absolutely sure these things are as they are written in the book, Aiden replied. Neat, and why cant they help with our other problem? Theyre our friends Jun, but that doesnt mean we should get them wrapped up in this, I still dont want you to be in this mess, but I cant stop you, Aiden replied as he flamed the metal loop with a Bunsen burner. Boohoo, they can help us. They do have extraordinary abilities, which you cant replicate, Ranpo pointed out. Are you ready for that responsibility then? Aiden asked. Jun paused. Bringing them into this could hurt them or place their lives in danger. Ya is a mystery, but he plays by the rulebooks. Rain however is an utter lunatic and wildcard. A polite, and maybe sometimes understandable lunatic, but she has no qualms about murdering someone, Aiden went on. Do you understand that? Are you ready for the worst-case scenario? Are you ready to live with the worst-case scenario? She had no answer. Have you told them about the Puppet? Aiden asked as he start dripping some purple looking chemicals on the glass slide. Jun shook her head. Good, the less they have to do with that the better. You suck, Jun said, taking out her phone. Aiden sighed, I know. He continued with his work in the silence. Placing the gram stain under the microscope, he saw the pink coloured rods, confirming it was a gram-negative bacillus underneath. He slid his chair to the bench with the other chemical reagents, beginning work on identification. You know Wren could make those chemicals, Jun pointed out. Aiden sighed. Wren is a good person, which is why I cant exactly go up to her and tell her Im practising making a biological weapon. Four did it, Jun said. Four is a professional and a teacher for an institution making human weapons and training child soldiers, he is not exactly going to say no to this, Ranpo replied. Ranpo, youre supposed to back me up on this, Jun complained as she leaned back in her chair. For getting them to help. But this? I agree with Aiden, we cant diminish what were trying to do. Its a biological weapon, Ranpo replied. You might not need it, Jun replied. The express purpose of a nuclear weapon is to never be used, that does not make the resulting Cold Wars any better, Ranpo answered. Hey! Ive been studying, I know what fallacies are now! Thats false equivalency! Jun shot back. If anything, it should be a strawman argument, Ranpo mused. And thats only if discounting the very real possibility Aiden actually creates something dangerous. It cant be allowed to spread, Aiden added. Whatever I make must be a surgical weapon, if it spreads from person to person in any capacity, then we are fucked. I refuse to become a second Shitala. Whos that? Jun asked. Hes the person who brought back super smallpox, Ranpo replied. Look him up on the S-Class Files. Sounds like he doesnt deserve that S-Class, Jun remarked. Well when you can cause a pandemic you get that rating either way, Ranpo said. Despite what Ranpo had said about the multi-headed monkey, Four had very pointedly given Aiden the mans file with a dont fuck this up look on one of his faces. He finished up his chemical identifications, all results matched the characteristics of E. coli. So, after washing his hands again, Aiden pressed a finger to the sample, and absorbed it. And froze completely as a barrage of information assaulted his mind. The memory of E. coli repeated a dozen, a hundred, a thousand, a million, then a billion times as he absorbed every single individual cell of E. coli from that corner of the petri dish. Fuck, he muttered. Aiden, you alright? Jun got out of her seat, standing beside him in a moment. He held his head, I- I am. It was just surprising. I need to double check something. He pressed his finger onto the blank corner of the petri dish and created E. coli. Nothing visible on that corner of the dish, and Aiden knew why, he only made a single cell of the bacterium. He put his finger in the other corner, still covered in bacterium, and absorbed. Aiden was hit by the memories once again, and they each overlayed onto each other until it was once again a single concept in his mind. And he pressed another corner and absorbed. This time he was slower. Aiden created a new E. coli cell every time he relearnt the concept, creating a thousand copies before he stopped and let the absorption combine the remaining number into one. He put his hands to his head, Holy shit. What happened? Ranpo asked. Every single cell of E. coli gave me back memories, Aiden replied. Oh, Ranpo paused. Oh. Holy shit. What are we holy shitting for? What am I missing? Jun asked. If his creations replicate, they are still considered part of his power, Ranpo explained. And it worked through dozens of generations. Is it just a product of binary fission or would it work with any type of reproduction? Aiden murmured. I should have kids, Ranpo said. What? Jun said. What? Aiden said. What? Ranpo said. Easiest way to test it out. Ew! Jun yelled as she tossed a pair of tweezers at him, which the crow easily dodged. Jun dont throw things in a lab. Ranpo if you have kids, I am not absorbing them, that is a few too many layers of fucked up for me, Aiden asserted. And that is saying something for him, Jun added, you didnt just make me grossed out, you made a person making a biological weapon grossed out. The crow rolled his eyes. Dont roll your eyes at me, Aiden said as he took stock of his remaining bacteria cultures. This changes things, I can have much more freedom in experimenting, itll speed up the process dramatically. You say that like its a bad thing, Jun pointed out. It is a bad thing, its not like with the regular animals I toss out. I want time. I want a lengthy process in which I can spend considering every factor. This discovery? Its a blessing and a curse he trailed off as he felt Dariuss power ping him. Did you feel that? Darius yeah? Jun said, checking her phone. Theyre in trouble, needs our help. And she disappeared. Aiden threw off his lab gown, washing his hands in record speed, Ranpo I need you to deal with the clean-up. I have it handled. And before I leave, do you think my face is long? Aiden asked. Dude, youre still thinking about that? Ranpo asked. Right, wrong time, Aiden replied and disappeared from the lab. And teleported to bright neon lights and blaring pop music, catching Jun at the end of a sentence. -so you guys werent in danger? What happened? Aiden asked as he looked around, seeing the rows of arcade machines. Darius grinned at him as he passed him his opened can of milkis coffee, Well, you guys havent been around the past few weeks after school. I figured we ought to get together like usual. Kept it as a surprise though! Aiden took the drink, Sorry, but Ive been busy. Thats why I confirmed with Jun beforehand that you guys werent! Darius cheerfully declared. Aiden glanced at Jun, who glumly said, Its true, he asked me if we were busy in chat, I told them no then ten minutes later they said they were in danger. Were you guys in on this? he glanced at Wren, Josh and Luther. I was cuz, Luther unashamedly admitted. Wren shook her head, as did Josh after he took off his tuba helmet. And Aiden let out a breath of relief, taking a sip from his coffee, You know what, Im not mad, wheres the pinball machine? Darius laughed, Thats the spirit! Chapter 55 Without You Part 1 Chapter 55 Without You Part 1 and it is with the understanding that Law is a weapon, that we enshrine this Living Concept into our Constitution. That it is not a decision-making body in either the Executive, Judicial, or Legislative branch, that its values are not representative of our values. That it is an idea made to be broken C The notes of High Justice Mute So, theres nothing? Ranpo yelled over the loud music of the arcade. Nope! Darius answered as he blocked a high-speed puck, returning it to Joshs side. I even brought his bag The crow dipped his beak into the can. Thank you very much for that, Ranpo. Turning to Darius, Aiden asked, and where did you even find canned water? Josh slammed the puck into Dariuss goal. Good one! he cheered, before answering, Bleed contingency stuff, in case plastic and glass dont work out. Aiden paused for a moment, that statement felt familiar, though he couldnt grasp from where. Shrugging, he instead put down the plastic gun of the sniping shooter, I give up, cant beat superspeed. Ohcomeon! Jun waved her own sniper rifle, One more round! Luther leaned on the machine, How is your score this shit cuz? This isnt even a superspeed difference, you barely hit anyone. Aiden shrugged as he stepped back, gesturing Luther in, I guess I dont have the reflexes for it. Hes lying, Jun told him, I once saw him catch a fly with a straw he turned into a chameleon, I bet hes holding back to be nice. A chameleon is specifically adapted to catching flies, Aiden replied as he counted his arcade tickets. It was enough to buy two pieces of candy and was significant profit for the arcade given the numerous coins he spent playing rounds. Wouldnt you be better off on the wheel? Jun asked as Luther picked up the plastic rifle. Luck manipulators are categorically banned, Luther shrugged. And the chances are so rigged that cheating gets caught easily anyways. A loud clanking signalled Josh getting another goal on Darius. This is getting a bit unfair my friend, the tuba said, Perhaps I should swap with Luther? Luther groaned as Juns score easily and quickly outstripped his own, Agreed. Yeah, but itll get boring if you constantly only interact with other brute types, Darius said. Social studies thing, power cliques tend to lead to segregation and stuff. Really? Jun called out, she disappeared for a moment before returning with a drink from the arcade counter. Did you really just go get a drink and- With a smug smile Jun shot the last enemy on her side. Yeap. Maybe we should go back to basketball, Wren suggested. Arcade games arent really good for our power-to-power matchups. Looking at his lightened wallet, Aiden agreed. I dont really want to mess with all these expensive machines with my power. Ok, arcades a miss then, Darius agreed. Theres a ball court a few blocks from here, actually we can also try tennis while were there Dariuss voice faded away as Aiden turned to face the side. Theres a Gate opening, he murmured. Darius paused, Where? Jun jolted up, Oh, Im sensing it now. One by one they turned to the wall Aiden was facing. Were not in it, thats for certain, Aiden focused. Doesnt feel that big Spread class seems to be Dark or Vlam currently, but its getting bigger. Josh climbed onto a machine and loudly clapped his hands, CITIZENS! THERE IS A GATE OPENING FROM THAT DIRECTION! SPREAD CLASS SEEMS SMALL BUT MAY EXPAND! PLEASE SEEK SHELTER! The arcade goers glanced towards the wall, then quickly finished their games as they started moving out. The arcade clerk rushed to the PA announcer, turning off the music and repeating Joshs words over the entire mall. More people started leaving in orderly queues. Aiden took his bag from Ranpo. I know where a balcony is, follow me, Darius rushed out, and the crowded parted to let them all through. They arrived at the balcony without much trouble, overlooking the shopping district. Darius started rifling through his drinks bag, Theres probably a bunch of people caught in it, goddamnit why did I waste your summons today? Stop, all of you, Aiden said, and they all paused. I know what you want to do, and were not doing it. Were neither licensed for this type of work, nor experienced enough. Weve done our due diligence, and dont need to continue further. Let other people handle this. Didja hear what Darius said? People are caught in it! Jun yelled. Aiden quickly checked his bag, his rope, med kit, origami, and mask were all present. He took out the mask, And they could be completely fine, Gates are random like that, we dont owe Aiden trailed off as he counted the heads. Five people before him. Wheres Josh? His ears caught a distant battle cry. As he turned, he saw the sun glint off the golden brass of a massive tuba being worn on a familiar figures head. That motherfucker, he whispered. Aiden quickly flipped over the railings, feet sticking perfectly to the wall as he put on his toti mask, Stay here! He threw out a rope tentacle that grasped a nearby tree, pulling him forward. Ohyourenotdoingthatshittome! Jun yelled as she threw her head over the balcony. Saw the height, then wisely decided to disappear towards the stairs. Aiden made it to the next roof, moving from one to another as he chased after Tuba. He wasnt fast enough to catch up. So instead, he tried something else. Before he had only used full limbs on his body. Limbs that were far out of proportion and could not express full freedom of movement with his body. Now he manifested lines of pure muscle fibres, red tattoo streaks that covered his skin, chosen to match the length of his own muscles. Aiden leapt and flew, he stumbled onto the next roof. His strength far higher than he was used to. Both of his legs ached under the sudden strain, but it was bearable. He took a moment to breathe and adjust, then moved. Buildings disappeared as a blur under him, he moved faster than he had ever before. Stumbling more than a few times, but he was always able to recover. Josh made it to the borders of the Gate. Then Jun, who poked her tongue at him. Unlike him, they were true physique powers, who were more than used to applying their powers this way. Aiden arrived to see Josh poking the Gates borders with a stick. THE STICK APPEARS FINE! he proclaimed. The stick test? Aiden said between heavy breathing, I thought that stuff was pseudo-science. NAY FRIEND! IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE A GATES REACTION TO BIOLOGICALS! Aiden wiped some sweat off his forehead, Trees cant even be considered human-adjacent, a small rat would work better. I feel fine! Jun added from within the Gate. Seems like a low Disruption class, might be a near-earth reality. Experimentally Aiden dipped his toes into the Gate. He felt the change in reality, saw Oros tail tip turn to plants as his Hume was slowly drained, but that was about it. He stepped fully into the Gate, following the other two. Be quiet, he said as he held his ear. No sound of screaming or action, someone mustve caught the announcement because people are moving. He heard a loud whirring, turning back, he saw Wren flying in with Ranpo on a large jetpack powered by four rotor propellors. You guys are mean! she yelled as she landed. She cracked open a red soda can, and Darius appeared right beside them. The teen took a sip of the soda, Thanks Wren. Also, that was pretty hypocritical speech Aiden given that you had a mask ready and everything. Jun furiously nodded, Iknowright! What speech? Josh asked. Hes weird like that, Ranpo said. Aiden rubbed his brow, Fine, were doing this, I guess. But do me a favour and wear a mask. The police arent going to arrest you but its polite to pretend. FEAR NOT! Josh replied, his voice carried a reverb from being yelled from inside a tuba. THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS OF THE TUBA FAMILY! I COULD BE ANY ONE OF THEM! I already have one, Jun gestured at her Nightcore mask. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Wren ripped a page from her notebook, Heavens Door. It changed to a pair of simple, and matching domino masks; she handed one to Darius before wearing her own. Prioritise your own lives, dont play hero. If you see danger, then run, Aiden said. There were serious nods all around. Darius turned on his phone, bringing up a facetime of Luther and holding him up, Phones are still working so Luther can luck us all up. Ill luck you guys in order of durability, Luther on screen turned to Wren, Wren, get started on the Bleed testing kits. On it, she said as she turned two more pages into a pair of suitcases, each filled with various chemical tests, small electronic and mechanical devices, biological substances, and a myriad of other tests. Jun nudged Josh, And you tried a stick. These tend to get outdated after a month anyways, Wren added as she tested a few chemical reactions. Luther turned to Aiden, Aiden, you and Ranpo are on overwatch, use your enhanced senses to keep track of the evacuation and communicate changes. Aiden raised an eyebrow at the order, Got it. Jun and Josh, crowd control. Jun go door to door and make sure everyone is moving, Josh if someone acts out of line then throw them back in. Wren, can you cuz? She handed Darius a page from her notebook, which turned into a box of earpieces. Thanks, Darius said as he passed them each an earpiece and a Quokka Quola can. Aiden put his on, as well as helped Ranpo wear his. If both phone and earpiece fails you can summon me for more rudimentary communication or if you need an extra body for help. You can also use me to get any item from Wren. Be liberal about the summons, cuzs power is good for mobility, and if he doesnt drink the can then he wont get hurt from a hit, only sent back, Luther added. Ill conserve all my Hume for lucking you guys up. When youre depleted, contact me again. We all got this? They all nodded. Then go! Aiden moved towards a good vantage point he had spotted earlier. Hey, Ranpo called out beside him, I recognise those crows. He followed his eyes, Give them a warning as well, its dangerous here. Why? We can use them, Ranpo said before splitting off from him. He cawed out to the crows, landing beside them, and quickly reached an agreement. Payment for services rendered. The crows split, and the earpiece blared to life with Ranpos voice, We have more eyes in the sky. Aiden reached a vantage point at the top of the building, eyes scanning the ground. Jun rushed by, searching every store and building before moving on. Theres a flipped car by one of the alleys, Aiden called out, Josh do you have first aid skills? A TUBA KNIGHT IS WELL EQUIPED IN BOTH MIND AND BODY! I got a first aid kit from Wren. THAT WOULD HELP! Josh made it to the car crash, cracking open the can and summoning Darius who handed him a first aid kit before they extricated the two people trapped inside. They were fine, just rattled, once out Darius handed Josh another can before slapping himself and returning to Wren. 2nd street, Ranpo called out, Old lady in a wheelchair. Aiden glanced at the spot Ranpo pointed out, but it was behind a building and in his blind spot. I got it! Jun soon rushed out from behind the building pushing the old lady, handing her off to another civilian who helped push her the rest of the way. Aidens eyes looked over the main evacuation, orderly, not a rushed stampeded like he was half expecting. But then again those were expectations of his old world, not of this significantly more insane one. He got a message from his phone; Luther had just finished lucking both Wren and Darius. LuKing: Want some chocolate? He replied, going through all of Luthers conditions and letting him roll down the digital dice they used as a medium. | Jun yelled into a restroom, Anyone in there! Were in a Gate! Finish shitting! She heard someone hurriedly wiping. What were you on your phone? Evacuation is outside, Gate seems pretty safe so far, but dont bet on it! Then she started moving again, the world passing by in slow motion as she kept yelling, Gate! Start evacuating! She found a lost child inside of a supermarket. Wheres mom? he asked. I dunno but we gotta get you out of here quickly! She picked him up and rushed out towards the main crowd. There was a woman calling out in slow motion, Is this your kid? Her face turned bright with recognition, Joooooooohhhhhhnnnnnaaaa- Muuuuuu- the kid reached out to her from her arms. She shoved the child into his mothers arms, All in a days work, dont worry! Jun keep an eye on your Hume, Aidens voice said as she cleared four more buildings. Last I checked youre not good for long stretches of such sped time. She slowed to a stop, Its alright! I can keep up 2 times all the time, Im just doing 8 times now! Nowhere near time stopping. Its just 2 times but more! That math is only technically true, Ranpo replied in his dry voice. KNOW YOUR LIMITS! Josh yelled so loudly that she heard it echo from a few blocks away. Dont worry! Ive been practicing! Her bouts with Puppet Rain needed her to keep a minimum of such a speed. We need to focus on speed anyways! Unlike them, a normal human would get changed only a moment after being in a Gate, and the Bleed would only get worse the longer they were inside. She had to be fast. Jun found a duo helping a one-legged man on crutches, she got the man on a piggyback and rushed out, before returning to the other two and directing them out. Her breathing was getting heavy as she rushed through building after building, eventually she had to pause for a moment. God I shouldve listened to Trist, she muttered between heavy breathing. Time was still sped up, it allowed her to recover faster, though it made no difference to Jun. She rested a minute in her perception, which was only a few seconds in reality, before she continued on running. She rushed into a building, yelling Evacuate! Theres a Gate Jun paused as she took in the scene, a large number of civilians were sat on the ground, each holding a grenade in their hands. Armed masked men surrounded them. There was a man who appeared nude but was covered head to toe in some sort of TV static looking paint held a smoking gun. A woman in a suit lay dead on the ground beside him. She was a bank teller. I thought we agreed no killing! one of the masked men yelled at the painted man. Shut up, the painted man replied, the fucking capes are heeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrreeeee Time froze. Bank robbery! she yelled into her earpiece as she rushed the painted man. The other men showed signs of anxiety, worry. They were normal baseline humans, who knew they were in a Gate. The only person unworried was the painted man, he was the only metahuman here. He was almost frozen as Jun reached him, readying a punch like Trist taught her, directly aimed at the chin. Her fist sunk into the man. Her hand turned two-dimensional on his skin, Jun realised upon closer inspection, the staticky looking paint on the mans body wasnt static, but numerous painted items and objects overlayed and mushed so closely they looked undifferentiated from a distance. The man moved, slowly raising the gun towards Jun. She moved to bat the hand away, but paused before contacting his skin, instead stepping back and trying to pull herself free. There was some give as a bit of her arm was pulled out of his body, but not fast enough as the man pointed at her and fired. The bullet moved slowly however, about as fast as a fly, and she easily dodged it. With a final yank, she pulled her hand free. Jun leapt back, grabbing one of the bank pens and throwing it like a dart at the man. It sunk into his skin, turning two dimensional. Like a tattoo, she thought. Hes like Aiden, no. The exact opposite. She leapt back, time slowing back down. The man pointed a palm at her, and the pen shot back out towards her, she dodged it easily. Pen wasnt that fast, shes only a Type I speedster, the painted man said. The others raised their guns towards her. Time slowed again. Jun ran up to the painted man and grabbed his gun, her hand didnt sink in, good. She tried to yank it out of his hand, but his grip was iron. So instead, she turned to the goons. Her first chin strike landed cleanly, twisting the head. Even if she wasnt striking with more power from being fast. It was a knockout strike directed at a human weak point and she had all the time in the world to line up her punch. The first man began to fall, as did the second, then third, then fourth. By the time the first man fell to the ground, all eight goons were concussed and falling. What did you say? Wren asked. She mentally cursed, she said it too fast. Bank robbery! Casualties, hostages, theres a cowl! The painted man looked at the fallen men, scoffing as he grabbed a bag full of money. Useless. The bag was turned into a tattoo on his skin, layered on top of countless other tattoos. Ranpo, youve got overwatch, Aiden said. Jun cracked open Dariuss can, and the teen appeared right beside her. Oh, shit cuz, this is a situation. Get the hostages, Ill hold him off, Jun said. Cant we agree to let me go and I let these hostages go? the painted man asked, before he pointed his gun at a hostage and fired. Time slowed again, Jun grabbed a chair and batted it in into the bullet. Wood splintered as the bullet buried itself into the chair, and she slammed the remains into the mans chest. It was absorbed just like the pen. She grabbed one of the sharper splinters still floating in the air and stabbed it into one of his eyes. It turned into a tattoo on his eye. God damn it why are tattoos such a broad concept, she muttered. Time returned to normal. Darius helped one of the people up. Their grenades had no pins. He took it from their hand, holding the safety lever down as he stepped far away from them. He tried to throw it. It exploded the moment the safety lever rose. The person cracked open the soda can Darius had given them, and he reappeared. Jun! These things are rigged to explode instantly! Ya think!? she yelled back as the painted man fired into the crowd. She batted the bullets away with one of the stanchions, Stop shooting the hostages! What else are they forrrrrrr the moment the painted man opened his mouth, Jun grabbed a letter opener and rushed him. Angling the blade, she stabbed the inside of his mouth and drew blood. He had the same weakness Aiden had. The man fell back slowly, and she stabbed again, piercing his tongue, she pulled back and stabbed again. The third time the angle was bad, and the blade bounced off a tooth and touched his lip, getting absorbed instantly. Time returned to normal. The painted man grabbed his mouth as blood dripped out of it. Dropping his gun. Howd you like that!? The man screamed with his mouth closed. Not too mouthy now huh!? He reached for his gun, but Jun was faster, kicking it out of his reach. It was a feint however, as a fresh gun popped out his back and fired at Darius. Jun rushed and parried the bullet, just as the mans back exploded outwards with debris. Bikes, cups, fans, an avalanche of random crap that would make a hoarder jealous forced Jun backwards. Then she sighted the grenade hidden behind all of it, its safety pin in the midst of popping off. She moved. The safety pin popped off mere inches from her hand, but she grabbed the grenade and held down the safety lever. Looking around, the people were clearing out thanks to Dariuss direction, who had taken upon himself to hold every grenade they had, but not fast enough. There were still enough people in dangerous vicinity to the cowl. Jun ran to the window, making sure there was no one outside, and saw her reflection. She was running low on Hume. She couldnt afford to speed herself fast enough to assuredly dodge the grenade, not if she wanted to keep the cowl from hurting the hostages. She threw the grenade, hoping she was fast enough as is. It exploded as she jumped back. A piece of shrapnel slashed her cheek, a second buried itself in her left forearm, her hand was slashed to ribbons. She got out before the rest hit her. Nightcores regeneration kicked in quickly, but her left hand was out for the moment. The painted man turned to her with a smug smile, blood dripping down his chin. Jun picked up another stanchion, holding it like a bat with her remaining hand. Both it and Daycore were still up, but could she even really touch him to slow him down? She saw the background shift, turned grainy like an old photo. Or Aidens cephalopod camouflage. A brownish light green snake bit into the painted mans side. Actually bit into him. Juns mind paused in shock before she realised, You have higher Priority! The cowl reacted quickly, a sword spun out of his arm, decapitating the snake, and slashing towards Aiden, Jun was faster, parrying the blade with the stanchion. They both leapt back, creating distance. Aiden reabsorbed the remains of the snake, leaving only a cut piece of rope. That was an inland taipan, tell me thats one of the more venomous ones. She whooped, Fuck yeah it is! The painted man tore off the head of the snake, holding his side in pain. Jun raised her fists, We got him now! Lets jump him! No need, hell die without antivenom, and only Notebook can provide it at this moment, he said loudly. She looked at him, mouthing, Thats what Wren named herself? And they say my names are bad, he mouthed back. So, sit tight, Aiden said. You wont die immediately, so we can wait until youre in cuffs. The painted man gritted his teeth as he held his side. Fuck that, he grunted. Jun help Darius with disarming the grenades, Ive got him. Shouldnt I stay here? Peoples lives take precedence, theyve already spent too long inside a Gate, who knows what horrific side effects they may experience. Get them out, Aiden replied. He has a ton of shit on him, be careful, and she left. The man stood up, leaning on a wall as he clutched his wound. Tentacles animated themselves around Aiden. I was being kind when I told you to stay still, I am the type of person to go for the kill immediately. Funny thing, he chuckled as he got up, same here. Chapter 56 Without You Part 2 Chapter 56 Without You Part 2 ...and we retain the right to declare our independence from Law and all other Living Concepts enshrined within. - The notes of High Justice Blind Blood dripped down the painted mans chin. Both men circled each other warily, Aidens enemy was poisoned, clutching his wound, but still conscious. Aiden briefly considered running, acting defensively while the poison killed the man. But Johnjohnjohnjohns brutal lesson sparked Aidens decisive decision. Augmented legs brought him beside the painted man in an instant, ropes exploded onto him. His enemy responded in kind as he expelled more junk, throwing off the initial assault and creating a smoke screen. An explosion of noise was all Aiden heard as hundreds of bullets shredded through the trash right towards Aiden. His enemy kept firing his minigun in the general direction of him, ceasing only after a moment to watch the smoke clear. When it did, all he saw was a wall covered with bullet holes except for an untouched portion in the exact shape of a human silhouette, as luckily all of the bullets missed Aiden. Aidens clawed hand clipped his head, knocking his torso down as Aiden followed up with a knee strike to the chest. Breath escaped the painted man as he swung his minigun in a wide arc, drawing a line of destruction. Aiden was too slow, the barrel pointed directly into his chest. Luckily, the minigun jammed at this moment, and not a single bullet touched him. Luck manipulator, the man realised as Aidens leg slammed the minigun into the floor, his powerful, slashing, anteater claws carved a brutal scar in the miniguns barrel. The painted man discarded it in an instant, swinging at him. Aidens tentacles caught his extended fist just as a sawblade spun out of it, shredding his ropes and luckily missing his face by an inch. A sword slashed out the painted mans chest, Aidens mouth bled as Oros caught it with its mouth inches from his neck. The painted man was slowing down as he discarded the sword and leapt back. Aiden easily caught up with him, tearing through a large pillow. A flying knife nicked his shoulder as one of Aidens last tentacles caught the enemy by the waist and drew him close before a couch flying out of his back loosened it. Aidens fist slammed into his cheek, his claw slashed his chest. But something was weird, neither of the two blows felt right. The painted man grabbed his outstretched arm with a smug smile, belying his previous physical weakness as he slashed Aidens chest with a knife and followed with a stab at his chin. Luckily, when the sawblade crashed into the ceiling it dislodged some debris that now fell and struck the blade, slanting an assured strike into a small cut along Aidens jaw. Aiden slammed the arm grabbing him with an empowered fist, freeing him as he leapt back. There was a pause as Oros brought the severed inland taipan head to him. Absorbing it, Aiden realised something very wrong. The bite wound wasnt bleeding despite the venoms effect. None of the wounds Aiden left on him were bleeding, there were barely any marks at all. Cats outta the bag I guess, the painted man smirked as from his chest, right were Aiden slashed him, a torn wooden table fell out. The overlap between their abilities were only tattoos, so he couldnt turn any of Aidens creations into tattoos, but there still existed a layer of the crap hed previously absorbed on his skin that acted as armour. The inland taipan never bit him. The painted man surged with hume as his hand reveal finished. It was minor, as the effect was already suspected, but at that moment, both came to the same conclusion. I cant beat him. He cant beat me. Without Luther Aiden would be dead four times over, and he wasnt aware if he had already expended all the luck Luther had given him. The enemys ability also significantly outclassed him in defense and offense except perhaps at close range. Due to how dense and multilayered his tattoos were, it was also difficult to guess what equipment he had. The man might as well as have hammer space. Hey dont think about running, the painted man said, teeth red with blood. Ive still got hostages. Aiden scoffed. Hostages? Where? The man pulled a gun and shot one of the concussed and knocked out goons on the floor. Make another move and I shoot him again. Beneath his mask, Aiden frowned, He is your ally. He tapped his notebook, drawing hume as he created a tattoo at the same instant, fast enough that the painted man didnt notice a change in Oros body. The tattoo ran down the back of his leg, out of sight. He shrugged, You forced me to do this, if you didnt bother us he would be with me home free with the money, helping his family live a decent life. Its your fault. Now hands up. Aiden lifted his hands up, the floor was covered in debris and trash from everything the painted man expelled, he controlled the tattoo to move under them, hidden.Is that what you tell yourself? What I tell myself? Its simply truth, cause and effect. Its your fault he got shot, and because youre mouthy, its your fault that I killed him. And he shot the goon in the head. Aiden watched with blank eyes as the man sidestepped the blood and brain matter, casually pointing the gun at the head of another goon. His message was clear, he had seven more. A thin smile ran across Aidens lips. Want to kill someone else? the painted man asked. Not satisfied with taking only one life? I will enjoy this, Aiden said, as the Overpowered Dominant Formidable Tough Tyrannosaurus Rex tattoo deformed the floor under the man into the shape of a snapping jaw, forcing a pained scream out of his throat as the dinosaur bit into him like a vice. Aidens tattoos capacity to deform materials into their shape depended on their own physical strength, his physically weaker spawns required bodies made to match their shape, and took time to fully break into the right shape. The t-rex that had the strongest bite known to man, further buffed by Aidens concepts, had no such requirement. More and more of the dinosaur slid out of the floor, rising like a beast emerging from a lake, its tail remained attached to Aidens leg from the floor, granting him control over it. The dinosaur slammed his prize into the ceiling, easily crashing through to the second floor, throwing its head like a dog might with a chew toy. I got him, Aiden said into the earpiece. He walked with a slid as to prevent his left foot from leaving the ground and breaking contact with the t-rex. Tearing apart the extendable dividers of the stanchions, he remade a few tentacles, pulling the knocked out goons towards him. Yes, prioritise the knocked out ones. Suddenly, the front of a bus slammed into the upper jaw of the dinosaur, the moment it widened, the painted man slid out, the entirety of the bus slamming down beside him. Blood leaked out of his waist, proof the t-rex bit through all his tattoos and touched the flesh beneath. As Aiden maneuvered the dinosaur to snap at him again, the end of a rocket emerged from his feet, blasting him through a window. Aiden let the tail of the t-rex animate fully, ripping itself out of the floor and throwing him onto the dinosaurs back, they slammed through the wall just in time to see a jetpack torn by the t-rexs teeth crash into the ground. The painted man cycled through numerous flying machines, all of which had been damaged when the t-rex bit him, until finally he just decided to rely on the one rocket on his foot to fly blindly through the street. Aiden gave chase, but the t-rexs large legs misled him. The dinosaur could not catch up. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Far ahead, Darius, who was in the process of locking the grenades with clamps Wren had made, looked up, just as the painted man dropped a live grenade on him. The grenade set off numerous secondary explosions as the other grenades went flying, Aiden raised the top of the t-rex to guard, but thanks to the distance none caught him. They ran through the smoke to see him getting closer to the edge of the Gate, where the evacuated people gathered in crowds and Josh was helping by carrying several people. The tuba turned to see the painted man. He threw a bomb, then immediately doubled back towards Aiden. Aiden threw out a bird origami animated with a fast white-throated needletail that intercepted bombs, then a speedy Eurasion hobby that caught explosives, then a swift Mexican free tailed bat that grabs incendiaries. Josh leapt for it, as did a black shadow from above as Ranpo dived. None of them were fast enough, as the bomb landed in the middle of a crowd. None of them were fast enough, except for someone within the crowd itself. An ordinary citizen saw the bomb fall and caught it, she screamed at everyone to duck as she threw the bomb into the air. As it exploded, she, who remained standing took the most damage. The painted man stabbed Aidens gut. Aiden saw him coming, he recognised that the painted man was aiming at him. He couldve dodged, he couldve swapped his muscle tattoos for more defensive ones, he couldve done a million things to prevent it. But still he spent all his focus trying to catch the bomb. Another idiot with hero syndrome, the man whispered as he ripped Aiden off the dinosaurs back. Holding him the air with the dagger as he orientated the rocket so that he slammed Aiden into a concrete wall. Then with a flick, threw Aiden to crash into the ground below. The man landed beside his crumpled body, If you want to blame someone, blame yourself, if you lack the self awareness to do that, blame the world for being terrible Hearing loud thumps, he turned to the side, seeing Josh running towards them chased by a maddened t-rex that was now without Aidens control. Come forward anymore and I will kill him! the painted man yelled. TRY IT! Josh Tuba screamed in return. YOU CANT KILL HIM IN A WAY THAT MATTERS! Well, you asked for it, he shrugged as he pointed a gun at Aiden. Only to see a blur as Jun grabbed Aiden. | Jun was helping a man onto an ambulance when she heard the explosion. Her earpiece was a babble of noise and useless chatter, so she ran towards the action. Passing the people giving emergency first aid to the woman who caught the bomb, passing Ranpo as he flew enraged to the source of the attack. Reaching Josh as he punched the head of the t-rex, drawing its ire, just as the painted man landed beside Aiden. Josh saw her, and nodded. She nodded back, and time slowed down. Tuba led the dinosaur on a chase towards the enemy and away from the crowds. Come forward anymore and I will kill him! TRY IT! YOU CANT KILL HIM IN A WAY THAT MATTERS! Well, youuuuuu Time slowed to a halt as Jun reached Aiden, wincing in horror as she saw his She tried her best to hold him without exacerbating his wounds, then ran back as Tuba engaged the enemy. She ran. She ran as fast as she could, time was sped up for her, yet every step seemed slow, a distance she had traversed dozens of times already suddenly seemed monumental. As if no matter how fast she ran, she was still back at that day, where no running could let her escape. And yet, she still ran, swallowed her fear, swallowed her horror, swallowed her worry. When she burst through the Gate, she gently laid Aiden down on an ambulance stretcher as time sped back up. Paramedics went to work around her, having already dealt with patients she had brought back. But they were too slow, Jun knew that they couldnt do anything except stabilise him. Aidens regeneration was working, but it was weaker than hers. She looked at her right hand, where Daycore remained a symbol, could she slow him down to a halt? Give him more time? But Aiden was a metahuman, his innate resistance meant she would spend many times more hume to affect him. She would be giving her life for him. Prioritise your own lives. Follow your own goddamn advice, idiot. Oros looked up oddly at her, coiled tightly around Aiden, ready to act as his final protector, and prepared to be there when he passed. Jun took off her Nightcore mask. She didnt return it to a symbol on her hand, instead she reached to place it on Aiden. Not to simply speed him up, as the symbol did, she wanted to give Nightcore. This better work. As the mask touched his face, it changed. Morphing as it travelled up Aidens face before coalescing on his ear as a stud earring. A simple black circle with a crescent moon symbol. Aidens body shifted in much the same way as when she put on Nightcore, and Jun saw his body healing. Bruises disappearing, cuts closing, bones snapping back in place. As she manifested Daycore as a mask, she saw that while it was battered, cracked and peeling, her hume wasnt being spent. Instead, the relatively still topped up body of Oros began to shift as it was covered in plants, and Aidens hume was spent to power his regeneration. | CAR! Josh yelled as he threw a car at the man. The speedster already tried this, he replied as the car turned into a tattoo on his body. Josh stomped the asphalt, ASPHALT ROCK! Cracking the road and throwing one of the pieces at the painted man. He responded by launching that same car at him. Josh punched it, smashing through the vehicle. Absorption nullifies all momentum, it seems he can throw it back with the same speed. Rushing past the man, the roaring t-rex made a snap towards him. As the painted man dodged the dinosaur, Josh thought, Hes still afraid of Aidens ability, might be the only thing that can bypass it. MANHOLE COVER! He grabbed a manhole cover and threw it at him like a discus. It wont work, he mocked as he absorbed it too. IT DOESNT MATTER IF IT DOESNT WORK NOW! Josh yelled back. YOUR HUME MUST HAVE A LIMIT! YOUVE BEEN IN THIS GATE THIS ENTIRE TIME AND FOUGHT MY COMRADES! He grabbed a postbox, I SIMPLY NEED TO KEEP HITTING YOU UNTIL IT STICKS! POSTBOX! This time the man didnt have a pithy comment as he absorbed it. You wouldnt last that long. Josh mentally smirked, He believes me. He didnt need to defeat him, Jun got Aiden, everyone was evacuated, there was no need for this fight to continue. He was only buying more time for them. I WILL CHASE YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH! Josh screamed back in response. And who wouldnt believe that? The image his family cultivated was that of over the top madmen and women. T-REX! The man turned in shock as the extremely loud and clad in tubas Josh had drawn enough attention for the t-rex to sneak up on him. The painted man fired upon it, bullets riddling its face and eyes, making it miss him. When he turned back, the Tuba was gone. Without Aiden, the creature was a dumb beast, and the painted man continued firing upon it. But even though his automatic rifle drew blood through all the toughness Aiden had granted it, even as the painted man kept just out of its reach, it did not flee, it did not whimper, it did not fall. It was a dominant creature, and it refused to die. The painted man could only reabsorb his gun in frustration before turning to run. ROAD ROLLER! The painted man turned to the direction of Joshs voice, only to see a voice synthesizer that Wren had made. The actual Josh threw a road roller from the other direction. The massive vehicle slammed into his back, absorbed in an instant. Josh tsked, It must be a toggle rather than reaction, even when hes not paying attention he absorbs things. The size of the object also doesnt seem to matter. I thought I told you that wouldnt work! AND I TOLD YOU I WONT STOP UNTIL YOU CEASE EXISTING! You fuckers, Ive already wasted enough- A figure slammed into the ground beside them. He wore martial robes, his face was covered by an old and cracked fox mask. Josh turned to Jun, he met his gaze. I know what youre thinking Josh, but Im just here to work off steam. And Jun leapt towards the man. Daycore! More and more of you, coming out of the woodwork, he spat in frustration as he threw another debris wave at Jun. He slammed through it, fist raised. The man completely ignored the coming blow, calmly raising a gun and aiming it at Juns face. And Juns fist connected, smashing into his stomach, blood and spittle left the painted mans mouth as he went flying, slamming into the ground and rolling a good few feet. Before he left Aiden, Jun had taken his Slitted Decapitator glove. The painted man had barely gotten back up before Tuba threw a street light into him. STREET LIGHT! Youre supposed to say it before you throw it! the man yelled at him. He dodged a wide swing from Jun just as Tuba threw a bin into him. As he prepared to attack Jun, Josh suddenly rushed him, his own fists raised. A flash of hesitation as he feared Josh could somehow bypass his ability as well caused him to divert the attack to the Tuba, just as Jun struck his back. A metal board with a fist imprint slammed into Jun, followed by a grenade, but Jun was timing his time slow, raising his durability just as attacks landed and immediately lowering it back down. The painted man turned to dodge Jun, but Josh swung a bench into his face, obscuring his vision for long enough that Jun landed another punch on his arm. The man screamed, and a massive amount of his tattoos exploded out of his body, forcing both of them to stop in their tracks through sheer mass. When both pushed through it, the man was running. Josh leapt after him first, GET BACK HERE! Jun, without Nightcore could only follow after him. Though Daycore improved his overall physique with speed included, the time slow largely overwrote it so that he was still slower than average even at the lowest time slow. Their enemy made good headway, confirming Juns suspicions that he didnt just have his tattoo power, but an improved physique on top. A crow cawed above them. As they turned a corner, the man paused. Ahead of them was a person. His mask remained the same, but his face was softer, his hair grew a bit but remained short, giving him an androgynous look. His clothes had completely changed though, he wore torn jeans and a baggy hoodie with the words MILI X HG on the sleeves. When Jun first saw it, it reminded him of grunge. It was Nightcore Aiden, and he rode an extremely pissed t-rex. Chapter 57 With You Chapter 57 With You But let it not be forgotten that Law came to us in a moment of need. That it too is an enemy of one of the Five Threats. Only together can we stand against the corrupted Concept that calls itself Democracy. - The notes of High Justice Deaf Lu dreamt of ocean waves. His toes dug into the soft and sandy beach, watching the night sky covered in stars roll by. Yo, Bu waved at Lu. Been a while huh, Lu waved back. It has been, Bu sat down beside him. Youve changed a lot since last time. Lu shrugged, Not at all. Bu looked surprised, and the sands moved. They formed shapes, and tattoos covered them to show memories past. It showed him standing still, a passive observer as a man lost a foot and an army of fly like creatures escaped a Gate. A bystander to a world where other people did the work. Oh, you meant like that, Lu moved his hand. I havent changed, I just did something incredibly stupid. The sands moved and the tattoos changed, the old Mrs Jemina as she mowed down zombies in a final hurrah against the dying, the unnamed policeman who died to buy Aiden a bit of time, and most recently, a girl, who couldnt have been older than Bu was, catching the bomb and throwing it away to save the crowd. And then there was Jun, sitting by the table with him, looking expectantly as he tried their first attempt at cooking. I realised there were people worth saving, Lu said with a smirk. Its a very stupid thing to do, I dont recommend it for anyone else. Bu chuckled as he slapped Lu on the back, Well, good for you. | Ranpo winced as the t-rex roared. You couldnt have added an obey keyword or something, Ranpo muttered. Had to just make it super strong. Ill just keep touching it, I can control tattoos, that always works. His fairly decent mimicry of Aidens voice ended as he dodged a wide tail swipe. Glass shattered behind him as a concrete building dented from the force. He swooped the head of the t-rex, drawing its ire as he flew out of reach. He cawed to the surrounding crows, getting Juns and Joshs location before sending them off. Theyd been in the Gate for too long, and even he thought there were limits. Ranpo flew towards the fights direction, just slow enough for the t-rex to stomp implacably after him. Before frowning as he saw a figure step in front of them. Jun had communicated Aidens changes, but seeing it in person gave him pause. He had become a lot shorter, and stood with his head bowed. He flew faster, Aiden! Youre good? As he neared him, he heard Aiden chuckling. Hehehehehe Good? Im better than good. He threw up his arms, his face carved with a wide maniacal grin, I am GOD! Ok? Aiden blitzed past Ranpo. Sidestepping a massive bite from the t-rex before grabbing its cheek with a tentacle. The dinosaur tossed its head with Aiden on it, but he pulled the tentacle close and threw himself on the beasts head. The t-rex froze, before reorientating itself as Aiden established control. Onward my minions! Ranpo raised an eyebrow as he continued his path. First off if youre going to call me that, I should at least be upgraded to sidekick, and secondly, what? Did you hit your head or something? The t-rex roared, shaking Ranpo somewhat. It seemed to glare at its passenger. An impressive feat given the position of its eyes and Aiden. Aiden stroked it, carefully avoiding its bullet wounds, Feisty one, but dont worry. Well get our due, we will. Mehehehehe. Muahahahaha! Ranpo saw Aiden descend into maniacal laughter, which the t-rex joined in with a deep rumbling. He decided it was a problem for a future him, and continued flying pretending nothing was happening. They eventually stopped cackling, and Ranpo was in the midst of deciding if that was more concerning when he spotted the fleeing cowl. He cawed, and Aiden stopped on the intercept path. He pulled out a cleaver Wren had made for him, then with a thought, Axis, tool. Nothing manifested. The t-rex glanced quizzically at him, Shut up, Im not having performance issues. He tried again. Umbrella. Nothing, not even a spark of his ability activating. He ended up covering the blade with shark teeth when the painted man skidded to a stop before them. Aiden grinned at him, Remember us? His clothing warped, Aiden manifested half the skin of the honey badger, then through his bilateral symmetry trick, mirrored the other half and repaired it in his memory. He repeated this process until his loose hoodie was covered. Then he covered his shirt and jeans in his usual armour set up. His clothing turned rigid in places, though he sacrificed some spots for maneuverability, finally his actual skin was covered in muscle fibre. In a moment of inspiration, Aiden had amalgamated defense and physical boosts in one. Colorful, Stack. Josh picked up Jun, tossing him. The painted man dodged Juns fist before a tail swipe slammed him into the building. Josh! Aiden tossed him a baseball bat covered in scales. Couldnt you have gotten me a sword or mace? The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. No! You cant be cooler than mine! Aiden leapt off the t-rex, and all four rushed the painted man. Aiden reached him as he pulled himself out of the crater. His blade smashed into the back of his neck, knocking his face into Joshs bat. Aiden struck his back again, and the two ping ponged him, smashing them into each others hits before a trash can blocked Aidens blow. Jun arrived at that moment, fist smashing into his face. Aiden slashed his opened mouth only to hear a clang as the painted man put on a metallic mask. Tentacles grappled the cowl and Josh smashed the back of his head. Blades shot out, severing the rope, but all were heavily dented from their blows, flying in wild and easily dodged directions. Nevertheless, it forced both Aiden and Josh back for a moment. A rocket launcher began emerging from his hand before the t-rex stomped him into the ground. An explosion went off which knocked the t-rex back a step. But not Jun, as he hammered the man while he was down. Grunts of pain sounded out as Jun landed blow after blow before a literal train car slammed into his face. Jun was knocked to the ground as the train car fell on him. Spitting out blood, the painted man threw another train car at the t-rex while expelling the rest underneath, throwing him into the air on the improvised pillar. Aiden leapt onto train, sprinting up the vertical surface with Giant Octopus Suction Cups on his shoes. He jumped to the other side as a fridge flew past him. A rifle began firing at him, but Aiden moved to the side faster than the painted man could adjust. Circling the train as the bullets followed a breath too slow. He reached the top, and the cowl tried to knock him off with a street sign. Aiden caught the pole before leaping onto it. Tattoos shot down the length of the pole, reaching the painted mans hand and slamming them shut before he could toss the sign. Aiden drop kicked him, knocking him off the pillar and into the t-rexs waiting maw. The painted man threw a road roller onto the t-rex, landing hard onto the ground. He rose with a wince, glancing at the hand still clutching the stop sign, he expelled a layer of trash to get Aidens tattoos off and free his hand. Juns fist hit the back of his waist, knocking him into Joshs bat. Which in turn knocked him back into Juns fist. Not allowing himself to be trapped again, the painted man threw a couch at Jun, blocking the blow as he rushed Tuba with a claymore. Josh met blade with bat. But the sword was a feint as a bullet fired itself from the mans shoulder and dented his helmet tuba. Josh was knocked down and the painted man fled past him. Finally freed of the encirclement. The chewed up remains of a road roller slammed down inches beside him as he turned to see Aiden leap off the train. Manifesting a shield from Wrens paper, he covered it with numerous defensive tattoos before the t-rexs tail swipe slammed into it, launching him through the air. He rolled to break his momentum when he landed, and his armour absorbed the rest. Spinning past the painted man before he stabbed the asphalt with a claw, drawing a long line until he stopped fully and stood up. Once again blocking the painted mans escape. Can we talk about this? the painted man asked. My dog needs a new chew toy, Aiden grinned, and then vomited on the floor. Blood flecked his puke. Ah shit my insides. That move was a lot cooler in my head. You only get regeneration idiot! Jun yelled as he ran to catch up to them with the t-rex. Josh was already halfway there. Rule of cool demands sacrifice! Aiden yelled back, gurgling as he vomited again. The painted mans eyes hardened with desperation as he rushed the keeling Aiden. His honey badger hoodie softened a flying hammer, giving him time to react and vault over the car that followed. His shield blocked a flying saw and the painted man was on him. Nightcore slowed time to half, Aiden wasnt able to dial it any further, meaning he only got the most basic benefits of Juns ability. Twice as fast however, was plenty fast. Aidens shield slapped away a hot poker, a knife glanced off his hoodie, and his blade dug into the mans abdomen. The painted man countered by elbow and knee slamming his overextended arm. His hoodie sleeves ate the blow, and he drew back the blade and slammed it into his chin, knocking him back. Josh arrived at that moment, bat slamming into the painted mans ear. He screamed, and both of them were thrown back from the sheer mass of expelled trash. They saw the painted man rushing into an office building, his skin was clear as he had expelled all his tattoos in a desperate gamble to escape. Aiden moved to chase, before suddenly stopping in his tracks. Wren was yelling into the comms. Dont go into any buildings! Aiden saw in slow motion as the painted man entered the lobby. His skin started bubbling before he exploded, spraying gore everywhere. Dont enter buildings! Stay in an open area! Any enclosed space is dangerous! Wren repeatedly yelled into the comms. Well thats going to haunt my nightmares, Aiden said as Josh skidded to a stop beside him. Josh tapped his earpiece, Wren, what happened? The Bleed effect! I figured it out! Stay out of enclosed spaces, if you are already in an enclosed space then whatever you do dont exit! Calm down, Josh said, explain it slowly. Jun stopped beside them, looking at the well, it was in too many pieces to be considered a body anymore. Air pressure, Wren whispered. The Gates Bleed effect alters air pressure so that within an enclosed space, the air pressure drops drastically, and the difference is increasing as time goes on. Youre in a Jebel or Tectonic Gate. Josh paled, Oh I see. Its altering the external environment around us to be lethal, it doesnt matter how much Hume we have left if the air around us is the one being altered. Aiden chuckled, Byford Dolphin has nothing on this. He just died, Jun shivered. Aiden shrugged, Meh, were all hurtling towards death anyways. Anyone up for dinner? Jun looked at him, then at the flesh strewn across the lobby. What the fuck is wrong with you? | Darius looked over the menu, Exploded duck? Aiden can you read this? I dont think they translate it right. Ughhhhh. Aiden? Ughhhhhh, Aiden continued moaning as he laid on the restaurant sofa. My life is a series of constant suffering and struggle lit up briefly by moments of intense action that only make me momentarily feel alive. Darius glanced beside him. Jun? Oh you think just because Im asian I can read qin? he crossed his arms, And Im not eating something called exploded duck anyways. Im more so wondering about Darius gestured in the general direction of Aiden. You turned him into an angsty teen cuz, Luther finished for him. And not even the fun kind. There might be some personality quirks that become more pronounced due to my masks, he admitted. Its what happens with me. This world is fucked. Anyone who thinks about it for more than two seconds will realise the Gates will inevitably cause complete dimensional collapse. Or the literally infinite Hells drown us in bodies first, or maybe those brainwashing insane cultists across the sea, or maybe the asshole in the sea itself. Ranpo poked Aiden like he was some kind of zoo exhibit as Wren looked worriedly over him. Should we uhh she hesitantly began. Josh grasped the Nightcore earring, and tried to pull it off a limp Aiden to no success. Yeah figures, Jun stepped beside them, then with a light tug, removed Nightcore. No one but I can remove the masks. His body turned back to normal. Aiden blinked blankly at them, before slowly curling up into a ball. Luther poked the Aiden ball, Jun you said that would fix him. I did not say that, he retorted. Aiden rocked back and forth, I am so embarrassed I could die. I am god huh? Ranpo teased. You do a very good maniacal villain laugh, have you considered changing careers? Aiden silently screamed. Can you read this for me? Darius showed him the menu. Aiden took a quick glance, Its just peking duck. Aiden speak qin with the cashier, Luther thumbed the front desk. Get them to hook us up with the good stuff. Luther the cashier is an eight year old girl who is literally still doing her math homework, the cook in the back isnt even a chef hes just some guys ninth uncle who only speaks qanto. As if to prove him right, a loud swear echoed from the kitchen. Isnt that the authentic experience? he asked. Ughh, Aiden extended his hand, Gimme the menu. No meat for me, Jun said, Ive decided to go the way of Wrens ancestor and turn vegan. No peanuts for me! Josh added. Darius gestured at the fridge, Remember soft drinks. Chapter 58 Secrets and Seekers Chapter 58 Secrets and Seekers What do you mean I shouldnt overcomplicate this? Just shoot them?! HOW CRASS! Plotting is half the fun! - Megalovania, S-Class Supervillain. Four changed the mind of the third head, replacing it with something more inclined to the analytical. A train attacked, one dead metahuman, and a name on Ad Infinitum who no one remembers. Combat occurred, that much was certain from the damage and the breadth of powers involved. The third head frowned, and moved to change the brain of the middle head to another analytical mind. There were several reports of scattered combat, some casualties, all against registered metahumans. Too organised and sudden to be a coincidence. Batros Spinal Cord. It was recovered at the site, still usable, but not at all flecked with any blood or gore. Records show it was lost years ago. That could mean one thing, the user spent themselves in a Requiem, their body and memory were gone, but not their weapons. There was a good chance the user was an official cape, and had survived a Requiem in the past. It was policy for officials whove experienced a Requiem to take an internal Meta Tool. Not to mention Batros Spinal Cord lent itself to improved reflexes, it wasnt the selected tool of a paper pusher like him, that narrowed it down to the active officers. Information of the officer capes have been leaked, at least the combat ones. There was possibility of a traitor. That mustve been why Monger chose him, Four mused. There was low chance he himself was a spy. Though he was licensed he never became a civil servant, and he only took an interest in human politics when it came to changes on xenian policy. That reminded him, he should check up with that Ranpo fellow. He exhibited enough intelligence and independence to gain if not citizenship, then human rights. It did baffle Four however to see them still stubbornly refer to them as human rights despite the fact they encompassed an entire nation of emus and countless independently sapient creatures. His mind was getting off track, he shunted the thoughts of preparing Ranpos citizenry papers to the unoccupied first head as the other two continued reviewing the clues provided. The people who investigated the site were thorough, and he was likely not the only Thinker dedicated to this task. Though his Thinker abilities were more incidental due to his biology and not at all related to his ability. | Aiden do the thing! Jun yelled as she frantically gestured at a fly. He twirled a straw between his fingers before he said, Frog head. The straw turned fleshy and curled into his pinched hand which made the rest of the frog. With a quick explosion of elastic energy, the tongue drew the still living fly into his hand. Cheers abounded as he presented the fly with a flourish. It was for that reason he didnt notice Trist Brake until she was right beside them. He politely nodded, Ms Brake. There was a pause as the group quietened down with all the awkwardness of a kid getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Their teacher sighed, You guys really made a mess huh? I think we did admirably, Luther defended. She raised an eyebrow, Severe collateral damage to several buildings, thousands in damages, and what do I hear about one of you getting mortally injured? Wont insurance cover that? He got better. Aiden and Jun said at the same time. She rubbed her brow in exasperation, First off, insurance paid out by the government. You know the people who write your paychecks and you have to go to for license renewal? Aiden winced as he released the fly. He didnt need to brush against Bus memories for this, just a second thought about it made him realise the constant destruction and disasters meant insurance was a comically unsustainable private business model. And second off, Im assuming one of you pulled a power trick to bring Aiden back to full health. What happens if that situation didnt allow for that? Turning to him, she said, I hope you have a good reason to expose yourself to whatever risk you took. She continued, Youll all be taking remedial classes after school, and well be reviewing the actions you took today. Ranpo spoke up, Thats no fair, you didnt do anything about the people who fought the zombies. Its Necrada, they show up like twice a year, she dismissed, Im surprised it isnt a holiday at this point. Yeah that is true, the crow conceded, the rest of them murmured agreement. Even unpowered Bu wasnt worried about Necrada. Now that that is out of the way, she clapped her hands. Congratulations! There were zero casualties, only a few injured, and most importantly all of you are breathing by the end of it. Id say this was cause for celebration, but clearly you guys already beat me to it. INDEED! WE FEAST IN CELEBRATION! Josh Tuba yelled as he raised his glass of milk high. I wont cramp you guys up, Trist said, already moving. Remember, dont let fame get to your head, and there is still room for improvement, but tonight just know you did a good job. Thanks! Jun waved goodbye, Youre the cool teacher in my books Trist! That got a chuckle out of her, I better be when my competition is an isopod and someone who only speaks in emojis. I thought your favourite teacher was Mr Gry- Jun quickly shushed Aiden as she waved Trist off. Just smile and wave boys, she said, smile and wave. Once Trist was out of sight, Wren spoke up, So what did she mean by fame? | Very literally, it turned out as he came to school the next day and got quickly swarmed by questions. Aiden could barely take a step away from his locker as they crowded him. Hey are you the one who made the t-rex? Was the person you fought really strong? I heard he died, did you guys kill him? Aiden gave a few polite non-answers for a few minutes, seeing the crowd refuse to disperse however, he placed his hands behind him and vaulted over the lockers to stick to the walls, then made a run for it. Sorry about that! A few people chased him as he ran onto the rooftops. Aiden saw an explosion of bamboo growth acting as footholds for one, a girl who twirled her braid like a helicopter, and another who simply parkoured through. Grumbling in annoyance at the schools extensive movement training, he maintained a lead for a few moments before he turned a corner and leapt down a gap between buildings. Helicopter braid girl and the parkourer leapt over him, as did the bamboo controller. Though a moment later the boy doubled back and looked over the gap. Eyes glancing right over Aidens camouflaged body. The boy frowned and grew a bamboo to lower him down, peering closer, he muttered, Is that- Aiden sighed and dismissed the cephalopods on his body, Yes, you caught me, what do you want? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Can we fight? the bamboo grower asked as bamboo sprouted underneath his feet to form stairs. Like duel, I wanna start filling out my challenges. You guys seemed strong, I have a few friends so we can go at it. Ill have to ask them about it, so no promises, he answered. Thats ok! he waved as he grew a ladder, I wont reveal where you are I promise! Aiden waited a few moments after he left. He looked at his lunch, for a moment he considered eating it right here, then shrugged as he went out looking for the rest of the group. Only to get ambushed immediately by a girl who rushed into him and vigorously shook his hand, Hi, huge fan! Im from the journalism club, would you mind giving a few words for the school newspaper? Also can I get your autograph? Maybe some other time, Aiden politely replied as he mentally decided to never do either of those things. He broke the handshake, Sorry but I need to be looking for my friends now. Maybe I can interview them? she hurriedly suggested. Ill tell them you asked! Aiden said as he leapt over the roof again. In the end, Aiden found Jun sneakily gesturing him from the forested area near the edge of the school. Right next to the tree from before. She blurred and suddenly he was right there, at the same spot where Ranpo had led her to him. Phew! she wiped some sweat, I know youre recovering weight but no need to be so diligent about it. Haha, he drily laughed. You carried me perfectly fine yesterday. He glanced around as he saw a picnic table and the rest of the group eating, Wheres Darius and Luther? Theyre scamming people with Luthers power, Josh replied between mouthfuls of his sandwich. Wren shuddered, Luther doesnt get a lotta chances to shine because hes a boogeyman, and they drew a very big crowd. Jun sat down by her lunch, rice with tofu on the side. He noted with a strange feeling that she had prepared the stir fry exceptionally well. Shrugging off the feeling, he sat down. Right as he took out his utensils, Wrens phone rang. She answered, Hey sis- oh? Yeah hes right beside me. She handed Aiden the phone, Its for you. Hello? he said. Hey, Im Caitlyn, Wrens sister, your classmate, a bored voice answered him, I can make pretty limited future tellings. Its not deterministic nor is it guaranteed to happen, it just predicts the scenarios thatll most likely lead to certain events. Aiden paused as he recalled, Google Your Own Death right? Wren mentioned it. She had described it as an ability that allowed her to determine the most likely cause of death of a person within a week through a search engine. Even if they werent going to die, it would still grab the most likely cause of death and spin a prediction around it. Good, thisll be easier. I googled you and Wrens friends outta boredom. Nothing too much, but if --and I really do mean if here because this isnt guaranteed to happen-- if you die itll be really messy. You dont have a dead mans switch thing where if you die your power will go berserk and start murdering everything around you right? He paused as briefly fingered the spot where the Umbrella used to occupy. ...Not unless I want it to. Right, dont do that, and especially dont do that after you go out to sea. The sea? I dunno, its your life, She hung up. What was that about? Jun asked as he passed the phone back to Wren. A warning I think, Aiden said, she told me not to die, and if I was going to die not to unleash something with my last breath. Jun frowned, Yeah, dont do that. Especially not with the other thing you have in your pocket. What other thing? Wren asked curiously. I can make things from memory and I saw an eldritch abomination a few months ago, he frankly told her. I used it as an umbrella until recently. She looked at him as if he had grown a third head. Right. Jun perked up, Actually you should keep using it as an umbrella, it was a lot more useful that way. She added at the end, Probably safer too. Aiden began eating, I attempted it yesterday mid fight, but failed, I suspect it has something to do with the glove. He flicked the Slitted Decapitator. Should we remain here for this? Josh Tuba asked, You two have been training in secret for a while, and I would not wish to be privy to them unless you desire it. Jun exchanged a look with Aiden, his face was deep with contemplation, after a moment, he said, Fine, I dont mind sharing these capabilities. Afterwards, he demonstrated the Slitted Decapitator, and told them about the Umbrella. The first question was surprisingly more mundane, Wren asked, Why dont you constantly have tattoos over your clothing like yesterday? Because theyll gradually warp it, Aiden replied. My tattoos cant warp the shape of living things, but if Ranpo is any indicator, any material they possess will eventually be transmuted to their organic counterpart. If I do leave it on, Ill eventually be wearing a literal flesh suit. Not mention the protective properties are better when it hasnt transmuted at all, theres a sweet spot where it provides both the clothes physical properties and the creatures physical properties at the same time. At fully transmuted it wont be different from wearing a fursuit. He thought about his notebook, I can pause the transmutation properties, but its cost isnt worth it in a spontaneous context. Josh spoke up, What about keeping your specific chimera of armour stored on your skin and deploying it when needed? Aiden considered it, Thatll work. He agreed, already mentally going through all the pieces he used for the Stack. He didnt appreciate how edgy he became but Stack was an oddly good name for it. He was literally stacking layers atop layers through his clothing. Trist had been saying it was good to demarcate specific uses of their abilities as separate techniques. Josh shrugged, Anything to help, and were only a week away from Dawn Week. Oh yeah! Jun realised. Ah shit we havent practised for the paintball war! We have, Josh said. He coughed, and said aloud, SIMPLY OUR ACTS OF JUSTICE AND CAMARADERIE HAVE SOLIDIFIED US AS A SOLID TEAM IN THE RUNNING! Quieter he added, Why do you think there were so many wanting to question us? Luthers taking advantage of the fame so that he can get bad luck on as many people as possible. Tuba glanced at Aiden, Remember the chilli? His skill in sleight of hand is nothing to scoff at. Im assuming hes been replacing all the bets with rigged die just so he could expend the actual cursed die when he needs- whats with the face? Sorry, Jun replied, Im just trying to reconcile the act you put on to inherit Tuba Knight and the you right now. He smirked, Would you PREFER THE SUPREME FORCE OF PERSONALITY INBORN WITHIN THE SOUL OF EVERY TUBA!? Josh slapped Jun on the back, AND YOU TOO HAVE BEEN HIDING SOMETHING FROM US! THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER YOUR POWERS? YOU HAVE SOLVED OUR GREATEST WEAKNESS! Despite the embarrassment, Aiden had to agree. I was significantly more able to engage in close up fights with the mask. Its probably better still for Jun to wear it, just because I cant dial the speed higher than base, but if she ever taps out on Hume its a great fallback. WE SHALL BE TESTING IT THIS AFTERNOON! TEACHER TRIST HAS AFTER ALL GIVEN US THE PERFECT TIME TO TRAIN! | After school, in an empty classroom, the girl who shook Aidens hand entered with a thoughtful face. Sat waiting for her, Dale glanced up, Hey cousin, did you shake his hand? I did, she replied. Whats the result? Baffling, she replied. Something is off about his power. I cant tell if he has one power, or two. Dale narrowed his eyes, he gestured at a seat, Explain. His power is the ability to turn his memories into summons- tattoos really, and those tattoos can move onto other objects and control them. The creatures are functionally independent entities, though he can expend memories and concepts to tweak them. The strangest thing is that while I held his hand, the number of powers I was sensing kept fluctuating from one to two. Dale thoughtfully scratched his chin, Its the same result as when you investigate someone who has inherited a power. The other two were sance and projection by the way, she added. Its functionally one now, the inheritance was done nigh perfectly. I didnt think it was possible to get them to merge so cleanly. In a few months itll show up as one power under my ability. Can you copy it? Dale asked, that was the burning question. I can, but I can also easily tell the skill floor of this ability is beyond anything I can learn in a week. I think his secondary powers help him somehow, hes shown limited regeneration, but I suspect he might have a weak thinker ability on top. Perhaps very conditional skill leapfrogging or near eidetic memory. Dale cursed, Ah! I shouldnt have confronted that Jito bitch then. Theres no chance I can nab him now. His cousin shrugged, I can adapt a counter to his power, but we agreed it wasnt a good idea to have me hard specialised into countering one specific person for the paintball war wasnt it? Yeah, he sighed, Did you get Luther as well? She shook her head, Hes too suspicious for that, but I think his power has to do with all the gambling hes doing. That much is obvious, the question is what is the benefit hes getting from fulfilling all those conditions, Dale rested his chin on his hands. Its obvious hes going the boogeyman route like Darius. Given his personality its probably much more devious than sharing a drink. In their group the most dangerous would be Jun, Aiden, then Wren. The Tuba is a physical brute but he doesnt have special tricks, with the rules his durability isnt in account. Darius is a problem but only for groupings. Luthers the wild card Dale looked down at his laptop with all their plans and preparations. Hows Shmebulocs investigation? Should be able to yield something, she answered, Even if the seniors arent participating, there are some pretty dangerous folk this year. There always is. Chapter 59 Character Development! Chapter 59 Character Development! You know, I dont actually like the name Cannibal Holocaust. And even though Im immune to prions, eating people is getting old. Maybe I should try going vegan. - Vegetable Holocaust, leader of successful rebrandings. Hey Isaac? The gadgeteer was in the middle of what Aiden thought was a staring contest with a plunger. The man quickly broke contact though, Hmm? Aiden? Trist is taking me for remedial, so I wont be able to attend the Meta Techniques class, he answered. I didnt know if she checked in with you but I just wanted to make sure. That old- Isaac palmed his head, Its fine, she does this from time to time. Dont worry about it. Hows your progress anyways? You were attempting Simple Reinforcement last I checked? Aiden nodded, Yeah, though I am not making much headway. He sat down, noting with some annoyance Isaac hadnt cleaned off the blood they dripped when discussing the Incomplete God. You described it as removing the ability from the usage of Hume, though I havent grasped it yet. My ability is too linked to my perception of Hume. How many Gates have you been through so far. He added as an afterthought, with the ability. There was the one in Last Stand, Necrada, also the one yesterday. Yesterday? Something happen? Isaac asked as he circled around him, eyes held on him in the same way Aiden often did when viewing how abnormally normal Isaac was. Nothing much, my friends got caught nearby and we helped with some minor parts. Mmhmm. Isaac picked up the odd plunger and handed it to him. Take this, and watch your Status as you do. Aiden raised a brow as Oros slithered onto his forearm. There didnt appear to be any noticeable change, he was just holding a plunger. I feel nothing. I see, Isaac muttered. One second, try this one. He handed Aiden an oddly unnatural feeling object. It was a calculator that had an uncanniness to it. Feel anything with this one? He nodded, This calculator is Bleed affected isnt it? Minorly stained in a way that screws with its electronics, Isaac confirmed. Oros is losing some tail. It was an extremely small amount, his natural Hume regeneration covered it immediately, he only noticed a very thin blotting of black appear and disappear rapidly on the tail. Good thing with Simple techniques is that there is a unified way of handling and teaching them. Unless parts of your ability specifically restrict you from attaining Simple Meta Techniques, exposure to Bleed will get you used to the general idea of spending Hume without your ability. He put away the plunger, Keep the calculator, youll obtain Simple Reinforcement in time. Aiden got up, And the other one? Itll be easier once you have the feeling for it down, have you put any thought on which you want? I thought you said what I did at Last Stand biased me towards Imbuement and Reinforcement. Isaac frowned, What I said? He shook his head, Either way unless youve gone and repeated it, its only a bias. Dont mind too much about it. Oh, he added, And remember something. I dont know if Trist told you this, but there are two types of Extended Techniques, those with Names and those without. The latter is rather easy to achieve for most, and is only a factor of time, intent and introspection. The former is more a second or third manifestations. Whats the difference? Aiden asked. Its an impossible to answer question, because no one is the same, Isaac shrugged. Inherited types like the families tend to get the latter. But its wrong to think of it as a binary in the first place. Named Extended Techniques happen on their own, it could be considered a natural outgrowth. They tend to be more rigid and harder to change, but with the benefit they come as a complete package. Trists Expansion is an example of this, and she prefers people pursue that as a result. But it is about as helpful as being a manifestation seeker. He scowled at the thought. Aiden paused awkwardly, not wanting to inform Isaac that he, or at least the old Aiden was certainly one of those people. Isaac continued without his input, Too much of this stuff is wishy washy nonsense that might as well be magic. Maybe humanity will figure out a more comprehensive logic to it, but it certainly isnt going to happen while Im alive. | The first thing Trist had them do was report on the choices they each made. Aiden got to hear the account of everyone else during the encounter, Luther apparently assisted civilians outside the Gate and coordinated with emergency services while they were inside. The teacher occasionally asked a question on why one of them made their choices, she frequently asked Jun and Tuba why they prioritised certain people. When Aiden was halfway through his account, Trist stopped him, Why did you originally split with Jun? The hostages had higher priority, not to mention Jun had been doing a more active role, his Hume level was low, I was relatively fresh up with my own Hume because I keep a storage of it, he answered. I judged then that since I could damage him, I could hold him off for longer and alleviate the pressure. She nodded, Was your priority to take him out? Aiden shook his head, No, that wouldve been a nice bonus, but it was enough to keep him contained in the building. Trist raised an eyebrow, And do you understand where you messed up? Aiden nodded. I failed to keep him contained within the building. My attack with the t-rex didnt serve to disable him, but only corner him enough to do something drastic. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Jun raised his hand and spoke up, Aiden you were out of options then, your Luthers luck ran out and none of your attacks were having an effect. That isnt the problem, Trist said. Sometimes you can make all the right choices but still arrive at a terrible outcome. Aiden nodded in agreement. They continued to discuss the events. Trist overall found their evacuation of the civilians to be satisfactory, and thus focused on what they couldve done better during the fight. It was something Josh noted which surprised him. Aiden did no damage to him, he nodded apologetically to him, The mans ability gave him what is essentially a high base DR, which got lower every time he had to throw something out. But his mass was unchanged, so Aidens attacks were useful in moving him around. Only Jun and the t-rex harmed him because each brute forced his protective layer. Trist raised an eyebrow, You dont count the t-rex as an extension of Aiden? Aiden doesnt, Josh said. He shrugged. Once theyre free of me I dont know what theyll do. After a while, they split up, with Trist going to a side office to interview each of them one by one. Darius went in first. Is it just me or does she treat you differently? Jun whispered, despite the fact they were a good distance away. Does she? Aiden raised an eyebrow, Im manifested, and I dont have your background, so she might be considerate of my lacking knowledge. Thats not it, Luther whispered. She treats you like a peer. The rest of us she just treats like kids. She does! Jun nodded. I mean Aiden does feel pretty adult at times, Wren quietly added. Aidens hand clenched into a fist, unseen by everyone else, Wren youre mature as well, weve all been through some terrible things. Tuba coughed, Thats not what- Aiden! Trist called out as Darius stepped outside. Aiden gave them a helpless shrug before stepping into the office. Trist leaned back casually into an office chair, she gestured at an empty seat, as he sat down, she spoke. I wont beat around the bush, whats the real reason you split up with Jun? He paused. I dont understand, I gave you my reason. She rolled her eyes, Youre a good liar but Ive seen better. If youre afraid Ill tell them, I wont. He looked warily at the teacher, before sighing. I simply dont want to see them hurt. It that so strange? Theyre tougher than you in every way, they werent in any real danger during the situation regardless of how it went out. Staying indoors was a problem, but you didnt know that at the time. It worked out in our favour in the end, didnt it? And if Jun didnt figure out they could heal, you wouldve been a stain on the pavement. She stared evenly into his eyes. Aiden shrugged. Trist blinked, Oh, oh. Youre one of those types then. You genuinely dont care. She was silent for a moment. I wont tell you your thought process is wrong, she evenly said. You only imply it, Aiden replied with a small smirk. When you live as long as Ive had, you realise there are all sorts of types with metahumans, she rubbed her brow. But by the dead gods, why do I always get the insane ones? I thought people valued self sacrifice? he asked. That just means people value something insane, if anything it just shows how fucked our current situation is, she seemed to come to a decision. All right, heres your lesson plan. Trist pulled out a paper, jotting some stuff down. First off, you need a more varied fighting style. The current one you use is far too lethal, against someone you cant immediately put down, you only put them in a corner. As a survivor of a Requiem, I dont think I need to tell you how dangerous that is. Second off, find more opportunities to practice with your friends. You did well once assembled, and you perhaps even intellectually understand the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But that doesnt change the fact the outcome wouldve been much greater in your favour if you didnt tell Jun to leave- As Jun said, you shouldve jumped him then and there. Third off, her pen paused for a moment, your ability allows you to raise your capabilities right? He nodded, The tattoos exert force and mimic their original properties. Trist nodded appreciatively, Spawners using their monsters as armour is one of the best tricks in the book, you can vary their capabilities right? Aiden nodded again. She continued writing, Then youll be perfect for this trick, its called a spontaneous pact. Youre aware of conditions and costs, but you can bring it further. When you see an attack coming, sacrifice a portion of your protection to temporarily raise it in the area being hit. Or saying: After three minutes, my power will fully deactive, to temporarily buff it for the duration. Or whatever else you can sacrifice, sky is the limit. Just know that because of the spontaneous and impermanent nature of it, youll have to be giving much more than you usually would for minor benefits. She put down her pen, passing him the paper, Ill have to warn you, this relies on an extreme level of battle intellect and predictive prowess. Youll be vulnerable to feints, and if you mistime it, you will die. Knowing that, do you still want to try it? Aiden skimmed his lesson plan. He liked the idea of the third. His tattoos benefited from him placing enhancing concepts into them but unlike with Juns Night and Daycore benefits, or Luthers luck generation, which was exactly equivalent to the chances of worst possible outcomes of the die occuring naturally, the amount his tattoos were strengthened werent set in stone. More concepts meant more enhancement, but the benefit of every singular one was a soft part of his power. Thus, changeable. Its better to have it and not need it. Very well, she shooed him out. Jun! Afterwards, Trist called Darius back in and amended his lesson plan. Leaving all their plans with a strange little addition. When Aiden least expects it, hit him. | As they left, Aiden was grappling with a now unavoidable fact. Trist was right, even if it worked out fine until now, his self sacrificing will get him killed. Maybe not today, maybe not in a year or a decade, but one day. And he still didnt really care. Aiden feared death for a moment, when he stood under the gaze of the slit throat boogeyman, but he accepted it. It was what he deserved. Once Ranpo was safe, it didnt matter how the result went. But when he died, who would take care of Jaiden? Jun would mourn him, even if he didnt deserve it. Ranpo would move on, he was sure, but it wouldnt be easy for him. His death would leave the people he cared for without him. What a damnable thing he was then, to not care whether or not he lived or died. I see, Aiden sighed. Im still a horrible person. I am still running away. Far away, Jaiden laid comatose, Ranpo flew in the air, friends surrounded him, behind him, Johnjohnjohnjohn stood as the one who deserved to kill him. They were all chains, stopping him from running away, despite his best attempts to free himself. Didnt he tell the Incomplete God that he wanted to see what life a better person led? It was time he actually tried, rather than flailing lazily into the dark, waiting for an end that would ruin the life of others. But what did that look like? How does someone become a good person? He didnt know, he wasnt sure if anyone knew. Aiden only had his own judgement, and that judgement agreed with others. He looked at his friends, they were so young. They didnt deserve this world, they didnt deserve him. Was the wall between them always there, or did he put it up? Aiden stepped forward, trying to walk past the wall that separated them, he clapped Jun on the shoulder, and smiled jokingly, Hey Jun, how about we show everyone the girl you have over in your house? In hindsight, introducing Puppet Rain like that and breaking the image of his stoic persona wasnt exactly the best idea. Chapter 60 A Group of Crows is Called a Murder Part 1 Chapter 60 A Group of Crows is Called a Murder Part 1 Cawr cawr cawr. - The musings of Seven Fallen Leaves The Wordy, in the Cantos of Crowkind Aiden felt the hit before he saw it, Juns shove wasnt too strong, but it unbalanced him for a moment, a tentacle caught him before he fell down the stairs, and Joshs hand shot out to steady him. Jun huffed as she continued up, StillnotfastenoughAiden. Shes mad at you. Josh jabbed at him. Aiden could react this time, he absorbed all of his present tattoos, creating a tough turtle shell on his face, but not before Joshs fingers gently pushed down his cheek. I noticed, Aiden replied, steadying himself. A spontaneous pact was harder than he thought, he kept his tattoo armour as a passive projection, adjusting it on the fly wasnt his habit. They entered Juns home. Aiden noted with some strange feeling that it was cleaner than when he last came here. She had evidently kept up decent habits. Aiden could actually see the floor for one, though that was underselling it. The place was spotless.Fluffy leapt into Juns arms, hale and healthy as any dog could be. He briefly pondered the novel emotion, but shook it off as the group took in Puppet Rain. It was largely stunned silence, only broken when Darius said with a strained voice, Woah. You two werent joking when you said she was pretty. Keep it in your pants cuz, Luther quipped as he waved a hand in front of the sitting puppet. Is her power to look abnormally beautiful? Because I have seen people with that power who dont come close to this. She is a stronger brick than either me or Tuba combined, Jun answered frankly. Josh stepped forward, eyes narrowing, WE DONT KNOW THAT! He threw off his jacket and put on his tuba, LET HER PUNCH ME! No thats crazy! Jun rolled her eyes. Yeah! Wren pumped her fist. I agree, Aiden replied. There are much better substitutes to test punching force- You two will break my walls, do it outside. At least let me make a parachute! Both girls yelled at once. Aiden face palmed. I SHALL STAND ON THE BALCONY, WE SHALL MEASURE IT BY HOW FAR SHE SENDS ME FLYING! Tuba had already ran outdoor, arms splayed out wide. Luther rushed to a higher vantage point with his phone out. Wait! Let me record it. Wren patted Aidens back, Brutes are going to be brutes, we should be looking to make it safe rather than trying to stop them. Your wisdom is beyond me. Aiden couldnt decided if he meant that as sarcasm or not. He decided both worked. Puppet Rain, send him flying! Jun yelled out. And that day they got a splendid lesson in the Doppler effect as Tuba disappeared into the horizon. When Josh returned, he found them strategising. Theres a good chance well be separated at the start, and every time one of us is taken out and has to respawn. Luther tapped his notes. We only get a single gathering opportunity, should Darius do it at the start? Aiden suggested as he finely diced some onions. Josh shook his head as he took a seat. There will be powers that work better against grouped and multiple targets. I say we take advantage of respawns and scope the situation out, using Dariuss power in case of a late game total party wipe. So well be on our own but seek to gather? Wren asked. But some of us are really easy targets. Jun accepted Aidens diced onions and threw them in the frying pan. The harsh sizzle and smell of aromatics soon permeated the room. Im fine, Aiden and Tuba should be fine as well, can you guys manage? I I can keep myself alive at least. Hesitance marred Wrens voice. One of you guys pop my can and Ill be invincible. Ill be sent back before the paintballs even stain me. Luther pursed his lips, Yep, Im the only easy target. The question is how we want to distribute resources then. They looked at each other, Jun casually did a pan flip as she added the rest of the vegetables. Aiden was pulling out roasted gapple wedges and steaks from the oven. One of you two would be our best bets if were all going all in, Luther gestured at the two in the kitchen. Spawners can split their creatures among teammates if their range allows, and Jun can buff one other person. Tuba is also a fine choice actually Tuba might be the best choice. Josh with Rain and Juns Nightcore might as well be invincible. Josh jumped onto the table. I SEEK NOT GLORY FOR MYSELF! He casually caught the wooden cutting board Aiden had thrown at him, laying it on the table as Aiden brought over the still hot pan of roast and placed it over it. So option two then, we try to split resources evenly, making sure no one is underpowered. A snake leapt off Aidens shoulder and caught a plate Jun had thrown, which he passed to Wren to distribute. Josh accepted his plate. AND WHO SHALL BE OUR FOES? Luther tapped into his computer, Disregarding the people with more lethal or dangerous powers, since theyll be rather restricted, well need to avoid these- A plate smashed onto the ground. Sorry. Aiden knelt down, already collecting the pieces. Dont move, there are shards everywhere. Josh leapt down to help, MERE CERAMICS CANNOT HARM ME! But a peanut can. Jun brought over the steaming pan of fried noodles. You alright Aiden? You got distracted for a moment. Yeah, I felt my phone vibrate. He took out his phone, quickly sending out a text. Boss Hwuang needs me at the restaurant, Im sorry but Ill have to go soon. Mmmhmmph? Wren asked. Arfmph, Darius agreed. Swallow you idiots. Luther shook his head. I can pack food. In a flash Jun was taking out tupperware. She had bought those on her own! Aiden pushed down that emotion, Ill eat at his place. She took off her Nightcore mask, Need a buff? Being faster would help with the deliveries. It was then Aiden noticed they had gotten her tooth fixed. They had made a doctors appointment all on their own. Pride. That was the emotion swelling in his heart even as he mentally tsked. Jun had become a lot more perceptive. There was no notification from his phone. No thanks, he shook his head. It would be weird to explain the differences to Boss Hwuang. Jun looked at him hesitantly, than grinned. She blurred, Aiden directed his tattoos, but couldnt make it before Jun softly punched his arm. She slapped him on the back, Still too slow. Yeah, I need more practice, Aiden sighed. Appreciate your help. But you didnt need to. He bit back those words even as they came to his mind. That was the wrong thing to say. He should accept kindness as it was given. There was no use for that pride. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. On his right hand was a symbol of the sun. | Aiden remade his Umbrella. He realised the problem only some time after the encounter, he had tried to make something born from his emotion of accepting death, finding the peace within it, but that emotion was already inside the Slitted Decapitator. Absorbing the glove gave it back, but remaking the glove would be difficult and take a few days or so of recovery. That is if he made it exactly the same way. An idea had been running through his mind, the Slitted Decapitator in its original form was far too dangerous, being from an uncontrolled and mad boogeyman. It couldnt be activated in any scenario where there was anyone unaware of it. Jun correctly decided to not activate once during the Gate, only using it as a punching glove. Aiden could freely restrict and weaken his creations, that was why Tool could be applied to anything, it was a detriment to creature, forever locking it from the same potential Ranpo held. That was why he could make tattoos that were smaller and weaker, as well as implement commands and programming. The slit mouth woman was dangerous. It had an extremely lethal ability, and even if it didnt go off, someone caught in it would be completely restricted and helpless for a few moments. Even the correct answer would get in some damage, superficial damage, but Aidens mouth was still scarred and raw. Even his natural regeneration and NectarTM could not fully heal it, the works of a boogeyman were not easily undone. That was how Aiden thought, boogeymen were dangerous, lethal, created by minds intentionally trying to make obtuse and incomprehensible rules strung together by the barest strings of logic. Not counting the living examples, he had only encountered two, the other being the 3:23 bus. So making them not a boogeymen would undeniably worsen the ability. A Stripped-Down Basic Implement, bereft of all the restrictions, conditions and numerous hoops the original version had. That took away his fear of death, and that alone as his acceptance of it was already inside the Umbrella. The result didnt look different from his notes of the original Slitted Decapitator, it was still a skin coloured glove, undeniably more fleshy because it had time to break into the object. But opening the zipper on the palm no longer did anything, he didnt give specific instructions for that after all. Touching his hoodie with the glove did nothing, after a moment of trying, Aiden found success with a pinching motion, which created a zipper on the cloth when he pinched harder, fingers held on the slider. He could no longer create zippers directly on himself, or even on the random bush he passed, mundane plants should have low priority, only slightly higher than inanimate objects. The weakness of the base version of this ability seemed to be complete inability to affect living things due to low priority. Or perhaps it was just because he had weakened it so much, the Umbrellas source Invader could wield the same ability and affect miles. He didnt know what the base version of the slit mouth womans ability was,but some part of Aidens recreation must be heavily limiting it. Perhaps it was because he didnt want them to be alive, merely exist as dead tools. Ranpo fluttered down on his shoulder. I got your text, I didnt see where Rain came from, but a few other crows did. Before you got the letter she was seen coming from the ports. He paused in thought for a moment. She probably knows shes being watched, but she likely too prideful to care, or worse, use it as a challenge. They stopped at a traffic crossing. You sound spiteful today. Im starting to realise I really hate gifted people. The sheer arrogance of them. Aiden pretended he didnt notice Ranpo pointedly looking at him. As they continued, he asked, How much of the city are you covering right now? He reached into his chest, where the red A was. Ya had told him what the ability did after that outing with Rain. He could push his hands through the ink, as if it were a letterbox, and he pulled out an envelope. The Scarlet Letter could mark someone and allow the original holder to send a letter to them through their mark, that was it. It could manage locational tracking by sending devices through the A, but it was overall a very unimpressive power. He wondered if that was all there is to it, or if Ya truly was being honest in an effort of reconciliation. Ya to his mind wasnt like Rain, he was human of this world, of this place. He knew what lines shouldnt be crossed. Paying off Jaidens hospital bills was bald faced bribery to keep the incident quiet. Now they were stuck in mutual wariness of each other, while needing the other. He quickly read the letter, then passed it to Ranpo. That matches up with where they saw her go. Were covering large parts, a lot of things ignore crows, its when there are creatures that dont that theres a problem. None of my crows seem to want to go near the ports for the same reason- Aiden paused as he heard a siren, then broke into a run. Ranpo needed no explanation, he leapt off and flew in the direction of the noise. It was close, they reached it in mere moments, finding a masked thief rushing out of jewellery store. Aiden leapt onto the wall, ran overhead and landed right in front of the thiefs tracks. Look- The thief froze, Did you just run on a wall? Yes, Aiden replied. Now I have somewhere to be- The thief threw the bag at him, he caught it easily with a tentacle. That was easy. Aiden raised an eyebrow as the thief untied his shoes and also threw them at him. Ok, what is that for? Im resigning, the thief slowly enunciated, as if speaking to an idiot. I have decided I will no longer participate in organised crime. Then why did you throw your shoes? Aiden blinked, for some reason this felt familiar. I stole them as well, I shouldnt have them. He ripped off his mask and tossed that away too. Wheres the nearest police station again? You gave up easily. The thief looked at him like he was stupid. The fuck am I supposed to do? I dont know, try harder? You want me to look stupid dont you! he pointed at him accusingly. You wanted me to do the whole thing where I run back, and youre already there, and I run back and forth until I fall onto the ground in TERROR? NO! IM LEAVING WITH MY DIGNITY TO- He was interrupted when Aiden remembered. Sorry, but have you happened to have met a girl with dyed hair and an oni mask about yay tall? The thief gave him a look, then turned and ran. Aiden pinned him down quickly. God that usually works, the thief muttered as the ropes tightened around him. Ranpo landed near them. Wow, that is clever. I am more disappointed that it almost worked. How many people have you gotten doing this? Actually, dont answer that, Aiden shook his head, I want to retain my faith in human intelligence. I dont, spill the tea. Ranpo leaned in close enough for the immobilised man to see him for the first time. Wait, youre a crow? Like a real crow? Ranpo titled his head, I suppose? Boss! You gotta let me go! Crow and man froze, staring at the immobilised thief in awkward silence. What? It was you guys who put me up to this! You even taught me the pretend to give up trick! the thief babbled. At some point, Aidens stare had move to Ranpo. I know I borrowed a bit too much money, but Im still good for it! I can still pay you back! Ranpo, Aiden asked with eerie calm, An explanation? The crow turned away, Wellll You know when I said you didnt want to know where the money was coming from? A tentacle wrapped around the thiefs mouth to stop him rambling. Go on. Wellll After I taught the birds the basics of economics, they had the bright idea to start a bank. Of course the original capital was from lost coins and stuff, but they uhhh got really good at it. Let me guess, they targeted idiots like this who couldnt pay back the loans. Milking them dry with ever increasing interest, Aiden answered drily. He shook his head, How did they even communicate- The logistics of- Math!- You know what, I dont want to know. I clearly underestimated avian intelligence and dont feel like knowing the depth of my failures just yet. That was a problem for future him, the dumb bastard. Wise choice, Ranpo replied, and for the life of him Aiden couldnt tell if that was sarcastic. He decided both worked. Well apparently I started a crow loan shark ring, so it cant be that wise of a choice, Aiden said. Did you know they were robbing people? Ranpo rolled his eyes. Yes, I am completely irresponsible and knowingly perpetuated- of course I fucking didnt! Aiden rubbed his brow, I thought you guys were just mugging people, but this? Ohhhhh, so you were fine with crimes but draw the line when it becomes organised? Mmmf! You are not part of this conversation! they both yelled. Aidens tentacles wrapped around his face, plugging his ears and blinding his vision. Youre fixing this. As my sponsor, I think you can agree we share equal responsibility, Ranpo said. As your sponsor, Im delegating this task to you. Aiden rubbed his brow. At least go after rich people, no one cared when I was embezzling company funds. So youre fine when theyre rich? Did I say that out loud? That was meant to be an inside thought. And no matter, all that I took wouldnt have been more than a rounding error, I would know, I did the accounting myself. The problem is relativity. At least scam the people who wouldnt care or notice. I know this guy, he was already doing low level crime even before our crows got to him. And that justifies our misdeeds how? Aiden shook his head. Shut up, youre complicit. Ranpo sighed. Im on it, I was too hands off- feet off?- with the crows. This has largely been a result of their spontaneous organisation. I shouldve known, Aiden murmured. Humans are freaky in this world, why didnt I think the birds are too? I already knew about the emu states. So we agree to share fault? Yes, say as I might Ive already profited off this. We need to figure out a way to de-escalate this situation. Aiden put the thief in a more comfortable position, You deal with this guy, I have a place to be. Dont do something stupid, Ranpo called out. You too! he replied. As he left, the thief mumbled something. Ranpo helped get the gag off. So uhh the man hesitantly began, If Im getting this right, youre my boss, and that meta is your boss? Unwilling, but thats about it yeah. Well, not the worst gig Ive ever had. So how many people did you get? Chapter 61 A Group of Crows is Called a Murder Part 2 Chapter 61 A Group of Crows is Called a Murder Part 2 Cawr? Caw? Coo? - The queries of Cheese Cheese Cheese Im Naming Myself Cheese and You Cant Stop Me the Glutton, in the Cantos of Crowkind Whatever the hell these birds are, it was wrong to think of them as baseline crows. The idea seemed so obvious in hindsight, no regular creature would be able to survive this long on this world, gene vaults or not. So it was probably a stupid idea to land alone in their clearing and clear his throat. The crows kept a community gathering spot in the remains of an old greenhouse high on the roof of an apartment. The greenhouse glass had long been fogged over with dust and muck, jagged holes of shattered glass were the only entry points. It was once filled with dead plants and twigs, but they had evidently cleared out most of it, leaving heavier pots of dried earth scattered around. Someone mightve expected this abandoned place to be dull, it was anything but. They had gathered a veritable dragons hoard of shiny trinkets, colourful accoutrements and fabrics. Eclectic in collection and decoration. The place was almost blinding, glittery t-shirts and vibrant ripped fabrics hung off the beam, replaced whenever they got too faded. Shiny pieces of metals, keys, and a recent point of focus, coins lay in great stacks. Some placed on top of the pots, arranged as if they were metallic plants that blinded the eye. He wasnt too surprised to see some of them rolling an emerald the size of his head around. That jewel thief was better than he let on. The hoard was illuminated by a single glowing fish head of all things. Still fleshy and dead eyed, it gaped at him from the centre of the room on top of a bird fountain. A few of them stopped what they were doing, stepping towards him. They were probably expecting another job. They kept expecting that even when he called for a larger gathering, it was night, so many crows were already gathered, but Ranpo wanted to get the last stragglers. When all came, Ranpo opened his beak, and they listened in utter silence. So yeah, Ranpo finished, Im taking over, were stopping our organised crime, and moving onto more legitimate business. The murder of crows around him shifted, the stance looked passive. It was baffling, he was expecting aggressive, swears- crows could swear with the best of them-, yet he was met with silence. Then Uno- in hindsight, Aiden calling the one eyed, one legged bird that was pretty mean spirited, even One-Eyed sounded better- hopped forward. Slinked forward really, head low, tail raised, and growled, Fuck off. Thats when the group turned aggressive. For the first time, Ranpo thought the term murder was a rather apt way of describing a group of them. They certainly seemed to have murder in their eyes, and Ranpo had to let them surround him. Cawing loud curses and slurs as they flared their wings in intimidation. Ranpo admitted he was slightly speciesist, but saying that about the colour of his feathers was uncalled for. Then one of them lunged at him, he tried to dodge, he really did, Why did Aiden have to make this look so easy!? The crow got him in the wing, then a second one descended upon him, then a third, and fourth, and soon his body was ripped apart in a flurry of beaks and claws. Turns out he did bleed, though the blood felt papery, like really thin paper mache. His flesh was some weird in-between amalgamation between paper and flesh. Losing that body was so annoying, especially since he couldnt fold himself a new one. Damn apes and their thumbs. You guys done? Ranpo asked, his real body splayed in two dimensions on the clay pot beside them. Several beaks dropped. One-Eyeds was not one of them, he pushed one crows jaw shut with his wing, and approached him more cautiously, You hold tricks, but know weve stolen our fair share of tricks as well. Im not asking for much, Ranpo shrugged. Just be decent people. And why should we listen to a human fucker? One-Eyed cawed harshly with laughter. You even use their expressions! Leave! That is the kindness you have bought from teaching us the tricks of coins. Kindness! Kindness! the murder repeated behind him. Ranpos eyes narrowed. You dont care if you alienate my friend? Who gives a fuck about him? one of the crows cawed. One-Eyed immediately shot it a dirty look and slapped it with his wing. Damn. There went his in. The crows had found another store to shop at. It might be the jewel thief, or some other poor sod they had roped in. Like you said, I taught you how to use money, he enunciated the words, as if speaking to idiots. I taught you how to get by in the human world. Arent you all eating way better now? Isnt it nice to not have to root through garbage and trash cans, instead getting the fresh articles straight from them? He realised pretty early on his peers werent so interested in grand ideals, except food, and maybe shitting. Crows shitting on people were a lot more directed than humans realised. Are you satisfied with just this amount of loot? Of food? You guys could earn so much more! More? More? The murder asked. More! he shouted back. More! the crowd repeat. Are you parrots? One-Eyed yelled, sweeping his wings, Gullbrained! He is without name, barely a child! That was unexpected, I have a name, it is Ranpo, you may have heard people use it. His name was the only word he didnt speak in crow. There wasnt really a direct translation in caws to that hideous reference. One-Eyed flew closer, looming over him, Human name, it is not accepted amongst the crow kind. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Then what is? he challenged. Something other than that, an older voice interrupted. Both their attention turned. In the back of the greenhouse a pair of eyes stared back of them from the shadow of a ceramic vase. The creature hobbled forward, head just peaking out of the darkness. Unkempt, its feathers were messy and slick, as if covered in crude oil or paint, it was much larger than any of the assembled crows, for it was a raven. His name is Three Toed Headphones, the raven gestured to One-Eyed. It quirked its head, I could offer a name to you, or give you the right to choose one. Though maybe not the latter, for you would choose to keep the name of man, and forces us to speak human. What does a crow name matter? he briskly asked. Little at all, for someone of your ambitions, it cawed back. Slaying of immortals, stealing of elixirs, forging a champion, all the makings of myth, dont you think? How did you know that? Ranpo slid off the pot, gliding across the ground. He reached his mangled body, and forced it back into one piece as he stood and stared down the great raven. That is a stupid thing to ask, the raven told him. We are crows, who cannibalised the corpses of Thought and Mind still roosted on their masters shoulder. We have been stealing secrets and tricks since the first dawn. Even if you are crow shaped and not crow born, you should know that. Just as I know you do not fear me, for you have stared down a much greater thing than I, and talked her down. Who are you? I am Myself, I answered him. My face loomed over him. You desire leadership of the crows of this land, not just a mercenary one. It is a matter you would need a name for. Do you want one? And I would have to get a name from you, he said. I shrugged, and Ranpo realised I had been using human mannerisms the whole time. Rather late of him, honestly. It is a formality, but I keep the Cantos, so I am bound to formality. Ranpo was silent for a moment, before he scoffed. This is bullshit, we both said at the same time. What? again at the same time. Youre repeating- How are you doing that? Ranpo stepped a foot back, Youre a meta, arent you? A name, I asked him again. Do you want a crow name? I shouldve brought Aiden- You constantly rely on him, I chastised, when it should be you he relies on. Get out of my head! Ranpo cawed as he arched his wings, body raised like a wild animal. Finally, I crooned, something like a crow. Ranpo froze, shrinking back down as he took another step back. I dont ask for much, merely a secret and a place in your memory. I must admit you only need to give a secret, the memory is an indulgence of mine. I lowered my head in submission, I merely hope that when you achieve all that you sought, you remember Me. Ranpo regarded the raven, A secret? Only a secret? I doubt there is something I could keep from you. The raven shrugged, Formality, as I said. Ranpo frowned, mentally working through his mind what he had already revealed, before he finally settled on one, and walked forward to face the raven again. Fine, Ill tell you- Interesting. The raven turned away, skulking back into its vase. Its body fading into the shadows. Ill keep that one. What- Hey! You! What secret did you take? Ranpo shouted, What about the name!? The silhouette paused, turning a beady eye towards him, You are ambitious, Eat the Skies and Shit Out the Clouds. What? It took Ranpo an embarrassingly long time to realise that it wasnt a request, or order. It was his new name. Three Toed Headphones fluttered down in front of him, staring with his one eye. Ranpo tensed, before the crow yelled, There is a new crow among us! Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate! ?~Celebrate!~? the crows sang. What? Ranpo gaped, as the crows began flying around him. Bring the booze!~? Headphones sang as he led the dumbfounded Ranpo back to the centre. There, groups of crows worked together using a bottle opener to crack open several green bottles of beer, and poured the contents into a bird fountain. A crow, covered in golden bracelets and watches leapt and swan dived into the pool of beer. The splash went everywhere, and Ranpo tasted alcohol on his nose for the first time in his life. A ring of crows landed around him, clapping wings together as they skipped. ?~Sing!~? ?~Sing!~? ?~Sing! For we are CROWS!~? ?~Ashen clad! Heaven sent!~? ?~Thieves one and all! Keep your sticks close!~? ?~What is this?~? Ranpo sang in confusion. ?~Why am I singing?~? ?~Stole fire from man, just so we could burn our yams!~? Headphones slapped his wing, ?~But do we care?~? ?~No!~? ?~No!~? the murder chanted back. ?~Burnt our feathers black, but did we stop stealing?~? ?~No!~? ?~No!~? ?~Spied some secrets! Keep your voices down!~? ?~Blind and deaf lollygaggers! Used us eyes and ears!~? Headphones twirled around in a circle, singular eye scanning the crowd, ?~But do we care?~? ?~No!~??~No!~? ?~Secrets didnt save them! So we had our fill!~? Headphones leapt into the booze fountain, ?~Corpses and carrion, all a crows feast!~? ?~I suppose I could agree with the idea of eating carrion,~? Ranpo sang. ?~Do zombies count?~? ?~Now youve you got the idea!~? A group of crows slammed down a mug of beer. ?~Drink!~? ?~Drink!~? Ranpo tentatively took a sip. The crow that was covered in golden bracelets leapt out of the fountain, ?~Sing! For we are crows! One day we will huck off our raven ash, blind you with the bling we deserve!~? Headphones splashed out a wave of booze into the gaping beaks of many crows, ?~Sing! For we are crows! One day we will keep the secrets for no one but ourselves! Shit yourself, well know your face and where you live!~? ?~So drink! Drink! Drink to that golden plume!~? ?~Drink! One day humans will die, and then its our turn!~? The next morning, Ranpo woke up with a splitting headache on a pile of half eaten fruits and nuts, surrounded by the prone or wobbling forms of the murder that tried to murder him last night. Somehow also covered in glitter. I understand how Aiden feels now, he murmured, before falling back down to sleep. Bu Family Recipes: Soup Noodles Bu Family Recipes: Soup Noodles How I ended up as a judge? Well, I just had the previous judge over for dinner. - Cannibal Holocaust, on season 7, episode 89 of Meta Chefs Liberation Go Beyond X! A constant pitter patter of rain hit Juns window, a dark dusky evening saw her, Aiden and Ranpo stood in a loose circle around her kitchen bench top. Aiden rolled up his sleeves, eyes distant as he stared back at the night. For a moment, he was recalling memories not his own, but his counterpart, the true Aiden Bu. Lets get started then, he washed his hands, and both Jun and Ranpo quickly followed. This is a family recipe from my mum. Well need some basics, Ill separate them into three main groups by order of when they go in the wok. First off, onion, ginger, garlic, and a meat. What meat you pick doesnt greatly matter, its there to be a source of protein and add its fat to the mix. As such pork, lamb, even beef will work. But since youre going vegetarian, we can skip the meat, and just add more vegetable oil. In front of him lay a single onion, four cloves of garlic, and three slices of ginger. Second off, some tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. You can add other root vegetables like celery or broccoli stem. Since we dont have potatoes on hand, well just replace them with Gapples. He washed the two tomatoes, three carrots, and two large Gapples. Ranpo tilted his head at the potato like vegetables covered in fine mycelium, You know, it is kinda strange that something called God Apple is relegated to a basic food. Really? I guess it kinda is, never thought about it, Jun replied. Third off, Aiden continued, are the stuff thatll be cooking for the least amount of time. Tofu, peas, mushrooms, other stuff. Its all mostly optional things to add variety. Finally, the noodles- I already prepared the dough! Jun blurred, holding a bowl of dough she had kneaded earlier. Are you going to do the throwing and pulling stuff? Aiden pushed a finger into the dough, feeling its slight spring, but there was a problem, there was far too much dough. Jun, you prepared too much. Im a big eater, she lied as naturally as she breathed, for the truth was she first added too much water to the flour, and thus added more flour to compensate, but in turn added too much flour, and required more water. That occurred about four times, leaving them with a ball of dough that could feed three times their number. Are you going to do a noodle pull? No, far too much effort. He took out a large rolling pin, and flattened the dough into a large sheet, then poured some flour on the sheet so that it would not stick, folded it down the middle several times, until it was like a flattened rolled up tube or scroll. Taking a knife, he cut strips along its length, jiggling the dusty end result so that it would unfold into a noodle. This is a lot easier, Ranpo, you peel the carrots and potatoes. Jun, dice the aromatics. Ranpo picked up the vegetable peeler, very much made for human hands, and stared at it as if it owed him money. Jun went about dicing the aromatics. They worked in silence, Jun naturally finished her task fastest, and began helping Ranpos grim task of peeling vegetables with a beak. They finished before Aiden finished cutting all the lengths of noodles. Dice the vegetables now? Wash them first, then dice the vegetables, Aiden agreed. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. How large should they be? she brandished the kitchen knife. Doesnt matter, just uniform. If you want an arbitrary size, small enough to fit in your soup spoon. She nodded, and began dicing the vegetables. Each soon finished their tasks. Aiden dusting his hands of flour, I cut the noodles thin so theyll be pretty quick to cook, well get started on the soup. Into a large wok he poured a good serving of oil. Jun blurred and returned with a notebook and pen in hand, How much oil do you use? Just eyeball it, enough to coat the aromatics when you toss them in. He held his palm just above the oil, once the heat rose hot enough, he poured the diced aromatics in. Loud sizzling and droplets of oil danced as he stirred with a spatula, Stir to make sure it doesnt stick, dont keep the ingredients still, or they may be burned on one side only. Once the onion changes colour and is clearer then you can add the rest of the stuff in. This is generally also where you throw the meat in, though it depends on the meat. If youre using something thin cut like hotpot lamb strips, then they can be thrown in at the end instead. Again, Im going vegan, Jun said. Just dont make it your whole personality trait, Ranpo muttered as he landed by Fluffy, and patted her head. She placed a hand over her heart, I will make sure to convert you guys without you noticing then. The onion is cooked, Aiden declared, Oros brought him the plate of carrots, Gapples, and tomatoes. He threw them in, and stirred. Stir this for a bit, only a bit, then pour in water. Jun brought the kettle they had left to boil, and poured the water in. Aiden stirred a few more times for good luck, then put the lid on, Leave it to boil, but really youre just waiting for the carrots and Gapples to cook, which is just dependent on how large you diced them. After a while, Aiden took a soup spoon, and removed a Gapple piece. He took a quick bite, finding it break easily under his teeth, but not too crumbly. Its mycelium portions were vastly different in texture, soft and firm like a cooked mushroom. He removed another such piece, and demonstrated to Jun that this was considered cooked. Finally, they tasted the soup. Its a bit bland? Jun asked with a strange face. Thats because you havent added the seasoning yet, Aiden replied, taking out a bottle of soy sauce and chicken powder. Soy sauce and chicken powder for taste. You can add salt, but I find soy sauce offers saltiness in enough portions. Jun held the bottles, measuring them with her eyes, How much do I need? Just eyeball it, Aiden replied. She pouted, Youre not very scientific about this thing. Cooking existed before the scientific method was codified, and will survive its death, Aiden casually replied, filling the soup spoon again. If you want a real answer, add until it tastes good. Soy sauce you should be more conservative with, but be generous with chicken powder. Honestly we could fuck up every other step, but if chicken powder is in here itll still taste some variation of good. With that said, Aiden poured in a bit of soy sauce, added a few teaspoons of chicken powder, stirred and tasted it. Good enough. Noodles? Jun was already on it, bringing a pot of water to boil and tossed the noodles in. Aiden, still working on the soup, added large chunks of tofu and peas. When all was done, Jun strained the noodles, and ran them under cold water. Prepared two bowls of them, and added the soup. They ate in wordless conversation, for their loud slurping that sprayed soup everywhere spoke louder than words. Jun found the soup rich with umami flavours, the noodles bouncy, and the vegetables granted rich variation in texture. Jun decided to swap to Daycore, his senses slowed, and he savoured every last drop as he finished the bowl, poured the remaining soup down his gullet, he burped loudly as he finished. Ranpo, you sure you dont want to try this? Im not sure how to quickly summarise the intricacies and differences in ape and avian diets, but I think it would be problematic if I ate that. Ranpo did peck at his peanuts with a contemplative look, for crow diets were rather bland, and without the revolutionary advances of cooking. Shame. Companionable silence fell over them, before Jun asked a question, This seems like it takes a lot of time. I could do it quickly, but Im me, how do you manage it? And it seems like you end up with a lot of portions. Aiden was silent for a moment, It is meant to be eaten as a family. He paused, not sure what to say, Oh. Ranpo nudged Jun, and whispered, He only eats instant noodles and rice when hes alone. If he doesnt have to feed someone else, he would be eating the blandest shit possible. That is simply untrue, Aiden rolled his eyes. I have long since upgraded from eating nothing but rice and nutrient supplements. Chapter 62 A Group of Crows is called a Murder Part 3 Chapter 62 A Group of Crows is called a Murder Part 3 Caw! CACAWR! - The philosophical discussions between Jingling Keychains Sunders The Street Light and I Shit Daily On The Human Named Ophelia Steelsoul Nelson The Immovable For The Crime Of Wronging Me, which devolved to fisticuffs, in the Cantos of Crowkind. Perhaps Ranpo shouldve expected that he would not rest long, after all, when he summed up the events of the past few hours in his head, why would the world let him sleep off his first hangover? No, such a thing was for a world that made sense. So it was with great consternation that Ranpo awoke to the sound of shattering glass and the cacophony of squawks. A cinderblock had smashed through the tarnished glass, letting in a harsh crimson light. The sun was a ball of blood red today and it highlighted their attackers charging in through the breach in the ceiling. Flying figures of styrofoam white with wings dark as an oil spill. Three Toed Headphones flew past him, cawing, The gulls are attacking! Before the one-eyed crow took up a shiv with his beak and gutted a seagull that came too close. Around them the crows were waking from their drunken stupor, cawing war cries as they took flight. Three Toed Headphones licked the blood off his shiv and joined. Outside murder and colony fought a battle of aerial dominance. Darting bodies of black and white as they tried to outmanoeuvre and dive bomb the other. Ranpo saw this and vomited glitter. After hucking up a pile of purple, he looked around again, saw a seagull much larger than him dive him and then heaved up a fruit pit that was stuck in his throat. He moved before the beak made contact, not with the three-dimensional paper body, but the true two dimensional one overlaying it. Shifting his wing away from where the gull made contact and pierced into the folded origami. Ranpo spat the fruit pit at the gulls eye, getting a confused squawk in response as they broke off. Jiggling himself back into place with his body, Ranpos still addled mind briefly pondered an appropriate metaphor for his state. If Aidens usage of tattoos was akin to putting on a suit, then Ranpo himself was that suit piloting a mannequin. What he had just done was akin to taking the arm out of the arm sleeve and folding the sleeve across his chest. The mannequin arm was what was damaged, while he, the clothing remained safe. But the mannequin was getting a bit too damaged. Both the Umbrella and the t-rex managed to animate both sand and concrete respectively, neither continuous, connected or even shaped like them, they merely forced the medium into their shape through physical strength. Ranpo was doing this as well, there were plenty of holes, rips and tears in his origami body, even in pristine condition it wasnt perfectly shaped like a crow. He was physically holding these parts together in place and it was getting tiring. The opposing gull seemed to get over its confusion, lunging at him again. Ranpo took the opportunity to slip completely off his body. The torn paper fell to shreds as the gull slammed into it, rips and tears from the previous night falling apart the moment he was no longer there to keep it together. Now that he had more time to think about his powers, he would have to say that being two-dimensional was a lot like being underwater, lacking gravity or true up and down, with the surface being the waters surface. He could go deeper into the water, further away from the surface, which appeared to others like him becoming smaller. Despite this distance, he could return to the surface at any time and retain whatever size he had shrunken himself into, but naturally he was only about as capable as whatever his relative size indicated. His physical strength didnt condense when he was the size of an ant. Any form of movement he tried while two dimensional also worked, swimming, flying and even walking, as if there were phantom surfaces for him to push off of. He flew now on the floors surface towards his prize. An obsidian blur as he slid onto the bleeding corpse of the stabbed gull. Black feathers overtook white ones as Ranpo rose once again. Jiggling his joints into place with the gulls equivalents. The gull was a bit larger than him, but that just resulted in the wings and tail being outlined with grey, and a black beak that ended in an orange hook. Inhabiting a three dimensional body broke his water analogy, because he covered every part of the creatures body, not just one side of it. The black of his wings covered both the under and upper side of the dead gulls wings. Not to mention the fact he could digest things. Actual, physical digestion and subsequent defecation. His two-dimensional body was still susceptible to wounds, but he could get poisoned. He was poisoned. Alcohol counted no matter how many drug addled humans claimed otherwise. Diving the confused gull, Ranpo got a good peck, ripping off a wicked line of feathers from the gulls crown. They were about the same size now, and much more equally equipped. They brawled against each other on the ground and air, each attempted flight interrupted by the other with a timely kick or peck. The gull was good, managing a wing bash on his breast before he could move his two-dimensional body, winding him and opening him up to get grabbed by their claw. In midair he had no surface to flee to, and his distracted mind could only wonder how he managed to breath air while two dimensional and lacking inflatable lungs. It was the crow that had covered herself in golden bracelets last night that saved him. Dive bombing the gull and freeing him. We have to flee! the crow called out. Above, the fight was starting to turn against them as many crows chose flight. Help me grab the treasure! Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Which one? Ranpo yelled back. The fish! His saviour dived towards the fountain that held the glowing fish head. The crow, which he would later learn was named Shattered Moon Cannot Fathom The Traffic Light (or Traf for short, because the other abbreviation was rude in both Crow and Human for different reasons), grabbed the upper lip of the fish head, while he grabbed the bottom. Both fled for the skies. It didnt take long for them to have pursuers. The first gull dived Ranpo, he narrowly avoided at the cost of throwing both of them off balance. The second swooped by but was beaten back by Three Toed Headphones still wielding his shiv. The one eyed crow cawed something garbled by the handle in his beak, but Ranpo figured it was something along the lines of: Ill hold them off! Since he charged the first gull, dipping at the last moment to draw a deep red line into the gulls wing. Ranpo and Traf recentered themselves, still holding the fish head as they flew off. Ranpos last glance backward showed him Three Toed Headphones flying circles around four gulls, like David facing four Goliaths, the older crows smaller size gave him the edge in manoeuvrability. Unfortunately, four seemed to be the limit he could keep preoccupied as two other gulls chased closed behind them. Eyes locked onto the literal beacon of light between their claws. What is this stupid head thing! he cawed at Traf. Meta artefact! Traf cawed back. Is it even worth it!? Ranpo asked, but was left tragically unanswered as Traf simply yelled, Im diving! They dived trying to find cover amongst the city buildings, the two gulls chased close behind. The crows weaved through cars and waking crowds, managing to just dodge a hot dog stand, while the a gull behind them slammed into a proffered hot dog, slowing it down for but a moment. Were going up! Traf changed direction, heading towards the glass walls of a skyscraper. Ranpo nodded, both gulls following close behind them, they rushed towards the skyscraper, at the last possible moment they braked direction, flying up the skyscraper instead. The less manoeuvrable gull simply slammed headfirst into the glass. The second gull that had been slowed by the hot dog braked in time, chasing them up the skyscraper. How do we lose him!? Traf screamed. Ive got an idea! Ranpo cawed back, Fly towards the sun! The other crow didnt question him, changing direction towards the rising sun. For a brief moment, the light of the fish head obscured them within the much brighter light of the sun, and the gull lost sight of them. That was when a dark shadow slipped away and dived the gull. Ranpos foot curled into a fist, smashing the head of the last gull. He noted with some surprise that it was the same one that attacked him, his beak mark was still on its crown. The gull squawked rage as it fell. Ranpo hovered for a moment, confirming it hit the ground before he moved to catch Traf who could not bear the weight of the fish head by herself. This thing better be worth it, he muttered as they flew off into the distance. | Ranpo vomited a cigarette butt, he wiped the phlegm on his lip with disgust. What the fuck was this guy eating? He admitted he didnt have the most hygienic diet as a crow, but heaving out what the seagull was eating made him look fussy in comparison. Anyways what does the fish head do? They were at another crow nest hidden in the bright signage of an abandoned fast food restaurant, this one much more sparsely decorated than the green house, but the wiring that once powered the sign now arced electricity in a violently lethal light show. Judging by the scratch marks on the exposed wiring, the crows had done this intentionally. Traf didnt answer him immediately, instead she and a few other crows picked out a bottle of beer, apparently they kept a stash at every hideout they had. It turns water to beer, and makes beer taste better. Ranpo waited for more. He was disappointed in himself for expecting something other than disappointment. Seriously!? he yelled as the other crow tried to work the bottle open. We risked our lives for that!? Worth it! Traf exclaimed as she smashed the bottle open and they rushed to drink the contents. No! Ranpo shoved Traf aside, a dormant volcano of frustration and rage finally erupting within him. You crows are most hedonistic little shits I have ever seen! And you dont even do that right! You are all as or almost as smart as humans, so why do you live in their cities living off their scraps? Youre smart enough to organise and you can see what benefits that brings you! Instead you keep doing immature shit like this without grasp of a greater goal or purpose! You could better your living situation if you just tried! Shattered Moon Cannot Fathom The Traffic Light growled, My name is much longer and better than yours, and yet it seems only you got the stick up your ass! Yeah! Youre stupid! I fuck your dad! Hes right. Three Toed Headphones declaration cut through the chatter. Silencing all of them. The one eyed crow was drenched in blood, only some of it his. He had dropped his shiv by the door when he came, and its edge had been dulled with repeated use. The elder crow hopped toward Ranpo, the murder parting around the him. Eat The Skies And Shit Out The Clouds is right, he repeated. We have been stealing tricks, hiding in shadows, waiting for the day where we become the next ones after humanity, assuming that doing things the crow way will bring us there, he quietly rumbled. But where has that brought us? Three Toed Headphones looked around to the battered crows, many sporting bruises and wounds. He spoke with rising cadence, Wounded and fleeing from our homes? Robbed of our hordes!? I say no more! EAT THE SKIES AND SHIT OUT THE CLOUDS IS RIGHT! FROM TODAY FORTH WE SHALL ORGANISE! FORM WARBANDS AS HUMANS DO AND BRING THE BATTLE TO THE GULLS! WE WILL EXTERMINATE EVERY LAST GULL, HATCHLING AND EGG! UNTIL THESE SKIES BELONG TO ONLY US! Race war! A crow cawed out. Race war! Another echoed. Race war! Race war! To the chants of Race war repeated, Ranpo could only look bewildered before he screamed the sole voice in defiance. You guys are fucking idiots! They paused as Ranpo huffed, trying to catch his breath. He breathed in and yelled, ITS NOT A RACE WAR SINCE WERE NOT THE SAME SPECIES! ITS A SPECIES WAR! A SPECIES WAR YOU DUMBASSES! One crow looked at the other and whispered, Thats what hes bothered about? Eat The Skies And Shit Out The Clouds, Three Toed Headphones loomed over him. Ranpo was technically the larger beast with his new body, but he had seen Three Toed Headphones gut at least three gulls on his lonesome. You know how humans fight and humans are the greatest at fighting, even their Living Concepts excel at only war. Teach us war as humans know it, and we will follow your requests on other things. Ranpo palmed his face, groaning, Thats what Ive been trying to say all along! Chapter 63 A Practical Guide to Not Becoming a Xianxia Protagonist Chapter 63 A Practical Guide to Not Becoming a Xianxia Protagonist It is said the strongest Cultivator was some truant prince who took up the sword with no prior training in it or martial arts in general after he starved himself under a peach tree for nine weeks straight and left ranting about solving suffering. Disciple, you must aim to achieve the same foolishness as this man who we name the First Sage. The docks had a character to it. It was a part of the city Aiden had never visited, yet was instantly recognisable. Closest to the sea, and thus the Pacific Threat, it was a place abnormally sterile, yet littered with the scratchings of the Wanderers Code. Each symbol imbued with Hume and the vast number of symbols deafened Aidens senses, Oros slithered off his scarf and back onto his neck as a tattoo. Both felt pressed like when Isaac had used Simple Domain on him. They warned of many things, and in their repetition, suppressed them. It was in an old fish and chips shop where Aiden found Rain. Sat beside a window overlooking the barnacle infested wooden docks, she regarded a greasy plate of fish and chips, a tower of deep fried chocolate bars, and a jug of soda with something bordering disgust and morbid curiosity. How can you serve this thing? she asked the tight lipped chef and proprietor of the store. Ignoring that, how do people eat this? Poison is in the dosage, and I fear you have accidentally killed all your customers. The chef answered by adding a plate of calamari rings. Rain regarded her fork with similar curiosity, but still speared a single chip. She nodded as she sampled it, Yes, you are definitely trying to poison me. My gratitude to you. What are these curious devices you use in place of chopsticks? How do you not know about forks? Aiden asked as he sat down. Is this the first time youve tried eating in this world? Nobody offered until now, she shrugged as she spun a butter knife. I sat down and the Chef began placing plates in front of me. Ya paid, said chef bluntly told them before going back into the kitchen. Rain used the fork and knife like chopsticks, threading them in her fingers to hold up the fried fish, Id offer you some but Im afraid this will kill you. They both noticed the new person down the street heading towards them, both continued their conversation even as Aiden began to memorise their gait. People are not that fragile. That could be true, Rain mused as she tried the fish. I have heard people of this realm recreationally drink disinfectant. Its a misuse of medicine but I cant blame stupidity. It took Aiden a moment to recognise what she meant as he took from the box holding napkins and utensils. Alcohol? I guess some people do that, but nobody I know drinks. As he said that, Ranpo chugged a beer bottle the length of his wingspan then jumped off a pile of golden coins into a fountain of wine. The door bell rang as Ya stepped in. Am I late? Aiden regarded the man. There were details that simply could not have been conveyed via a screen. Ya mustve been a very fit man in the past, but seemed to have lost himself recently. His gait was very familiar, and Aiden realised with no surprise that it seemed like a worse version of Rains gait. Both were of a practised fighters, but his lacked a quality that Rains had. A career soldier against a born martial artist. He clad himself in a simple and practical business suit, a type unique to this world in that it did not overly hinder movement and acted much like body armour, but along with such practicalities as his red ring he also wore a luxury brand watch and shoes. Slight touches of make up tried and failed to hide wrinkles and greying hairs. Aidens tattooed nose also caught a hint of cologne. It wasnt strong enough for someone without an enhanced smell, so Ya wore it exclusively for their benefit. I just arrived as well, Aiden answered. No doubt the man wanted to make sure the path was clear. Despite his many advantages. Here within the ports, surrounded by the Wanderers Code, it was neither the otherworldly magics of Rain nor Aidens meta ability Colorful that reigned. It was him, the regular man. Ya pulled a chair, noting that a set of cutlery had been prepared for him. Rain, you eat? Rain took a sip of the soda, her face warping in disgust for a moment. You never asked. You told me forty years ago you sustained yourself purely off violence and meditation. The years have not proven to me anything else. Ya sighed as she went back to her food. The older man did not touch his cutlery, but set down his suitcase on the table. Hows the view? I hope I didnt call you too late, we can work out better scheduling in the future but this was the closest time I had available. Aiden shrugged. Theres no problem, I wasnt busy tonight. You must be parched. A rope shot out and grabbed a glass cup, which Aiden quickly filled and offered him. Ya didnt react, seamlessly taking the cup and thanking him. It had been a while since Aiden played this game. Of inane lies, pointless subtlety, and half remembered social cues. Ya pretended he didnt call him at this time to keep Aiden off kilter, in a place where metas were weaker, and pretended to be late to confirm the way was safe. Aiden pretended he didnt notice and wrapped a knife and fork nicely in a napkin for the man, as well as showed his ability could still work. Aiden wondered briefly how many bribes he missed out on early in life simply because he didnt know the game. His coworkers mustve thought him incorruptible before that one particularly blunt trust fund kid handed him keys to a lambo and told him to delay the wages of a particular person long enough for her to get evicted. Ya opened his suitcase and laid down pen and paper, Let us discuss the terms of your contract, we can draw up a draft here. Of course for people like us its mostly symbolic. It doesnt have to be. Aiden thought briefly. They were citizens of Ozzstraya, with a Notary empowered by Law, making a contract binding would be simple. But given Aidens plans a legally binding contract would only make things difficult. Should I bring it up just to muddy my intentions? He dismissed the notion quickly, it could also just have been a trap by Ya to make Aiden agree to it, all the while looking like it was his own idea. Aiden shrugged, Thats fine. Rain set down her fork, wiped her mouth, Excuse me, and burped loudly enough to reverberate through the street. I believe according to the script I am supposed to bring up your realms bureaucratic legal magicians in a very natural way. She even said that last part in accented English, making it clear she was told to say that. Ya and Aiden stared at her as she nonchalantly started picking her teeth with a tooth pick. Rain Ya began. The woman shrugged, I told you further negotiations were unnecessary, we fought, what more needs to be said? Neither of you are foolish enough to believe the other either way, youre just insulting each other. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Perhaps you should keep watch outside? Ya decided he would rather be left alone with someone who could kill him in several dozen very creative ways than stand Rain any longer. For that, he held Aidens deepest sympathies. That sympathy however quickly evaporated when Rain stepped out and Ya turned to him. Six figures, hourly wages, sick leave, three months paid holidays, insurance, Aiden pushed up his glasses, oh, and dental and optometry. Little did Aiden expect that the other man would actually be invigorated by his rapid fire of demands. Were hiring you on a casual and contractual basis, paid holidays are for consistent employment. Aiden raised an eyebrow, Oh? And you dont expect me to stay for the long term nine to five? You have your military conscription, Im not going to pay you to be a spy. We can however renegotiate when you return, well treat right now as a trial period. A trial period longer than twelve months? Then pay me seven figures. Now thats ridiculous. Well if you cant bear seven figures I can accept nine hundred thousand Were you born without shame or was it a learned skilled? Five hundred, I have this insurance plan that covers extended family As they bargained like old aunts at a fish market, Aiden had to stop the grin from forming on his lips. Ah this is bad. I think I actually like this guy. Thats gonna make killing him so much harder. It had started snowing some time during their bargaining. By the time they had haggled out their agreement and left the store, it had become thick enough to reach their ankles. Neither were surprised to find the vaguely cross legged snow mound that dusted herself off and silently stepped to follow beside them. They reached the docks proper, feet crunching down snow, sea warred with a different scent, and Aiden paused as he saw the barnacles crusting every available surface. They reminded him of common acorn barnacles but off somehow. The details were not quite right and a part of him was wary against it. He recognised it quickly, now that he knew what he was experiencing. It was the instinctual repulsion of sensing Bleed, but lesser, instead of an invader in your home it was more in the way of an invited stranger. Ya glanced towards him, You noticed? Aiden knelt down, examining the curious growth. This is a living concept. The entire thing is. Barnacles. No one can get rid of them, no one can make use of them. Ya stepped away to hail a nearby ship. Rain sat down beside him, legs dangling off the docks. With a pinch she pried a single barnacle free, tearing off a thin layer of the salt rotten wood underneath with it. Your realm suppresses me, but does not for these things. I believe the difference is that your reality isnt actively infecting ours, Aiden answered. He glanced towards the sea, lingering on the dark waves unilluminated by civilisation. What drives you, tea brewer? Aiden frowned, Why are you asking me this? Reciprocity, she answered, toying with the living concept within her fingers. I have told you what I am, so that you understand what kind of creature I am. I have only come to understand that you are a monstrous thing, Aiden scoffed. And yet, I pity you more honestly. Rain snorted, an undignified laugh that felt so out of place it was like she had done it at a funeral. Indeed! To have fallen so far to deserve pity. You must think me old and decrepit with one foot in the grave. But you are trying to change the subject. Answer. Aiden drummed his fingers on his knee. He considered lying, but he knew there was no point. She wouldnt do anything with the truth, Rain was more likely to keep it to her grave if anything. There is nothing interesting to it, I merely wish to be kind. And the Rain that Beholds the Morning Grass grinned deeply. Then I am glad. You choose the most difficult path of them all. There is nothing difficult about being good, Aiden answered. Everyone else seems to get it, but I dont. Im lacking something. You misunderstand Son of Fire, though goodness comes naturally to people of this realm, it is the most difficult step of them all for us, her eyes looked far, but unseeing. Reminiscing of a place Aiden had never seen. There is a tale from my realm of an extremely foolish Empress. She walked the path of the Eight Shattered Mountains, knew the secrets of the First Sage and the truth of the Heavens, she ruled the Nine Peach Phoenix Empire, master of countless Cultivators including the Eight Divine Generals. Yet still we remember her only as the greatest fool of them all. Do you know why? Aiden shook his head. Because she declared her empire will be good, Rain said. We will no longer keep the mortals as chattel, we will have honour, we will value the communal over the individual, and we will remake the Eight Shattered Mountains so that theyll be whole again. She wanted to become better, so that Cultivators are not just animals with an esteemed title, she practically spat the word, like hateful bile that stuck to the back of the throat. The moment she weakened in power, her Eight Divine Generals betrayed her, Rain crushed the living concept inside her hand. Showing that for all the peace and prosperity she achieved, it was all dependant on her having the largest fist. And so the people of my realm learned a very valuable lesson. That is why I am glad, you wish to be kind, so you wish to be strong. Aiden watched the crushed shell dust of the living concept fall and fade away into nothing. I can confidently say the people of your realm learned the wrong lesson. Perhaps we have, she didnt refute him. Knowledge and perspective of this world has been valuable in that regard. On Aidens cheek, a tattoo of a brown mouse scurried about, before it entangled itself within a bramble of thorns, trapped and bleeding, it was another white mice that came and chewed it free. In another section of his face, an ant carried another wounded ant away a battlefield. On his shoulder a memory of a crow flew by. As those memories appeared then returned to him, Aiden spoke, Mice will free another from bondage with no prompting, ants heal their wounded even if there are hundreds to replace them, strength has never been a requirement. So it must be a quite simple thing to achieve. Then win, and prove me wrong. | Jun hung upside down, her legs sprawled over the top of a couch. She had already finished cleaning up after everyone had left, and was now alone with her thoughts. Evidently, her thoughts didnt give much, since she let herself go and collapsed onto the floor, coming eye to leg with Puppet Rain. I thought with the blood rushing to my head I might think of a better idea. She collected herself, coming to a cross legged sit next to Puppet Rain. But I cant figure it out, how do I get both strong enough to hurt you and fast enough to hit you? Can you tell me? Puppet Rain suddenly stood up, knocking Jun onto her back. Hey! The silent puppet ignored her as she stepped outside into the snow. Jun followed out soon after, breath fogging in the night cold. She found her roommate rolling snowballs. Making a snow man? She shrugged and joined in, rolling her own snow balls. Two snow men soon stood in the field, Puppet Rains was bare, but Jun had taken the time to poke some eyes and draw a mouth. A tap from Puppet caught Juns attention, making sure she was watching, the Puppet raised a baseball bat and swung it at the snow mans head. Jun watched it in slow motion as she made contact with the snow and begin to carve through the snow man. Huh? Puppet Rain withdrew the bat, leaving a straight line thick as her wrists splitting the snow ball in two, only a tiny flap of snow connected the ball where the Puppet had stopped and not gone all the way. Jun took the bat, and swung at her own snow man, but she only bashed the head off. She tried again with the decapitated body, going at a slower pace, but she only succeeded in rolling the snow ball slightly to the side. Jun examined the two snow men, one with a perfectly straight cut made with a bat as thick as a persons wrist, the other a headless misshapen ball. The tools were the same, the material too. Puppet Rain reached out, and Jun passed her back the bat. She demonstrated another cut on her snow man, and spoke, Anyone can smash something with a large stick, but to attain mastery, you must cut. Jun sat down, staring at the two cuts Puppet Rain made on her snowman. Brow frowning deeper and deeper even as she took back the bat. Moments passed, but a subjective eternity for Jun as she sped herself up to think. Examining and prodding every part of the snow man for a trick. But there was none, only the absurd reality of what had just happened. After a moment, Juns eyes lit up with realisation. IGOTIT! It was as if the heavens opened up at that moment as Jun grasped martial enlightenment. I just need to use a real weapon! she rushed back to her kitchen and returned with a knife. This time easily making a cut in the snow. There! She proudly showed Puppet Rain the cut. Puppet Rain stared at her, then stared at the sky, and for some odd reason Jun couldnt help but think she was disappointed. Achoo! It was then Jun remembered she was out in the snow in her pyjamas. Chapter 64 Common Cold Chapter 64 Common Cold When I mentioned the concept of therapy to Jarial, he simply did not recognise it. Indeed, it did once exist on Bulwark, back during the ancient days of the apocalypse and the Golden Age of Gadgeteering, but it had been one of those things lost to the ages. - I. La Bamboo Hat Meister Aiden stepped back, avoiding a splash of sea foam as the boat docked. It was an old fishing vessel, decorated more with rust and barnacles than its original paint. There were some strange burn marks on the bow, along with signs of battle damage. His eyes narrowed for a moment as a man threw a rope. Rain caught it, quickly tying it to the docks. Aidens eyes stayed on the man, he was an older gentlemen, straight posture with a figure similar to his, but tanned and salt beaten like he had spent his life wrestling the sea. The ship and man were much alike in that regard. Lao Wu! Ya called out to him in qin. Still have all your teeth Ya? Wus lips curled at the pun as he threw down a gangplank. Without prompting Aiden stepped onto the boat, following the two. Wu turned to him, Who is this young lad? Aiden shook his head, Sorry, I dont understand qin. Who him? Wu asked again in broken Injish, gesturing towards him. New hire, Ya introduced him, then gestured at Wu, This is Lucky Wu, hes captain of this ship, youll be seeing each other frequently in the coming days. Aiden held out a hand, Pleased to meet you. Wu took it, his grip had the wry strength of a steel wire. He let go, and followed the group into the cabin, quietly listening in to their conversation. Howd it go? We got Hei into the ship, but he got found at the end. Ya greeted the other crew mates as they brought out a large black sail and strung it up. Guessing what was happening, Aiden followed them and stepped into the sail. Popping into the pure black world that was Vantas ability. The person in question was waiting, a pure black silhouette only visible in the darkness because he stood surrounded by large wooden crates and shipping containers. Aiden spoke, This is? Your future job, Ya said. Vantas been raiding Muriganna merchant ships, he needs a partner. Piracy, Rain stated. Privateering, Ya corrected. Important distinction here. I thought the Democracy was one of the Five Threats? Aiden asked. Bah! Ya snorted. Everyone says that until they need their exports. He gestured at one of the crates, and without a word Wu brought a crow bar and wrenched it open. Spilling piles of packaged clothing onto the matte black floor. Youre wearing some of their stuff even now. Aiden paused, he looked at the tag of his jacket. It was a small detail, but the tag appeared to have been ripped off and grafted with a new one with a symbol of weighing scales. Looking at the pile, he could find an identical jacket with its original tag of stars and stripes. Should I be worried? Aiden took off his jacket, then remembered his entire clothing set had been bought from the same place. Not terribly, Ya answered. They still go through the same checks, undoubtedly stricter in fact, given their origin. Once its in your hands they should be entirely free of influence. Its not strange if you choose their stuff. Theyre made personally by their National Level Hero, Arachne. The durability and protection it offers is insanely high for how cheap theyre sold. With a more ominous tone, he added, Of course, I personally dont wear anything of theirs, and neither do my men. With a bit of hesitance, Aiden slipped his jacket back on, National level heroes, they use a different rating scale than we do, whats its meaning? National level is simple, it merely means this individual has the capacity to rival the entire country in at least one industry. Arachne is placed there for she can rival the textile output of a global superpower. Aiden paused, silently processing the implications when Ya chuckled. You shouldnt be surprised, your principal is rated one such person. Principal General Monger? He nodded, You know he is S-Class, but they rate him as a National Level Hero of combat. The Democracy assumes that if they brought the full force of their military against him, sans another National Level, they would be equally matched. Of course, that is a lie, the smart money is on him. Aiden had to scoff, Then what the hell is he doing being a teacher? It is not that strange, Rain interjected. For him to pursue strength beyond strength. Ya gestured at Vanta, We have gone off topic, Vanta is perfectly capable of infiltrating their ships, but the risk has gotten tighter. He needs a bodyguard inside his shadow. And Rain cant do that because? She crossed her arms, I cant hide myself from your Gifted sense. Understanding, Aiden offered his hand to Vanta, Then Ill be pleased to be working with you. He hesitated, his hands moved in a series of movements Aiden recognised as sign language. You will also have to be his ears, Rain noted. Vanta nodded, then signed something. Yes, yes, she shrugged, the tea maker was just saying he would be glad to work with you. The black paint slid off Vantas arm as he offered it to him, revealing a bone pale hand, Aiden shook it. | Aiden dreamt of a pitchblack room. Arm rested on a well worn wooden table covered in half finished homework and dishes covered in plastic wrap, staring at the door as he waited. He heard her before he saw her, a familiar gait wearing unfamiliar shoes. Heels, he recognised. Followed by the sound of quiet sobbing. Key jingling, a few stabs at the door which missed the keyhole, before she found her mark and the door was pushed open with a groan. She closed the door, kicked off her shoes, and fell huddled to the ground. Jaiden. Aiden flipped the lights on. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! She jumped up, Aiden! Youre back already? He took her in. Tear marks and ruined mascara, make up and red nail polish inexpertly applied by an amateur hand, clothing that was revealing. His fist tightened. Where were you? Jaiden held herself tight, as if trying to shield herself from the cold with a thin blanket. I was just out with my friends. What do you care? Youre never home. His hand went slack as his face fell. She could see him, eyes ringed with bags and hair freckled with grey. I prepared dinner for you. Her eyes flickered to the table for the first time, seeing her homework which Aiden had left notes on, then at the food cold and wrapped. Jaiden took a shaky step forward, then another like the moment before a house of cards fell, she collapsed to the floor sobbing. Aiden was by her in an instant. I wanted to help, she sobbed. Youre never around, youre so busy I wanted to make it easier for you Her hands cupped her face, clawing at it like a cage, I dont want to be a burden. Youre smart, you wouldve lived a much better life if I was never born- Aiden slapped her. She fell back, crashing onto the floor as he rose. Dont you dare say that, he said with a quiet voice that was the growl of a beast. Blood dripped from his hand, a slow pitter patter of madness. DONT YOU DARE YOU SAY THAT! Jaiden turned to look at him, and Aiden recoiled. His hand marred her face, a great red bruise that seemed to grow and grow until it consumed her and left nothing but the wound. Youre the same monster he was. Blood poured from his hand, licked his knees, a flood that would take him, he saw it rise to his chest, and knew he would let the blood drown him. Youre used to running after all. What the hell is this? Bu asked. Lu turned to him, toes digging into the soft sand, and the gentle sound of ocean waves lapping the shore. Aiden Lu, Bu stood straight, brow frowning. That was not how that happened. He was back in the room, kneeling beside Jaiden as she cried, staring at the hand that slapped her. Dont say that, Aiden said with a quiet voice that was the sound of glass cracking. He helped her up, wiped her tears, and sat her by the table as he heated dinner. A bowl of rice and stir fried vegetables he placed in front of her before sitting down. He held his hands tightly under the table, for he feared they may leap out of his control and strike at her once again. Jaiden, dont say things like that. He waited patiently for her sobs and hiccups to subside. But Dont lie, you know yourself a capable man. You wouldve lived a rich, fat life without her weighing you down. That is not what matters, Aiden said quietly but firmly, not a petty thing like wealth. Liar, you know it would solve all your problems. Jaiden wiped her tears, staining the tissue with her makeup, I just wanted to help you. And you would deny her that? You never needed to, Jaiden. We are not without means and savings. If you lack anything just ask. Even as he said that he knew from her face that she would never do so, for she was clever and kind and would never want to be a burden. But even so, Aiden had to say it. Jaiden, it is my most sincerest wish that you would live a good life. We are family. Says the sibling that ran away. She tensed and slammed the table, And youre the only one working themselves to death! Whats so wrong with me trying to do the same!? The difference is I have never once regretted the decisions I have made, Aiden replied, his voice rising without his control. His hands tightened around each other, like two beasts tearing each others throat. Look at yourself, you are nothing but regrets tonight! He stopped himself before he could say more, taking a deep breath before he continued. Live a good life Jaiden, one without any regrets. Jaiden froze, she stared away, felt the place where Aiden had hit her, and after a quiet moment, said: Sorry. She started eating then, tears and snot mixing with the rice and vegetables, but still she tore into the food. When she was done and Aiden was washing the dishes, he spoke again and broke the silence, Oh, and if those people try to pressure or put you in this situation again, just call me. He idly spun a knife, Ill talk it out with them, peacefully. Lu was back at the shores. That was how it really went, Bu said, hands held behind his back. Do you remember now? I do, Aiden murmured. He was on his way back from the docks when Puppet Rain stopped him, Jun was sleeping, but her quiet breathing had turned to anguished moans. And so I came to Juns place, but I caught what she had. He turned to the other voice. Ive been caught. It was a kaleidoscope of people mashed together into the vague form of a person. Constantly oscillating between faces and parts like a shattered slideshow, each fragment showing a different thing. You remember it, dont you Bu? Bu nodded, Yeap, thats the flu. We caught it from Jun. Really slipped up there, and youre supposed to be the one studying biological warfare. I cant disagree, Lu nodded. I just rushed in. Trist is right, I am an idiot about other people. You two are just going to ignore me? Aiden turned to it, Theres no point, is there? Youre a collection of viral particles, whove happened to gain an ability that allows you to harvest emotion and perpetuate yourself. What Im talking to now isnt an intelligent or sentient thing, just evolution randomly reaching something resembling human speech through accident. He raised a hand, and upon it rose an orchid mantis, You are like this orchid mantis, who achieved their form through aggressive mimicry, but even if it looks and smells identical to the real thing, it doesnt fundamentally understand what an orchid is or its experience. Im wasting my time talking to you, because youre just spouting words without understanding what they mean, all youre trying to do is pry an emotional reaction from me so you can harvest it and replicate more. No, even ascribing intent to you may be a stretch. So leave my head, Im going to wake up now. Not the first time Ive heard that. Its getting rather boring, having people think Im a Chinese Room. But that doesnt make what I say any less true, every third word you speak is a lie. How much have you lied to all the people around you? Those who love you? Lalalala, Aiden plugged his ears, I cant hear you. And the thing grinned a crooked smile pieced from dozens of mouths. Why didnt you hug her? Aiden froze. He knew the words held no meaning, for the thing could not comprehend such a thing, but it was a flaw of the human mind to seek meaning and patterns where there were none. And if anything, Aiden was still human. You think you didnt deserve it right? After you had just hurt her. But havent you stopped to think, doesnt she deserve it? A green fist gored the creature through its chest. Johnjohnjohnjohn slid his other arm through the hole, and together ripped the apparition in half. I should thank you, Aiden said with a voice as still as the grave. People live on through their memories, that adage must be significantly more literal for me given my power, hence why I could resist you. Wolves and canines of a hundred different species howled as their dark eyes flitted through the forest. Above the beating wings of vultures, crows and a thousand other scavengers. Below crabs and a million crawling things clawed their way out of the sand. All descended upon the thing, a hyena broke its bones, centipedes wormed into the cracks and sucked its marrow as its flesh made feast for the kingdom of beasts. Another thing is that my power requires emotion. I was rather confused about this, but given that you harvest emotion Aiden recalled the reasoning, You need emotion, because manifestations fundamentally require emotions to occur. You are like Xotan ereu, those parasitic fungal statues. Your power allows you to harvest emotion so you can use it to manifest more power in newer viral particles That is an interesting thing to consider. The flu smiled from underneath its prison of claws, fur, and teeth. Keep distracting yourself with trivia, you are ever good at fleeing from confrontation. Keep- Aiden held his tongue, he knew it was pointless, it was about time he acted like it. Instead he turned away. Jaiden wouldve loved meeting me, wouldnt you agree? Johnjohnjohnjohn stamped down on the final piece of flu, crushing it, but not before it showed Aiden one last dream. A much younger Aiden, merely a boy wearing rich long sleeved shirt to hide the bruises. Sat beside a child Jaiden as they read a book together. The book was blank. | Aiden opened his eyes, he was wrapped tightly in a blanket, sweating heavily and breathing from his mouth, for his nose was more clogged than that time Jun tried Mexican food. He rolled onto his side, eyes adjusting to the darkness where Puppet Rain was watching him. He didnt fall asleep on the couch, nor did he have a blanket originally. He briefly considered the implications of this, before he groaned and went back to sleep. When morning came and Jun groggily emerged from her room, eyes half closed and lidded, showing she got as much good sleep as he did, did Aiden bother to get up and call the school. A red butterfly soon came by, dropping off a few pill bottles along with a doctors note from Dr Oliver Oliver. One pill for the nightmares, two for the mucus, and another for the headaches, along with a note wishing them to get well quickly. Aiden was at this point too tired to contemplate the mundane insanity of this, and simply made sure Jun had hers before he popped his own and went to sleep. Chapter 65 Bottle Episode Chapter 65 Bottle Episode So we dont have enough budget for the finale battle, what should we do? Why dont we just cut the production costs on some earlier episodes so we can spend them all in the finale? Youre a genius. Do you think this will spawn a genre defining episode format that will influence culture for decades to come? Its accounting, who cares? - A conversation somewhere sometime. Jun was staring at him. Eyes red and bleary bore deep holes of scrutiny as she sipped her hot chocolate. Aiden, just awoken, saw the noon sun outside, then her. Is there something on my face? She shook her head, No, not at all. Then Jun tore open a bag of chips, poured it into a bowl, then threw the emptied bag onto the floor, all while staring directly at Aiden. A piece of rope slid out of his sleeve, picked up the bag and tossed it into the nearby bin with a lazy throw. Jun loudly chewed her chips, leaving behind a trail of crumbs as she walked to the couch. Aiden eyed the crumbs, then Jun. He rubbed his brow, felt his flu headache worsen then with a small sigh he asked, Jun, is there something you want to talk with me about? She plopped onto the couch, her weight displacing the cushion as she snuggled in with her blanket. Still loudly munching her chips, she said, Nope. Nothing to talk about. Youre making a mess to annoy me, I am not blind. Rather self-centered of you to think, given this is my own house Im ruining- hack! She coughed, beating her chest as the chips went down the wrong hole. A rather poor design choice in the human blueprint, Aiden had always thought. Especially given now that both their noses were blocked. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He grabbed her hot chocolate, swirled it a bit and found it too thick, instead Puppet Rain offered him a warm glass of water. He stared at the Rain alike for a moment, before he took the glass and offered it to Jun, a small peace offering which she swiped out of his hand and drank. Airways sufficiently cleared, Jun leaned back into the couch as Aiden sat down. He didnt ask anything, instead simply waited as they each occasionally coughed and loudly blew their nose. After a few moments, Jun simply asked, Aiden, are we friends? Aiden, throat hoarse from coughing, took a sip of water before responding. What prompted this? Thats not an answer, Jun replied back, still staring at him. The nightmares the flu gives you dont mean anything, Aiden sighed, even as he saw the blank book he and Jaiden shared. You should know this. Stillnotananswer- she paused, then said slower, Thats still not an answer Aiden. Are. We. Friends? An answer rose quickly to his throat, but he stopped it, Aiden held his tongue and bit his thumb as Jun watched. She took off her mask, returned it to a mere symbol on their hand as they curled into a ball and waited. Aiden had to think, for the first words to come to mind were more hasty and thoughtless than anything resembling truth. He arrived at a conclusion quickly, they were friends. An old withered part of him came alive when he was around them, and he knew that Jun had become one of his chains. It was the third realisation that kept him from answering. If he had answered thoughtlessly, then he wouldve easily answered yes, for he was a great liar of others and himself. It was when he had arrived at the truth with a moment of thought that he could not answer anymore. The third realisation was the sinking of his chest, a heaviness around his heart, of a dread that gnawed slowly at him. He looked at Jun, someone he unequivocally knew a friend, and instead saw a glassy eyed corpse, bound to a hospital bed with more needles and drips than hair, an emaciated hand slowly losing strength as it slipped out of his hand. He could lie and say yes, but he could not say the truth and say yes. His thumb was bleeding again, he noted with the taste of iron in his mouth. Jun was offering him a bandage. It was utterly unnecessary, for he healed quickly. Even still, Aiden offered out his hand, and let Jun treat him. Yes, Aiden said once, and knew it was the most difficult thing he had ever done in this life. We are friends. You, Ranpo, everyone else his voice broke, as quiet tears fell down, which he wiped as soon as they came. For Aiden Lu had lived life knowing tears were useless things, wastes of water that did not accomplish anything. The body of Aiden Bu did not know this, and was thus far more prone to crying than he was. Jun took out their phone, untangled their headphone wires and offered one earbud to him. Wanna listen to synthwave? And Aiden took it, together they laid there on the couch in silence, and Aiden thought, perhaps tears was not so terrible a thing. Chapter 66 Take Your Flu Shots Kids Chapter 66 Take Your Flu Shots Kids Drugs. - Truth the Sunmaker, in her book: A Simple Guide for the Inheritors of Earth, on Retaining Your Sanity When All Hope Seems Lost Jun blinked back tears, they were a child again, laid on the pavement. Mum and dad yelled at them again, and Jun ran away again. The gaps in the street tripped them, part of Jun wished the old saying were true, step on a crack, break your mothers back. Jun wished more things than a back would be broken, but the sayings magic seemed to only extend to their scraped knee. It didnt even rhyme nice. A small chubby hand reached out to them, Jun? Jun looked up to see baby blue eyes and a head of messy straw, and extended an equally small hand, letting him help them up, Thanks Dale. No problem, Dale replied. Fight again? Jun only nodded as they wiped tears away. Your parents will understand, eventually, Dale said with a hopeful tone. He tried to change the subject, Are you feeling more like a guy or a gal now? I Jun hesitated, I dont know. Mum and dad say its just a phase, that Ill grow out of it and Im worried they might be right. I dont know how I should act as a girl or a boy Dale thought for a moment, Then if you get to choose, why dont you choose someone cool? he took out his phone, Theres this new heroine in the Afrikans, she says she Anansis daughter, and even though everyone says shes crazy, she just keeps doing her thing. He showed Jun a picture of the heroine, she was barely a few years older than them. She looked tough, strong, yet clad in multicoloured silks that stood out in the drab landscape. Beautiful, loud, unapologetic, she never backed down. That was the person Anansewa was. Juns hand was bigger, those of a young teenager. She held her them up as her mother threw a cooking pan at her. OUT! Juns mother screamed, GET OUT OF HERE! YOU ARE NOT MY CHILD! Juns mother grabbed a spatula, and swatted her out the house like one might an annoying fly. Jun fell to the pavement with a splash, the pitter patter of rain was only interrupted once by a door slam, followed by the imperceptible click of the lock. Jun did not try to bang on the door, she knew from experience that it was a futile effort. Instead she gathered herself, hobbled into the pouring rain. She didnt know where she was going, only that she had to be anywhere but here. Cold, shaking, her socks were soaked and ripped, yet Jun had to walk. There was nothing else she could do. One foot forward, then another. Focus on the pouring rain, that way Jun can avoid her thoughts. Her mind was a gnawing abyss, a black hole that wanted to drag her down into the depths and drown her. One foot forward, then another. Yet, a thought still grabbed onto her ankle, held it like a vice grip. What if I cant go back home? Her foot splashed into a puddle. What if that was final? A skip. What if mum doesnt want me anymore? A twirl. Jun felt her face, and the expression under her hands was the widest smile she had ever had. The rain had frozen in midair, each droplet a jewel only she could touch. Uncaring of what happened next, she held out her arms like an air plane, and twirled through the frozen rain. Jun jumped into a puddle, the splash leapt out, yet seemed to slow, freezing as if it were a pane of glass. In it, she saw her reflection and giggled. Her clothes were different, no longer soaked, but bold, loud, unapologetic of who she was. The mask might not have been there when they were born, but unlike their body, Jun chose it. Dale! Jun knocked on his family door, dozens, maybe even hundreds of times. It seemed to take an eternity for her friend to come, yet come he did. Dale! Look! I manifested!The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. So excited was the teen, that Jun even at super speed did not notice the cold look on Dales face. When the boy spoke, it was slow, each word ringing thunder. Get out of here you bitch. Jun blinked, What? What are you talking about? Its me! Jun! I know perfectly well who you are, Dale snorted. Fucking queer tranny. Dale, why are you talking like that, were friends! We were never friends. The door slammed shut. Jun was fast enough that she couldve stopped it. Instead she turned and ran. The frozen rain droplets splashed onto her face as she ran through them, her silhouette left a trail of tears. Fuck you then! Jun screamed, I dont need you! I dont need anyone! I agree, Aiden sat untouched by rain thanks to his accursed creation. You dont need anyone at all, and they dont need you, least of all me. She stopped. Oh did you really think you are helping me? Aiden continued. You are nothing more than a burden, to your parents and now me. The only thing youre good for is weighing people down with your problems. You think youre being endearing with that act of yours? Its just annoying. But her voice cracked. Were friends, arent we? A dark shaped flitted onto Aidens shoulder. We were never friends, Ranpo snorted. Jun blinked, and waited a moment. When there was no continuation, she raised her finger to point at the crow. Youre not Ranpo, Jun realised, Ranpo is a smart ass, he wouldnt leave it at that. He would say, We were never friends, more acquaintances. He would die if he didnt throw snark into every comment. She moved her finger to Aiden, Youre not Aiden either. Am I getting rusty? The fake Aiden rubbed his brow. First the amnesiac then you. I swear, its these fucking flu shots, taking away my chance to practice. Im in a dream, Jun realised. | Jun sneezed into a tissue. If that fucking cold shows up one more time in my nightmares! Its not even sentient, Aiden said with his clogged nose. Its just saying stuff to get a rise out of you without understanding what it means. The beating I will give it will be real enough! Jun shook her fists. She hiccuped, then sneezed. Alright! Thats it! She suddenly blurred as she sped herself up. Aiden watched her form flit rapidly through the rooms, doing various things at superspeed. As Jun passed by him, he felt the faintest touch on his face, and quickly realised through his reflection on the TV that she had drawn a dick on him. Jun said something, far too quick to catch. Puppet Rain suddenly disappeared. Scales appeared on Aidens skin as he jolted up, but stopped as he saw Puppet Rain apparently conversing with Jun at a speed far too fast for him to understand. Then Jun plopped down beside him at normal speed, and said with an unclogged nose, God that was so boring! You used Nightcore to speed up your regeneration? Aiden asked. I waited for ages! There was nothing to do! My phone doesnt work that fast! She disappeared and returned with a ball. Aiden play four square with me, Puppet Rain doesnt know the rules! You couldve read a book, Aiden suggested, And unlike you, Im still sick. Jun took off her Nightcore mask, revealing a devilish grin, I could fix that. As an answer, Aiden animated the blanket and comforter on him. No. Cmon! Jun spun the mask in her hand. Im a legit healer now, people would be paying me out the ass for this kind of treatment. Its like medicine! Or the coffee youre addicted to. I am not addicted to coffee, I can stop at any time. At that moment, Puppet Rain brought a cup of coffee to Aiden. All three of them stared at the steaming cup, after a moment of silence, Aiden said, No thanks, Im good now. Aiden watched Puppet Rain go, eyes narrowed slightly, but he could not keep up his own suspicions as he felt Juns eyes boring into his back. He turned back to Jun, finding her eyes wide and watery in her best attempt to be puppy eyed. He remained stone faced. Jun disappeared and returned holding her dog. Aiden rolled his eyes, Dont you know Im dead inside. Jun turned the dog around and said to her, Ms Fluffernutter, your lessons are a lie. Aiden rubbed his brow, suddenly very tired. Normally he could keep up with these antics, and many more. He let out a sigh of defeat, Fine. But Im taking it off as soon as Im better. I am not staying that way. But Nightcore Aiden is sooo funny. Jun tossed the mask to him. Dont change the personality of your friends to suit yourself. The mask became a button earring in hands, and with a bit of hesitance, he put it on his ear. Five minutes later, Jun was watching Aiden rush around the room. Alternating between the laptop and rapidly writing something down. Multipletypesofmemory. Longandshortterm, emotional, sensory Aiden bit his thumb in thought. Jun waved Ms Fluffernutters paws. Aiden pumped up his fists, Ivebeenworkinglargelywithinsemanticmemory, howeverthatsnottheonlytypeofmemory! HowcouldIvebeensostupid? Slow down! Jun yelled, then put Ms Fluffernutter down and took a step back, Wow, so thats what it feels like. My power activates on semantic memory but that is clearly not the only type of memory I can use! Ive been using emotional memories to copy powers, but Ive also expended episodic memories! Again, slow down, and maybe try speaking in English. Jun! Dont you get it? The fact that Im realising this right now, your powers, Nightcore isnt just sped time and regeneration, Im thinking better. More ideas are coming to me, and Im also learning faster! Jun paused with thought, That Ms Fluffernutter laid down beside their leg, and Jun was reminded of the time they learned how to swim by just seeing her paddle. That makes a lot of sense actually. Aiden grabbed their hands, Let me use this for a bit longer. I have all these ideas! Stack was just the first step! Yeah but umm, you were very insistent on getting it off the moment you were better. Hell no! Aiden rushed back to the laptop, Were turning this manic episode into a manic season!