《To Save a World - Tenets of Eden [Parallel World Cultivation LitRPG]》
Chapter 1: Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Life was good.
As strange as it sounds to tell myself that now, back on the day it all started, my life was going okay. I had food on the table, good friends to keep me company, and a roof over my head. Luxuries I took for granted.
On that day, which began like any other, I brushed my hair. It was a dark shade of brown, a little over chin length and smooth, although its sheen made it look greasy sometimes. I haphazardly threw on some clothes. They mattered little for what the plan was today, so I went for a simple t-shirt and a pair of comfortable shorts. It was summer, so socks were neglected indoors.
Then, I brushed my teeth, ate breakfast with a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. Finally, it was off to work, and I stepped through the mirror.
The first time had been weird. Feeling the glass wrap around my chest, my arms, my face. I held my breath; getting a nose full of liquid portal glass had not been fun, neither the first time nor the fifth. My eyes were shut tight. I was decidedly not looking at the inside of the mirror again.
It felt like the walk took an eternity, yet after only a few seconds, I stepped through to the other side, immediately stumbling and leaning against the walls of the entry hallway. I retched for a moment, and swallowed heavily. Taking in deep gulps of air, I let my stomach slowly settle.
Once again, I was glad this wasnt my first time. After the entrance ceremony, the hallways were flooded with newbies and their vomit. This one was private, and kept absolutely pristine. I gasped some more before I steadied myself and raised my gaze. Every time, I still felt it was strange drinking the air.
Everything on this side was so much clearer. Like the other side was what was wrong, distorted. The air was crisp and clean, not full of the smell of smoke and ash. I gazed down at myself, the shorts and shirt gone, replaced with a suit of flexible leather armor. I smiled lightly at it, then extended my hand forward, letting my spear appear in it.
The wood felt good in my grip, its metal tip sharp as ever. I took another deep breath, then stepped forward, out through the hallway and into the welcoming stone walls of the summoning area. Always full of warmth.
And also full of people. The latest entry window had just passed, so dozens of newbies crowded the stone tiles. Some of them were in less than pretty shape. I recognized the distinctly glassy, yet miserable look many of them had. Seemed like no one told them to hold their breath during the walk.
Shaking my head at the younglings, I shuffled through the crowd of hunched bodies. A couple were full on strewn across the floor, making me click my tongue. They would not last long. One poor sod got smacked in the face by the butt of my spear, but I pitied him little. My eyes were already locked on the exit.
As I set foot outside, I smiled. The sun felt so good on my skin, the Qi swirling through the air rich and welcoming. Back on the other side, the sky was covered by smoke and dust, an eternal haze clinging to the wretched cities. No wonder so many people decided to spend their entire lives here now.
Again, I shook my head, clearing away the idle thoughts. Today had begun normally, but it would be important. I had my first hunt out with the new members. Up until now, I had made my way across the monster-strewn plains of Eden with a tight-knit team, but once you got closer to the upper echelons, that freedom faded. Wed needed new members.
It couldnt quite keep going the way it had been. Grimacing at the memory, I clutched my left shoulder. The gash had taken a long time to heal, almost too long. Staying on the other side for that long felt like crap. But I was finally back.
Closing my eyes, I indulged in the sunlight for a moment. No one was going to step out of the temple for now. Not with the current situation. Maybe once the newbies were no longer vomiting. Most people came late on days like these, but I wanted the exhilaration of the first morning light.
A smile wormed its way onto my face as my core began to roar in my soul. The Qi in the atmosphere vibrated at it, a golden radiance enveloping my skin. I looked over the city, my eyes picking out details much too far away. Then my smile twisted into a grin, as I leapt off the hill, then stepped forward again.
My foot found purchase in the air, a thin golden sheen wrapping around its sole. I knew I wouldnt have slipped, even if Id worn something much different from my combat boots.
With huge excitement on my face, I ran forward, step after step having me soar through the air. The wind blew my hair back, almost certainly undoing all the work I had put into brushing it and I couldn''t care less, a laugh bubbling forth from my throat.
I had missed this. Missed this so very, very much. Feeling my golden aura blaze forth from my soul core, I ran, and ran, then ran some more, until I saw a small, marble building beneath me. I cancelled the Technique, and let my momentum carry me forward as I descended, stopping in front of the door with a roll, laughter still spilling forth from between my lips.
The Edians were looking at me with a mix of confusion, fear, and distrust. I ignored them, as I always did. They never grew comfortable around us, and we were told to never grow comfortable around them. It was one of the first lessons of avoiding addiction.
If you grew too attached to this side, you wouldnt go back. Rule number one: The mirrors cant eat you, but attachment can. I smirked as I remembered the words of my mentor, then knocked on the thick wooden door, the pairs of eyes fixated on my back disappearing one after another as things returned to normalcy.
I had to hold back rolling my eyes, keeping my vision focused on the wooden slab in front of me as I heard shuffling behind it. Soon after, it was opened by another woman, one slightly taller than me and positively decked out in shiny metal armor. My grin widened even further, threatening to spill off my face as I wrapped her in a hug.
Emilia, its so good to see you, I muttered into her dark hair.
She returned the gesture, the plates of her armor poking my back slightly, but I didnt care. Just as happy to have you back, Fio. Is your shoulder alright? she asked, after pushing me away just far enough to look into my eyes.
Better than ever, I grinned, rotating the arm. Almost feels well oiled. Whatever the gatekeepers do when were in stasis, they sure know how to fix you up.
Emilia grinned at my jab. Shed been in this situation many more times than me, and had the scars to prove it, too. You could choose to keep them, the gatekeepers allowed that much freedom, and she prided herself in showing the wounds she took for others. The most prominent one on display right now was probably the one that ran from the middle of her forehead over an eye and down across her cheek, a pale line standing out against her dark skin.
Come in, come in, she said instead of retorting, the others are already waiting for you.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
I smiled and half jumped in after her. Itd been ages since Id seen the others. Months, to me. Perhaps simply weeks, to them. But I missed one more than the others.
As soon as I saw her, my arms were wrapped around her neck and my lips met hers. It wasnt an addiction as long as it wasnt an Edian. I could technically meet her back on the other side as well. With a small effort I pushed away the nagging voice of my mentor. Id never liked rule two.
Rule number two: The mirrors cant eat you, but love can.
Instead of focusing on the wording, I pressed myself more tightly against her. Against my lovely, lovely, Annabelle. She responded in kind, her arms holding me tight even as we spiralled across the room and fell onto a couch.
Perhaps I should have gone for a softer hug, but I regretted nothing. After a few moments of breathlessness I pulled away, then squished my face into her cheeks. I missed you so much, Ann, I whispered, making her giggle.
As she did so, her fiery locks tickled my nose, her melodic laughter dancing through the air. I missed you too, she replied, then pushed me off gently. But you have the others to greet as well.
I didnt miss that her hand still rested on my back, but met her scarlet eyes for a few moments, taking in her entire face, from the petite nose to her pale lips. I smiled, then drew my gaze away, and let out a long, wistful sigh. Fiiiiiine, I said, getting back up, and sweeping over the crowd.
I recognized most people there. Emilia was grinning, wagging her eyebrows at me, and Matt was massaging his face as he sighed. Liam didnt seem to even spare us a glance, the sound of his whetstone grinding across knives nothing but a whisper in the background, yet requiring his whole focus. And of course, my Ann, still sitting on the couch.
Our guild master and team leader, Marie, seemed less excited at my antics, a frown creasing her face, but I recognized the glint of mirth in her eyes. She couldnt hide it. Then, I found unfamiliar faces. Two of them, in fact; twins. I looked them up and down, but they were almost wholly unassuming, dressed in loose white and gold robes.
I took a deep breath. Rule number three: The mirrors cant eat you, but distrust can. Right, I could work with them. Just had to take my time. I gave them a nod of acknowledgement, then greeted everyone else.
A pat on the back and brief hug with Matt, even as he seemed frustrated with me. A nod and fist bump with Liam, a sprinkle of aura flashing between us, and a much longer hug from Marie. Then, I faced the twins again.
Hi. Im Fiona, Fio for short, the teams spearwoman. I was gone for a while because of an injury. You are? I extended the question to them.
The man answered. He had brown hair which shone gold in the morning sun, curls of it almost but not quite covering his darker brown eyes. Im Eric, and this is my sister Reya. Were clerics of Lurelia, and have been with the team for about a week now, he explained, a crooked smile on his lips as he extended a hand.
As he spoke, the girl gave me a small wave and a warm smile. Perhaps they wouldnt be so bad after all, I thought. I took his hand, and noted his grip was sloppy, as it was for most clerical folk. Except for paladins. I shook his hand before the thought made me shudder. I would not be shaking hands with paladins again.
Right, pleasure to meet you, Eric. Reya. I hope well work together well, I said, and received a small nod.
Youll have a chance to see about that today, Marie interjected, laying down a map on the centre of the table. A spot was already marked for todays expedition and my eyes went a little wide as I followed the trail of red. Apparently, we were heading for the black sands.
I grimaced a little, and it didnt get past Marie. Some of us have bad memories with it, so I would like everyone to be extra careful, and kind to each other.
It made me crack a small smile. Nothing ever got past her. There was good reason she was our scout. Everyone else nodded along, and the bright-eyed guildmaster continued. We got a quest from the nobles to collect some monster parts. Should be a simple one-day mission. Nothing too bad. Always remember to communicate, rely on each other, and play things safe.
Rule number four: The mirrors cant eat you, but the monsters can. I repeated dryly in my head. I never quite got why it was rule four, and yet here I was, with them aligning with my schedule. I suppose you usually met people first and went out to hunt some monsters second.
I steered my mind to the mission as Marie explained more. Wed be collecting bits of the sands local wildlife, mainly from the scorions. A strange mix of scorpions with humanoid lions at the front of the bodies. They would hold you down with claws, spray acid from their stingers, and swing massive weaponry from their backs. The memory of them made me disgusted for a moment, but I calmed the feeling with a radiant burst of Qi from my core.
Marie was going over more of our plans. I enjoyed watching her speak. She had much more charisma than anyone else in the group, and listening to her was always a treat. When it wasnt about the monsters we would be going up against, that was.
But eventually, the talk was completed. We all packed up.
The feeling was strange, almost surreal, but I went along with practiced motions. My spear was deposited in my inventory alongside the essentials that I couldnt afford to break. Potions, mainly, but also a few emergency rations in case we got separated.
Most of the general stuff was deposited in a pack slung over my shoulder. I found myself smiling again. It felt so light, like I was carrying only feathers.
Then, once everyone was ready to set out, we did a last status check, calling up the windows the gods of this world gave to us.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (6)
- + Techniques
- + Stats
- + Disposition
Current Status: Healthy]
I smiled at the last line. It had been very long since Id last seen it. Then, I quickly called up my disposition. If anything had changed, it would be there.
[- Disposition
- - Covenant
- - Familiarity (Kind to the known, distrustful to the new.)
- - Temperament
- - Impatient (Time ticks and you wish to be ahead of it.)
- - Disciplined (Your command over yourself is admirable.)
- - Hardened [New!] (You persist through hardships, your mind unbroken.)
- - Talent
- - Slight Edge (Average is below your standards. Go above, even by a little.)
- - Single-Minded (Your focus is your strength. Once your mind is set, nothing will shake you out of it.)
Emotional State: Nervous Excitement]
I smirked. Hardened, huh? Yeah, I sure had gone through quite a bit of trouble there. Once again, I rubbed my shoulder. The skin there was so smooth, so much smoother than it should have ever been.
I shook my head and focused on the road instead. We took a carriage to the edge of the city, but we wouldnt find transport much further. The warding formations on the walls did a good job holding the monsters at bay, but no Eldian wanted to risk even the chance of encountering smaller critters that would cause hardly any trouble for us.
Once we crossed through the center gate, I felt the static electricity of the Qi barrier pass over my skin, and then we were outside.
The air beyond the walls was charged. It almost prickled as I drew it in through my nose, and I could feel my soul core pulsate as it already tried to draw in strings of Qi, but I calmed its excitement, then took another deep breath.
Beyond the city walls, the roads turned to dirt paths, carving through the landscape. Obelisks were placed sporadically as markers; with a bit of Qi theyd point you to the nearest settlement and inform you of some of the local wildlife. Some checkpoints even had mirror gates, but those were few and far in between. None close to a frontier city like this one.
I grinned, as my gaze swept over my party, the electricity in the air giving me goosebumps. Id missed this, Id missed it very much. And off to adventure we went.
Chapter 2: The Mission
Id really missed travelling. Seeing the landscape pass us by, flinging my spear at the occasional monster before having it dissolve and reappear in my hand.
Being cooped up in my room on the other side really wasnt for me. The clouded sky, the concrete mazes, it was all like a big cage. A luxurious cage, certainly, with soft bedding, running water, and tasty food, but it was a cage. There was no Annabelle there, no Qi outside my own core, only smog and the endless miserable faces passing by below my apartment building.
Here?
Trees. Critters. Adrenaline, sunshine, fresh air, and the bubbling excitement of an unknown future. The tingle of danger in the air, which I was ready to fend off with a spear in my hand and my friends by my side. My nervousness began to fade as I began to embrace this reality again.
I loved my spear. The weapon had cost half a fortune, and looked borderline boring, but it was corebound. No matter how ordinary it looked, I would always have it with me. This one was less of a true tenet, but more of a rule of thumb my teacher had beat into me. A bad weapon in a desperate situation is worth a thousand good weapons when youre safe.
Having something that I could always rely on was what I needed, rather than flashy attacks and special effects. And the spear was sturdy, too. It could stand up to my Qi, and most likely always would be able to, since we were tied together. Regardless of where it was, I could always have it back by my side, and if it broke, I could fix it.
A grin was plastered bright across my face as Annabelle grabbed my hand. I flashed her a smile as we walked. She held a small scepter in her free hand, ready to cast spells at anything that came into sight. Wed dealt with a few drytz already, mole-like critters with razor teeth.
They were dangerous to newbies, but once you got used to the sounds they made, you could hear them coming. Matter of fact, I quickly stabbed my spear into the floor as I heard one approach, making the little thing scurry off.
Being on the road felt so good again. I knew the path we treaded was dangerous, but I felt safe with the others, and nothing major happened. We sped up once we got further from city limits. The black sands werent too far out, and the scorions lived at their edges already. True monsters were found far further in.
With Qi, and Mana, and Divinity in our steps, we flew across the plains. Trees became nothing but blurs as we hurried along, nothing around with the ability to keep up. And after hardly two hours, we were at the sands.
The landscape went through a rough change at the border. Grass decayed, first. Long, green stalks turned yellow, then brown, then grey. Death hung in the air like a solemn promise. I grimaced, but Ann squeezed my hand, and we marched on.
Tension was stuck all around us, but we were here as hunters today. The scorions liked to burrow in the sand during the day, probably part of the scorpion heritage. We needed to be on edge to spot them.
Marie was beginning to go ahead slowly, Liam trailing after her, and the rest of us behind them again. Matt carried a single sword, its guard a design of interlaced flower petals, and Emilia held her tower shield close to her chest. I could see her knuckles turning white as she clenched them around her mace.
The twins, Eric and Reya, seemed less tense, and more curious. Briefly, I wondered about their levels, before I forced my focus on the environment again. I couldnt afford to get lost in thoughts right now, it had ended poorly once before.
Not long later, we heard a whisper carried to us by a breeze of wind. Liam, sending us a message. Scorions, right ahead. Pack of two, partners. Maria will draw aggro. Be ready.
With quick nods, we got into formation. Emilia at the very front, flanked by Matt and me. Ann and the twins stood in the back. The girl, Reya, was already gesturing, and moments later, I felt a divine spark settle in my chest, burning with the promise of strength. I allowed myself a small grin at it.
When Liam brushed by my side, we knew it would be time soon. Then, Marie hopped over Emilia, and a moment later, a scorion crashed into her shield. It was a massive creature, the lower body that of a giant scorpion, with a stinger extending from its back, yet atop the front of the insectoid body, there was a humanoid lion. Emilia grunted, and with a heave of exertion, she pushed the beast back before it could swing at her.
The lions head atop the creature let out a roar. Its body was full of muscles, each dense and pulled taut as a bowstring, and was holding a massive club in its clawed hand, one enveloped by the black death Qi so common in the sands. It swung at Emilia, and she parried the blow, batting it aside with her mace.
Neither Matt nor I needed another moment. His sword lashed forward at the same time as my spear did, gold and pink blades of Qi striking against the massive creatures chitinous legs. His strike was accompanied by the fragrance of plum blossoms, but I shoved the thought aside and gave my everything to my weapon.
I could feel the world around me fade as I did so.
Combat had begun, and my conscious thoughts faded. I could feel my mind sharpen, focus, and hone in on the important facets of what was going on.
My hands were mispositioned slightly, my edge alignment off. I clicked my tongue and corrected, the golden glow around my weapon reinforcing. Matt, Emilia, and everyone else faded away, it was only me and my target.
A moment later, the blade of gold found a gap in the chitin, tearing through into soft flesh. With an effort of will, I had the blade expand, turning from a single slash into a torrent of cuts. Immediately, blood and ichor gushed from the wound, as part of the leg became hollowed out, and the scorion lost balance.
I tore the spear back with a spin, having its butt smack hard into the other side of the leg, and hearing a satisfying crack of chitin again, the spark of Divinity making my attack hit that much harder. It would not be using that leg anytime soon.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Before I had a chance to celebrate, I heard a whisper again. Partner coming for you, Liams voice sounded in my ears. Duck, quick.
I followed the command, feeling a breeze pass over my head where the second scorion''s blade sliced through the air. A drop of sweat fell from my chin to the floor, staining the black even darker as I jumped back. It had been a close call, but we still had the advantage.
Once I was ducked behind Emilias shield, a blast of fire soared above us, impacting the scorions raised stingers, and vaporizing the acid they had been about to shoot. I mentally thanked Ann as I roused my Qi once more, getting ready for my next attack.
Matt danced forward before I could. Liam threw a dagger at the fresh scorion, the one wielding a scimitar. Of course, the creature easily deflected the attack aimed at its eyes, but Matt used the gap it created. Purple petals of Qi manifested in front of his sword and dug into the fur of the lion, streaks of blood dying the wounds scarlet.
There were too many to dodge for the large creature, so it instead chose to shield itself with the scimitar, thin wisps of white Qi covering its body. My mind raced. Frost?
Matt ducked back as he noticed, interrupting his second strike and transitioning to a flip instead as he gained distance. It was a good choice, as a moment later a blast of icy air erupted from the monster, its eyes now bloodshot.
The other one, already wounded, was struggling to regain its balance under Maries harassment. She shot at it with her longbow, making it parry and deflect strikes from uncomfortable angles. Matt seemed intent on fighting the frosty one, so I charged to help Marie gain a more decisive advantage.
In the middle of my run, I felt Divinity surge into my muscles, speeding me up more. For a moment, it threw me off, but it was nothing I couldnt correct with a quick step. My spear rose, wisps of gold solidifying around it into a thick extension for my spear.
I grinned. The scorion had not yet noticed me. It would, soon.
Thrusting forward, the thick wide blade of gold dug deep into the waist of the lion. Blood spilled forth like a river, its thick hide unable to withstand my Qi. I felt my core roar in my soul, asking me to do more, to keep going, but instead I slashed to the side, my spear exiting the body in an explosion of red haze, and cutting a second deep gash into the base of the creatures stinger. Once again, the Divinity proved its worth.
Emilia appeared behind me, blocking a burst of acid from the other scorion, drops of it spattering aside, and a few landing on my scalp. They burned, but nothing a bit of healing couldnt handle.
Marie gave me a quick signal with her hand, telling me she had the rest. Liam would support her as well. With a nod, Emilia and I turned back to the second scorion, its body wrapped in icy armor to withstand the barrage of blows from Matt and Ann. It was a stalemate, but it wouldn''t last, I could see. Matt was sweating heavily, his petals raining down by the dozen.
Rushing to their assistance, Emilia leapt forward. She used a technique, but I couldnt hear its name over the roar of Qi. Her body was enveloped by a furious storm of metallic glean, then she was in the air, her body itself a weapon as her mace crashed down on the scorion''s armor.
I saw the ice crack, Emilias mace digging into the creatures shoulder. The lion tilted forward, the blow so hard it lifted the back legs of the scorpion off the ground, as Emilia sunk a foot deep into the shifting sand. We did not give the monster a chance to retaliate.
Divinity wrapped itself around my spear, and Matts storm of blossoms pushed me forward faster, then I felt mana surge into my muscles. I felt so incredibly, incredibly free.
My core roared, a blaze of gold erupting around the tip of my blade, and I thrust forward, cleaving apart the scorions head. It dropped its weapon, then grew limp, collapsing onto the sand.
I heard a second thud next to me as I panted heavily, a large grin nestled on my face. The remaining acid burned against my skin, but the pain faded as Reya laid a hand on my shoulder. I roared in excitement, soon turning into laughter, as the others cleaned the blood off their weapons.
We reviewed things quickly, but we were quite happy with our teamwork. After the rather brief chat, we set about the more grisly business of adventuring.
Taking out some more tools from our packs, namely saws and smaller spatial bags, we began to collect monster bits. Collecting things was disgusting, but somewhat meditative once you got into it. The bags we used for the parts were specially made by the gatekeepers, interweaved with the system, and could only be used for monster parts.
It was a shame, too. I wish we could have used them for convenience, but spatial packs were much more expensive than the ones provided by the strange guardians of the mirror gates. The items regular enchanters could make also often held hardly a candle to the strange things they offered. But all of their items came with restrictions. Perhaps it was a strange measure of theirs to keep the balance of Eden intact.
I shook my head at my idle thoughts, focusing on the things in front of me again. Making sure to separate the acid, the ichor, and the blood was my chore. Liam was removing chitin plating, Emilia and Marie butchering meat from bones, while Annabelle separated out any alchemical ingredients.
All of the work was bloody and disgusting, but with everyone working together, we were soon done. The bones were left to the twins, disinfected by their clerical magic, and blessed to last longer. The gods of this world worked with bones for burials, but they would also prepare monster bones for alchemy. Up until now, wed had more trouble with it, so this would help.
And then, we continued the march through the plains.
Marie scouted ahead, Liam acted as the bridge, and the rest of us made idle conversation. Most of it was small matters. I brought some news from the other side. I hated reading the newspaper, but my friends here wanted to keep up to date, so when I was there, I didnt have much of a choice.
It was all the same old anyway. More smog, more companies, more greedy old bastards, and more people flocking to Eden. Rule number five: The mirrors cant eat you, but greed can, I told myself. My old mentor truly had known a lot, I supposed, predicting the way the world would go far before Eden became near as popular as it was now.
I smiled as I reminisced on those first days. Hed picked me up right after I was out of the entry ceremony, moments after Id finally stopped vomiting. I was the first to stop, a good sign for talent, he told me. My strong stomach had gotten me a good teacher that day.
Somehow, when I thought about him, it was almost always like he was gone. I suppose in some ways, he was. Hed retired from Eden some time ago, and taken the gatekeepers offer as well. They extended it to everyone. You may choose to spend the rest of your life on the other side, and have your memories made in Eden revoked.
Why had he taken the offer? He told me Id understand at some point. He still had all the experience and wisdom, and Id sometimes call him on the other side just to hear his voice, but he had become a wise grandpa rather than a fierce warrior. Maybe maybe thats what he wanted though.
Again I shook my head. Since when did spending a day in Eden make me this sentimental? It was nothing like me. I replaced the thoughtful frown on my face with a smile, and gave Ann a peck on the cheek, soliciting a giggle from her and a groan from Matt. We moved on, treading further into the black sands.
Chapter 3: Bitter Defeat
Most of the day went smoothly. We found single scorions, sometimes pairs. We then ganged up on them and took them down. The krigs in the sky left us alone, though would occasionally circle above our battles in hopes for some scraps. We werent planning on doing them the favour.
By afternoon, we had gone without a fight for an hour, and were no closer to finishing the collection. Marie put it to a vote, and with my side being the majority, we pushed further in, despite Matt and the twins protesting about it being a bad idea.
We waved the concerns off. It was impatient, and stupid, yet we did it anyway. We were getting swept away by the mood, the adrenaline of battle, the joy of fighting together again, and we made a poor decision.
Now, I stood to bear the consequences.
As the sun approached the horizon, the black sands grew darker. It wasnt evening, not yet, and it would still be bright for a longer while, but deeper in the sands, there was a haze of black Qi choking the light out of the air.
It wasnt quite like a fog, more like an illusory screen pulling the light from the air. It made everything look greyer, more dull, to the point where even Annabelles radiant hair lost its shine. A crime against nature, in my eyes, but I would bear with it for now.
Taking deep breaths and pacing myself, I refilled my core. My eyes were on our surroundings, always ready to engage, when a whisper reached our ears. Enemies approaching, Liam told us, be ready.
My grip tightened around the shaft of my spear. Some of my Qi already leaked into the weapon, the shine banishing the dark miasma. In the golden glow, I believed to see something in the distance, my enhanced sight easily piercing through my own Qi. It looked like rubble. Ruins. Something still standing in the black sands.
Which was extremely strange. The decay in this place reduced almost anything to dust. Even humans would dry out and perish if they remained in here too long. We were able to stave off the effects due to our cores, but while our clock ticked much longer than that of most people, it was still ticking down.
A moment later, the distant impression vanished. Perhaps it was just my strained mind. I was worrying now. Liam usually gave us intel on the enemies, if there was none, he probably knew very little about them.
My worries lifted slightly when his frame reappeared besides me, giving me a small nod. I could see his Qi leaking from the gaps in his robes, a dark purple bordering on black. Shadow Qi.
Marie ducked out from the horizon a moment later, and my eyes narrowed. Shed crashed through something? I thought I saw fractures around her form. Wisps of black creating an oily sheen. Then my eyes widened.
Fuck, I muttered. Emilia, use your Qi, weve got a leyburn on our hands!
In an instant, the womans eyes flared with recognition, and colourful auras began blazing all around me, pushing back against the ever encroaching silence of the black death Qi. This was unlucky. Really, really fucking unlucky.
Before I had the chance to finish the thought, the air in front of us shattered, the oily sheen torn apart by a humongous monstrosity. It was as though someone had crossed a rhino with a castle, its skin a dark grey with black wisps trailing from it. Yet somehow, its hooves, each as thick as I, impacted the ground soundlessly.
The things eyes locked onto us, all six of them gazing down. Its tusks gleamed with malicious darkness, and its horns seemed ready to spear one of us. And despite its plain stupid size and weight, it barrelled toward us at top speed.
I could see Emilias grim face growing desolate first, then her expression turned steely. Her aura burst to life, brighter than Id ever seen hers glow. She dropped the mace into her inventory, holding the thick tower shield with both arms and wrapping as much Qi as she could around it.
Her legs sunk into the floor for even more grip, her Qi latching onto thin air to hold her in place. Then, the monster collided with her.
The impact was deafening. There was an explosion of Qi strong enough to knock me off my feet, even after Id reinforced myself. Liam was tossed aside like a leaf in the wind, trying to steady himself in the air with Qi.
Emilia looked bad. Her arms were mangled, the shield pressed up against her entire chest. The veins in her face bulged and her mouth stood open in a roar I couldnt hear.
Stolen novel; please report.
My ears buzzed with the static of Qi. I knew they were bleeding, just like my eyes and nose. I spit out some blood, and attempted to draw breath, only inhaling a lung full of debris. Everything hurt as I impacted the floor. I saw Marie shoot an arrow at the thing, and Liam a dagger, and both harmlessly clattered against its hide.
Somehow, I could tell the beast snorted at us. The leyburn was so certain in its superiority, it simply redirected its attention at the small human in front of it. During the small distraction, the twins had knit some of Emilias bones back together, but it was nowhere near enough.
That one collision must have gotten close to emptying her core. With a flick of its head, the leyburn had ripped her off her feet and sent her sailing through the air. Id hoped that perhaps Annabelle would have time to prepare a spell during the impact, but she was probably suffering the mana backlash from an interruption right now.
I saw my friends get hurt and gritted my teeth. My ears buzzed, but I could hear my blood rushing through my body. Spitting it aside, I could see it turn grey as it impacted the sand.
I held myself upright using my spear, bracing it against the floor. The sand wanted to shift, but my Qi kept it in place. Slowly, I had my core spin out more of the golden substance, weaving it around me, inside my body, inside my weapon. A thin mist of gold covered me as I got ready.
It was my own technique, created without the assistance of the system. One for just myself. I tried muttering it to help me focus, but my breath caught dust and I only barely stopped myself from coughing. Instead, I sunk into mental focus.
[Golden Body], I told myself. [Golden Body]. My Qi suffused me, enhancing every bit of my body. I felt it flood into my bones, pulling the sinews taut around them, and holding together muscles which had torn. I felt it enter my lung, and push aside the detritus in there. Settle into my legs and let me stand.
Then, it flooded my armor and weapon. My simple wooden spear was replaced with one of golden radiance, my leather armor shining with blinding light. I stood upright, tall, and pointed my spear at the leyburn. Its six eyes focused on me, each one twitching with irritation at the ant that dared stand up to it.
Ill show you an ant, I spat.
The thing rolled its eyes at me and my jaw almost dropped.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to roar, and my core screeched alongside me. Literally. The haze of Qi around me solidified into a radiance, every shred of power I had in my core drawn out. I caught Annabelles eyes, and mouthed to her. Run.
Her gaze was pleading, but she drew her eyes away and turned. The twins knelt at Emilias side, and Ann cast a spell to have the woman levitate. Marie, Liam and Matt appeared next to them, looking ragged and gazing at me with grimaces. I grinned back, then drew my eyes back to my foe.
I felt the world around me fade. The oily sheen in the air was gone, the bitter aftertaste of the death Qi disappeared. All that remained was me, the ground, and the leyburn.
The monster looked at me with intelligence. I was sure of it now, there seemed to be grudging respect in its eyes. I didnt want any of that.
Gritting my teeth through the pain of having my body forcefully held together, I charged. My spear, my entire body, blazing with golden radiance. I met its charge, and without it having a proper chance to build up speed, we both stopped.
I felt my bones creak as I pushed, my feet dug themselves deep into the ground even as I reinforced it with my Qi. I created a central line. From my legs, to my arms, I stood at an angle, pushing with every muscle in my body against the leyburn. And it met me head on.
We stood, locked in a standstill for mere moments, then it shifted. My alignment was off, and I got tossed to the side, but with a scream I caught myself in the air and jumped right back at it.
I swung my spear at its eyes, a copy of it formed from Qi striking at another, but the thing simply shifted, and even infused with all my golden radiance, it simply slid off its skin. I halted my momentum by a shred, and jumped back before it could toss me aside.
My core was screaming louder now, Qi boiling in my veins. Gold wrapped around me, making strands of my hair levitate slightly. I screamed with it and charged again, unwilling to fall before my allies had gotten far enough away.
Almost begrudgingly, the leyburn met my charge. I was stronger than even the last time, drawing on every last shred of power in my body. I felt the Divinity the twins cast on me consume itself, the mana from Anns spell be devoured by me.
And my best efforts were not enough.
I was tossed aside, back onto the sand, the gold around me flickering as I pushed myself back up. My core was running on fumes, yet I kept up the technique through sheer will. I met the beast in another clash, striking at it a dozen times when it lashed out.
A tusk dug itself into my stomach. My vision went black for a moment, then blinding pain hit my mind and I screamed. My hands moved before I could think, grabbing the tusk and pushing myself off it. A wisp of golden sheen covered the wounds, keeping my insides on the inside, for now.
Holding my spear I stepped forward and fell.
The creature gazed at me with pity. It felt as though I had ruined its hunt and made it worthwhile all the same. For a moment, silence reigned between us. My eyes, blazing with furious determination, met its, filled with dull apathy.
And it stepped away.
Were not done! I muttered through gritted teeth, as I fell forward onto the sand. I grasped it with a hand, and pulled myself after the creature. It looked back at me, then shook its head. For a moment it paused, and I felt Qi gather around it.
My face turned pale. It had been holding back the entire fight. A torrent of Qi, greater than all our team combined could have managed, gathered around it. Wisps of darkness so thick I couldve sworn I was gazing into the void. Then, with an almost lazy motion, it stomped faster than I could see, its leg a blur.
And the ground crumbled beneath me.
Chapter 4: Mirror at the end of the Tunnel
There were a few things I noticed when I came to myself.
Chief among them the amount of pain that wracked my entire body. I felt Hungry. So very, very hungry.
My core was filled with dregs at best; cracked and leaking after the exertion Id put it through. Every muscle in my body was singing me a symphony of misery, and I hurt in places I didnt even know I could. My joints creaked, and my left arm hung limply at my side as I got up.
I could feel how dry my mouth was, and decided to take a sip of water from my inventory before taking any further steps. There were enough provisions in there to last me maybe two weeks? If I could fix my core, a month.
As I tried to swallow the water, I thought better of it, and led my hand to my stomach. There was a hole there. My skin had closed over the back, but there was still a bleeding wound at the front, my body barely holding itself together with the dregs of Qi it could draw from the air.
Grimacing, I simply took some water in my mouth, letting it be absorbed through the membranes there, and closed my eyes.
Slowly, I called up the system.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (6)
- + Techniques
- + Stats
- + Disposition
Current Status: Dying]
I grinned a vicious smile. That healthy tag sure had lasted real fucking long. Mentally, I tapped it again, to call up a more detailed record of my health.
[Body: Heavily injured. Bleeding out.
Core: Cracked. Empty. Leaking.
Mind: Hardened. Enduring.]
With a grimace, I pulled up my inventory. I had only one health potion, and it sure as hell wasn''t meant for this kind of thing. Maybe itd at least stop my guts from trying to explore the outside world.
Slowly, with a shaky hand, I popped the cork and led the bottle to the wound. I made sure to sit with my back against a wall, and had the shaft of my spear in my mouth. This was going to be unpleasant.
In a quick, practiced motion, I poured the potion onto the wound, then wrapped my hands tight around the wood of my companion weapon.
The pain hit me like a truck.
My entire being was set ablaze from one moment to the other. The potion made me very acutely aware of the fact that my stomach acid had spilled out and eaten through a good bit of my flesh. My insides were fucking mangled.
I bit down on the wood as hard as I could, and the only reason it didnt crack was because of it being bound to me. My hands clenched so hard I think I pushed all blood out of them, my veins bulging and legs spasming. Every fibre of my being was focused on enduring the agony.
The fire of heat and pain ravaged through the wounds. Pulling on my skin as tears leaked from my eyes. My mind was whirring with expletives, the pain so radiant I couldnt focus on anything else.
And finally, after an eternity, it faded.
I was panting now, my mouth dry again and my entire body feeling weak. My hands were shaky, and I felt pins and needles dance across them. I still couldnt see, but a cursory tapping with my hands told me the wound on my stomach had scabbed over. I took a moment of respite, taking deep breaths, and absorbed some Qi to regain my calm.
Noticing that after using my only healing potion, my body was still feeling like Id been through a meat grinder, I decided to rest for a moment, and as fatigue embraced me, my eyes fell closed. I hardly had the time to wonder if this was a bad idea.
- - -
I awoke with a start, finding myself in perfect darkness. The rapid movement made my body scream, the wound on my stomach protesting and I grimaced again. My mind raced to catch up with things.
Once the delirium of sleep faded, I felt pain gnawing at my thigh. Not from the inside, but outside. With an exercise of will, I slowly felt to the place with my right arm, when I found fur. It was hard bristles, and once I made contact, there was a hiss, then the impact of teeth on my hand.
They pierced my skin to my bone and I stifled a scream, grabbing onto the thing biting me and crushing it in my grip.
Blood splattered across me, but I didnt care. My breathing was heavy. I tried to get up, but my feet wouldnt listen. With a grimace, I realised my left leg was broken, hanging on just as uselessly as the respective arm.
I needed to move. I would not be eaten to death by stupid cave rats, or whatever that thing had been. If I wanted to die to rats, I couldve been born when the black death was running rampant. So, I forced myself to move.
Flipping over hurt, but I grit my teeth through the pain. Eventually, I laid there, stomach on the floor, right arm extended. Since my left side was useless, I opted for this.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
With my lungs working like bellows, I reached out. My hand found the floor, fingers holding onto the ground, and I pulled. Every scrape and bruise on my body howled in agony, same with the wound through my stomach. I took a stuttering breath from the pain, then extended my hand again.
Clawing my way forward, I moved through the cave. I bet on the ruins Id seen through the oily haze. Maybe they had something to save my life. Id have to hope so.
- - -
I- I didnt know how many days had passed. My life had been a cycle of clawing forward until I passed out, fending off rats trying to eat me, and attempting to get food into my stomach. My core wasnt refilling, but I couldnt fix it here. Simply meditating just wouldnt be enough, and the death Qi might only serve to damage it further.
Every waking moment was filled with agony. My fingers had begun bleeding, scraped open by the stone floor. I couldnt even see where I was going, but I had to move. The situation was grim, I needed to cling to hope. Rule number six: The mirrors cant eat you, but despair can.
Somehow, this one had never seemed as real as now.
- - -
My body was wracked by heat. I was fevering. Damn rats and their diseases. It probably wasnt helping that there were multiple open wounds on my body. My vision was growing hazier by the day. I could barely feel my legs anymore. And my rations were running out.
With a grunt, I heaved myself forward again. My lungs hurt so much now. I could barely breathe anymore it felt like. Dust coated every bit of my skin, mixed with caked dirt and dried sweat. I didnt want to know what I smelled like now.
Grimacing, I stretched out my hand again, put it onto the ground and pulled. I slipped halfway through, the blood leaking from my fingers making the ground slippery. I considered just lying still and falling asleep for half a moment. I wanted to, so badly.
Then I reached out, and pulled again.
It was monotonous. There were no changes in the darkness of the cave, no sounds to distract me, and nothing was different. I was reaching the end of my endurance, my mind slipping closer to its breaking point.
And then, my fingers found purchase.
It wasnt a lot, but when I reached forward once more, the motion almost robotic, my bloodied hand curled around something solid and square. It felt porous, not smooth like the natural stone. It was a brick?
My mind flickered to attention, whatever fragments of willpower I still had suddenly coalescing into one. A brick. The ruins. I was so close now.
Heaving from the exertion, I pulled. When I was closer, I felt around. The brick was part of a wall, a crumbled one. A structure.
Every muscle on my body was aching in agony, some having begun to atrophy from my lack of eating. But still, I pulled myself up.
With the wall to steady myself against, the cave suddenly didnt seem so hopeless anymore. I made whatever motes of Qi my core was subsisting off of mine, having them dance across the air for a moment. It made my chest hurt, and I knew the damage to my core was worsening, but I simply needed to see.
For a moment, golden flickers illuminated the room. I saw rubble, and decay, the floor littered with broken pieces of stone and relief. The walls were decorated, or, well, had been decorated once, but my tired mind didnt care.
There were so many things in the way though. Loose rubble and dregs of stone covered the floor, making my crawl almost entirely impossible. I''d have to walk, if I wanted to make it the last bit.
I grit my teeth, hard, summoning up whatever motes of Qi my cracked core still had. Pain flared in my chest, but I pushed it aside, focusing as much as I could. Dripping with sweat from the exertion, my entire body overheating, I summoned my spear, placing the butt of it under the armpit of my broken arm to use as a walking stick. The blade scraped across the floor in protest, probably growing more dull, but it gave me some stability.
Collecting the dregs of energy still in my body, I took a step, then another.
My legs shook, and my entire body ached in protest, but I stood. Hopped on my broken leg, more like. It hurt, but at the very least I managed to somehow squeeze between the gaps between rocks, shuffling through them and flopping around a bit like a fish on land. It probably looked pathetic, but I didn''t care.
I couldnt see very far into the building, but it was a large chamber. Parts of the ceiling had caved in, but all that came from above was a steady, thin trickle of black grains of sand. They were so full of decay that they fell apart to nothing but wisps of darkness as they struck against the ground.
Shambling through the ruins, I bore with the pain. Either I found something here, or it was my last day on Eden. It was the final lesson my master had imparted on me. Rule number seven: The mirrors cant eat you, but death can.
It had always seemed like the most pointless one of the tenets, yet here I was. Staring down the barrel of no monster, no mirror, and no emotion other than death. It was simply a game of fate, now.
I hopped. Stumbled over the rubble and fell, dislodging my broken bones further. Then I got up, and stumbled forward some more.
The buildings melded into each other, doorways far too large for humans. They were engraved with images. Reliefs of battle, and beautiful geometric patterns. Ann would have loved to study them. I truly hoped she was safe.
Clinging to the memories helped me find the resolution to move further. And move I did. Chamber after chamber, room by room, I felt deaths fingers against my throat. But if it wanted me, it would have to take me by itself.
Bellum meant war. I would fight to my last fucking breath.
Except, my last breath would not come that day.
The last chamber I entered into was large. It was also square. The entire end of it, the one I was facing, was a humongous mirror.
Parts of it had broken off over the ages, fragments of glass, some as small as sand, but the one straight in front of me showed my full reflection. Sticky hair, entire body covered with blood and wounds and grime. I looked like I had been dragged through a swamp, then flogged, then put through a grinder.
It made me grimace. I this was closer to death than Id imagined.
But there was hope in my chest. Sure, not every mirror was a gateway, that would be silly. But perhaps, if just If this one was, I might yet live. Slowly, carefully, I stepped forward, reaching out. I stumbled in my carelessness, falling, as shards of glass dug themselves into my knees.
The pain made me groan, but I moved on. My right hand, the one I could move, sticky with blood as it was, remained extended to the furthest reaches. And then it touched the mirror, leaving a crimson handprint on the surface.
And it was inert glass.
As my hand touched the smooth surface, staining it, something within me cracked. The mirror didnt ripple, didnt become liquidy and envelop me to whisk me back home, it simply remained as it was.
Tears leaked from my face, water which I didnt know my body still held. My strength faded, as I slumped forward, my hand slowly sliding downward on the glass, leaving a long streak of red. And when my face hit the floor, and the motes of gold around me fizzled out, it was dark again.
Until a radiant screen burned itself into my closed eyes.
[You have touched a lost gateway! Congratulations!]
[In order to restore the extensive damage, the gateway will be fused to you. Please stand by.]
And as the mirror enveloped me, my world went dark.
Chapter 5: Changed
I felt distinctly uncomfortable. Chained, trapped. Something was holding me down. Yet, I saw nothing.
There was no strength left in my body. I couldnt fight it. But, somehow, it didnt feel harmful, if that made sense. Like something was chaining me up for my betterment. Almost like a straight jacket, but warmer?
Now, there is a distinct moment I remember when my panic set in. I think it was when the shock ran out and I realized I couldnt breathe. It had been something I struggled with a lot ever since I once almost drowned as a kid.
And yet, here I was again, trapped on the ground, and unable to breathe. I attempted to open my mouth, draw breath, anything, and I failed. The muscles around my chest cramped from my attempts at widening them, but there wasnt just something covering my mouth. My chest itself couldnt move.
It felt disgusting, and horrifying. Much more than any of the pain before, I felt this gnaw at my mind as I realized it was all over. And then my lungs moved.
Getting control over my body back was so sudden, I flopped around like a fish on land. I jumped up hard enough to smack my head on something and pass out again. At least, I think thats what knocked me unconscious, though theres a good chance I wouldve been made to sleep anyway.
- - -
When I awoke, I still felt miserable. There was, once again, a stupid rat gnawing at my leg. I grabbed it, and tossed it against the wall, turning it into a smear of blood and guts. Then, I held my arm with a grunt. It hurt.
Yet, somehow, I was alive.
The last couple moments, when I woke up in the middle of what the system called fusing, were hazy to me. I couldnt remember much except my panic. Taking a couple deep breaths, I calmed the horror that bubbled up inside me.
Instead, I meditated. I wasnt hungry or thirsty, for the moment, which was a good sign. The mirror, and all its shards were gone. I just had to take some time to process it all.
Deep, slow breaths entered my lungs, and for a few moments, I enjoyed the simple feeling of my chest moving. It was something I took for granted, but came to always appreciate very quickly when the option was taken away for a few moments.
Slowly, carefully, I let the last couple memories pass by before my inner eye. I reviewed them in the trance, picking apart what had happened. My hand touched the mirror. It initiated a fusing procedure. Then, it ate me? No.
The mirror had wrapped around me, smothering my body in a glass embrace. That was what had stopped me from breathing. How long had I been in that cocoon? I was certainly asleep for a while before I had noticed. Had it been hours? Days? I had no reference.
A small frown found its way onto my face, as more realisation set in. The glass hadnt just wrapped around me, itd very literally fused with me. Sunk into my skin.
I moved again, and now felt it much more distinctly. Like there was a layer of shifting glass spread all around my body, one which I could somewhat manipulate. It seemed to also have nestled next to my soul core. A round, entirely smooth ball of reflective glass.
Moving around felt so strange. The sheet of glass was liquid, and fitted itself around my movement, yet every time I stopped and started, I expected it to shatter. Could I make it shatter? I shuddered at the thought, something told me that wouldnt go well for me.
Instead of further indulging my thoughts, I called open my status again.
[Body: Heavily Injured. Healing.
Core: Cracked. Mirrored. Duality.
Mind: Strained. Tired. Fearful.]
It seemed vestiges of my earlier panic attack still clung to me. I shivered a little. Yeah, no, I felt distinctly not okay.
Taking a deep breath, I moved slowly. It felt surreal. I could move my left arm despite the broken bones, the glass shifting to support it. But at the same time, I could tell it wouldnt carry a lot of weight. The mirror might already struggle with my spear. But, strangely, it didnt hurt to move anymore.
Of course, every bit of my body was still bruised and battered and in pain, but there was no longer the distinct feeling of bone fragments digging through my muscles when I moved my arm. I winced at that thought. Since when had I identified that kind of pain?
Once I sat on the floor, I took some more time to breathe, before calling open my proper system window, asking it to display all changes.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (6) / Gateway (3) [New!]
-
-
- - Mirror Core [New!]
- - Gateway Manifestation [New!] (Low) (Your body functions as a Gateway to and from Eden.)
- - Reflection [New!] (Low) (Manifest a mirror from your Qi and use it to reflect enemy attacks back.)
-
-
- - Mirror [New!]
- - Purity (Perfect)
- - Realm (Mirror Core)
- - Stage (1st Step)
- - Path (None)
-
- - Talent
- - Slight Edge (Average is below your standards. Go above, even by a little.)
- - Single-Minded (Your focus is your strength. Once your mind is set, nothing will shake you out of it.)
- - Mirror Mind [New!] (You reflect what is around you. Mimicking what you see becomes second nature.)
Current Status: Fragile]
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
My eyes widened at the first line already. This made me a dual classer. My mouth dropped open.
Multiple classes were rarely seen. The experience required to even get a second one was mad. Also, levelling it was usually harder, costing more than your main class. Something told me this didnt quite apply to me, though. A whisper of information trickled into me from the system.
Gateway was apparently a very special class, since it was usually reserved for objects. Id never even heard of mirror Qi, but apparently it wasnt completely impossible to utilize, even for people without my strange class. If I still hadnt heard of it, that meant it was most likely rare, or hard to handle.
I was torn between a smile and a grimace. This was highly unexpected. Id hoped to take something supportive as my second class, but those hopes were dashed now. I think I would have made a lovely blacksmith or alchemist. Yet here I was, being a gateway.
At the same time, I had apparently gained three levels, and a full on second core. Which was madness. Absolute insanity. You couldnt even gain levels without visiting the gatekeepers, or the gods if your class was a divine one. And here I was, with a whole new class in the middle of nowhere.
The new additions to my status were even more insane. [Gateway] was strong if I had allies. I couldnt imagine it working on myself. I tested for a moment, and was proven correct. [Reflection], on the other hand, was a whole different beast. It was essentially an instant-win button against anyone in a lower realm than me.
And then the fact that I had a second core. Up until now, I thought it was simply a fragment of the mirror Id felt, but now. A whole second core. That was insanity.
People hardly ever trained more than one type of Qi. There was just a whole host of issues with it. Incompatibility was one, if two types of Qi clashed inside you, it ended poorly. Then you had to split your resources, and master multiple paths. I already struggled with my one path, and now I had to figure out a second one?
Still. I had two types of Qi. With a little bit of luck, they wouldnt tear me apart from the inside. In fact, if I focused, I felt something. My mirror core was leaking Qi. No, not leaking, transferring it to the golden core to patch it up.
A small smile flickered onto my lips. I supposed Id not have to deal with the whole incompatibility stuff at least. In fact, the mirror Qi almost seemed to synergize with my regular, golden kind.
Id picked golden Qi because my affinity for it had been the highest. It represented metal as an element, but was much more focused on general physical enhancement and weapon Qi usage. So while I wasnt going to be summoning giant slabs of iron, it would allow me to use it far more effectively to enhance myself and my spear.
Honestly, calling it metal felt so awkward and clunky, I stuck to golden most of the time. Simpler, honestly. I didnt even know what type of Qi Matt used, it was just plum Qi to me.
The fact that the purity of my new mirror Qi was perfect was honestly just insane as well, but I supposed I should have expected it at this point.
Slowly, my eyes trailed down further and I gasped at my new talent. That was insane. Absolute insanity. Mimicking what I could see would speed up my training by an insane amount. Just, absolutely incredible.
Then I frowned. It would help. If I made it back to society, that was. For now, I was still stuck in a cave, with no sign of light or my circumstances changing. Out on the surface, there were dozens of monsters waiting to kill me. Rule number four sure held true in situations like these.
I grimaced a little, feeling the liquid glass in my body shift, then settle. The longer I sat, the firmer it grew, but I felt I could have it move again with a thought. I didnt.
As I leaned against the cold stone walls, I felt the exhaustion cling onto me tightly. I was so, so tired. My golden core was empty, and my mirror core was patching it up. It was all so exhausting.
Reluctantly, I closed my eyes. I could sleep a little, just this once.
- - -
Once more, I was awoken by rats. This time, there were a handful of them in the room. Theyd seemed reluctant to enter before. Perhaps the mirror had warded them away, and now they were exploring in search of food. Well, they sure had found me.
Teeth dug into my skin, when the glass shifted to meet them. Subconsciously, I felt [Reflection] activate. Tiny mirrors seemed to appear inside my flesh, the glass shifting and morphing into them. Then, when the rats bit me with their teeth, they sunk into the glass.
Exact copies of the rats'' teeth, made from pure reflections, struck home. They sank straight into their heads, and most of the rats dropped dead. One had been smart enough to dodge, and ran away. I was a little perplexed. Some of my Qi had gone along with it, but it wasnt an insane amount. More expensive than just smashing them would have been, sure, but not too much.
I also felt a bit better, overall. My wounds had properly scabbed over, and none of it had worsened in my sleep. It felt like the liquid glass under my skin was working hard to protect my body. Not that it was intelligent, but I could tell it wanted me to live, since it was part of me.
Right, then I better not disappoint it. Well, myself, I guessed, but still. Slowly, making sure nothing hurt too terribly, I pushed myself upwards. The glass moved with me, taking a slight bit of pressure away, somehow. My muscles flowed easier, the torn parts being relieved of their work. And then I stood.
Silly as it was, I almost started crying. I was standing properly. Not leaning against a wall, not shifting or stumbling, but properly standing. How long had I crawled across that floor? It must have been a week at least, given my provisions, maybe more. And now, I stood again.
I had no idea how long Id slept, but I was thankful. That I was alive. That I might see Ann again. I truly hoped they lived, but I couldnt spare them the thoughts now.
Ever so carefully, I took a step. My hurt leg moved through the air without issue, but when it was on the ground, and I wanted to shift my weight onto it, I could feel the glass begin to quiver. Right, it certainly could not hold the entire load of my body.
With some chagrin, I took out my spear again, and used it as a cane in front of my body. I wasnt expecting to heal soon, but I needed to find water, or I would still die down here.
Having made my decision, and with the lovely help of my new gateway-glass body, I marched onwards to uncertainty.
Chapter 6: I ate.
I tried lighting up the cave with motes of mirror Qi, but it had little effect. Rather than give off light, it simply reflected the dark surroundings, which was rather non-helpful. My golden core was still repairing itself, motes of silver flickering in between the two orbs in my soul. It would happen, I just needed to be patient.
Until then, I was fighting off rats. Big, small, loud and quiet, mutated and regular. There were dozens of the creatures, and now that I was moving faster, it seemed more of them flocked towards me. Every few minutes, the butt of my spear struck out, breaking one of the little critters apart.
If I stayed here too long, I might actually have to eat one of them. The thought was accompanied by a shudder. I hoped it wouldnt come to that.
Grim determination settled onto my face as I moved on, trudging through the cave system. Thered been a system message some time ago, telling me to bring my fused gateway shard to a gatekeeper or an altar, or anything similar to that, really. Just anywhere I could use my experience. I had to hold back from scoffing at it.
Sure, just make it to a gateway, Fio. It couldnt be that hard, Fio. Why were you being so whiny, Fio?
I spat on the floor in mock disgust, before I regretted the loss of liquid lightly. As much as I was annoyed, I needed to save my strength.
There didnt seem to be a way upward anywhere close to me. It felt like my eyes were slowly growing used to the dark, which let me tell when sand trickled in from above, even without any light, but that was all. I knew how deep the sand above me went. I also knew I couldnt even reach it from here.
Without my Qi, I wasnt going to be jumping ceiling high anytime soon.
All I had to do was march on.
- - -
I didnt know how long passed. It must have been days. Maybe weeks. I was so hungry. It felt like my body was wanting to eat itself again, but the Qi was sustaining me. I could barely keep walking. Perhaps, without the ever-shifting glass in my skin, I wouldnt have been able to.
My provisions had run out long ago. I ate the rats. Still, I was so thirsty. The little creatures avoided me now. I couldnt hunt them with the poor lighting. Didnt know where they were.
Instead, I trudged forward. My legs were shaky. I was starting to see a little bit better- I dont know if it was my eyes adjusting to the dark, or the cave growing brighter.
Slowly but surely, my Qi was running out, though. It was hard to replenish it with the death Qi from the sands. I couldve done it, of course, if Id been healthy. But with one core cracked, and the other so new? Trying wouldve been suicide.
It was another battle of endurance. Would my golden core regenerate the crack first, or would my legs give out? My will stood strong with the second answer, for now.
Another step. The glass inside me held my bones together, stopped them from shifting. Id gotten used to walking almost painlessly. Well, as painlessly as possible. My skin was still bruised, and I had dozens of scabbed over cuts. My boots had long since begun chafing at my feet, and I was sure there were many blisters below.
But there was no scraping of bone against flesh, and for that, I was grateful.
- - -
More days passed. I think. I didnt know anymore. I was so tired. Just wanted to lay down.
No. Must keep walking. Bit further.
I twitched at the sight of something moving at the edge of my vision, throwing my spear at it. A rat. A big rat. Now impaled.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
I ate it. Then wipe the blood off my face. Then kept walking.
There was a blue glow in the distance. Edible, perhaps.
- - -
Fungus. Iridescent cave fungus. Maybe even mould.
I ate it. Picked it off the wall and into my mouth. Swallowed dryly. No saliva left.
Then I coughed. It tasted horrendous, bad enough for me to forget my exhaustion. The cough wracked my body so hard, everything began aching again. I had to draw in deep breaths of air to steady myself.
My eyes trailed onto another patch of fungus. I ate it, too.
- - -
I lived. The fungus was edible. Barely. Survivable.
Not to mortals. But my stomach was reinforced by my realm. It wasnt poisonous, just horrendous. I ate it, and subsisted. Waited, living off of rats, and fungus.
The mushrooms needed water to grow, too. I found brackish pools of it at their roots. I drank it. And I lived.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was hopefully just a week or two, my golden core was repaired. My mirror Qi was almost exhausted, barely keeping me on my legs, when my first core came alight. It drew the outside Qi into itself, not even requiring a prompt to myself.
It must have been just as thirsty as I was. The cave now had the tiniest wisps of nature and water Qi. Better than death. It let me live. I thanked the fungus gods, whoever they were. Some part of my stomach roiled, a signal from the actual gods, but I didnt care. Mushrooms were keeping me alive, not them.
Days ticked by. My golden core refilled. My mirror core refilled.
The Qi rejuvenated me. Bit by bit, the fungus dissolved away into nutrients faster, more effectively.
And eventually, I took a step into thin air.
I laughed. Golden radiance wrapped around the soles of my feet. I took a second step upwards. Towards the ceiling. With the sheen from my Qi, I could see a larger hole, one where sand drizzled down through, one I may be able to climb up.
Then I stood before it. I could squeeze my body into the gap, I hoped. It all still ached. Bruises not fully healed, bones not fully set, but I pushed on. Gold suffused me, strengthened me, and I took a deep breath of air. The sands were deep, but I would make it above.
I plunged into the ocean of black grains. They were cold, icy even. But my golden core warded it off. With the mirror Qi supporting me, I pushed it all aside, bit by bit, and crawled my way upward. Things shifted in the sands around me, but I ignored them. If they came too close, well, that was what the mirror Qi was for.
Some of them did try to attack me, but I activated [Reflection] before they got the chance. Their mirrored selves scared them off, mostly. I didnt know what the creatures looked like, nor did I wish to. Instead, I pushed further.
The pit of sand stretched for a long while. I was moving through it like a fish, pushing with strength and finesse in equal measure. But my time was limited. I couldnt breathe here, nor refill my Qi. If my cores were not enough, I would die.
Slowly, agonizingly, the seconds ticked by. I swam up higher and higher, always met with more black sand. The pressure started getting to me, my lungs burning. The golden haze wrapped around my body pushed even harder, accelerating me up, and up, and ever upwards.
And when my vision grew darker even behind my eyelids, the sand gave way.
I drew in gasps of air once again. And above me, there was the night sky, glimmering with hundreds of stars whose names I didnt know.
I giggled like a little girl, half my body still buried as I slowly raised myself up.
Once outside, I stood still for longer than I perhaps should have, then brushed off my armor. It was as simple as summoning the sand into my inventory, then dumping it all out again.
Without the sun in the sky, I didnt know which way civilization lay. But that was alright. I wasnt content to stay still, of course, and the black sands werent exactly kind to those who did, but it was fine to move in a random direction for a little while.
I saw some of the krigs circling the sky above me. Dang scavengers. It gave me an idea though, an evil one. I grinned.
Slowly, carefully, I took a step into the air, golden light covering my feet. Then a second and a third. Soon, I was sprinting upwards at the birds, higher and higher into the night sky. I should have been afraid of falling, but I wasnt, not this time.
The creatures were stupid. Theyd thought me weak, easy prey, come from being buried in the sands. If they were smart, they would have scattered, yet I caught one.
My hands wrapped around its elongated neck, even as its four wings and sets of claws smacked and dug at me. It was screeching from a beak with serrated edges, but I simply clamped it shut.
Shhhh, I told it, finding the strength to speak for the first time in forever. No more out of you, little birdie. And then I snapped its neck.
After my descent back to the floor, I flooded the thing with golden Qi, burning away the vestiges of its own, death aligned powers. Then I ate, and it tasted like heaven.
Chapter 7: Safety within Reach
I passed the night uneventfully, and once the sun rose, I knew where to go. The black sands were vast, sure, but they were still generally to the west of the frontier. Right now, any village would do for me. Just a checkpoint of rations would.
And so, east I went.
On and on, and on again. I didnt run or sprint, simply walk, preserving every ounce of power. I needed it to flee from scorions if any found me, or to hunt down my meals. My left leg was still weak, too, so I only dared run when it was pumped full of golden power.
But slowly, step by step, I was making my way across the wasteland.
When travelling with the whole group we went a lot faster, so I never even realized it, but on my own it was stunning just how empty the wasteland was. So incredibly devoid of life.
I kept vigilant as best as I could nevertheless. While it may be mostly empty, the things that did live here could and would kill me. So I needed to see them first. See if I might escape.
Trudging along, bit by bit, I had to sidestep multiple times. Scorions, buried in the sand to avoid the heat of the sun. It beat down on me, but I used my Qi to shield it away. Was it wasteful? Yes. This would have been far easier to just take with my body, usually.
But not when I was without water. The only things Id drank were puddles of brack underground, and I was not expecting to find much sustenance other than what I killed above. I could not afford even a drop of sweat, and so, the sun had to be dealt with.
In fact, my mirror Qi proved almost perfect for it. Wisps of the reflective material above my head, and it shielded me from quite a bit of the light. I could even make the underside non-reflective, with a little bit of control, which created a cool-ish patch of shade.
I managed to avoid any of the creatures of the wastes. Mostly it was scorions, but there were occasional, more powerful beasts. And a few smaller ones, too, lizards attempting to eat my toes. Not ones worth mentioning.
Then it turned to night again, and I refused to sleep.
That would have been a true death sentence. Camping in the sands without watch. I scoffed at the idea. No, I was not interested in getting eaten. If something like the rats happened with a bigger creature, I was dead.
So, instead, I trudged on. Dune after dune I crossed, the endless sea of grey in front of me, until, as it was bound to happen, I stumbled across a patch of chitin.
I didnt even hesitate as I ran.
The golden glow was muted around my body, my mind focused on keeping it inside. I didnt want to attract any more attention as my feet fell heavily onto the sand. I was picking up speed soon, my legs moving like an oiled machine, the left held together by a web of Qi.
And then I heard a roar behind me.
It was loud enough to almost throw me forward. I hadnt realized how otherwise quiet things had been. The cave only had the rats, and up here, there was just the quiet wind. This was nothing like that.
The things roar shook my brain; it felt like it had reached right into my skull and jostled me around. The world grew hazy in front of my eyes. Shit. A Qi attack, for sure. What was that? Spirit? Sound?
I tried not to think about it too much as I focused on running even faster. My entire existence was my legs, wisps of Qi flooding them, the gold and silver wrapping around each other to make my body function.
Luckily, the scorion had just woken up. Its roars faded behind me, as I crested another dune, then a second. I slowed again, making sure to not brake too suddenly. Eventually, I was back to walking, then fully stopped.
Everything hurt again. I was decidedly not supposed to be running right now. Yet I had done so anyway. I took a few seconds to stand still and breathe, to calm my nerves, and feel out my Qi. Not much of it left.
I grimaced. There were no krigs hovering above me right now, the greedy birds having learnt their lesson. Smarter than I gave them credit for, apparently.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Regardless, I kept moving. One foot in front of the other. I was less vigilant now, despite it being night, simply because I no longer had the capacity to spare. I was running on fumes, and I knew it.
I hardly even noticed the sky shift and the sun rise again as I walked. My feet were bloody. I could see thin streaks of red leak from the gaps in my shoes. But I moved further.
It was this or death, and I would keep fighting as long as I could. That would have to be enough.
And it was.
When the sun began setting on my second day of marching without sleep, I saw the edge of the wasteland appear behind a dune. Just a few hundred more steps, and there was green grass. I wanted to smile, but I didnt have the strength for it. All I could do was put one leg in front of the other.
There was nothing left of use in my inventory. Id eaten all the rations, drank every drop of liquid inside it. All I had was me and my spear. It had served me beyond well on this expedition, even if just as a walking stick. That was fine. I would have shattered some teeth or bitten off my tongue when taking that healing potion without it.
Getting lost in my thoughts was good and bad, I noted distantly. The grass was beginning to come closer, and monsters rarely went to the edges of these biomes. It let me ignore the pain and push on with single-minded focus.
But of course, it made me liable for ambushes. Not that I thought it mattered. A fly might be able to kill me now, not to mention some beast with Qi.
Nothing like that happened.
For once, I got lucky, my feet meeting grass. The stalks were alive. Green. They went up to the middle of my thighs.
I plucked some out and shoved them into my mouth.
Simply chewing on them felt wonderful. It was gross, and tasted bad, but it curbed my appetite, if only a little. They held tiny amounts of water in them, too, which mixed with spit in my mouth. I smiled. A tired, tiny motion, barely a twitch of my lips, but I knew what it was at heart.
Then I marched on, through fields of green, now.
My master, the old fox he was, had beaten some knowledge on plants into me. Itll save your life someday, hed said. He was right. I saw a tree. Unassuming, only with leaves, but I recognized it dimly.
Something about it spoke to me, and then I remembered. Its leaves had a habit of fruiting. You wouldnt see it from far away, but get closer, and you could make it out. Some of the leaves were almost a centimeter thick, seedy capsules surrounded by succulent flesh trapped inside.
I ripped off a half dozen and chewed them. They tasted good. Some of the best food I had ever eaten. The juices from the fruit spilled in my mouth, and I almost cried. But I held back, and simply ate more.
It was an adult tree, with thousands of leaves. Many of them were budding, filled with tiny little fruits. I stuffed so many of the leaves in my mouth; at the moment I really didnt feel like counting. But I remember that by the end, for the first time in weeks, I felt full.
After that, I collapsed down in a heap next to the tree, leaning against the bark. My eyes felt so heavy. The fatigue was nestled in very nicely in all my bones, and now that I felt even remotely safer, it refused to leave.
Before falling asleep, I had the mental capacity to set up the slightest Qi barrier around myself. Barely above a thin sheet of paper, but it should, hopefully, keep the moles away. Then I passed out.
- - -
The barrier did, indeed, keep the moles away. I dont know how long I slept, but by the time I woke up, it was the middle of the day again, the sun hanging high in the sky. It was lilac, here, the air composed of different elements. It was also very pretty, though it took some time to get used to.
Well, not that the colour on the other side was even slightly pleasant. The sky hadnt been blue in a long fucking time. All grey, covered in smog and floating pieces of dust. Most people would wear masks outside.
I shook my head again, then focused, pushing my weary body off the floor. Now that Id rested for a day, my muscles had gotten time to realize that they were not feeling so good. Every step ached with soreness and blisters on my feet, but I pushed on. At least I was still more than covered, the rats had mostly only gnawed through the thinner pieces of armor at my legs and shoulders.
Step after agonising step, I moved across the dirt road. My Qi hadnt replenished a drop since I kept up the barrier overnight, but that was fine, too. I shut it down now, and cycled my energy to replenish it with each breath.
Of course, that didnt quite work for the mirror Qi. Only for my golden core. Since the breathing technique was part of my cultivation path and couldnt exactly be used for the mirror Qi. Id need to find another path, one suited for the mirror Qi. But that could wait until I was back among civilization.
For now, I worried much more about getting one foot in front of the other. The glass shifting beneath my skin helped support me, but it felt almost stiff after the nights rest. At least it was beginning to grow more fluid again as time went on.
I wouldve sighed at my situation if Id had the air for it. But for now, all I could do was keep walking, using my spear as a crutch.
At least with a little bit of food in my stomach, I didnt feel quite as tired anymore. Id eaten once more at a checkpoint along the way. It didnt have a gateway, sadly, but it did include a map of the area, which let me know where the nearest city was. Which is exactly where I made my journey to.
After a gruelling eternity of miserable steps, the walls finally came into view. The bricks were so familiar, just seeing them almost drove a tear to my eye. Safety was finally within reach again.
By the time I realized I was falling, I couldnt catch myself anymore.
Chapter 8: Rest at Last
Once again, I found myself waking in the dark. Some deep part of me felt a very, very distinctive fear at that moment.
I shot up from where I was lying, coughing up a mouthful of dirt. I must have fallen unconscious in the middle of taking a breath. Gasping for air like a dying animal, I spun around, trying to feel for anything, when I found myself falling to the floor.
The impact hurt. I crashed onto my already mangled shoulder, and it felt like the glass inside my body shattered, driving new waves of white hot pain through me. I fought back a scream, clenching my teeth, as I heard a voice next to me.
Yeowch, that one must be rough. Told you we shouldve picked a more secure stretcher, someone said. The voice sounded male, and had a playful undertone. It didnt seem very threatening at all.
Lady, the cold towel slid from your forehead onto your eyes. I recommend you pull it off before moving any more than you already did, another voice, this one sounding much older, spoke.
And they were right. There was indeed something distinctly wet stuck to my face. I touched my eyes and pulled it off, seeing myself surrounded by a handful of people.
Most of them seemed to come from the other side, judging by their tone. But I could never be sure. With all the force I could manage with my failing body, I stumbled up from the floor and into a haphazard fighting stance, summoning my spear and circulating what little dregs of Qi filled my core.
Hey, put the weapon down please. Youre in pretty shit shape, putting it nicely, and Id really prefer taking you to some healers without racking up a second bill for myself, the man whod spoken first said. He was tall and lanky, with springy, curled hair pointing upwards from his head.
I slowly pointed my spear forwards, shuffling back a few steps. I wasnt in the right state of mind then, and I knew that much, but I wanted to be sure of my situation before trusting a stranger.
A quick check revealed that we were in the middle of the city, and also that there were Edians around. Many of them had their eyes on me, in fact, while others were ushering into their houses. A few of the stronger looking ones seemed ready to break up a fight if it happened.
Taking a deep breath, which made my chest ache like a bitch, I hit the pommel of my spear on the stone, the sound echoing out. One of the people next to the stretcher, a younger woman, probably still in her teens, flinched back, but none made a move. They hadnt even drawn weapons.
Gazing around a second time, I took in the sights. We were definitely in the city. In fact, taking into account the position of the gate, theyd been carrying me towards the gateway hill. It also had a temple to the gods. Theyd probably been taking me there, first, since betting healed by a priest wouldve been much faster than the gateway thing.
It calmed my nerves a little. I was still slightly on edge, but I began leaning on my spear again, rather than pointing it at anyone else. Thanks, I ground out. Appreciate you taking me halfway there, but I think I can make it the remainder of the way myself. I took a step forward as I spoke, and immediately staggered. My limbs felt like butter.
An older woman spoke. Shed been with the group who carried me, but her face was covered in wrinkles, and her hair white as snow. Come now, child. Youll just hurt yourself some more. We humans have to look out for each other.
The sentence made me grit my teeth. I bit down suddenly enough to draw blood from my cheek. Taking a deep breath, I stumbled a few more steps while I answered. Last time I heard that it went poorly. Ill make it to the hill. If you really wanna help, tell my guild to meet me at Lurelias temple. Dawn of Ambition.
With that, I ignored their probably well-placed advice, and simply hobbled onwards. They thought better of it than to touch me, which I was happy for. Im very sure I wouldve lashed out, and it would have gone poorly for all parties involved. Mostly me, though. Especially me.
Slowly, more like a snail than a human, I made my way through the streets. All the gazes, both from Edians and other people from our side, slid off me. Single-Minded was really showing its worth, here. Everything except the road and the temple disappeared, and even time seemed to speed up.
Step by agonizing step I made it closer, until I finally made it past the stone arch into the place. My guild wasnt here. It was expected. Either the party whod saved me hadnt told them, which seemed unlikely, as much as I wanted to distrust them, or they hadnt made it here yet.
Whatever the case, I needed to take care of my own business. Taking the deepest breath I could still manage, I set to reciting the oath.
I invoke the sanctuary of Lurelia so that no harm may come upon my body until I am fully recovered! My possessions are to stay with me in a room assigned by her representatives! Any price will be in full, be that in gold, sweat, or blood. May the goddess be my witness! With the oath out, I felt a weight settle onto my shoulders for a moment. Usually, all it amounted to was a warm cloak, but in my current state, it drove me to my knees and left me panting.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Immediately, people swarmed around me, their robes all white and gold. One of them tapped me with a staff, and after a short golden flash of light, my aches lessened.
Someone else helped me into a stretcher, which I sat down on. I didnt feel like spending the journey on my back.
As the Divinity settled into my bones, I could feel the pain lessen even more. Whoever had used the ability must have been a pretty powerful cleric. It left me feeling so tired, though. One after another, the pains wracking my body disappeared, leaving behind only a deep-sitting emptiness.
I felt apathy. There was no elation there, not yet. Once all of the determination and grit Id been subsisting off of vanished, it just left me feeling drained.
Somehow, I managed to stay awake a little longer. The staff took me into a room, decorated comfortably. All the colours in it were warm, mainly browns and some gold. The bed itself was white, of course, but not perfectly. It was a bit dull, easy on the eyes.
I was put onto the bed, then shifted and made myself comfortable. Finally, I laid my head down on the pillow. I could feel myself passing out, and a wry smile found its way onto my face, something about me falling unconscious a whole lot recently prompting it.
- - -
When I awoke, the pain was back. Much more dull, now, but also far more noticeable without all the adrenaline in my body. Every single muscle of mine felt on the verge of snapping, every minor movement hurting.
I didnt care in the slightest.
Anns face hung above me. She wasnt awake. I had no idea what time it was; the room didnt have any windows.
My hand was still in hers. She mustve nodded off while looking after me.
None of the other guild members were in the room, but I knew theyd been here. I was more than sure of it, actually, given the small card and fruit basket on the bedside table. It was exactly something Marie would send.
I shook my head at it for half a moment, before the motion made me wince. The tiny motion had Anns eyes flutter open.
She looked disorientated for a second, her gaze flickering about the room. I smiled, patient. Well, maybe patient was the wrong word. I dont think my mouth couldve handled more than a few croaks.
Then, finally, her eyes settled on me and lit up. I wouldve waved at her, but my arm refused. Then, she collapsed down on me, wrapping my blanketed form in a hug.
It hurt like hell, but I didnt care in the slightest, shoving my face into her shoulder as much as I could. She cried. I cried as well.
Thinking back on it now, its a little embarrassing how filthy I was. Usually, people would be washed, or their clothes changed, but everything on me was stuck to wounds and crusted with blood, so taking it off would have certainly gone poorly. Which meant that I was still wearing my absolutely busted up armor, and was even still in my worn-down boots.
Neither of us cared in the moment. We just laid there, hugging, for a few minutes. Ann clung to me as if Id disappear again any moment. Maybe I was a little scared it would happen, too.
Eventually, Ann broke the silence.
I- she started, then broke down sobbing again. I thought You were-
She trailed off, and buried her head in the blankets some more. I gave a slight nod, though she didnt see it. Then I waited for her to gather herself some more.
Only after a couple minutes did the sobs quiet down. Ann spoke again. Youre alive, she stated, her voice still shaking slightly. She had sat up somewhat again, her eyes now meeting mine. I nodded.
She took a deep breath, then let out a long sigh. Her shoulders sagged, and she looked so tired. I hadnt noticed the bags under her eyes until then.
I cried a lot, you know that? she asked. I thought Id never see you again. That all the memories wed made here just didnt matter anymore. I considered I considered retiring. I almost went through with it.
When she said those words, I felt a shiver run through me. It was like an iron vice had wrapped around my heart.
Ann and I hadnt met on the other side yet. If shed retired it would very literally mean all her memories of me were gone. Every last one. And shed be trapped on that hellhole with so little to hold on to.
I squeezed her hand a little, though I couldnt have managed a lot more if I tried. She looked down at me and nodded. I know, she said. It wouldve been stupid, and rash, but Who am I kidding, you know exactly why Id do it. She said the last part with a pained smile on her lips.
And it was true. I knew exactly why she considered it. Wed been reckless, both of us, not making as many memories as we should have on the other side. Most of our time was spent here, anyway. What else mattered?
But it meant that losing each other hurt all the more. Having the option to just forget it all, mustve been almost as painful as losing me in the first place. What would I have done? Held onto those memories, or accepted the easy way out?
But youre back, she said. Her face was so neutral as she said it, then brightened. Youre alive. Somehow. My Fio made it back alive. All on your own, from the black sands. She shook her head and I nodded slightly.
Youre insane. Completely insane. And I love you for it, so much. Imagining you walking with that leg is crazy. And yet, the clerics told me you walked from the city gates up the entire hill. She shook her head again. Youre deranged, Fio, she said with a smile, and Im so thankful for you making it back.
The mood was infectious, turned from bitter memories to a much more rosy present. I ignored the messages the system wanted me to follow, the whole seeking out a gatekeeper. It could wait, just a little while.
Ann sunk into my arms again. Ive got you back, she muttered into the blankets, a smile plastered onto her face. A similar expression crested my mouth. I enjoyed the moment, everything else could wait.
Chapter 9: Recovery
The next few days were spent on my recovery. Ann was allowed to stay in my room. They brought a second bed for her to sleep on, small enough to fit into the room just so.
Out of respect for the goddess, we didnt ask to sleep in the same one. This was still a place of healing, after all. If we wanted that kind of treatment, some of the other temples might be better suited.
But that was besides the point. Since Id recovered enough to spend my days awake, Id been stuffing myself with food. I had to hold back tears every time I bit into dessert. I wasnt eating rats, and it was wonderful.
Apparently, a little over a month had passed since I disappeared. Id spent that long trekking through the underground. It was reasonable. Two weeks crawling, living off my supplies, another week and a half walking. A couple days, four or five, before Id started eating rats. The memory made me shudder.
I focused my mind again. There was hot water running down my back, almost scalding. Id been getting treatment with Divinity, and my leg, while not healed, was well enough for me to shower again. I had to clean everything properly before a splint and such would be added.
It probably wasnt necessary, given the shifting glass underneath my skin, but I didnt exactly want to mention that until I was healthy. So I stayed silent.
There were a few questions on how my bones hadnt shifted more, on how the fragments hadnt carved my insides apart more. They were honestly pretty morbid, but I suppose it was in the nature of healers to ask them. I gave half-hearted answers, and they wrote it off as a mix of luck and the effect of metal Qi.
When I was done showering, I finally felt human again. Weeks of caked dirt and sweat and blood falling off. It hurt, of course. My entire body was still sore, and there were more than a couple torn muscles yet on the mend. The water also touched some of the wounds that reopened when I took off my clothes.
My feet looked especially bad. There had been blisters everywhere, my socks completely stuck to them, and they had reopened when I took off everything. Now, finally, I was getting rid of the last bits of fuzz clung to the scabs. It had been a painful procedure, but necessary if I wanted to have everything heal properly.
Also, Id been through worse. Both in the last months, and when I fractured my shoulder before then. Though this was still pretty high up on the fucking sucks list.
Taking a deep breath, I dried myself off. The towel started off as white, but had more than a couple red splotches when I was done. I grimaced at it, then threw it into the provided basket for washing.
Hopefully the goddess provided something to the clerics against bad stains. I gave a very short prayer, preparing for the longer one I wanted to give at the statue. Lurelia had more than earned my thanks for this.
I spared the tattered remains of my armor a glance and gave a small sigh. Definitely needed a replacement for that one. The leather barely held itself together anymore. A single washing was probably enough to completely wreck it.
Instead, I put on some clothes Ann brought over. Shed even gone so far as to take ones from the other side. It cost her a bit of experience, but it was still just clothes. Some underwear, a shirt, sweater, pants, and fluffy socks. It was unbelievably comfortable, and I by far preferred it to the otherwise offered robes.
White just really didnt suit me very well. Made me look like some kind of ghost. I smirked and shook my head at the thought.
Slowly, I made my way back to my room, using the crutches I was provided to help make walking easier. One of them was just lodged under my shoulder, my left arm still broken, but I held onto the other one more and stabilized myself.
It sure as hell didnt look very graceful, but it got the job done. Step by step, I hobbled back towards my room. There was a plate of food already waiting for me, and a smiling Ann sitting on the bed. Shed insisted on feeding me the past couple days.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
I grinned, and sat down next to her, earning myself a peck on the cheek. We chatted. She told me some more about what had happened while I was gone. Matt had been so distraught about it, and while Id already teased him for it on the last visit, I had to make sure to be more obnoxious about it when I got back to the guild.
The time passed quickly with good company. One after another, I was visited by my friends from the team, even the new twins. Reya just gave me a wave, though she wrote a little. Id been told she was mute a while ago, so Eric filled the room with chatter instead of her.
It was nice. The two of them were nice, as well. Theyd been of some help in having me recover, too, apparently, for which I was thankful.
Days flew by quickly, and with both Divinity to help treat me, and Qi to aid my recovery, I found myself back on my feet within a week. Trusting my leg again took another few hours, but I was back to peak condition.
Usually, I would have been taken to a gateway for this kind of injury, but it was barely within the realm of recoverable. Only thanks to the fact that my muscles werent too mangled. Divinity could cause issues with soft tissue if used too much, but I was lucky to be in a position where I could recover with it.
Going to the gatekeepers Sure, I would have survived. Maybe even healed. But not seeing Ann for a few months again wouldve been more painful than dealing with the injuries. So this was preferred.
When I was finally released, I stopped at the goddess statue to leave a prayer. I could have expended my exp to deal with the mission Id gotten, but it was not the time yet. Maybe I didn''t want to start it yet.
Instead of dealing with the ever encroaching future in which I dealt with being a fucking gateway, I instead chose to just be thankful for what Id gotten.
Dear Lurelia, I know Im not usually the most pious person. But thank you for housing me and nursing me to health. Rest assured that all debt will be repaid. I hope to make the time your servants spent on me worth it.
What I did not expect was to hear a message back.
The voice of the goddess was usually only heard by believers, or those whose classes were based on them. Yet, here she was, right inside my head. Her voice was flowery. And bright, as well as motherly.
Very welcome, child. You will need as much help as you can come by. I wish you good luck with your future. Be true to yourself. Be careful of the unknown.
I paused for a second at that. First, because I heard her voice at all, and I froze up. Then, because of the message.
It was incredibly ominous. Which had me kneeling in front of the statue for a little longer than I was originally expecting to.
After a few moments of stunned silence, I sent half a thought back. Thank you, I will do my best. It was about as respectful as I could manage in the moment, which wasnt very, before I stumbled up and walked out of the temple.
The sun felt nice on my skin, but the feeling was now eclipsed by the growing dread of what Lurelia had meant by those words.
To be careful of the unknown. Surely that couldnt mean much except my fancy new inner gateway. Then again, there was also very little known about the gatekeepers in general.
I sighed. Shed ruined my mood quite a bit with that, but whatever. I guessed it was time to finally go and get this over with. Id been in Eden for a little over a month now, which meant that around twice that much time had passed on the other side. Was my family worried? Maybe. At the very least I should take the time to see them before they started getting hissy.
Which, incidentally, meant confronting the gatekeepers. So dealing with the whole mirror shit had to come first. Then I could spend another week breathing in crappy air and being miserable. The excitement felt palpable.
Before all that, I at the very least paid another visit to the guild. Ann practically hung around my neck the entire time. I smiled about it. Emilia laughed a less tired laugh, Marie grinned at us. Matt smiled, engaging in the mood for once, which made teasing him much harder. Liam gave me a hug, even, as well as a slightly slurred speech on how glad he was I lived. Eric and Reya partied alongside us.
We drank more than what was generally healthy, and when people were getting close to passing out, I kissed Ann goodbye. Then waved at everyone, gave a few hugs, and began to walk off.
A few deep breaths and circulating my Qi dealt with the tipsiness. It was evening, then, the lilac sky turning darker as the sun set, casting golden rays over the city. The view was gorgeous, and I was sure to miss it. I sighed at the thought, then banished it as I straightened my back and headed to the gateway.
The walk took a little longer than it needed to, since I didnt use any Qi. The feeling of the cobblestone against my new shoes was nice. Well, just the feeling of having intact skin under my socks was also really nice, so there was that.
I sighed. I was procrastinating.
Gathering myself, I finally stepped through the arch, into the gateway hall.
Chapter 10: Dealings on the Other Side
It was wide, and open, and all the vomit from the newbies had been cleaned away. It smelled as it always did. A whole lot of nothing mixed with the slightest, tiniest hint of smoke from the other side.
Eventually, after another deep breath, I stepped forward to the altar. I usually would spend my exp levelling my classes here. There was an intelligence managing every altar, and I was already familiar with this one.
Hey Jam. Im back.
[Greetings, Fiona.] I grimaced at its use of my full name. [You have done well to come back here. The return of a gateway includes a large reward of experience.]
Good to know. Any procedures to go through before I can go about spending it all?
[A few. Contacting Gatekeepers. Connection established. Stand by.]
A new voice rang out in my mind. Mechanical, but a myriad of them. The same one which welcomed me on my first time through the mirrors.
[Fiona Bellum. Your recovery of a lost gateway is much appreciated.]
A long silence hung in the air after theyd spoken, the dozens of sounds leaving my head aching slightly. Just like the first time, I was completely sure a few of them spoke in languages that Id never heard, and a few less in languages that plain didnt exist. One of them seemed to speak in signs, too.
The silence stretched out to be uncomfortable, until I eventually broke it. I am glad to hear that, I thought back at them. What do we do with it?
[Gateway extraction has been deemed impossible. Further measures must be taken.]
Again, they stopped abruptly, leaving my head spinning. Waiting for me to say something, give a confirmation. What measures?
[All gateways require a keeper. Searching. No free keeper to assign.]
This time, when the voices cut off, I was close to retching. The conversation was so distinctly uncomfortable, their thoughts so alien, that it felt like Jam had a lot of trouble even sorting it out into something I could understand. And it still hurt.
I wasnt even left to recover in silence. It felt like each and every one of the voices was now whispering amongst each other. Thousands of them, chittering and chattering right inside my head, like dozens of tiny legs scraping at my eardrums. Eventually, the muttering paused, and the voices spoke as one.
[Due to the lack of resources, a new keeper will be generated. Standby. Collecting personality data.]
The word generated slammed into my head like a cannonball. Something about it was so distinctly off. Like it spit in the face of all life. I hardly had the time to even consider what the fuck it meant that they were collecting my personality data.
[Success. Keeper will now be assigned. Please be prepared for a short blackout, Fiona Bellum.]
I had a moment to be confused what they meant, before another weight smashed into my head. It felt like a small island had flown into me, physically knocking me back and off my feet, actually lifting my body into the air a bit. Somehow, I activated just a hint of Qi, softening the landing on the cold stone.
The lack of heat was almost comfortable, keeping me awake even as flickers of black taunted the edges of my vision. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stay awake. No more passing out; Id done enough of that in the last couple weeks.
I lay there, on the floor, the moment stretching into eternity. The entire time, I was fighting back against unconsciousness, as voices rushed about in my head like a colony of bees. I heard them chitter to each other, a discordant symphony of unintelligible noise.
Until it was done.
There was just one more message the gatekeepers had for me.
[Congratulations on your survival, Fiona Bellum. We hope you work well with your assigned keeper.]
And finally, they withdrew from me.
The experience left my teeth rattling, as my head fell back. I lay on the stones and they felt almost like a soft bed. The blood rushing through my ears was loud, but still felt so much quieter than the voices, even as I desperately gulped in air.
My assigned keeper kept quiet until I gathered myself, a small gesture for which I was more than thankful. Finally, it spoke.
[Hey Bell.]
It was just a single voice, and Id had a chance to catch my breath, so it didnt quite stun me. Still, I took a moment to gather myself some more before replying. Hello, whos this? I finally called into the emptiness.
[Im your assigned keeper. I have been generated to be your companion.]
My newly acquired voice in my head seemed almost happy to have been picked for its purpose. I briefly considered if that was because it was simply born and allowed to exist because of me, or because it had the desire to serve inserted. Maybe it was simply glad about not having to spend its life as part of the swarm. I sure wouldve been.
Holding my aching head, it took me a moment to reply. Cool. Alright. What do you do? What do I call you?
[This keeper does not have a name yet. You may provide one yourself, Bell.]
I strangely didnt mind the nickname it gave me. It was one only my brother usually used. Any preference? I asked the keeper.
[Yes. If this keeper is allowed to choose, I would like to be referred to as Cass, short for Cassidy.]
Fine by me, I replied. So, then, what do you do that makes it so necessary to have you?
[Because the gateway you found is heavily damaged, it has been fused to you. However, controlling a gateway is very complex work. Therefore, I have been assigned to manage your [Gateway] ability. Also, I am here to guide you through your new set of abilities.]
It didnt sound so bad at first glance, but then again, the goddess had told me to be suspicious. I decided to remain somewhat tentative for now, saying as much to Cass. Alrighty, I told her, if theres anything you need me to know, please do. Otherwise, Ill be heading off to my parents now. The mirror gates still function normally for me, right?
[Nothing has changed about your personal travel to and from Eden. Right now, theres nothing I still need to tell you. I hope your trip to the other side goes well.]
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
This part really solidified that Cass was made from my own memories. There were very few people out there who so consistently refused to call that place by its proper name. Eden was fine, but calling the other side, Neamhan, by its name, felt wrong. It had done very little to recognize me, and I didnt want to recognize it.
Despite all that, I still had to go there and see what it was all about. Determined, I finally shoved my worries about Cass and the keepers aside, and instead stepped into the hallway leading to my mirror gate.
Well, it wasnt really mine. Our guilds, more than anything. But that usually resulted in me not seeing anyone else go through it, which made it feel like mine. So it was kind of my mirror.
The one I walked through didnt really matter, since it would anchor me to whichever one I picked. Still, this was just more familiar, and right now, I could do with some familiarity, even if it came from the other side. As I walked down the hallway, I could already smell the air clog up slightly with smog.
My face drew into a grimace. I wasnt looking forward to breathing filthy air again. Even the stale, dusty bit of cave air Id been breathing for over a month was better than what the other side had to offer.
And then I finally stood in front of the mirror. I reached out slowly, touching my hand against it, and felt the glass ripple at my touch, then grow malleable. I slowly plunged my arm through it, up to my shoulder, then paused for a moment to hold my breath.
Another step later, I was in between, then another two steps and I was through.
Immediately, I found myself back in my apartment. It was stupidly clean, as it almost always was. I hardly even lived here, so I tried to not leave anything standing about. I would often spend a month or more in Eden, so having anything that could rot or spoil was a horrible idea.
Instead of focusing on how lifeless the place was though, I tried spotting if things were out of place. And yes, they sure were. My bed was unmade, my blanket wrapped up in a ball. My nightstand had shifted recently, with there being a small gap in the dust on the floor. And some of the things on my kitchen table had been moved as well.
Wow, shed really gone so far as to look under my potted basil? Not that it was still alive, but that was low. There was no money to be found there.
I sighed, accepting the reality for what it was, then opened up my hidden drawer by pushing against the side of the table with some force. I pulled my phone from there, and flipped it out of airplane mode. Before the messages had time to come flooding in, I placed it down on the table as I went to change.
My family was all about appearances, so the shorts and shirt I put on for my trip to Eden just wouldnt cut it. Instead, I had to wear a bra, which was far less comfortable than the undershirt of my armor in Eden, then some decently nice clothing, and jeans. I refused to wear a skirt, no matter how much my mom wanted me to.
Nothing against skirts, actually, more about telling her to fuck off already.
Finally, once I was dressed, I picked up the phone again. A few dozen missed calls, a few dozen missed texts. Most of them were strewn across a couple days, a couple of them within minutes of each other. I sighed.
They knew that I was unable to pick up when I was at work, and yet they pulled this shit all the time. I scrolled through the messages absent-mindedly as I brushed my hair. I already missed Ann and the hum of Qi in the air. The view from my window was so bleak and gray, I was starting to feel like a bird in a cage.
There was half a moment I considered taking a deep breath to calm myself down, before I thought better of it and decided to spare my lungs. The AC didnt do a whole lot against the smog in the air. Sighing wearily, I scrolled past the all-caps messages about what a horrible daughter I was, and that I shouldnt have ever been born, then went to grab my car keys.
It was going to be a long day.
As I descended the many sets of stairs to the ground floor, I started dialling numbers. My brother was first. He was understanding, and only left me a couple updates on what had happened in the family. Mom and dad divorced a long while ago, but that didn''t change the fact that theyd fought each other at thanksgiving.
It was the middle of summer, now. Not that it mattered much, but I shouldve maybe taken an umbrella. Oh well, too late; I wasnt climbing all those stairs again.
Instead, I hurried to the car, ignoring the scant few raindrops that landed on my hair, and turned the key. The engine hummed to life, the machine loyal to me even after I spent so many days away. I loved my car.
Id bought it before I started making money from Eden, and itd cost most of my savings back then, even though it came from a school acquaintance and they offered a good price. Barely used, just a couple miles on it. The lacquer was scratched in a few spots since the dudes little brother had taken it for a joyride, but there hadnt been a major accident and it worked perfectly fine. Just cosmetic damage, and a very angry set of parents.
It served me loyally that day as it always did, the dust quickly brushed off of the fake leather seats, as my foot sank against the gas pedal. I had no idea what day it was, but the streets were empty.
When I turned onto the highway to get to my mom a little faster, my brother finally deigned to call me back, landing himself on speaker phone.
Hey Bell, his voice rang out from the middle of my armature. You finally back from work?
Sure am, Broski, I replied, somewhat missing the cheery tone Id been aiming for. I read most of your texts, thanks for keeping me in the loop. Youre dating again?
He gave a soft chuckle. Yeah. Sarahs great! In fact, you should meet her. Today, at night? We can go to your favourite barbeque.
I had, in fact, missed barbeque. My brother always knew how to push my buttons. Alright, more than okay with that. Sarahs the name? Howd you meet?
At a bar, he replied, where most good stories start. I disagreed with that one, and almost said that all good stories start in Eden, but the words died in my throat. He wasnt part of that world, and he would never be.
Instead, I just gave a half-hearted chuckle, focusing on the road. Really now? Hit me with it.
Well, funnily enough, she actually approached me. I was out with a couple old college buddies, just people from the same major, no one whose name you know. We were drinking, then Sarah and a few friends joined us. One of her friends knew one of my buddies, you know how it is. We got to talking, and turns out we share a few interests. Similar taste in movies, both taking martial arts classes, that kinda deal.
My eyebrows flew up at that. Martial arts? What kind?
Sword fighting, believe it or not, he said, and I could almost hear him puff out his chest.
I snickered slightly, trying my best to hide it from the mic, but Im sure he heard. A breath to stabilize after the laughter, then I squeezed out a reply. Youre taking swords classes? Hows that going for you?
He hesitated to answer. Somewhat decent. Im not great, I guess, but not horrible. Instructor says I got some promise.
This time, I didnt laugh in the slightest. Really? Thats awesome, Broski. Im proud of ya.
The blush was almost audible in his voice. Well, thanks Bell. I appreciate it. Seriously. At any rate, Sarah''s also taking classes, though at a different place. More and more of those academies popping up. Super weird.
Yeah, totally, I replied. Definitely couldnt imagine any reason why more of them would be appearing, what with all the people flocking to Eden, and crime on the rise even on this side. Anyway, continue the story, please. I wanna get to the good parts.
Right, yeah. So, we talk about that a little, then the group starts splitting up. Me and Sarah are chatting, super nice stuff, and we hit it off really well. So we dont notice until everyone else has already headed out. We were both a bit tipsy, but I also didnt exactly want her to feel unsafe, so I suggested going for proper food, since it was getting late and I started to get hungry.
Gentlemanly, I whistled.
Oh shut up, he laughed. Anyway, we head to a restaurant, some place serving very unauthentic ramen. We have some soup, laugh a good bit, chat some more. Its past midnight at that point, so I offer to walk her home. No shot of either of us driving. The walk was nice, under starlight and all that, and super quiet. We got lucky as hell, with the smog clearing enough to actually catch a twinkle or two in the sky.
I nodded in understanding. Youre right, that is lucky.
Yep. We chat, I bring her home, she invites me in. I accept. Nothing super crazy happened. It was a very cozy night, honestly, just watching some movies and cuddling before I fell asleep on the couch. Next day, we make breakfast together, and decide on meeting again, he finished the story. Good timing, too, I was pulling into moms.
Damn, happy for ya bud. I just got to moms, though, talk to you later?
Yep, sounds great. See you at eight, he said.
See you at eight, I repeated, then hung up. I took another dozen seconds standing in the garage, before finally convincing myself to swing open the door. It was small, and I had to squeeze a little to get out, but I managed without getting too much dirt on me. For safetys sake, I patted myself down again, before walking up to the door.
Id hardly raised my hand to the doorbell when it swung open and an adorable little monster jumped out at me.
Chapter 11: Icy Atmosphere
It put a smile on my face. That was my little sister, Beth. Or Butterfly, to me. She was more than ten years younger than me, born shortly before the divorce. Sometimes, me and my brother speculated that our parents only stayed together because she hadnt been born yet, and they wanted to deal with the custody battle. Stubborn old idiots.
Instead of worrying about all that though, I scooped my little Butterfly up into my arms and squeezed her tight, coaxing a giggle from in between her lips. Youre finally back, Fio! she squealed next to my ears.
Sure am, Butterfly, I replied with a smile, keeping my eyes closed and hugging her tight, even as I heard footsteps approaching. I only lowered her to the floor again once I heard my mom clear her throat. Though I still added a small twirl to the motion, making her laugh again.
My moms eyes were already locked on me, looking me up and down like some kind of advanced scanner, looking for even the slightest imperfection. My hair was in a slight mess, and I could hear her scoff at it, and when she saw my pants, her lips curled into a small frown.
I didnt care, not too much. What I did care about was when someone else stepped into the doorframe.
An older man Id seen a few times before. Had they been dating? Id not suspected anything, but given the way he wrapped his hand around her waist, it sure seemed so. That put a small dampener on my mood. Well, another dampener, really, my moms frown was already a great start.
Oh, so the daft young lady finally decides to grace us with her presence again, she chided me, brushing at her stark brown but graying hair.
The frown on my face deepened. Seems like it. Finally got some time off. Wasnt expecting to be kept this long, but things came up.
Mhm, Im sure they did, mom said, clicking her tongue disapprovingly. Well, Im sure you still remember Jared, she said, and the man waved at me lightly with his free hand. He was tall, and looked a bit younger than my mom, and like he worked out. Hes a fitness trainer, and weve recently been coming over to talk fairly often.
Glad to hear it, I said, my voice holding none of the promised enthusiasm. My eyes must have looked like those of a dead fish as I turned to the man. Hey Jared, Im Fio. I pointedly extended my right hand to him, forcing him to let go of my mom to shake it. His grip was firm, but mine was firmer. He didnt go to Eden, that much I could tell.
Nice to meet you, Fio, he said, sounding amicable. Your mom has been treating me much more nicely than I deserve.
Im sure she has been, I said dryly, then stepped forward. But please, lets not keep this conversation at the doorstep. After all, it wouldnt do to have a proper lady get drenched on the doorstep, would it?
My eyes held my moms for a few quiet seconds, as only the pittering of the rain sounded. I could see Beth looking a little discouraged at our antics, but hey, it wasnt me who said I should never have been born for being unavailable sometimes.
She clicked her tongue again, very quietly this time, but nodded. Youre right, of course. Please come in, Fiona.
The name made me grimace a bit, but I quickly took the offer and headed in. Beth shot me a small smile, since things went over without issue, and Jared avoided meeting my eyes. That was fair, I was being frigid to him. Not that it meant I was gonna stop.
Nothing had changed about the inside of the house. Nothing major, at least. My moms paintings lined the walls, all neat and orderly, and I dont think a microscope could have found a speck of dust. The kitchen was still cramped with many appliances and mementos she never used and hardly looked at.
There was still a picture of all of us at christmas. Big Broski Ivan, dad, mom, Jacob and I. Well, no longer Jacob, not after the car crash. It was before Beth.
The picture brought up bitter memories and I bit my lip hard to suppress them as I sat down on one of the plush chairs. My mom was already heating up water for some tea.
Butterfly sat down across from me. She looked positively adorable, with her black curls and green eyes. Like a miniature doll. I couldnt help but smile as I winked at her. I mouthed a few promises of making her fly later, and watched her eyes light up and sparkle.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
It brought a small smile to my face, which was immediately interrupted by a pointed clearing of her throat by my mother. Jared was sitting across from me, awkwardly drumming his fingers onto his hands. He was being quiet, and looked a little bit out of place in the kitchen. It seemed all a bit too cramped for his bulky stature.
On the other hand, moms annoyance was probably at the arm Id draped over the back of the chair and my crossed legs. I gave a half-hearted sigh and adjusted my position slightly, until I sat looking prim and proper as she wanted me to. At least my shirt had folds this way, which she didnt complain about for once.
Well, Fio, want to tell us some more about what happened at your work? she asked, somewhat pointedly.
Id told her before not to ask about work. Yet, here we were again. Id spent some time coming up with a believable excuse. Now I just had to hope she didnt pry further.
Just a difficult client, mom, nothing fancy. My team got spread thin because we had a lot of requests coming in, and I got stuck with the worst one. So I had to do a bunch of overtime to deal with their stupid special wishes and their lawyers. The amount of bureaucracy in the firm is insane, I said, ending it off with a sigh to sell the deal.
Seeing my moms face tighten at the mention of lawyers and bureaucracy was wonderful. Shed left it all behind many years ago, when she became a freelance painter. Itd made her happier than any amount of time with any amount of her family ever could. We respected that. But it also meant that she hated talking about anything to do with legal stuff.
I see. Well, I am glad to have a daughter who can reliably deal with those things, she squeezed forth, getting a nod from me and a much more enthusiastic nod from Beth. For our own part, she changed the topic, I have recently been considering the idea of travelling.
I raised an eyebrow at that. Travelling? I asked. Where to?
Were considering a cruise, she said, her eyes flitting to Jared. Something to get out of the house for a week or two. Bethany could stay at your brothers, he already agreed to it.
There was some effort in the fact that I kept a vindictive smile off my face. A cruise?
Yes, Ive been saving up for it for some time now, she said, as she got up and took the kettle off the heat. I need some inspiration for new paintings, and seeing more of the world would help greatly. You know how much I love the ocean.
Indeed I do, I nodded. Why leave Bethany with Ivan, though? Wouldnt dad be happy to have her for a while?
Butterfly looked at me, eyes going wide. She gave me a tiny nod. I knew that she really loved dad, and only got to see him so rarely. Mom, on the other hand, was less pleased, her jaw set tightly as a deep frown creased her face. Surprisingly, Jared spoke for her, meeting my face.
Fio, he used my nickname, the one my mom despised, you know your mom doesnt approve of your dad. He doesnt make healthy food, and he can be irresponsible. She and I both dont think leaving Beth with him for that long would be a good idea.
I had to give him some respect for actually saying it, but he was misrepresenting moms views. Not for the entire cruise, I exploited his wording, just a weekend. Maybe a monday, too. You could give him a plan, have him take her to the cinema or something.
My moms frown grew some more, her eyes now locked onto Jared. Hed made a mistake saying the time frame was the issue. That wasnt it at all. The fact that Beth ever saw dad was a thorn in her eyes.
Now, of course dad wasnt perfect. The year hed spent in jail wasnt without reason. But the fact that she wanted Beth to preferably never see him at all was plain unfair, in my eyes, and in Butterflys as well.
Jared was now caught between a rock and a hard place. Well, I mean, I suppose it doesnt sound that bad, but please consider everything that could go wrong. Your dad, he-
My tone turned icy. Dont insult my father before me, Jared.
Your dad is a good-for-nothing drunk with no measure of self-control, Fiona, my mom interjected. He raised you terribly, and gave you far too much freedom. Hes coarse, abrasive, and downright cruel. And he killed my brother.
She didnt say the last part, her teeth biting down on her tongue before she had the chance. In a way, it was a cruel joke. Jacob had died because of mirrors. Rear view mirrors, to be exact, broken ones. My dad hadnt seen a car coming up fast behind him and swerved to change lanes.
The idiot had been overtaking way too fast from the right, slamming into the front passenger seat. Jacobs seat. Nothing modern medicine could do.
And now, I had nearly died in a mirror world. Cruel irony. My mom didnt know it, of course, but the room turned icy when shed finished speaking.
I let the words hang in the air for an uncomfortably long silence. Jared shifted in his seat, and Beth looked like she was about to cry. The only sounds that rang out were moms almost robotic motions as she mixed the tea. When she went to fill our cups, Beth stood up and ran to her room, tears in the corners of her eyes.
Moms face turned sad at it, and Jared pressed his palms against his nose with a sigh. I simply sat there, prim and proper as she usually wanted me to, downed my cup of tea in one sip, then pushed my chair back noisily and stood up.
Gonna talk to Beth, I said.
Luckily, mom bit back her usual correction and made no comment on the nickname.
Chapter 12: Blood Runs Thick
I knocked on the door thrice. No answer.
Hey Butterfly, its Fio, I said, somewhat quietly.
Leave me alone, she muttered from behind the white wood.
No problem, I replied. In fact, Im not even gonna talk to you. Ill just sit down here, outside your door, and talk to myself. I made a point of sitting down noisily. It didnt get the giggle Id hoped for, but that was fine.
Dads not as terrible as mom always says, Beth half-muttered half-sobbed.
I nodded to that. Yeah, he isnt. By no means is dad perfect, but hes definitely better than mom thinks. He can be a lot of fun when hes in a good mood.
Mhm.
You know, dad used to throw me up really high when I was a kid. He laughed so much back then. I have a lot of good memories of playing with him. Though mom was home rarely and would usually be grumpy. Her new job suits her better.
Mhm. This one was a little warmer.
I sighed wistfully in memory. We used to play with water pistols in summer. Silly stuff, not very popular these days, but it was fun, splashing around.
We still play with water pistols, Beth interjected.
Bet my aim is better than yours, I said, smiling.
Alright, come in already, Fio, my sister relented, getting up and opening the door for me.
I waited for her to step aside and wave me in, so she was comfortable with having me there. Then I ruffled her hair a little. Her eyes were puffy, what more damage could I do to her dignity?
The door shut behind me, and Beth flopped down face-first on her bed again. I sat down next to her, petting her back. I didnt say anything.
Mom can be so mean sometimes, my sister eventually muttered into the blankets.
She only means half of what she says. No filter, you know?
I know, she grumbled. An artist speaks straight from the heart! Ugh! She did her best impression of our mom, but it was more or less just a minor change to her own voice. Not convincing, but it got the point across.
Yep, thats how she is.
Its just so unfair, Fio, she complained, smacking the blankets next to her. All of you think so much about Jacob. Mom is so mad at dad because of him. Ivan is so distant. You hardly ever come home, either. I grimaced. She had me there.
I didnt know Jacob. I never will. And yet, hes fucking up my family life!
Language, Beth, I said, calmly.
My sister grumbled for a moment, then continued anyway. Its just so fricking unfair. I hate him.
That made me pause for a second and freeze up, but I quickly rested my hand against her back, hoping she enjoyed the warmth. Thats harsh, I said. You know he doesnt deserve that. I understood where she was coming from, but it still wasnt nice.
I know! she yelled, smacking her blankets again. But if you want me to like him then why do you all! Keep! Fighting! Because of him?! She was crying full force again, accompanying every yell with a smack to her blankets, and I took a few moments to run my fingers through her hair.
Because life is hard, I sighed. And it fricking sucks. Jacob was a lovely person. He was kind, caring, brave, and just overall awesome. Like a knight in shining armor. And now hes gone. And I wont see him ever again. I took a shaky breath at the end of that, rubbing at my eyes.
Stolen story; please report.
And it sucks. It makes me really sad, and it makes mom really sad. And she blames dad, and dad blames himself. Ivan doesnt wanna be sad again, so he keeps a bit more distant. I bury myself in work because I cant stand it when mom complains or dad drinks.
Me neither, Beth agreed, almost whispering now.
But theres nothing I can do about it. I cant force our parents to make up, Butterfly. Id love to if I could, but I cant. Jacob couldve. But he wont, ever, anymore. And Im sorry you have to suffer because of that, I said, choking up a little.
Beths face finally raised from the blankets a little, and she shifted over, putting her head on my legs. Its not your fault, she whispered.
I know, I whispered back. And mom knows, and dad knows, too. But sometimes, you feel something different from what you know, even if thats unfair.
She nodded at that, and I ran my fingers through her hair again. We all love you, Beth. All in our own way. Mom, dad, Ivan and I. Youre the world to us. All of us.
Once more, she nodded, remaining silent, and I kissed her forehead. Even if its hard sometimes, dont forget that, alright?
Okay, Fio, she said, shifting again, before leaning into me with a hug. Sometimes I forgot how small she was, letting me wrap my arms around her easily. We sat like that for a long while until a soft knock came from the door.
Theres food, mom said quietly, and I looked down at Beth. She was snoring softly. I smiled a bittersweet smile and laid her down on the bed. She wouldnt be interested in whatever healthy stuff my mom had conjured from the underworld for now.
The rest of the conversation at dinner went much more smoothly. We didnt go into heavy topics. Mom stopped being naggy about my posture or the way I sat, and I didnt complain as I forced her horrible creation down my throat. It was healthy, but goodness me was it miserable.
Beth eventually rejoined us, eating somewhat quietly. Her mood lightened a bit at dessert, even if it was only a very vaguely sweet jello. I took her out to the swings afterwards, tossing her around. She laughed, and I smiled. Eventually, I was able to leave the house with a smile.
It had been bitter and sweet at the same time, as it almost always was when I visited mom. Two more stops to go now, and Ivan was next.
He was patient with me, much more so than I deserved, but I wanted to meet Sarah anyway. Dad could deal with me tomorrow. And having some barbeque after moms poorly disguised prison food would be nice.
Luckily, my outfit still worked for this, though I did swap my shirt for a slightly brighter one, and put on the faintest bits of make-up in the car. My mom hated the stuff, saying it smelled horrendous and was a betrayal to nature, but I still wanted to look decent if I went to a restaurant.
By the end of it, I was looking gorgeous. I smiled at myself in the mirror, then headed inside. As always, Ivan had booked the table on our family name, Bellum. It was a pretty fire name, though. Ivan Bellum. Sounded like an absolute badass. If only he wasnt such a sweetheart.
I apparently was there before Sarah and him, so I just ordered an iced coffee with a hint of rum. They used cheap liquor, and I couldnt care in the slightest, enjoying the faint burn on the back of my throat.
Eventually, the two of them came in. Ivan, with his raven black hair, and dark eyes. He wore a buttoned shirt, though it was also black, making him look almost like a nordic grim reaper with his beard.
Sarah, on the other hand, was the polar opposite, bright blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a colourful pastel shirt. She greeted me with a happy smile and a wave, as the two sat down. They ordered drinks, and then we ordered a large set of ribs for the three of us.
We chatted a lot before that, mostly about inconsequential stuff. I asked about hobbies, Ivan told me more about the sword fighting thing, and that hed also been getting into some more games and music. Mainly retro stuff, but also some more modern things. Sarah shared a lot of his interests, though with a much greater penchant for fantasy.
Apparently, she really liked getting immersed in stories and other worlds. I smiled at that. Same for me, I told them. My work stuff was brushed off quickly, and Ivan told me some bits and pieces of the coding work hed been doing. Apparently, a new program of his running on a couple air filters helped make the city more breathable.
I was glad to hear it. Maybe I wouldnt have to wear a mask anymore when I headed from my car to a restaurant soon. We both laughed at that joke. That wasnt changing anytime soon.
Sarahs voice was melodic and nice to listen to, so I didnt mind in the slightest when she talked a lot of the time. About her interests, what she did, what she liked about Ivan, the fact that she couldnt wait to meet our parents, and so on. I was apparently the first family member to meet, the cool sister. It had me grinning. Ivan wasnt living that one down for a while.
But the evening went by very nicely. By the end of it, we were all just slightly tipsy, but all still easily within legal driving limits. Not that it was strictly enforced these days. I hugged Ivan goodbye, then did the same for Sarah. It had all gone so well, when Cass chimed up.
[Contact with gateway user established. Activate [Gateway]?]
Keeping my face from changing was done by a pure exercise of will, as I kept a smile on my lips. Sarah looked slightly shocked for only a moment when we drew apart, but I simply laid a finger onto my lips. She gave me a very small nod, then her face turned radiant again, and she walked off with Ivan.
What had my brother gotten himself into now?
Chapter 13: Just having Lunch
I shook my head after a relatively cold shower in the morning. It had taken me a bit to accept the ongoing reality that my brother was dating someone whod been to Eden. I really needed a better word for that. Cass, is there already some sort of accepted term for it?
[Common language for people who transit between Eden and this side include but are not limited to: Edenizens, Astralwalkers, Gateway Users, Players. Edians tend to use the terms: Adventurers, Risks, Collateral Damage, Pawns.]
Suffice to say, none of those really landed very well for me. Hm. Might take some workshopping. I played with different versions of them in my mind. Mirror people. No, that was silly. Part-time Edians. Again, stupid. I should keep it to one word.
Eventually, I settled on something I felt decent about. Reflectors. I smiled at the thought. It could work, definitely better than Collateral Damage.
Well, if Sarah was a Reflector, I might need to have a chat with her about that. After all, I hadnt been keeping this all secret just so some girl could waltz in and drag my brother off to his death in another world. Especially since I didnt know which faction she belonged to. Hopefully she wasnt part of any of the more ruthless conglomerates.
I shuddered at the thought. They were already ruining this side of the mirror, did those greedy sacks of crap also need to ruin the other one? I shook my head to clear it. This was why I took cold showers, to deal with it all.
I took a deep breath and forced the thoughts aside. They were weighing me down right now. Not necessary in the slightest. There was something which needed my focus much more urgently. Id texted dad and we scheduled a meeting. I was just getting ready for it.
Mentally and physically, apparently. Of course, meeting with my dad was hard. It didnt used to be, but now it was. I sighed a long sigh, then shook my head again. No reminiscing and being whiny for me today, I had to pick out a set of clothes.
After settling on a really cute crop top and a pair of jeans, I finished getting ready, then spent the last few minutes before I had to go out procrastinating on my phone.
Id uninstalled every single news app possible. Didnt need that in my life. Instead, I watched silly cooking channels making archaic recipes back from the nineteen-hundreds. Stuff people came up with that sounded miserable.
Some of it turned out as terrible as expected, other things apparently good. Fish cake was bad. Potato chip cookies, using chips instead of flour, were tasty. I snorted at that. Might have to give it a go if I found the time. A little voice in the back of my head told me I probably would never, but I mentally shoved it aside as I hopped out of bed.
The car ride to my dads saw slightly fuller streets. Meaning an occasional car or two, no more. It was past the morning rush to get to our corporate overlord, and so the streets were empty until everyone would come back in the evening.
Which made getting to my dad easy. We decided to meet out in public, mainly because I hoped it would force him to at least be presentable, but also because he probably hadnt had a nice meal in ages, so I wanted him to eat something decent.
Maybe I couldve cooked myself, but this was faster, and I liked getting outside sometimes, even if it meant having to wear that stupid, uncomfortable mask. If it werent for the fact that other people sometimes walked around, I couldve just used Qi to filter the air. But that would go poorly if anyone saw, so I had to bear with it.
This time we decided to go for some east goran food. It was mainly based on rice with many different sauces, most of them using aged products. Much of the eastern side of the continent was very warm, making drying and aging much more popular than in colder regions.
I settled into the restaurant first. Honestly, I dont know why I expected dad to be punctual. It brought a wry smile to my face. Before he came, I ordered sparkling water for both of us. Hopefully hed like it. Better than letting him order beer.
After a good 15 minutes of waiting, I finally saw him stroll in. The building was largely empty except for us, with only two servers behind the counter, and one other table occupied by a young couple, probably still in their teens. Theyd hardly looked over, fully enraptured with each other.
My dad walked through the door with a straight back, which was already a good sign, looking over the restaurant with tired eyes. His brown hair was combed to the sides and slightly frizzy, standing off his head. With the small bald spot forming on the back of his head, it wouldve made him look like an addled scientist, if it werent for his choice of clothing.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
He wore a grey shirt with the name of some metal band from long ago on it, but it was clear hed folded it. Over that, he was wearing a tanned leather jacket, matching the dark brown colour of his eyes. I had both his hair and eye colour, while Beth took after mom a lot more.
When he found me, I saw his face light up with a bit of a smile, and he slowly strolled over. He drew me into a short but tight hug, then smiled at me. Fio! Hey there, Bear. Havent seen you in forever.
I smiled back. Hi dad. Sorry, Ive just been really busy with work, just came back yesterday. Mom was blowing up my phone, you know how she gets, I explained, grin turning crooked.
My dad nodded along, then glanced at his drink ruefully. Hed probably been hoping for something alcoholic, but I was really just hoping for a nice, easy day out. Dont worry about it at all, Bear. Im just glad you still wanna see your old man at all, he said.
Come on, dad. Of course I do, dont be silly. I punched his shoulder lightly to help make my point, and the seat creaked as he recoiled in faux pain. Anyway, how have things been for you? Work going okay?
He swirled the liquid in his glass a little, staring at the bubbles thoughtfully. The hair ruined the philosophical expression a bit, making me think of a raccoon in a college class instead. Ive been doing better, Bear. Work has just been exhausting, it feels like hours are getting longer and pay no better. But Im getting by! he added, raising his hands. No need for you to dip into your funds!
Id offered before, but he never wanted my help. The best I could do was convince him to let me pay when we ate out. Wasnt saying anything! I assured him. Just want you to know you have my full support. Dont want you to overwork yourself.
There was a slight chuckle at that. Yeah, that. Its tough to keep in mind sometimes, I appreciate it. No, but seriously, work has been fine, mostly. Some colleagues got moved up. Jim is now a supervisor, and hes been doing great.
Youve been saying he deserved a promotion for years! Glad he finally got it.
He nodded along. Sure have. And hes been doing nothing short of great work. Changed a couple things thatd been bothering literally everyone. Things go much smoother now, with a lot less bureaucracy to go through, which means more time spent machining, he said, smiling ever so slightly.
Usually, I dont think hed have been this happy about machining things, since the work of making parts was honestly a bit repetitive, but literally anything was better than paperwork.
Thats good to hear. Youre not burying yourself too much in work to have a private life though, right? I asked, pointedly. He looked aside with a bit of shame, and my eyes narrowed. Luckily, he wore his emotions on his sleeve. Literally, there was a small rainbow heart pin stuck to the jacket there.
Ive been trying. Went climbing with a couple buddies some time back. Indoors, with the smog situation and all. It was fun, somewhat, but also frustrating, seeing myself unable to do things I did easily before. He took a small sip of his drink and tried to stifle a grimace. But I might do it again. Been watching some movies otherwise, sports, old shows from bands I liked. Nothing major worth talking about.
Any teams win anything?
He gave me a dry chuckle. No, none. No one wins anything these days, sadly. Events have also been slowing down since training spaces are reducing more and more. Air filtration technology is lagging behind the smog, and everyone knows it.
Has been for years, I lamented, and he nodded along.
Yup, but its becoming a serious issue sadly. So not much sports to celebrate. But Ive also been helping my neighbour out with gardening some more. Miss Jenkins, you know her? I nodded. Yeah, shes got a greenhouse. Been watering plants there for her. The growth lamps arent exactly sunlight, but its been helping lift my mood, having something proper to care for.
The genuine smile on his face brought one to my lips as well. Thats great to hear. We all need an outlet, some peace and quiet sometimes.
Sure do. He remained quiet for a bit, when the waiter came up and took our orders. I just got some spicy kimchi, while my dad ordered a few kimbap. The food arrived super quick, with only some minor chatting in between.
We ate in companionship, talking about the weather, the food, all of it. I told him a little bit about my pitch of letting Beth stay at his place more often, and he practically turned into a lightbulb. The smile on his face was wide.
Dang Fio, I really appreciate it. Means I gotta tidy up a bit though, and probably air everything out. Cant let little Beth stay at mine unless shed be comfortable, he said, his face distorting a bit. He also muttered something about putting away all the bottles under his breath.
I didnt comment, and tried to keep a frown away from my face, mostly successfully. He noticed anyway, sadly, his voice turning tired when he spoke again.
Ah, sorry. I know you dont like the topic, Bear. Ive been doing better, I swear. Havent passed out or vomited in weeks, now. The smile he gave was tired. A few weeks at best, then. Im trying. It gets hard, really hard, but youve heard it all already. You dont need to again. But I promise you, Fio, with all my heart, that Im trying my absolute best, okay?
He put a hand on my shoulder at the end, and I let him, taking a deep breath. It was the second visit of mine in a row that he didnt smell like alcohol. I was grateful for that.
Slowly, I put a hand on his arm. I know, dad, I said, trying to sound as empathetic as possible, and he nodded, then withdrew his arm.
Well, anyway, anything you wanna tell me about, Bear?
Nothing much, dad. Nothing much interesting at all, I said, leaning back in my seat.
Chapter 14: Anxious
My third day back on Neamhan was bland. I spent most of it in my flat, lying on my bed. I had nothing planned, nor anything to do, but didnt feel ready to get back to Eden yet. Still, my thoughts kept drifting back there.
I wondered how Ann was doing, and the rest of the team. Whether the twins were integrating well. If they missed me too much and what they were doing. I imagined them all going about their lives.
Ann usually studied in the library, looking up new spell tomes, or learning some new languages. Both to improve her stats, as well as in case she needed to decipher them. Liam would usually be meditating under the shadow of a tree, oftentimes with Matt practicing his sword beneath its falling petals.
Sometimes, Emilia would spar with him, and the clash of wood on wood rang out across the courtyard. Marie might ask Liam to make small targets for her to shoot, shaking the man from his stasis and having him create motes of flickering shadow for her to practice with.
Usually, Id be right there with them.
The thought brought a sigh to my lips and I spun around in bed until my head hung off its side. If Id had longer hair, it wouldve swept across the dusty floor. I sighed again.
Boring, so very boring. I felt caged, cooped up. Needing to do something. For a brief few seconds I considered stepping through my mirror, but decided against it eventually. Rule number one: The mirrors cant eat you, but attachment can.
I knew that I liked staying in Eden a bit too much. Far too much, even. Which is why I needed to practice restraint and live on this side as well.
But at the same time, I needed to get rid of all this energy. Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of bed. It was a friday morning. Everything would be open, and probably pretty empty, with most people working.
There wasnt usually a whole lot to do in the city, nor was there a whole lot I wanted to do. I couldve gone to the park, but sitting in the grass with a mask on seemed miserable. One after another, I went through the options of things I didnt wanna do. No cinema, no theme park, no walks, no gaming caf. Didnt feel like going to the bookstore Maybe the gym?
I could go to the gym.
Using the momentary motivation, I quickly hopped out of bed and got dressed in sportier clothes. I didnt like locker rooms, and usually preferred to just change before heading there. Once I was done, I hopped into my car and made my way to the gym.
About halfway, I felt my motivation drop off again, but I was already committed by then. So on to the gym I went.
When I was there, I quickly put in headphones, and went about normal practice routines. I made sure to keep my cores tightly shut, with not a mote of Qi in my body. Despite that, I could still feel the glass shift underneath my skin, almost imperceptibly, but it didnt provide any support this time.
Eventually, I went to the treadmill and started running. Then I just kind of kept running. I turned the speed up, and started daydreaming mostly. About where I would rather be. Then I shook those thoughts off as well, and mindlessly ran.
I dont quite know how long I did so, but by the time I came back to myself, the sun was significantly higher in the sky, and I was positively drenched in sweat. My legs burned, and so did my lungs as I panted heavily. The reason I came back was a quiet whisper in my head by Cass, but I kept her quiet for a bit more. Just the couple minutes it took to turn off the treadmill, chug my entire water bottle, and find a place to sit down.
[Bell. Can I talk to you for one second?]
Shoot, I thought back at it.
[Thank you. I have been contemplating my existence.]
Always a good start.
[Due to my intrinsic ties to the gateway within you, and being created from your data, I believe that I should trust you more than the other keepers.]
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
I appreciate that, Cass, I thought back.
[Therefore I believe I should inform you of your impending struggles. Withdrawal of the gateway from your body will kill you, Bell.]
The blood in my veins froze at that. I grasped my own arm and squeezed to calm myself down as I grit my teeth. Fucking keepers, I thought. My mind was running a mile a minute. I couldnt afford to die in Eden. What the fuck were my parents gonna think? Losing another kid?
[The damage is currently extensive. However, as the gateway is repaired, I believe you should begin to seek a solution to this problem.]
No shit, I snapped back, probably more aggressively than needed. Any ideas then, Cass?
[Some. You could try to completely fuse with the gateway, so your destruction would mean its destruction as well. Or you could completely avoid any interactions with the keepers, but I believe that to be non-feasible. Finally, I think there is a chance we may be able to ally with other factions on Eden, such as the divines, to prevent our destruction.]
Option two was out immediately. No fucking way was I staying here or on Eden forever. Again, my family needed me, but I was not willing to completely cripple my enjoyment of life, either. No, Id go to Eden again.
Maybe the gods were an option. Lurelia had been kind when we last spoke. But I think Id prefer fusing with the gateway. No chance of being backstabbed.
[I wouldve chosen the same. Well live, no matter what.]
I nodded at that. We will, I thought. No way I was letting the keepers take away my life again. Luckily Cass was choosing to work with me. Even though I didnt fully trust her yet, having an ally was beyond valuable in this case.
After running through some more thoughts, I got up with a sigh, then quickly headed back to my car. Cass was running some simulations in my head, or something like it anyway, while I instead moved to get home. I needed a shower, both to think, and to calm down.
The drive went by quickly, and I jumped up the stairs to my flat three at a time. I practically rushed through the door and slammed it shut behind myself, in much more of a panic than I ever wouldve expected.
Taking a moment to calm down, I looked around the place. Undisturbed. No one had gone in or out. I breathed a small sigh of relief, and went to my bathroom. The cold water cleared my head a bit, but I still needed advice. Someone smarter than me to talk this out with.
Only one person came to mind, and I soon found myself making the trip back down my stairway once more. My legs ached from the running, and complained to me, but I ignored it. My hands were slightly shaky. I probably shouldve eaten something. Oh well, a quick stop for some fast food would be fine.
Shutting the car door with another thud, I turned the keys and started driving. There were more cars on the road, Id managed to get back down just in time for most peoples midday break. It gave me some more time to be annoyed, and some time to honk at an asshole who cut lanes.
Finally, though, I managed to pick up a burger and devour it on my way. I just swallowed the last bite as I pulled into an old driveway of a small house. It was the kind where you knew old people lived in it.
The garden was well kempt, with a few beds of flowers, and some more of them hanging from a balcony. There was a small patio with a roof and a bench that was full of sun-bleached pillows. Perhaps theyd been orange at some point, now only vestiges of the colour remained.
Parts of the colour from the walls had flaked off, revealing lacquered wood beneath. It still bravely stood the test of time, showing no rot yet. Perhaps it would receive a new paint-job in due time.
Slowly, I pulled into the small driveway, making sure to avoid even coming close to the grass. I didnt wanna get an earful about that again. But after some trying, I managed to fit my car neatly next to a small red one in the drive.
When I got out, I took a quick glance at the house and breathed in. The air here wasnt great, but the plants helped beat away at the smog. It was cozy, thats how Id describe it. Comfortable.
I followed the stone walkway to the front door, past the faded bench, and knocked on a dark green door. The colour was flaking off it as well, and I shook a tiny patch loose as I knocked, adding it to the small pile of colourful flakes on the floor.
Unlike most houses nowadays, there was no bell. Nor did I have to announce myself with a call. It had been made extraordinarily clear to me that such things were simply bothersome. I was welcome whenever I needed it, and right now, I really, really needed it.
The wait, as always, was awkward. I had my hands behind my back, tipping forward and backward from the tips of my toes to balancing on my heels, but once I heard shuffling inside, my heart calmed down a bit. Someone was at least home, I just hoped it was who I was hoping for.
After some more shuffling on my part, and the person inside the house, the door swung open, revealing a small woman with stark white hair in curls off her head. Her grey eyes looked up to meet mine, and her neutral expression twisted into the slightest smile.
Fio! she greeted me loudly, clasping my hand in hers. My oh my, child, its been so long since your last visit! Where have you been? Ah, no, forget about it, she corrected, once she saw my face twist. Just tell me how youve been. And with a tiny tap on my cheek, she shuffled into the house, gesturing at me to follow.
Chapter 15: Clearing my Mind
I did as I was asked, shutting the squeaky door behind me. Needs oiling, I know! the woman yelled ahead of me, forcing a small smile onto my lips as well. She sure knew how to egg her husband on to finally do all the things, and he sure knew how to agree without ever promising anything.
Quickly, I slipped off my shoes, and headed over polished wooden floors, until I made it into a small kitchen and living room. Id had to shuffle past a couple figurines, careful to not knock anything off shelves, but once I was seated, I felt calm.
The house smelled old, mostly of wood, but in the kitchen there was an ever present aroma of caramel. It made my mouth water a bit, and the old woman quickly determined it. Do they not feed you anything anymore these days, Fio? Good grace, you seem like youre starving. I was just finishing up todays cake, I insist you eat with us!
Id love to, Mrs. Mullner, I said, immediately receiving a click of her tongue.
Thats Ingrid to you, Fio. Please, youre gonna make me feel old, she chided with a chuckle, and I couldn''t help but smile with her.
Of course, Ingrid, I nodded along happily. Usually, I hoped for my old master to open the door, but when his wife was in this good a mood, who was I to refuse? Is your husband home?
She smirked, rinsing a cup for my usage and setting it down next to the others shes prepared for herself and the aforementioned husband. Currently, a coffee machine was already whirring, but she knew that I preferred sweet tea to go with cake, so she set a kettle on the stove.
Yes, darling. Hell be here soon, still sleeping off some of yesterday night. Could hardly keep an eye closed.
That surprised me. Oh? What happened?
Ah, something silly. He heard of some sword school and went to watch. Then he hyperfocused on it and watched videos on swordsmanship online all night. One of his flash obsessions, Id bet, she explained.
I see, I nodded along. Well, hopefully hell sleep better today.
As he always does when you come visit, Fio, Ingrid said, leaning on the kitchen counter as we waited on the oven timer. But yes, he should be here any moment. If hes not in time, Ill drag him out of bed lickety-split! She grinned a bit as she finished, seeming happy about the prospect of bothering her husband.
The two of them were a bit of an odd couple to Fio. Theyd had a complicated relationship, getting together no less than three separate times, and usually splitting up for multiple years. It was all in their youth, though. The third time, they committed fully, deciding to marry not more than a month into the relationship.
Ever since then, Ingrid and her husband had been living in nothing but begrudging harmony. They would step on each others toes on purpose, trying to provoke a reaction, but neither ever really played into the others pranks. And when no one was looking, the two were as sweet as could be together.
They tried to share interests. Do gardening, go for walks, and see the ducks at the pond. Not that those ponds or ducks still existed, all animals were kept inside indoor zoos at this point.
I shook off the thought as I watched Ingrid work, pulling out the cake with practiced motions and setting it down on some padding. It looked delicious, a square form covered in a chocolate coating, with a thin layer of pudding beneath. There also seemed to be jam in between the two parts of cake, and finally there were tiny pockets of caramel baked into the thing.
It probably had enough calories to last an adult for a full day, but it would also be incredibly tasty, and I was more than looking forward to it. The same apparently went for my master, since I began to hear footsteps once the smell had properly spread.
Sure enough, the door to the kitchen opened a few minutes later, giving way to a kindly old gentleman. He wore a buttoned up shirt, neatly tucked into his pants, his salt and pepper hair brushed back. He was neither tall nor short, but his blue eyes held an intensity that always made him look larger than life.
That same set of eyes took in the cake at first, already bright as a smile made its way to his lips, then brushed over his wife and found me. Hed been in the process of thanking his wife for the marvellous cake, when he stopped and looked at me. His eyes turned from bright to radiant, and his smile grew wide enough for his entire face, the laugh lines around his eyes growing deeper.
Fio! Good to see you, girl! Its been ages! he greeted me, almost stumbling over his own feet as he rushed in for a hug and patted me on the back.
Hey gramps, I remarked slyly, hearing a small chuckle. Its good to see you as well.
Not just good, he said, pulling away but having a hand still resting on my shoulder. Its great getting to see you.
This fool waits for people to come by, day in and day out, Ingrid remarked, but she couldnt keep the mirth from her voice. Yet he still just gets like this when you visit.
Bah, cant an old man enjoy seeing his best pupil? he asked, giving me a small wink with a grin.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
You dont even remember what you taught her, Rae, Ingrid countered, not even half-heartedly. But it doesnt change that shes welcome here.
Once my old master had taken his seat, Ingrid very quickly decked the table. She gave me a much bigger slice of cake than her husband, and he eyed my plate with some envy. I pointedly ignored it, sipping some sweet chamomile tea.
The cake was delicious. I got lost in the atmosphere a little bit, I have to admit. The two of them were just too lovely to be around. When Ingrid wasnt feeling snippy, at least. But that day seemed like I got there at a good time.
We chatted about the little things over the table. The summer heat wasnt loved by some of her flowers, but others thrived, so Ingrid had done some repotting. The result was the rows of blooming pink Id seen on the outside. I assured her the garden looked more than lovely.
Rae chatted a bit about the sword stuff hed seen. Much of it had reminded him of me, apparently, which I acted very surprised about. I assured him Id never even touched a weapon, and he gave me a calm smile.
He knew, of course, that I never touched a weapon. Hadnt been trying to accuse me of wanting to wield one, either. We could be glad we lived in times with less violence than when weapons like that were needed in everyday life, and I nodded along.
It was the cover story, and I stuck to it. He and I had discussed it before his retirement, and it was the best we could come up with. As far as he knew, I was a complete pacifist. Never wanted to wield anything more dangerous than a kitchen knife in my entire life.
Luckily, there was more than enough of that established in his memories. Since we lived in the same city, I saw him many times outside of Eden. Id known Ingrid for quite some time before he retired already, and wed already told her that he taught me calligraphy. It was one of his favourite pastimes, with many of his pieces hanging on the upper floor.
Of course, I was not nearly as good as he was, and most of the things hed taught me were actually all about wielding a spear, but there were more than a few life lessons in there. That was also the reason Id come to visit.
And so, after having the cake, and chatting about the small things, I asked to talk to him in private. Ingrid looked at us with understanding, and quickly excused herself to the living room. She respected the bond I had to her husband very much, no matter how many little things she nagged about, and I would always respect that.
Raes eyes turned calm when he looked at me then, the mirth in them replaced with the secure glint of wisdom. He knew Id ask him questions, many of them hypothetical, and hed do his best to answer. I could feel how him being in a thinking mood weighed down the whole room; even after his retirement, he hadnt lost his presence in the slightest.
What is it, Fio? Everything alright?
Im okay, Rey. For now. I just how do I best put this. Theres currently a problem, and I have three options. Say theres someone you work really closely with, but they want something from you. Except you dont want to give that something up, right?
Mhm.
So then, how do you get that someone to leave you alone with the something? I almost bit my tongue at how clumsy I sounded.
My once-mentor scratched his beard and thought for a few minutes. Well, on one hand, you could ensure that you always carry the thing with you. Never let it out of sight, ensure they cant take it away. On the other, you could find colleagues to help you out and talk out the issue. Or you could never interact with them again.
He literally almost laid out the same options as Cass. Somehow, I wasnt surprised. So whats the best choice?
None of them, Rae calmly replied. You could look for another job, but given your face, I dont think that options for you. Finding coworkers willing and able to solve the issue is time and energy consuming, and of course, so is always carrying something around with you. Honestly, you might wanna go for a mix.
A mix? I asked.
Yep. If you have some help, just until you figure out a more permanent solution of how to store the thing, and also make sure to interact with the weird coworker as little as possible, you might have an easier time than hard committing to any of the routes, he explained.
I thought it over for a second. It wasnt a horrible idea for sure. First getting some help, just until I could get things settled to a comfortable point. And avoid the keepers, though I was unsure how to go about that. Rey saw me thinking, and added some more advice.
You also dont need to decide right now, Fio. If it stresses you out too much, take some time off. See family, see friends. Practice some calligraphy again, he shot me a smile when he suggested it. Youre young. Most of your life is still ahead of you! Dont just throw it all aside by doing things in a hurry.
He was right, as always. I shook my head a bit, then met his eyes. Thank, master, I said, clasping my fist in my palm and bowing slightly.
Rae chuckled at the gesture. Stop, stop, Fio. You dont bow to me, come on. Relax, ease up. No need to be so formal, please.
I grinned a little at his flustered look. Ever since his retirement hed been much less formal than he used to be. Maybe the extra time with Ingrid mellowed him, or it was all the gardening.
Whatever the case, I quickly straightened my back again. Thank you for the advice, Rae. Seriously, I mean it. The fact that he was willing to answer my very cryptic questions already meant a lot.
Its no problem at all, he waved me off. If youre really sorry, you should come visit more often. You wouldnt believe how much Ingrid talks about you.
The mood was lighting visibly, and I decided to just go along with it. Rey had a habit of making me focus on the important things. And right now, I wasnt under threat. The gateway was damaged, and would be for a while. So, I focused on eating the cake I was provided, drinking some more tea, and chatting with the old couple about nothing, and nothing yet again.
Eventually, evening came around, and I headed back home. There were a few texts, mainly my mom getting upset I didnt answer immediately. She could wait a bit more.
Once home, I laid down in bed and kinda dozed off for a bit. Daydreaming of mirrors and gateways and open fields. It was all just so unimportant, at the end of the day. If I died by stepping through a mirror, I couldnt help it anyway. If I lived, well, good on me.
A small smile found its way onto my face. Id stared down a dozen more horrid deaths. Getting eaten by some silly mirror people wasnt that terrible, really, and highly unlikely for now.
With my resolve made, I fell asleep, and early next morning, I sent out all the texts, saying Id be unavailable. Then, I stepped through the mirror back into Eden.
Chapter 16: Back in Eden
Walking through the gateway was as jarring as ever. This time, I decided to catch a glimpse of the tunnel between worlds, and it was just as surreal as it had always been.
When I opened my eyes during the transition, there were hundreds of thousands of similar mirror pairings floating all around me. It seemed like I was staring at a world of fractals, the whole place folding in and mirroring itself, yet whenever you turned to look it was normal.
The dozens of glassy panes all seemed to stare at me, unsettling me, like a thousand distant eyes staring straight into my soul. Except, this time, I felt the glass underneath my skin shift. Well, there was no skin in this realm, since I didnt exactly have a physical body, but the glass was still there.
Fio from Nemahan was locked in the mirror behind me, Fio from Eden in front of me. The two bodies themselves were almost identical, but Eden-Fio had a much more pronounced core, as well as far better Qi circulation aperture. It was mainly the suppression on the other side that made that difference.
Yet, despite me being in neither of those bodies, I felt the glass shift beneath my skin. It reflected the hungry gazes all around me, turning back onto themselves, until I felt alone. I didnt know which was better. Stared at by many thousand pairs of hungry eyes, or completely alone in a world of equally as many mirror pairings, infinitely twisting in on themselves.
I didnt think the thought to conclusion, before my scarce moments in between worlds ended. Landing in the body of Eden-Fio was always quite the experience, and I stumbled out from the gateway gasping for air, stabilizing myself with a hand on the wall.
Taking some more time, I waited until I felt more comfortable. It only took a minute or two, but by the end, the discongruity faded away. This body felt like fully mine again, my consciousness having properly settled.
Shaking my head, I wondered if Id ever get used to that.
[No.]
Thank you, Cass. Very helpful, I snarked right back, and instead of a proper reply, the word in my head just sent me vague fulfilment, like she was very happy with herself.
I decidedly ignored her and instead made my way through the stone hallways. It was a saturday, so everything was empty. Most people liked to spend their weekends back on the other side, where they could spend all the money they made from Eden on fancy drinks and getting hammered with friends.
It was somewhat ironic that for me it was the other way around, but whatever. I had bigger fish to fry than whether or not my habits regarding Eden were weird. Instead of delving further down that line of thought, I began heading for the temple of Lurelia again. The goddess had given me advice once, maybe she could provide some more answers.
Like last time, I got in very easily, though it was with much less fanfare. No wounds to tend to meant I was largely ignored, and since I wasnt wearing armor, none of the other visitors paid me any attention. I was just a regular worshipper, coming here and kneeling in front of the big statue.
Taking a second to get seated properly, I went over everything I wanted to ask again. About what happened with the keeper I was assigned. What Cass actually was. Whether shed helped when I was interviewed by all the gatekeepers. And, finally, if shed be willing to help me in the future.
Yet, before I had the chance to properly voice any of those thoughts, I heard Lurelia speak to me.
It is brave of you to seek me again so soon, child. Yet it is also a wise decision. I can tell you seek wisdom, and while I would usually send you to my sister, perhaps my words suffice this time, the flowery voice spoke in my head.
Thank you for your patience, goddess. I wished to ask-
Yes, yes, its quite alright, child. Youve made yourself heard, loud and clear. You know, it doesnt matter so much whether you word your thoughts when praying, and much more how much they occupy your mind.
I felt a bit embarrassed at that. It meant shed been privy to my entire line of thinking before I actually decided to properly address her.
Once again, I heard her voice before I properly gave the answer. Its more than fine, child. I have read much more nasty thoughts. Your mind is quite straightforward in comparison, which I appreciate. Now, for your questions. Yes, when you were to be assigned a keeper, I used some authority to keep all other keepers unavailable. Higher rank ones may control more than a single gateway, and quite a few of them would have loved to add you to their collection.
The thought made me shudder. I certainly could do without being a collection piece.
Indeed, that would be quite a waste of your talents. Now, for your little assistant, Cass as you call her, she will be very useful to you, because she has proven her loyalty. The keepers have formed her from your latent memories, think of her as someone who might feel similar to your sibling. You two think similarly because of upbringing, but not the same.
I nodded.
Good. Cass can give you advice herself, it is not my duty to do what she should. Finally, I am willing to help again, but not by much. If I overextend myself, the keepers may turn against me. But you are more than welcome to use your experience for levels here, or at any other temple, despite the regular class boundaries.
The last part made me frown a bit. I was valuable enough for the keepers to turn against a full fledged goddess if they couldnt control me? That was a scary thought. But there was still hope.
Clearly, Lurelia wanted to help me. With a little luck, Edens other deities agreed. Id wager they did, since I was offered to level at any of their altars. Usually, that was seen as a privilege only for paladins or higher ranked order members.
I could probably consider myself lucky for their support. Some of the divines were terribly fickle, but it seemed they also agreed on some things. Except why? Luckily, I had someone to pose the question to right here. I was just starting to actually try asking, when Lurelia already answered.
Child, you are not the first person to reclaim a gateway. You will most likely not be the last. The keepers have taken lives for this, and we believe it to be cruel and unnecessary sacrifice, she explained calmly.
Why do the keepers do it, then?
That is a matter which I cannot speak of. Our pact forbids it, sadly. I have been treading its boundaries for some time now, and I will continue to do so, but this is a mystery you must uncover on your own.
I could almost hear her smile radiate through the message. Lurelia was a goddess of healing and peace, but that meant she also had an adventurous spirit. Something like a home you could come back to and tell your stories. An enabler of exploration, even. Many of her clerics also travelled to heal people.
There were no more questions I had for the goddess, for now at least. I gave her a quick expression of thanks, and felt something like a warm pat on the shoulder in return when I slowly stood up. A few people had been kneeling next to me, all wrapped up in their own prayer.
Perhaps they were hearing the goddesss voice, too. I had a light smile on my face as I began walking away from the statue. These kinds of divines, fickle as they were, seemed much more real than whatever religion back on the other side preached. I wondered if there was some divine there, and decided that it didnt matter. They hadnt helped the planet, nor my family. I didnt need to care for it, if there was one.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Instead, I focused my thoughts on the agent of Lurelia approaching me, a middle-aged woman in white and gold garb. You have not forgotten your debt, have you, child?
It brought a smirk to my face. Even in Eden, you couldnt quite escape your debts. I hoped it wouldnt be too bad. I havent. Anything I owe will be done. How much is required of me?
She gave me a polite bow of her head as she spoke. The goddess seems to favour you. We were told to ask for little, only a moderate contribution to the cause, paid in deeds. The goddess also told us to inform you of a location she would like for you to visit and do good in.
I felt the mental equivalent of a wink in the distinct corner of my head I now associated with Lurelia, and shook my head at her antics with a smile. Shed found a good way to circumvent the pact she told me about, apparently.
Where should I go, then? I asked.
You must venture into the frontier. Go to castle Arhan, then north from there. You will find a nest of monsters. Do what needs to be done, the cleric told me, and I had to suppress a sigh. Of course it couldnt have been eastward, further into civilization.
I will, thank you, I told the agent with a somewhat resigned expression. The woman simply nodded and walked away, off to deal with some other duties. Meanwhile, I finally exited the temple, enjoyed the fresh air of Eden, and began descending down into the city proper.
This time, I took it slow, reading through some of my screens during the slow walk. There were just a few things I wanted to take a look at.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (6) / Gateway (3)
- - Stats
- - General
- - Strength: Low (Superior)
- - Agility: Medium (Lesser)
- - Endurance: Medium (Basic -> Greater)
- - Resilience: Medium (Inferior -> Basic)
- - Manipulation: Low (Superior)
- - Capacity: Medium (Lesser)
- - Absorption: Low (Superior) -> Medium (Inferior)
- - Qi
-
-
- - Gold
- - Purity (Intermediate)
- - Realm (Golden Core)
- - Stage (3rd Step)
- - Path (Voyage through the Golden Shores)
-
- - Covenant
- - Familiarity (Kind to the known, distrustful to the new.)
- - Temperament
- - Impatient (Time ticks and you wish to be ahead of it.)
- - Disciplined (Your command over yourself is admirable.)
- - Hardened (You persist through hardships, your mind unbroken.)
- - Iron Will [Replaces Hardened!] (Your tenacity is incredible, even among the outstanding.)
- - Talent
- - Slight Edge (Average is below your standards. Go above, even by a little.)
- - Single-Minded (Your focus is your strength. Once your mind is set, nothing will shake you out of it.)
- - Mirror Mind (You reflect what is around you. Mimicking what you see becomes second nature.)
Current Status: Content]
I looked over my general stats and already grinned. Both endurance and resilience had skipped a rank each, one of the minor realms. Usually, a stat would go from basic to intermediate, then to greater. Same for inferior, then lesser, then basic. But this time, both had advanced two ranks.
It made sense, to be fair. Running on fumes was one of the best ways to train your endurance in Eden, and my resilience was certainly tested given the crawling with broken bones bit. I grimaced at the thought.
My absorption going up was a surprise. Especially since it had crossed the gulf between grades, the major realms, from low to medium, which was notoriously hard to cross. Maybe desperately keeping a cracked core together had somehow improved my general Qi filtration ability? I hoped so. Whatever the case, my absorption was now greater than anyone who still sat at "low", even if they were at the highest end of it.
What had me even more surprised was the fact that my purity didnt go down. That definitely sounded like my filtration had gotten better. I was sure that it wouldve gone to basic, but it was still sitting at intermediate, unchanged. Mustve gotten lucky, there, or done something impressive unconsciously.
But what had me most excited was my temperament. Seeing iron will sitting there was nice. Very nice, even. It wasnt a completely unknown temperament, but saying it was rare would be a kindness. The trait was usually only found among those whod gone through absolute insane punishment without blinking, and counting myself as incredible even among the outstanding was more than welcome.
Overall, I would definitely rather not go through all that again, but it had certainly paid off. My body was tougher, and I felt better than ever, now that Id fully recovered. Which I was quite glad for, since stats could certainly go down, and there was a limit to how far you should take abuse.
There was a chance that my resilience wouldve gone down after the healing if my muscles had been damaged some more. Luckily, the mirror stuff kept my bones mostly in place and stopped the splinters from grinding through my soft tissue.
Then again, I was still conflicted about that. Sure, the new abilities were nice and all, but was it seriously worth the trouble if I had to somehow get strong enough to stop myself from dying before the gateway was restored?
My train of thought was interrupted when I found myself in front of the door to our guild. The little sign Ann had painted swung in the slight breeze, the words Dawn of Ambition on it in white and red. There was some rustic charm to it as I pushed open the door.
No one stood guard, but the hall wasnt exactly deserted. Liam was draped over the back of a couch like a wrung-out towel or a sunbathing cat. I couldnt quite decide which applied between the impressive contortion and peaceful expression on his face.
Except for him, though, there was no one in the entry room. The building was sizable, especially for our rather small team, so they could still have been in any of the bedrooms on the second floor. Before I got there, however, our shadow-user stirred, then promptly rolled onto the floor.
There was no loud noise as he impacted, since his body simply faded into the shadow, then reconstituted with him standing. His face was covered again, a black mask stretching over his mouth and distinctly failing to hide a yawn as he looked at me.
Hi Fio, I heard him whisper in my ear, and I smirked.
You know, you should really talk normally sometimes, I told him, and saw his eyes light up from what I guessed was a small grin.
Nah. Practice makes perfect, he said, giving me a fist bump. Glad to have you back. Others are upstairs or in some inn somewhere. Twins got back to the temple, he added.
I nodded along. Cool. Anyone still on the other side?
Youre the only one who went, actually. Marie considered it for a while, but decided to simply stay for now, he told me, as he sat back down on the couch.
Liam and I got along well. I ruffled his hair a bit as I walked by. Alright, Ill go pester Ann. Youre looking cute beneath the mask, stop hiding your face so much. I smiled. He had a large scar running over his lips, down his chin and across his throat.
The rogue remained perfectly cool at my compliment outwardly, but he couldnt hide the lines next to his eyes. Thanks, Fio. Now, go off, to your girlfriend. Cuddle or something, he told me, turning aside as he moved to sharpen his daggers.
Nodding, I made my way up the stairs. They creaked slightly, but I managed to make it to Anns and my room with fairly little noise. Slowly, I pushed my ear up against the door. Silence. I grinned.
Then I slammed it open and tackled Ann onto the bed, giving her the biggest hug I could manage.
Chapter 17: The Guild
My lovely Ann had buried herself deep beneath the sheets, but found herself very quickly shaken awake as my entire bulk impacted her. She frantically looked around the room while struggling like a headless chicken for a moment. Then she noticed me, and the mix of confusion and panic on her face turned into a smile.
She wrapped her hands around me, and I just stayed there, buried in the blankets with my feet dangling off the bedside for a few moments. Morning sunshine, I said, my voice muffled by the fabric. I felt her pat the back of my head.
Morning, she said, and I could almost hear her smile.
Slowly I pushed myself off the blankets, then acquired my target and let myself drop again. My face smooshed into her cheek, and we both went tumbling into the pillow. Laughter bubbled from Ann as she hugged me tighter.
Love you too, dummy! she said, running her fingers through my hair. I simply grinned stupidly, and enjoyed the moment for as long as it would last.
After a few minutes, I slowly raised myself from her arms and gave her a small peck on the lips. Im back in Eden, if you havent noticed, I told her, and Ann chuckled again.
I did, I did. Glad to have you here. How long were you on Ne-, sorry, how long were you over? she asked.
Just about three days. Met with my mom first, then my brother. It was nice. Also met with dad and Rey. Slept well, then came right back here, I said. Ann nodded at me, somewhat proud.
Good, she said. Genuinely. Im glad you met all your family, she smiled.
I just nodded at her, then squeezed her tightly again. After a moment I let go. Yeah. It went okay. Im mostly glad I went through with it. My smile was crooked. Anyway, I got a mission to pay back my hospital bills. Wanna gather up everyone?
Sure, sure, she said, tapping me on the back. Just as soon as you get off me. She grinned.
Right, sorryyyyy, I murmured, then shuffled off, and hopped outta the bed. Ann quickly got into regular clothes, and we headed down. After banging on all other doors, of course.
Ann and I settled in the lounge, Liam giving us a quick nod as we came down the stairs. Morning, Ann said. I felt a bit of air brush by my ears, and was reasonably sure hed returned the greeting.
There was a small rumble from Anns stomach, which prompted me to smile. You want some breakfast too, Liam? The fact that he somehow managed to convey a nod through the wind without me even looking at him was honestly impressive.
I went over to the fridge. Eden had those; there were a couple crafting mages among the Edians, and the Reflectors'' fancy skills had made such technology far more common. From it, I grabbed mostly veggies and some monster meat.
Animals werent generally consumed on Eden. It wasn''t common on the other side, either, though for a much different reason.
With the smog in the air, animals didnt really have a good time outside, so large scale farming had become a lot harder. Plants, however, were much more easily resilient to it all, especially after some fancy genetic tinkering. Therefore, it became the main source of food. Pretty much all meat had been replaced with plant-based alternatives.
On Eden, on the other hand, animals were mostly seen as useful. They drew carriages and had the status of much more companions and helpers, rather than quick meals. Therefore, most meat had to come from the monsters. Sure, some people could tame them, but the rate at which they bred and tried to eat anyone in the cities made them a liability.
Also, why waste anything when they already have to die? Some of the meat was also loaded with Qi, or Mana, sometimes even Divinity. Monsters were sometimes hunted for it, but given the fact that they also wished to consume us for the same reason, it was a back and forth.
However, monster meat was expensive, and could be used in alchemy, so we didnt keep much of it stocked. Instead, I prepared quite a few vegetables, brewed some tea for everyone, while Ann sliced up some bread. We did have jam and some plant-based butter. No cows on Eden, nor any culture of drinking milk. In fact, most of the Edians found the idea weird as hell.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
They did, however, have other things that much made up for it. A pulp from a mix of local plants, ulunberries, glorberries, and ijaberries, if I remembered correctly, made for an incredible spread, which I loved. In general, there was a huge variety of species on Eden, which was only mostly based on the fact that the planet still had breathable air, and partially on all the magic stuff.
I also took out some of those, and was just beginning to set the table, when Marie came down the stairs. We hugged, but didnt speak. She usually needed a bit to be ready for socializing in the morning.
Matt and Emilia, on the other hand, practically bounded down the stairs, lured by the sweet scent of food. In fact, I could reasonably bet that one or both of them had missed my smacking their doors, and only just started heading down, given how frizzy Matts hair was.
The man in question grinned at me as he took two fingers to his forehead then quickly pulled them away in a greeting. Good to have you back, Fio.
I grinned at him, giving a short wave. Good to be back, Matt. Howve you been?
Swell, swell. Didnt nearly die for a couple of days, nice change of pace, he said with a teasing smile, as he plopped down onto the couch, bouncing Marie for a second. She stared at him with a glare that could kill, having almost spilled some tea on herself and he quickly settled down a bit.
Well, about time we change that, then. Got a mission from the temple to make up for my debt. Were moving out to castle Arhan, then a bit further into the frontier. Something needs some doing there, thats all I know. I gave a shrug at his loud groan.
Do I get to refuse? he muttered, and I already chuckled before Marie smacked him.
No! everyone in the guild echoed, forcing another groan from Matt as a few of us burst into laughter.
Now go eat, so you grow big and strong, I said, shoving some bread in his mouth. You never know, maybe youll be stranded in a cave with nothing but rats n fungus for a couple weeks next, eh? I shot him my most evil grin, and his eyes widened in faux terror as he swallowed, then grinned right back.
Alright, alright, I got it, he said, smirking at me. You know I always got your back, Fio.
I nodded, and conversation lowered a bit as knives and spoons were put to use. The table found itself emptying quickly, with everyone laughing a bit at the occasional jab or joke. There was not a moment when the air seemed cold or thick between everyone. I enjoyed every second of it.
Eventually, Marie took her cup from her lips and put it out of her hands for the first time. Well, the first time she wasnt doing so only for a refill or a bite of something else, at least.
So, Fio. Your mission, right? Lets hear it, then. Whatre we doing? she asked.
The fact that it wasnt even a question if everyone was coming made me smile. Well, Lurelia apparently wants us to the north of castle Arhan. Apparently, theres a nearby nest. We need to clear it, Im guessing?
Youre guessing? Emilia probed.
I need to do what must be done, I elaborated, sticking my tongue out at her for a moment, getting a chuckle in return.
Marie nodded at me. We should get the twins, then. Long journey without a healer would be a poor decision.
Everyone nodded at that. If you had to go far, any scrape could turn into a serious issue. One we didnt necessarily need to deal with. Qi and Mana made it easier, of course, but Divinity was simply on another level when it came to recovering. And smiting down the vile, but that was another matter entirely.
On my way, Liam said, the air brushing past our ears as he already sunk into the shadows. He was the youngest in the guild, and sometimes a bit eager to prove himself. Talented kid, too. Couldve landed a spot somewhere bigger, but settled for something more relatable according to him.
I quickly shook my head to stop the train of thought, dragging myself back into the present and taking another bite from my slice of bread. Gods, the berry pulp was just too good.
Ah, did everyone else heal nicely by the way? I asked into the comfortable silence after some time. I imagine you all didn''t get off scot free either.
Emilia snorted at me. Shattered both my arms, and cracked a couple ribs. Not free at all, Fio. Me and Matt needed some gateway rest, Marie and Liam got away with a good chunk of healing. Ann and the twins were mostly fine, she explained.
Im sorry it happened- I started, but the taller woman interrupted me, putting her hand on my shoulder from across the table and looking me in the eyes.
Id do it again in a heartbeat, she said, completely serious. Her tone was so sure I didnt respond for a moment. Her hand squeezed my shoulder. So would everyone. Matt wont tell you, but he cried when you were gone. He blushed, but didnt deny it. We grieved you Fio, having you back is the greatest reward I couldve ever asked for.
With that she patted my shoulder heavily, leaned back, and turned her serious expression into a wide grin. So, go on and eat up. We got a journey to take in the name of our hero, Fio! Saved all our asses for sure.
Not too long later, Liam brought in the twins. They finished whatever was left, and helped me do the dishes. Both of them expressed their happiness with the guild, and thanked me for saving them as well.
It was terribly embarrassing, and an equally fond memory. I smiled almost that entire morning. Ann and I packed together, taking a few minutes to simply cuddle. And not long after, we were off for castle Arhan.
Chapter 18: Well-oiled Machine
I wouldve expected the road to feel strange again after such a long break, but it wasnt at all. As the carriage approached the city walls, I could feel myself bubbling with excitement. It hadnt even been long at all since I got back from the frontier, and yet, I was tingling at the thought of going back there.
It made me shake my head. Was I crazy? Last time I nearly died, and here I was, looking forward to it all again. The lilac sky hung above us, the sun still not even close to its zenith. It was early in Eden, and I was thankful for that. Meant wed get more of the road behind us.
We paid the driver, and hopped off the carriage. With animals being respected, hardly anyone wished to risk them out past the city walls. Wasting Qi in the frontier was also stunningly stupid, therefore walking it was.
And so we marched. I was in the lucky position of having a martial class, so it was no issue for me. I knew Ann, Eric and Reya might struggle a bit more, but they had their own measures of dealing with it all. Similar to how I burned some Qi to keep marching for an entire day, they could use Mana to lighten the load, or Divinity to rid themselves of exhaustion.
I smirked at the thought that Id absolutely crush my dad in hiking these days. Hed loved it back when I was little, but even with the dimensional suppression active, the tiny bits of Qi I had access to would make me more than superhuman.
That made me question whether the olympics would have been dominated by Reflectors. Probably would have. Not that they were still being held, given that the smog liked to spread indoors as well. Maybe Ivans filters would make some sports events more common again. I hoped so, dad would be eternally grateful.
Bit by bit, we walked on. Time breezed by as I spent the walk on idle thoughts. Those soon disappeared as I settled into the familiar comfort marching brought. It was meditative, and quite good for my cultivation path.
In fact, once I felt that meditative trance setting in, I began to focus on the Qi in the air around me, drawing in strings of it and turning them golden. Bit by bit, the sea in my core grew, pushing against its outside walls and prompting it to expand slightly.
My path made me visualize the inside of my core as an ocean. The Qi was the sea, and the sand as golden as the water. Drop by drop it grew, the waves swelling as I walked along the endless beach. The voyage could be taken by ship, but it helped to keep me focused if I imagined the journey as whatever I was currently doing.
Step by step, mote by mote, the waters grew, carrying with them the promise of power and freedom. It was why Id chosen this path. I wished to be free above all, to travel and go on my own golden voyage.
My smile mustve been visible on my face during the march, as I felt Ann squeezing my hand. It only encouraged me further, and I marched on, both on the dirt road and the endless golden shores.
Every strand of Qi made the waves drag in more sand, made the water swell. As the water level rose, the beaches grew, and the horizon expanded. That was my journey. An endless voyage, forever to be continued, because the voyage itself made the world I travelled through grow.
Every time more details were added I smiled to myself. It usually only happened when I advanced a step, but anything new would begin to spread. There was a golden sun in the distance, making the sky shine in iridescent colours. It had been created once my core was properly formed.
The second step had added the occasional rock formations, all of them golden and decked out in colourful coral. The third step had added the faint smell of salt to the air, except without any of the acridity it usually carried. I loved the smell.
Of course I loved it, though. This was my path, my journey, my voyage. As I continued down the road, this world would become more like how I wished it to be, a little paradise within a paradise. Since discovering the path, I understood why people got lost in cultivation.
Every step I advanced was another mote of Qi, was another grain of sand, was another wave upon the shore. And then, Ann squeezed my hand again, and I opened my eyes. The brown glowed with golden radiance for a moment. My core was brimming with Qi, and I was happy we hadnt been attacked.
Above, the lilac sky had begun turning dark, and I saw Matt hammering some stakes in the ground, getting ready to set up the tents. Twin moons rose in the sky, one blue, one brown. The two would orbit each other in a strange dance across the night sky, colourful stars sparkling behind them.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
I squeezed Anns hand back and pointed upwards. Look, I whispered, found something almost as beautiful as you.
She chuckled and lightly elbowed my side. Charmer! she chided me, with not a hint of displeasure in the words. Go, help set up camp, or grab some firewood. I gotta get working on our warding enchantments.
We should really get some pre-made ones at some point, I grumbled, upset that our time was coming to a close.
Uh-huh, as soon as we have enough money to afford a whole city Ill get on that, she chuckled, then shoved me gently. Go, do work, love.
Fiiiine, I said, trotting off a bit. Sometimes I wished Ann was less obsessed with her work and a little more easygoing, but we both knew it was what kept me grounded. Keeping my light grumbles to a minimum, I drove some more stakes into the floor with Matt, then cut a few branches off a tree for firewood.
Emilia was on drying duty today, which she achieved by essentially forcing her Qi through the pores of the wood. It was taxing work, mentally exhausting, and an excellent way to train up your manipulation. Everyone hated it.
Once it was done, Marie and I began cooking, as Liam came back into camp. A few monsters off to the west. Might pass us overnight. Large crystallid to the north, well want to avoid that one, he reported, and Marie gave a nod.
Night watch it is. Whos up for first shift? We got some monsters nearby, no risks taken! she asked loudly to the group, and Eric raised his hand.
The twins had kind of been awkwardly at the side, unsure what to do or where they fit in. We also didnt quite know too much about their survival skills, most missions with them had been short, single day excursions into the frontier. Given that our city, Galys, was quite far out, it wasnt that much of a surprise. Only higher ranking people would generally go to even further settlements.
Id be willing to take first watch, he announced with a smile. Reya and I both are more than willing to pull our weight. Please tell us if there is anything we can help with, he added, even bowing slightly.
Matt quickly grimaced at that. Sorry, he butted in, but weve got a no prostration rule. Youre still mostly new with us. Dont sweat it so much. First outing means you get to take it a bit easy. Just watch what we do, get used to the flow and next time, jump in. Also, ask if youre curious.
With that, he didnt even wait for an answer, simply disregarding the two members as he went about finishing up the tents, draping lightly enchanted furs and leathers over the stakes to form small shelters.
I watched Eric and his lips curled into a smile at what Matt said. He gave a thankful nod that he kept long enough to be just on the border of a bow, then fished some things out of a bag, and approached the fire. Brought some spices, he told me, handing over the small metal containers.
Glass was unpopular while travelling, since it was expensive and fractured easily. Almost anything was carried in metal containers. Same with the potions the guild had restocked, all of them came in metal containers.
Another half hour or so passed until food was prepared. Erics contribution had been put to use quite nicely, though Marie did cast a quick poison detection spell on them. Could never be too sure, even if they had been nothing but helpful up until now. Theyd fit in soon enough.
I genuinely enjoyed having dinner together on the road. Wed made stew with some jerky and vegetables we had with us. Liam and Ann went out to gather a few roots and mushrooms they found, which we tossed in as well. Plenty of salt made it fairly palatable. The company made it nice.
We shared stories, as we usually did. Some were of our jobs before Eden. Eric had been a teacher, apparently, and Reya had worked as a news anchor. The kind that made the program available for deaf people, by adding sign language. Both of them were content with it, but they felt they could make a bigger difference here in Eden.
Matt, once again, talked about how his family was a long line of martial artists, and how they very heavily preached the idea of continuing tradition. He never wanted to, now here he was. Doing real martial arts, Qi and magic and all. Sometimes, he wondered what his father would think, but he never told him.
Liam used to be a chef. He made sushi, mostly, having learned how to handle knives at a very young age. The talent apparently translated well. A few restaurants back on the other side clung to the idea of real fish for quite a long time, but they also eventually caved when it got too scarce.
Emiliad been a dancer. Lots of expectations riding on her, apparently shed even appeared on TV a few times. A few of the shows were still available online, but none of us watched them. She didnt really want us to, and we respected that.
Marie talked about her past as a ranger. She was still one, but back on the other side it was less archery and more calling in forest fires. One of the few national parks we still had. Apparently it was a lot of sitting in a tower and watching, some scolding stupid teens, and a bit of wildlife preservation, mainly taking plant samples.
Finally, my turn came around. Id just finished my masters before I got my invite to Eden. Not quite the minimum study time, given that it took seven years, but I made it through quick enough. It was dietetics, I wanted to move into being a dietary advisor for people trying to put together a healthy meal in the hellscape of our world. Maybe publish a book or two on synthetic meat.
Yet, here I was instead, leaning my head against the side of a spear, golden and silvery wisps of Qi trailing throughout my body. I smiled. I wouldnt trade this for my old life, not a chance.
Chapter 19: The first March
I was woken up in the middle of the night for my shift at watch. Itd been Maries turn before mine, and the older woman gently shook me awake as I roused myself up. We didnt speak a word and made hardly a noise as I left through the tent flaps and stepped outside into the nightly chill.
Eden didnt have very distinct seasons. Well it did have seasons, but they werent based on weather. Their summers and winters were all very mild, at least. What they did have were monster seasons, when the beasts would hibernate, or become extremely aggressive. Right now, we were in a relatively calm time, which is why the leyburn in the black sands had surprised us so much.
Despite the relatively calm seasons, it was still usually quite cold at night. Edens sun was quite a bit smaller than the one back on Neamhan, and if I didnt have my stronger stats or Qi, this area would be freezing, even.
I rubbed my arms on my shoulders slightly as I took my seat next to the slowly crackling fire, taking care not to lose myself in its rhythmic up and down. Near me I could faintly hear Maries steps trailing off as she went into her tent. As the chill woke me up, I slowly let Qi flow into my eyes, helping me see in the dark.
After a quick glance around, nothing was approaching. In general, nothing should be approaching, given that Ann had set up a ward, but you could never be too sure. I let the Qi remain in my air, trying to practice my manipulation a bit as I shifted more and less of the substance to help my eyes.
It caused me a tiny bit of pain, but hardly enough to be even worthwhile mentioning. More like an itch in my eyeball, but it was also a fun thing to fidget with, as I watched the trees grow dimmer and brighter.
Of course, I still didnt let that stop me from keeping watch. Once the cold of the night had woken me up enough, I let my golden Qi flow a bit more freely through my body again, chasing away the wisps of frost.
Then, the monotony of being on watch started. Not allowing myself to get lost in the fire, I methodically checked around us every so often. In between that, I thought on my situation. No one but me currently knew about the mirror Qi. I was unsure who to tell about it, too, even though I knew it would come up.
But then again, I was scared theyd kick me out if they knew about the danger I now was in. They probably wouldnt, but there was a chance
I shook my head.
It didnt take much to realize I was spiralling and calm myself down. A deep breath helped me regain my composure, and a short moment of meditational thinking helped me get back on track.
My friends were here to stay, I was sure of it. They wouldnt abandon me for something like this. Still, Id wait until the proper time came.
For now, I needed to figure out a way to cultivate my mirror Qi. If I was stuck on the first step forever, it wouldnt do me much good in future fights. But for it to keep pace with my gold Qi, I needed some kind of technique that made the two synergize. Not that I wouldve picked one that didnt, having to learn a new technique could already be hard enough.
Also, I was willing to bet that no one alive knew a technique for this type of Qi, meaning I needed to invent one. My version of voyage was already heavily changed by me, but coming up with something from scratch might be tough. At least I had some experience to work with.
Id have to make sure the idea of the method aligned with freedom. If it didnt, it would clash with voyage, and that would be horrendous for my progression. Not a lot of plans spawned from that, sadly. I had a couple decent ideas, but none that really stuck.
To be fair, I was being picky, but you also needed to be when choosing your path. It was something to follow for a good chunk of your life, after all, if Id picked something silly like unchanging for my core principle, the very fact that I aged wouldve fucked with it. So no unchanging mirror, then. Also no mirror gathering, I didnt want to have to collect more gateways to advance.
Honestly, just having a name wouldnt do anything by itself, but it would at least give me something to work towards. Then again, there were countless times where the name came after the thing, leaving me conflicted.
By the end of my watch, I was no closer to a solution, but after two hours had passed, I went and shook Emilia awake. Shed drawn the short straw and needed to be last watch today. I genuinely wished her the best, because it would be miserable.
My worries soon faded back into nothing as I collapsed into bed next to Ann, and fell right back asleep.
- - -
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Waking up next to my love made any morning more lovely, pun intended, even if my night was spent in a tent. Luckily, even on the lower end of the levelling spectrum, you got resilient rather fast. Some of the more insane people, the kind that could level an entire castle by themselves, well. At that point, I liked to imagine that the floor wouldnt bother me anymore at all, but for now, it was still a mild inconvenience.
The morning progressed slowly, a few swift kisses only to leave the tent far too soon. Then standing watch, gathering wood again, helping prepare things. The twins seemed less anxious to butt in now, though they still sometimes got into others way. It was kind of charming to see, thinking Id been there once as well.
It took some effort to force the goofy smile off my face and get my focus together. I was something of a morning person, but something about keeping watch and sharing a tent with Ann made me more delirious than I usually was at this time. I stretched for a few moments, regaining my bearings, then took things more seriously.
Listening to the sounds of the forest wasnt exactly exciting, but Liam only had so many eyes. As most things tedious, it was something we ran a rotating shift on. Ann was busy undoing her wards and muddling the mana signature. Would make it harder for any intelligent monsters to track us.
Hadnt happened to us yet, but stories were nasty sometimes. Whenever most of a team got wiped out, you''d hear about it in town. I shuddered for a second, thinking that we couldve turned into a story just like that, then shook it off. It was fine, we were here now.
After a simple breakfast, the journey continued almost without incident. There were a few straggler creatures, but the simple ones we could just wipe. Some bornins, red-furred goblin-like apes that swung from the trees, and a couple bunlas as well, rabbit-like creatures, except much faster and more aggressive. Both of them were omnivorous, fiercely territorial, and easy picking for anyone with a level over 2.
There were already multiple monsters we had to avoid, though. Krikrettans were native to the forests this far out into the wild, and they were nasty little beasts. Small, and insanely hard to catch, using wind Qi to propel themselves even faster. Equipped with dangerous claws and an extremely painful venom in them, too, they were nightmares alone. Shame they travelled in large packs.
Luckily though, we managed to avoid them all. Not engaging was the best defense, sometimes, and moments like these made me thankful to have Liam and Marie around. Id scouted before, and I did a decent job at it, but the two of them were practically bloodhounds.
In what felt like a breeze, it had become night again. We rotated as normal, and soon went to bed after some talk. Things were a bit quiet, as they usually got during marches.
The next day, we fought off some more things. Eric got a small cut on his forearm from a stray splinter of bark, but quickly mended it himself. Bit by bit, we were making it further along, as the forest turned more hostile, and our path stopped being distinct from the surrounding floor.
Often it felt like we were blindly strolling, but Marie assured us she was using the sky to navigate safely. We were still moving towards the fort, and it was good enough for me. So, we marched on, and another day passed.
On the fourth day, the expected bit of bad luck finally came back to bite us again. On our path was a Zurulen, a monstrous giant with crystalline growths coming from its skin. They had an incredibly keen sense of smell, too, which meant it noticed us before we saw it.
Emilia reacted quickly when it broke through the trees, luckily, rushing forward to grab its attention. As soon as she did so, she had to deflect a blow aside using her shield. Her mace lashed out and caught the things flesh, but quickly glanced off its hard hide.
It distracted it for a moment, though, and before the second had passed, the smell of plum blossoms wafted through the air.
Matt was a ruthless fighter, and when the monster''s hand had touched the floor, his feet quickly tapped down on it, as he scaled up the thing. A few dozen petals danced forth from his blade, glinting in the afternoon sun, and snapped forward with him as he lashed out. The thing dodged his main strike, but a few of the petals still carved through its eyes, and the Zurulen let out a mighty roar, grasping at its face.
Quickly, my fellow frontliner stepped back, allowing me to step forward and drive my reinforced spear into the monsters calves. It swatted at me like at an annoying fly, but I quickly fell back. Then, all of us began running.
Fighting here was a bad decision. Generally, the smell of blood would attract more monsters, and they certainly wouldnt be joining the fight on our side. Maybe we could beat the thing with some commitment, but it hadnt even raged yet, so we were still well within the danger.
Preserving resources was much more important here, so we quickly ran away, with Matt leaving a false trail of scent pointing somewhere else. I hardly understood how he did all that with plain swordsmanship, but a couple fancy stances and the smell of plum blossoms wafted in from the south. It would draw the Zurulen there, we hoped.
That day, we had to set up camp later, marching an additional two hours to be a safe distance away. I spent a few moments wondering why we couldnt have encountered the damn thing earlier, but alas, it wasnt meant to be. So instead, I was stuck doing chores late at night.
The others were similarly displeased, though we all did our best to be polite nonetheless. Bit by bit, we went through our routines. I took first watch, just because I didnt want my sleep to be interrupted, but everyone else seemed somewhat thankful.
Eventually, that time ticked by as well, though I had to swiftly behead another two bornins before waking Matt for the shift after mine.
Luckily, the next few days passed by without another big event. Going through the wilderness wasnt easy on the nerves though, so when we finally saw the castle after about a week and a half, everyone was quite happy.
The twins especially looked worse for wear, so we hurried for the last leg of the journey, and made for the entrance to the outpost.
Chapter 20: Castle Arhan
Once we finally made it across the clearing the castle sat within, we smiled. Trees had been cut down to make space for buildings, anything required for self-sufficiency. But at the same time, it also makes ground floor monsters much easier to see.
Finally relaxing a bit, we sped towards the castle, even as its guards eyed us suspiciously, their eyes narrowed and weapons raised. One of them even pointed their bardiche at us. I spared them a quick glance, trying to sense something. They used Qi, like most martials, and had just crossed into the core realm. Go figure, minimum qualifications for the post, I guessed.
I looked over the walls a bit as well, and for a moment considered trying to count the dozens of etched magical formations, aligning perfectly along the bricks. It wouldve been futile, since when I shifted slightly, the entire pattern seemed to change. The fortress had stood against the frontier for decades now, apparently, and it would hold for more, courtesy of its archmage.
This is castle Arhan, adventurers! What is your purpose?! a third guard wearing a fancy helmet called from the walls. The captain, probably.
Her voice echoed a bit in the forest, causing Liam to scan the edge of the woods for a moment before we turned back. Were here on a mission by the goddess Lurelia! There is a nest to the north which we need to take care of!
For a moment, the Edian turned around, facing whoever else was inside the walls, confirming things. A few minutes of waiting and a couple of barked orders later, the doors swung open.
Our group quickly trickled through the castle gates. The inside was surprisingly nice. The floor was tiled in a chessboard pattern, solid black and white squares covering every bit of it. There were dozens of little alcoves and shelves, each full of strange trinkets, shapes of glass Id not seen before and rings of metal, interlinked in patterns I couldnt make out before we moved on.
The captain kept a fast pace, her metal footsteps oddly quiet against the ground. I briefly wondered what her armor was made of, before I shook the thought away. Instead of that, I focused on seeing what was around me. I memorized a good few of the staircases, and made sure I knew how to get back out.
Finally, once wed been led up a couple stairs, there was a longer hallway, the doors in it numbered. These are our guest rooms, the captain remarked. Dont mess them up too bad. Enjoy the beds. Ill let the mage know youre here. Dinner is in forty minutes, dont be late.
Sorry, madame, but we havent caught your name quite yet, Eric called, just as shed begun stepping away.
Lirya, she replied curtly over her shoulder. But its captain Lirya to you, adventurers.
With that, she was off already, leaving us to our own devices.
Alright, lets meet back out here in thirty. Get yourselves cleaned up and unwind a bit folks. We dont have very long here, Maria said, dismissing us with a smile.
I was excited to finally relax a bit after all the walking, and a shower would be more than welcome. Ann had summoned some water for us to wash up, but getting enough for a full shower was a waste of mana. She stuck her tongue out at me, even as I just thought it, the vixen.
Flicking her forehead in retaliation, I quickly scurried off into the bath. It was a small room, but it did have a tub and showerhead, which I was very grateful for. Ann would also need some time, so I made sure to only take about 10 minutes, scrubbing myself down thoroughly.
I really wished there was something as simple and easy as a cleanse spell, but no one had invented magic like that in Eden yet. Maybe Id force Ann to be the first? There was a thought.
Grinning, I kissed her cheek as she headed off to get clean. In the meantime, I plonked down on the bed, enjoying the feeling of the soft mattress against my back and letting a groan leave my lips. Never knew what you loved until you lost it. Beds were incredible, and I also knew I was gonna go without them for a while again.
It made the temporary embrace all the sweeter as I leaned back and closed my eyes, daydreaming a bit. I thought of myself in the mirror, the way my me on the other side looked so much like this one. Sometimes Id wondered why the guardians didnt make these bodies more different, better.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
And now, I still didnt know that. The keepers were as much a mystery to me as to anyone else.
[Yet you have something no one else does.]
Thanks, Cass, I mumbled to my little assistant. I did, indeed. But I ignored that for now and resumed my daydreaming, sprawled out across the bed. If time was passing faster than it felt, that usually meant I was meditating a bit, or at least getting in the headspace.
My eyes drifted closed, and I imagined the mirrors again, the landscape between the gateways. An infinite world of kaleidoscopic reflections, dozens of other mes all walking their own paths in a spiral of possibilities from every other direction.
I imagined the way being only forward. Whenever I stepped through a mirror there were no half measures. On this side, it was easy to get eaten. By love, by affection, by the monsters, all of that. Stepping into that took resolve, and no half-measures. And every single other me agreed.
My eyes opened when I heard the bathroom door creak. Ann looked at me for just a moment, then cracked a small smile. Got another bit of enlightenment or something, bae?
I glanced at her, gulping down a few deep breaths, then nodded. Yeah. Classic cultivator stuff, I huffed, leaning back on the bed and taking a couple seconds to calm my heart. Ann snuggled up against me in the meantime.
Youre doing great, she encouraged me, a couple deep breaths and youll be right as rain.
Taking some time to nod along, I focused on the strange epiphany. Enlightenment was an intense, if pleasant, experience, but it needed to be properly dealt with before it consumed you. My motions were practiced as I took it and mentally stored it away. Like a little enlightenment folder going into the drawer for all of them.
Only then did my heart rate slowly calm down. Alright, I murmured once I was feeling okay again, Im good. Slowly, I sat up in bed, then hugged Ann tightly for just a second. Were too late for dinner, arent we?
Surprisingly, no. She flashed me a bright smile. Somehow, while I was still dealing with my newest discovery, shed already gotten prepared and was once again in her mage robes. Wearing the armor while on the bed had perhaps not been my best decision, but it had certainly been a decision, and now I was paying my dues.
Ignoring the aches and twinges, the two of us made our way to the end of the hallway, where wed have a little group meeting. Everyone was already out, and I could see Matts hair still dripping a bit of water onto the floor. I smiled, and Marie gave us a short nod as we approached.
Alright everyone, she said. This is an Edian castle. With a little bit of luck well only spend a night here. If the archmage calls us up, go. As always, be honest, but dont hesitate to use some vows if needed. Theres altars to all the divines in the castle, so any of them will work just fine. Dont offend anyone, and try to not draw much attention, then well be out of here the next day.
Once everyone had nodded, we made our way down the staircases into the mess hall, and as usual, dozens of eyes turned to glance at us.
I suppose it was inevitable. Edians rarely trusted Reflectors, not since a few high levelled pieces of crap had pulled some real messy stunts. A couple years ago, maybe wed have been received with respect, but by now, things had changed.
At least they held back on the palpable disdain and instead looked at us with caution. I saw captain Lirya sit at another table, with a few more decorated soldiers beside her. She nodded as we walked by, and I nodded back. Then we went to pick up some food, a simple stir fry made with some vegetables from Eden.
There were a couple empty tables, so our entire guild simply sat down at one of them. We ate quietly, given that most of the cafeteria was just murmurs. Id wager a few of them were directed at us, but I didnt care so much, instead focusing on the table.
I always hated the awkward atmosphere between Edians and Reflectors. The fact that there was no trust there, despite their gods summoning us to this world, never stopped being frustrating. But then again, once the chosen ones start burning down a city or two, I suppose youd get a little suspicious of them.
Luckily, with stricter control from the gods and heavier sanctions imposed for harming Edians, the issues had died down a bit. Distrust was still rampant, and it had started to fester on both sides. Some Reflectors thought the Edians were too arrogant, or impolite, and should hail them as heroes.
Those were egocentric idiots. Sure, the Edians werent usually granted access to the system in the same way we were, but they still had just as many opportunities to grow as we did. Some of them even earned the favour of the gods and did get a class, but even those who didnt could kick some Reflectors asses. Which is why it pissed me off so much when they were called NPCs or dumb shit like that.
A moment later I realised that I was clenching my fist around the simple fork I was using. I took a deep breath and relaxed, trying to think of something else, when Cass voice rang out inside my head.
[Danger detected, Bell. You are recommended to swiftly retreat from this area before the threat arrives.]
I was startled for a second, sitting still just long enough for the cafeteria doors to slam open against the wall. An old man, with a long white wizardly beard and grey robes that seemed to clean the floor wherever he stepped came into the room.
Who the fuck are these divines-damned adventurers, and why did they drag a fucking gateway into my castle?! he screeched.
I gulped. Cass. Your warning mightve been a bit too late.
Chapter 21: Grumpy Gramps
Immediately, the old wizards eyes locked onto captain Lirya, whod already risen from her seat and drawn a weapon. I could see her eyebrows scrunge up in confusion. Archmage Dreyfa, what is this commotion?
Oh shut up. Take the stick out your ass and tell me who the adventur- he stopped as he caught sight of our table, then vanished. You. Were gonna have a talk. I felt something tap my shoulder, and then the world around me twisted and disappeared.
The lurching sensation was so much worse than any gateway, and I was retching when I came out the other side. The patterned floor was different now, full of clutter and junk and colourful little drawings?
No, not drawing. Magic circles. Dozens upon dozens of them, each interlinking. As I slowly collected my bearing I took a deep breath and coughed again, stunned by the amount of energy buzzing in the air. My ears popped, and I suddenly heard static, that slowly died down as I got used to the area.
The amount of Qi and Mana slamming into me didnt exactly help my disorientation, and as the sound slowly lessoned, I scrambled for something to hold onto, crashing into a table before I found a cold stone wall to hold onto. My eyes began focusing again, and I saw the old wizards beard only a handful of inches from my face.
I flinched back for a moment as he tapped my stomach with a long, wooden staff. Hm. You hardly seem like someone a gateway would be entrusted to, he muttered to himself, then turned around and disregarded me entirely. Somehow, his silly wizard hat stayed on top of his head even as he turned to look at different bits of the room.
Whatever he was saying, I couldnt make it out, all the energy in the room pressing down on my senses. But as the nausea from the teleportation faded, I at least gained enough of my senses back to thicken the Qi around myself. The static lessened, then disappeared, and I suddenly felt like I could trust my feet again, pushing off from the wall and knocking more things off the table Id half-fallen over.
What the hells is this about? I asked the older man in a panic, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around to face me.
His eyes were blank, then grew into focus and he suddenly recoiled away from me. AH! Why are you so damned close to me?! Take your hand off my shoulder! He knocked against my arm with the strength of a grumpy grandpa.
Where is this?! Who are you?! I asked him in a panic, squeezing tighter, and I actually saw his face scrunch up in pain.
AH! Ow, owowow, stop that! Stop it you idiot! Im old, for the love of the divines! he called out, once again tapping my arm. Somehow, reluctantly, I did let go. Goodness! Look at the mess youve made! he then yelled, pointing his staff at all the nicknacks on the floor.
I blinked at him slowly, my mouth open like a fish. The mess Ive made? Maybe you shouldve considered that before teleporting me! I told him.
For a few seconds, the old wizard at least had the decency to look embarrassed. Fine, yes, Im a rude and grumpy old bastard, he admitted, raising his hands. Look, lady, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Whats your name?
Whats my name? What is yours?! I yelled at him. I felt panic bubbling up now as I looked for a door. There was a large window to the sky, standing open with a comically huge telescope pointing out of it. Scanning the room, I did end up finding a trapdoor.
Me? Well, of course you know who I am, right? the old man asked incredulously.
No! No, I fucking dont!
Ah, shit. I wouldve really expected captain Lirya to tell you. Im archmage Orvan Dreyfa. Ive kept this castle safe for the last couple decades, and Ill keep doing so until I fall over dead at my desk, he said, surprisingly seriously. And somehow, you seem to have dragged a damned gateway right into my castle! Which should not be here mind you!
For a few seconds I was stuck blinking again. This was what an archmage looked like? I suppose if he didnt speak the robes, beard, and steely eyes were enough for a presence, but I struggled to take him seriously at the moment.
Well, archmage, would you mind telling me why its such a huge problem? I asked.
Ah, yes, sure, certainly. See, the further out into the frontier you get, the more monsters there are. Sure, theres the ones that are just native to Eden, and the ones thatve been spawned from some silly mages experimenting with forces well within my comprehension, and well beyond theirs. And then theres ones that spawn from corrupted gateways.
I could feel Cass recoiling at that thought, and a flood of information suddenly poured into my head through the link.
Id always known that we were summoned to Eden because of the monsters. The endless, mostly mindless hordes that would come from the frontier and aim to end civilization. We were called as a stopgap measure. Fill in the spots left open by dead Edians. Fight back against the creatures, and be rewarded.
We made money from this, usually by selling services to conglomerates on Earth, but also by simply bringing items across. Most of them were minor, but many of the larger companies would use plants from Eden, then engineer them, and put them into fancy luxury products. There were plenty of people on the other side who would pay for work done on Eden as well.
But at the core, we were here to help the state of the world. We knew monsters came from nests, which were breedings grounds for them. But Id never even heard of a corrupted gateway.
[General keeper collective requesting access. Access denied. Bell, I think they dont want people to know about this.]
It clicked. The danger Cass had felt hadnt been real at all. That was something the keepers instilled in her. Fuck.
Yeah, fuck is about right, the old man said. You didnt say that out loud, but like, youve been staring into the air for about ten seconds straight. You good there, lady?
Fuck, I said, out loud this time. No. This isnt okay. What the blazes are corrupted gateways?
Orvan sighed. Well, thats what happens when a keeper goes rogue. Or when the world its connected to falls. Or when usurpers happen to get a hand on them, he explained neutrally.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Whats a usurper? I asked, sitting down on the table where Id knocked things off before.
He scoffed. Fucking hell, they really tell you nothing these days. Damn keepers and their restrictions. Usurpers are the things that can corrupt gateways. Special monsters that hunt them down, and look to eat them. Recently, one of them was nearby, and I dont want it marching on my fecking castle.
Fuck, I muttered.
Yeah, fucks about right. So, what now. Need some space? Want a bit of ren juice? he asked.
Fuck.
You said that bef-
I slammed the table as hard as I could, the wood splintering underneath my fist. FUCK!!
The old man flinched, a frown on his face. Hey, lady. You gotta-
I turned to him, my face flushed with anger, and grabbed his beard. Be quiet for five fucking minutes, will you?!
Ow, ow!! Fine, yes, fine! Fucking shit let go! he said, smacking my hand away with surprising strength and turning around. I heard him grumbling to himself quietly, but couldnt really understand what he said. Which was good, I needed to think.
Cass.
[Yes Bell. I have just received a general information package on usurpers. It appears that the Edians are privy to the true reason their world is in need of help. This makes recovering lost gateways even more important.]
Then why did the goddess let me live? Ive just become a danger to this place. If one of those usupers gets to me, then
Child, it is not so simple, I heard Lurelia say in my mind.
It didnt help my panic. What is this? Is my head just a playground now?!
Apparently, another voice spoke. It had a similar hum to it as Lurelias, but was deeper.
Brother, please, the child Lurelia pleaded.
Since when do we coddle the outworlders, sister? the other divine responded.
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! I screamed, only wanting to think it.
For a moment more voices joined the chorus, then it suddenly broke apart with the soft thump of wood against stone. Hmph, I heard the old wizard huff. Damn divines thinking they can yell in my tower. Im old, not hard of hearing. There, have a cup, he said, unceremoniously slamming a bit of ren juice down on the table near me. Ill be out, informing your companions for a moment.
And with that, he vanished, leaving the room, and my head, silent.
Tentatively, I leaned back, feeling the cold stone through my armor. I took a few deep breaths, the air seeming calmer, now that I shielded myself from the energy in it. Slowly, I brought the cup of juice to my lips.
It was sweet, but not too sweet. I liked ren. It was a good fruit.
Drinking another few sips, I let my thoughts slow a bit. Fuck, I muttered again. What the hells is wrong with this place
Corrupted gateways, with monsters pouring out from them. That was insanity. And now, what, those things also wanted the gateway in me? Then why did the divines keep me alive? I was now more of a danger than I should be worth.
What about the keepers, then? They also wanted the gateway. Maybe giving it to the usurpers was better than to them? And how was I supposed to know any of that?!
I pushed my hands up against my face and screamed. AaaaaaaAAGH!
This was so stupid! Why couldnt I just just Ugh!
Feeling myself get more frustrated, I drank another bit of the juice and breathed in as deep as I could. Fine. This was just fine. I clenched my teeth, hard, breathing through my nose.
Whatever. I was gonna make it through this. Shitty fucking gateway stuff. I was gonna make it through and come out on the other side.
Slowly, bit by bit, I let that thought sink in. As the minutes passed, I felt myself grow a bit calmer. Eventually, I heard a tapping against the bottom of the trapdoor.
Yes? I called, my voice more bitter than I expected.
The door swung open, and I saw a head full of red hair charge at me to wrap me in a hug. For a second I froze, then the tiniest smile found itself on my face. I hugged Ann back.
Thanks, I just whispered. She squeezed me tighter as a response.
A few, long seconds passed, before I heard something else. Orvan cleared his throat at us, and Ann wrenched herself free, sitting down by my side.
Are you feeling better, lady? he asked calmly.
I just nodded.
Good, then. We should have a talk. Perhaps you would like to introduce yourself now?
Yeah. Okay, Im Fio, I said.
Well, Fio, Im Orvan Dreyfa, archmage and astronomer, the old man said. The redhead, Annabelle, I believe, told me she would like to be present for what we will be talking about. Is that fine with you?
I looked at her for a few moments, then nodded. Not like I was going to keep the whole gateway thing a secret from the guild for long anyway. Even though I told Cass not to automatically activate the gateway prompt whenever I touched someone, many of them could feel Qi.
Good. Then, Fio, Annabelle, I will once again give a quick summary of our situation. Edens really quite a fucked up place. Weve always got monsters. Then those monsters multiplied. Suddenly, Edians died. So our divines opened gateways, boom, we got you guys. Adventurers if Im nice, pawns if Im honest. Youre like little teeny puppets strung along by the keepers to do the things that it is you like to do. Follow me so far? he asked.
Begrudgingly, Ann and I both nodded.
Good, he continued. So, the reason we were first overrun by monsters was because of a silly little event we Edians like to call the eclipse. We shuddered at the word. Youre familiar! Good, good. So, pop quiz, what caused the first eclipse then?
Not the slightest idea, I answered for the both of us.
Orvan clicked his tongue. Well, the first eclipse happened when Eden gained its second moon. Something something the sun is the grace of the divines and the night is dark and all that. Im not here to fucking give you the censored version, shut up in there Argus! he smacked his own head with his staff.
Apologies, divine intervention is a hassle. Right then. Essentially, the gods continuously erect a shield around Eden because the inbetween is terrifying. And by that I dont mean space, I mean the magical folds between realities. What else do you call it? Void? Abyss? Fucking hell or something? Dont matter. It has real crappy monsters, and whenever the moons position in just the right way, namely overlapping each other and the sun, we get a little bit of fucking trouble.
Once again, both of us nodded, though with grimaces this time. The eclipses were terrible times to be on Eden.
Yes, thats about the right face to be making, its a really shitty spot to be in. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of us Edians died. So then our gods contacted the keepers, we got them to open a couple gates. Couple eclipses go fine, then usurpers show up. All shapes and sizes, all horrifyingly strong. One eats a gateway, and hundreds die again. He pauses to take a rather displeased breath, and taps the staff on the floor again.
Time goes on, we get pushed back, some of you fucking outworlders decide its time to party on our corpses, we get stronger dimensional sanctions. No more conflict, but the damages been done. Now you fuckers are mercenaries, and most Edians fear you. And thats the status quo were at, losing more and more ground- Im fucking getting there, Lurelia!!
Orvan cleared his throat. Yes, at any rate, you got a gateway, so you can reclaim the corrupted ones, we hope.
That was a lot to take in. So, what now? I asked, after a few moments. Ann was still sitting there, chewing on her lips.
Now, the divines are politely requesting I release the communication block I placed on you. Some are being more polite, some less, and Im highly considering telling them to take a divine stick and shove it up their blasphemy! he yelled at the air.
I chuckled for a moment, then braced myself. I looked at Ann. Ill be right back, bae. See you on the other side. Then faced the old wizard again. Im ready.
Chapter 22: Destiny kinda fucking Sucks.
Here goes nuffin, if my beloved divines start giving you a headache, Ill make sure to lock them out again for a minute, he said. Then, I heard him mumble something, and tap his staff on the floor.
My ears popped again, and I felt presences descending down on my mind, five of them. No, six, one of them was very faint. It spoke first, surprisingly, and felt much more intimately connected to me than the others.
[Im back, Bell! Divines, I missed you so much!]
Somehow, even mentally, she managed to convey giving me a hug, which was honestly impressive. The feeling quickly vanished though and was instead replaced by a heavy baritone pressing against my mind. Errant warrior, your mental fortitude is weak. Your mind must be as sharp as your blade, your path unerring, you-
Oh shut up Ru. Hello young sprout. I am Argus, god of nature and artistry. I am sorry for the situation you find yourself in, it is regrettable, the second god told me. His voice was soft, and fluid, like a stream or a swirly stalk of grass.
Our measures are what we believe is best, even if they appear crude. Please, allow us to explain ourselves, spark, I heard another voice. She sounded calm, and somewhat calculating, yet comfortable. Like the smell of books in a library, and at the same time, the appearance of a mathematical formula on a sheet.
What is best hardly matters here, does it, sister? My siblings, as always, fail to say that they are fallible, as are we all, the last unfamiliar voice spoke. Perhaps voices would be more accurate. This one seemed like a chorus spoke at once, whispering promises of peace and calm. In our arrogance, we forget to apologize. In all our names, we are sorry.
For a moment, I felt another god, Ru, attempt to speak up, but he was quickly shut down by the divine equivalent of an elbow to the ribs. I blinked a few moments, turning to Orvan for an explanation, but the old man simply watched on. Hed probably only step in if I genuinely needed help.
Since theyd taken turns speaking, my head ached less this time, and for that I was thankful. Still, I wanted this conversation to be as short as possible.
Just why? Why let me live?!
To watch you fight, Ru said.
For you to grow, Argus told me.
To see what you will do, the calm voice replied, who I guessed to be Archiva.
Because you deserve it, spoke the chorus, Hir.
So you may heal the world, Lurelia finally said.
This time, they had spoken all at once, leaving my head swimming for a moment. Then the wizard scoffed.
Way to put expectations on one person, eh? Real divine of you, with all the action youre taking yourselves, Orvan commented.
I felt some ire turn towards him. Ru, unsurprisingly, and Argus. He stood taller as they faced him, hands resting on the wooden staff. He breathed in, then out, and the tension in the air settled. His eyes opened, still as firm as they had been all the time before. Somehow, he seemed even refreshed by the encounter.
Then, the divines turned back to me. Ask, child, what you wish to know, Lurelia assured me.
Why? I asked.
For a moment, I felt Archiva press forward, but she soon backed down, barred by all the other gods. It is a fine question, Argus sounded in my thoughts. There have been a handful like you, admittedly not many. Mirror gateways fused to someone fall apart when their host dies. Recovering gateways lost to usurpers has been impossible, even when they have been killed, he explained.
We hope for you to remedy that, Ru added. Fight them, defeat them, then claim your spoils and take their gateways into yours. You will be close, so if you are swift, the gateway should not decay.
Yours may mend faster, Archiva warned. But the keepers will not pry it off you until it is healed. Once your gateway is fully restored, absorbing others should grow it. Make it more a part of you.
I hoped to give you a layer of protection by forcing a keeper to be generated. Cass has already shown herself to adapt, and protect your mind. But shielding you from the keepers and us at the same time overtaxed her. Perhaps, in due time, she will become your shield, Lurelia said with a smile.
What we are telling you, Fio, is that we hope for you to find a way forward for yourself. It saddens me to see that you must struggle with your path, but it is what you were saddled with. If you strengthen your connection to the gateway, then there may be a time at which the keepers can no longer take it from you. When Cass and you grow strong enough to fend them off. Then, your destiny will be in your own hands again, Hir explained gently.
I frowned and paused. Mulled it over. Theres no way around these risks, is there? I have a target on my back. By the keepers and the usurpers.
Indeed, Argus replied. But we hope for you to outgrow it. As Lurelia granted you Cassidy rather than another keeper, that is what we are offering. A way forward, one to push you to grow.
It is now up to you to fight. Rus voice was coarse as he spoke. If you fight, and prove yourself, you may advance. That is what warriors do.
He made me scoff a little. You dont care about my advancement though, you care about what it may bring to this world.
For a moment, there was silence on the other end. I sneered a bit. These divines were far from selfless.
At the end, it was once again Hir who spoke. Yes, they said. I am sorry to say this, but we are divines of this world. It is, to some degree, our duty to protect it. You have a chance to do so, Fio. You can protect this world, as you have been doing.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Orvan sighed at them. Alright, thats enough propaganda, dearest divines. He looked me in the eyes. This. This is why we say outworlders are pawns. To the keepers, to the divines; were forced to dance to their tune, none more than those not from here. Fight, grow, advance, its all the same old shit. The old wizard shook his head.
Lady. Fio. Youre saddled with a gateway. I cant take it away without killing you, and Im reasonably sure theres no one and nothing out there that could. Usurpers will come after you, and you will fight them if you dont want to die. While this worlds divines, my divines, may be asshats about it, thats what it is.
And how is she gonna do that?! Ann suddenly yelled. I hadnt noticed it, but her hand was now wrought much tighter around mine. How?! If these usurpers devour gateways, and you dont want them at your castle, what is she going to do about them?
Once more the old wizard sighed. Fuck if I know, he muttered, almost defeated. How about this: For now, you go to the nest we talked about. Spend a night here, unwind a bit. Youve had a mighty fate placed on your shoulder, by some mighty idiots. His brows furrowed in concentration for a moment and he took a moment to breathe deeply, the mana in the room vibrating.
I wondered how many times one person could draw the ire of the divines, but the wizard didnt seem done talking yet. Castle Arhan has stood for decades. As long as I live, it will stand. I can manage having some tired adventurers spend a night here. Tomorrow, you go to the nest, do your mission. If you see something dangerous, you run. Go wherever you need to go, wherever it is safe, and live.
Then he tapped his staff a final time, and the background buzz I hadnt even noticed disappeared. Now then. If you need to talk to my friends in the sky again, find a temple and give a little prayer. They wont bother you themselves anymore, not here at least, theyve said what they need to say. It sounded like that was him telling the divines to pipe down. Go, talk to your team, clear things up. Go to bed. If theres any more questions you have, let them rest until tomorrow.
Anns fingers were still entwined with mine, and I could see her brows furrowed in displeasure. I squeezed her hand tightly. Come on, Ann, I pleaded quietly. Lets go for now.
She paused for a short moment, then gave a brief nod. Okay, Fio, she said, forcing her voice to be soft for me. Lets take some time.
We walked back to the room silently. My thoughts were already a mess. I just needed time to process it all.
Ann on the other hand seemed so angry. She borderline stomped down the hallways. But I understood.
If I still had the energy, I would also be angry, but all the headaches and the voices had left me wobbly on my feet. By the end of the walk, I had my arm wrapped around Ann as she helped me stumble forward. Once again, I was thankful for the strange shifting glass my mirror core gave me.
At least getting to the room didnt take too long. When we got there, Ann unceremoniously dumped me on the bed, then balled her fists and slammed them into the thick stone walls. Aaaaargh!
I looked at her, my eyes bleary from tiredness. Is are you alright, Ann?
She turned to me, her eyes bright with anger. No, Fio, she said, her voice trembling slightly. This is fucked up. Im frustrated right now. Unbelievably so. Im borderline livid at the divines.
Slowly, I nodded. Me too.
This whole thing is insanity, Fio!
Yeah.
And I cant believe theyd put all of this on your shoulders! Its unfair! She struck the walls again.
It is.
We should have never gone to the sands, fuck! Dust flew from the stones.
Ann
WHAT?! she yelled, whipping back towards me from the two craters shed made, then her face fell. Oh, no, Im Im so sorry Fio. I shouldnt have
Hey, its alright, I spoke slowly. My tongue felt like lead, but I somehow pushed myself up into a sitting position. Come here for a sec.
No, I she stammered.
Please, Ann. Its fine. Come here.
She stood there frozen for a few more seconds, and then gave me a shaky nod, tears in the corners of her eyes. I patted the bed next to me, and Ann made mechanical steps towards me. She sat down.
I reached over and wrapped my arms around her, resting my head on her shoulder. Alright, Ann. Its alright. One of my hands was on her back, the other in her hair. I ran my fingers through the short mess of red, then kissed her salty cheeks. She sobbed.
Its okay, I said, feeling my own voice crack as I started crying. I- Im upset too, you know? But its its okay. Well- Well make it through, right?
I felt Ann nod in my arms. Mhm Yeah. We We will. We have to.
I snorted at that, patting her head. Exactly.
Slowly, bit by bit, I felt Ann grow a bit calmer in my arms. I patted her head, and she ran her fingers across my back. Were gonna be okay, Ann, I assured her, receiving a weak nod in reply. Then I just held onto her, occasionally whispering reassurances.
I held onto her the entire time, minutes ticking by one after another. My mind felt blank, just focused on the moment, focused on Anns shaky breathing. I kissed her, once, lightly. Her breath tickled my face.
Then, eventually, Ann felt asleep, and I started going numb. Gently, I placed her down in the bed next to me, and thought. I thought on what to do now, on what my master would do, and all I could hear were the rules, the tenets he gave me to uphold. Number six. The mirrors couldnt eat me, but despair could.
Bit by bit, breath by breath, I took the feelings, and tried accepting them. And just a bit into the exercise, I heard another quiet voice in my head.
[Fio?]
Cass. She was so fleeting I could barely even tell she spoke at all. Yeah, Cass?
[Do you have a few seconds for me?]
Of course, Cass, I told her, taking another deep breath. Whats up?
[Im sorry Fio if you just hadnt gotten that mirror, none of this wouldve happened at all]
She sounded so sad. I couldnt help but empathize. Its okay Cass. You have nothing to be sorry for.
[But I do, Fiooo] she whined. [This is all my fault! If you just hadnt touched the mirror, none of this would have happened! I- Im sorry Im sorry I was born!]
I froze for a second. No. Cass, no, this isnt your fault at all! There were new tears forming in my eyes. Please, please dont blame yourself. I couldnt have gotten a better keeper than you, Cass. I mean it. Panic raced through my head. Why would Cass blame herself? She was as much a victim here as I was, born from my memories, to be hated by her entire race immediately.
And the poor thing blamed herself for it? No. She shouldnt. Should never have to. Youre okay, Cass. Were in this together. No blame on you, please, youre okay.
[No, I mean, this is all just I-]
Listen, Cass. I mean it when I say this. Youre not at fault. This hasnt happened because of you. Without the gateway, Id be dead. Without you, Id be dead. Im really, really glad I get to have you around.
[ you mean it?] she quietly asked back.
I do. Promise.
There was a short pause. [Okay...] Cass mumbled.
There were a few more sobs through the connection, soft little noises that chipped away at my heart. Somehow, mentally, I managed to pat Cass head as well, just as I had done with Ann. Doing so, I slowly laid down and wrapped my arms around my girlfriend.
Then, the three of us cried wordlessly just a little longer.
Chapter 23: Respite
The next couple hours flew by in a daze. Im fairly sure I fell asleep at some point. Maybe I spent a couple minutes wondering how Cass managed to sniff at all, given that she didnt have a physical body. I suppose crying might be universal.
Eventually, when it was quite a bit into the night, we met the rest of the guild. The old man had assured them we were fine and just needed some space. I felt a little embarrassed about crying so much, but then again, what else was I supposed to do? Happily accept my incoming battle with forces I didnt wanna deal with?
I shook my head, then smirked. That was a hard to shake habit.
Ann and I took turns speaking. First, we talked about the old wizard, Orvan, and why he wished to see us. Then about the gateway. Id not brought it up last time because it was just a bit too recent. Too fresh. Now, with Cass and everything, it had settled in a little bit.
Maybe crying about it had helped relieve some of that pressure as well. I still felt tired, and getting through everything took a while, but we got there in the end. Marie had been surprised, Liam worried, Matt shocked, and Emilia proud. The twins seemed to also worry, but at the same time, something told me this answered some of their questions. Maybe about the healing process?
Whatever the case, I tried my best to trust them. They were part of the guild. Also, that little bit on my covenant still annoyed me, I wasnt really that bad to people I didnt know.
Alright. Thanks for telling us, Fio, Marie finally told me. Let me be upfront with you. I dont plan on changing anything about the guild because of this. Anyone object to that?
No one answered, though some shot me smiles.
Good, Marie continued, then lets clear this. Do we know what usurpers look like?
No, Ann said. But I dont think theres a specific shape they have to take.
Our leader nodded again. Got it. Well then, if we find one, I suppose we run. Just because the divines want us to doesnt mean well be playing hero.
Once again, everyone nodded, though the twins seemed hesitant. That was the trouble with having your class based somewhat on divine favour. Then again, there were also clerics who followed none of the strange protectors of this place, simply drawing power from faith alone.
But that was beside the point, and I focused on the conversation again. Alright. That should settle that. Anyone have any questions?
Matt raised his hand. Yes?
If we find another broken gateway, can I get it? he asked. His tone was serious, but I could tell immediately, and burst out laughing hard enough to stumble. Ann caught me.
Puhahaha! Matt, shut the fuck up you dummy! Seriously! I laughed. He smiled at me. Fine, you win, ya rat. I feel better. Thanks, everyone.
Marie smiled, and patted my shoulder. Alright Fio. Get some sleep. Well hit the road again tomorrow, so be prepared.
I nodded, then went back to the room with Ann. On the way, I also talked with Cass a bit, who didnt have the opportunity to get a pep talk the same way I did. Just small things. Making sure she was doing okay.
By the time we got to the room, I assured her again that none of this was her fault, and I was more than glad to have her along for the ride. Then, I got ready for bed. The moment my head touched the pillows, I was out like a light.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
- - -
Orvan Dreyfa stood in his study, gazing out the windows. The young lady, Fio, had made a bit of a mess of things, but not much more than they already were. Hed never been a particularly orderly person, anyway.
The day had been quite long for him, too. He hadnt spent this much magic in months, maybe years. Those divines sure had some nerve to use his magic circles as a conduit like that.
It did, however, mean that they had to hear him out. And while he was not excited at all by the prospect of a damned gateway in his castle, it was fine.
Fio, as she called herself, had it hard enough. He shook his head a bit. The divines really werent very kind, nor had fate itself been.
Of course, he didnt believe in fate, but the expression applied in this scenario. Shed gotten incredibly damn unlucky to need a gateway. Generally, it was preferable to just never interact with the things.
Orvan had studied them before for his magic, of course, but that didnt mean he liked them. Just that he understood them better than most. Which allowed him to hold even the keepers at bay.
Castle Arhan was by no means perfect, but as Orvan ran his fingers through the grooves on the stone walls, a small smile snuck itself onto his face. If this castle could hold off the damned divines, and even the bastard keepers, then surely it would stand an attack of a monster or two.
As an archmage, he still had enough mana for that, at least.
- - -
The night had gone by uneventfully for us, though by morning, there were a few smouldering corpses outside the castle walls. Just a regular amount of monsters, the guards assured us. I didnt quite believe them, but the current situation probably also made me somewhat nervous.
We met up and ate as a guild again, though this time, captain Lirya moved to sit with us. When she didnt wear her helmet, her raven hair was quite stunning. Her eyes turned to me. Sleep well?
Yeah, like a rock, I answered, giving her a thumbs up.
She returned the faintest smile to me. Didnt hear all about things, but Im glad you got sleep. You deserve it, according to what Orvan tells me. Old geezer has been busy doing some work all night long.
Work? I asked. What kind of work?
She snorted. Youll see once you head off. Then, she lowered her head and began eating her food again, not sparing me another glance. Well, perhaps she snuck one or two, but that was surely just to gauge my reaction. I gave a puzzled look, not directing it at her, when she peered over once, which seemed to satisfy the woman.
Conversation among our party was dim. The twins mentioned something about Lurelia talking to them in the evening. Well, talking to Reya. Apparently, her being mute made it easier for the goddess to talk to her? Probably had something to do with how divinity worked based on influence.
Eric translated for us, though. Watching Reya sign as he spoke was interesting, since theyd had to invent new signs for terms specific to Eden, such as the special flavour of divinity we had, or the name of the goddess herself. She signed Lurelia by pointing upwards with one hand, and acting as though she cradled a child with the other. I was pretty sure I saw a spark of divinity alongside the mimicking, lighting up the pointing finger.
Lurelia wants to tell you that, and I quote, you will do fine child. Simply complete the mission as I asked you to, and your next step forward will be revealed. We have faith in you child. Strive forward. End quote. So, it seems like the goddess at least believes you can do this, he translated, giving a slight smile.
I didnt have much in me except for a short nod and a small smile. If I was honest, I didnt exactly wanna hear anything about the divines anymore for a little while. Theyd spent more than long enough inside my head.
Next time, they could send a messenger fritty for all I cared. The little feathery buggers made for excellent carrying birds, since they were able to manipulate air Qi a little, flying faster, and lifting far more weight. Also, they were unbelievably smart, and quite kind to humans. If you gave them enough nuts.
Instead of saying that out loud, I gave the twins a small thanks, making sure to nod at both of them, before focussing on my food again.
Matt flicked some water in my face from his fingertips, which elicited a slight grumble from me, as I hid away my smile. I gently tapped my finger on the table, and a small spear of Qi flung some of his food into his face, to which he groaned.
Eventually, breakfast was over, and we headed outside. The air was fresh, crisp and cold, and tinged with metal. I looked around after taking the deep breath, and stopped dead in my tracks, leading to Liam performing a very graceful sidestep to avoid crashing into me.
All around the castle were dozens upon dozens of monster corpses.
Chapter 24: The Nest
Orvan had been busy during the night indeed, apparently. There were monsters of all shapes and sizes, each one of them dead.
The grass around the castle was drenched in blood, and the acrid smell of metal filled the air. Big creatures and small ones laid atop each other, cut apart and limbs mangled. Some seemed to have been clearly severed, others crushed, or burned, or beaten down in a myriad of other ways.
My mouth fell open and moved like that of a dead fish. Matt just kinda stared at the carnage, then chuckled. Holy fuck, he said. Mans not called an archmage for nuffin. Crazy old bastard.
Then he gingerly began stepping forward, trying his best to avoid the large puddles of blood. When he found no more way forward, he simply shrugged, and platforms of plum blossoms coalesced in the air for him to step on.
Liam soon reappeared next to Matt, climbing from the other mans shadow, and Marie simply vaulted over the carnage. Which was a very, very mighty leap. Emilia snorted and waded through, staining her boots red, and Ann created a small platform of mana, hovering us across. The blood simply slid off a shield of divinity the twins created.
From the outside, it all looked even more insane. The monsters had never stood a chance. There wasnt even a scratch on the castle walls, the arcane sigils on the stone growing brightly.
Luckily, the mess wouldnt stay around too long. Decay on Eden went a lot faster. Something about the energies in the air devouring any non-protected matter. It made the wards on a city even more important. Generally, it wasnt a strong effect, and only really targeted things with little to no energy of their own, leaving even living plants alone, but sick children were sometimes at risk.
Dead bodies, however, had no such protection, and would begin to quickly disintegrate if not stored on a person. Which also meant that alchemical parts had to be processed quickly, to create a stable final product.
It was something I didnt know too much about, but Ann loved the subject, and occasionally I would listen to her ramble. She usually chided me for tuning out and just listening to her voice. I smiled at the thought and squeezed her hand. She kissed my check, and my smile grew wider.
Alright, everyone! Marie interrupted the moment. Lets move on out!
At her words, everyone fell into formation. Despite how close the castle was, we were now back in the wilderness, and we needed to respect that.
For a moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of Orvan seeing us off from the top of his spire, but he disappeared as soon as I saw. I shook my head at his antics, then focused. We needed to travel for just a few days to get to the nest.
- - -
Day after day drifted by. Sometimes, I would chat with Cass a little. Ask her about things, tell her about things. Most of the journey was spent inside my own core, journeying through the golden shores. Whenever Ann squeezed my hand, I got back out, and ready to fight.
There were a few monsters we had to battle with, but nothing fancy. We managed to avoid most large threats thanks to Marie and Liam. And soon, we got to the nest.
Monster nests could take on all shapes and sizes, depending on what lived and bred and spawned there. This one, apparently, belonged to brix. Large mantis-like things who spun webs of crystalline wire. They would glide along the surface of the sharp threads, and use their sickles to make you dodge.
Then, if you touched one of their deadly little traps, youd get cut up badly, sometimes end up entangled, and also get hit with a healthy dose of poison. They used small spells, their veins shaping circles in their scythes, which allowed them to use mana to conjure up the deadly substance.
Oftentimes, newbies would get cut and start running away, not knowing that the venom spread through their body, until they slowed, and then fell asleep. It would slow your bloodflow down to a stop, making sure no oxygen reached your muscles or brain. The first symptom was sleepiness, and after a few more minutes, you were dead, unless you burned it out with the power of your choice.
I grimaced at the sight.
Fuck, Matt said, summarizing all our thoughts. This is the nest Lurelia wants us to clear? he asked, turning to the twins.
Reya simply nodded confidently, while Eric gave a defeated shrug. Seems it.
Whats the game plan? Emilia asked, facing Ann and Marie. Those two were the brains of the operation.
We need to disable the webs, Ann stated, which got a nod from all of us. In that space, I could see her running through a few plans already. Im thinking I could use a firestorm spell. Snap a bunch of thread, burn a good chunk of poison. Wont be perfect, but its the best large-scale disabling method I can come up with.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Good, we do it that way. Emilia, youre up front. Twins, make sure to keep buffs and heals ready for her. Any stray threads might cause damage, so keep your eyes on the group, Marie ordered, and the two nodded. Matt, Fio, youre on offense, as always. Liam and Ill take care of support. Ann, how much will you have left in you after the firestorm?
Not much, she admitted.
Then youre on barriers, Marie said, receiving a frown. Dont give me that look. You said yourself how nasty things can get. If one of us gets a deep cut from a scythe, we might not be able to mend it. Use the surrounding mana to supplement any shields you cast.
You say that like its so easy, Ann grumbled, but nodded anyway.
After everyone else also acknowledged instructions, we began heading forward again. Any talking was done out of earshot of the monsters, though it may not have been necessary this time. The things had developed incredible eyesight, and could feel tremors through the threads remarkably well, but their hearing was poor.
When we reached the mouth of the nest, which was an odd cross between a cave and a grove, with moss continuing down in the earth, Ann began casting. She rarely chanted, but she had time, and so she enunciated each word clearly for some extra firepower, her lips moving almost too rapidly for me to follow.
It was possible to chant in most languages, and many of them were translated, but Ann chose one of the more obscure ones. She needed to learn ancient runes anyway to read them when we encountered them, so she might as well learn them, or so she said. Thus, a dozen unfamiliar sounds left her mouth all at once, sounding like a hymn to a long dead deity.
By the end, she raised her arms high. Firestorm, she finished the chant with a whisper, and the air around us howled. Maybe that was too generous. It screamed, as it was dragged forward by force, into the mouth of a cave, and then a raging spark of fire erupted at its center.
Ann stumbled a bit, and I caught her, holding her upwards as the flames rampaged. Already, the brix were screaming. It was a high pitched, irritating noise that would give a headache, but it was all subsumed by the roar of the flames. Thread snapped, chitin seared, and destruction was wrought in the wake of Anns spell.
After maybe a dozen seconds, the spell finally died down, leaving scorched, black ash behind instead of the moss it had danced over. Ann panted a bit, but was able to resume standing by herself, wiping some sweat from her brows.
I gave her a look, and as soon as she nodded, I charged after Marie and Liam. Already, the smell of ash and smoke and char was replaced by that of plum. My golden glow lit up the cave a little, not that we needed it to see when Qi coursed through our bodies.
After only two dozen steps in, I heard a hiss go through the air to my side, and twisted my upper body as a scythe crossed through where my neck had been just a moment before. I parried the second strike with my spear, letting it slide off the blade. The scythe was behind me, but I ducked and lunged forward, using my legs to extend my reach. As the scythe passed by where my head had been again, I felt my spear sink deep into a thorax, cracking chitin and spilling ichor.
I stepped back a moment later, and saw a frenzy of pink petals soar forward to take my place. Matts eyes had lost all their usual humor, replaced with a gentle martial fury. It was a strangely intense blow as he engaged in a fight with the thing.
The battle only lasted moments however. When Matt barely stepped out of reach from one attack, the brix stumbled from the wound, taking a step forward with three of its legs. Matt didnt miss his chance.
A pink slice cut through the cave, coming from below and cleanly severing one of the scythes at what seemed like the shoulder. Before the thing could scream, Matt jerked his sword to the left, taking its head off in a splatter of ichor.
There was a metal screech as Emilia stopped another blow with her shield, the scythe gliding along its surface. Half a breath later, I was by her side, the brix caught between us. It chose to dodge my spear, shifting to the side, which made it a perfect target for Emilias mace to slam into its back.
The snap of chitin sounded throughout the cave, and the brix stumbled to the floor, disturbing the ash that remained of the moss. Two arrows soared from behind us, piercing its head and finishing it for good.
Ahead, there was a figure cloaked in shadow, Liam. He was busily inspecting the place. No enemies close, he whispered in my ear from far away. Then, I lost sight of him, only hearing an occasional woosh. He was cleaning up the remaining threads.
Slowly, getting back into formation, we advanced. Soon, another Brix attacked, but without the threads, their mobility was limited, and we dispatched it swiftly. Not long after, though, we began getting to areas where the moss still grew, where Anns storm hadnt reached. The cave ran deep, unfortunately, which meant wed have to be even more careful.
We got a painful reminder of that a little later, when a brix slunk out of the darkness right next to me. I hadnt noticed it, and how should I have? The bastard was using shadow magic to cloak itself. A moment later, a scythe swung at me, accompanied by the telltale hiss of air it always carried.
As soon as I managed, I brought up my spear, but I was a hair too late. The scythe impacted my arm, well, almost. It smacked right against a crystalline hull around my skin, a thin line that stopped the scythe for just long enough before shattering that I could block it.
Still, the strike knocked me off balance, and I stumbled back a step. Emilia blocked another attack for me in the meantime, when it vanished into the shadows to try and chase after me.
Bad decision.
Liam had already been waiting in there, and as soon as the brix joined him, he sprung his trap. When half its body had dissolved, it screamed, and the other half never joined, having been severed. Liam only needed to land one deep strike, pleasantly easy when it entered his playing field, and the pain had it lose concentration, ending the transformation when half its body was made of shadow.
I gulped, panting a bit.
Since when could brix use other types of magic than poison?
Chapter 25: Remembrance of a greater Man
Advancing through the nest had suddenly become a lot slower. Knowing these brix might use other types of magic as well made us wary. Sure, Liam was an excellent counter to shadow magic, but what else might they use? What if one of them suddenly spewed fire on us? Or frost?
The mission had gone from daunting to straight up dangerous. But brix were also vengeful. If we didnt finish this now, theyd be coming after us. So we had to advance.
Every minute or two, one of the things would dive at us from inside the cave. We dispatched each of the creatures methodically, and swiftly. We had an advantage in numbers, for now, and we leveraged it.
And as one creature after the other fell, none of them showed any strange abilities anymore. It made us tense up even more. We hadnt seen any of them, but that didnt mean they werent there.
Eventually, as it was always going to happen, we encountered more and more of the things. It was a nest, after all. We never expected numbers to be in our favour. But the issue with having them more densely packed was that a single scream would attract half a dozen more of the things.
We had to turn to kiting them sooner than we wouldve liked. It was a mix of strategies we used, usually involving some form of ranged attack and retreat, to pull the monsters away, picking them off one by one.
For some time, it worked. Liam would take an arrow with a string around it, wrap it in shadow, and drag it along the floor. A swift wrap around one of the brix legs, then a tug from Emilia, and we could dispatch the monsters before they knew what hit them, attacking all at once.
But it was also extremely time consuming, and slowed our progress to a crawl. Especially since we had to clear the threads, which would lure out multiple monsters, then take them on one after another, and go back to clearing threads.
After just a few hours, all of us were already sweating and panting. Wasting so much Qi before the fights even started was becoming a larger drain than just charging in upfront. I knew Marie realized the same thing, but she still didnt change her orders. So we went on for another hour, before we finally needed to stop.
Liam couldnt enter the shadows anymore. Hed spent a bit over five hours almost constantly submerged, dipping in and out whenever he needed to, and it had used all his Qi. Casting the technique again would put him at risk.
Alright, Fio, youre taking the lead, Marie quickly ordered, and I nodded. It made sense. Sure, Marie may have been better at seeing and scouting, but I was quite a bit better at actually defending myself if one of the monsters noticed. In a one on one scenario, at least.
So, I walked in further. When a brix sprung at me, all I needed to do was block a strike, and dodge a second, before it was turned into a pincushion by my comrades.
Slowly, bit by bit, as the ground sloped down, there was less moss. The greenery gave way to cold, damp stone. A few patches of iridescent fungus began sprouting, and perhaps they were even cultivated by the brix for their young. Or just to see; the dim light the mushroom emitted would be enough for the monsters to see with.
At least it made their threads glint. I was slightly less careful than Liam in how I approached them, clearing a generous area around me by swinging my spear. Whenever the light caught on another thread, I would cut it away, and simply walk carefully otherwise.
And so, little by little, wed made it down the slope. We encountered another mutated brix, using lightning magic. It made itself faster and gave me a strong zap once, enough to leave my skin smoking when it died after.
Though after that unexpected encounter, we made it through the remainder of the cave somewhat fine. The most brix we had to face at once had been four, which still let us frontliners mostly hold them off, as damage came in from behind.
Finally, when the day was probably nearing its end up above - I could only guess, since we were too deep underground to get any sunlight - the cave opened up. This was the real nest, up until now wed only been heading through an entrance.
You could generally tell when something led to a nest by a couple things. The most telltale sign was the amount of energy leaking from them and going to them. Nests breathed. Almost like they were alive, theyd pull in Qi and Mana and whatever else floats in the air, then burst it out as well.
Like some kind of twisted cultivation.
That was why generally higher levelled parties took them on. We were at right around the minimum people would recommend to go face a nest, and even then, telling where the entrance to it was hadnt been very hard at all.
Seeing it? That was different entirely.
When the cave opened up to a large cavern, I had expected it to be bustling with brix. Expected it to be full of the creatures. What I decidedly hadnt been expecting was the horrendous stench that came from there.
The nest was a grotesque thing, an amalgamation of crystals, flesh, stone, and plants. At the core of it all, there was a spherical orb, nestled in between structures of liquid bone, deforming and changing to accommodate the sphere as it moved.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
And the heart of it all did move. The orb would expand and contract, with each instance sending a shudder throughout the entirety of the nests mass, bits and pieces of it shifting, melding, and most importantly devouring.
Animal parts nearby would disappear into the mass. Dozens of brix were throwing the results of their hunts at it. Plants, animals, anything that had once been alive was fed to the creature in droves, then disappeared within it. And then, a part of it would warp, change, ripple, and turn smooth, and from it a new brix emerged.
Many of the monsters spawned from the nest sported changes. They were taller, seemed stronger and faster, some had different colours, too. One spawned from the opposite side of the cave from us, crawling out with antlers on its head, and serrated scythes.
I felt the Qi that thing gave off and shuddered. It felt disgusting. Worse than any other type of Qi Id ever felt, except maybe rot. But even then, this had a more distinctly wrong feeling to it. Like the nest was gnawing at me, trying to rip my own Qi right from my core and integrate it into itself, so it could spew out more monsters.
Taking a moment to collect myself, I shook my head. This thing needed to die. I shot a glance back at the party, and received a few nods. The others felt it too, then. That the nest was a threat we couldnt allow to exist.
Despite the amount of brix, and the amount of threads, I could feel the Qi in my body wanting to course, and I let it. Immediately, from my golden core, a torrent of power rushed forth. The nest wanted to have it? It would need to claw it from my cold, dead core.
Without hesitation, I jumped. No, perhaps jumped would be an understatement. I leapt forward, as far as my legs would carry me in a single attempt, soaring and contorting to avoid the threads, and cutting those I couldnt avoid.
Then, in the air, when the brix were just looking up, I took a second and third step, avoiding their traps and their poison as I made way towards the nest. My skin was enveloped in golden radiance already, and sparks of Divinity wormed their way towards me, reinforcing me further.
In a moment, I was already at the nest, cutting through the air with my spear towards the white cage holding the nests heart. I could hear it beat, feel the vibrations in the air, as time seemed to stand still, my spear inching closer to it by the millimetre.
A fraction of a second later, I was blasted aside as though swatting a fly.
Blood splattered from my mouth as I smashed against the cave wall. Anns barriers had saved me from the dangerous webs around, but they couldnt exactly stop the pain of soft flesh hitting stone. The cavern quaked, and cracks sprung up as I slid down the rock.
My mind was rattled. I could barely tell where right and left were as my head spun. My body moved, nonetheless, somehow relying on instinct and the desire to end the nest. But the efforts were cut short by the brix rushing towards me.
They were far too fast for my eyes to keep up with. My sight was so blurry, I couldnt even tell how many there were, only specks of green and blue and grey dashing towards me. I needed to dodge, desperately, but I didnt know how to.
Yet, in the daze, a spark blossomed in my mind. Was that Cass? A memory flashed before my eyes, one of my master, when hed still been active. He was simply doing drills in the garden, showing me movements far beyond my skill back then, and I had not been able to recall them perfectly until now.
Then, my muscles twisted.
I couldnt make out what happened, but the green blurs spun in my vision as my body moved. No, as I moved.
I contorted and spun, flashes of sharp, lethal green passing by right in front of me. I lost a strand of hair to it, but not the flesh it had targeted. Another scythe came at me from below, and a memory flashed in front of my inner eye again. A spin of my spear that would transition defense into offense.
The butt of my weapon spun up, throwing the brix scythe off-course. Then, I thrust my weapon forward, stabbing into one of the monsters I hadnt even seen. Another dodge followed, another beat parry, then two more strikes.
By the time I came back to my senses, I found three of the things dead around me, and my party members clearing some more space.
[I activated [Mirror Mind].]
Shit. That was what it felt like?
Talents were generally passive, but this had not been at all.
[Spear Technique - Fundamentals has reached (Intermediate)!]
Not even remotely. My head was still foggy, and yet, I knew how to execute all those movements, and at the very same time, it had shown me so many tiny flaws in how I generally did things. Instinctively, I slid my hand a little lower on the spear, and loosened my grip slightly. Id been wasting strength through that.
Even my feet shifted subtly, my pose different.
Get out of your head, Fio, were in the middle of a fucking fight!! Matt yelled at me, and suddenly it all snapped back into focus.
I shook my head, getting rid of the last vestiges of that vision as I engraved the lessons deep in my mind. Golden Qi circulated through my spear, and it felt as though the weapon accepted it more easily. As though Id grown more worthy of our bond. When I lashed out, I sliced off the scythe of a brix so easily, despite my aching back.
The residual imprint of what I saw guided me, helped me compensate for my aches and injuries with other muscles, allowed me to keep fighting. My legs were generating more torque, going through my hip, up into my arms, and connecting my body in a fluid motion to stab forward.
Whatever stood where my spear landed was annihilated. Holy crap, I heard Eric mumble, but by then Id already stepped forward some more.
We were finally in proper formation again. Emilias shield was infused with a gray glow, batting at every creature that got near her, and blocking swing after swing. Matt had abandoned his attempts at banter, his eyes once more lit up with sharpness, the fragrance of plum blossoms slowly beating away the stench of the nest.
The familiar smell pulled me into a combat mindset again, and I felt idle thoughts melt away like candle wax. Whenever I attacked, someone guarded me, whenever I retreated, someone took my place. Arrows, throwing knives and spells howled by my ears, striking brix and webs alike. A few of them sunk into the nest, dealing minor damage, too.
Occasionally, Divinity or Mana would flood my body from outside, providing bursts of speed and power. Before, they would come aimlessly, but as the battle went on, each one came with better timing. During a dodge, turning it from a shallow wound into none at all, or during a strike, making a glancing blow into a killing one.
One after another, the brix fell. Wounds on my skin were mended by golden radiance and bright Divinity. I heard dozens of shields shatter over the course of a few minutes, and despite that, fireballs still flew forward, incinerating the monsters and their webs, making them less mobile.
We were gaining ground, bit by bit. And just as a smile snuck onto my face, I felt a change in the air. A frost spell, seeping into me, slowing me down. The mutated brix had finally come to defend their creator.
Chapter 26: Bound Weapons are Great
There werent many of them, but there were enough to make a noticeable change in the pace of the fight. The first to strike was a cold one, a smaller brix, almost scrawny looking, with chitin that seemed more teal than green. I felt it, an aura of ice radiating from the creature, pressing down on me.
The ability gnawed at me, seeped into my bones and attempted to freeze them, but I felt my Qi resist it. Not just my Qi, though, but also the sheen of liquid glass underneath my skin. It helped keep my muscles moving, even when the chill sought to make them stand still.
I had to grit my teeth and resist the ability, since the small one simply sat back, behind a wall of other insectoid bodies. Beside it, the large brix with antlers stood, having been recently birthed from the nest, yet already managing to stand arrogant and tall amongst its siblings. For the moment I glimpsed at it, I thought there was a smirk on its insectoid face, but before I even had time to question it, I spun around and dodged another attack.
There were still more regular brix flooding towards us, dozens of the creatures appearing from side tunnels and sliding over their threads. It felt like a tidal wave of chitin. I stabbed the one that forced me to dodge in the stomach, my better technique helping my Qi move along and destroy its intestines.
For a moment, I marvelled at my own skill, before quickly focusing again. The mirrors might not eat me right now, but the monsters sure would be trying. I shook off the thoughts about rule four as I scanned my surroundings.
Matt was matched up with a brix much smaller than him, darting around rapidly. He was consistently on the defensive against it, unable to get a strike in, but also didnt seem to be particularly struggling to deal with its attacks. His focus was razor sharp, and I was glad to not be facing him. One-on-ones were kind of his specialty.
Emilia, on the other hand, was busy holding back a whole horde of regular brix while dealing with balls of fire being lobbed at her as well. It took me a moment to spot the thing responsible for it, since it was so small, but there was one of the creatures in the back, throwing spells at our frontliner.
I didnt even see Liam anymore, which meant he was quite busy, and Marie seemed to be randomly shooting bolts all over the place. That Id worry about once I was safe myself. Behind them, the twins and Ann were still providing ranged support, both defensive and offensive, with the occasional spell impacting the mass of brix.
Taking it all in took less than a second, during which I parried another attack, beating a sickle aside with the butt of my spear and burning quite a chunk of Qi to annihilate yet another one of the insects.
My muscles creaked inside my body as they were forced to move in the cold. I could see frost beginning to form on the stone near my feet, tiny flakes tossed into the air by my footwork. This was only going to get worse.
Gritting my teeth, I began to advance, keeping my movements as purposely efficient as I could. My spear would snap forward, lashing out and snapping through chitin as I stepped back and to the sides to avoid getting cut up. It took longer, but I was ever so slowly gaining ground.
No matter their monstrous strength, the brix were not made for endurance fighting. That was where humans excelled, and it was what I exploited. I dealt swift, powerful strikes, over and over again. I would cut through legs, or break bits necessary for moving their scythes, then finish them off.
The glass shifted underneath my skin. I felt it more closely now, more like a part of me, as it wrapped around my muscles, keeping them together and coordinated as I fought against the chill. My teeth were chattering, and I could feel the faint spark of Divinity in my chest begin to give out.
I crushed the seed of doubt in my chest. I hadnt known the twins for very long yet, but they would either renew the spell, or they would be in trouble. For now, I just needed to focus on myself.
One more step forward, then another. I saw the cold brix try to step back, but the larger one with antlers held it in place. My brows furrowed at that. Since when were those things intelligent enough to do something like that?
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
A moment later that thought disappeared from my mind again, as the meditative property of stabbing became my main focus. I sidestepped, and thrust my arms forward, shredding through chitin. Then I pulled sideways into a cut, or backwards to me, and repeated the same thing.
Slowly, body by body, strike by strike, I advanced. There were two times a fireball made it past Emilia, but Ann blocked them both, and I hardly even noticed. Once or twice an arrow whizzed by me and struck down another monster on my side. My allies were there, stopping me from being surrounded.
I smiled, even as the frost made my skin crack at the movement. My fingers felt numb, and my legs shaky. My breath was leaving my body in clouds of mist, and water pearled on my skin. And then, there were no more bodies between me and the ice mage.
Without hesitation, I thrust forward again. It was small, and a mage, so it would be slow and die here.
Then, my attack was stopped.
My spear impacted hard chitin, being deflected aside by a sickle. The brix with antlers seemed to almost sneer at me, as its second sickle came flying for my face.
I met it with the butt of my spear, far out from my body. It shifted the sickle off course, letting me dodge to the side. Instinctively, I overcommitted, launching myself to the side far further than I reasonably should. And it paid off.
The monster seemed to regain itself far faster than was reasonable, and brought its sickle back on course, landing a scratch right below my eye, despite my dodge. I sucked in a sharp breath as the blood froze in the air, plinking down on the stone floor.
If I hadnt been so busy breathing as hard as I could, I mightve sworn then. Immediately after, I threw myself back as far as I could, dodging an upward strike by a hair. It still left a small line of blood on my forehead, drips of red turning to crystals in the icy air.
Antlerface let out a noise at that, its mandibles chittering in what I could only assume was laughter. It was mocking me.
Before I could think about that too much, the other brix started coming at me again. I could barely feel my hands, and yet I swung my spear, the shaft creaking under the exertion. The blade carved through chitin again, spilling yet more ichor on the already slick floor.
All the fluids that dripped from the dead brix had frozen to make the ground beneath me icy and perilous. I had to use Qi to anchor myself as I slaughtered the creatures some more. The fact that we cleared this small space of threads by now was the best thing that could have happened. Dealing with poison or more of the things coming at me from above would be impossible right now.
Instead, all I had to do was to keep moving. Stab forward, block, dodge. Survive.
My blood rushed in my ears. I felt some skin on my hands tear open, my callouses brittle from the cold, but I didnt feel any pain. My flesh was far too numb.
Liquid glass moved underneath my skin, supporting my movements. It felt like Cass was right there, pushing me along, even as my sight began to narrow in exhaustion. My lungs burned, and my throat was dry, the cold having frozen the saliva in my mouth.
Still I drew breath, slashing my spear in a wide arc, and having it slam into the shoulder of a brix. Then, there was a gap.
I blinked. My mind ran through a thousand things at once, as my throat moved. Ann, now! I half-croaked half-yelled, as I planted my feet firmly in the ground.
My legs burned so bad, and yet I leaned back, anchoring myself with Qi. Then, I pulled back my spear, holding it fast with one hand as I used the other to generate momentum. I twisted my hips, spun my torso, and swung my arm. With every bit of power I had, I launched the spear forward.
The gap was there.
Somehow through my exhaustion and the horde of brix, Id found a narrow opportunity. Their heads were parted, giving me sight of the little one, the bastard that was freezing me.
More skin tore off my hand as the spear left my fingers, brimming with golden light. I saw the shaft wobble in the air, but I had tossed my weapon hundreds of times. It was stable because of the spin I gave it from my hand.
A grin wormed its way on my lips as it soared forward, past all the brix, and towards the mage. Then, just when antlers wanted to stop it, Ann finished her spell. A sudden bit of telekinesis pushed the spear downwards. Just enough that it went to target the mages stomach instead of its face.
It avoided antlers sickle by a few inches, and struck true instead, digging itself through the monsters body and emerging outside the opposite end covered in ichor.
The spell ended, and I finally felt warmer air fill my lungs. Then, my spear vanished, from the spray of insect parts, and emerged in my hands, clean of it all. I smiled. This was why I loved a properly bound weapon.
Chapter 27: Fallen (Insectoid) Warriors
I could see antlers become more enraged as it let out a screech and charged at me, making its way through the crowd of insects ahead of it. There were only a few seconds before it would reach me, but I used the time well.
Qi from my golden core roiled throughout my body, burning away the frost. I felt pins and needles all over as my skin rapidly thawed. For any normal human, this would have been beyond stupid, but with a reinforced body, I could stand this much easily.
By the time the creature reached me, my muscles finally felt free again, my movements less constrained. For a moment I tossed efficiency to the side, jumping back far further than needed from an attack, just to enjoy my freedom.
I almost laughed, but stopped the sound from bubbling forth, replacing it with a deep breath instead as my mind sharpened. The fight wasnt over yet.
Leveraging the distance I just bought myself, I extended the spear out in front of me, gripping it a bit further back. The brix moved fast, and I couldnt avoid getting into a melee with so many of them, but the screech antlers let out seemed to get the other brix to focus on my party members.
It was just me and it, then. Well, almost. Just when it finally got in range for me to attack, I felt a spark of divinity light up inside my chest. My spear whipped forth with newfound power, only to have the monster bend down under it at an impossible angle, before snapping back up and trying to catch me with a scythe.
A single step back took me out of reach for the attack, and my spear snapped to the left, blocking a scythe headed for my head, and locking the scythe in a bind with me.
I pushed up with my back hand, trying to get overbind and leverage the length of my weapon for a stab, but the creature stepped back, and used the mechanical advantage to push the tip aside. I swiftly pulled back again, avoiding another slash from the second sickle.
Antlers was extremely fast, much more so than the other brix Id fought. Honestly, I was glad that I didnt have to face it with reinforcements. If the other monsters had helped it out, this wouldve been going a lot more poorly.
Instead of that, I was able to duck under another attack, then stab forward. The thing adjusted its legs, weaving past my strike, but I retrieved my weapon before it could get trapped.
After a few more exchanges, I noted that I was slowly taking more and more steps back. Generally, that would be fine, but given that I wasnt fighting alone, it spelled trouble. The brix were spilling past where Id stood before, almost getting behind Emilia by this point. Crap.
I quickly adjusted again, going to a more aggressive stance and trying to flip the script on the insectoid. Rapidly cycling Qi through my body, I infused even more of it into my weapons, the golden light around the tip growing longer. With the added reach, I stabbed forward, and Antlers sidestepped.
A small grin found its way onto my face as I took a deep breath, swinging the spear to the side. The golden light shifted, extending the blade further down the shaft. Where before only a bit of wood would have slammed into its side, the chitin was now met with a blade of golden Qi.
The attack impacted on its torso, its scythe held high in aggression rather than defense, and drew a thick line of ichor across. It screeched as it slashed at me, and I casually let go of the spear, ducking forward and kicking its chest as hard as I could. For a moment, the creature didnt budge, but when the blast of Qi hit, it staggered back.
My spear reappeared within my hands a moment later, and I stabbed at the creature again, only to have the attack deflected. I saw its sickles blur in the air as they smacked my spear aside. I gripped further forward and went along with the momentum, bringing the back end of the weapon forward and striking with it.
Wood struck against the chitin of the brix arm, sending a crack throughout the cave, and I swear the monster winced. Nevertheless, it pushed forward, using the advantage it had over me in mass to brush the spear aside. Then, the scythe blurred again, accompanied by a hum as it cut through the air, and struck my shoulder.
I heard a horrible cracking as Anns barrier broke and the strike caught my shoulder. Then I grinned, and activated [Reflection].
Stolen novel; please report.
The ability was still new, and it went nowhere near as smooth as coursing my Qi, or extending it to my weapon. Those had required the mental trigger before as well, but were now easy as cake. [Reflection] still felt like flipping a switch, but once it was on, my mirror Qi moved so naturally.
It flowed out of me like liquid glass, forming a thin sheet where the attack would have struck. The sickle impacted it, and within the blink of an eye, it was coated in silver liquid, then vanished.
And then, at the very same time, it reappeared next to the monsters other arm, slicing forward and through its own shoulder.
Ichor spilled forth from the wound, and the monster stumbled back, the scythe going back to where it rightly belonged. I still didnt quite understand how reflection worked. The copy it used to execute the attack had been a silvery copy of the original, yet held the same power. At the same time, the scythe had vanished where it would have hit me.
It was strange, and I would need to understand it more later, but now was not the time.
While the brix was still distracted, I moved to stab it, but it still had the presence of mind to dodge. In fact, its legs blurred like its arms had before, and a moment later it was multiple steps away from me. I quickly grabbed the sickle on the floor and deposited it in my inventory. Never knew when it could come in handy.
Taking a moment to look around, I saw that Matt had already killed the small brix which had zipped around him. Liam was also finally within sight again, and currently disappearing and reappearing as he jumped through shadows towards me. Ann and the twins were fighting off a few of the regular brix, while Emilia was tossing the hordes around, supported by covering fire from Marie.
A moment later, the hordes of insectoids were upon me again already. I slashed and cut and thrust and tore chitin from more chitin as the things came at me. My feet were constantly moving, stepping left to avoid an attack, forward for more reach, back to create some space and use my weapon effectively.
Moment after moment my Qi would flare up, then retreat and be cycled again. I didnt use any flashy techniques. It was a resource war, and if I ran out of Qi before they were dead, I was in trouble.
Finally, I saw Liam reappear behind me. His whisper reached me a moment later. Ive got your back, time to push forward!
A quick glance over told me that Emilia and Matt received the same message, and were beginning to move. I made sure to keep mostly in line with them, whenever I could sneak glances through the monsters.
I was lucky to have Liam help me out. Not that I saw him much. He mostly melded into my shadow, and I caught occasional glimpses of a Dagger suddenly appearing around me, striking at the brix. Occasionally, hed appear, weave past my attacks, and cause some havoc.
Despite that, I tried not to focus on him too much, even when I saw glints of metal, or his eyes reflecting a stray bit of light and glinting in the darkness. Like a cat, or something.
I shook my head and actually focused again, taking a heavy step forward and swiping my spear wide to clear out some space, forcing the monsters to retreat and stepping further forward. I felt heat against my back as a fireball from Ann consumed another monster behind me.
Bit by bit, we started making our way forward. Id lost sight of Antlers in the crowd, but was wary of it coming back to attack me. It hadnt used that strange trick to move fast a whole lot, so it probably took a lot out of it, but Id bet it still had a few uses in it. I stayed wary in case it appeared, though the faint shimmer of Anns barriers on my skin made me feel a bit safer.
My mirror Qi was also slowly refilling. Redirecting the sickle had taken a little over half of it, which told me that [Reflection] was quite an expensive ability, and that it probably scaled with force. It also told me that I could not have used it on the nests attack, because that one would have probably needed more Qi than there was in my core.
While thinking I ran another brix through with my spear, slamming the body down on the floor. I quickly resummoned the weapon to get it out, rather than trying to pry it free.
Just then, Antlers appeared again.
It was fast enough that I barely even noticed it. There was a gap in the mass of brix, then there was a blur right in front of me. I flinched backwards the moment I noticed, then heard the telltale clang of chitin meeting metal, and the sickle dug itself into the floor just a little next to me.
Thanks Liam, I smiled at the young man. Hed deflected the attack for me.
While Antlers was off balance, I stabbed forward again, and it dodged, only to then be hit by an Arrow by Marie. The monster let out another screech, and began to move. I was already dodging before the blur even started, yet could still feel the wind as its scythe passed right by my nose.
Then I took another deep breath, cycled copious amounts of golden Qi into my spear, then slashed to the side. Antlers had overextended quite a bit, especially with Liams help. He was holding its legs down with tendrils of shadow. So, when I slashed, all it could do was screech.
I saw its body blur, and one of the legs was free, but before it could move, I struck it right in the side, tearing halfway through its upper body, before blasting the Qi from my spear outwards, destroying its insides.
It attempted to scream one more time, but there was no longer any air in its body. Then it fell over, dead.
Half a breath later, I heard another scream, this one so unbelievably loud that my ears started hurting. My eyes slowly drifted upwards. The nest would be joining the fight, now.
Chapter 28: To Reclaim
As the nest roared, the brix began to charge at us with more vigor. We had killed dozens by now, the floor covered in sticky ichor and bits of chitin. Emilia and Matt breathed heavily as we grouped up to meet the horde, and I saw a few, mostly shallow, wounds on them. We quickly nodded at each other, then faced forward again.
I stabbed another of the insects. They were frenzied now, angry but more predictable. I drew in a shaky breath between slashes. The air felt heavy. A weight pressing down on my chest. I heard Matt grunt.
Fucker has a presence, he said, and my eyes widened. Immediately, I wrapped my body in another layer of protective Qi, feeling the load lighten just slightly. I couldnt even tell what kind of power it was filling the air with, except that it felt wrong. If I were to put it into words, it would be corruption, something vile that seemed to eat away at anything else, consuming the Mana, Divinity, and Qi originating from all of us.
It felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down a dark abyss, except that this one was purposely reaching out and trying to devour me.
Then I felt a little calm brushing against my mind, coming from Cass. A whisper of confidence in me. I gripped my spear a little tighter despite my cracked skin, and almost smiled as I cut down another brix and took a deep breath in the short lull it gave me.
By then, our backline had also caught up, and the eight of us stood in a ring, all facing the Nest ahead. It screeched again, its howl imbued with that strange, destructive power, and I pressed my palms against my ears.
My head already hurt from using [Mirror Mind], so when the soundwave hit, I felt my vision go hazy, quickly blinking the darkness away. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a trail of blood trickling from Matts ears as well, but he seemed unbothered.
Emilia was the first one to step forward, shield raised in anticipation of an attack. The field between us and the amorphous mass of the nest was still filled with the wretched insects, but Emilia began to press on through the horde anyway.
Matt and I both followed after her, carving a path as quickly as we could. The presence got stronger, but we simply fended it off using more Qi. The push went well for maybe fifty steps, then the first attack from the nest came in.
It was a swing so blazingly fast I hardly saw it, except for the scattering of crushed chitin it left in its wake. Despite the speed, Emilia brought up her shield. The impact was deafening, a mix of screeching and wet slapping, as first sharp crystals were dragged across the shield, before those shattered and the amalgam of plant and flesh impacted against Emilia.
Her feet sunk into the floor a bit, but didnt budge. The grey, metallic aura around her became even thicker, and she pushed with a grunt of effort, gaining ground against the nests appendage.
There was a large rumbling, another screech, and the presence intensified even more, like a physical force pushing us to the ground. Then, suddenly, some of the weight lifted, as I felt Divinity bloom within me again. I drove my spear forward half a breath later than Matt did his sword, and a flurry of gold and pink blasted the tentacle apart, shredding wood and crystal and flesh.
Immediately, Emilia began advancing again, her steps heavy against the stone floor. We may not feel the presence anymore, given how much we were reinforcing ourselves, but it was still there, enough to make it feel like gravity was thrice as strong. Occasionally, a bit of stone would crack underneath our steps, but it was nothing compared to the damage the writhing of the nest did.
When its tentacle was broken, it began thrashing about randomly, even tossing a few of the brix through the air. Only a few of the attacks came our way, which we mainly dodged, rather than block. After a few moments though, another interconnected string of moss and stone came smashing against Emilia.
She slid back a few steps, digging in her heels with another grunt of effort. Then, a moment later, Ann, Liam, and Marie blasted the appendage apart. This time, the reaction was less extreme, though the force pushing down on us still increased again.
I didnt get how that thing had so much power to randomly throw around. I was just happy it seemed less than fully sapient. If it had been strategizing against us, that would have been far worse, but just thrashing around was mostly manageable.
Bit by bit, block by block we advanced. Ann and the twins would recast buffs, Liam and Marie would guard the sides, Matt, Emilia and I guarded the front. Slowly but surely, we advanced on the nest, even as the presence grew, as the brix charged at us, and our resources drained faster.
The unsettling corruption in the air grew so thick it was hard not to retch when breathing, even ignoring the smell in the cavern. It was eating away at my Qi, draining me, even as the brix still kept coming. The unease was gnawing at me bit by bit, but having everyone else around helped keep it at bay somewhat.
Despite the obstacles, we slowly got closer to the nests main body, and I could see more details. It was such a grotesque creature, covered in leaves and moss and crystals and stone, all over flesh of all colours, as well as plates of chitin. As if someone had decided to simply throw all regionally somewhat available materials on there.
This close, there were also more appendages to swing at us. The larger, person-thick tentacles seemed not made for combat, but rather for integration of new materials, at least thats what Cass heard from the keeper-network. This close, there were far more arms and legs, decked out in various spikes and crystals and sharp bits. I even saw a few bits of armor plating and some man-made weapons in there, and tried not to think too much about it.
Instead, my mind honed in on the movements up close. Emilia strode ahead, but at this distance, the nest was practically all around us, spread even across the floor. At least, the brix couldnt follow us in here, there was no real space for them. Instead of the hordes, there were constantly dozens of small attacks on us. Thorny vines and crystalline spears came from the floor, slashing at our ankles like a tiny army.
We couldnt even use Qi to walk through the air, given that the presence and the corruption would have disrupted it, so instead, we were stuck dodging the dozens of attacks. I could see that it gave Ann and the twins especially some trouble, until Marie and Liam moved back to clear them some space.
Marie used some frost arrows, spreading a sheet of ice across the floor, and Liam spread himself out as a shadow, preventing anything from coming up.
Slowly, gruellingly, we chopped off bit by little bit from the creature. Cutting through chitin, plate armor, and anything in between. Inch by inch, we carved out a way forward, so deep in that we could hardly even see the brix around anymore. The air felt thick as mud, every breath a chore to filter the corruption.
Liam ran out of Qi first.
He had spread himself too thin. Protecting Ann and the twins after he had already been low on resources and doing a big battle had been too much. He suddenly dropped out of the shadow, and I saw his eyes go wide as he choked for air.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Then, Ann touched his shoulder, and he steadied. I saw her forehead glisten with sweat and looked closer. She was fending off the corruption with an impromptu mana shield, not even a proper spell. It would leave her completely empty as well in just a few dozen seconds.
Shit, I growled, looking at the nest, then back at the others. Maries eyes tightened immediately.
Resource count, quick, she ordered, hacking another bit of the nest apart with her dagger.
15 percent, Matt yelled through a grimace. Fuck.
25, Emilia answered from behind her shield, fending off a crystalline scythe.
45, total, I said. I only had 20% of my golden Qi left, and half of my Mirror Qi, but with one of the cores holding less total, it was as good as that.
10, Ann grunted through gritted teeth, kneeling on the floor. The sheen of mana enveloping her and Liam would flare brightly every few seconds, when another attack hit it. 9, now.
30, each, Eric helpfully supplied for his sister, who nodded, while they were trying to fight off the nearby attacks.
Liam didnt reply.
Alright, change of plans. Im setting up a ward, Marie said between heavy breaths as she dodged away from a few tentacles. Fio, Emilia, youre continuing. Everyone else stays. Reya, Eric, if you have any buffs, use them now. Its do or die, she ordered, then already went about clearing some space. Matt helped her, and they hacked apart the nest bit by bit.
She was a ranger, specialized in survival, so making wards was luckily part of that skillset. It also meant she used both Mana and Qi a little, to get that extra flexibility. It would buy us some time now, time that I would have to make count.
Emilia clapped my shoulder, hard, batting aside an attacking scythe with her shield. Ill get you in as far as I can take you. Save your resources until then. Hopes are on you now.
I barely had time to nod as the warmth of Divinity flooded me. It was far more than each of the small enhancements had been until now, a veritable fountain of consecrated energy. I felt the small cuts on my skin knit themselves together as some of the energy leaked out and went about healing my little injuries.
Muscles grew easier to move again, the tiny tears in them repairing themselves, as some amount of fatigue left me. I only really went from zombie tired to ready-to-pass-out tired though.
Immediately, Emilia and I helped guard Marie. She carved some symbols into the floor with a special dagger for maybe a dozen seconds, moving faster than any human normally could as we kept the nest at bay, despite all its fury.
A quick incantation and a large burst of energy later, the nest inside the area was incinerated. Then, Marie fell onto the floor. Everyones energy inside would be drained to keep up the defense. At least it seemed to be working, with attacks from the nest only resulting in burnt appendages as they impacted the energy shield.
Time to move, Emilia told me with an encouraging smile, and stepped forward, her back straight and as reliable as ever. I gave one last glance at the group, getting a few reassuring gestures, then followed.
I stuck close to her, closer than I usually did, so much so that I could almost breathe more easily in her aura. She smelled like steel and sweat and blood, just like I probably did. Despite how exhausted we all were, she moved well in her heavy armor, batting and smashing anything that came close enough to try and harm us.
Somehow, the presence grew heavier still. It was most likely even heavier on her than it was for me. Her plate would weigh her down far more under the increased gravity, after all. Despite that, she held on, walking as steadfast as ever, even when her feet would have been heavy as concrete blocks.
I admired that about her. The relentless stability to always move on. Of course, I had some of that, too, but never in the calm, stable way she did. Every step she took filled me with a bit more confidence, despite the encroaching corruption. Every time she grunted or heaved or breathed, it sounded like working bellows, as consistent and unstoppable as any machine.
And then, after far, far longer than she had any right to last, Emilia stopped. Alright, Fio, she said. The rest is up to you. Any further and I get killed before you get to the end. Despite how grim her words were, the tall woman shot me a confident smile. Give it hell, Fio. she said.
I will, I said, nodding at her one last time, before she pushed me forward and closed her eyes. The Qi in the air started seeping towards her slowly, though I could feel it be dragged around by the corruption. There wasnt far left to go now, though. The path through the nest had been mostly straightforward, a small walkway encased in danger.
Blazing with Qi and Divinity, I took another step forward. I could feel Cass presence still faintly in my mind, ever confident in me. I took another step forward.
It felt somewhat reminiscent of the last time I spent alone in a cave, crawling while bloodied, only ever thinking about the next tiny bit of movement I could manage. The thought made me shudder for a moment, my heart tight. But I breathed again.
Id survived that.
Id survive now, too.
Another step forward, then the nest suddenly began to shudder.
I felt the ground shaking beneath me, the bits and pieces of material that constituted the creature shuddering and rippling. I didnt wait to find out what was happening, and instead sprinted forward as fast as I could.
Emilia had already bought me a lot of ground, and there wasnt much distance left to the nest. Calling my speed sprinting might have been generous though. The pressure was so heavy by now that each step felt like I was lifting blocks of lead.
Regardless, I pressed on, only occasionally snapping my spear forward or to the side and breaking whatever thing was attacking me. I didnt bother to look anymore, my mind instead focused on keeping myself moving. Everything hurt again, and the vibrations from the nest were so intense, I could almost feel the shifting glass beneath my skin shake as well.
My teeth were rattling in my skull by the time I made it to the final stretch. My Qi was running low, despite the thick coating of it I still had to put up against the corruption eating away at it, and the presence crushing down on me.
It didnt matter.
I could feel myself strain against it, against the nests best efforts. Its crushing presence, its silly little writhing attacks. I could feel it thrash about and shiver and grow more powerful as I walked. And it didnt matter.
I advanced.
Step by step, inch by inch I gained ground. Moved until I could see that core in the cage again, where I had previously been struck down. Moved as the walls grew more appendages to carve at me. Moved when the attacks got to my skin because there were too many to dodge.
Distantly, I knew that I was being cut. I also knew I chose to ignore the pain.
Then, suddenly, as if the distance hadnt been an object at all, I was in front of the core. The nest lashed out one more time, striking at me with all its fury, and then fell short. A pane of glass, a mirror, was in front of me, tall and imposing as the one in my bedroom back on the other side.
It gave me comfort.
Then, I slashed upwards, through the bony bars that trapped the core of the nest inside, and my spear struck against it.
I cracked the core. It sounded like Id stabbed through a window, but it didnt break. Instead, the thing fell out of its cage towards me, the strange substance that made up the nest crawling and writhing around me.
I wanted to stab out again, finally destroy it, when I felt the glass underneath my skin change. It began to bubble, and boil, and I could tell it was hungry.
Then it all clicked.
This wasnt a normal nest. The divines had sent me here for a reason. To castle Arhan for a reason.
It was all so I could get things in that specific order. Hear about the usurpers and corrupted gateways and how they could spawn monsters. Sure, there were natural nests. But this was not one of them.
I could feel the gateway within myself, how it wanted to devour the core. Burn away all the corruption and take back the fragment of a broken mirror.
The nest hadnt even been born of a proper usurper, or a full gateway. It was barely a fledgling creature, whod found nothing but a single piece of an already shattered gate, the rest decayed or lost, or whatever else. It didnt matter.
This piece would now be reclaimed, that much I knew. I could feel it resonate with the strange sensation in my chest, with the mirror core. The glass underneath my skin shifted and broiled and bubbled, and I guided it along, out of my skin, around the core of the nest.
Something within me pulsed, and the writhing stopped.
Maybe the divines had set me up for this. Maybe it was fate. Whatever the case, I was not prepared for the strangeness of something filling a hole you hadnt even known was there.
Chapter 29: A small Respite
When the core of the nest was enveloped by the glass that usually hid under my skin, I felt a lot of things at once. First, I could tell I killed something. A faint, strange presence, wrapped around the mirror shard.
It felt disgusting to each and every one of my senses. A spot of corruption that would try to assimilate anything, leaving no room for things not created by it. A monster, through and through, with only the drive to devour.
I killed it, snuffed out the life of the fledgling usurper before it had a chance to fend me off again.
Then, behind that veil of corruption, I felt something that was hurt. It was a small piece of a mirror, maybe as big as the palm of my hand if at all. I could feel that it wanted to become part of a greater whole, and let it be part of the gateway within me. Somehow, then, it slotted into a place that needed it, when I hadnt even known it was there.
When that piece slotted in a new layer was added to my awareness that hadnt been there before. I felt the gateway inside me, not as a layer of shifting glass, but in its true shape. A mirror full of cracks and missing pieces.
Some of those bits had begun mending, the cracks lessening. But there was so much missing, big chunks that had been eroded by time. Some of the bits that were slotted in had even gone dull, not even being properly reflective anymore. It truly was broken apart.
I could also now tell that it and my mirror core were living somewhat symbiotically, exchanging Qi back and forth. The gateway generated the Qi, putting it into my core, and it would flow from the core into the gateway, slowly repairing the cracks.
Then, the missing piece slotted in, the surroundings shifting for a moment to accommodate it, before they fused to it. The feeling was hard to describe, it felt like finding a lost piece of myself. I supposed the gateway truly was part of me now.
A short sigh left my lips. The nest was falling apart around me, but my insides still stirred. The glass that had devoured the core slowly sunk back underneath my skin. My stomach twisted and I fell to my knees, suddenly overcome with nausea.
[Gateway integrity raised from fifteen to twenty percent.]
I smiled at Cass voice, despite the feeling of my insides being rearranged. Slowly, I brought myself back to a standing position, watching the amalgamation of materials begin to decay around me, being assimilated into the surrounding Qi. I began stumbling back to where I left the other members of the party.
Now that the adrenaline was running out, all my little aches had time to properly set in. My hands were bloody and open from gripping my spear too hard. My legs, shoulders, and back all ached as though Id put them through a grinder, the muscles completely worn out by all the running and fighting Id done.
There were dozens of new cuts across my body, the old ones having been healed by the overload of Divinity.
The moment I thought of it, that radiant spark in my chest ran out, sapping me of even more energy and I stumbled, landing myself in a pile of decaying moss. Slowly, painfully, I pushed myself back up, leaning on my spear. I almost smirked. Slowly, I trudged through a cave again, every muscle on my body hurting as I used my weapon as a crutch. Surely this wouldnt become a theme?
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity but was probably just a few minutes, I stumbled upon a small lake of blood. Emilia was lying on the floor, breathing heavily, with a big, shit-eating grin on her face. Her eyes were closed even as I stepped closer.
You fucking did it, she said, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.
Of course I did. Was there ever any doubt? I asked, grinning right back, despite the aches the movement caused.
Not even a bit, princess.
Bah, I laughed, then kicked her in the side. Up, up, sleeping beauty.
Urgh, just 5 more minutes? she spun around. Owww, my fecking sides.
Youre getting your armor all bloody! I laughed at her antics again.
Not like any spot of it is clean by now. Means I did my job well, she replied with a wink.
Fairs fair. Now come on, get up. I offered Emilia a hand and she grabbed it, almost pulling me down with her as she jumped up, the plates rattling.
God Im excited to take this damn suit of metal off. You know how many dents are in there? Uncomfortable as all anything, she told me as we walked back. There was a steady trickle of blood behind as from fresh wounds, but we chatted merrily anyway. I helped Emilia stand straight.
If she were a normal human she should well have passed out from the blood loss by now. Luckily, she wasnt that flimsy.
We bantered along the way, mainly complimenting each others work.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
By the time we made it back to the others, most of our wounds had begun clotting. My insides finally felt like they were done moving about, the new piece of the gateway having settled in properly, and the glass shifting to help keep me standing once more. The first thing I heard was Matts snoring, which was quickly replaced by a yelp when Emilia dropped onto the floor like a sack of potatoes.
The loud clang of her metal armor awoke our flowery swordsman, and he faked a frown. You know I need my beauty sleep, he said, as though it was the most serious topic in the world, receiving a snicker from me.
Youre a beautiful rodent already, Rat, Marie teased with a small smirk, eliciting a snort from Matt, then turned to Emilia and me. Good work. Glad you guys made it back safe.
I nodded at her, then plopped down next to Ann. I let my eyes drift over everyone. They all looked about as tired as I felt, well, except Liam, who had a more guilty expression on his face. There was a brief silence in the air, interrupted only by the fizzling of the nest as it dissolved into Qi.
The young rogue almost went to meet my eyes, but seemed to almost dodge out of the way at the last second every time. Running out of Qi without warning anyone sure was a bit of a blunder, but nothing to be this embarrassed about. I sighed, then smacked him on the back of the head.
Cheer up already, I scolded him. We made it out fine. From a nest, even, Liam. This is enough to start making it properly big here in Eden! I gestured wide with my arms, indicating the decaying mess of blood and ichor that surrounded us. Look at all the things we can have! All these chopped up arms and things.
It elicited a short snort from him, before he looked down again a bit.
I agree with Fio here, Eric added, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. You protected us at your own expense, and we appreciate that. His words were reinforced by a nod from Reya. Of course you should tell us next time, but it went fine. No need to beat yourself up about it.
He clapped his shoulder once more, before another short bit of silence set in. After a few, long breaths we all needed to recharge, Marie slapped her thighs and got up. Alright! Lets get moving before those brix remember were here.
That elicited a small grimace from all of us, and with a few more groans that werent technically necessary, wed made it off the floor and were marching again. There was a thin haze of energy around the group as we fended off the general outside energy of the wilderness again.
Once we finally made it out from the remains of the nest, the cavern was stunningly empty. Apparently, all the brix had fled once their creator was dead. Probably hiding away in corners or crevices. Made me almost feel bad for killing so many, but not quite. They werent exactly hesitant about messing me up either.
The walk out of the cave was gruelling, but not as hard as the one towards the nest was. Despite all the aches, our energy stores were slowly replenishing along the way, and we werent attacked anymore, so each step felt lighter than the last.
We chatted a little along the way, just regular banter, but none of us really put too much thought into it, more overcome with the happiness of having survived, as well as the exhaustion that usually came with such an outing.
When we made it back out, the sun was already low in the sky, evening having crept up on us during the expedition. We quickly went about setting up camp, eating rations rather than cooking a new meal. Marie and Ann set up the barrier together this time, supplied by ambient energy, while everyone else went mostly about cleaning their gear.
Monster blood tended to be mildly corrosive, so it was important to clean it off. There were a few ways of doing it, using Qi or the inventory and all that, but they still took some amount of time, so it was enough to keep everyone occupied until watches were chosen.
This time we didnt do any gambling on it. Liam got put on for first watch, so he would be miserable a bit longer, but hopefully wake up fully rested. Before I went to sleep, I sat down next to him to talk a bit more. Hed looked more glum than anyone else as we walked out from the cave.
You okay there? I asked.
He nodded, then stopped for a moment, and shook his head.
Whats on your mind? I considered putting a hand on his back to be encouraging, but decided against it after a moment. I was unsure how comfortable he wouldve been with it.
Its alright, I heard his voice in my ear. I just feel a bit useless. Like Im holding you all back.
For a moment, I was the stunned one. Youre worried about that? I asked incredulously.
Mhm, he nodded again, slumping his shoulders even more. I bit my lips a bit, not quite knowing what to say.
Im sorry to hear that, Liam.
Its fine.
No, I mean, let me be very clear with you. You did great today. The problem isnt that you ran out, its that you didnt tell us ahead of time. You didnt run out because you were unproductive, you need to do something with all that Qi for it to matter, no?
I smiled a bit as he hesitantly nodded.
Exactly. You cleared the entire way for us, then fought in a huge battle after having already been low on Qi, guarding me from the shadows, and then fending off attacks for our backline. I mean it very seriously when I say that you did really well.
Again, all he gave me was a morose nod. Sure, he sounded to me. I frowned a bit.
Dont you sure me, I said, elbowing him lightly in the ribs. You did good, kid.
Im not a kid, Fio. If you had been in my situation, you wouldve done better, he grimaced, squeezing his fist.
I was tempted to smack him on the hand, but decided not to. Look, I said. I get that youre upset. We all make mistakes. But you cant let that eat you up inside. Its fine. No ones mad at you except yourself. I laid a hand on his shoulder. Take it as it is. You did a lot of things that helped. Eventually you ran out of steam. You can work towards improvement without letting it get to you.
He blinked at that a few times. I just dont wanna drag anyone down, he murmured.
You arent. And you wont. Have some trust in yourself.
I saw his eyes glint from another tiny smile. Ill try.
Alright! I said, clapping him on the back. Ill leave you to it then. Be patient with yourself. Talk to you tomorrow.
Yeah, talk to you tomorrow, he nodded.
Then, I headed off to sleep with Ann. Before I reached the tent, I still saw Reya approaching Liam, sitting down next to him quietly. I smiled a little. Hopefully the company would do him good.
Then I slipped past the tent flaps, got myself into bed, and drifted off to somewhere between sleep and meditation.
I began to dream of mirrors.
Chapter 30: A Path Forward
The dream started off mostly ordinarily. Drifting half-thoughts, more ideas swirling around my head, until they slowly coalesced. I felt a calling, and I answered, as I always did.
There was a small thing within me that I grasped. I couldnt quite tell its shape. It was a hand, at first, then a small sphere, then a shifting thing, then a plane. My eyes opened, and I was touching a mirror, my hand laid on it.
It was cracked.
Dozens of little imperfections ran across it, hundreds of gaps and rends and small broken bits. It pulsed in time with my heart. Alive.
I breathed and saw it quiver. My hand was still on it. I withdrew, ever so slowly, looking at the glass.
Where it should have been reflective, it was not. The thing was an inert, opaque silvery surface, lost of luster. Perhaps, it was that I simply didnt want to see myself. I dont know, still.
But despite the uncertainty, I felt it was part of me. Slowly, I tore my gaze from it, and looked around. There were other things around, hidden behind a thin veil, a bubble, that were not me.
Bell? someone asked me.
I turned around to face the voice, and saw a figure. It was small, about the size of maybe a six-year-old, and floated a few feet off the ground, just enough to be on eye height with me. The figure was almost featureless, being more of a human facsimile made from light.
Cass? I asked, cocking my head to the side.
Despite lacking eyes, I could tell the figure blinked, and then beamed. The light became more radiant, and I knew she was happy.
Bell! she yelled, suddenly flitting towards me. Youre here! How? Why? What are you doing here?!
I blinked as well, and managed a small smile. You know, maybe I have some questions first. Where is here, exactly?
The gateway world, obviously! she said. Your, or, well, our part of it, specifically.
Our part? I looked at the mirror again, watching it pulsate in tune with my heart. I took a deep breath, centered myself.
Yeah! Cass pointed to the sky. See the white film? Thats whats shielding us. I live here? Well, most keepers would be somewhere within the sphere of influence their gateways give them. I can communicate with the others by poking my head out, but the little film is our protective barrier. Against attacks or influence from the collective, you know?
I followed her finger to the sky and narrowed my eyes. It took a moment for it to come into focus, but there was a hazy layer around us. It was thin, and wavey, but still somehow felt reliable.
It grew a bit after you took in that other part. I think itll grow more if you eat more of those shards. Eat? Absorb? Whatever, you know what I mean! she said excitedly.
I gave her a slow nod. Riiight. So, why am I here?
How would I know? she answered, and somehow I could feel that she would have grinned had she a mouth. But this is good! Very good!
How so? I asked morosely. My thoughts felt slow, tired. Still dreaming. My heart beat, and the mirror pulsed.
Well, youve seen the gateway world when walking between portals, but this is another perspective. Less infinite fractals, more order. Might help you visualize it better, make a path for it? she suggested.
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
I paused for a moment. Looking through the film was easy, it was so thin it fell out of focus fast. The area past it didnt look that different to me at all, though. There were still thousands of mirrors, thousands of gateways behind and on top of each other. Some of the gateways would occasionally shine with a blinding light, which made me think they might be in use.
Its so empty. Sure, there were gateways, but nothing else. Just bubbles of mirrors as far as the eye could see. Up and down and to the sides. Everywhere, all just gateways. It made me feel small, insignificant, and yet I was keenly aware that that small mirror behind me was still being coveted by others.
My heart beat. The mirror pulsed again.
Cass face fell. Well, she didnt have a face, but the light coming from her dimmed a little. Yeah, she muttered. It is a bit empty.
I put a hand on her head. At least theres good company? I suggested, and she brightened a little at that.
Sure is, Bell, she said.
Then I looked around again. My heart beat, the mirror pulsed.
It all looked familiar yet alien. When I watched myself move between worlds, the process was disorientating, infinite fractals folding again and again and again. This, on the other hand, was a vast wasteland of nothing. No other mes walking through other gates, no other Reflectors, either.
I supposed that was the difference between gateways and those who used them. The things themselves were just a tool, forever still, forever locked in place, simply another little bubble in a sea of nothing. Travelling, on the other hand, was much different.
Seeing the folding was a promise of adventure. Other Fios whod succeed or fail. A promise to myself that I would make it farther. Farther than my copies, farther than the other Reflectors.
And yet it was all just one layer of it. I was now a user and a gateway, a mirror and the reflection all at the same time. Putting these two disjointed bits together was hard and strange and I didnt quite see how I would.
That feels lonely, Cass said from my side.
Had I muttered things out loud?
You didnt, she assured me. I cant even quite tell what youre thinking at all. But this place, it lets me get a glimpse of how you feel, you know?
I paused, then nodded. Me too, I told her. I could tell when shed been sad before, when she felt lonely, or when she would smile. The same probably went for her.
You dont have to be alone, you know that, right Bell?
The question was so simple. Cass asked it innocently, trying to reassure me, but I felt something at it.
My heart beat, the mirror pulsed.
I had been feeling lonely. Determined, willing to move forward, by myself.
Did it have to be that way though?
This place felt so cold and empty. A stack of bubbles, of mirrors just like mine, all the way up, all the way down. The other version, when travelling, was a host of possibilities, a cacophony of promises and motivations, and a terrifically lonely road that made me feel how small I was.
I wanted to rebel against that. Rebel against my insignificance and the crushing size of it all. To take the people I cared for, my small world, and make it big. Shove it into the faces of the keepers, of the usurpers, of the divines.
Tell them all that I was here. That I existed. To leave a mark that stood out against infinity.
My heart beat, the mirror pulsed.
I felt the desire burning in my chest. To prove that I wasnt insignificant. That the people I cared for werent insignificant. I wanted to make an impact myself, but that wasnt all. I wanted my world to matter, the people I cared about to matter. Both on Eden, and on Neamhan.
I didnt want to lose another family, I wasnt willing to give up a single person in my life. Not here, not on the other side.
They were all my family. I would not let even a single one of them go.
My heart beat, and the mirror pulsed as one.
I felt the change, felt myself rumble, felt my mirror core howl deep in my chest, and I knew what it meant.
[Mirror Core - Path found!]
[Path (Imprint upon infinite Self-Similarity)]
My heart thumped in my chest, and the mirror behind me rumbled. Cass glowed brightly at me.
I smiled.
This was it, then. My own little declaration of war against fate, against being a pawn. A promise to break the pattern, to go one step beyond, and to make sure that my little world would never be forgotten.
Chapter 31: On the Road
Not long after, my eyes drifted open. The memories from the gateway place were still fresh in my mind, not at all like a normal dream, though they now had to contend with all the aches that plagued my body.
After a nights rest, I could properly feel all the soreness having set in. My muscles ached, my cores felt heavy, my Qi lethargic and slow. Every bit of me seemed to want to stay still, to keep sleeping, and so I turned over and snuggled up even closer against Ann, keeping my eyes tightly shut.
Only to have that very trust betrayed as she began lightly tapping my cheek. Rise and shine, she murmured right into my ear in that sing-song voice she liked to use. I just grumbled and hugged her even tighter.
Come on, Fio, its morning by now, she said again, and lightly tapped my cheek. When I didnt react, she tapped it a few more times. I could feel her hand getting a little colder. Was that ice magic?
Alright, love, you have five seconds before I start placing my very cold hand on your tummy, Ann promised, and suddenly sleep didnt seem as delightful anymore. I forced my heavy eyelids to lift, grumbled a few choice words at her, then laid my head back down on her lap, staring up into her eyes.
She smiled, and the creases on her face made her look illegally cute.
Then, suddenly, I felt a sharp cold on my stomach, and howled, jumping up. That smile hadnt been cute at all, it was predatory!
She grinned even wider. Morning, sunshine, Ann said, tilting her head and I almost forgot how mad I was. A ray of sunshine came in through the tent flap and fell onto her hair, making it glow a fiery red.
Somehow, I still managed a scowl. How dare you, I accused her.
She raised an eyebrow. You had your warning.
Just because you look too lovely, I grumbled again, and she chuckled.
Alright, alright, enough flirting, love. Get on out there and eat breakfast. Your stomach has been complaining enough to wake me up, she teased.
I felt my face flush just a little as I lowered myself. Right, I muttered, beginning to head out of the tent. I can feel it too, now.
As always after a fight, I was hungry. Dinner had been decent yesterday, but it was never going to be enough. Exhausting your Qi would mean your body worked overtime trying to restore it, and combine that with fighting and moving and having magic cast on you? It emptied out your reserves horribly.
I winced as I bent down to leave the tent, feeling my abs ache and protest. Every bit of me was very clear in its desire to just lay down and relax. Despite that, the smile on my face stayed stuck.
When I got outside, I was already feeling good about finding a technique, but seeing everyone made it even nicer. Marie was stirring a delicious smelling pot. Emilia sat by the fire, with Eric checking all the bandages all over her.
Liam sat at the side with Reya. The two seemed silent, but I knew they could just as well be holding a conversation. I smiled, and sat myself down next to Matt. The air still smelled fresh, like grass and flowers and had that distinct background hum of energy in it.
He looked at me for a moment, raising his eyes from polishing his sword. Oh, look who finally made it, he said with a smile, clapping me on the shoulder. Good morning, our Hero.
I smirked back. Morning, Rat, I said.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Matts smile grew slightly wider and he leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. I see that ones sticking around. Ill make sure to draw some whiskers on my face for your next birthday, eh? He grinned, then let out a long sigh. Haaaaaah, I really thought I was gonna die yesterday, Fio.
My eyebrows shot up a bit. Really now? I suppose it would be like you to die in a shoddy tunnel. I, for one, plan to live a long, healthy life. That, at the least, was genuine.
There was a reason many people didnt spend too much time in Eden. The risk of death was always there in this place, and dying here would be an unpleasant end on the other side.
First of all, your soul had to be scavenged. It would, without a doubt, go through some damage before passing through to the other side. Additionally, both your bodies were linked, so you might end up with some trouble there as well. And the keepers wanted to keep Eden secret, so they would still wipe your memories, but with a damaged soul and a hurried process, it was much rougher.
Which meant frequent nightmares, and a sense of longing and loss that could drive people mad. It was why having an anchor on the other side was so important. Having a purpose there would make life worth living, even if you died in Eden.
I, for one, would be unwilling to give up my family. Even if I died in Eden, I couldnt make my brother lose another sibling, my parents another child. I shook my head, banishing the thought. I wouldnt die here, never.
Matt was staring at me. Sorry, sore spot. You know, once I retire, Im gonna open up a dojo back on Neamhan. Not because I love my sword, he added, but to beat up some kids. Just knock em down with some wood. Its gonna be like a zombie movie, hordes of them charging at me and being cut down! He swung his hands through empty air and I chuckled.
Sure, bud, I chided, definitely got nothing to do with your love for swords, mhm.
Alright kids, Marie interrupted. Food is ready, stop your bickering.
Looking at Matt, he seemed just as ravenous as I did, but still held back. While I got my food, he very slowly put his sword into its sheath, only after making sure it was absolutely spotless. Hed already cleaned and maintained it yesterday evening, twice even, and still went over it again.
I shook my head at it, and started to dig into my food. Its delicious, I told Marie, and she smiled back at me.
- - -
The trip back to castle Arhan was completely uneventful. In the few days it took us, I had some time to heal, much of it thanks to the seemingly endless supplies of bandages the twins seemed to conjure from nowhere. I swear, Emilia spent half the time wrapped up like a mummy.
We were probably lucky that no monsters attacked us, especially given that the gateway seemingly attracted them. Was there also some form of deterrent among our party? Or was the gateway just better hidden now that it was closer to being repaired?
I had many questions, but answers were much more scarce it seemed.
Instead of driving myself mad about it, I focused on my new Path. The cultivation technique, as some called them.
Imprint upon infinite Self-Similarity. Just as I shortened my other technique down to voyage, I boiled this one down to imprint. That was the core principle. To leave a lasting mark.
While voyage was all about the journey I embarked on, a mix of following and driving the current, this one was more selfish, more self-centered. It was about me. About what I wished for. About my mark on this world, about shattering imposed realities.
I smiled. They meshed better than I thought.
Sure, imprint didnt exactly have the same travelling aspect as voyage did, but they still worked well together. Travelling to see things, then imprinting myself on those things. It was a cycle of action and reaction, of moving forward and making sure my path was mine alone.
And so, while walking, I meditated.
Imprint was an infant Path. Id come up with it, sure, and Id recognized it for its potential, but I had not yet properly mastered it. For that, I needed to come up with visualization, a fitting breathing pattern, and memorization helps.
Cultivating my core wasnt as easy as sitting down in a cave and just starting. I could forcefully activate it using the system, like flicking the switch for a new Technique, but that could end up doing more harm than good. I wanted to master imprint my own way; using a personal Path via the system could end up in a dead-end.
So, instead of relying on shortcuts, I meditated on imprint itself. I breathed, thought back to the pattern of mirrors, to the world between worlds. To fractals on one hand and copies on the other. On all the other mes.
I breathed. Thought of the gateway within me and my mirror core. Of how it felt. And then it clicked.
My heart beat. I took another deep breath. Then, I let my mind wander through the gateway inside me.
Chapter 32: Imprint
As with all gateways, there was another side.
As with all gateways, the transition there was mildly uncomfortable.
But this sensation was different from all the other times. Rather than disorienting confusion, this one felt like I was searching for something. Less being transported, more shown the road. To a different side that only I would see.
And shown the road I was.
A myriad, myriad roads, even. Wherever my eyes drifted, there was a path. Each different, each one mine. There was no limit to where I could go, an infinite reflection of roads and roads and roads. This was Self-Similarity. I needed to make my imprint.
I stepped forward.
The path I chose didnt matter, all of them were mine. Yet, once I took my step, it was solid behind me. Forever locked in. No longer reflecting others, but made mine. My imprint, my step, forever frozen in eternity.
I took another step.
Moving forward here was difficult. It felt as though there was a pressure on me, the familiar pressure of cultivation. At the very foundation, it was to imprint ones will onto the world, and that is what I would do. Except, rather than one world, this would imprint my will on each and every last one of them.
Each parallel me, each sideways future, each path forward would see this bit. Would see how I stepped, how I walked. And an infinite amount of worlds pressed down on me.
Not that I cared.
I brushed the pressure aside and stepped forward, another bit of road forming behind me. My destiny, the infinite possibilities stretched out before me.
The divines wanted to choose one for me. The usurpers and keepers wanted my road to end. Both were inacceptable.
I would have no one choose my fate. No one picked my road for me.
A dozen paths disappeared, and infinite still remained.
Every step forward felt as though I closed a lock. Well, no, perhaps not. It felt like a promise to myself. Bit by bit, I could see the other side draw closer.
I was unsure what awaited there, but I pressed on. Making an imprint, a difference, in the interwoven self-similarity of fate. Changing the patterns that seemed to underlie every decision, seemed to dictate the flow of the world.
The feeling was strange, and occasionally, I felt the urge to vomit. It was like having the awareness of being in a cage, while simultaneously figuring out how to escape it.
Step by step, I could feel Qi filtering into me. No, perhaps that was wrong. Voyage had Qi filter into me, as I aligned myself with the world and its freedom. Imprint didnt have it filter into me, it was as though I was reclaiming Qi from the prison I was held in, taking it for myself.
A different perspective, yet both wished for freedom. I smiled. Apparently, some things about my character were consistent, at least.
After another hundred steps, I could feel the pressure become too much to bear, like a wall in front of me, and I slowly opened my eyes. I could feel my mirror core pulsing in my chest, filled to the brim with Qi, its walls expanding. I had come close to a breakthrough, but it needed some time for the wall to become a bottleneck.
Then, I would overcome it.
For now, though, I gazed at the stars with Ann, continuing our journey. Her eyes were shut, too. Perhaps she was drawing in some mana to expand her reserves.
A sigh left my lips. This was the life Id chosen for myself on this side. Being under a lilac sky, where star after star appeared. Not long later, we made camp for the night. The twins had found their roles by now, and worked smoothly alongside the rest of us. Reya helped Liam, mostly, the two of them working in silence, while Eric seemed to help Marie with cooking.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The evening drifted by, I took my watch, and nothing happened. I polished my spear, same as I always did. Simply because it could be repaired hardly meant I would leave it in poor condition. The metal tip gleamed by the time I was done, reflecting the faint light of the two moons, and the wood of the shaft smooth to the touch.
I smiled, woke Marie for next watch, then headed back to sleep.
Day after day drifted by. I faced the bottleneck for my mirror core, and when I got frustrated, I focused back on voyage. Due to its freedom, the bottlenecks there were much easier to overcome. Imprint was all about proving myself, so they were more difficult there. I understood that, but still couldnt help but get a little frustrated.
Every time, Ann would notice and squeeze my hand a bit more.
And every time, I would open my eyes, sigh, and think it over. It felt as though I was missing something, like stubbornly moving forward wasnt the way to go. But then again, maybe I just needed to be more stubborn. There was just nothing telling me what to do.
That was how personalized paths worked, of course. They would be more fitting, more satisfying to traverse, and bring greater gains, but they usually took time to develop, explore, and figure out. No one else would have gone the same journey, so it was a lot of relying on instincts and trusting yourself.
Despite that, it was still always frustrating to have your progress stall. Of course it was, but despite that, I kept trying. And trying. And trying.
Imprint didnt get easier, didnt settle into a regular bottleneck. The wall simply stood, seeming ever solid. Impassable.
And it remained like that, all the way until we were back at castle Arhan.
We could see it in the distance a while before we reached it, since there was a bright fire lit atop the highest tower. Right where Orvans tower rose. It took me a moment to feel the energy radiating from it, and realize why there hadnt been any monsters attacking us during the journey.
The old archmage had lit a lure atop the castle. Something to attract any monsters, especially the mindless ones. There must have been hundreds, slowly slinking closer to the castle, and hundreds again sprinting as fast as they could.
I shook my head at the old wizards antics. In truth, I appreciated it. There were many creatures out here that soldiers behind castle walls were more suitable to fight than us. And soon, some of those soldiers bid us in the walls. Captain Lirya greeted us, her Raven hair thick with sweat.
Ah, youre back! she said. Finally, I can get the wizard to extinguish that damn beacon. Hopefully it was worth it. All of you made it back?
Marie nodded in reply. Yeah, were all in one piece. Luckily. Got into a close call though.
I bet, the captain said, then scoffed. Sending a party of your level at a nest is real crappy. Didnt imagine Id see all of you again. Happy to see you back.
She stretched out a hand, and Marie shook it firmly. Good to be back as well, she said with a thin smile. If you dont mind, well be heading for the same rooms as before?
Suit yourselves, Lirya answered with a shrug. She grabbed her helmet and tucked it under her armpit. Im gonna tell our archmage to tone down the beacon and let the guards sleep a little for once.
With that, she headed off, metal boots clinking against the stone floor. Marie stood for a moment more, taking a deep breath, and then smiled at us. She clapped softly. Alright everyone, lets get ourselves presentable. Ill see you in time for dinner. Well talk on what to do next, then.
With quick goodbyes, people split off. Liam, Matt, Emilia and Marie each on their own. Eric and Reya together, as well as Ann and I.
Taking a bath in relative safety again for once felt incredible. Having Ann for company made it even sweeter, her soaked red locks turning the colour of dark wine. Cleaning our travel clothes took longer, and we left them out to dry. They wouldnt do that in the inventory, so we deposited all them on the ground and put on more comfortable clothes instead.
We were allowed to bring some things to Eden from Neamhan, and clothes were an easy and cheap pick in terms of points. Having a comfortable shirt was sometimes worth its weight in gold, such as today.
Seeing the others at dinner was funny. Liam wore a second set of robes that almost fully covered him, while Matt wore a loose fitting pink hoodie. There was just something quite jarring about seeing Eric wearing white and golden cleric robes, while Reya instead wore a shirt with a large panda printed on it.
I held back a chuckle, sitting down myself, wearing a set of comfortable leggings, and a long sleeved, striped shirt. There were, as always, a couple odd looks, but we ate regardless. About halfway through, Orvan came in, plopped a cup of tea down in front of me, and had a plate of the meal float onto the table in front of him.
He ate a few bites as I stared at him. Eventually he swallowed, looked up, gazed between me and the cup, then spoke. Drink. Gods have another message to you. Im eating to delay and piss them off.
I snickered, revelling in the tiny rebellion. Alright, old man. Tell me only once youre completely stuffed, yeah?
He grinned, despite the gazes from my party. Id never deliver news on an empty stomach.
And at the rebellion, I felt the wall in my soul loosen a little.
Chapter 33: Higher Mischief
Orvan ate slowly, as I soon found out, and I felt a kind of vindictive glee that came along with the drawn out meal. Kind of like refusing to see your boss, knowing they couldnt fire you.
And, of course, I could still feel imprint going in my chest. Responding to the rebellion. Like it had just been waiting for me to make my own fate.
I knew that I would still see the gods, eventually. But I was still enforcing my terms on them, to some degree. It told me a lot about how imprint functioned, and that there was still a lot to be explored with it. The thought brought a smirk to my face.
Matt pounced on the moment. So uh, youre the archmage, huh? he asked, and Orvan threw him a glance. You uh, look a lot less dignified than I thought you would.
The old man scoffed. You smell a lot worse than I thought you would, plum boy.
I watched as Matts mouth dropped open, then closed again in slow motion. He blinked, painfully slowly, and stared at the wizard. E-Excuse me?
You heard him, Rat, Emilia interjected, having picked up the nickname during the last couple days. Hes calling your swordsmanship sloppy.
As if to confirm her words, Orvan ever so slowly reached for his cup and took a purposely loud sip, ringing out through the mess hall. He didnt break eye contact with Matt for a moment, and I couldnt quite hold back a snicker.
The swordsman looked at all of us, grasping his chest in mock betrayal. I will not forgive this! he called, throwing a hand to his forehead, and I could hear everyone chuckling, even Reya having a big smile on her face.
After Matts noble sacrifice to deal with the awkwardness of having a stranger at the table, banter flowed like water, and our swordsman got to get his revenge on the old wizard as well. The magician took it with slightly less grace than Matt had, but still better than youd usually expect from an old monster like him.
Eventually, though, after my third cup of tea, produced by the old wizard from some storage spell, he stood up from the table and beckoned me to follow.
I gave Ann a quick peck on the cheek, and squeezed her hand tightly for a moment, then excused myself from the table. Id been done eating a while ago, and had simply been drawing things out. Which I would still do again, just as I did back then.
Alright, Fio, Orvan said, once the doors to the mess hall fell shut behind us. Normally, a cleric would be accompanying you for this. Communicating with the divines is more their specialty, after all. However, this castle doesnt have any clerics good enough for that.
He huffed for a moment. So, the divines, in all their truly incredible divine wisdom, saw fit to choose me to be your guide for just a bit here. What this means is that Ill be going to the temple with you, and youll get to talk to our favourite friends up in the sky again.
I nodded. Thought so. Any advice?
Surprisingly, yes, Orvan said. Theyre gonna ask you to become an avatar. Something something theyll give you extra powers, blabla. Decline it. I saw the man flinch for a moment as he said so, his teeth grinding against each other. Apparently, that overstepped my boundaries of being a guide. Truly sorry.
What would being an avatar entail? I asked. If it was advice so worthwhile the gods would risk imposing a penalty on him for it, I needed to know more.
Nothing they wont tell you, he said, facing forwards. Nothin I get to tell you, either. Instead, Im supposed to give you a briefing on how this is a great honor and an incredible opportunity, and to be thankful youve been chosen for it. So, now you heard it all out of my mouth, and Im sure you got the picture, he said, most of the words of praise being layered with venom.
I think I get it, I assured him.
Good, he grumbled, then pushed open another set of doors, leading to a long room with vaulted ceilings.
It wasnt the tallest temple Id ever been in at all, but it still gave that same kind of divine feeling, a warm glow radiating from the chandeliers. There were two more people in the room, standing next to alcoves, tending to incense or flowers, I assumed. I couldnt quite see it, nor did I care.
The front of the temple had 5 altars, each one small and stylized, without the statues I had gotten so used to. There was a book for Archiva, a rose for Argus, a dagger for Ru, a teardrop gemstone for Lurelia, and a tombstone for Hir.
Touch the altars and let the divines speak to you, Orvan said. Only the one whose altar youre touching may talk to you now, Fio.
At that, I got an idea. Slowly, deliberately, I strolled towards the pedestals holding the symbols. Then, I walked along each of them, gazing down at the stones.
I was under no illusion. The divines did not need me. I knew that my decision here mattered little. Yet, I also knew that the divines were prideful, and would more than happily fight over this.
And while the divines didnt need me, I also didnt necessarily need them. I could afford just a little harmless mischief.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Perhaps Matt had rubbed off on me too much?
That thought was smothered in my head rather quickly, as, on my second round past the altars, I reached my target.
A dagger on a pedestal, the mark of Ru, of the warrior. A god of fighting, and of anger, and of righteousness and justice. A god whod proven his short temper to me before. I gingerly reached out to the knife, then hesitated for a moment, before finally laying my hand on the symbol.
The blade was sharp to the touch, but didnt pierce my skin. There was a long, hanging silence in the air, before the voice sounded in my ears.
It is good that you have chosen to hear my words, warrior. Your subjugation of the nest was fabulous indeed. Your next task is-
I lifted my fingers off the knife.
For a few seconds, I let the silence hang heavy in the room, then I stepped over. I reached out to the rose of Argus, placing my fingers over the stem and a single petal.
Sprout! You have changed your mind, I assume? I am quite pleased to have you here. Your growth has been marvelous! the god spoke in my mind. I breathed a deep breath, and simply waited for him to continue. I would like to offer you a reward for your outstanding deeds. If it would please you, sprout, become my avatar-
I lifted my fingers off the rose.
There was a smile on my face. I could practically hear imprint roar in my chest. I hadnt expected the path to be so mischievous, but I suppose this was one of the few ways to truly make an impression on the gods. Bowing easily hardly made me any different from the dozens of worshippers they already had.
Gingerly, I stepped over to Archivas book. I placed my hand on the cover, and the words came faster this time, without delay.
Hahahaha, spark, your games are marvellous. You would not believe the face Ru was making, hahaha! The goddess laughed heartily, then I felt glee from her. Come, spark, continue this play. We both know you wont be staying with me long.
I lifted my fingers off the book.
Despite being a goddess of knowledge, Archiva seemed to at least have a sense of humor. Well, she was also the goddess of games, I supposed. My smile turned into a grin at her encouragement. I didnt mind listening to one of the divines if it meant pissing off some of the others.
Slowly, I placed my fingertips on Lurelias teardrop gemstone. The voice of the goddess was soft in my mind, like a gentle embrace.
Hello, child. I am glad to get the opportunity to speak to you again. Would you mind staying a little?
I lifted my fingers off the gemstone.
Lurelias presence was warm, inviting, and felt entirely wrong. A kind of unnatural comfort, one I did not need right now. If she was attempting to lure me, she should at least attempt to know me.
Finally, I took the stroll over to Hirs altar. I did not think long before placing my fingers on the tombstone.
There was no fanfare or announcement with it. Hirs presence settled onto me like a cool breeze, a certainty of something.
But the divine did not speak.
The silence hung in the air, but it didnt lay heavily. I knew Hir was there, that they were listening. I knew it like I knew that I would inevitably die, something of a distant, constant awareness, suddenly drawn to the forefront.
They seemed willing to give me space to speak.
I didnt.
They waited.
The resonance with imprint had stopped, by now. But I could feel the path humming in my chest, I knew that it was just waiting for me to close my eyes, tread through, and push past the handful of pebbles that remained of the wall. I had achieved my goal, made an impact, enough of one to have my voice heard.
Clearly, this was Hirs way of showing they were willing to hir me out. I really needed to stop, jeez.
Alright, Hir, you there? I asked.
I am, Fio. What would you like to tell me? Or, us, rather.
I took a deep breath and shook my head a little. Why do you call me that?
What?
Fio. You call me by my name, I noted.
Ah, that. They paused a little. Well. I find it respectful. I suppose if I followed my creed, I would call you a speck. But that would hardly seem fair, would it?
Speck?
A speck of dust, Fio. Because that is all anyone will be at the end of time. Death is an inevitability. A certainty. Few can escape the gnawing tooth of time, and even once that is overcome, decay will always, always set in.
Their words resonated with a finality of certainty. The fact that Hir was a deity of death was one Id known. That they were the one who signified the end of things. Yet, despite that, they were also a deity of peace, and respect, and time. Out of all the divines, their patience was the greatest.
And thus, I call you Fio, they assured me. Because despite all of the inevitability that will befall you, life is precious, and worthy of respect. I should not impose my ideals on you.
For once, I nodded. I appreciate that.
Of course. Are there any other questions you have?
Explain to me what it means to be an avatar.
Very well, Hir said. To be an avatar of a divine means to receive a part of their power, and to have a tie to them. You would spend your points only at altars of that divine, you would spread their word and their glory, and receive powerful boons in exchange.
Whats the catch? I asked.
There is none. It simply creates a bond between you and one of us. Well, I suppose the divine could take away your avatar powers, too, but it hardly ever comes to that.
Hir. Stop trying to sell me on it, and tell me what its about, I demanded, my fingers only faintly in contact with the grave.
The presence on me, that felt like a cool breeze, turned warm for a few moments. Like a late summer gust, carrying the faint smell of falling leaves.
Fine, Fio, I suppose I was imposing. Being an avatar means you are tied to your divine. If they fall, you fall. Their mental state may influence yours. If you chose Archiva, for example, you may grow to enjoy libraries more. If you chose Argus, perhaps you would feel the need to tend a garden, they explained.
That was the catch, then. The reason why Orvan wanted me not to take it. Becoming an avatar was a bond, sure, but it was also a leash. At the end of the day, it would tie my fate to someone else.
Immediately, I felt voyage rebel at the thought. This could cause problems for my cultivation. Essentially, if I accepted, my path forward would mostly be growing the avatar powers.
My face scrunched up at the thought.
I wont be doing that, I told Hir decisively.
Chapter 34: Spending Spree
I thought as much, the divine told me. In truth, none of us expected you would become an avatar.
None of you? I asked.
Not one. We can see your paths, Fio. Read the future a little. See how one by one youre eliminating other routes, shaping your destiny. It allows us to see themes of things you decide against as you impart your will.
And you saw that I didnt like being an avatar?
Hir chuckled at that. Fio, any future that limited your freedom was first to be eliminated. It is just the degree of impediment that changes. In truth, we have a few guesses as to which path you may end up taking.
[According to the network, the divines cannot see all paths. No one can. But they may exert some influence on what future you pick, through completely mundane actions, such as telling you things.]
I sent Cass a very quick thanks for the mental info, hoping Hir didnt notice it. Well then. What now? I asked the divine.
Well, Fio, if you are not our avatar, our hands are far more tied. We may offer advice, not much more.
Fine, then. Are there any other gateway shards I may be able to reclaim?
You may be better off asking the collective, Hir replied. They know far more about the gateways and usurpers than we do.
[The other keepers seem more than willing to provide you intel on where you can find more gateways, yet all of them are asking for small prizes. Namely, they want more people from Nea- your home to come through their gateways in particular.]
I grimaced a little, unwilling to interact with the keepers too much. Their strange myriad of voices still rang in my mind when I thought about them, and I would rather trust my life to my spear than rely on one of them.
So you do know something about the gateways, I prompted the divine.
Oh, of course. We know where many of the greatest usurpers exist. Ones who have devoured multiple gateways and spew out enough monsters to entirely devastate the land around them. But this will not help you, will it?
Their tone had turned almost cold. Perhaps their patience was running thin.
Fine, then. Any other places where there might be lost gateways? Outposts that were overrun? Ones that arent necessarily overrun with monsters? I asked.
This is beyond our agreement. If you wish for this information, you need to pay for it with your contribution points. they told me.
I grimaced again. This was unfortunate, but I could get more points. For now-
[Bell. Check the store before you do anything hasty.]
Immediately, I stopped myself. The store. Right. I had not yet even checked what abilities were available for me to purchase with my new class.
Hir, I would like to use your authority to access the store, I said.
Of course, Fio, they replied, suddenly calm again.
A moment later, information flooded my mind, reorganised itself, and I blinked the disorientation away. Opening the store felt like a rush the first few times, but as options increased, it grew increasingly uncomfortable. Apparently, my secondary class meant a lot more options.
None of the items had distinct prices. Contribution points in general werent really points at all. It was, more or less, a sliding scale, on how much theyd helped Eden as a world. You would simply ask for something, and receive it alongside a bit of information telling you how much of your contribution it would consume.
My spear, for example.
Back when I bought it, that had been around 70% of my contribution. Right now, Id wager it would be around 20%, maybe. I could pay to upgrade it, though. Or I could improve it by slowly pouring Qi into it with some kind of forging technique, which I could also acquire at the shop.
Suffice to say, there were many options. It didnt display anything you were too poor to afford, but there was some documentation from higher rankers on things that might appear, but not everything would be the same for everyone. Another Spearwoman, someone with my same class, might receive different techniques if they used Mana, or another type of Qi than me.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
For now, though, my thoughts sorted the options into abilities relating to my mirror core. Feeling the foreign knowledge shift around in my mind was a bit of an alien feeling, but I bore with it, and reached out.
There were many techniques, quite a few of them along a similar vein, and many of them simply strange. Ones for reflecting light, mirroring my use of the Qi in the Black Sands, and other specific elements. Some for creating illusions, others again to open miniature portals.
Some of them dealt with fractals and reflections in ways I did not understand, and it told me they were probably meant for a higher level of my Gateway class. I wasnt interested in any of the strange ones for now, well, none of them stuck out at least. But I did find a single one.
[Lost and Found (You have a tether to other problematic gateways, allowing you to feel their location)]
The description was vague, as they generally were, and didnt tell me much about the type of pull it would be. But it still did pretty much exactly what I needed it to.
How many contribution points would [Lost and Found] be?
Hmmm, about 20% of your contribution, maybe? Hir suggested after some thinking. More around 25, Id wager.
I nodded. How much is levelling [Spearwoman] or [Gateway]?
Around 50 and 25, respectively. Spearwoman also needs your [Spear Technique - Fundamentals] at (Intermediate) to get to level 7, which you now have. I should also warn you that Gateway can only reach level 5 once you have fully repaired it.
That was a relatively early restriction. Most classes let you progress somewhat freely through the single digit ranks. A lot of them required just the fundamental skill of the class to be at least as good as intermediate. Breaking past 10 was what would be the real challenge, but Id cross that bridge when I got there.
Seems to check out pretty well. Ill take [Lost and Found] and a level each, I told the divine.
Youre technically lacking a little, but well turn a blind eye. Barely enough for you to notice on your next shopping trip, even.
I smirked at the antics a little, then nodded. Yeah, sure, fine. Deduct it next time I visit.
Good. Ill initiate the process now.
As soon as the sentence finished, I felt lightning arcing through my veins.
Of course, it wasnt actually lightning. But it sure felt that way.
Each and every muscle on my body tightened up, wound itself tight. I felt the pain set in for a moment, like touching a strong electrical fence, and then dim, as the suppression set in. The sensation was replaced by a strange crawling under my skin, as my body was rebuilt to a better version of itself.
I grit my teeth and bore with the discomfort. Once my muscles somewhat set, I could feel the glass under my skin bubbling and boiling. It shifted, froze and crystallized, then boiled and bubbled and hissed again. I was fairly sure there was some amount of burnt smell coming from me.
Maybe I should have changed my clothes before this? I hadnt expected my second class to level so violently. Even through the pain suppression I grit my teeth a little when my skin bubbled up.
Luckily, it settled soon after, and instead, I felt my brain change. Dozens of new thoughts stormed in, instincts I never knew I had, ideas on how to manipulate the strange little construct in my soul. Then they settled, dissipated, shoved into drawers and decomposed.
I didnt have any memory hooks to hold onto, but the ability was there. For now, it would be like flipping a switch, until bit by bit, I sorted it out and understood the ability myself. Then it would become intuitive, and not require system assistance anymore.
Once it was all over, I took a deep breath. My legs were shaking, and it took quite a bit of effort to simply hold onto Hirs emblem.
You need anything else from me? I asked.
No, Fio. I hope your future bodes well.
I grinned. Ill make it.
With that, I lifted my fingers off the tombstone, and my legs gave in under me, landing me straight on my arse.
A laugh bubbled from my throat, and I threw my head back, closing my eyes.
Everything felt so vibrant.
Levelling didnt increase any stats by itself. Those were more of an indication of personal mastery and could only be improved by training and hardship. Instead, Levels were like a multiplier for stats. My overall strength was greater now, despite my stat screen saying it was still just the same as before.
And I felt the difference.
Around me, the world was sharper. More focused, or vibrant. I could feel swirls of Qi, patterns in the air that threatened to overwhelm my new senses. My eyes could focus on distances unlike before, almost as if they were a camera lens or something. My own cores felt like beacons in my chest, the Qi in them suddenly seeming so much more.
I simply sat on the floor, giggling for a few minutes, until the high from the levels wore off.
That was another dangerous part of Eden. The levelling was incredibly addictive. Some people literally got themselves killed over it. I reminded myself to not be part of that specific group of people.
Instead, I slowly pushed myself off the floor, almost falling again when I took my first step. My body felt unfamiliar, like the parts were all just a smidge mismatched. It took a lot of control to step forward normally, and shift my weight.
The feeling was and always would be strange.
Having enhanced senses meant you realized flaws in the way you walked. Wasted energy, all that. It made moving our feet feel strange and awkward at first, until you adjusted.
Some people said they could judge how strong someone was just based on the way they walked. I thought it was complete bullshit. But being a higher level now did mean that I needed to adjust, and I took a few minutes to relearn how to set one foot in front of the other properly.
Once I had finally returned to being something of a functioning human being, I returned to Orvan.
Chapter 35: Worries
Howd it go? the wizard asked.
Couldnt you hear everything I thought?
Nah, I dont pry, he said, then threw a tilaberry in his mouth. Small little orbs like grapes, but a bit sweeter, with a raspberry-like taste. One of the priests must have gotten them for him while I was meditating.
I levelled.
He scoffed. Now that I couldve guessed, he said, between chewing. Berry?
Thanks, I said, popping one in my mouth as well. Fair. Didnt become an avatar. Picked up an ability to sense other gateways.
Smart. He nodded. If you dont run into a proper usurper, that is.
I shuddered at the thought. Surely those arent that common?
Nope, he said. Most hide deep into the frontier. Quite a few are stationary, even. But Id be pretty wary of those that can move if I were you. Id wager that youre not the only one with something designed to seek out lost gateways.
I nodded at that. Ill watch out.
Sure. Keep your eyes sharp, your senses sharper, and never neglect training your legs. Its not always wise to fight, but theres usually little harm in running. There was a long moment of silence as I stared at him. Right, fine, if you protect a castle, like Im doing right now, maybe running isnt your best choice.
For a second, I shook my head at his antics. Alright Orvan. Thanks for your advice. Especially on the avatar thing. Having that freedom means a lot.
It was the old wizards turn to shake his head. Doesnt mean a lot. Means everything, he said, popping another berry into his mouth. There was a somewhat mournful expression on his face, and I imagined it was informed by a past choice of his own.
Not that I pried.
Instead, I clapped the old man on the shoulder. Youre right, I told him. But we make do with what we got.
He scoffed. Alright, stop wasting your breath trying to cheer up an old man. Go find your party, maybe that redhead, and enjoy your night. Ill be there to see you off tomorrow. For now, I need a nap.
I smiled at the wizard. Alright Orvan. Sleep well. The bags under his eyes told a story I did not need to hear.
With him walking the other way, I headed back to the mess hall. Ann wasnt there, though, so I went to our room instead, where she sat on the bed, idly practicing some magic.
She found a lot of value in fine control, which meant her manipulation was quite good. Sparks of blue light danced across her fingers, little motes of mana assembling tiny magic circles before dispersing and reforming another.
Apparently, she didnt hear the door, being so focused on her magic. She was also facing the wall, rather than the entrance, so she didnt see me, either.
I gently closed the door, stepping in just far enough to see the side of her face, and watched her practice, leaning against the wall. It wasnt much of a lightshow, and felt more like what Matt did when he worked through his stances and katas and techniques and all that. She was practicing a set of techniques very central to her magic, and it showed in the ease with which she handled the mana.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Every motion was practiced thousands of times over, the circles blurring as she sped up, only assembling for fractions of a second before they disappeared again. The motes of mana above her palm turned into a storm, little electric sparkle flitting through the air, standing still only for a moment.
Dim, blue light shone onto Anns face, making her skin look even paler than she already was, almost ghostly. Her eyes were fully focused on the task, not leaving the flickering sparks above her palm for a moment, as her lips silently danced through the syllables of unspoken chants.
Did I look like that when I practiced, too?
Minutes passed, the flickering only growing more intense, until Ann pressed her lips shut into a thin line and the mana extinguished. Sweat was beaded on her forehead, and she wiped it away using the blanket, turning to see me as she did so.
Hey there, hot stuff, I said, smiling at her.
Fio! She almost jumped then and there, but still stayed on the bed. Youre uh back. I didnt notice you come in. She gave me a crooked smile.
I noticed. You practicing again?
Of course. Gotta make sure I dont go rusty! she said, sticking her tongue out at me. I was tempted to kiss her then and there, but sat down next to her instead. She draped an arm around me. How did it go? she asked.
Well, mostly, I told her. Turned down being an avatar. Would give me some divine power, but probably fuck with voyage. Ann nodded at that. Then I spent my contribution, nabbed a level in each class, as well as a new technique. Means I dont need to rely on the gods to find us another gateway or two.
I saw Anns pupils narrow, like she was trying to pierce through me with her gaze. So youre really committing to this?
There was a pause of hesitation before I answered. Yeah, I said. Yeah, I will. Its well. Complicated, of course. But the gateway will fix itself eventually. I would like it to be as strong as possible by then. Is that the right term? Strong? Cass?
Ann kind of stared at me as I asked the air, but the answer soon buzzed through my head.
[By absorbing further gateways, be they broken, or even just pieces of them, into your own, you can strengthen it. Essentially, it doesnt just help repair the gate, but also makes it harder to move, and allows you to expand the territory in the gateway world. Which, well, doesnt exactly mean a lot yet, but suffice to say, makes you closer to untouchable!]
Thanks Cass, I said with a slim smile, then turned back to Ann. Essentially, grabbing more broken bits of gateways lets me get my soul and my gateway harder to remove. If I let it just heal over time, then I might just have it ripped out when I try to go back to the other side. But if we get to enough gateways before then, I might just be able to return without any problems.
Anns crooked smile faded a little. Right. The whole soul-tearing bit. She laid a hand on my cheek. Im worried Fio. When will we know your little portal, your soul, is strong enough to not just be taken?
I placed my hand on top of hers, squeezing it. Ill be okay, love. For now, I think, we should focus on repairing the gateway. When its close to fixed, Ill head back to my fam, let them know Ill be gone. Overseas, something like that. Then Ill stay in Eden as long as it takes until its safe to cross again.
There was the ghost of a smile back on Anns lips. I leaned forward and kissed her once. We got this, I whispered.
She nodded, and wrapped both her arms around me. I revelled in the comfort, despite it probably going against the rules. Too much attachment, too much love, rules one and two. I should really meet Ann on the other side at some point. Make some memories, ones that would last.
I sighed, and squeezed her more tightly.
So many things to worry about. Rule five. Dont get greedy. This one also applied to power. If you were obsessed with becoming stronger faster, you would take risks, and risks got you killed.
I had to worry about my memories, whether I would lose them, whether this would all fall away like some fleeting dream. Worry about my family, about whether I was giving them enough time. Butterfly needed me, after all, and despite not admitting it, mom and dad did, too. Worry about the keepers and the usurpers, and even the divines. And at the same time, I knew that distrusting too much could also eat you up inside.
With a great sigh, I closed my eyes and leaned onto Ann, squeezing her as she squeezed me back.
Were gonna make it, I whispered. Didnt know if it was to myself, or to her, but I whispered it. She nodded silently.
No matter what, I was surviving this.
Chapter 36: Outset
I activated [Lost and Found] early the next morning. The evening, Id decided, belonged to me and Ann.
The next day I woke up, hopped into the bath, and got myself ready for the day. While soaking in the hot water, I opened up the menu, and mentally flicked the switch for the technique.
It always took a little bit to figure it out the first time. When Cass activated [Mirror Mind] for me, she could have done so faster if wed known how to properly do so. It genuinely felt like moving a new muscle, you didnt know which way it would bend, and feeling out the range of motion took a couple seconds.
Once I got there though, it was just about executing the command, and the system took over from there. I immediately felt my sense of sight fade, as the world turned dark around me. For a moment, I almost panicked, but soon, threads of silver manifested.
They looked thin and ethereal, like the faintest touch could break them, and pointed in all kinds of different directions. In fact, I was pretty sure they seemed to be woven into a larger net, one which I could not make out at all, seemingly infinitely complex.
Just trying gave me a headache, so I focused back on the glowing strands I could notice.
Each and every one of them seemed frayed. Like it had been damaged. Some had knots in there, poorly tied together, others were thin as a hair at times, barely hanging onto the network at all.
I turned my head, and saw bits of silver hanging in the air all around me.
There were strong and faint connections, close and far ones, some seemed corrupted, and in the few minutes I spent there, one of the silver threads disappeared. It felt like someone broke something precious to me for a moment, but the feeling faded.
Slowly, one after another, I mentally tugged at the strings. As I did so, they rang out with a ghostly hum, the kind of sound youd expect to come from a harp played by a skeleton. Yet, somehow, it resonated with me. Told me things that maybe the technique itself was unclear about.
I knew the type of damage the gateway had. Whether it was smashed, cut, shattered, abandoned, snapped along the middle, or anything in between. I knew how long they hadnt been in use, and I could feel pretty well where it was.
One hummed and told me it was in a cave, not unlike the one I was buried in, hidden between fallen rocks. Another was overgrown with moss, in the ruins of where a city had once stood, and where a jungle of monsters had since grown.
Another, though, seemed quite a bit stranger. It wasnt damaged too horribly, which meant it would lend itself to repairing, and it was stuck in a place without monsters. A broken pagoda, where some sort of cultivation sect had once lived, perhaps.
It was decayed, but their arrays still stood, warding it from monsters. The journey would be far, up into the mountains, but once there, we would have a respite, and with the arrays in place, maybe my gateway wouldnt attract hordes of monsters.
Right, that was still something we needed to figure out for the journey. If I attracted too many monsters, there was a chance theyd just straight up kill us before we made any major progress.
Maybe I should have looked for an ability to suppress that, too.
I sighed. Having a secondary class this complicated was a hassle. Especially if it drew in monsters we werent strong enough to defeat. Id need to ask Orvan about it, see if he knew any way to deal with the whole monster attraction bit.
Having made my decision on which gateway to go to, I ended the technique and dragged myself out of the hot water, dried off, and got ready for breakfast.
The mess hall was as full as usual, the chatter of the soldiers ringing out around us. We still got a few stares, but not too many. Most of them had gotten used to us by now, other than the time Orvan came down and sat at our table.
Apparently, the mage was usually a bit reclusive, hiding in his little chamber at the top of the tower doing research. I could hear some soldiers still talking about it, how much theyd seen him and how he was very different than they had imagined.
I smirked at the thought of the old man having little social presence. He may look like a wizened old wizard, but he sure didnt talk like one.
The meal went by calmly. My party members looked better, finally having gotten some decent rest. I was happy to see them without bags under their eyes for once. Night watch did that to anyone, even when our bodies were beyond human limits by now.
We chatted a little as the minutes drifted by, and sat for a while longer after everyone had finished. There was a bit of a comfortable silence, eventually broken by Marie.
Alright, everyone. With the decree done, I think we need to talk a little about our next job, she said. Because while Id love to just go back to Renvil, I dont think well be doing so.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Renvil was the city wed been operating out of. Our small guild hall was located there, and the last few years wed been working as Reflectors had been spent largely coming and going from there.
It was a frontier city, pretty close to where monsters consistently popped up, and with the Black Sands nearby, it had quite a few alchemists, preparing potions and such from the monster bits.
Now, however, I needed to go somewhere else. There was a mountain range a decent bit of travel to the west, and a little north. Going back east to Renvil would just mean more travel time, and its not like we couldnt stock up on supplies here.
Why not? Matt asked. He didnt sound upset, just curious. I was expecting him to want the cushy life back most of us.
Marie turned to me and I nodded. My gateway isnt fixed yet. I need to find another fragment, a bigger one. I got something to find nearby gateway pieces with my contribution and found a target. Old monastery in the western mountain range, long abandoned but with anti-monster arrays still in place.
There you have it, Marie added. Anyone against going there?
She let the silence hang in the air for a few dozen seconds. No one spoke up, no one raised their hand. I smiled.
Thanks everyone, I said.
Reya flashed me a kind smile, and Emilia punched me in the shoulder. Come on, now. We wouldnt leave you behind. Her face fell for a moment. Well. Not a second time, she added.
I couldnt hold back my snicker, punching her back a little too hard, still not entirely used to my level. That was nothing, Em. Stop worrying about it. I flashed her a bright smile, and received one in return.
With that, it was decided. They would all follow me. I did wonder slightly about why the twins were coming along so easily, but if I had to guess, I had a solid hunch who put them up to it. My goals and those of the divines still aligned, for now, and even if they didnt, Lurelia most likely wanted a pair of eyes or two on me.
I shook my head and put the thoughts aside. The others were currently negotiating with captain Lirya for supplies, while I was headed towards Orvan. I needed some advice, and if anyone had been willing to give it, the old man was my go-to.
There were very few guards placed on the hallways to his tower. I suppose it made sense; it wasnt like he exactly needed protecting. Really, if anything, this would probably be the safest post in the castle, having the archmage nearby.
I ascended the rather steep stairs, and knocked on the trapdoor to his study. There was silence for a moment, then a crash, some grumbling, a few footsteps, and the hatch opened.
What is it? the old man asked, making no effort to invite me in. I felt the high energy density from his room spill across the boundary a little, dancing on my skin like electric sparks.
Is there any way to not attract monsters like a beacon?
Orvan raised an eyebrow. For you? With a gateway inside you? Tricky, tricky. Alright, fine, come in.
With that, he fully opened the hatch and stepped aside. As last time, there were still papers messily strewn about everywhere, though now there was also a broken vial on the floor, dripping some kind of clear, glass-looking slime.
Dont mind that, the wizard commented, noting where my eyes went. I dont get many visitors.
Right, I said, taking a seat on one of his tables since he occupied the single chair in the room. So, hit me with it.
Is that some saying? From your world?
Yes. Means I want you to tell me about the thing.
Right, right. So. Monsters can somehow tell you have a gateway inside you, from a certain range at least. The easiest way to stop that is not leaking any energy. Which is absolutely not happening with the state your gateway is in. And unfeasible anyway, because the energy in the air would eat at you, he explained.
I nodded as he continued. Im guessing you dont have an aura yet? I shook my head. Then thats out, too, he continued. Shame, wouldve been easier. You could carry a suppression talisman, but that would break if you ever used too much strength and is horribly expensive. You could lay down runic formations on your skin, but that is even more ridiculously pricey and might take weeks to set up.
Which means youre stuck with the annoying option. And you wont be able to fully stop it anyway, just mitigate the range and type of creatures you attract. Essentially, keep your mirror Qi locked up tight in your body. Seal the core off, best case. Coat your body with just your metal Qi.
How he was aware of my affinities I didnt know, but I doubt I could hide a whole lot from the old wizard. Okay, I said, how do I do that?
Fuck if I know. He shrugged. What? Dont give me that look. Did you take me for a martial artist? I just told you the kind of stuff youd do with general energy if this happened. You do know gateways can also run off Mana and Divinity, right?
I shook my head at his antics and scoffed. I do now, I said.
Well, he said with some surprise, running his hand through his beard, better late than never I suppose. But yes, you dont need to be a martial artist to reclaim them. Qi works just as well as any other fuel, of course, and since the gateway merges with its user, they adapt to fit. So yours now runs off Qi.
Right. I nodded, still thinking about how exactly I should stop mirror Qi from coating me. Thanks, Orvan. I turned to leave.
Fio?
Yes?
Good luck, he said, then tossed me three vials. Health potions. Make good use of them.
With that, he pulled his chair close to the desk again, mumbling and scribbling onto one of the dozens of sheets of paper. I lifted the trapdoor and stepped back into the castle, enjoying the feeling of not having the air try to suffocate me. How Orvan managed to live comfortably up there I had no idea.
I shook my head at the thought, then rejoined the party. They were already done with the shopping bit, and shared rations with me. It would be enough to last us the journey. We expected right around three weeks, maybe a little more, to get there. Then we would probably rest for a few days before starting the journey back.
After another goodbye to the captain, who clapped us on the shoulder, we left the castle.
I took a deep breath. The air buzzed as it touched me, a soft background static. It smelled like rain and grass and decay from the monster parts that hadnt yet fully disappeared or been harvested.
Looking over the party, I saw faces full of smiles, each and every one of them just as eager to head out into the unknown as I was.
And so we set out.
Chapter 37: Keeping Qi Contained
Three weeks of mostly walking followed. On the first day, I broke through the next stage of my mirror core using imprint, entering the second step.
The difference was more than clear. The amount of Qi had increased by quite a bit, and my core grew stronger. It would help my gateway repair itself faster, which was both good and bad. I didnt exactly want it to be fully repaired before I had another chance to visit the other side.
Right now, the goal was to get that fragment, which should raise the integrity fairly high, then visit my family again, say I had a big trip coming up, then stay in Eden with the fully repaired gateway until it was strong enough to not be ripped out of my soul by the keepers.
But that was still a month in the future. For now, I focused on walking and cultivating. I spent the second day on voyage, taking a stroll through the shores. It went quite well, and I got close to a breakthrough there as well. Since it had so much to do with freedom, it and Imprint meshed well, and improving one would also help the other along.
Which was good. Having to cultivate two entirely different natures would have slowed my progress down far too much. I already had to split my contribution, so at least not having to cultivate twice as much was nice.
On the third day, we faced our first monsters. It had been a while, which was most likely because Orvan lit the beacon, attracting monsters from all around, but by then wed crossed the line where there were more of them again.
Luckily, though, we only ran into a couple of bornins, the furred goblin-monkeys, and dispatched them quickly. Then we ran into another pack. Then another.
By the afternoon, we had each killed over 50 of the little bastards. They seemed very dominant in this part of the forest, and were probably attracted by the gateway. Honestly, it might be lucky it was just these things, and nothing we couldnt handle.
It did mean that I spent the third evening trying to reign in my mirror Qi, just as I had spent the previous two. Orvans instructions were nebulous at best. Figuring out how to stop my core from outputting energy wasnt exactly something Id spent a lot of time thinking about, since the effects of having Qi going through your body were usually very beneficial.
That passive Qi output was what let martial artists be generally superhuman after all. It was what made us faster, stronger, and more durable overall. Of course, some types of Qi were better suited for that than others.
Liams shadow Qi, for example, also helped make him much more stealthy and quiet, while Emilias mineral Qi focused much more on endurance. I didnt quite know what was special about the mirror Qi yet, honestly. It didnt seem to reinforce me nearly as much as my metal Qi, but there had to be some effect.
Maybe Id figure it out once I finally managed to shut it off.
Unfortunately, my efforts on the third day didnt bear fruit, and by the end of it, I was still just as far away from managing to reign it in as I was before the day began. Which meant killing our way through more bornins. I didnt even bother counting how many we killed.
By the late afternoon we were already exhausted and decided to set up camp, losing a few hours of travelling. At least the trees were slowly growing more sparse, wed probably be out of the forest sometime soon. There werent many maps for the frontier, since people generally liked to stay away from it, so all it really had was rough sketches of the biomes, but according to the one we had, wed soon be getting to some shrublands.
They were full of little rivers, since this time of year, the snow would melt and flow down from the mountains, but it was also too cold for many trees to live there.
Having to stop in the afternoon also meant that I spent more time trying to reign in my mirror Qi. Since it was quite important, the others set up the camp without me, letting me wholly focus on meditating.
It meant I had the time to go through the whole process. Sitting down with my legs crossed. Focusing my mind. Visualizing my cores, and the flow of Qi through me.
I began to lose track of time as my mind wandered inside. I traced the pathways the Qi took, where it ebbed and flowed. Sometimes, it seemed to grow hazy and diffuse into me, or forsake the pathways entirely, but a good bit still followed them.
Slowly but surely I got a picture of it. Where the energy in my body went, how it sunk into my muscles and bones. Taking care not to lose focus on it, I searched for something else, anything connected to it, and found the shifting glass underneath my skin.
The substance was malleable, and as I focused on it, I noticed that it, too, liked to follow those pathways. Perhaps it even guided my mirror Qi along them? The thought was pointless and I discarded it.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
I focused on taking a deep breath. There were the pathways, which my Qi used to escape into the rest of my body, and the shifting glass. Then I tried wrapping the glass around the pathways.
It seemed to work for a moment, but it also felt like there was pressure building up. After only a couple minutes it got uncomfortable, and after a little more, I started feeling like Id throw up, which is when I decided to stop that little experiment.
Immediately, the Qi flooded out, making my muscles cramp. I grit my teeth for a few moments, until the sensation was gone. Everything still ached a little from the sudden influx of energy, but the nausea was gone and it would heal quickly.
At least I knew that the shifting glass could contain Qi. Unfortunately, it also stopped my golden Qi, so that was a bit of an issue, and having it plug up my pathways seemed unhealthy. Then again, it was already suffused throughout my entire body, but usually seemed more passive than anything.
I let out a small sigh, then renewed my focus, trying to maintain my mental image of everything. It took me a little bit until I was properly in the headspace again. My mirror Qi still slowly leaked from the core into the pathways, then out into my body.
I was also annoyed that I didnt even know at which step of the process it became detectable to monsters. Once it was in the pathways? In my body? Or did it then start leaking into the air? The Qi did coat the outside of my body as well, after all, so there was a chance that the monsters were detecting that.
Trying something else, I coated my mirror Core with the liquid glass rather than my pathways. It took longer for the pressure to build that way, but once it hit, it was worse. Way worse. I immediately abandoned that idea, and retched a little bit.
Then, I felt someone kick me.
You alright there? Matt asked. For once, I didnt see much mischief in his eyes, though maybe I just couldnt see it with his curls covering them a little.
I shot the man a crooked smile. Yeah. Just fine. Trying to figure out how to stop emitting Qi.
Well, youre going about it the wrong way, he said matter-of-factly, making me grimace.
I noticed.
His lips curled into a smile, and he sat down on the ground next to me. Alright. We both know my manipulation is better than yours, so let me show you the trick to it. Its less about locking your Qi off, more about keeping it in. Like, uh, sucking in your stomach? His smile turned a little awkward at the last bit, and I chuckled.
Alright, wise guy. Like sucking in my stomach, huh? I said, smirking.
Yeah, its a good analogy! he said, half-jokingly. Think of it like breathing with your stomach sucked in. Itll be uncomfortable, but not too horrible. Leave your core and pathways alone and focus on keeping the Qi inside your body, stop it from leaking.
I turned a little more serious, considering his words. Matt seemed to notice my disbelieving glance, and sighed. Okay, let me show you. Im not perfect at it, but it should give you a decent picture. Watch closely.
Then, he proceeded to close his eyes, take a few deep breaths. I watched him, and for a few seconds nothing happened. Then, suddenly, I blinked, and something changed.
The ever present smell of plum around Matt had disappeared. Instead of flowers, he smelled like earth and sweat. The constant buzzing of Qi I felt when around him was gone. Really, it felt like I was sitting next to a completely average guy, rather than someone who could probably slice a tree in half without breaking a sweat.
A moment later, that feeling faded, and the fragrance of plum blossoms returned. He flashed me a confident smile. You got all that? he asked.
Slowly, I nodded. Id seen most of how he did it, at least. It was still a crazy feat of manipulation, kind of like breathing in from all your pores rather than out? It was hard to find a metaphor, really.
Oh, to think that Ive got you speechless for once, Fio. Thought Id never see the day, he said, grinning.
I smirked back at him. Yeah, sorry Rat, just didnt expect you to smell so crappy underneath all that plum, I quipped.
There was the tiniest hint of a blush on his cheeks. At least I dont usually smell like I wash myself in mud. Seriously though, Fio, hope this helped. Ill set up my tent and leave you to it.
Alright, thanks, I said, giving him another nod, before closing my eyes as he walked off.
Then, once more, I focused. Matt was far better at manipulation than me, that was certain. His skill with Qi was almost on par with Anns when it came to Mana. Which was insanity, since mages focused so much more on it. No doubt he had a knack for that.
But I didnt need that knack. Slowly, I reached for that little switch in the back of my mind. I already knew the ability had helped me even understand what Matt was doing, now it was time to copy it. With another deep breath, I activated [Mirror Mind].
The scene flashed in front of my inner eye again, the way Matts Qi had flowed, then suddenly disappeared. The permanent thin haze around his skin suddenly gone, clouded, making him look entirely mortal.
I reached out. Breathed in deep. Then, my attention snapped away.
It went to my core and my muscles and my skin all at the same time. There were a thousand thousand bits of mirror Qi flowing through me, each one thinner than the last. I reached out to every single one of them, and drew them back inside, like sucking in my stomach.
There was a mild sense of discomfort and strain, but I could feel my golden Qi cover me. I held it for a few seconds, trying my best to breathe and maintain the technique.
Five breaths later, it fell apart. I opened my eyes with a smile. There had been discomfort, and now, I was feeling a little nauseous from straining. But Id managed, even if just for a little.
I got up and patted my legs down. This would take some practice, but I should have it down in a few days, hopefully.
Chapter 38: Bending the Rules
A few more days drifted by. I focused on keeping my mirror Qi inside for a good part of it. Bit by bit, I was getting better at it.
Having two types of Qi also helped. Since my golden Qi was still enough to completely cover my body, there wasnt technically a need to have any mirror Qi on the outside. Kind of like putting a cap on a bottle.
I smirked at the comparison, slowly cycling my mirror Qi through my pathways. It was something Id recently figured out, and it helped quite a bit with keeping it contained. Keeping it cycling would draw in the small tethers that wanted to leak, drawing them back into my core.
Of course, it would still get tiring, keeping it circling all the time, and doing it the way I was would usually be idiotic. After all, this would still leave my skin vulnerable to erosion by the outside energy. But with that covered by my golden Qi, this was a decent exercise for manipulation.
It did mean that my cultivation staggered a little. I could feel voyage in my chest, wanting me to continue. Exploring areas I had never been in was perfect for advancing it, yet I couldnt quite get around to it yet.
At least we had been getting attacked by monsters much more rarely, now. There were still multiple encounters with bornins each day, but the groups that attacked us were much smaller, and occasionally, we would even get the drop on them.
When we had the element of surprise on our side, the battles were more like swift bloodbaths. Liam and Marie could oftentimes take out any scouts, clearing an easy path for Matt, Emilia and me to come in and take any of the melee fighters. Ann and the twins were usually on defense, just in case.
She grumbled to me sometimes in the evenings, about wanting to blow up a few monsters with a sizable fireball. Each time, I reminded her that we were in a forest, and it would be an exceptionally bad idea.
The fire would probably be smothered, since the plants here had some small amount of Qi, too, preventing them from catching fire as easily. Still, the smoke would definitely attract more monsters, maybe even ones we couldnt handle.
Each time, shed sigh exasperatedly, then lean back onto her sleeping bag. Of course she knew. Instead of actually using her magic, she was left practicing it for hours on end.
While walking, I would see her manifest magic circles, then break them down and restructure them over and over. Some would be larger, some smaller, and each of them was horribly intricate. They were nice to look at while I couldnt cultivate, at least.
Five days passed without much changing about my routine. I would keep my Qi circulating and contained, keep it up for as long as I could without throwing up or slowing us down, then march on a little more. I used the downtime where I felt crappy to cultivate, at least.
Keeping it contained during battle was the hardest part. It already forced us to stand still for a while, and could easily draw other monsters to us, so it was even more important for me to keep the mirror Qi contained, while at the same time using my golden Qi to fight.
Little by little, I improved, until, on the fifth day, there was an acknowledgement about my abilities.
[Aura Suppression [New!] (Low) (Keeping your Qi contained inside your body allows you to appear perfectly ordinary)]
I was truly glad for iron will and mirror mind, now. Having those two allowed me to progress it much faster than I reasonably should have been able to. Matt had demonstrated it to me two more separate times, and each time I used mirror mind to help me understand it faster.
That talent was genuinely insane, and similarly exhausting to use. I felt it now, a distant strain in the back of my head. It was so stuffed full of half-digested information that it always felt like I was on the verge of a migraine.
If I used it again without giving my brain a bit of a break, there was a decent chance of doing some rather uncomfortable damage. But it was fine, since I now had a new technique to help me out.
I activated [Aura Suppression] in the way that I usually did unfamiliar techniques, and felt it take hold in myself. There was a degree of control that I didnt get when I purchased new abilities with contribution, but since Id earned it myself, I knew how to direct it. I gently directed the ability at my mirror Qi only.
Then, it took hold. There was a short moment where my vision lurched and my heart skipped a beat. The ability definitely worked a little differently from how Id done it. Activating it felt like a punch to the stomach, as my mirror Qi immediately stopped, as if held in place by an invisible force.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Slowly, bit by bit, I willed the ability to let up, feeling my breathing become easier again. Ann saw me stagger, and reached out to help me, but by that time Id already caught myself again, putting one foot in front of the other. I grit my teeth a little, forcing my control over the technique.
This wasnt what it was supposed to be like. Maybe it was doing things suboptimally because it was only at "low", but still. I willed it to let my mirror Qi move a little, having it slowly circulate through my pathways. The technique seemed to fight back at first, but I imposed my vision of what it should be over what it was, and its rules bent.
It adjusted itself. With every breath I took, a little more of my pathways grew accessible to the Qi, until the ability had retreated to just my skin.
I let out a deep sigh when it finally adjusted itself to fit with how Id been doing the suppression. Adjusting to new abilities wasnt supposed to be this uncomfortable, but then again, this was a very specific one, aimed at doing something rather unnatural.
You alright? Ann asked me once Id found my footing again.
Yeah, got a new ability. It wasnt quite cooperating for a bit, but Ive got it adjusted now.
She gave me a crooked smirk at that. I get that.
I knew she did. Mage abilities were often quite horrendous on their first use, due to how directly they affected the mind. I was there when Ann first used [Parallel Thinking], and had held up her hair when she spent the next half hour vomiting.
Thats why we usually only used new abilities in a safe space, but iron will helped bend that rule a lot. It meant that I could grit my teeth through almost every discomfort and keep going.
At any rate, with the ability now running, containing my aura became a lot easier, almost like there was an invisible hand helping me guide my Qi. It was almost a shame, getting used to the way my Qi flowed had done wonders for my manipulation. I could feel myself getting close to taking that next major increase in the stat. But at the same time, getting to actually cultivate was just as important as increasing my Skill with Qi.
After two more days, Id broken through with voyage, raising my golden core to the 4th step. As always, advancing filled me with a rush of ambient Qi, and left me feeling reenergized. I grinned as I noted how much more Qi I had access to, now.
By then, the trees had thinned. We were being attacked a somewhat normal amount, and even fought some monsters that werent bornins. Namely some drytz, the critters that attacked from underground, and some jills, little rock-things which could manipulate the earth.
Since the jills, themselves, were made from stone, though, Emilia was able to very swiftly smash her way through them, breaking their body apart with her Qi. They were very tedious to fight if you didnt have someone able to manipulate rocks in your party, so having her around was always good when they showed up.
After another two days, we were finally out of the forest and onto the plains. We were slowly tracking upwards, and the air had cooled down very noticeably. By now, most of our breaths turned into white fog, despite the hardy grass still covering the landscape.
This wasnt a territory Id spent a whole lot of time investigating. Luckily, that wasnt my job, either.
Alright, everyone, were in the plains now, Marie told us the obvious first. Most common native monsters are kamaitachi, weasels with wind magic and blade arms, sylters, snake-things with great camouflage and the ability to grow wings, and lirers, large mice who eat metal. Few dangerous birds, at least, since the sylters often snatch them out of the air.
Most of the creatures here lunge at you. Keep your throats and faces protected, she advised.
All of us nodded.
Despite the fact that I usually liked to cultivate while travelling, there were more and less appropriate times. We were mostly used to the monsters that roamed the forest near Renvil, since wed been there a few times now, but this was new territory, and the monsters seemed quite dreadful.
Id been hoping that scouting would be easier here, with the wide open space, but it seemed that ambush predators reigned supreme in the high grass. Well, at least they were dominant. Marie hadnt given us the full list of monsters. It was impossible to watch out for everything, after all, so it was much more important to protect against the most common threats.
Not an hour later, we got ambushed for the first time.
A grey-brown snake with a massive pair of wings seemed to just appear in the air in front of Reya, lunging at her. Somehow, Liam and Marie both had missed it.
The wings werent small, either. They were made from pristine feathers that seemed white, but covered in a slick oil, with iridescent rainbow light dancing off them. Strangely, they werent even connected to the body of the snake, and were partially translucent. Despite that, with a flap of them, the sylter had already latched onto Reyas neck.
The priestess let out a muffled gurgle as the fangs dug into her skin, and half a moment later, Liam appeared from her shadow, grabbed the thing, and ripped it away.
Its fangs had been buried into Reyas skin, and with the rather rapid removal, some of her flesh was still stuck to its fangs. It was already bending up to bite Liam, so he swiftly threw it, but the thing caught itself in the air a moment later, sprouting a second pair of wings and hissing at us.
It flapped them both and blurred through the air, trying to get at Liam, who dodged out of the way.
Eric had his hands next to Reyas wound, glowing with divinity as blood kept pouring out. It didnt seem to slow as much as it should. There must have been some kind of anti-clotting agent in the sylters venom.
From behind Liam, it turned and flapped its wings again, heading for Eric this time, only to be intercepted by Emilias shield, bouncing off it. Marie sliced its head off mid-air while it was still dazed.
All of it had happened before I even had a chance to intervene. Maybe Id need those health potions earlier than Id thought.
Chapter 39: Dangerous Grassland
We formed a circle around Reya, letting Eric heal her to the best of his ability. The mute priestess let out small whimpers and gurgles as the blood flow slowed bit by bit by, her flesh knitting itself back together underneath her brothers hands.
In the middle of the healing process, another snake came to attack, lunging at Matt this time, but hed been prepared. The strike was blocked by a thick wind of plum petals, and he sliced the monster in half lengthwise before it could retreat.
I saw a bead of sweat on his forehead. Fuck those are fast, he muttered with a manic grin on his face.
His pupils were dilated, and I saw that battle crazed face he made when he was fully focused on the sword. I smacked him with the backside of my spear. Snap out of it.
Shit, sorry, Matt said, changing his eager stance to a more defensive one.
The idiot had been this close to running off into the field to search for enlightenment or something, Id wager.
Slowly, seconds ticked by. After half a minute, Reya had gone quiet, the bleeding stopped. There was a good amount of grass stained red. It was more than certain to attract more monsters.
Can you walk? Marie asked the priestess, and she nodded. Good, then we move.
Reya stumbled a little for a moment, but I caught her. Lean on me, I said, and she gave me a thankful nod, as we started walking through the field again.
Everyone was quite a bit more on edge now. Despite Maries warnings, experiencing monster attacks in person was always quite different from hearing about them. None of us had expected the sylters to be so damn fast, at least.
A few minutes later, another one lunged at Liam, who sniped it out of the air with a swift slice of his dagger. Not too long after, another one came at Reya, but I blocked it with my hand, activating [Reflection], and the serpent bit its own tail. Before it had a chance to regain its bearings, I snapped forth with my spear, cutting it down.
Luckily, there werent any more attacks after that, and no one was hurt too badly. Emilia had started using her Qi to keep track of the ground, in a kind of tremorsense. It didnt work perfectly on the soft earth, and used much more Qi than was usually worth it, but we didnt exactly want another encounter.
20 minutes later, Reya was able to walk by herself again. Her Divinity helped boost her constitution passively, so shed regenerated the blood shed lost.
After 10 more minutes, Emilia stomped her foot on the ground, and a stone spike rose from it, impaling a large rodent. It was still squealing and struggling, even with the rock through its chest, but soon stopped its movements.
Fucking hell. This place sucks, Emilia commented. Qi is running below half now, wont be keeping up the tremorsense for much longer.
Drop it, Marie ordered. I think Ive got a better grasp on things now.
She soon proved that it was true. Marie used nature Qi to get a better feeling of the grass all around, letting her know when it was disturbed. Shed used the time Emilia bought to properly adjust it to the environment. The more restrictions you put on your Qi, the cheaper an ability was.
Now, Maries senses would only work on this very specific species of grass. She couldnt tell what was going on in any of the shrubs, so we avoided those, and stuck to the high grass instead. There were multiple times when she warned us about sylters or lirers approaching, and we were able to care take of most of them swiftly.
One of the lirers, though, managed to be a rather big bother. Somehow, it managed to survive a swing from my spear by leaping back and catching the blade in its teeth. I immediately shook my weapon, but the rodent hung on tenaciously, and had begun chewing through the metal of my weapon within seconds.
Immediately, I slammed it into the ground, but the creature still held on, and by the time Matt sliced its head off, a good third of my spears blade had been eaten.
I looked at the damage worriedly, and Matts eyes went wide when he saw it. He quickly looked at his sword and held it a little closer to his chest.
The rest of the day, I cycled metal Qi through my spear, the metal slowly knitting itself back together. It was a horrendous expenditure of Qi, and meant I largely couldnt participate in fights anymore, with Ann taking my position instead.
And she did well, too. Instead of using her usual fire magic, she zapped the creatures with lightning, leaving them easy prey for the others to finish off.
We did get a couple more scrapes, but it was nothing Eric and Reya couldnt heal. By the end of the first day, we all plopped down heavily once the formations to repel monsters were set up. Matt gave a heavy sigh, while Emilia and Marie just laid on their backs, breathing heavily. Both had exhausted their Qi reserves a few times over to keep vigilant.
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
My spear was almost back to its regular condition, but at the same time, I was almost out of metal Qi. At least Id have the time to meditate and replenish my resources a bit throughout the evening.
None of us bothered to cook a full meal. We just ate from our rations instead, drinking plenty. Tomorrow wed stop by a checkpoint obelisk again, which would let us restock our water at least. Looking at my rations, I had enough to last the rest of the way. And if we ran out, well, at least we could make a fire and cook the monster bits here. I wouldnt be eating raw cave rats again as long as I stuck with the party.
Matt plopped down next to me with a heavy sigh, letting his back fall onto the floor. He had his eyes closed, but he smelled strongly of plum. It was a telltale sign he was cultivating, or running through battles in his head.
That was one of his talents. [Inner Eye] or something. It let him simulate battles by closing his eyes, actually moving the Qi around and even practicing his stats. I almost considered trying to copy it with mirror mind, before deciding that I really didnt need to strain that ability any further right now.
Instead, I just watched Matt. My senses for Qi had grown sharper since learning aura suppression, by quite a bit, even. I could see his Qi flow through his chest, and rapidly reinforce areas. His arms, legs, sometimes his sword, too, despite the fact that it hung loosely by his side.
A few minutes in, he charged so much Qi into the weapon that it began to vibrate a little, and plum blossoms began to fall down onto Matt, covering him in pretty pink flowers. I smirked as I watched him, cycling Metal Qi from the air into my spear, and having the metal knit itself back together.
The blade was almost whole again, just a small nick remaining, but the edge wouldnt be as good as after sharpening. My control wasnt precise enough for that, yet. I kept a few whetstones in my inventory, but if I really needed some, I could also always ask Liam. He was properly obsessed with keeping his daggers sharp.
In fact, as I scanned the improvised campsite for him, I found him sitting with Marie and the twins, running a stone over his knives. The grinding was so quiet I could hardly hear it. They seemed to be talking, too, and I smiled at them.
Ann sat with Emilia, once the latter had risen from the floor. They seemed to change between meditating and chatting, and I smiled their way. Ann gave me a short wave.
Then, I turned my attention towards Matt again. Watching him had always been fascinating to me. I could do image training, it was something my master taught me, but never something I particularly pursued. Meanwhile, to him, it came as naturally as breathing.
Just watching him move his Qi around was interesting. It was so artful. Almost fancy, in a way. It would twirl and twist and spin, then lash out. By now, he was so deep into the battle, that with each imagined swordstrike, a small wind blew some more plum petals about. They didnt just fall straight onto him anymore, some even covered me by now.
A moment later, theyd dissolve back into Qi. I moved to absorb some of it, and found it quite easy. The falling leaves seemed to disintegrate quickly, becoming tiny particles of Qi that Matt would usually use in fighting, but at the same time, they saturated the surrounding air. I could make use of this.
So, I set about meditating as well. Voyage worked best when walking, but I needed some metal Qi right now, so I focused on it anyway. It still profited from the experiences I got while travelling, after all, and using it to replenish my Qi stores instead of advancing my cultivation was much less stringent with rules.
I started taking the Qi from the air, converting it into metal, then channelling it into my spear perpetually. The small hole had soon fixed itself, and my core was beginning to fill up, but I kept cycling it through the weapon anyway.
Since it was corebound, it naturally grew more powerful the stronger I became, but having Qi flow through it like this would also slowly reinforce the weapon. Some of the dregs would stay behind, dissolve into the wood and metal, and temper it. This was the very basics of forging weapons with Qi.
Of course, I wouldnt be able to forge my own weapon. But since this one was bound to me, I was able to skip all the intermediate steps and just deposit Qi into it. So, slowly, I filled my core, repaired my spear, and waited as the evening drifted by.
Eventually, Matts eyes snapped open and he gulped for air, like someone whod almost just drowned. There was a manic look in his eyes again, as they darted around the campsite, looking for threats. Not like he was terrified, but more like he was looking to lunge at them.
Matt, I softly said, campsite. Battle was all in your head, youre safe.
He snapped to me as though Id screamed, and his hand grasped for his sword. I wasnt worried though, and his face cleared up once he heard safe. He took another raspy breath, closing his eyes for a second, clenching and unclenching his fists.
When he opened them, he shot me a smile. Phew, thanks, Fio. Got a bit too into it there.
What kinda fight did you go through? I asked.
Ah. That. Well, I tried fighting people from my old swordsmanship school. Emphasis being on tried, there. I got my ass kicked by my old teachers, he said, then gave a crooked smirk. Well, Ill surpass them one day.
I smiled back at him. Seems like a lofty goal, surpassing your masters.
Not at all, he said seriously. More like its a students duty.
There was a brief silence between us. I thought of my own master, and honestly, the thought of surpassing him seemed hopeless. Well. Had seemed hopeless. I did have mirror mind now. Maybe, if talents like that and iron will could be acquired, I had a shot.
Yeah, you might have a point, I told Matt.
His serious face turned into a smile again as he leaned back, holding himself up with his hands. He stared into the sky a bit. You full on Qi? he asked.
Eh, about halfway there. You were meditating for a while, but I still had to fix up my spear.
So its dull right now?
Sure is. I nodded.
He grinned. So clearly were sparring.
I thought youd never ask.
Chapter 40: Closing in on Enlightenment
As usual, Matt handed my ass to me in a direct spar. I didnt use my mirror Qi, though, which could have probably turned the tide.
He kept a wooden sword in his inventory for occasions like this. Well, it was made from a special, super durable and Qi resistant wood, of course, but it still ensured that I ended up with bruises instead of cuts.
Of course, I hit Matt a fair share of times, too. Repairing my weapon was exhausting, but it also made me feel more connected to it. I knew its intricacies better, its balance. It adjusted to fit me, specifically, more and more.
I could feel it resonate with my Qi as I swung, the weapon whizzing through the air and hitting Matt hard, multiple times.
He would step forward and do a downward slash, Id parry and let his sword slide down the length of the spear. He transferred to a sideway swing, using his leverage to try and push the tip of my weapon aside, but I stepped forward, into close range, and brought the butt of the spear down onto his face. The tip dug into the earth, not moving under his strike.
There was half a second where he was disoriented, and I slammed the butt of my spear into his solar plexus, making his gasp for air, then knocked the sword out his hand by hitting his wrist, hard.
The next exchange, I thrust my spear, but he batted it down and to his right, then kicked it, throwing me more off balance. A quick strike from his left, and I wouldve lost my arm in a real fight.
On and on we went, exchanges often lasting only a handful of moves. Then, as we both got into the rhythm, they got longer. A dozen moves, first, then two dozen. A series of steps, parries, strikes, cuts and thrusts. I felt my stance shift sometimes, my intermediate basic spear techniques showing their worth as the ability settled in.
I had learned it, but the fight was slowly engraving it into me. The feeling was strange, knowing I was visibly improving with every move I made felt almost unnatural, but at the same time, not like I was doing anything I didnt already know to do.
Matt even paused between spars and stared at me. What the hell is up with you, Fio? he asked. Did you eat enlightenment with a spoon or something?
I told him about mirror mind, and he grimaced. Damn you, spearwoman! he lamented. Now my greatest advantage is gone! Whose ass am I gonna kick in spars?! Liams?
The young rogue, despite being far away, immediately looked over, and slowly rose from his log. Then he vanished, and reappeared from Matts shadow, holding a knife to the swordsmans throat.
I dont think you will, I heard his voice carried to my ears by the wind, his tone mischievous and teasing.
Try me, Matt said, grinning, and a moment later, Liam had joined the sparring.
Despite his obsessive weapon maintenance, he also had a pair of sparring daggers, which he used to thoroughly teach Matt a lesson with my help. Miraculously, the swordsman was still able to keep up with the both of us combined. I really, really didnt want to have to face him in a one-on-one.
Matt had learned swordsmanship back on the other side from a young age, and it had been running in his family for a while. Fighting humans was his specialty, and once again he demonstrated that whenever he sparred with me, he held back.
Only when Liam joined me did that manic look return to his eyes as he fully focused. It felt like fighting someone thrice his size who also just so happened to be an olympic level gymnast, flexing unreasonably and diving between attacks. Only to smack you right across the face with a slash you could hardly see.
By the end of it, all three of us laid on the floor, spent. My body was covered in bruises, and so were those of Matt and Liam. Despite it, Emilia walked over, and lightly kicked our resident martial artist. You know you were supposed to take first watch, right? she snarked, and I heard him groan loudly.
Alright kids, stop messing about, Marie chided, mirth in her face. I can take first. Hurry off to bed.
All three of us groaned, and only Matt managed to squeak out a grumbling answer. I joined Ann in my tent, and cuddled up to her, despite the fact that the rough ground didnt exactly feel great on all my beat up muscles.
She wrapped her arms around me with a smile on her face. I must have been drenched in sweat, but she didnt seem to care in the slightest as she kissed my forehead. You did well, she assured me.
I smiled and nodded.
But it was probably a little bit of a stupid idea to spend so long sparring, she reminded me.
I frowned and nodded.
She smiled and kissed my forehead again. Guess Ill just have to practice extra hard to make sure you dont leave me in the dust.
I chuckled a little and nodded. I guess youll have to.
We spent a few more minutes in comfortable silence before my exhaustion and Anns warmth dragged me off into the sweet embrace of sleep.
- - -
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
The day after was miserable.
Not that it was unexpected. Marching, by itself, was already enough to wear me out sometimes, though the new levels from the gateway class definitely helped with that, but sparring on top of that? Not only were all my muscles sore, I was also covered in bruises.
Reya offered to heal them, but I declined. Pain was also a valuable teacher. And having my muscles rebuild themselves was much better for development. Divinity fixed your body, after all. It didnt necessarily develop it.
There were some ways to get around that for agents of other divines. Ru and Argus clerics, for example, could pick up some skills related to it. Rus would simulate battles, dealing damage to your muscles, and then prompting them to knit back together. It was why he had so many paladins.
Argus gave some skills that allowed your body to grow stronger by eating plants or absorbing sunlight. It would also increase your affinity for nature powers, so it was especially suited for druids. Apparently, it was quite a popular blessing for farmers to pick up.
But I was with neither of them. Our clerics were with Lurelia, whose healing powers were far stronger than those of the other, but in exchange, they werent optimal for growing. I wanted the movements of the spars to ingrain themselves into my body, so the wounds needed to heal by themselves.
Even if it made marching much tougher.
At least iron will made things easier to bear. It didnt exactly lessen the pain, but it did make pushing it aside much more doable. I reviewed the spars in my head while I maintained [Aura Suppression]. The ability was slowly becoming more familiar. Soon I probably wouldnt need to flick that mental switch anymore.
Bit by bit, the day ticked by. This time, when the metal-eating lirers attacked, I smacked them with the butt of my spear instead. They were durable, with excessive amounts of vitality, but I could use my Qi to create a makeshift spike on the back of my spear, which worked quite well for stabbing the critters.
As for the sylters, we were able to deal with them when we saw them coming. By now, Emilia, Liam, and Marie were taking turns applying some form of surveillance. Liam could feel shadows moving if he was properly focused, apparently. Hed had to adjust because of the grass giving a huge influx of information when even a slight gust blew.
Now, though, we knew ahead when the snakes were coming, and while they were fast and vicious, they were far less durable than the lirers, easily sliced apart.
I was worried though. We hadnt yet encountered a kamaitachi, which were supposed to be more dominant than the other monsters here, as well as being far more deadly.
Their wind magic made them incredibly fast, and the blades that they had as part of their bodies were horrendously sharp apparently. Yet, despite them supposedly being native to this area, we made it to the waypoint without facing any of them.
The obelisk stood tall in the landscape. A monolith, hewn from a smooth black glassy material. It looked like obsidian or onyx, but everyone knew it was not. When you touched them, they were faintly warm and would hum in response to residual Qi, and if you properly charged them with energy, they would point you in the direction of the nearest settlement.
Just out of a sense of routine, I led a little of my metal Qi into this one while the others restocked on water. Sometimes wed make camp around these, their formations warding the monsters away via use of divinity.
When I charged the obelisk, there was a faint moment of resonance, before I felt the information drizzle into my mind. There werent many locations stored in it, just a few landmarks. A cave for shelter, which may or may not be overrun by monsters by now, an outpost that had long since been abandoned, and the monastery we were heading towards as a very distant goal.
Nothing interesting, I told my party, grabbing a couple full waterskins from Ann and quickly depositing them into my inventory.
Marie nodded. Alright. Then we continue on towards the original goal.
With that we marched on, the hours drifting by with the monotonous routine. The shrubbery would change occasionally, thorny bushes becoming more frequent. The grass itself was already hardy and sharp, some of it felt like it was on the verge of awakening into plant monsters, but the shrubs were even more vicious.
The thorns were coated in a toxin that induced sleep, as we found out the hard way when Eric got a scrape from one of them. Emilia easily slung his unconscious body over her shoulders, carrying the man, once wed removed the barbed thorn, of course. Why did it need to have three separate barbs at the end of an already heavily curved thorn? That was for the shrub to decide.
Of course, the plant remained silent, though maybe that was because of how quickly we moved on.
More days of marching passed. The air grew colder, almost icy, and the ground became rockier. Despite the fact that there was hardly any soft soil left, the grass only seemed hardier. It did feel like the energy in the air was thicker here, weighing down against my Qi.
Having to shield myself while keeping my mirror Qi contained was an excellent way of practicing aura suppression, at least. Though it sure felt like crap. The energy wasnt as dense as in Orvans room, where it had felt charged and ready to lash out any moment.
Despite the fact that it was thinner here though, it felt heavier. Different. In the way that there was less purpose to it, and more a general will to consume. Orvan probably kept his study charged for him to top up on mana. Here, the energy in the air itself seemed willing to consume.
Rather than being a dozen electric sparks, it felt like one large whale pressing down on me, making each step heavier.
Still we kept walking, and another day passed. Id hoped to be able to continue cultivating by then, but apparently, that life just wasnt meant for me, because the increasing pressure made aura suppression harder to keep active.
It locked me in a rather frustrating cycle of getting better with the ability, only to have it become harder to keep active, forcing me to improve my mastery again.
At least imprint and voyage as paths were still profiting. Voyage seemed to revel in the fact that I was out and seeing new places, fighting new monsters, while imprint seemed to grow from the fact that I refused to yield against the pressure. Maybe this was going against the natural will of the world or something like that.
Regardless, another day passed by. We did finally encounter a few awakened plants. Shrubs which lashed out at us with vines, but soon retreated once Ann singed a couple of their probing appendages with a healthy dose of fire.
My sparring with Matt had continued over the last few days, and I felt my spear technique improving more and more. Activating mirror mind against the nest had apparently given me a whole lot of inspiration that hadnt quite settled yet. I could feel specks of another enlightenment slowly coalescing together in my mind as we fought, but it was still distant.
Unlike what I had figured out back at castle Arhan, where Id first imagined all the other mes. That bit of enlightenment was what imprint was based on. This, instead, was much more focused on the spear rather than my mirror powers.
I knew Matt had gone through enlightenment about the sword multiple times now. Id had two before about my weapon, when I finally properly understood what it meant to have a bound one, and when it clicked how to apply my Qi to it properly. Now, I was beginning to feel a third one forming.
Chapter 41: Icy Atmosphere
Another day passed with Matt, Liam and I sparring. Occasionally, Emilia and Marie joined in, but today was not one of those days. As always, the following march was gruelling, the pressure heavy enough to make it feel as though my knees would buckle.
But they didnt. I kept pressing on and walking. The ground had become even rockier by now, and we were finally well within the area of the mountains. We had transitioned from walking on soil to hard stone, and the grass was finally growing more sparse.
Not that it wasnt trying to grow, but there was simply no more space. The ground was now mostly made from smooth, rocky plates, the erosion making it look as though some giant had cut them to be smooth.
Additionally, a lot of the rock was covered by layers of snow and ice. It had grown colder again, and was probably far below freezing by now.
In the grassland, the snow hadnt accumulated, since the plants hungrily absorbed the sun and kept the soil warm, despite it already being cold enough to snow there. Now, though, we were truly at the point where living creatures were not meant to withstand the winds.
Why anyone would build a monastery in these mountains eluded me, but nevertheless, I felt the string connecting me to that gateway whenever I closed my eyes. It was so close now, almost calling out to me.
During the journey, my gateway integrity had risen to 30%. I was hoping to keep it below 80 for my visit to my family. That should give me more than enough time to deal with any eventualities that popped up. But I suppose Id just have to see how it worked out then.
For now, I needed to focus on not slipping. The rocks were horridly smooth, tilted, and covered in ice, so each step could be treacherous. Additionally, there were sometimes large cracks, hidden behind thin layers of powdered snow. Emilia usually warned us of those so we could avoid them, but she couldnt exactly keep track of each and every one of our feet all the time.
Especially with the presence being even heavier here.
The air was already thin in these mountains, but having such a huge amount of energy weighing down on me made breathing hard. I needed to focus on repelling it by coating myself with golden Qi, while at the same time making sure I was still suppressing my mirror Qi.
It was an exercise that gave me a headache that only grew worse as the hours ticked by. When we camped at the end of our first day in the mountains proper, I was left with a terrible migraine. At least this was the shortest leg of the journey, only a few days left until we were at the monastery,
I slept well that night, Ann and I sharing warmth between us, with the exception of me needing to take watch once.
The next day was a crawl. All of us were tired by now, but the twins had it especially rough. They needed to constantly use techniques to buff themselves, since Divinity had the weakest natural reinforcement effect of the three energies, and their physical stats were also on the lower end of our group.
At least Ann could just levitate herself if push came to shove, but with the way it was, we occasionally had to help the two of them out.
It was possible to push your Qi into someone else, to a degree. Thats what we did. Liam, me, and Marie took turns supporting Reya, which involved at least some form of contact, while Emilia and Matt held Erics hand. Quite literally, too.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Apparently, the swordsman was fine with this more so than when Ann and I did it, because there was nothing PDA about it.
I shook my head at his antics and simply marched on, keeping my hand on Reyas shoulder or back for the most part to give her some support.
This did mean that by the end of the day, we were all even more tuckered out. None of us had the energy left to spar, and instead, just holding watch became miserable.
At the same time, the goal was so close now, I could feel it. Just a day more.
And we endured.
There were monster attacks.
Ice elemental things, creatures of shambling snow with an aura so cold it seeped straight into your bones. They were cut resistant, too, their frozen bodies simply reforming by absorbing some snow from their feet, until Ann blasted them away with a couple explosions.
By the end of it, all of us were shivering, our lips discoloured from the frost. Ann had to summon a fire for us to huddle around to keep warm, and Matt caused a soft breeze to keep the icy winds away.
This one was especially horrendous for Marie, since shed been stabbed through the shoulder by an icicle, and the attack had been imbued with frost energy that was trying to eat its way further into her body. It took most of her Qi reserves to stop it, and then a good chunk of both Reyas and Erics Divinity to patch the wound back up.
Once the day was over, the three of them almost immediately fell unconscious, before Ann had even finished setting up the wards.
Each and every one of us was running low on resources, with Ann having spent the last dregs of her mana on the fortifications. It was up to Matt, Emilia, Liam and I to keep watch, and it was fucking dreadful.
The days were icy. The nights were freezing.
It was so far below freezing that I was pretty sure my breath didnt just turn to steam, but into actual ice crystals that dropped to the floor with soft plinks. The tiny bits of sweat on my skin from marching froze into thin plates of ice, sapping my warmth further. I had to routinely shake them off.
At least I was able to use my mirror Qi within the wards. That allowed me to keep somewhat warm. I bent reflection to reflect my own body heat back at me. It was crude, and clumsy, and took a horrendous amount of Qi to pull off, but somehow, the ability listened after two dozen tries or so.
When morning came around, my party members looked like theyd been through hell. Exhausted, drained, and completely fucking weary. But the monastery was in sight.
It was a few pagodas, built into a large valley between two peaks. There was even a staircase to make it up the final bit of elevation towards it, even if said staircase was mostly rubble by now.
Getting there, though, was a different beast entirely. We were unlucky enough to be attacked by ice elementals, again, and for a second time, their frost auras sapped our stamina. By the time wed repelled them, Ann had burnt through most of her mana once more, barely hanging onto her passive protection spells.
At least there were no more attacks until we reached the stairs.
And they must have been built by a fucking sadist.
Each step was too long or too short, and the steps themselves were so thin you could slip on each one of them. In fact, Eric did slip, onto me, and I barely caught him by making platforms out of Qi for me to stand on, rather than relying on the ground. Emilia was relying on her connection with the stone, Marie, Liam and Eric on their superhuman dexterity to just walk up the fucking staircase.
The pressure in the air was so heavy now, just drawing breath was hard, only to then find that the air seemed to freeze the blood in your veins. It was horrible.
And I had one of the easiest times out of our party, with iron will active.
Eventually, after an annoying amount of climbing over destroyed bits of the staircase, making our way past and above boulders, and trying not to break our necks while freezing our asses off, we finally, finally made it to the top of the staircase.
In front of us stood a large, decrepit wooden gate. It was scratched up and damaged, long, thin gashes in the wood. But it still stood closed. I could feel the hum of Qi behind it, dozens of warding formations drawing in the ambient energy to keep this place free from monsters.
Emilia and I stepped forward, leaning against the door, bracing our feet into the floor, and pushing. There was a whole lot of resistance, with the thing being frozen shut, but with a few kicks into the middle of it from Matt, the ice covering it eventually cracked, and the doors suddenly swung open.
Behind it, a dozen weasels with scythes for arms turned to face us. It was not a good day.
Chapter 42: Stone-cold Showdown
There was a moment of clear cut silence in the air. The freezing winds were much quieter in the small valley, but even if theyd been howling, I think I wouldve thought them silent.
I caught myself from almost falling when the door opened, securing my feet with Qi, but when I looked back up, I saw them.
The inner courtyard was flooded with kamaitachi.
Whoever had said they were native to the grasslands was apparently dealing with outdated info. It looked as though every single one of the fucking weasels had moved up into the mountains. Dozens of the creatures were in the courtyard, skittering about with the blades on their hands and tail.
Because yes, apparently, their tail was also a scythe, and a much larger one at that. Their heads snapped to us, staring with those black pupils. I wouldve found them cute, calling them button-eyed, if it didnt feel like they were about to lunge and start carving into me.
Then, one of them squealed. Skittered away. The others remained perfectly still, like a host of statues, staring at Emilia and me.
My eyes drifted over to the other woman, and she met my gaze with panic.
Whats going on in there? Matt asked from behind us, unable to see the courtyard with the other party members in front of him. Helloooo? Fio? Emilia? Start walking Im freezing!
Shut up! I hissed at him, watching as some of the close creatures shifted their posture. No longer were they warily looking at us; instead, their sickles were raised, ready to strike at us, their fur raised.
At the very least, Matt had the decency to shut his dumb mouth when I asked him to. The silence rang out even louder.
I felt the cold gnaw at my body, felt how the kamaitachi were assessing us. I still didnt know where that one of them had run off to, but I feared I was about to find out, when a few more of them skittered into the courtyard.
The noise they made when walking was horrendous. The click of metal on stone and ice, repeated over and over again as their scythes touched the floor. Except, it was soon eclipsed by a much more horrendous sound.
Instead of a clicking noise of metal hitting stone, there was the sound of slicing.
It made me aware of the condition of the building. There was a large gash, maybe twice as long as I was, right diagonally across the front door of the main pagoda. And from the sliced-open door, another kamaitachi emerged.
Except this one was twice as long as I was tall, the scythe on its tail more than capable of cutting me straight in half. Its sickles sunk a good chunk into the stone as it walked, lazily across the courtyard.
Finally, it arrived in front of Emilia and me.
Our eyes were wide with fear, the giant weasels tail drifting gracefully across the floor behind it. Its fur sent clouds of powdered snow into the air, while its sickle carved furrowns into the ground with an almost sickening noise of cutting.
Slowly, its nose drew closer to me, and it sniffed a few times.
I saw the giant kamaitachi shift. Its tail stopped moving for a moment, as its entire body turned stiff. Its fur slowly raised, and its lips drew back to reveal sharp fangs. It hissed, a noise that was so grating it felt like someone was dragging their nails across my bones.
Despite that, I focused on iron will.
Predators like this one looked for weakness, for fear, and despite being afraid, I pushed that aside. I met its gaze, and when it hissed, I instinctively almost hissed back. Instead, I just took half a step forward. The creature froze for a moment, its sharp ears pressed flat against its head.
The pressure came from it, I now noted, and standing less than a metre away from the monster didnt exactly make it a whole lot easier to stand. My knees were shaking, but I hid it as best as I could as I stared the weasel down.
Its aura grew even heavier, pressing against the coating of Qi I had. I reinforced my protection, charging it up enough for it to become visible to the naked eye, wispy strands of gold rising from my skin and dissipating into the air.
I heard my blood rush through my ears, and it felt like my heart was about to burst through my chest, but I stared the creature down. This thing was not going to be my end. I knew that much, and iron will let me stand my ground, where most would have buckled.
The thing hissed again, renewing the pressure on me. It was using wind Qi, I now noticed, the icy breeze having picked up and turned into half a storm. Many of the smaller kamaitachi had since fled into burrows or the pagodas, as the fresh snow in the valley began swirling through the air.
Half a second later, the storm hit my face. The icy wind cut through to my bones, the snow smashing into my face with such speed it felt like a hundred tiny needles. In response, I took another step forward, and continued increasing my Qi output, until the wisps of gold were on the verge of becoming armor.
My Qi disintegrated the snow before it could reach me, the bits that hit my face mixing with the sweat and dripping off. I saw the tail of the kamaitachi swish back and forth even more in rage, as it seemingly didnt want to back down. But I was on the offensive now.
I manifested [Golden Body], coursing my Qi through me, and summoned my spear, as though I was baring my teeth. The pressure grew heavier, and so did my Qi output, in an endless match to see who would give up first.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
It was neither of us.
Aura suppression was an ability that was new to me, not yet properly mastered. My control with it had far improved during the journey, but it was by no means perfect. And with the amount of Qi I was releasing, my mirror Qi eventually got caught up in the storm.
A wisp of the smooth, glasslike power escaped from my skin, wisping into the air, yet it was enough.
In front of me, the kamaitachi froze, its eyes following the single wispy trail. I saw a bit of saliva drop from its lips. I knew then and there, without a doubt, that it would attack me.
So I attacked first.
Seizing the initiative was almost easy. I had enough fear coursing through my blood that an untrained person might have started foaming at the mouth, but an iron will was made from iron. I didnt break underneath it.
Instead, I stepped forward another step, fully this time, completely unleashing the Qi. Aura suppression fell away like a misfitted cloak, the mirror Qi joining my golden power in coursing through my body. I felt the glass underneath my skin shift rapidly, adjusting as though it had awakened from hibernation.
Before it was fully finished, I already snapped my weapon forward, spear Qi covering my blade, and thrust it at the creatures belly. Pushing through the thick fur felt like dragging my hand through honey, so I condensed the Qi coating down to as fine and sharp a point as I could.
I smashed into the creatures skin, the blade digging into its body for half the speartips length, before it was stopped by the powerful muscles of the creature. I felt the kamaitachi shift to screech in response to my attack, and guarded my ears on reflex.
A good choice, because the screech was loud enough to cause an avalanche to begin descending down the side of the mountain. The winds sped up again, whipping into me like blades, as I twisted and pulled my spear in an attempt to cause more damage on the way out. Except, I didnt get it back out.
Instead, the creature swiped at me with one of its forelegs, and I barely dodged by letting go of my weapon and leaping back, landing on the floor. I used my tether to the spear to bring it back into my hands, just in time to stop another swipe from the monster.
Its second sickle dug into the wood of my spear, going almost halfway through the weapon before it stopped. I barely stopped the sickle from reaching my face, holding my spear up with both my hands, shaking with the exertion. It brought its tail up to finish me off, when Emilia slammed into it with the force of a boulder.
In fact, I think she might have looked like half a boulder, too, wrapping the stone from the ground around herself. It drove the thing off balance, letting me throw its foreleg off and roll to the side as its tail sunk into the ground where Id just laid. Could [Reflection] have stopped that? Doubtful.
I breathed heavily as the others came storming through the gate. Emilia was slammed aside by the creature with a swipe of its forelegs, the sickles cutting through the stone and leaving a gash on her forearms. It was so cold now that her blood froze into red crystals before it hit the ground.
Matt quickly took his role in pressing the offensive, slamming into the thing with a storm of blossoms. His plum-scented wind clashed against that of the monsters, his petals often strewn away by the icy gales that now covered the courtyard.
As I rose from the floor, I saw the smaller kamaitachi trying to move from their burrows and hiding spots to lunge at us, but they were unable to. The little critters were too light and fluffy, they would get picked up by the wind and blown away. Usually, theyd ride the currents they created, but I dont think they could compete with the giant monster.
It was hard just staying on my feet, and I saw Matt crash into one of the wooden retaining walls to my left, being flung away as he blocked a strike from the huge thing with his sword.
By then, though, the others were in. Reya rushed to heal Matt, Eric headed over to Emilia, who was adjusting the straps on her armor a little. We hadnt been expecting to fight something this huge, and were in more travel-ready gear, too, so I had to buy some time.
Liam, Ann and Marie appeared by my side, and we gave quick nods. The rogue dashed forward first, disappearing into the shadows. A moment later, he emerged beyond the kamaitachi, digging his daggers into the wound Id already created. Marie shot a few arrows at the monster in the blink of an eye, targeting its face, but they were flung aside by a huge gust of wind.
Despite that, one of them struck true, a single Qi infused arrow hidden in the mix, digging into the things face just below its right eye. It roared again, rolling in the snow. It would have been adorable, were the thing not so huge and actively trying to crush Liam.
The young man was suddenly beside me again, having reemerged from my shadow, one of his daggers still buried in the monsters underside. He held his arm as if it was injured, but Reya was already running over, holding a glowing arm out to him.
I gripped my spear tighter, looking at Ann. She gave me a quick nod, and released the spells shed been preparing, half a dozen fireballs flying into the creatures face. They were weakened by the icy winds, only arriving with maybe half their power, but they still blew up, creating a cloud of smoke. Half a breath later the smoke had dissipated, replaced by a storm of tiny icicles, but it was all I needed.
In that time, I was already in front of the creature, Qi swirling around my spear, and I swung as hard as I could. My blade struck fur, then flesh, cutting into one of the kamaitachis forelegs, the joint before where the blade began. My spear dug in deep, before a sudden gust of extreme wind blew me away.
Midair, I stepped onto a platform of Qi, holding up my spear and twisting my upper body to deflect a swing from the monster. I unsummoned the platform right after, letting the momentum carry me away. The wind spun me around, and I crashed into the floor with my back, knocking the breath from my lungs, but still I channelled more Qi into my spear, the nicks in the shaft already repairing themselves again.
Marie was running in alongside Matt and Emilia now, but the monster swung the giant blade on its tail as though it weighed nothing. Emilia was first within range, forced to stop and step back, while Marie and Matt leapt over it, but the swordsman was blown away by a gust, just as I had been.
I could feel my fingers go numb with frostbite now, my legs threatening to buckle under the insane pressure the thing conjured. The blood rushing in my ears was almost eclipsed by the noise of the avalanche rumbling towards us, but soon replaced by a scream. I saw one of the smaller kamaitachi scaling Anns body, its scythe digging into her leg, until Liam stabbed it in the neck.
In the split second, his dagger also dug into Anns leg, and blood dripped from there to the floor, tainting the snow. Eric was already next to her, applying healing, while Reya shot a buff my way.
Rage bubbled up in my chest. The little fuckers were hiding in burrows in the snow. One misstep, and their scythes would carve up our feet.
Marie slammed into the large one, driving her knife forward. She imbued it with nature Qi, digging into the wound where her arrow had gone before. It was a good choice - the monster probably had eyelids thick enough to stop her daggers. And she just needed a little damage, there was the telltale glint of poison magic on her weapon.
As expected, she was flung aside, smashing into the floor beside me as the giant monster began screeching and rolling as its blades swept at anything that came near. I drew in a breath of icy air, feeling the chill spread through my bones as I saw dozens of black eyes peek at us from between the snowy winds.
It was going to be a miserable fucking day.
Chapter 43: Second Time just like the First
I charged at the monster as it flung Marie aside. One of the little fuckers tried swiping at my calf, but met its end at the tip of my spear before it had a chance to. Matt was right on time, Liam in the shadows and ready to strike as soon as the thing stopped rolling.
The swordsman jumped ahead of me, boosting his leap with Qi, and pulling up a storm of blossoms that carried him straight across the snowy field. Hed seemingly completely discarded defense, and I could see why; a shimmering blue glitter of mana covered him from head to toe.
Before he could land his attack, the weasel saw him, one of its eyes now murky with green veins, but he still committed. The storm of blossoms slammed into the monster, driving it back half a foot and carving a dozen little wounds into its body. It shut its eyes, but the petals still dug their way into the wound below it.
Matt twisted in midair, dodging a slash, and landed on the things back, stabbing his sword into it. Another screech followed, drowned out by the rumbling of more avalanches going loose. One of them was bound to smash into the courtyard soon, but I didnt have time to look around.
A moment later, I was upon the thing. It swiped at me with its forelegs, the one Id already wounded was just slow enough to dodge, and I deflected the second, sliding under a horizontal swipe. Liam appeared below it at the same time as I did, and his dagger slammed into the wound at the same time as my spear did.
Driven forward by a blade of Qi, [Golden Body], and a buff from Reya, my weapon dug in deep, going through tough muscle and slicing into some sort of organ. Blood gushed forth, and I quickly transitioned into a roll, letting go of my spear and just aiming to get out of there as fast I possibly could.
When I got out, there was still blood spraying, not that of a monster, though. The thing had caught Matt. While it was shaking itself, hed held onto his sword for grip, but it was stuck tightly in the wound. The thing had used it, and lashed with the huge scythe on his tail, slashing straight from Matts left hip all the way to his right shoulder.
The only reason he wasnt cut into two parts was Anns barrier. Worse, that same tail was currently headed for me and Liam, and I didnt have a weapon. I lunged upwards, but the scythe simply changed angle, before suddenly halting. Emilia stood, wrapped in a cocoon of stone, her hands tightly clasped around the things tail.
Id wager she was screaming her heart out in anger, but the winds quieted it.
My landing was rough, rolling on the icy floor. There was a moment where one of the small kamaitachi would have killed me. Its scythe was right in the path my spine took as I rolled, but instinctively, I activated [Reflection], and the little monster was cut in half instead.
A hard breath left my lungs. I could barely feel my legs anymore, and still, I summoned my spear back. It was half as long as it should have been, snapped down the middle as the thing had rolled, but during my daring escape, Marie had managed to take Matt and bring him back to the twins.
His sword was still lodged in the monsters back. The kamaitachi turned, and swung its forelegs at Marie, the muscles where Id left a gash tearing. It was in pain, I knew that, the wound on its stomach was probably lethal by now. It didnt matter.
Tears threatened to flood my eyes as my vision became blurry. Only iron mind let me keep my focus on the fight. Every movement hurt so much, every muscle in my body straining against the cold. My blood felt like ice in my veins and yet also burned.
I roared, charging at the monster again, alongside a few fireballs from Ann. Liam hid in my shadow, waiting for a chance to ambush. The thing had its back turned on me, currently slashing at Emilia, who mostly blocked the attacks, but bled a little more with each hit.
Anns fireballs hit true, burning more fur, and a few of Maries arrows slammed into the kamaitachi as well. It swiped the long tail at me blindly, but I jumped over it, landing on where its back transitioned into the tail.
With a scream, I pushed more Qi into my spear, almost all of it, creating a much longer blade of Qi, then slashed it into the things tail with every bit of force I could muster. I cut about halfway, my broken spear giving me shitty leverage, and the large scythe snapped at me.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Desperately, I leaned back, to the point where the scythe would probably only slice up my stomach instead of cutting me in half, hoping it was enough for [Reflection] to take the full brunt of the attack. It was not.
The ability activated, and for a few grandiose moments, the bit of the scythe that would have cut into me disappeared, instead slamming into the creatures own tail, as my mirror abilities tried to finish the job. The wound grew deeper, leaking blood like a faucet, but before the appendage was fully severed, it reappeared.
The scythe reemerged, and went straight to its deadly work, digging into my stomach at around the middle point. It went what felt like just about halfway through my body, the momentum carrying it out the other side, and blood poured forth from the wound. I screamed again, in pain this time, iron mind keeping me conscious as I grit my teeth and held the wound close.
Liam emerged from my shadow, and tossed me. Id neutralized the things tail. No way it could move it with the appendage being almost entirely severed, hanging on by only a few threads of muscle.
In exchange, blood poured from me like a faucet, staining the snow red as I staggered back towards my party. Distantly, I remembered Orvans gift to me, drinking one of the healing potions, and splashing the other on the wound. I didnt use the third, some part of me kept the toxicity of these things in mind.
The pressure from the kamaitachi had eased up, but I couldnt feel my legs at all, so keeping balance was difficult. My Qi was almost empty, too, the last dregs of it entirely devoted to healing the wound as I felt divinity flood into me.
The twins kept me up, and I kept walking, staggering towards Ann, leaving a thick trail of blood, despite all the healing flowing through my veins. Eventually, Emilia caught me. She supported me for the last couple steps, before I fell to the floor. Everything turned into a blur.
The monster screamed a few more times. Fireballs and arrows slamming into it. Liam killed it, they told me later, by drawing Matts sword from the wound and stabbing it into the monsters other eye.
I felt myself being dragged across the courtyard, the icy snow biting against me, then picked up so that the smaller kamaitachi couldnt get their scythes on me. We got inside the pagoda, and minutes later, the light outside disappeared, as the building shook. The avalanche must have hit it.
All I could feel then was pain. Feeling slowly returned to the rest of my body as my nerves began playing nice, the frost slowly thawing away. My Qi clung to me in a heavy haze, trying to keep my body together and replenish all the blood Id lost together with the potions.
And it was a copious amount of blood. A small pool had formed around me inside, the old wood staining red. Emilia, Liam and Marie took care of the smaller kamaitachi inside, while divinity was poured into me in droves.
My injury was worse than Matts. His was a gash, sure, but still a thin gash, having been shielded by Ann. Half of my stomach was open air territory currently, though. And mixed with the pain from my legs and fingers as the frostbite slowly receded to reveal just how mangled they were, I was this close to passing out.
But I didnt.
With an iron will, I kept myself awake, breathing through gritted teeth and stupid amounts of pain. It got even worse once [Golden Body] wore off, my golden Qi thoroughly used up. The glass underneath my skin seemed to shift, stemming the bloodflow, letting divinity pour into me, and as minute after minute passed, my entrails slowly fused back together.
The process was horrible, and I would absolutely not recommend anyone to go through with it. It also wasnt enough.
By the time both Eric and Reya had run out of Divinity, Matt was stable.
I was not.
In a desperate, last ditch effort for some rejuvenation, Ann cast a levitation spell on me. Emilia took me along with her and Liam, pushing further into the building. I couldnt understand what they were saying, my ears buzzing from the loud noises, but I knew what they were doing.
Searching for the reason we were here.
Gruelling minutes passed, as my blood left a red trail on the floor. We went through empty room after empty room, nothing to see except dusty, scratched up furniture. Eventually, there was a staircase, down beneath the ground.
It felt like an eternal descent. At some point, I hallucinated I was going to hell, but still stubbornly held onto my mortal coil. I wasnt going to die.
Every ounce of Qi I absorbed from the surroundings - and I was absorbing a lot, given how thick with energy the air was after everything the damn weasel unloaded - went into keeping my breaking body together. I was thankful for my stupidly high endurance and resilience now as my bleeding, somehow, stemmed.
By the time I was finally beginning to reach the point where I was ready to pass out, I felt myself spin, and immediately wanted to throw up. Except, everything in my stomach had long since hit the floor after it was sliced open, so I just retched instead, turning into a desperate cough.
The cold air burnt my lungs, as someone else moved my hand.
[You have touched a lost gateway! Congratulations!]
[In order to restore the extensive damage, the gateway will be fused to you. Please stand by.]
And as the mirror enveloped me, my world went dark.
Chapter 44: Not quite Dead, but Close!
Eventually, I woke up, and I felt like absolute garbage.
Like someone had taken me, wrung me out like a towel, then flung me into the wall a couple times for good measure. I felt every single bone in my body ache and creak. My heart felt like it was about to burst from simply beating. Opening my eyelids was so straining I thought they were about to cramp.
It was all worth it to wake up to Anns face.
Hey gorgeous, I croaked, my voice raspy and almost silent to my still ringing ears.
And despite all that, I saw my loves face light up, and I thought that all the pain in the world might not matter that much. Fio! she yelled, wrapping her arms around me for all of half a second, before she saw my grimace and drew back.
I- Im so sorry, I-, I- she stammered, struggling to catch her breath. You must be hurt, I didnt think, Im just so glad that youre, youre
Youre alright, I croaked, managing a crooked smile for her. My lips cracked open, the skin horrendously dry after the cold. Im also alright.
Cass was buzzing about in the back of my head. She made it clear that there were things going on, but that she had them handled until I was ready to interact with them. For now, Ann deserved my attention so, so much more.
She teared up a little as I talked. Thank you, Fio. For surviving. For holding on. She was wiping at her face as she spoke. The tears dropped to the floor in liquid form, and I never thought I could be so glad to see someone cry.
I felt warm, on the outside and the inside.
Always. Gonna always come back for ya I said, smiling.
Ann had the decency to chuckle at that. She pulled up a waterskin and laid it against my lips. There, she said, you must be thirsty. And I was, horribly so. Id lost a lot of liquid from all the bleeding Id done. Probably more than enough to kill an ordinary person thrice over.
It still smelled like iron. How long had I been out? I wanted to gaze at my cores, but they were full. Which wasnt exactly helpful for telling the time. The fusion with the gateway must have filled them up. Also, they were larger than what I remembered. Considerably larger, too.
I grimaced, another wave of pain wracking my body and coughed some of the water Ann was slowly giving me back up. I should stop being distracted while drinking. She seemed about to apologize when I waved her off.
My bad, I croaked again, though my throat already felt considerably better. Looked at cores. Dumb.
Ann let out an exasperated giggle, like she was completely done with me, shaking her head and crying some more. I fucking swear, Fio, youre crazy All this. You could just ask me how long you were out, dummy!
I stared at her, and her smile turned crooked.
Of course I know what youre thinking. You only tell me half the things inside that thick skull of yours, so Im left to figure out a good chunk of it myself. What did you expect? she asked.
I had to suppress a chuckle at that. My abs felt like someone had ruthlessly dragged a cheese grater over them, so I didnt exactly feel like straining my core.
You were out for two days, Ann finally supplied. Two days, fully unconscious. The twins had been using special spells to keep you satiated. Meant that some of us got less healing for minor scrapes since Divinity to nutrient conversion is apparently low. But even Matt said he was fine healing, as long as they kept you alive.
What can I say, Im a man of honor! the swordsman yelled. The volume hurt against my ears, but it let me estimate how far he was away. Maybe 10 metres? Other side of a decently sized room.
When I focused, I heard a lot more noises. The scraping of a whetstone on a knife, for example. Some fletching. Armor being polished. And the simmering of food in a pot.
I felt myself salivating, and Ann let out another chuckle. Yes Matt, were all very proud, she said, before turning back to me. Ah, you must be hungry, she immediately noted. Were making stew. Plenty of water in melting the snow. Boiling things is the easiest thing we got available. Weve been taking apart some of the furniture to keep up the fire. Small tunnel at the top for the smoke to escape.
Yeah, I croaked, nodding slowly. Hungry.
Ann flashed me a small smile and ducked away, letting me see the rest of the room. Liam was sharpening his knives, Emilia maintaining her armor, Marie making new arrows. Reya and Eric were cooking stew, and Matt looked about half as bad as me, propped up against a wall.
You look like shit, I rasped out at the swordman, my lips twisting into a grin, despite the fact that my face hurt.
Id say to look in the mirror, but I think this place only had one, and you ate it, ya big glutton, he quipped back. His voice sounded full and healthy.
Glad you survived, I said.
You too.
Silence filled the room again, only interrupted by Ann pouring some of the stew into a small bowl from her inventory, then chilling it with a spell. Given that my stomach had been torn open, I thought that having the food be at a comfortable temperature was probably a good idea, too.
She quickly shuffled back over to me, sitting down. I was leaning on a wall, padded with a couple blankets. They were clean, surprisingly, which told me that theyd probably been replaced once I stopped bleeding.
Open wide, Ann said with a smile, bringing a spoon to my mouth, and I swallowed the food.
It tasted good. Which was more of an attest to my hunger than the quality of the stew. Boiling the stuff from our rations only really made for emergency food, and I dont think I would have enjoyed this any other day. But, you know, being fed by Ann in a quiet, cool room, while covered in blankets Maybe I couldve gotten used to that.
After the first swallow, I felt the food settle in my stomach. It ached a little, but it was more of a distant pull, letting me know not to overeat, for now. So after just three quarters of the bowl, Id had enough. Ann nodded, and finished the rest herself.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Throughout the rest of the day, the twins slept a lot. Theyd been running their Divinity empty for two days just to keep me alive. I was grateful for that, and they deserved to sleep more. They awoke again during the evening, pouring a couple more spells into my wounds, and the pain wracking my entire body got a bit better.
I chatted quietly with everyone, about everything and nothing at all. Emilia, especially, seemed bitter that Id gotten so hurt again. I smiled and waved her off. I was alive, that was all that mattered.
This little experience also made me well and truly grateful for iron mind. I dont think I wouldve woken back up if Id fallen unconscious while being pulled around. And even now, being able to push the pain aside in favour of talking to the others was nice.
By the time evening rolled around, our talks quieted down, and people slowly went to sleep. Or meditated, or cultivated, or whatever. Id talked with Cass about how I felt before, just to keep her some company and make her feel included, but then I finally asked her to give me the rundown.
[Alright!] she said. [Gateway integrity is now at 50%. Projected to reach 70 or 80 by the time we get back to Renvil.]
I nodded. That was good, something I could work with. Sounded like Id get around 2, maybe 3 weeks back on the other side. Depending on the time differential, that was, and whether my gateway healed at the speed of the body I was currently inhabiting.
Last time Id gotten injured and returned to the other side, Id spent two months there, and only three weeks or so had passed in Eden. But that was summer. In autumn, that difference slowly shifted to be around the same, then in winter, more time would pass in Eden compared to the other side.
Which fit my plans quite nicely. Id spend quite a bit of time in Eden, after all, and if I spent a couple months here, and only half or less of that passed on the other side, my family would hopefully not miss me too much.
[The gateway has begun repairing itself quicker, now, since your mirror core has grown.] Cass continued.
Grown? I asked her.
[Ah. You might want to check your status window.]
I opened it, as she suggested, giving it a mental command to show me anything which changed.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (7) / Gateway (4)
-
-
- - Golden Core
- Spear Qi (Intermediate) (Manifest your Qi outside your body and on your weapon)
- Golden Body (Low -> Basic) (Flood your body with your Qi to temporarily improve all physical attributes)
- Weapon Resonance (Low -> Basic) (You and your weapon are one. It resonates with your Qi, amplifying its effect.)
- - Stats
- - General
- Strength: Low (Superior) -> Medium (Inferior)
- Agility: Medium (Lesser -> Basic)
- Endurance: Medium (Greater -> Superior)
- Resilience: Medium (Basic -> Greater)
- Manipulation: Low (Superior)
- Capacity: Medium (Lesser -> Basic)
- Absorption: Medium (Inferior -> Basic)
- - Qi
-
-
- - Gold
- Purity (Intermediate)
- Realm (Golden Core)
- Stage (4th Step)
- Path (Voyage through the Golden Shores)
- - Mirror
-
-
-
- Purity (Perfect)
- Realm (Mirror Core)
- Stage (2nd -> 4th Step)
- Path (Imprint upon infinite Self-Similarity)
Current Status: Wounded.]
I marvelled at the improvements. Strength, especially, was incredible. Crossing a major realm, like from low to medium, was an insane step. I suppose the amount of force Id been putting myself through mustve made a difference there.
But even absorption and resilience each improved by two minor realms. I understood why resilience would, since Id had a quite significant wound to heal, but absorption? Maybe it was all the snow Qi, combined with absorbing enough power from the lost gateway to take my mirror core two steps up at once.
Which was insane. The fact that it already stood on the same stage as my golden core was simple madness. Then again, I felt voyage burning in my chest, begging to be used. The lost gateway had also supercharged my golden core, clearly, and Id seen and fought a lot, which was exactly something voyage profited.
The only stat that hadnt increased was manipulation, which was to be expected. My skill in manipulating Qi had drastically improved, especially since I started suppressing half of it, but it still didnt increase, which was more of a testament to how hard major realms were to cross than anything else.
I did grimace a little at my stats. Agility used to be my second highest, and now it was a far cry from that. My master would have chided me for this by now. Hed always valued the flexibility that came with the stat.
You didnt need to hit hard with a weapon, usually just scoring many hits was enough. It also allowed you to dodge, which meant you needed less resilience if you had a lot invested in the stat. It was why hed made me prioritise it so much.
That was another bit of catching up I had to do, then.
Though I was glad to see my Qi techniques levelling a bit.
Weapon resonance was quite passive, but Id been feeling like I was getting a better grip on it recently. [Golden Body] on the other hand still felt kinda unnatural, like I had to flick that mental switch, though I did manage to somehow keep it up throughout the entire battle with the kamaitachi. That was probably what had taken it from low to basic, the fact that I maintained the ability for the entire fight.
As for weapon resonance, it felt a lot more instinctive. Id gotten it once I got a bound weapon and learned how to channel my Qi into it. Since then, it had stagnated a little, but with recently repairing my spear, and reinforcing it by depositing Qi in it, I guessed that was enough to bring it up by a notch.
Spear Qi still sat at intermediate, one level above the other two. Techniques always started at low, then advanced to basic, then to intermediate, then high. I didnt know what came after that, since my highest techniques were at intermediate, and my master said there was no point in telling me about something that was so far away.
The progression was similar to stats, but a little different after all.
Well. While I was healing, I suppose I might as well get to it, then. Imprint had used up most of the progress Id made by seeing the world, and cultivating there would only lead to a bottleneck, meanwhile, voyage was rearing to be used. Gently, I partially suppressed my mirror Qi - if the kamaitachi werent held off by the wards that supposedly still stood, why would anything else be repelled - and began to cultivate.
Chapter 45: Focusing on Recovery
As the outer world dissipated and I appeared on the golden shores, I felt free. The air was fresh, the sand underneath my bare feet soft, and the warm light welcomed me from all around.
It instantly reminded me of why I crafted my path as a voyage. It wasnt a journey, not a march, not an adventure, but a voyage, specifically. It usually meant by ship, but that just wasnt quite what it meant to me. It was meant to be a pleasant, enjoyable journey, with plenty of adventure and things to see - but ultimately, it was supposed to be enjoyable.
And here I was. The injury that split half my body open was gone. My skin had a golden hue, like everything else here did, when I looked down at myself. I took the first step and it came so unbelievably, stunningly easy.
A golden sun was setting and I walked towards it with a bright smile. My whole body felt unbelievably light, every step came easy. I could imagine many reasons for it, be that the cumulative effect from imprint growing so much, the fact that Id used my golden Qi a lot, the journey itself, proving myself against the kamaitachi
I smiled, because it didnt matter. There was soft sand against my feet, and I took a few minutes to truly enjoy that feeling. Simply enjoy the voyage through the golden shores. I strayed a little far, letting the water wash over my feet, and it was pleasantly cool, without being cold.
Then, slowly, I started to truly try my best at cultivation. I loved voyage. Truly. It was a path crafted from my deep seated wish for freedom, and that was exactly what I was granted. The ultimate freedom of going forward as far as Id like.
And since it was so easy to advance, right now, that freedom was enhanced. My slow steps turned into a quick walk, then a jog, then a full on sprint, and moments later, I was flying across the shores.
I was truly happy, then. Voyage usually was a small adventure, a fun, free walk, but with as much advancement as Id made, the beach was practically begging me to move forward. Id already overcome the bottlenecks, already dealt with the obstacles. Usually, voyage demanded time in the shores, and an adventure outside.
But now, that second condition had far outpaced the first, and so my progress was increasing by leaps and bounds, literally. I leapt forward, putting thousands of grains of sand behind myself. Each jump sent a cloud of sparkling gold flying, and brought me forward even further.
I laughed, flailing my arms to keep my balance as I soared through the skies, the soft sand cushioning my landing. A few times, I fell on my back, yet picking myself up was as easy as thinking it. The sand stuck to my back and in my hair a little, but I enjoyed the feeling of it.
This wasnt regular sand, after all, it was soft, and silky, and comfortable. So I let it stick there, and simply leapt forward more.
Soon, I saw something new appear. Alongside the sun, the rocks, and the smell of the sea, I saw clouds in the distant sky. They were large and fully, casting slight shade onto the ground, a small residence from the golden sun.
With ease, I leapt high enough to run my fingers through one of them. I knew they were a sign that Id made it to the next step of voyage, but for now, they were just pretty clouds, gorgeously shining in the sunset.
They felt soft to the touch as my hand ran through it, and a laugh bubbled out from my throat. I jumped even higher, above the clouds this time, my head poking through them and seeing the golden sky expand endlessly. I fell, laughing all the way down, as I crashed into the sand with my back, sending thousands of pieces of gold flying.
I stretched my hand out towards the sky and clenched it into a fist, still laughing, then dropped it by my side. For a few blissful minutes I stayed like that. I was still absorbing the Qi, the sea slowly swelling, and bringing more sand with it. The waves started touching my side, soaking through the dress I wore in this imaginary space. I stayed still for a few more minutes, breathing, and enjoying the moment.
Then, with a sudden jump, I was back on my feet, leaping ever forward.
- - -
A few hours later, I stopped my cultivation, returning to the real world.
Opening my eyes, I immediately noticed the fact that everything hurt. Even my chest. Like Id overeaten really hard, except with my cores.
Both of those felt strained, too. I suppose advancing so much so fast wasnt exactly normal, so I could expect some discomfort, but still!
At least Id reached the fifth step with voyage, now. It was still super easy to move forward, though at the very least I wasnt jumping into the sky anymore. I shook my head a little at how ridiculous that was, and the motion hurt my neck, making me grimace.
Two more steps, and Id be able to get to the next realm. Just two more steps to cross before that.
A smile wormed its way onto my face, despite the fact that my body felt like it was in miserable condition. Soon. Id get to the point where I was considered in the upper echelon in terms of cultivation soon.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Then the smile turned into a grin. Maybe, if I did really well, I could get there before Matt did. Now that would be something Id never let him hear the end of. I shook my head a little again, getting rid of the thought. Maybe I didnt need to be that vindictive?
I was totally gonna rub it in if it happened, though.
Lazily, I let my eyes drift through the room. Matt was sitting in the lotus position, meditating. There was a faint pink haze around him, which occasionally coalesced into plum petals, which shattered whenever they touched the floor, as though they were fragile crystals. He would probably cultivate throughout the entire night.
Knowing him, he might even catch a glimpse of enlightenment during it all.
Liam was also still awake, practicing. I saw his form shift from solid to ethereal and back in rapid succession. Hed probably already had time to advance his cultivation based on his experiences, given that he hadnt been wounded nearly as bad as Matt and I, so he was probably trying to acquire a new technique and improve his efficiency.
The twins were both asleep, and so were Marie and Ann. The latter of the two had an arm draped around me, and a serene look on her face, while the former used her arm as a pillow on the wooden floor. I guessed Marie probably was supposed to take the next shift.
Emilia seemed to be currently in charge of guarding us, given that her eyes drifted across the walls, checking for things. She was busying herself with absorbing Qi, but not properly cultivating. This was more storing it away and passively practicing some things without expending actual resources.
It sounded impressive, but it was essentially a very slow form of training when you couldnt put your whole mind to it. And suffice to say, she couldnt. Emilia took night watch seriously, as she did anything that involved protecting us. Her mace lay on the floor next to her, fingers tapping on the grip of it, as her eyes met mine.
Hey there, princess, Emilia whispered with a smile. I was sure Id caught the hint of a frown on her face before, but it vanished when she saw me. Howre you feeling?
Her voice transmission was a lot worse than Liams, which was to be expected with all the practice he put into it. She was still definitely pronouncing the words and just using her Qi to carry them further, in an attempt to not wake the others.
Im okay, I replied, using the same method, just about as poorly. I was a bit surprised at how little trouble speaking gave me. Still in a lot of pain. Getting better, though.
Good to hear it. Emilia nodded, her eyes coursing over the walls again, watching out for any of the smaller kamaitachi, or newer monsters. You should really stop putting yourself in positions that have you get hurt this badly, though.
I gave her a crooked smile. Probably, I agreed, but what else am I gonna do?
She smirked back at me. Hit things really hard.
I chuckled, and didn''t grace it with an answer. We sat in comfortable silence for a little while. Occasionally, the snow outside crunched, or a gust of wind blew a couple flakes in from our air-hole. I saw some of them land in Emilias hair, getting tangled up in it for a few seconds before melting.
Slowly, my eyes drifted closed, and I fell asleep.
- - -
When I woke up, Reya was kneeling next to me, her hand glowing with Divinity and hovering over the part of my stomach that got sliced open. There was an uncomfortable pulling sensation as my skin mended back together. I could see the scabs slowly receding and gave her a small smile.
She returned it, then focused on my injury again. After a few minutes, she drew back, and a lot of the pain Id felt yesterday faded. Granted, I still could feel every muscle in my body screaming at me for being overused, but that was just how fighting went sometimes. Especially when I used [Golden Body]
I sighed, leaning back further against the wall, and enjoying the fact that it only mildly felt like I was gonna rip open my intestines. The day drifted by as I chatted a bit with Ann, spent some time cultivating, ate a bit of the rather gross stew, and drank some more water.
Whenever Reya or Eric had recovered a good amount of Divinity, theyd heal up me or Matt some more. We were still looking out to make sure that they werent using it too much. I didnt exactly want my flesh to start being misaligned. But with everyone making sure I was healing well, and them using spells that boosted my natural recovery more so than direct healing ones, it should be fine.
Another two days passed like that, before I was ready to walk again. The day before, itd been possible to get up with a reasonable amount of pain, but now, standing posed little issue, and walking worked as well.
Since my arms and legs were much less injured, and more sore, theyd also almost fully recovered by now, and I started slowly practicing my spearwork again. I worked through stances and katas very, very slowly. Which was exactly the way you were meant to be doing it, so that was a plus.
I felt like the movement helped me feel better. Kept my muscles working as I recovered. I started eating more, and recovered more quickly.
While I was focusing on that, the others were exploring the rest of the monastery. Since it used to house a martial arts sect, we were hoping to find anything neat, from a secret stash to hidden techniques. After all, no one had been stupid enough to bother coming here after it was abandoned, anyway.
Another two days later, when my wounds had mostly recovered with the help of Orvans final healing potion, they did actually find something. A chest with a couple manuals, that dealt with a style of swordsmanship very similar to what Matt was practicing. We took the books and scrolls, and also the loose, disorganized sheets of paper, and stuffed them into our inventories.
It made me glad that in there, things didnt mix. Wed collected some of the corpses while we travelled, and getting blood on the manuals would turn them essentially useless. A good chunk of our inventory was filled with pieces of the kamaitachi, especially the sickles, since more of them had crawled through the snow to attack us.
Wed also heard louder noises outside, footsteps and growling. There were larger monsters out there again, and it was finally time for us to start heading off.
I let out a soft sigh, checking all my gear again, making sure I was set. Ann flashed me a smile, and she looked great in all her travelling gear. After another quick check, Marie jumped out from the hole in the ceiling, and let down a rope for the rest of us.
Chapter 46: Getting out Alive
It took us a little bit to shuffle up the rope, though most of that was me attempting to pull myself up, until Ann cast another levitation spell on me. It made the climb a lot easier.
From on top of the snow mound, we saw the monsters around. Most of them were dead bodies of kamaitachi and a couple more different creatures. Some of them were still lumbering about. Wed heard the sounds of them fighting from inside sometimes, but luckily, with Ann having set up the wards, none of the creatures ever came in.
But now, with us being outside again, they started looking our way. Despite the fact that I suppressed the mirror Qi. I suppose if they were this close, it didnt really matter all that much.
Luckily, they werent exactly very intelligent. While all of us were able to use our variable flavours of magical powers to stand on the surface of the snow, the monsters kind of just ran at us, and sank into the white mass.
Idiots, Matt said with a chuckle, as he began hopping down the side of the snowy mound. The building had been largely buried by the avalanche, so wed have to walk across the snow. At least it would make it easier to stay out of the reach of monsters.
Ann reduced the intensity of her spell on me a little. It still made me feel light, kind of like I was in low gravity, or on the moon, but at least it was possible to use my feet for walking again, without sticking myself to the floor.
Given that I still wasnt fully healed, I stayed in the back with Ann and the twins. Usually, wed have liked to stay until I was fully healthy, but every day was another day we risked something we couldnt handle showing up, especially since this place seemed to attract monsters.
This seemed like the best compromise.
Looking over the valley was strange, since it looked so very different now. Everything was covered in a thick sheet of white. Some spots were lower, some higher, but it was still all snow. White, as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, bits of wood jutted out from the mass, and I was unsure whether that was from buildings withstanding the avalanche, or those that were swept away by it.
At least the gate still stood, standing tall and proud, except that only the tips of it poked out from the snow. Still, it was a landmass for us to follow.
I saw monsters lumbering around the edges of the valley, where there was less snow stacked up. Giant wolves, with thick white fur and red eyes, seeming to phase away whenever I blinked. Further out, I saw long, gangly creatures, their skin flaky and rough like tree bark, and instead of heads they had deer skulls with ethereal light glowing in the sockets.
There were more monsters, none of whose names I knew, and none I wanted to get more acquainted with. Spirits, floating above the others, seemingly having come down from higher up the mountains. More Kamaitachi, scurrying around the edges and burrowing in the snow.
Then, I saw it.
Far, far in the distance, there was something big. When I first spotted the thing, I thought it was a bit of the mountain moving, but it was not. It was a thing, vaguely humanoid in shape, but with multi-jointed arms, long enough to drag on the floor despite the fact that it was taller than a two-story house.
Because of how far away it was, I couldnt make out many more details, and honestly, I was glad. Its head was animalistic, with antlers out the top, though I couldnt make out what kind of animal it belonged to. I saw it shift and move, and then take a step.
The noise sounded like distant thunder by the time I heard it, sending a shiver up my spine.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Ann? I asked quietly.
Yes, Fio?
Look for a second, I told her, gesturing at the thing in the distance.
She turned around slowly, first checking to see if the others had made it too far, and then her eyes went wide. Fuck she muttered.
I was suddenly very, very glad to be suppressing my mirror Qi. Whatever that thing was, I didnt want to be anywhere close to it.
As I still watched, it suddenly made a swift move, its arm darting forward like a whip, bending at the joints and snapping forward. It grabbed something, and tossed it into a shadowy maw. I thought I could see the sunlight glint off its teeth, but it was still too far to tell.
Ann quickly informed the others, and suddenly our slow march out of the valley turned a lot faster. Where we used to walk, we were now jogging, and I soon began to wheeze for air. It made me truly glad for how light I felt, because my lungs really didnt enjoy the exercise they were getting, especially since it stretched my skin where my large injury had been as well.
Despite that, I did not stop jogging. Every footstep of the giant rumbled out like thunder against my ears. Liam and Marie ran ahead, warning us of monsters hidden in the snow. I had no idea how the hell they spotted them, but they did, and I was glad for that.
Getting held up by a fight was the last thing I wanted to do, when more bloodthirsty monsters were around.
And so, we ran, very bravely, out the gate of the monastery and down the mountain.
All those smooth slabs now seemed to make more sense, too. Perhaps they had been cut by the giant kamaitachi. Looking out for it, I did notice a lot more deep gashes in the stone. A couple of them even still had blood in there, probably protected from the elements by being so deep in the stone.
I only noted it as a passing curiosity, instead leaning hard on my endurance and resilience to just keep running. A few more monsters now roamed the mountain again, with the aura of the giant kamaitachi gone, but they were still in the process of moving back down, and we avoided them.
Vision was good here, since the area was open, and despite many of the creatures being coloured like snow or stone, the natural camouflage didnt do a whole lot against Liam and Maries supernatural senses.
Soon, we couldnt hear the giants footsteps anymore, but only once its head disappeared behind a different mountain peak did we slow down. Each and every one of us was drenched in sweat. The twins and Ann had kept up by using spells to make themselves lighter and faster, while everyone else had to burn quite a bit of Qi for such a long run, but none of us regretted it.
Fuck that, Matt voiced our thoughts. Were lucky we decided to leave.
It was a calculated decision, Marie said between breaths, plopping down on the floor. But Im very glad it panned out in our favour.
I flashed her a smile, also letting myself fall to the floor. My abdomen protested at me, sending waves of pain through my body, but I pushed it aside easily. I stared at the cloudy sky, knowing that I was alive. Somehow, despite my best efforts, all I could think was wow, its probably gonna rain tomorrow.
I shook my head at the idiotic thought, and instead focused on my gratitude for being alive as I took deep gulps of air. Slowly, my breathing calmed again. Eventually, I sat up. Through it all, I still managed to keep my mirror Qi suppressed. It was almost becoming second nature by now.
We set up camp. It was a little early for it, to be fair, but none of us cared. Wed crossed thrice the distance we usually did in a days march. Tomorrow wed already be in the grassland again, dealing with snakes and shitty plants. A longer afternoon wouldnt kill us.
Matt set about studying the manuals, using training as an excuse to get out of his chores, while I spent my time gathering some firewood. There was sparse vegetation around, but I could still mow down a dry bush or two with my spear.
It was harder than it had any right to be, the vegetation also being infused with some manner of energy, but I got the job down and brought back a large assortment of twigs. Soon, we ate, and then moved to bed.
For the first time in a while, I dreamt again, mainly of little Butterfly. Pushing her on the swings. I was looking forward to it again,
I awoke with a light smile, curled up in the sleeping bag. My back hurt from the rough stone Id slept on, my stomach growled in hunger, and my abdomen still felt like it was kinda pulling itself apart, and I didnt care in the slightest.
It let me know I was alive. Thats all that mattered.
Chapter 47: Last Leg of the Journey
Staring at the sky for a while, I thought of just how far there was to go. The divines, the keepers, the usurpers, and this whole place in general was large.
Id run away again. I was alive. Id definitely changed things, absorbing that shard. Imprint quite literally told me so. But was it enough?
When would I reach the point in time where I didnt need to run anymore?
Even now, I was running. Running back to the other side, where I could see my family, before running back to Eden before the keepers could take my gateway. I was just running, always trying to get ahead.
Was there an end to this road?
I knew there were higher realms. Id started at the bottom after all. Before manifesting my core and choosing my affinity, there were two lower stages, namely Qi accumulation, where you used the scraps in the air to reinforce yourself and began building a reservoir, and spirit tempering, at which point youd actually properly manipulate Qi. Once you had a good enough grasp, you could form a core.
All of that had taken me four years. That was with the help of my master and the system, too. For some Edians, it took decades. We Reflectors instead got an advantage, when it came to cultivation speed, at least.
Now, I was blazing through the core realm twice over. Advancing two steps in a day was mad, quite frankly. Completely insane. And only possible because of the fact that imprint was a special path and my mirror core a special core.
Despite how special it all was, though, I was now able to drag voyage further because of it as well, bringing my golden Qi up to speed. I could feel it sit on the precipice of the sixth step, and I was sure it would get there within just a few more days, maybe a week.
Suffice to say, my speed of advancement was insane. I was going to be reaching the wellspring realm soon, which was generally considered the beginning of the upper tier among Reflectors. It would mean beginning to generate my own Qi, rather than having to absorb and convert that in the environment.
Of course, absorption still played a major role in quickly replenishing your reserves and cultivating further, and your rate of absorption actually determined how much Qi your wellspring produced, but you could use techniques without needing to pause and replenish your Qi.
It was a massive, qualitative difference, because it meant battles could be drawn out. You gained resources over time, so by just exhausting someone, you could destroy pretty much anyone of a lower realm. And the wellspring would also slowly increase Qi purity, increasing the power and efficiency of your techniques.
And despite the fact that I was knocking on the doors of that realm, I was still running.
A sigh escaped my mouth as I walked on. Wed reached the grasslands again, but I let my vigilance slip a little. After everything in the mountains, this place seemed less dangerous. Matt was even practicing some of the stuff hed learned from the manuals, rambling to Emilia and Liam about it whenever they listened.
Honestly, they paid a surprising amount of attention. Which was fair, Matts lessons on Qi manipulation were usually worthwhile. I hoped they gained something out of it. I doubted I had the space to practice while also suppressing my aura. It had definitely been improving my manipulation though.
By now, my two Qi types flowed smoothly past one another, and suppressing my mirror Qi almost didnt influence my golden Qi anymore at all. It was a very welcome change, feeling the energy flow more smoothly in my mental grasp.
The technique itself had also grown much more ingrained. I hardly needed to flip it on anymore, relying instead on my own understanding of it and using the tricks the system version had taught me.
So, the sun slowly drifted over the horizon. We took care of a few more sylters, the grassland snakes, most easily disposed of by Marie as I let my thoughts wander.
Looking at the distant sky, something about it resonated with imprint.
I could almost imagine a staircase up there.
One that Id walk on.
To show the keepers and the usurpers and even the silly divines what I thought of their plans for me.
To be free.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
At that thought, voyage also resonated.
I smiled at my two paths. Id chosen them for a reason, of course, but I still calmed them a little. They couldnt influence my thoughts, but I knew whenever I was thinking along a line that worked well with the guidelines Id set for them. It was good to affirm that my ideas still meshed well with my paths, but feeling them buzz at the prospect of freedom was still a strange sensation.
Maybe, in a strange way, there were now two wolves inside of me, and I needed to find the compromise between the two.
Voyage demanded absolute freedom, imprint demanded absolute individuality.
And I was gonna get there, soon enough hopefully. Then Id only run towards things, not away from them anymore.
- - -
One by one, my days travelling drifted by. Occasionally, Id find some time to invest in cultivation, and chose voyage each time. It was pushing against the boundaries of my core, the golden sea of Qi expanding bit by bit every time I walked further along the shores. I felt the sixth step at my fingertips. Id get there soon.
Cass occasionally told me about the state of my gateway, and how far along repairing itself it was. The process was going faster now, with more available mirror Qi and a stronger gateway, but after the desperate sprint on our first day, the integrity would hopefully hover around the 70s by the time I headed back to the other side.
At least thats what Cass predictions looked like.
Another couple days went by, and we made it back into the forest. Wed refilled our water at the waypoint again, though this time we didnt need it nearly as much. Thered been ample snow on the mountain to be fully stocked up before wed begun our trek back.
We also decided to quickly stop by castle Arhan, for a short visit. And it had truly been short, with me just telling Orvan Id survived, and him flashing me the faintest bit of a smile, muttering something about doing a good job, then shooing me out of his office.
Hey, can I have some more healing potions?! I yelled as he shut the trapdoor.
No, Im too old to sponsor some gateway wielding maniac! he yelled back playfully, slamming the door in my face.
I smirked a little. He probably thought they would last me a lot longer, and didnt have any prepared. I wouldnt be surprised if I found some deposited for me at the temple once we were back in Renvil. But that could wait.
Thanks, ya grumpy old bastard, I said to the closed trapdoor, then walked away as I heard grumbling and shuffling behind it, slowly fading off.
Captain Lirya had offered us a meal there, but we declined. It was early midday, so there was plenty of time to make more headway in the journey. So we marched on, and ever on.
Days ticked by, and I finally reached the next step of voyage. It had been more elusive than Id expected, but I finally reached the sixth step, and the sea inside my core changed again. Last time, clouds were added to the golden shores, and this time, it was vegetation to the side of it.
Now, there were occasional trees casting shades, surrounded by shrubs. Some of the greenery was in the form of palm trees, and a handful of those even seemed to come with coconuts.
Immediately, I climbed one of them and leapt off.
Of course, since Id already grown so much in voyage, it was now much less easy to advance further, and I jumped about as far as a mundane human would have. I landed heavily in the sand, breaking the fall with a roll and smiled. The trees looked a little washed out, but the sunset atmosphere helped cover up their unnatural, golden coloration.
I smiled at the plants, and simply dropped down into the sand once, staring at the leaves and the sky above. I ran my fingers through the fine grains of golden light. The sea breeze blew it from my fist.
With a single jump I was back on my feet, launching myself off the floor. Then I closed my eyes to the sea, and opened them again in the lush forest.
Sixth step? Liam asked me first. Somehow, he felt the change in my aura, despite the fact that he was further ahead. I smirked a little, following the thread of Qi that carried his voice.
Yep, I returned the message to him, just got there.
Congratulations, he said, mirth in his voice.
Matt and Ann told me the same after, and I clenched my fist tightly. Only the seventh left, then Id have to make the jump from a core to a wellspring. I smiled at the prospect.
[Congrats!]
Thanks, Cass, I thought back at my keeper. Youve been a bit quiet lately, everything good in there?
[Yes, yes, Im okay, Bell!] she said, a smile in her voice. [Just been busy dealing with the repairing gateway and our pocket in the gateway world. Actually, we need a better word for that. How about the astral?]
Sounds good to me.
[Perfect! Astral it is. Our territory has expanded a bit since you took in the last shard, and weve been getting a lot more eyes on us in exchange.]
Eyes on us? I asked her.
[Yes, Bell, eyes. Seems that the collective is becoming more interested as we gain a proper foothold over here. They seem to be waiting for our gateway to be repaired.]
I shivered at the thought, shaking my head a bit. Greedy bastards. They cant do anything though, right?
[No, nothing major. They can try flooding my information channel, but its not as though I have no methods to block that off. If they want to keep communications with us at all, they better be civil.]
Her smug tone told me she meant business with that. I smiled at the empty air. Youre absolutely right, I thought to my guardian. Show em what were made of.
[Yes, maam Bell!]
She and I both chuckled, before I told her Id leave her to the whole keeping business, and focused on the march again.
A few more days drifted by with the occasional dead bornin, sometimes even a small pack. We also took care of a couple drytz, the mole things, but at least avoided anything too large, courtesy of Marie scouting ahead.
It did make our route shift a bit more than Id have liked, but we still made it back in a reasonable time. On the last couple days before we returned to Renvil, we even found a ren tree, the same kind that Orvan had served me juice of.
I picked a couple fruits, making the last leg of the journey a little sweeter in a very litera
l sense. Not long after, we were finally within the walls again.
Chapter 48: Chores and Comforts
There was a deep, collective sigh of relief. Almost immediately, Marie started dividing up the last bits of work that needed doing, just so we didnt have a chance to get into the mindset of relaxing before we could afford to. All the monster parts were suddenly dumped on me. A good part fit into my inventory once I took out my provisions, the rest was stuffed into bags which I carried.
While the others were taking care of their business, my job was getting these sold. We didnt do any special commissions, so I was to first check the bazaar, and otherwise just check in with standard selling fees at the gateway hall, where Id also be going once I returned to the other side.
Meanwhile, the others would deal with anything else that needed doing. Sorting out our base, getting our equipment cleaned and maintained. I did get enough time to swap out of my armor into more comfortable clothes. The leather needed a bit of patching up, and that was me being generous.
Instead of it, I wore a simple shirt and pants as I walked up to the hall. People still stared at me. The Edians, especially. I suppose the bags of monster bits would kind of give away my status as a Reflector.
Most of the Edians really looked just as human as me, though there was the occasional beastblood mixed in. Mainly catfolk and reptilefolk. Apparently, lizardfolk was degrading, which I kind of understood. Lizard wasnt really an accurate term, and the translation made it even worse, according to what I knew.
Almost all of them swerved out of my way, only a few more confrontational ones didnt. Most of those seemed like they wanted to bump into me and start a fight. I had to hold back a sigh as I simply shook my head and sidestepped myself.
Not long later, Id made it to the bazaar. It was halfway up the hill, dozens of stalls peddling anything you could imagine. I headed over to the part that did alchemy, doing a rudimentary check of any stalls. A couple vendors recognized me, and I flashed them brief smiles, before offering out wares.
Hardly any accepted, but I was able to get rid off maybe a fifth of our parts for better rates than usual. Alexis, an alchemist we occasionally did tasks for, needed a lot of basic bits for experiments, and similar parts, so with how much kamaitachi fur we had well, she was more happy about the bloodied bits than me, at least.
The rest I dropped of for the standard rate at the gateway hall. It was run by a conjoined bank, a conglomerate spanning across Eden and Neamhan called Foundational Exchange. They bought most materials - something the divines required them to do - and exchanged them for Edian currency. Said currency could easily be converted to money usable on Neamhan, for a small fee - which was also moderated by the divines.
Really, if it werent for the fact that they needed divine permission to trade at all, Id wager they would be a lot worse. But theyd tried that. It was the first big uprising of Reflectors, and ever since then, the divines have been intervening to keep things civil.
This time, I knew the person I interfaced with. A young guy with slicked-back black hair, a black suit, wearing black sunglasses with very small lenses. He had a slight goatee, and pale skin that suggested he spent entirely too much time behind a desk and too little out there killing monsters.
Mister Liok, I greeted, giving a small bow.
The man bowed back at me. Miss Bellum, he said in a monotone voice. Monster part exchange, Im guessing? He was already eyeing the bags in my hand.
Yes, that. I put the bags onto the table, and he already reached for them. Decent haul, Id say.
Seems like it, very varied as well. Monsters from further away? he asked, having surveyed some of the bits as he hauled them into the back, to be checked by someone else. Meanwhile, he returned to his station.
Yes, I answered his question. We had a further expedition this time. Divine mission for some healing I received.
Right, he said. If you ever need further assistance, know that temporary party members can be hired for-
Mister Liok, I have to politely ask you to spare me the marketing just this once. I have yet to shower since coming back, and I need you to understand my patience is running very thin.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
He wrinkled his nose at me for a moment. Right, he said. Then I shall assist in the back so you may clean yourself off, soon. I assumed the blood was
No, no, not the monsters. A good chunk of that smell is probably me.
Right. With that and a final nod, he was off in the back, emerging a few minutes later. Here you are, he said, pushing a small tray over to me.
Various coins shone in there, each covered with small runes. These were the currency on Eden, called novas. They existed in a couple colours, namely copper, silver, gold and platinum. Well, colourwise, they were cut from a very different material.
I wasnt even sure if it was a metal, but it certainly was very enchantable, since you could squish the right amount of coins together, channel some energy into it, and theyd fuse into a bigger one. Some people fidgeted with them, since the enchantments were very robust.
Essentially, with 10 copper novas, you could make a silver one, by squishing them and adding a little Qi, for me. It was also possible to break them apart to get change. Luckily, it also changed the weight of the coins, they all weighed slightly different amounts, and generally more expensive ones weighed more, but not as much as youd guess.
Id wager a silver nova weighed about as much as two copper novas. Maybe one and a half times as much. Enough to differentiate. Some merchants used it to see if they were counterfeits, as if the runes on them werent enough.
Miss Bellum, please stop staring at the coins and pick them up, Mister Liok reminded me with a faintly raised eyebrow.
Right, my bad, I said, quickly snatching up the currency. There were five golden ones, three silvers, and five coppers, all of which landed in my inventory. Thanks, mister Liok, I said, giving him a two finger salute. He returned a small bow, then resumed servicing someone else.
I headed back to the guild without any other incident, fidgeting with a stack of coppers that amounted to a single silver. I squashed them together to make the silver, then let it break apart again. It was kinda finicky to get that done with just golden Qi. I was still suppressing the mirror Qi, since I didnt exactly feel like that needed parading around in the city.
Not too long after, I made it to the guild. Liam sat in the lobby in a black t-shirt and dark pants, and had swapped his cloth mask for another black cloth mask, though this one had a small white smiley drawn on the side.
How many of those do you actually have, ninjaguy? I asked, teasingly.
He looked over at me and almost rolled his eyes, though I could see the glint of mirth in them. Enough.
Is that like a dozen? Two? How meticulous are you?
There was a long pause, as he seemed to consider. I saw his fingers go up one after another, then down again, then up, though I doubted he was actually counting. Seemed more like he was mocking me. Probably about sixty, he finally said with a resolute nod.
I chuckled at him, and lightly smacked his shoulder. Alright, bud. Imma head up and get the travelling smell off.
Sure thing, Fio. Ann is already up, most others should be back soon.
Thanks. Be back down soon.
A quick shower later and I was very thankful for the fact that Eden wasnt entirely medieval, using magic to generate hot water and disintegrate the waste that went down the drain. And there was a lot of dirt. Id washed off a good bit of the crusted blood, but a lot of it was still stuck to me.
The water and soap took care of that, and soon I was back in a new shirt. What Id worn until then was tossed to the laundry. We didnt do it ourselves, there were services of water mages who took care of that for relatively cheap. Cheaper than getting stuff for it ourselves, and definitely less effort than doing it by hand.
I let out a long sigh, dropping into a hug by Ann once I was done with all that. We spent a couple minutes like that, before heading back downstairs.
Soon, one by one, the others joined. First Marie, with groceries, then Emilia, whod dropped off things at our armor maintenance people. My leather would be repaired within a week, and by then, we could go and pick all our gear back up.
Then Matt finally came back, having filed our adventure with legislation, his least favourite chore, and eventually, the twins came back. They had communed with their goddess and reported our adventure, as was their divine duty. Granted, it was something required of all clerics who wanted to go out on adventures, but the practice still seemed a bit awkward to me.
We sat together, and enjoyed a long meal. Matt chatted about his new techniques, and I learnt a little from it. Emilia talked about the armorer, and the gossip shed heard there, about parties whod lost members and somesuch. Eric informed us about how pleased Lurelia was with our performance, and talked happily about the amount of contribution we got. We also split the coins evenly.
Towards the end of it, conversation ebbed, and we all ate. This was how it usually went when we were preparing to go back to the other side. Thoughts drifted to what was to do over there. Eventually, I opened my mouth again.
We should meet on Neamhan, I said.
Chapter 49: Stepping Through
The next day, I was standing in front of mister Liok again.
Miss Bellum. How may I help you today? he asked dutifully.
I would like to exchange some currency, I answered.
Right, shouldnt be a problem. Same bank account as usual?
Yes, same as always.
Right. He marked something down on a small clipboard in front of him. Then, how much would you like to exchange?
I picked out the coins. Id ended up with five silver, like everyone else, the rest going to maintenance and such. That wasnt all my money though.
Since the gods kept track of contribution, there was an additional part to it. I could claim some amount of bounty just for killing monsters, without selling the parts. I couldnt claim that money for the others, though, so it was usually part of everyones return-routine.
So, instead of just five silver, I handed mister Liok a whole fifteen. Despite that, I still stashed another three of the small coins in my inventory, adding it to the stash of money I kept for emergencies.
Thank you, miss Bellum. That comes out to roughly fifteen hundred leons. The current exchange rate for copper novas is a little above one of them to ten leons, so you will receive a slightly higher deposit than that. Is that alright with you? he asked.
I gave a nod.
Right. Then you just need to sign once here. If you ever wish to convert the other way around I am obligated to inform you that we will need a Qi signature check or a proof of identity back on Neamhan, he rattled off the last part, as though hed already said it a dozen times. I didnt doubt it, even though it was midday.
Understood. Thank you mister Liok.
A pleasure, miss Bellum, he said, then bowed and headed off into the back to register the transaction.
They had a special item there, created by a rather sizable investment, which allowed them to transmit exclusively written word back to the other side. They could write on a mirror surface, and said writing would appear on a similar board back on Neamhan. From there, the transactions would be processed.
Luckily for me, Foundational Exchange handled both fees and taxes, so all I had to do now was step through and receive my money.
Where they got their funding from was a rather complicated issue. I didnt engage with it too much, but I knew it was a mix of income sources. Big sponsors with enough cash, that wanted to directly get items for Reflectors as though they were playing some sort of game. Products made from Edian materials that could improve quality of life on the other side. That, mixed with less savoury bits, such as loaning money to struggling players, and allowing people to buy Edian currency with Neamhanian money in a legal gray zone.
I sighed as I thought about it and shook my head, trying to focus on something else. Before crossing, I also approached the levelling altar in the gateway hall. It was unaffiliated with the divines, so I was more comfortable with it for now, despite its vague connections to the keepers.
Hey Jam, I thought at the intelligence as I laid my hand on the altar.
[Greetings, Fiona.] I grimaced at its use of my full name, again. [Your contribution this time is satisfactory. Monsters have been culled, and fragments reclaimed. Please understand that due to the fragments being absorbed into your gateway rather than returned as their own entities, they do not award nearly as much contribution as your first gateway recovery.]
Jams mechanical voice was jarring every time I heard it. Maybe I should instead go to the divines, but then Id have to deal with them, too. Their advice wouldnt be very objective. That was what I liked about Jam, the impartiality.
Understood, thats fair, I thought back at it with a nod.
[Are there any abilities or items you would currently like to purchase?]
This was another way to make money. Converting contribution into items, then those items into coins. In fact, most people made the majority of their money this way. Usually, I would as well, but I was currently happy with my small apartment, and since the area wasnt exactly great, rent was decently cheap.
Do you have any recommendations? I asked Jam.
[Any recommendations largely depend on your future goals,] Jam answered.
That was fair. I knew I had holes in my kit. Currently, none of my abilities really emphasized healing, stealth, scouting, or anything like that. But that didnt really matter that much.
Id ignored them before, because it just wasnt exactly what my class specialized in. Also, I had a team to cover it. Being a perfect all-rounder wasnt exactly effective in Eden, since all classes had things they were good and bad at.
Spearwoman, for example, was good at making me swing a spear. As trivial as that sounds, it did encompass decent methods of attacking, defending, and perceiving opponents. On the other hand, gateway was a much more mysterious class. It seemed to be a mix of mirror themed powers, as well as portals and maybe light.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Actually, Jam, what is my secondary class specialized in? I decided to ask.
[The gateway class allows manipulation of gateways.]
Could you be more specific than that? I asked, mildly frustrated.
[I have been informed that you are currently restricted from receiving further information, other than my personal recommendations and the entirety of the contribution shop.]
I gave a sigh, then shook my head. Fine. Id like to access the store, then.
[Of course.]
As per the usual, I was hit with a heavy wave of disorientation, then nausea and almost staggered back.
Fuck, that feels bad, I muttered under my breath feeling dozens upon dozens of options and explanations appear in a corner of my mind that I hardly knew existed.
I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, then slowly ran through the techniques, first. It was a little like window shopping, or so I tried to convince myself. Somehow, imagining it as strolling down a street, gazing at things most of which I would likely never own, was nicer than accepting that it was foreign knowledge about mostly the art of killing that was shoved into my head.
Because thats what most of these abilities were for.
Before looking at everything that was new though, I tried to find a beginning point in the chaos by just looking at the options for my first class that I was already familiar with. Things like [Enhanced Thrust] and [Killer Strike]. Some of the names were a little silly, and I shook my head at them.
Slowly, bit by bit, unfamiliar things became mixed in. Within the dozens and dozens of options, most of which only caught half a glance, new ones appeared. I must have unlocked them by meeting the criteria. Most likely, that was reaching a certain level in the class, or a stat or a prerequisite ability. For some, maybe it was killing monsters of a certain affinity, or interacting enough.
A few abilities were available to me because of spearwoman, but also seemed quite generally orientated for using Qi. There were more of those, now, most likely due to my growing familiarity with [Aura Suppression]. It didnt necessarily need to rank up, as long as I understood the mechanics well enough.
Nothing really caught my eye, except a few abilities that promised to let me improve my spear. I still decided against getting any of them. My contribution wasnt super high, so I couldnt afford that much, and my spear already passively grew with my core capacity. Also, I could actively improve it by pushing Qi into it and having it settle there.
It was a very crude method of blacksmithing, but it worked. Eventually, if I got spear resonance higher, maybe Id be able to figure out an ability by myself. My master always said to spend contribution points only on the things you couldnt figure out yourself.
I sighed, and approached all the new options associated with the gateway class. It felt a little like a chore, because I kind of knew what was coming.
As per my prediction, the info slammed into my head like a freight train. With just the command to show me the abilities, my brain was already entirely overwhelmed. I grit my teeth and waited for it to settle a little. Just enough to where I didnt feel like I needed a couple dozen painkillers.
Eventually - couldnt say when because time lost all meaning at the altar - I finally found myself able to somewhat think again. I distinctly noted that Cass had sorted the stuff for me, letting me slowly go through it bit by bit. I sent her a small thanks, then moved on to browsing.
And there was a lot to go through. Dozens upon dozens of things, some of which were similar, much of which was very different. A lot of it was just weird. And the short explanations didnt exactly help me, either. What exactly did embrace the aether and learn to witness even mean?
I shook my head at all the cryptic names, then kept browsing. There were abilities related to portals, which seemed like something I could have expected, though most of those led in between worlds, and very few seemed like the same kind of short range teleportation Liam could pull off.
Then there were the light-related abilities. Most of which were strange in the sense that they seemed to focus on mirroring things, rather than actual manipulation of light. So I could create illusions, only of things that already existed. One thing that did seem interesting was manifesting mirror images of myself, but then again, it seems like I could only get illusions for now.
Eventually, I decided to stop browsing. A lot of the abilities had simply been enormously cryptic, and Jam had just kept telling me that I wasnt eligible for more information. It felt like the keepers were sabotaging me, and to be frank, they most likely were. They wanted my soul, and I wasnt going to give it to them for free.
So, I moved on to the items section, simply looking through. A couple of them did catch my interest. Armor, which repaired itself, being high up there, but it just seemed like a waste to spend my contribution on it.
Any ideas, Cass? I eventually asked.
[Yes. I think you shouldnt get anything just yet.]
I raised an eyebrow. Why?
[Your gateway is not complete, restricting my access to information from the network as well as our general knowledge about what the skills do. Also, we might unlock new ones once we get it fully repaired. Some of those might be very essential to the class.]
After a short pause, I nodded. Alright, sounds like a plan. Thanks Cass.
With that, I took my hand off the altar and took a deep breath, holding my eyes shut. In a moment, all the info inside my head was gone, sending me into disorientation again, and my headache didnt exactly seem conducive to looking at bright lights.
After a couple moments, the sickness in my stomach settled. The altar had taken a lot longer to get used to than the gateways, and having it suddenly expanded so much was a very uncomfortable experience. Despite that, I now knew a good chunk of the new options. It would let me filter things out a lot better later, which I was thankful for.
Another deep breath later, I was finally headed back to the other side.
Well, out of the altar room and down the long hallway, at least. I was glad that new people didnt get into Eden very often, having the floors clean was truly nice here.
After maybe a minute or two, I was at the end of the private hallway. Standing in front of the gateway.
For some reason, it made me uncomfortable now.
Nothing related to my new class, to be fair, but just the prospect of it all. I knew that behind that stupidly smooth plane of glass were the keepers. And that I would feel their eyes on me. That they might even try to reach out. I knew that if any of them really wanted to, they could give up on the gateway, and not risk having me around. Just reach out and snap me in half like a twig. And Id die. Just like that.
I took a deep breath, and forced my first fear down.
The second one was the mundanity that awaited beyond there. I would be in my dusty little flat, having to deal with shitty air and being unable to breathe properly. With the fact that all Im worth is my money, and the fact that I cannot survive without little numbers on my bank account telling me I can get food.
And, of course, my family. I loved them, but sometimes, I also dreaded visiting. Okay, maybe I almost always dreaded visiting. But that''s besides
the point.
Another deep breath later, I stepped through the mirror.
Chapter 50: Texting
I came out the other side hacking my lungs out, and falling to my knees while coughing. I quickly got back up and stumbled over into my bathroom, spitting into the sink a few times and retching. I would have thrown up, but my stomach was decidedly empty.
That was one of the usual aftereffects of the gateway stasis. This body was preserved for my spirit to enter whenever I got back here, but anything unnecessary wasnt. Which meant I came out as though my stomach had just been pumped, and as though Id taken a very long shower. Because dirt was decidedly not preserved.
After a few more coughs and retches, I finally managed to find a passing breathing rhythm again, wheezing for the first few moments.
Fuck me, I said, then coughed again. I really need to stop forgetting to hold my breath.
Once again, Id made the dumb mistake of taking a deep breath and not keeping it in my lungs. Instead, I tried breathing during the transition from one body to another. The feeling of breathing the portal glass always, always haunted me.
Slowly, bit by bit, I could feel it wear off, and I was finally able to take in the environment around me. My hair was a bit frazzled, and dust covered every surface, as it usually did. Id spent, what, a month and a half on Eden?
That meant autumn was probably starting over here. No, wait, my last visit was late summer. I checked the calendar on my phone, and it was late October. Middle of autumn, then. Two months, give or take.
Right about now, the time between Eden and Neamhan was probably pretty close to one for one. Soon, during late Autumn and Winter, time would pass faster on Eden, instead. I could probably spend two months there if I decided to stay in the other world, and only miss out on January here.
Besides checking the calendar, I also saw many, many messages on my phone. The apps all told me different amounts, so, as always, I was ready for a bit of a shitshow. Despite that, I also quickly pulled out a piece of paper.
This one Id asked to take along. It cost only a small amount of contribution, it was just a piece of paper, after all. But I took the numbers on it, hastily saved them on my phone, and sent a simple text to all of them.
Hey, Fio here. Make sure to save my number so I can make a group chat!
After that, I proceeded to ignore the messages from my family, connected my bluetooth headphones, threw on some music, and started cleaning a little. The regular stuff, vacuuming, making sure nothing had gone bad in the fridge, and throwing away the things that had, so on and so forth.
By the time I was done, I had also taken stock of the horribly low amount of food I had. Namely, a bit of frozen toast. And that was just about it.
A swift check of my phone confirmed that the money from Foundational Exchange had already come in. And the money for two months of rent had been deducted. I had more than enough left for normal expenses, though not enough to wreck my car or anything crazy.
With a small sigh, I took the now full bag from the vacuum, carrying it down with me as I put on a mask to avoid breathing in any of the smog. Fun. As always.
Not long later I sat in my car, braving the ride to the grocery store while singing along to songs my dad used to play when I was still a kid and he didnt lose his license regularly. Honestly, I was unsure if he had it now. Not checking my texts did include the whole not knowing if he drunk texted me or not. And if he told me about anything.
Right now, though, my phone was on silent. Otherwise, it would probably be buzzing endlessly, since my mother liked to monitor my last online status. And the group chat. Marie had made it while I was vacuuming, and about half of us had joined.
It was really about time to be honest. Wed worked as a party for, what, a year and a half, now? Maybe two?
Time was much harder to keep track of when you spent your life spread out across two whole worlds which flowed a bit differently. Some people once tried to like live longer this way, by exclusively going to Eden when that would mean less time passing on this side, but the stasis out bodies were put in did not prevent them from aging.
We did age a little slower, though, because of the small amount of Qi that stuck around when we crossed from Eden to Neamhan. Or Mana or Divinity, same difference.
Regardless, instead of worrying about that, I started thinking about finding a parking spot and getting out of the car. I hadnt bothered to take the mask off during the drive. Having just come back, it wasnt bothering me that much yet.
A couple minutes later, I was back at home, doing some swift cooking. Just noodles with some tomato sauce and fried veggies mixed in. I spiced it, obviously, using some common herbs, basil, oregano, ishtrintar, that kinda thing. While eating, I read a bit of news from a blogger I enjoyed, talking less about traffic accidents and more about large scale issues.
They were also rather positive, talking more about things done to fix everything that was fucked about this planet, rather than everything that was fucked about this planet.
Air filtration was slowly getting better, and there was an act signed by multiple governments to more heavily sanction some of the companies that were largely responsible for all the air pollution. Large scale cleaning projects had begun in some sectors of the ocean, replanting kelps and things of that kind.
An initiative of species preservation had seen success in establishing a larger school of endangered fish by breeding, and was now releasing part of said school in the ocean, hoping they were able to further spread there.
All in all, we were still on a very messed up planet and things were probably getting worse, but at least most people were trying by now. Just not the rich people.
I sighed, after I ate, lying down on my bed. All the notifications loomed on the top of my screen, dozens upon dozens of messages. I didnt swipe them away, I really was going to read them, just not yet. Not now.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Instead, I opened my browser, going through a couple tabs. A good chunk of the stories I liked had updated, and I read through those. Others were still on break in between seasons. As they had been for like half a year now.
After that, I kinda dozed off a little. Had I purposely overeaten to fall into a food coma and run away from some of my responsibilities? Maybe. But everyone had waited for two months, anyway, they could wait for a little more.
I ended up passing out.
The mental fatigue from all the adventuring, combined with the sleepiness from eating, and the comfort of a soft bed all combined into a very fun, very drowsy mix. And so I slept for a couple hours.
By the time I was up again, it was evening. Not that the grey sky outside looked much different, well, some of the grey clouds shone orange I suppose.
Finally, I also gave my body a quick check-up. The food helped. I felt good again. There was also a noticeably larger amount of Qi in it, both the golden and the mirror kind. Noticeably larger, in this case, meant enough for me to run a little fast for maybe a mile. Not too fast, though.
Maybe I could take a single step into the air. Two, if I made the platforms super small and unstable.
I almost chuckled to myself at the excitement I felt at having such a tiny stockpile of superhuman power. This was nothing compared to what I had on Eden, less than even a single percent. I doubted I could manifest a sharper edge on even a kitchen knife with this, but I still felt it. It was there, like a small proof of my growth.
Enough to probably break any world record I set out to break exactly once. I could probably even run as fast as a car. For maybe ten steps, or five.
Still, I smiled to myself at the prospect. It let me know that Eden wasnt just some fever dream. Well, I could have figured that given the fact that I now had the others numbers, but still.
Thinking of that, I opened up the group chat and quickly scrolled through it. There were lots of messages, just letting me know where the others lived. And it was likely that I would receive visitors, rather than go anywhere else.
Id met two of my party members before, after all. Marie, who lived in the same city as me. Shed visited a few times when Id gotten the bad injury on my shoulder, updating me on the party and things. Wed gone out to eat once or twice and played a game of tennis or two. Nothing too crazy, but it was fun.
Matt lived decently nearby, about a days trip by car. Hed visited exactly twice. Once, we went to the cinema, then did a trip across quite a few bars. He threw up a lot. The second time was when he had a bit of a rough time and needed company. His grandmother, the kindest, most motherly figure he had in his life, had died. And so he came over, because his family didnt want him to grieve the way he wanted to.
I made him a meal, and just listened to him talk, all evening.
My phone buzzed, stopping my reminiscence. It was from a private message from Matt.
Cool if I crash at your place for the meeting? he wrote.
Sounds good.
Alr. Weve been talking about the date in the group, if you find the time in your everbusy life, please grace us with an answer! :P
Lol. On it, boss.
I skipped over some of the general group chat things, people saying how long it would take them, and found the timeslot. Overmorrow, four in the afternoon my time. I sent in a quick text. Works for me, and a thumbs up emoji at the end.
Marie answered first. Alright, dates set, then! Well meet at Eiros Park. Be there or be square! :D
It took me a moment to pointedly ignore that she texted like a grandma, and everyone else reacted to her message with a thumbs up or a heart.
With that out of the way, I had one and a half days to kill. I looked out the evening again, at the grey clouds, then dialled up Ivan. It rang through, and I hung up before I got to the voicebox. Hed call me back if he was available.
Idly, I scrolled through contacts I still had. People from uni. Old friends I hadn''t talked to in a while. I quickly sent a message to Julieta, a girl Id gotten along well with. Wed done quite a few courses and projects together, and Id introduced her to indoor climbing. She got good at it pretty quick, being athletic, but she also always enjoyed hanging out.
Hey Jules! Back from a long trip. Wanna meet up?
Until she answered, I started properly reading through the borderline spam my mom sent me. There were lots of her being normal, honestly. Stuff like that she worried about me, that Bethany missed me, so on and so forth. She hoped I didnt hate Jared.
Then, as time went on, it got a little more unhinged. Pictures of her paintings came in, some pretty, some expressionistic. I didnt quite get how a red canvas was supposed to convey her emotions to me, but that was a discussion wed had many times before.
Eventually, there were three instances of her texting me while depressed or angry or whatever, characterized by her usually properly put together messages dissolving into a mess of typos and ramblings about how she loved me and about how I was ungrateful and she just wanted the best for me and why I never gave her the light of day and that I was cruel and unfair to her and so on and so forth.
There were about two dozen messages just today. The first few had been within minutes of my status updating to show Id used the app today. Then they drifted further apart timewise.
Youre back! Do you have time to meet soon? at 12:05.
Please respond once you see this. at 12:08.
I know youre ignoring me. at 12:09.
Fiona, answer me this instant! at 12:11
I see how it is. Fine. Reply whenever you get over yourself. at 12:15
Then, a little later.
I apologize if I was rude. I would just like to meet. at 14:05.
Then variations of that every couple hours. I gave a sigh and replied.
Fell asleep. Sorry. Should have time tomorrow all day. When and where would you like to meet? I wrote.
Before sending, I double checked my spelling. She got real huffy about a typo or two. Honestly, I would be lucky if she didnt scoff at having sorry be its own sentence. Oh well, what I wouldnt do to see Butterfly, I suppose. Then again, I did also miss mom a little.
By the time I was halfway through dads messages, Julie responded.
Omg Fio! she wrote.
Its been forever!
Im totes down
Wanna meet rn?
Sports or a night out?
Ding after ding she sent me her messages, the last one had a crazy-eyed emoji with its tongue out at the end. I chuckled at her antics. Usually I got annoyed at people for sending me this much, but Id really missed how energetic Julie was.
Hells yeah, just need to gt ready. Had a nap, gonna get some decent clothes. Baseball bar?
Omg YES! Havent been there in ages. In an hour?
Hour works!
She sent me a big heart and then disappeared off the app. I chuckled again. I left quick messages for dad and Ivan, letting them know that I was back and would like to meet sometime soon. I also texted my mom that I was going out with a friend and might not be replying a lot today. But that I was still more happy to meet her anytime tomorrow; she could just pick a time and place and Id be there.
Then my phone went back into my pocket, on silent, as it should be. I looked at myself in the mirror. I grimaced. An hour might be a bit tight.
Chapter 51: A Night Out
Despite my previous fears, I managed to get on more than passable makeup and pick out a cute outfit for the night. Id first considered a summer dress, then realized that it was late autumn, and quickly tossed that plan out. Instead, I went for a pair of skinny jeans, a black sweater with a knitted look that wasnt actually knitted, and one of my many sets of rainbow earrings.
I decided against wearing any of my rings. They would probably hurt when swinging the baseball bat. Also, that bar had fights break out occasionally, and while I was more than happy to knock someone out, I didnt exactly wanna do too much damage to any faces.
The baseball bar, for once, wasnt so far that I needed to take my car. Instead, I just threw on a coat, and a black mask. I had ones in many different colours, since they were such a prevalent feature of our life these days.
Honestly, I was already happy that the filters had gotten lighter by now. Back when it all started, and we had to wear almost full gas masks Yeah, that wasnt exactly enjoyable as a kid. I was glad Butterfly got to skip that step.
Fully readied up, I snatched up my keys, and went out.
It was late in the evening by now, and with the clouds in the sky, it was really quite dark, though the streetlamps brightened up the sidewalk a little. There were few people out and about at this time, which made sense. It wasnt a great idea to head out late in this shitshow of a world.
Despite that, I wasnt too worried. I just avoided keeping eye contact with any of the few people who were around, kept my headphones on - I used large ones specifically so people would know I could not hear them - and just walked quickly. Most of the people whod try robbing me were tied to the alleys, scared some other poor sod might steal the few bits of clothing they used as a blanket. I avoided those and kept the music quiet enough to still hear any footsteps around me.
I allowed myself a wistful sight and tried to shake the thoughts from my head, focussing on the way instead. If the smog didnt cover the sky, I might have even tried looking for a star or two. Sadly, that was not to be tonight.
Instead, I got to look at sweet sweet pavement. My favourite.
Soon, though, I was at the baseball bar. By the end, Id just kinda hummed along to the songs. Time passed faster that way.
As I got in, I checked the time on my phone. I was five minutes late. I grinned. That meant that I was probably going to be waiting another five or so until Jules actually showed up.
It was a Wednesday night, so the place wasnt exactly crowded, but it also wasnt empty. An old sports broadcast, baseball, of course, played on a crappy monitor with even crappier sound in a corner, and a couple guys stood around it, downing beer. There was an occasional loud clang from another corner of the bar, where there was a fenced and netted in batting area.
Looking at it already made my hands tingle. The sport originated overseas, but I was more than happy to engage in it sometimes. Right now, both batting spots were occupied, one by a young guy, maybe just above 19 or so, who looked at some girl across the bar after every swing. The other was an older man, in his 40s Id guess, with a bit of a beer belly. He did hit a lot more than the kid, though.
Evening there, the bartender interrupted my thoughts, anything I can get you?
There were two people behind the counter tonight. A lady with dark skin and an afro, wearing a sleek black dress, and the man who approached me. I recognized him, he was the owner, actually, a young guy who bought the place with some spare cash from selling an inherited house or something.
Evening Bat. Two gin tonics, please, I said, flashing him a smile.
He returned it with a raised eyebrow. Regular? I dont recognize you. All the regulars called him Bat.
I shrugged and tiled my head. Come by sometimes, not too often. Just every couple months.
Hm. Thought a face like yours would stick, Ill definitely remember that now. Lime slices for the gin or any other wishes?
Limes are fine, thank you, I said with another smile. I think the face thing was intended as a compliment. Very unsure though.
Without much else to do, I watched the grainy sports play. It was still poor quality, a telltale sign of it being more than 20 years or so ago. I had no idea what the teams were, nor did I care, it was more just so I had somewhere to stare, rather than looking at the people in the bar.
The dim background noise was occasionally interrupted by the very telltale sound of a bat hitting a baseball, following small cheers from the crowd. I smiled a little, eyes drifting over to the batting boy. He was doing just fine.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
A few minutes of sitting and sipping my drink later, I had only turned down one guy trying to flirt with me, when Jules finally came through the door. Her hair was longer now, still just as black as it used to be, and very glossy. Her dark skin had a little sheen to it in the light from the make-up, which complimented her hazel eyes.
A second later, as she took off her jacket, she noticed me waving at her, and I saw her face light up. Immediately, she shuffled over to me.
Fio! Its been forever! she said, holding onto my shoulders.
I gave her a bright smile. Great to see you too, Jules! Howve you been?
Before replying, shed already sat down on the barstool next to mine, spinning a little from the energetic motion. There was no hesitation at all as she reached out and took a sip from the second gin I ordered.
Oh my goood, you even remembered my favourite drink! she squealed.
It made me smile even wider. Shed ranted about drinks to me once, and Id favourited the message where she mentioned that she loved gin tonics, so I only took a second to look it up.
Of course, nothing but the best for ya, I said.
She shot me a bright grin, taking another long sip, before putting the drink down again so her hands were free for the wild amount of gesturing she loved. You wouldnt believe everything thats happened to me, Fio! Everythings been moving crazy fast.
I gave a small chuckle at that. Fast for even you?
She rolled her eyes at me. Oh ha-ha. No, its been awesome. You know how after graduation I had a bit of trouble finding work? I recently got a spot at a dietician company, making eating plans for different clients, working face to face. My manager didnt like me and gave me some rich guy, but we clicked well. Got some stellar reviews, and recently a promotion on top of it!
She ended off her small victory speech with a little dance. Thats awesome Jules! I said, offering her a small high-five which she promptly took. Im super happy for you!
Yeah! I even met a cute guy, and were dating right now. Hes poly too, which has been great. No more guilt tripping or anything like that, its been so freeing you wouldnt believe it. As she talked, her shoulders slumped like some kind of huge weight was lifted off her, making me smile again.
Im super glad. How long has it been since you dated last time?
If were talking properly, and not just a fling, then probably three years or so. Took me forever to get over it all, ugh, she shook her head. But its done now! All in the past. Weve been together for three months, and its been nothing but great.
Super happy for you, genuinely! Whats the guys name? I asked.
Oh, hahaha, totally forgot. Daniel. Dont think you know him, though.
Fair, fair. Just so I know who to ask about next time we meet, I said, giving her a wink.
She grinned conspiratorially. Well, well, well, Fio. Now its your turn! Whats happening in your love-life?
I smiled right back. You curious if I have any spare Daniels lying around?
She laughed, drinking some more. Hah! No, no, of course not. Who, me? Neverrrrr.
The grin on my face turned bigger. Idiot. Ive been together with a girl, Ann, for about a year and a half or so now, I said.
Her eyes suddenly went large. That long? she asked quietly, leaning in closer. And you didnt tell me?! she jokingly hissed.
I laughed at her antics. Mh, I guess I mustve forgot~ I said, twirling my hair.
She gasped in fake abject horror, slapping my hand. Fio! How could you do this? She held the expression for all of two seconds before smiling wide.
We both reached for our drinks. There was a short moment of silence as we both just grinned, until I asked Jules to tell me a little more about her job again, and she started her ramblings all over.
Ann had never come up in conversation with her until then, probably because I couldnt exactly invite the two to meet, since I hadnt even seen Ann myself on this side yet.
I quickly shoved those gloomy thoughts aside, and focused on the present again. The evening passed by bit by bit, and Jules rambled on. After a second drink, she grabbed my wrist, and practically dragged me to the batting range.
Of course, I was happy to go along. I also very quickly won a bet on having her pay for drinks. First to score five hits was an easy option when I was able to get five in a row. Thats what a little bit of enhanced eyesight and motor control from Eden did.
As always, Jules grumbled, but eventually paid up, ordering more for the both of us. I had a guy whistle at me when in the batting area, which was annoying, but at least he didnt try to talk to me after.
Hour after hour ticked by, and shortly before midnight, Jules grabbed me with a dopey smile again. She wanted to head somewhere else, some other bar she enjoyed. Id smacked plenty of baseballs, and obliged.
Our trek through the streets was short, though I found it kind of entertaining how the yellowy street lamps washed out the colour in our clothes. It made it look like we were in a black and white movie. For a moment, I imagined Jules and myself running around as detectives or ghost hunters or something, and laughed.
Jules laughed along, despite me never having spoken the joke.
After maybe a dozen minutes or so, we finally got to the building she was dragging me to, and I rolled my eyes. It was a quirky disco-bar blend with music that I could already hear from the outside and a beach theme. As in, no actual plants, but neon signs of palms and artificial sea smell in the air.
I knew it was fake, because the ocean in voyage smelled like the real deal, and this was nothing like that. Though I imagined the amount of deo and sweat the people in there were experience also added to it.
The smile on Jules face grew even bigger.
Its horrible, right? she asked, already almost yelling because of the music.
I caught the glint in her eyes and grinned. Its perfect.
She gave me a bright smile and a hug, and we headed inside.
Chapter 52: A Table in the Corner
The place was quite full, and I imagined that a couple of the people there definitely shouldnt be holding the drinks they were, but at the same time, it was not exactly my job to judge strangers. So I did what I always did when the music was louder than my thoughts - head towards a place to sit from where I had a decent glimpse of the people in the establishment.
Soon, we found ourselves at a small corner table, with a cocktail menu in front of us. Somehow, despite being tipsy, Jules managed to read through all of it in moments, and make a selection. After the gin tonics, she wanted something sweet, and went with a pi?a colada. I asked her to just bring me a regular coke, since I wasnt exactly feeling more alcohol.
Then I leaned back against the soft padding of the corner seating, and closed my eyes a bit. The music blared on just as loudly as before, some obnoxious guy with oversized headphones and an open hoody jacket standing at the DJ console. Whenever I opened my eyes a little, I let them drift through the crowd.
So many teens were out, which was kinda surprising. They would probably have to go to school tomorrow. Well, maybe some of them didnt exactly care. Actually, some of them might even meet their teachers here.
The thought made me chuckle, and reminded me of the very few times Id met my own teachers out drinking. It was awkward, embarrassing, and horribly funny each time. One of them even bought all the people I went with a round, calling it a bribe so we kept his little secret!
Im pretty sure he was just joking, but then again, he did genuinely want few people to know which places he went to, so he didnt have to deal with nosy parents. I bet my mom would have definitely given him a talking to if she knew about it.
Before I got too far into thinking of my parents, Jules brought back the coke Id asked for, and a glass of water as well. Somehow, she balanced all of it and her own cocktail.
Here, she said with a smile. Thought you might want something more neutral to sip on as well, health-freak.
Thanks, I said, then stuck out my tongue at her. Wed called each other health-freaks for a good while since uni, and itd stuck. Also, I was definitely a health-freak. Just not an excessive one.
Or so I told myself as I sipped on my coke.
Jules was surveying the crowd as well, now, occasionally pointing out cute guys and gals for me to comment on. I would usually chuckle and playfully tell her off, getting a couple pouts in response.
Bit by bit, the evening ticked by. The DJ mostly played songs I barely knew from the radio, though there were one or two I knew in there. Once, I almost shed a tear for how badly theyd butchered a piece of music I loved dearly. Seriously, who replaced a lovely, calm, slow guitar intro with a heavy drum and bass beat?
Despite it all, I loved it. The atmosphere made it so easy to get lost in and enjoy myself. Jules went to the dancefloor a few times, though I didnt accompany her. Instead, I spent that time chatting with Cass.
She asked me a little bit about the songs, and I realized she probably didnt have a very good picture of what music was. Other than the stuff Id listened to since meeting her, that was.
Of course, I replied to her entirely in my head, since talking to the air would be weird even in a crowded disco-bar like this. I told her a little bit about the history of music, how it developed, and how for some people its even a large part of their personalities.
[So youre saying that by hearing these sounds they make you feel emotions and you can use those to express yourself more vividly than with regular words? Magical]
Cass almost gasped at the end, and I cracked a light smile at her antics. It was so easy to forget how little she knew about culture and history sometimes, since she often had the answers to things I didnt get. Maybe we could learn from each other, rather than having it be a one sided street.
Can you hear the music, actually? I asked her.
[Not quite. I can get an impression of it, from the sensations I get over your thoughts, but I cant exactly fully perceive the outside world right now,] she explained.
My smile grew a little wider. Alright, alright. Cass, you have my express permission to share my senses for the next ten hours, alright? As much as youd like.
There was a long pause before she replied.
[Really?]
Somehow, I could tell her voice was shaking.
Really, I reassured her. Just take it slow. Its very loud in here, lots of things going on. Dont get lost in it, yes?
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Another long pause.
[Okay. Ill try. Thank you, Bell, it means a lot.]
Of course. If I can help you deal with it in any way, let me know, yeah?
[Okay. Yeah. I will. For now, Ill be distracted.]
Im sure you will be.
Something within me changed. The glass underneath my skin twisted, changed, then melded with my skin. There was a momentary pressure in my head, as though my brain was pressing against my skull, and I could feel the blood rushing through my veins.
Then it faded, and the world returned to mostly normal. For a few more seconds, there was a thin milky, blurry veil over my vision, then eventually, that faded, too. My hearing adjusted.
I shook my head, returning to the moment. Cass probably felt that, too. The thought made me smirk. I could probably make her go through a rollercoaster of dizziness now, but I wanted to have her experience things safely.
So I didnt. Simply took a sip of my coke. The sugar was sweet on my tongue, the carbonation fizzing against my tongue. There was a vibration in the back of my head, a strange kind of link that had me taste the drink a second time over after Id already swallowed.
Kind of like an echo but for taste. I giggled to myself, knowing the strange resonance came from Cass. There were similar things going on for my hearing and sense of touch soon as well. Even the position of my limbs in space.
Like a mirrored copy of myself was doing all I was doing, just a second later. Since it also applied to my sight, I even saw a faint afterimage of that second layer of sensation, which helped with the dizziness. Truthfully, I was glad I was sitting, and Cass probably was, too.
Slowly, second after second, my ears at least stopped echoing. It felt kind of strange, like a sense that I never knew existed suddenly appeared, then disappeared again. There was some faint inspiration there, but I could not grasp it quite yet.
But regardless, I was happy. If I wasnt hearing the second layer of audio, that meant Cass was instead. Having disco music be the first kind of music she ever properly heard might not exactly be the greatest introduction to the art, but oh well. She would manage, surely.
Bit by bit, the evening ticked by. The afterimages disappeared from my vision, and my fingers didnt feel aftershocks from tapping the table anymore. Cass was slowly immersing herself in what it was like to live.
Only then I considered whether it was actually a good idea to expose someone who may never truly receive a body to this kind of stuff. Then I shook my head. It didnt matter whether it was smart. She deserved to know what living was like.
By the time most of my senses had returned to normal, Julie started pushing her way through the crowd and towards me again. She stumbled at the end, having been forced to squeeze through a tiny gap between people, forcefully widened to let her through via liberal use of her elbows.
I quickly stabilized her by grabbing her shoulder, then pulled her down on the couch beside me. Without hesitation, she leaned against me, letting out a long sigh. She muttered something I couldnt quite pick out because of the background noise.
Her eyes shut for a few moments as she breathed, using me as a lean instead of the very available seat cushioning. Well, whatever made her feel better, I supposed.
A few breaths later, her eyes fluttered back open, and she sat up straight, turning towards me with a glint in her eyes and a wide smile. Thanks, Fio! she said, wrapping me in a hug. I squeezed her back. She often got like that when she was a bit too drunk, and I was already expecting it.
Shortly after, she let go, leaning far back into the cushions, her head tilting back until she was staring at the ceiling with a wide smile on it. I missed this so much.
I raised an eyebrow. What, having a friend to look after you as you get drunk? I crossed my arms jokingly.
Jules giggled. Yeaaaa~ she slurred the agreement. Usually my friends get smashed, too, but today, I get to be walked home by a cutie.
Haha, youre an idiot, Jules, I laughed. But she did have a point. We should slowly start heading home. Well, once she could properly stand again.
Drink a sip, I told her, holding my glass of water up to her face. She stared at it for a few moments, then reached out and took it into both her hands, holding it stably, then taking a few gulps. Despite being drunk, she managed to place it back on the table and take a few more deep breaths.
Thanks, Fio, she mumbled, and this time I could hear it despite the roar of the music and crowd around us.
Course, Jules. Just sit for a few minutes, and Ill take ya home right after, I said, lightly tousling her hair. She stuck her tongue out at me, but still leaned back, sinking into the cushions. I saw her slowly sway side to side with the music, so I knew she wasnt sleeping.
Over a few more minutes, I finished my drinks, turned down one more guy who asked for my number, and let Cass enjoy the music. Eventually, I tapped Julies sides. Come on there, ya sack of potatoes, get up.
She grumbled at me, more an indistinct sound than a string of words, but still shifted off the seat and onto her legs. I could see that she was feeling sleepy, but we would still have to make it to her place. Luckily, she also lived nearby. Closer to here than the baseball bar at least.
I interlocked my arm with hers, then started shoving my way towards the exit. People were still slowly trickling in, but with some more liberal usage of my elbows, I managed to get past everyone. Outside I checked whether I still had everything with me, and luckily, it was all present.
Missing anything, Jules? I asked.
Whaaa? she asked, turning towards me.
I rolled my eyes. Your things Jules. Got your phone and wallet? Earphones? Anything else you took?
She stared at me for a few more moments, then fingered through her purse. She flashed me a smile. All there!
I held her gaze for a few moments, then sighed, shook my head, and ran my hand through her purse as well. I felt her phone, a small charging case for earbuds, which I checked was full, a good few bits of makeup, some lip balm, and an emergency pack of pads. Seems like everything was still there. At least the vital parts.
Alright Jules, I said, starting to head down the road, lets get you home.
Chapter 53: Getting Home
Getting Jules to put on her mask only took a slight bit of convincing at least. She grumbled then put it on, pulling it out of her purse. It snapped into place, the filters covering her mouth.
The city was quiet. Every step away from the bar made the music quieter. There was little wind to move the stale air. This late there truly were only the streetlamps, with not even the moon piercing the sky. The mix of clouds and smog smothered all non-artificial light.
I heard my shoes click against the pavement as we walked. We took a turn into an alley, with fewer lights around, and it went from dim to truly dark. I smirked as I felt my pupils expanding. My vision was significantly better than it had any right to be.
The changes from being a Reflector werent always obvious, but a few people had been able to lose their glasses because of the improved vision. Well, that was my theory, given the fact that there was a good amount of people suddenly regaining perfect vision right around the time my master got to Eden first.
The thought of him brought a wry smile to my face. Jules was trotting along with me, mostly focussing on the ground and occasionally groaning. Occasionally she stumbled and I caught her, my footing much more secure since I could see the small bumps in the cobblestone that covered the smaller alleys.
I kept my wits about me, too, tipsiness already faded away. With Jules around, I was quite a bit more worried about someone coming up to me. If I were alone, I was quite confident in sprinting away, but like this, it might mean an actual confrontation, which I truly wanted to avoid.
One after another, minutes passed. I saw Jules eyes occasionally closing, and she leaned into me some more when it happened, trusting me to guide her away from any walls or road signs and such.
Slowly we made our way through the dilapidated streets. I sighed to myself. As a kid, I loved reading about apocalypse type stories. Crumbled buildings and one woman against the world kind of things.
Now? Well, some of those would certainly be a better backdrop than the current concrete jungle. If instead of houses there were just a few more gardens, that would truly be lovely.
I always enjoyed the thought of that. Nature reclaiming things humans had abandoned. Grass growing from cracked roads, vines scaling the rubble of torn down buildings.
Then I breathed in the stale smog. The air was full of the smell of humanity. Spilled beer, car exhausts, the smell of burnt coal, and the chemical blend that eclipsed the sky. A small frown found itself on my lips. This was not exactly what I wanted Cass to experience, but then again, I suppose it was part of life.
Well, life here.
I sighed, then scanned the area again. Entirely empty, as everything else.
Some of the streetlights in front were flickering. I dont think they did that the last time I visited Jules, but that had also been months ago.
Why did I visit so rarely actually? I looked at her hanging onto my arm, drowsy and exhausted and smiled a little, shaking my head. I gently shook her.
Come on Jules. Were almost home, I said.
Hm? her eyelids fluttered as she looked up at me.
I tapped her forehead a couple times. Home soon, Jules. Come on, get your keys out.
Mmh. Kaaaay. With a distracted look, she ran her fingers through the purse again. It took her a bit, during which I led her closer to the apartment building. The cobblestones once again changed to be full pavement.
Our footsteps rang loudly in the empty night. It felt almost too empty, but then again, streets were emptier since people didnt particularly enjoy wearing masks.
Half a minute later we stood in front of the door, and a full minute after that, Jules finally managed to get the key into the keyhole and undo the lock. It was a building painted a chipped red, the door a metal frame of the same colour with a glass front. The doorbells were dilapidated, almost all the names faded away.
Come on. Just a couple more stairs.
We got an elevator recently, she mumbled.
Oh?
New addition. Sponsored by some rich guy. Son moved into here. Complained about the steps, she explained drowsily. Well, now the sleepiness seemed more one of comfort, the air in here much nicer than outside, and it was a smidge warmer.
Any company Id know? I asked, making idle conversation as I looked for the promised elevator.
Dunno. Don remember~ she giggled a little at the end, squeezing my arm which she still hadnt let go of.
I gave a small sigh, finally finding the promised stainless steel doors at the end of the white hallway. It was an older building, the flooring still made from tiles. The kind that had stained overtime as dozens of shoes walked over them.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
With a ding the doors opened up, and there was, somewhat surprisingly, a man in a suit in there, with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked up from his phone as he stepped out, raising his eyebrows at me. There was a moment of hesitation.
Sorry, could you, uh, step aside? he asked, the politeness in his voice wavering as he seemed hurried.
In my eyes he had a lot of space, but whatever. I took a small step, and pulled Jules closer towards the wall as well.
Thanks, he muttered, then checked his phone, scratched and shook his head then walked past. By the time he was gone, the elevator doors had closed again, then quickly opened once more as I clicked the button.
Thats the guyy, Jules said as we stepped in and I selected the button for her floor. Whole elevator, just cause daddy loves him so much.
I shook my head. Cmon, dont badmouth him like that. You did also receive an elevator.
Mhhh, she mumbled. True.
There was a bit more quiet until the doors opened with another small ding, and I pulled Jules out. Soon we were at her door, then inside the flat. She quickly threw her mask and purse onto a small cupboard by the doorway, then took the few steps into the living room, plopping down on the sofa.
I quickly slipped out of my shoes, something she had entirely forgotten, following her on the wooden floor. Jules! Shoes!
Friiiiick~
I caught the shoe she had tossed at about the height of my face as I got through the living room entrance. She first showed me a shocked look, then broke down laughing, and I couldnt help but smile.
Alright, toss me the second one, too, since Im already at it, I said, sticking my tongue out at her. After catching it, I also put that one down next to the door.
Fio? Jules called from the living room.
Yea?
Wanna stay over? she asked.
I froze for a moment, then thought it over. It was kind of a far walk home, and I really, really didnt wanna get shanked right before finally meeting the others. Well, meeting them on this side.
Also, I didnt particularly wanna get shanked in general, actually. It would also ruin my plan to meet Beth tomorrow.
Sure, I said to Jules, giving her a smile.
I liked her flat. It was a bit overdecorated honestly, but that also made it feel a lot more like home than mine did. There were shelves full of little figurines and multiple pinwalls of pictures. All kinds of them, too. Framed ones even filled some of the shelves alongside other bits and bobs.
You still draw? I asked while walking through the room, running my fingers across a desk with a piece of paper and some watercolour on it.
Shit! You didnt see that! Jules suddenly yelled, scrambling to get up and landing her ass on the floor instead, her face red.
I gave her a smile and winked. Gotta be more confident in yourself, then. But alright, just this one, memory erased from my brain! I mimed pulling it out, and she flashed me a smile as she got to her feet.
Do you, uh, wanna eat anything? she asked.
I laughed. Jules. Please. Sit down. If anything, Id be making food, youre not touching a knife right now.
She blushed even more. Okay. Right, yeah, Ill uh. Just change into pajamas. Help yourself to anything. Theres makeup removal wipes in the drawer right underneath the bathroom sink! With that, she bolted off before embarrassing herself more.
With a small smirk I headed there, setting about cleaning my face. Of course, before that I also washed my hands, since Id been out in public. When I looked in the mirror I saw I was still wearing the mask and quickly took it off, stowing it away. I shook my head at that. How I could dislike it so much and simultaneously forget about it was a strange feeling.
A few minutes later, I was sitting on the living room couch with Jules. She was wearing a comfy shirt, probably from when she was younger, since it had the motif of a popular comic dog on it.
Wanna watch a movie or something? she offered.
Jules. As kindly as possible, I think you should be going to bed, I said with a smirk, lightly boxing her shoulder.
She gave me a small pout, then stuck out her tongue. Fineeee, youre probably right. If youre staying the night, do ya wanna sleep on the couch or in my room? My sisters bed is still in there from when she stayed here for a while.
I thought about my spine for a moment. You sisters bed it is.
Jules grinned. Awesome. Theres fresh sheets on there, so means less work for me. Wanna borrow a set of sleeping clothes, too?
I smiled. That would be lovely.
Youre lucky were the same size then, she said, waving her hands through the air as she headed to her room. I followed, and a few moments later, she thrust a set of clothes into my arms. Once again, the shirt had cartoon characters on it, though this time it was essentially striped but the stripes were the same cat walking in a row.
Adorable, I said, and Jules very decidedly pushed me out of the room to get changed.
I went ahead and did just that in the bathroom, then sat down my clothes by the foot of the bed, laying my purse on top of them. By then, Jules was already wrapped in blankets. I turned off the light, then laid down in the spare bed. They were on opposite sides of the room, one with more stuff than the other.
Your sister left some things when she moved? I asked.
Jules nodded, and responded after a small yawn. Yea. Left some things, tho. Said theyd remind me of her. She smiled. They do.
Naaawe. Gosh, youre the cutest. I couldnt help but smile at that.
Jules pulled the blanket halfway over her face. Stop grilling me alreadyyyy! Go to sleep, Fio!
Fine, fine, I said, giving a small shrug. Ill be quiet. Gonna read a bit on my phone, alright?
Sure. Talk to you tomorrow.
Today, dummy, I said, grinning.
Shut up, dork!
Kaaay. Nighty.
There were a couple minutes of silence.
Thanks for walking me home, Fio.
Course, Jules. No problem.
Means a lot.
I know.
Okay, night now, she muttered, her face almost entirely behind the blanket.
Night Jules. Would get ya home anytime. S what friends do.
Okay.
With a deep breath, she finally found the resolution to close her eyes. Minutes later, her breathing was already rhythmical and calm. I smiled. I read on my phone a bit, having disabled social media notifications. It was a quiet night. An hour later, I followed Jules into the land of dreams.
Chapter 54: Good Morning
Well, not really the land of dreams to be fair. I slept deeply and dreamlessly.
When I woke up, it was to a very quiet ringing in my ear. My eyes drifted open slowly as I turned to the side and wrapped myself tighter in the blankets. I still heard Jules breathing in the other bed, clearly asleep.
The ringing didnt disappear. Well, it wasnt really a ringing. More like a kind of pressure. No, that wasnt right either.
I slowly sat up from the bed, trying to see if I could do something about the ringing, when I noticed how strange my other senses felt. The blanket sliding off my upper body felt soft. Like there was a layer of cotton candy between it and my skin.
Trying to focus I noticed my eyes were also bleary. Not even from sleep, either. I blinked and blinked again, but my vision just wouldnt come into focus, like I was wearing coloured contacts.
That ringing in my ears wasnt any ringing, it was an oppressive silence. The kind that let you hear the vibration of your breathing and your blood rushing through your veins.
For a moment I panicked, worried something happened or that Id been poisoned or drugged or that the keepers had gotten to me. But only moments after I even had a chance to think about it, I heard Cass in my head.
[Shhh, hey, Bell, its okay. Thats the desync from me no longer sharing your senses. The ten hours were up and I didnt want to betray that trust.]
My heart skipped a beat when the voice first appeared in my head, before reality clicked into place. It was just Cass. I was just at Jules house. My senses would return to normal in a couple moments.
With a tiny sigh, I let myself drop back down into the sheets, wrapping a blanket around my head. It was a mixed attempt of smothering the strange disconnect from the physical world I felt as well as trying to calm my still rapidly beating heart.
After a few moments to catch my breath I was conscious enough to give my little safe-keeper a proper reply. Thanks for clarifying, Cass. I, uh, hope you didnt get bored while I slept? How long was I out for?
[About eight hours. A little more, probably. You needed it, too, though. And so did I, honestly, I didnt know sleep was like that!]
A small smirk found itself on my lips. Like what?
[So serene, calm, quiet, kind of. I couldnt really imagine it, you just laid down for eight hours, barely moved, vital signs almost gone, and then you got back up like nothing happened? Huh? But I think I get it now.]
I dont think Id ever heard anyone speak as excitedly about sleep as Cass did, then. The excitement in her voice was palpable. Would you like to do it again today evening?
Cass went entirely silent for a moment, as though Id called her out on a thought she didnt expect me to pick up on. [Maybe Yeah. I think I would. Thank you, Bell,] she replied eventually.
Sounds good. Will the desync times change? I asked, still feeling the strange lightness of the blanket.
[I have no idea, actually!] Somehow, she sounded excited about that. [Is it uncomfortable?]
I shrugged. Mildly. The syncing up was more surreal, probably the way it feels for you right now, but the desynchronisation right now is mildly uncomfortable. Makes me feel out of touch, like Im some kind of ghost.
For a moment, Cass was silent.
[Believe it or not, I can relate.]
When she spoke, she tried very hard to inject her voice with humor, but all I could hear was melancholy. I knew she wanted to experience the world as I could. This was just a tiny part of how Cass usually felt and it already put me on edge. I could hardly imagine what it was like to constantly feel this isolated.
Cass. Listen, I said, biting my lip and hesitating for a moment. Im sorry you feel lonely. The thing Im feeling right now sucks, and I know it must just be a tiny taste of what its like for you. Let me be clear here. If you want to know what something is like, just ask, okay? Ill do my best to let you experience it. Ill have my boundaries, of course, but I want you to be able to live a little as well.
At the end, I held my breath, a bit anxious for her reply.
[... I- i Thank you. Yeah. Okay. I- Ill try to ask. There is actually, um, one thing I wanted to ask.]
I let out a sigh, like a weight off my chest. Go ahead, what is it? I asked.
[Could you cook?]
Huh. I suppose Cass had only really smelled the bar and the smog yesterday. Well, Jules flat had a nice smell to it, kinda vanilla-ey, but mixed with the scent of sandalwood. So smelling actual food would probably be quite shocking.
I smiled. Yeah, of course. Hop on in.
[Give it a second. I dont think I should, uh, start syncing again when I just disconnected.]
The words made me smirk a little, it sounded like she was playing a futuristic brain-sync type VR game or something. I almost giggled at the thought of Cass wearing the big goggles, but held back. Alright, Ill let you know when I feel normal again.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Over the course of the conversation, my senses had mostly been restored to be fair. The thick feeling between me and the blanket had disappeared, now it was more like my skin was covered in a thin film. Something like a layer of sunscreen or saran wrap. Even that soon disappeared. For the sake of it, I waited a little bit more, then gave Cass the go-ahead.
Luckily, this time, the strange doubling-up of anything I experienced didnt last nearly as long. Cass could probably learn to make it longer, in which case it might be good practice for a future-sight type ability, if I ever got one of those. But for now, there was most likely little point in putting myself through it, especially if I wanted to get something ready before Jules woke up.
After the minute it took for the synchronisation to finalize, I quickly hopped out of the bed, landing on the floor near silently, and made my way over to the kitchen. After a quick plunder of Jules fridge and pantry, I was able to ascertain that her tomatoes found their place in my stomach, and there were enough ingredients left to make pancakes.
Which I then promptly did! I whipped up the batter, cut some fruits into it, found a skillet after some trial and error, then heated it, placed some plant-based butter inside, and made pancakes.
I would have loved to say that the sun was shining in through the windows, but it really wasnt. As every day before it the last couple years, the sky was entirely covered in grey, dim clouds. But there was a nice amount of light in the room, at least.
Thanks to a little luck, Cass liked the smell as much as I did.
After only a few minutes of frying, the first set of pancakes was done at just about the same time that Jules dragged herself out of bed. She looked exhausted in the way only people who were out the previous day could.
Morning Jules! I said with a smile on my face. Sleep well?
I saw a look of hunger in her eyes, and her stomach growling loudly only confirmed it. Uuurgh, she groaned, flopping down on the couch instead of gracing me with an answer.
I rolled my eyes at her in faux annoyance. Fine, fine. Syrup?
Ive got hazel cream in the pantry, Jules said, waving her arms in the general direction of the kitchen, really.
Right, right. Ill get it for you, lazy. It only really took a quick duck into there to pull it from a shelf. Jules did, in fact, have multiple glasses of hazel cream on there. So many that I found them immediately.
Any need for those fifteen whole extra glasses? I asked, tossing one to her.
Backup, she mumbled, head draped over the pillows.
I smirked, put a couple of the finished pancakes on a plate for her, alongside a small spoon for the hazel. Eat up. Ill be taking some for myself as payment.
Once again, Jules only responded with a wave of her hands. I think she mumbled a thanks at me at some point, but I wouldnt bet money on it. Instead, I just kept frying more pancakes, making some minor idle conversation, more to annoy Jules than anything else.
So, got a hangover? I asked.
Urgh. No, Fio, not in the slightest. She gave me a sigh.
Dang, really? I was so gonna share all my tips.
She snorted. Pffft, shut up! As if you had any tips.
Oh, I am an expert alcoholic, certainly, I said, puffing my chest out.
Jules laughed at that, then interrupted herself and held her head. Hahaha, agh, hah, youre such a frigging jerk, Fio!
I laughed with her, quickly finishing off another batch of pancakes and loading them onto my plate. Jules eyed them with jealousy, but I didnt care. Still, I did put another batch into the pan before sitting down next to her and munching on my breakfast.
After the first bite I paused. Dang, I really am a great cook.
Jules smirked. Really? I wouldnt know without tasting some more of those pancakes
I smacked her hand out of the air before she could steal any of them. Touch my plate and your hand ends up my next meal, I said, poking her with a fork for emphasis.
My friend quickly raised up her hands in defense, laughing. Alright, alright, jeez! Just wanted to be a pancake pirate!
...
I didnt grace it with an answer, but the big smile remained on Jules face. She went into the kitchen and flipped the next batch around while I was still eating mine. How did you sleep, Fio? she asked.
Well, I said with a smile between bites. You got a super soft bed.
She raised an eyebrow at me. Really? I think its pretty standard to be honest.
Ah. I was comparing it to the stuff we had in eden. Especially given that I usually slept in a tent.
Heavenly soft, trust me, I replied. My mom insists on harder mattresses being better for your back.
Jules gave a huff at that. Pf. You shouldnt listen to her, then. Get a new mattress. You really shouldnt be using any she bought for you if shes that weird about it.
I shrugged. Yeah, youre right. Never thought of it is all.
She spun around towards me. Really now? she asked, surprise clear in her voice. Fio Healthfreak Bellum is here, telling me youve never thought about your mattress?
A small blush made its way onto my face. Hey, Im not that bad!
Sure, sure. Yeah, no, I totally believe that. You just didnt get one so your mom wouldnt be upset I bet. But you know what? Screw her. Get a soft mattress. Do yourself a favour, youll spend a third of your life in that bed!
That was wildly inaccurate. I spent half my life on another world entirely. My bed would see me leave for weeks or months at a time.
You know how much time I spend with work, Jules! I protested.
Ah. Right, right. Do they have shit beds for you there?
Oh yeah. The wooooorst, I said, laughing.
She shook her head. Fucking billionaires. Enough money to get a hundred sports cars, yet not enough for comfortable beds for employees.
I nodded to that. Yep. Its kinda shitty. But oh well, we make do. Sometimes being away from it all is nice, honestly.
Jules shrugged. I guess. Not for me, really. I like the people, the buzz. Wish I could go outside without the masks though. Once again, I truly hate billionaires.
Alright, alright, I laughed. I get it. Down with the rich and all that. Take their money, fix the problems with pollution, live happily ever after, right?
She smiled. Thats the dream right there.
One day, I said, leaning back against the comfortable cushions of the couch. I gazed out the window at the sky.
One day well see the sun again.
Jules nodded resolutely. No doubt about it. But before that, its pancake time! With a quick bit of help from a spatula, Jules deposited half the batch of pancakes on my plate, and the other half onto hers. All sun-seekers need a healthy breakfast, or so Im told, she said with a crooked smile.
I grinned. Really now? With all the cream you got on there, I truly doubt that counts as healthy anymore.
A glare and a light smack later, Jules burst into laughter. I missed you, Fio.
Missed ya too, Jules, I said with a grin.
After that, we finished off breakfast pretty quick. Cass loved the pancakes, luckily. Not long after, I quickly changed back into my street clothes, and walked home under a grey, overcast sky, and a little bit of joy in my heart.
Chapter 55: Self-Expression
I was able to make it home without getting stabbed once more, soon finding myself in the environment of my own flat again. Compared to Jules though it really was quite bare. It hadnt bothered me before, but now it kinda did.
Given that I had a morning to kill anyway, though, I decided to go and do something about it. I wasnt really rich at all, but I had enough spending money for some decorations. Especially given that my body over on this side was usually in great condition, with the keepers safeguarding it and all that.
Meaning that instead of saving for a dentists appointment, I could instead throw that money at things I enjoyed.
I paused for a second before making any excessively impulsive purchases, deciding that I would, in fact, also get Butterfly a little something. And I had a nice idea, too.
Recently, a couple shops had been doing metal posters. It was wired through general drone delivery, which had replaced almost all postal services, Meaning that if I ordered now, I could probably expect things to be here within the day. One of the advantages to living in a city.
I decided to order a poster of a blue and purple magical butterfly for Beth. Then, for my own flat, I got some other nice looking posters. One of a nebula, a picture snapped by the telescopes in space, far above the smog that covered the sky. Another one I bought was of a game I enjoyed, and then I also bought a very large lesbian flag.
Would they mostly collect dust? Yes. I knew that. But at the same time, this was my home. I wanted it to be nice to live in.
With how little time I usually spent in the apartment it was sometimes hard to notice just how bleak it was. Sure, it was clean, but there was just nothing about.
Why had I not decorated it a little more?
The realisation set in. Right. My mom came in occasionally and swept the place. More stuff would mean more things for her to look into my privacy. See the things I enjoyed and who I was. Id stopped sharing them so long ago, when she told me to read real stories, or do real art.
Thinking of that put a frown on my face. She already took issue with how I dressed and what I did, and even my work in Eden. Maybe at some point I just needed to let her realize I wouldnt ever be who she wanted me to be. If that pissed her off, it was her problem.
I promptly went back to my phone, ordering even more things. Books Id only read online, now in print form. Id find a shelf for them. I bought posters of movies and games, I bought myself a penguin wall tattoo, and I bought myself a penguin and dragon plushie respectively too. Then I added calligraphy supplies, too. Maybe Id find some time and draw up something my master would enjoy.
The final and most expensive purchase I made was something I would have probably considered too much afterwards, but decided was worth it in the moment. I got myself a spear. A full sized one, though with the tip dulled. It was decently similar to what I had in Eden, if a bit more fancily made and probably much weaker, given that it hadnt received any Qi treatment.
Would I be swinging it around? No, absolutely not. But quite frankly, I didnt need it for that. Who I was on Eden was part of me. And I was sick of always having to hide it. Sure, talking about it as a job was fine, but the fact that I showed none of it? Enough was enough.
I ordered. Spent a good half of the money Id made on this last trip to Eden all at once. And honestly, I didnt care. After it all I fell back on my bed. I pulled over my phone, and ordered one more thing, a simple pullup bar to hang on my wall, as well as an install kit.
Then I called my dad.
It rang twice before he picked up.
Bear? Im so glad youre back! How has work been, are you alright? Do you need anything? His rough voice was crackly over the phone, that distinctly low quality that only mobile calls could emulate.
A second passed as I didn''t answer, then ten. Bear? he asked again, hesitatingly.
I realized I hadnt expected him to pick up. He never picked up on my first call. Usually I needed to wait an hour before he called back.
You there, Bear? Everything okay? he asked again, confusion seeping into his voice.
Right, yeah, Im here. Sorry, dad. Im fine. All okay.
Thats good to hear! he said. There was so much joy there I could tell he was smiling on the other end. What had you call? You usually always text, haha.
I did usually text. Because he never picked up calls. Well, I wanted to ask whether you had some time today in the evening? Im having a friend over, but I also ordered a bunch of stuff, and might need help setting things up.
Alright, yeah, no problem. I can be there by six, if thats fine?
Six is perfect, thanks dad.
No problem, Bear! Whatre we setting up? You got a new shelf or something? he asked.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Uhm, not quite I heard myself and almost cringed. I sounded so horribly awkward. I, uh, bought a couple posters. And a pullup bar. And a spear.
I heard him choke on his drink, cough, then laugh out loud. You bought a spear? he asked, amused.
Sure did.
And you want me to help you put it up on your wall or something?
I sighed. Thats the hope.
Sure, no problem, he said. Ill go to the hardware store, pick up a couple brackets and such. Should still have my rechargeable screwdriver lying around somewhere. Ill bring screws, too, of course. Anything else we need?
A couple nails, maybe? I suggested.
Screws usually hold better to be fair, he said.
Yes, but I also kinda bought a flag and I think the screws would twist the fabric.
Heh, right, they sure would. Nails, then. What kinda flag? Irinye United? he asked, jokingly.
I rolled my eyes. A lesbian one, dad. Im not getting a soccer flag.
Awwwe, come on, why not? he asked.
Im hanging up.
Haha, alright Bear. Ill see you at six. You can tell me all about work then, alright?
Sure, dad. Thanks.
Talk to you later!
After his last words, I hung up, dropping back down on the bed and draping an arm over my face. That was horribly embarrassing. Why the heck was he in such a good mood, even? Id have to ask him at night.
My order told me that my items would arrive in a couple hours, between three and five. Some might come a bit later, but that would be fine, too. For now, I decided to use the small amount of time I had to put on a new set of clothes, somewhere between presentable and comfortable, and prepare for Matt to come visit.
I shot him a text again, asking when exactly hed be arriving. There was a chance hed come tomorrow, given that the meeting was then, but he could also come today, and if he did, I should probably have more things stocked. I had, like, nothing, actually. Borderline no food at all.
Which resulted in a quick trip to the grocery store, where I bought vegetables, snacks, and some drinks. I very distinctively got no beer. If my dad wanted to be drinking it would not be in my flat. Hopefully he was on the same page there.
After the shopping trip, I went over all my messages, talking to my mom, and Beth, and the group with everyone from Eden. Matt told me he was coming today, and would love it if I could pick him up from the train station at half past four. It was about fifteen minutes by car, so that worked out really well.
It was already approaching the afternoon by then, so I decided to just take a break for an hour. I considered reading, but none of the stories in all my open tabs grabbed my interest. I didnt feel like mindlessly scrolling through videos either, so instead, I just put my phone aside.
I closed my eyes, laying on my bed with my arms folded across my stomach. Today was an eventful day, but honestly, that was kind of because I made it one. Did I need to order a buncha stuff and call my dad? Not really.
If I hadnt, meeting my family couldve been dragged out another day or two. Then again, I really did want to see Butterfly, and having a gift for her would be nice. Would mom mind that it was art other than hers hung up in her house?
I shook my head at the thought. If she did mind, then she could start learning to ignore that. Beth was getting a gift, whether she liked it or not. And if Beth hated it, then I''d take it down. If mom hated it, Id make sure it stayed up, simple as that.
A sigh left my lips as I tried to calm my thoughts. Life had been moving so fast recently. I was only back for three days and I already missed eden. The fact that I could spend weeks simply walking and cultivating was relaxing in a way I couldnt quite put to words. Like there just wasnt anything else for me to worry about.
Granted, there were monsters trying to kill me, but there was also the sun in the sky, and the wind on my face. I sighed again, thinking of that, and feeling at the tiny facsimile of a core I had on this side.
My body on Eden influenced my body here. I knew that much. I was much, much stronger now than I was back when I first went there. If I compared myself to standards before Eden, I was probably quite close to the peak of the world in a lot of sports.
But there was Qi in my chest. It was a faint amount, one that wouldnt really refill on its own, but it was there. Available for me to use. A miniscule tether to my core back on Eden, that told me that it was all real. That I, Fio, could walk on the air, and take down monsters the size of houses.
Why was it here, though?
I focused on it, feeling at the ball of gold. It truly did seem kind of like my golden core, but it was faint, and more of an orb of loose Qi, rather than a storage container pumping the ethereal substance throughout my entire body. Still, it gave me comfort knowing it was there.
A distinct confidence in myself that I was, to some degree, growing myself. Cultivating. That word had seemed so foreign at first. I wasnt a plant to grow, after all. But by now it had clicked.
It wasnt about growing plants. It wasnt about finding power. It wasnt about stepping on others.
Cultivating was, in its essence, a path to find yourself.
There were established paths to follow. Common elemental ones, such as the path of the inner flame, or a frozen sea within. Dozens of people had walked those paths, they were well tread and known. But to me, that wasnt the true purpose of cultivation.
How could you find yourself if you walked in the footsteps of another?
My path was a voyage. A long, difficult, and beautiful voyage.
My path was an imprint. A symbol of who I was within the changing tides.
And I grabbed onto those paths, drew a deep breath, and imagined myself taking a single step further.
The Qi in my body sputtered, whirled, and then fizzled out into a quiet nothingness. There was a moment of silence, then a piercing pain in my chest. My eyes were ripped open and I clutched at my heart, feeling like it was being squeezed by some giant hand.
For a few seconds I couldnt breathe, then I squeezed my eyes shut and focused my will on every muscle in my body. I tensed up, then slowly forced myself to relax, drawing a single, stifled, quivering breath. Then my heart beat once.
The tension fell away and I was left with an ache and a grimace.
Id been close to something there, to a piece of enlightenment again. But I hadnt reached it.
That was often how it went. Youd find a trail of thought, follow it, then fail at the last step.
I breathed out a sigh, feeling the pain in my chest slowly recede as the golden Qi settled into a calm ball again. This was worthwhile. Id gained plenty of insights, enough to push myself further once I returned to Eden.
With a sigh, I leaned even further into my bed. Maybe next time Id reach that bit of enlightenment. I couldnt stop my thoughts from swirling around the idea of cultivation until my alarm rang. Right. Time to go get Matt.
Chapter 56: Matthew? More like Mattmore!
The drive wasnt very long. Despite that, I felt anxious. There wasnt really any reason for that. Id known Matt for, what, three years now? Give or take a bit. Id laughed with him, drank with him, and held him in my arms as he sobbed.
Despite that, I was still anxious to meet him.
I gave a long sigh and loosened my grip on the steering wheel. Back when Id first got my license, driving was the best thing ever. I remembered that the freedom it gave was incredible. Even just the ability to leave the city quickly and at my own time was incredible. There was no way for my parents to track me, either.
It was just me in the seat, driving on empty, sometimes dilapidated roads. I also remembered that I once hit a pothole, and popped a tire. My spare was faulty, and I had to get help to come out. So I called my dad, who answered entirely drunk off his ass, unable to even understand what I was telling him, then my mom, who didnt pick up at all.
Eventually, Ivan drove out, showed me how to change a tire. He was on call with me the entire time until he arrived, and fixed the issue that had sent me worrying within 5 minutes. I smiled at the memory.
After another few deep breaths, eventually, I fell into the rhythm where I stopped worrying and started focusing on the road. Within a quarter hour or so, I was at the train station. It made me a bit early, and a quick check online told me that the train was late. There was a text from Matt informing me of the same thing, and I sent him a thumbs up back.
While waiting in the car, I briefly considered pulling up things to read, but eventually decided that I didnt really feel like it. Instead, I got out, standing next to the car so Matt could see me, and stared at the sky for a little while.
Back when I was a kid I used to watch the clouds drift by. Now, well, I guess I watched the cloud layer change thickness as the breeze blew. Occasionally, small parts grew thinner, letting more sunlight through, then became covered in smog again.
I sighed. I already felt myself missing the sky on Eden, the sun on my skin. Which made me sigh again, because I knew that I would be spending some more time on this side.
Its not like I hated it here. Especially if my flat looked a little better, I was sure I could make it tolerable. But I just didnt feel quite as free.
Considering the fact that the keepers were after my soul, I also really wasnt free at all.
That thought was luckily interrupted by the soft humming of the train coming to a stop. Our city had changed from steel tracks to magnetic ones a while back, and the soft hum told me that it had begun braking.
I looked over, seeing the doors open at one of the many platforms, only a third of which were actually in use. Well, more often now than theyd been a while ago. Planes were so popular a few years back, until virtually every country on this damn planet had banned them. Absolute pests, those were.
Most intercontinental travel nowadays happened through tunnels, and sometimes ships, which used wave generators and solar to power themselves. As far as I knew, some also used materials from Eden to generate energy in some other way, but it wasnt my job to know how. Ivan could probably explain it. He wouldnt call them from Eden, though, and instead just say something like a new discovery.
Once again, my thoughts were interrupted as I saw Matt step out of the train. He looked just the same as usual, but very distinctly different. There was something very, very strange about seeing him in khakis and a beige suit. He caught my gaze for a moment, and I swore I could see him turn a little red before he headed down the stairs towards the exit.
When he came out, he quickly made his way towards me.
Look, Fio, I can explain the fash- he started, but I just wrapped him in a hug.
Hey Matt. Good, nah, actually, great to see you, I said.
He paused for a moment, frozen, then hugged me back. Good to see you too, Fio. After a handful of seconds, we let go again, and he gave me a smile. You look great, by the way.
I grinned. I sure do. Sadly, I must seem a bit out of place in this what, 80s movie set? I said, pointedly eyeing his outfit.
He blushed again. My parents thought this was what people around here dressed like. They needed me to make a good impression.
Still living in that dojo, huh? I asked, softer this time, already hopping into the car.
Yeah. My dad insisted I bring gifts, too. Can you imagine that I have a shinai, a bamboo sword, and an invitation to the dojo for you in that suitcase?
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I raised an eyebrow. That fits in there?
He sighed. Diagonally, and barely. He made it himself, too. Usually he has each student make their own, but he didnt want you to craft one without his oversight, so he went through the effort to put it together himself. You know how much he grumbled about having to use stored bamboo since there wasnt enough to properly have it dry before I headed off? Matt shook his head in frustration.
I couldnt help but laugh. Your dad sure sounds like a piece of work.
He is. He truly means well, but he now also truly expects you to come to the dojo at some point.
Hah. Well, Im sure I could learn something there.
Matt chewed his lips. Finally, he wanted me to tell you that he most certainly respects you practicing the spear, but believes you should certainly collect some experiences in using the sword. I think he wants you to swap, the persuasion usually only starts this soft. Excuses about all the spiritual training and stuff, when really, he just wants you to swing a sword and see your talent.
Im sure Id disappoint him, heh. Just barely above average.
Matt stared at me, then shook his head. U-huh. Average. You, sure. My mom already smacked him over the head for it, telling him to stop being weird, so I dont think you have anything to worry about.
... How hard was the smack?
Like a seven outta ten. Thats pretty hard mind you, probably more like a nine on a normal persons scale, but I have seen her whack him with an umbrella before.
Oh?
The umbrella broke.
Oh, hahaha! Did he deserve it?
I am against physical violence, Matt said, sagely closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he leaned back in the seat. But yes, absolutely. He nodded.
I smirked to myself, now unsure of why I was ever worried about meeting this goofball, You got normal clothes with you, too? I asked, changing the topic somewhat.
Yes, I snuck a couple shirts and jeans in.
Good. Otherwise, I wouldve taken you shopping. I mean, we absolutely still can, if you want to, though? I asked.
Absolutely. Know any good places for earrings? I want some for myself and my mom asked for a souvenir," Matt said, throwing me a smile. He was, in fact, already wearing earrings, though they were hard to see through his hair. Now that he was actively showing them off, though, I could see them. He wore an ace flag and a demiboy one.
I smiled. I already love the ones youre wearing. You sure you need any different ones?
He laughed a little, more of a snort. Absolutely. Anything that isnt silver, gold, or gemstone is intolerable at family meetings.
At that, I gave him a grimace. Ah.
Grandparents, he said with a shrug. Very traditional. Man must marry woman, and all that.
Mhm. Guess Im lucky my parents were supportive about that, at least.
Once again, Matt gave a snort, this one mixed with a little anger. Thats about the only thing you lucked out about.
I gave him a sad smile. Actually, theyre not horrible. You know how it is, you only hear the bad things.
Aha. Im sure.
On that note, you might be meeting my dad in just a little bit. Hes coming over to help me with some work in the flat.
Matt raised an eyebrow. Work in your flat? Didnt you say it was pretty empty?
I gave him a glance and a half-hearted shrug. Changing that today.
He grinned. Oho? Suddenly worried about my opinion?
Pfff, nah. I decided that if Im going to live there for a little while, I may as well make it look good.
So youre saying you dont care about your mom snooping anymore? he asked, ruthlessly.
... Yeah, okay, youre right. That is what Im saying. Im excited about the flag, though.
Matts face lit up. No way its what Im thinking.
No, Matt, I didnt get a swordsman-
Youre getting a lesbian flag?! he interrupted cheerfully. I kinda stopped for a moment, surprised. He really had me that figured out? Fuck yeah, Fio. Thats awesome.
I gave a small smile, my face reddening a little. Doesnt it usually annoy you?
He looked at me, eyes wide and aghast. What? I saw the gears in his head turning, then it clicked. Oh. Oh my god. No, no, not at all. I just. I struggle with PDA. Its an ace thing. Well, for me, at least, more of an aroace slash sex repulsed thing. I promise it has nothing to do at all with you or Ann. You two are amazing.
Once again I had to take a moment to compute that. Luckily, we were at a red light, so I had the time to look over at him. He was looking back at me with genuine, full on, sincerity in his eyes. I, uh, I was joking.
He flushed. Oh. Oh, this is awkward. Sorry, uh, I just, I dunno. Want you to feel supported. He scratched the back of his head. It feels, uh, a little more real over on this side, I suppose.
By then, the light turned green and I drove forward again. The awkward silence lasted another dozen seconds before I had to start laughing. Youre a lot more adorable than I thought, Matt!
H-Huh? He blushed even more.
I let out a somewhat contented sigh, leaning back in the car seat. Thanks, Matt. Means a lot to have you be there for me.
He fiddled with the buttons on his suit jacket, taking a couple deep breaths, then threw me a smile. Of course, Fio. Were friends, after all.
I resisted the urge to smack his shoulder, and instead kept my hands on the steering wheel, focusing on the road. I appreciate that. For what its worth, I support your aroaceness, too, yeah? Now, stop being so distracting and let me focus on driving before I crash the car.
He smiled, looking at the empty roads and sidewalks ahead. Alright, Fio.
We spent the rest of the drive in comfortable silence.
Chapter 57: Two Fifths of a Family Meal
I brought Matt to the bottom of the apartment building, where he helped me pick up some of the many packages dropped off for me, walked up the couple flights of stairs, then unlocked my flat and let him in.
The white walls inside were almost as sterile as those outside. I saw him look around, checking my walls for things. Any place I shouldn''t go? he asked, politely.
I shrugged at him. Not that I know of. Go and explore, suitguy.
He rolled his eyes at my impromptu nickname. Right, fine, got anywhere I can change? Not a nickname that would stick around for a long time, it seemed.
Sure, yeah. Toilets at the end of the hallway, cant miss it. I gestured at it with my chin. Despite that, Matt still managed to miss it, finding my bedroom instead. Wrong door.
Wrong door indeed, sorry, he said, quickly dashing off into the right door. While he was busy changing, I took off my shoes comfortably, and headed for the kitchen. I wanted to cook before my dad came to visit, so I started taking out ingredients.
Maybe a minute later, Matt poked his head through the doorframe. Whatcha making? he asked innocently. I stopped cutting as I turned to face him, now in a white pair of loose pants and a white t-shirt with a small rabbit on the right side of his chest.
I looked at him. He was entirely focused on my cutting board, his body tilted sideways as he hung onto the doorframe. With a curious expression on his face, the pale pink glint in his eyes, and the white clothing with a rabbit on it that was a new nickname that would stick.
Well, dearest Rabbit, it just so happens that Im making chili. Would you like to be of assistance? I asked, giving him a grin.
Rabbit? he asked, his forehead furrowing. Then he looked down at himself. Ah. Heh, I see it. New nickname?
Sure is.
He shrugged, finally letting go of the doorframe and properly walking into the kitchen. I suppose its better than Rat.
I tapped him on the nose lightly. Dont worry, if you mind, I can stop using it.
For a few seconds he tilted his head as if in thought. Definitely a rabbit. Nah, Im cool with it.
Lovely, I said, clapping my hands together. Grab a cutting board, bottom left drawer, and a knife from underneath the stove. You can help me cut some bok choy.
You put that in chili?
I pointed the knife at him. Who dareeeees question the chef?!
For a moment he startled back, then I saw his lips curl up into a goofy, perhaps rabbit-like, grin. Alright, alright, he said, raising his hands. Ill get to cutting.
Wrong drawer, left of it.
Gotcha, thanks.
A couple dozen seconds and the sound of a knife very quickly and repeatedly hitting wood later, Matt was already done with the bok choy, having washed and diced it before I could even finish up the onion.
Anything else? he calmly asked, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
I stared at him for maybe a quarter of the time he spent cutting, which wasnt long, but definitely not short, either.
Neamhan at Fio, hello there? he asked, waving his hand at me.
I shook my head. Whats up with that?
He blinked at me. What?
The cutting. You never cut this fast.
Huh? he looked at the veggies, then his eyes went wide. Oh. I, uh, sorry. Did not mean to do that. Uhm. Definitely a fluke.
I narrowed my eyes at him. Fluke?
Yep, he said, nodding. Why did he seem so constantly nervous on this side? Just a fluke.
Matt, I said, putting down my own knife and leaning against the fridge, crossing my arms. Do you purposely cook slowly on Eden?
No, I mean, not quite. Its, uh, its more complicated than that he shrunk into himself.
Hah, I sighed. Then looked at him for a few more seconds, letting him stew. Fine, a fluke it is.
Huh?
Im letting you off the hook, Matt, I said, pointing the knife at him again. If you dont wanna tell me, you dont have to. Grab some canned corn from the fridge and drain it, will you? Sieve should be to the right of the sink. He moved. The other right, Rabbit.
He shot me a crooked smile, then did as I asked while I finished the onion. Thanks, Fio, he eventually said.
Dont sweat it. Take things at your own pace. And for real, you dont have to be so nervous, I said, elbowing him in the ribs.
Ow! he said with a grimace, then laughed. Alright, alright, heh, Ill try my best. Please do be patient with me! He pressed his palms together at the request and gave me a small bow, to which I rolled my eyes.
Gotta have the patience of a saint to deal with you. Luckily, you found the best saint right here! Now, shoo, let me get to the stove.
While wed been chatting, we got done preparing all the ingredients. I seared the onion first with some tomato extract and olive oil, then added bok choy, corn, beans, lentils and some garlic in there. Fried it for just a couple seconds, then added diced tomatoes and a bit of soup.
For spices, I put in a little bit of paprika powder, both smoked and spicy, as well as a bit of jalapeno. Then I added some extra soup powder, salt and pepper, and half a stick of cinnamon.
Cinnamon? Matt asked me with raised eyebrows.
Cinnamon, I nodded. Sometimes I added nutmeg as well, but it wasnt that late into fall yet.
He shrugged. Alright, Ill bite.
You sure will, thats what the food is for, I replied, deadpan. Matt groaned at me.
I hate you, Fio.
I adore you as well, Rabbit, I said, smiling cutely. He rolled his eyes again.
How long is this still gonna take?
Well, well probably eat with my dad. So, itll just simmer for half an hour, then Ill put it on super low heat so it stays warm until six. If he doesnt show up by then, well, I shrugged, he can have scraps if we have some leftovers.
Matt nodded. Alright. Wanna do anything until then?
Like what? I asked.
I dunno. You got any boardgames?
I sharply inhaled through my teeth. Right. Shoulda ordered some of those. I will have them by tomorrow.
He smiled. Alright. Lets browse for some, I got a couple recommendations, if youre willing to hear me out?
Course!
Fifteen minutes passed by, and eventually we placed the order down. Still more time to kill until my dad swung by. Now? I asked, kind of unsure what to spend my time doing.
Got any hobbies? Matt asked right back.
I dunno. I read a lot.
Mh, not exactly a community activity. His tone was matter-of-factly. His shit-eating grin told me otherwise.
I blushed slightly. I suppose not.
Matt started prancing about the chair I had at the empty desk that housed only the old, crappy laptop I ordered from. I swear, if he could, he wouldve attached himself to my ceiling. He truly seemed desperate for some movement.
Wanna go out on a run? he asked.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
I shook my head. Not looking to get stabbed.
His enthusiasm sparked at that. Oh? Great Fio of War worried about a little knife wound? he asked, grinning.
Yes! I shook my head. This isnt Eden, Matt. I cant just shrug off a minor stab.
He grinned even wider. So you wanna spar, then?
I was about to disagree when I paused and actually thought it over. Took me all of five seconds. Fuck it. Sure.
Cool! Lets get to the gym!
... This house doesnt have a gym, Matt.
He paused at that, looking at me. It doesnt?
It doesnt.
His shoulders slumped and he sighed. It looked really adorable in all white with his messy hair and the bright earrings. Fine, then. Lets just do some drills I guess?
How?
Just a sec. He quickly dashed into the guest room, which really was just one of the emptier rooms that held a couple storage shelves, one of which was a wall bed. Hed put his suitcase in there, so Fio could guess what was about to happen. A couple seconds later, he returned with the bamboo sword, pressing it into her palm.
Youre serious.
Absolutely! He smiled, that same manic look in his eyes as during sparring. Here, alright, swing it downwards.
Like this? I asked, raising the sword above my head, then bringing it down in front of myself again.
Matt sucked in air sharply. Yes, no, alright. Thats, uh, its an okay start. Make your stance a little wider. Right foot forward a bit. Good. You wanna get power through the chain of your body, right? Is that how it works with spears, too?
Right, I said, shaking my head slightly. We were really doing this now, then. I adjusted my stance a bit more than what he asked for.
You dont need it that wide.
Im taller than you.
Right, right, yeah. Forgot. That spearwork does pay off, huh?
Sure does, I said. Now please, master Rabbit, if you would be so kind and continue guiding me? My tone was full of slight mockery, but I was genuinely taking it seriously.
Alright, yeah. Bring the sword up above your head again.
I did as he asked.
Thats not centered. Youre center of gravity, its off to the side.
Yeah. I swing my spear by holding it on one side.
Well, the swords right above you now, isnt it? Shift to fit.
I adjusted.
Bit more.
I adjusted some more.
Good, perfect. Keep that stance. Remembered it. Sword a bit higher. Good.
My balance did really feel decent.
Now, sing down in a second. Remember, chain of your body. Keep your gravity centered. Simply downward swing, right? Give it all you got.
I swung the sword as fast as I could, the bamboo moving slightly as the air whistled through the gaps. It gave a satisfying hissing sound as I swung it and I found a small smile on my face.
That was solid! You shifted a little at the end there, and you coulda stopped the swing a bit sooner. No need to get that close to the ground. Remember, once the sword goes through someones head, theyre done. No need to split someone in half vertically.
Right, right, I replied, thinking he made sense, then I paused. Stared at him. Didnt you split a sylter in half lengthwise?
...
...
... Perhaps style is sometimes more important than precision?
Ill show ya precision! I said, lightly whacking him on the head. It was so light it was more of a touch, but it still counted as a whack, because he deserved it.
Despite his pouting, Matt and I spent some more time on basic sword stances. It was calming, a good way to kill time, maybe beneficial to my general martial arts skill, and honestly kinda fun as well. The way Rabbit got all excited when talking about swords wasnt something easy to put into words, and the way he explained things maybe he did take after his parents a little.
I shuddered. Hopefully I didnt take after mine in the same way.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Was it already six?
I went to the speaker and pressed the button. Bellum, hello?
Its me, Bear.
Ah, hey dad! Ill open up for you! Then I turned the speaker off and held the button to open the door for a little while, unlocking the actual door on the stairwell, too. It took my dad a bit to get up, and he was carrying a small box of tools, but he quickly set it down and shook my hand.
He didnt pull me in for a hug and neither did I. He was still in his working clothes, and probably didnt smell super great.
Matt poked his head out over my shoulder, and I sidestepped to let him greet my dad.
Oh, that must be your friend! Hello, Im Lars, Fios father, he said, a smile on his face. He was maybe a head taller than Matt, a bit over half a head taller than me, and quite a bit wider. Half of that was from having been quite fit when he was younger and putting on a bit of a beer belly now.
Hello mister Bellum, Im Matthew, pleasure to meet you, Matt said, flashing him a smile.
Oh, no, Bellum is her mothers surname. Mine is Desum. My dad smiled back.
My bad, sir, Matt replied, still smiling.
They squeezed each others hands for a little too long, and I was sure I could feel a small bit of tension.
Matts a friend from work. Hes from Tenpo, if you can believe it, I said, trying to lighten the mood a little as I started heading into the flat.
Oh? Long train ride here, then.
It was no bother, sir. And its a pleasure to finally meet Fio in a less business-y setting.
That seemed to please my dad a bit. Heh, I bet.
You hungry, dad? I asked.
Oh, you cooked? I was wondering what smelled so good. Yes, Id love to eat, hardly had anything today! he called from the hallway, still hanging up his jacket.
Cool. I made chili. Its a little spicy, but Im sure you can handle it.
Right, he said, trailing off for a moment. Im sure I can.
Did you just come from work, sir? Matt asked. His voice was so odd when talking to my dad. Softer and higher pitch, like he was being pointedly polite. Id told him he didnT need to be formal, so he was doing it on purpose.
I smacked him on the shoulder, leaning over and hissing into his ear. Can you not try to bother my dad?
Do you have any beer for me, Bear? my dad asked before Matt could answer, poking his head into the kitchen.
I froze.
Like a deer in headlights.
Just stood there, staring at him.
Matt shifted uncomfortably.
A second ticked by, my dad still looking at me like nothing had happened.
Another second passed.
Bear? he asked again.
Another second ticked by, then another.
I stood still, just looking at him.
Five full seconds passed after that.
Are you serious? I asked, my voice calm but icy.
Huh? My dad looked at me in confusion. Another second passed by.
Are. You. Serious?! This time, my tone was less contained.
Finally, it clicked in his stupid, thick skull. Oh. Fuck, Im so sorry Bear, I didnt-
Sit down at the fucking table, Lars. I pointed at his seat. For the entire way as he slunk over, I stared at him. Then I stared at him some more, before taking a deep breath. Feel free to sit down too, Matt. My tone was kinder, speaking to my friend. Ill get your plates ready.
He just gave me a short nod, sitting down on the side of the table. Before actually grabbing any food, I pulled out a glass. Matt already had water in front of him, and there was some next to the stove as well, for me. I kept it there while I cooked.
I looked my dad in the face the entire time as I filled it with water, then slammed it down on the table in front of him. I waited for him to respond.
Thank you, Bear, he said, looking down at the table. I waited and kept staring at him. Eventually, he picked up the glass and drank a couple gulps.
Youre welcome, I replied coldly. Then, I took out three plates. I filled one, placed it in front of Matt. I filled another, and put it where Id sit. I took out a few bits of bread to dip in the chili, put them down in front of Matt and my own plate. Then I filled the third plate, put it down in front of my father, and placed his breadroll gently on the table next to it.
Thank you, Bear, he said again.
Youre welcome, I replied. Then I sat down at my own spot. I looked at Matt, took a breath, and smiled lightly. Feel free to start eating.
He gave me a sad, crooked smile. Thank you for the food, Fio, he said, once again pressing his palms together and giving me a small bow.
I gave a genuine smile at that. Calm on, start eating, dummy. Guest starts around here.
Dont have to tell me twice, he said, quickly tearing a piece off the bread and dipping it into the chili. Oh wow, thats really good.
I am a great cook, arent I, I said, smiling.
My dad also took a bite. It really is great, he said, trying to throw me a smile.
I looked at him. Thanks, I guess. Then I looked down at my own plate and began to eat.
A good five more minutes were spent in silence. My dad was sweating as he ate, though I was unsure if that was because the food was spicy, or because he felt guilt. Eventually, I lightly nodded at Matt. He smirked at me a bit, but caught onto my meaning. So, mister Delum. What do you do for work?
Used to be a lumberjack, he said. Nowadays, its kinda mostly factory work. Usually in bookkeeping, but today we had someone call out, so I had to work the conveyors. Factory makes tires. Handling the rubber and making sure the machines run well is exhausting when youre as used to sitting behind a desk as Im nowadays.
I can imagine, Matt said, giving a polite chuckle. He was sitting unbelievably straight. I truly hadnt thought he had these kinds of manners in him.
What do your parents do, Matt? my dad asked.
Ah. My father teaches swordwork, and my mother is a doctor.
A doctor? my dad asked, mild surprise in his voice. She must have a lot of status, then.
Matt chuckled politely again. Yes, she certainly does. My father enjoys as much status, though. He has won national competitions multiple times and is quite a renowned master, you see.
Hes lucky he has your mother there to patch him up, then, my dad joked.
Oh, she is certainly the person to land the most strikes on him compared to any other swordsman I can think of, Matt said, and my dad chuckled for once.
I see. She got some fire in her?
Only as much as my father deserves, I assure you, sir, Matt said, bowing a little.
This time, my dad first chuckled, then showed a sad, reminiscent smile. Somehow, I dont doubt that.
The mood ebbed a little again, though this time the silence was much more comfortable. While my dad stared at his food, I mouthed thank you at Matt, and he gave me a wink and a tiny thumbs up before returning to the meal.
Soon, there was a little more idle chatter, but after a second serving each, we were all full and stowed the plates away. Matt had once again thanked me for the food over an empty plate and was wiping the table clean, working in unison with me better than dad despite only having just visited the flat.
A couple minutes later, when everything was clean and stowed away, we finally decided to tackle the next task, the stack of boxes lying in the hallway.
Chapter 58: I am, aren’t I?
Hanging things up didnt take too long, at least. Half an hour of hammering and drilling, and it was all done. Dad did give the spear a twice over, and tried to stop me from touching it, but I only needed to lay a hand on it once to stop him from ever getting it from my grip.
Which shocked him. He actually tried taking it from my hand for a moment, but my stance was much better, and I was far more used to grabbing onto the wood. With a quick flick of my wrist, and a tug with my shoulder, I removed the spear from his hands.
There was a small moment where he just stared at me and I gave him a smug smile, reflexively rotating the piece of wood in my hand until the tip pointed down. Then I paused, looked at the weapon I was holding, and my smug grin turned into an embarrassed one.
I took a breath and shook my head before I spoke. Im not a child, dad. I can touch the sharp objects, you know?
He blinked, still processing. I, uh, he eventually answered, stammering. I know. Its just I didnt expect it to be, well, it just kinda didnt sink in until now. His eyes looked somewhat guilty.
Exaggeratedly, I rolled my eyes at him, then smirked, lightly tapping his shoulder with the back of the spear. Well, the future is now, old man, I teased. Come on, put some brackets onto the wall.
The only reply he graced me with was a snort and a shake of his head, but despite that, he dutifully went to work again, pre drilling holes and adding wall plugs where he planned to mount the brackets.
After a bit more work, we had almost everything installed. Matt hung up most of the posters, debating the locations with me. Mounting those was a lot easier, given that they used sticky pads and magnets rather than screws.
I liked them. No, that was an understatement.
I loved them.
The flat, the white walls, suddenly didnt seem so foreign anymore. The little bit of decoration made it feel so much less claustrophobic, it was hard to even compare. I smiled, and honestly, I couldnt stop smiling the entire evening. Hells, there was a damn spear hanging on my walls now. How fucking cool was that?!
And even better than that, I now had a giant lesbian flag nailed to the wall above my bed frame. It was pink and red and absolutely gorgeous. Something about those colours that already really appealed to me, then combining it with the personal meaning it held I couldnt help but grin.
Matt matched my enthusiasm, his smile as wide as mine. You really got style when you actually try, Fio.
I elbowed him. Always got style, Rabbit, I said.
My dad walked into the living room, where wed been standing, his gaze sweeping over all the posters. For a moment, I felt a reflexive worry bubbling up, thinking he might judge my taste in pictures. Then it died down. I didnt care if he judged it.
Those are pretty cool, Bear.
Okay, maybe I cared a little.
Regardless, I shook my head. Theyre awesome, dad, I replied, hands on my waist. He let out a rumbling chuckle, then moved to tussle my hair. I reflexively stepped back.
He flinched, then slowly withdrew his hand. Sorry, he mumbled hesitatingly. I didnt
I interrupted him with a sigh. Youre fine, dad. Its fine. Well, not fine, I am upset, you know that. Its not permanent, I have it in me to forgive you, but I dont want that right now.
His eyes were sad. They were so easy to read, dad always wore his emotions on his sleeve. It made it easier to talk, sometimes, easier to understand him, but it had hurt very badly when I was younger and hed looked at me with just crystal clear disappointment.
I shook my head, throwing those thoughts aside and focussing on the present. I get that, Bear, he said. Ill respect it. Sorry again.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Apology accepted, alright? I said, giving a ghost of a smile.
Yeah, he agreed, his lips curling higher than mine.
Afterwards, he still helped me fashion a makeshift holder for the practice sword Matt brought me. My dad put the brackets as parallel to the spear as he could, though they still came out slightly off. Always did, I knew that much.
Still, with the sword on it, I was now proudly displaying two weapons on my wall, and I couldnt help but grin again. This was part of who I was, and even if my parents knew nothing about Eden, theyd now have to deal with this.
It felt like I was being truthful to myself and them at the same time as I was telling them to take their expectations and shove em anywhere I didnt have to deal with it.
Despite the crappy air quality, I took a deep breath and felt good.
Time drifted by, then. I dont even know how long it had been since the last time I was just in my regular living space and felt the minutes drift by quickly without doing anything else.
We kind of just sat. Chatted of small things. I kept getting up and walking through the flat, looking at all the art. I walked up to each poster super closing, looking at the little details and smiled. Really smiled, smiled until my cheeks hurt from smiling.
I felt at home.
An hour or so later, my dad left again, driving back to his own apartment. I truly, genuinely hoped he had a calm rest of his evening, just watching a movie or something. I dont know what he did. I still hope he didnt drink, because the thought of it hurts.
Matt and I watched a movie together. A very silly one, with lots of action and explosions and dumb one-liners that you laughed at for being so dumb then either promptly forgot five minutes later or turned into a running gag for decades down the line.
We shared music. I showed him some of my favourite songs, and he showed me some of his. They were all incredibly sad, though. Well, mostly, of course there was some variance, but still. Most of them were slow, ballad-like, and talked about dealing with life and love.
Arent you aro? I asked.
Yeah. Doesnt mean Im not curious about what it feels like to be in love. He shrugged.
Right, right. Its nice, if you ask me.
He smirked, then teased. Not according to those musicians it isnt.
I shook my head at him. And what do they know?
He shrugged again. How would I know what goes on in someone elses brain, hm?
[I can do it just fine. Skill issue to be honest.] Cass supplied.
It was a quote from the movie, and I couldnt help but lose my shit, laughing out loud until tears formed in the corners of my eyes.
Matt looked at me, his face scrunched up. Did I, uh, say something funny?
I laughed some more, trying to catch my breath, and eventually succeeding. No, no, I manage between chuckles and bits of laughter, not you. Cass. She uh. Told me you have a Skill issue.
His eyes narrowed even more, then they went wide, and he laughed as well. Divines, he said, draping his back over the armrest on the side of the couch, until his hair fell downwards from his forehead, the longest curls drifting against my floor. Tell Cass she has a good sense of humor for me, then, he said, chuckling once more.
You caught that, Cass? I asked out loud.
Rather than an answer, all I got from her was a vague feeling of embarrassment, like she wasnt really expecting to be acknowledged. I think you flustered her, I told Matt with a smile.
Oh? A hint of mischief snuck into his voice. Well then, tell her I think its adorable.
She can hear ya, idiot Rabbit.
Dang. Well then, Cass, I think youre being adorable! he said, his body snapping back upright as he shot me a wide grin probably meant for Cass.
Shes even more flushed now, I said, then laughed, then pulled Matt into a hug.
He hugged me back.
Youre a great friend, Matt.
You too, Fio. The best I have, probably.
I smiled. No, really. Youre awesome.
Nah, you are, he fired right back.
Then I smacked him in the side, laughing. Listen to me ya daft Rabbit looking ass. Li-sten. Im not good at this kinda shit. But you really fucking made my day. Just by being you. Youre fun, youre sweet, youre amazing. You handled my dad like a champ, and youre even being kind to Cass.
Matt, I need you to take me very seriously when I say that Im incredibly lucky to have you in my life. I squeezed him more for emphasis.
I could feel him flushing in embarrassment. Fiooooo, you cant just say that!
Already have, Rabbit.
Okay, okay, right. I shouldnt discourage it. Im super glad to hear that. That I can have a positive impact on you. Honestly, I didnt even feel like I did that much. But Im glad.
After another squeeze, I let him go.
Youre just as awesome, Fio, he said, poking my cheek.
I smiled at him. A bright, goofy, wide, and unbelievably radiant smile. I am, arent I?
Chapter 59: A Chance
The rest of the evening drifted by somewhat quickly. Matt and I spent most of it in comfortable silence, watching another movie, an extremely mediocre superhero film, then decided to head to bed.
Morning came quickly, though I did link senses with Cass again before I went to sleep. I also let her in on the enjoyment of eating my chili, which she said she liked, though spicy food was apparently not her thing.
[Its just pain!] she protested.
No, it adds flavour! I assured her.
The debate was relatively short lived, though, and soon, the both of us fell into a slumber.
Eventually, I was woken up by the sharing being revoked again. The hypersensitivity at the start felt bad, but honestly, after getting used to it a bit more, maybe the numbness at the end was something I could live with. To some degree it did kinda feel like the whole world was a little more distant. It put me in a strange state of mind though, that much I knew.
After a couple moments of waiting, though, sound and feel all returned back to normal, and I set about making breakfast. This time, I decided to keep things simple, just prepping some oatmeal and cutting in some fruits and nuts, as well as a spoonful of jam each in a bowl for me and another for Matt.
By the time he was up, his food had gone from hot to barely warm, and I was already finished with my portion.
Sleepy Rabbit, huh? I teased, smiling.
He rubbed at one of his eyes. Urrrrgh, he groaned instead of a reply, voice still raspy.
Not a morning person? I asked, my tone chipper.
I could feel his eyes bore into my back. Of course I knew the answer to that question. We travelled a lot back on Eden. Well, then again, some people had very different sleeping habits between there and here.
Emilia, for example, slept like a rock on Eden, while over on this side, she was actually borderline an insomniac. She told me it was so bad, that sometimes, even when the time difference didnt match properly, shed go to Eden to sleep a consistent four hours, rather than basically being unwillingly awake for eight hours over here.
When I shook my head to clear it of unruly thoughts, Matt had begun eating his serving.
Tastes good, he praised. Thanks.
Youre very welcome, Rabbit. If you need it any sweeter, I got rice or maple syrup, or you can add sugar or jam of course.
Wish we had jiaberry jam this side, he complained absent-mindedly.
Heh. Once we hit the upper teens in levels we might consider that luxury.
Pfff, as if, Matt laughed. You know wed get better gear or more Skills.
I rolled my eyes. Let a girl dream, Rabbit.
He shrugged. Plenty of time for that at night,
I stuck out my tongue at him, not deigning him with an answer, and the kitchen fell silent again. The nice kind.
While he was eating I also went down to pick up all the other things wed ordered, mainly board games, as well as some snacks. Matt had insisted on me getting some of the ones from his hometown. Hed wanted to bring some, but didnt find the time. Too busy with family things.
A situation I was somewhat familiar with.
As if on command, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a short buzz, only for a moment, the kind that I only allocated to my mom. She texted me so damn often that even the default vibration length could get incredibly annoying, so a tiny bit was all she got to grab my attention.
Only once I was back upstairs did I look at her messages.
One was still from two days ago, which I had forgotten about after going out with Jules.
Tomorrow at twelve, at my house, would be alright for me. - 2 days ago, 14:15.
Fiona? - 2 days ago, 15:54.
The horizontal bar that separated the days followed, then another message.
Will you be coming? - yesterday, 11:32.
I shall assume you will not be, then. - yesterday, 12:45.
Another horizontal bar.
Is there a reason why youre being like this? Stop it. - today, 9:23.
Fuck.
I had entirely forgotten I told my mom Id have time yesterday. Granted, the confrontational tone wasnt something I appreciated, but I at least felt like she deserved an answer.
Sorry, mom. I completely forgot about it; my phone was on mute and I didnt check it. I currently have a friend over for a few days. Would yuo like to meet him? - today, 9:27.
You misspelled you. - today 9:28.
I rolled my eyes, editing my previous message.
Yes, I would like to meet this friend of yours. You are free to bring him along. - today, 9:28.
Why dont you come visit for once? Im home right now. - today, 9:29.
What do you mean Im gonna meet your mom, too?! Matt asked, shook at my suggestion.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
I stuck out my tongue at him. Stop overreacting, youll be fine!
Fio, your mom is a dragon. You need to find a legendary hero to deal with her, not send poor cannon fodder peasants like me into the fray!
Oh, shut up! I laughed, chuckling at his silliness.
My mom did eventually answer, though it took uncharacteristically long.
Would you like me to? she texted.
As long as Butterfly comes along.
Yes, I will invite your sister. Whether shed like to come is up to her.
Alright, see you soon, then, I answered.
For a brief few moments I considered something. Id been redecorating. My mother loved making art. Maybe I could ask her to paint something on one of my walls?
I shook my head, putting the thought aside for now.
My mother was many things. She was a bit of a hoarder, she was confident, she was stubborn, she was controlling, and right now, she barely earned the right to see my flat at all.
I knew she came in here when I was gone. I knew she did it just to clean. I knew she sometimes took the money I left lying around. I was unsure if she thought I was paying her or just taking it or if she was trying to steal or if she thought of it as a game.
Wed never brought it up with each other. Not once. I hoped she spent the money on paint.
But whether that was true or not, she did come into my space. To clean, sure, but I hadnt asked for it. This was the first time in a long while I was even inviting her here. Now that it felt a little more like my space.
She came here before, when I was still moving in, and complained about how dreadfully empty it was. Ever since then, I hadnt extended an invitation, and she hadnt asked for one.
This was me giving her a chance. To see the changes and be positive.
I already knew that I was going to weigh her words harshly. She hated it when I did that, when I judged her for what she actually said. Always wanted me to intuit her intent, then judge that, because she meant well.
To me, whether she meant well didnt matter as much as whether she said kind things, sometimes, and she rarely said kind things. If she could pull herself together and take the last shreds of positivity in her heart and be kind about things, maybe, just maybe Id dedicate a spot on the wall for her to paint.
But until then, she had to be nice for once. About my clothing, about my flat, about Matt. I hoped it wouldnt prove as much of a challenge as I thought it might. Surely that wouldnt be so hard.
I waited in anticipation to see how things would turn out.
- - -
It took a bit for my mom to show up. I imagined most of that time was spent on her getting ready, given that the drive barely took any time usually, but I mightve been wrong. Regardless, she eventually showed up and rang the doorbell.
By that time it was already late morning, and she would only get the chance to stay for a few hours until Matt and I headed out for the get-together. I hoped she would be able to just be normal for that little bit.
I clicked the buzzer on my doorbell, opening the front for them, then waited until there was a knock on my flat door to unlock it. Immediately, I was greeted by the sight of Butterfly, wearing a thick winter jacket, as well as a bright red scarf around her neck. She smiled brightly at me, though it was kind of hard to tell through the winter gear.
Fio! she said excitedly, already leaping at me and I caught her, quickly picking her up and putting her back down inside my flat. Then I turned to face my mother.
Heya, mom, I said. She was dressed in dark clothing, the mix of greys highlighting her piercing green eyes even more. She eyed me up and down. Id not put in a lot of effort today, wearing a comfortable brown sweater that showed one of my shoulders, and a simple grey shirt underneath, as well as a pair of jeans. Id brushed my hair, but not much more.
In comparison, my mother wore make-up. Dark lipstick and faint eyeliner, so on and so forth. Her hair was tied back into a bun, and I was pretty sure that every single strand of hair on her head obeyed her, bound back tightly.
Fiona. You really should-
I interrupted her, stepping to the side a little. Long time no see, mom. This is Matt, a friend from work.
She paused her talking, mid sentence, then stared at me. I dont appreciate you interrupting me, she stated.
Mom, Im introducing you to someone. I think its generally considered rude not to tell him your name. My shoulders slumped, already bothered by her.
Hello maam. My name is Matt. Been working with Fio for a while now, its a pleasure to meet you! Despite my own gripes with the situation, the young man next to me put on a pleasant smile, giving a slight bow with one hand behind his back, extending the other to shake my moms hand.
For a few long seconds she simply eyed his hand, then nodded. Pleasure to meet you, Matt. My name is Agatha. Is Matt short for anything?
Yes, my full name is Matthew. No one really calls me that, though.
Make that one person, Matthew, she said, then stepped into the flat. I saw Matt tense up a little.
During the entire exchange, Butterflys eyes flitted back and forth between the three of us. Shed not even started taking off her winter clothing yet.
Feel free to hang your jacket up there, I said, pointing to the wall-mounted coat hanger in the entrance. A couple spots were already occupied by my own things, but there was more than enough space for theirs, too.
My mom first slipped out of her heels, then hung up her clothes, before taking those of Beth from the kids hands. She was still a little too small, and mom didnt want her standing on furniture, apparently. A minute later, we stepped out of the entry room into the flat proper.
In the middle of it, I scooped up Butterfly, letting her sit on my shoulders, though I had to duck a little. Her laugh made every second worth it.
Just head to the kitchen, I told mom. Ill be right there.
She acknowledged it with a nod, and started stepping forward, when her eyes immediately caught onto my new decor. I hadnt hung the spear in the entrance hallway, so at least that wasnt an issue, but she saw the posters. For a few moments, I saw her trailing a finger across the top of them.
Her eyes filled with a bit of surprise at the material. Are these made of metal? she asked.
Sure are, I said.
Hm. Without further comment, she spun around and headed to the kitchen, where she sat down.
Whoa! Theyre so bright! Theyre awesome, Fio! Butterfly said. How do they make those?
I couldnt help but smile, then shook her a bit. Well, Beth, I dont quite know. Im reasonably sure its stamped onto the metal then sealed with some kind of coating.
Thats even more awesome! she cheered, and my smile grew wider.
Despite my mom waiting in the kitchen, I did take Beth into the living room for a second, quickly throwing her up into the air and catching her again, then settling her down. Ive got a couple more here, wanna look at them?
Yes! she said, smile beaming up at me.
I heard Matt join my mom in the kitchen and turn on the coffee machine. He didnt talk during it, just letting my mom sit in silence for the few minutes it took me to show my little sister around. By the end of the tour around the living room, shed picked out a few of her favourites, saying which she loved most.
The spear was in my bedroom, so I hadnt exactly shown her that yet. Wed get there.
Before that, I finally sat down at the kitchen table. My mom and Matt already waited, coffee in front of the older woman, while the young man sipped on some tea. They both looked incredibly distinguished, Matt somehow matching my moms high class fashion despite only wearing a T-shirt. How was his posture so perfect?
I scrunched my eyebrows at him in a silent question, and he gave me a small shrug, rolling his shoulders. Then I rolled my eyes at him, and the faintest of smiles bloomed on his face.
Would you like some juice, Butterfly? I asked.
Yes please.
Alright, is orange fine?
Yep!
With water?
Just straight is fine, she said.
With a small nod, I poured myself some coffee, adding a bit of sugar and some soy milk, and a glass of orange juice for Butterfly. I sipped the drink once and let out a small sigh before finally sitting down at the table.
Then I raised my eyes, looking over my three guests. Matt gave me a faint smile of reassurance, Beth sat excitedly, sipping her juice, and my mom had her eyes closed, drinking some coffee.
There was a brief silence between us.
You finally decided to bring some colour into your flat, my mom eventually noted.
I shrugged. Sure did.
Thats good. It was a bit dreary.
A little.
She gave me a small nod, not talking about it any further.
So, Matthew, how long have you known Fiona?
The conversation moved on.
Chapter 60: Dragon!
Granted, the way shed said that wasnt exactly the kindest. The whole finally, it was bad before was probably the most annoying way you could say I like these changes, yet it was still, in some way, positive.
At least she wasnt nagging me about them. I might show her the spear.
Well, miss Bellum, Fio and I have been working together for a few years. Around three, I believe, give or take a few months. He gave a polite smile. It didnt reach his eyes.
Just Agatha is fine, my mom said.
Sure thing, miss Bellum, Matt replied gracefully.
I saw her look at me with a questioning gaze, but I just shrugged. I mean, if she called him by a different name than he preferred, this kind of seemed like the same treatment.
Butterfly giggled. Hehe, see, mom? I aaaalways tell you to just use nicknames for people, or theyll start calling you things you dislike.
That flustered her, and my mom coughed into her fist. Well, no, yes, you have, Bethany. Of course. She paused, unsure how to continue.
Beth, herself, turned to Matt, and smiled. Do you have a partner? she asked.
Matt choked on his coffee, barely stopping himself from spitting the rest out, before coughing for a bit. By the end, he turned to Beth, his face slightly read and eyes teary. Sorry, did I catch that right?
She smiled, a bright, childlike, innocent smile. I asked if you have a partner, mister Matt!
Mister? he asked, already confused. And I, uh, no. I dont. Nor will I. Ever.
Beths eyes went wide. Never?
He nodded resolutely, finally managing to get his posture straight again. He looked like a sage having found inner peace as he closed his eyes to nod. Never, he assured her.
My sister giggled at him. Why is that?
I got a quick questioning glance from Matt, a thinly veiled question whether he could explain it in front of my mom. I replied with the tiniest nod I could manage, and he gave me a faint smile of acknowledgement.
Well, Beth, Im aroace. That sounds like a fun manoeuvre for a plane to do, but essentially means that I dont really find people attractive in the same way most people do. I dont have an interest in relationships, and find stuff like kissing pretty gross. Though thats different for different ace people, to be fair, he explained.
After his explanation, Beth smiled. I also think kissing is gross! she agreed, giggling along and Matt gave her a smile. My moms eyes drifted back and forth between me and him. Wait.
Mom. Did you think Matt and I were dating?
I saw her freeze up, suddenly going stiff, and the same thing happened to Matt. He turned to me, a mixed look on his face. There was worry, confusion, and a huge dose of awkwardness in his features.
My mom, for her part, took a deep breath in through the nose, then sippeed her coffee again, swirling the dark liquid in her cup. Perhaps, she said, putting it down.
Once more, my gaze met Matt''s, now filled with abject horror.
Mom, Ive been dating for over a year now. Another girl. Im lesbian. You know this, Ive told you this, I said, bewilderment in my voice.
I thought you mightve broken up she murmured.
Somehow, so quickly, with one silly mistake, my moms regal facade was breaking apart. It was a weird assumption to make, and horribly uncomfortable. And you thought Id just start liking guys?
She shrugged helplessly, her eyes desperately locked onto the cup of coffee.
Seconds ticked by, and eventually I couldnt help but chuckle, then full on laugh about this. Just because of how ridiculous the situation was. Even Beth rolled her eyes at my mom, while Matt simply sat, entirely frozen still at the concept of someone thinking he was dating me.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Beth was the first to regain her voice. Mom. Even I could tell Fio would never date a guy. What are you thinking?
The older woman finally deigned to meet my gaze again, her cheeks red in embarrassment. I thought, well, I mean. I dont know. I forgot. Fiona, you tell us so little about-
Whoa, whoa, whoa! I said, raising my hands, still laughing. Dont you shift this on me! I dont tell you everything, but I dont think Ive ever been unclear about who Im attracted to. I laughed. I have a giant flag in my bedroom, for fricks sake!
My mom went even more stiff, shoulders slumping in defeat. Im just an idiot, she muttered in between a sigh. Just a silly old woman who forgot. Im sorry Fiona. Im glad youre still together with your girlfriend. And I genuinely hope you could introduce her to us soon as well.
I smirked. Oh? You want to meet her?
Fiona, I would like to meet any of your friends that youre willing to introduce me to.
Really now?
Really.
Somehow, the mix of embarrassment and laughter seemed to have made my mom a little more honest and less cold for the first time in half a decade.
Why so suddenly?
She looked at me, confused. What? Ive always wanted to meet your friends.
I shook my head at her. No. When I brought over friends as a kid, you usually sent them home. For being dressed poorly, for dragging dirt into our house, for being too rude to you. Once, you sent my best friend home in middle school, crying, because you called her dress abhorrent. Thats not behaviour that tells me you want to meet my friends.
We held eye contact, and I saw her wavering, continuing to stare at her. She folded, eventually, looking back at her coffee after a long bit of quiet. I did.
So why?
Because I was in no way fit to raise a child, Fiona. I was stressed beyond belief. I felt like I was hanging on by a thread every day, and the few loud noises you kids made sent me up a wall. Because I was taking my meds on and off, thinking things were better when they werent.
I went to speak, but she held up a hand. And Im sorry. I know thats no excuse. I know that you deserved better. I know I did some things wrong, a lot of them, even. It was the best I could do at the time, and for that Im sorry.
For a long time, I just stared at her, silently. Then over at Matt, who somehow seemed to have a strange talent when it came to interacting with my parents. Over at Beth who was looking back at me with was that empathy? Probably. Then I looked back at my mom.
She looked so small, now.
I took in a deep breath through my nose, then let out a huge sigh. Okay. Thank you for the apology. It means a lot. I cant exactly say that its fine, cause it isnt. I had no friends growing up because of this. Im also kinda mad youd assume I was dating a guy. And I know you just forgot, but its still annoying.
I understand that, she nodded.
But. At the same time, I appreciate your apology, and I know it wasnt always easy for you. I at least empathize with it. Doesnt mean I forgive you.
I dont expect you to. My mom said so, but she was still sitting there, focus locked on the cup she held. Her jaw seemed clenched, just a bit.
I appreciate that. Its a start, for me. Please, try not to assume Ill be dating any guys in the future. I shot her a crooked smile at that.
She looked up from her cup, and gave me a very weak smile. I wont.
There was a long break again.
Would you like to see my bedroom? I offered. Theres also new decor there.
Her smile solidified just a bit. Y-
YES!! Butterfly interrupted her, and jumped up. I chuckled, slowly getting up from the table as well, then grabbing her hand.
Alright, let me show you.
- - -
You bought a spear?!!
My moms reaction was, somehow, more strong than I anticipated, yet most likely valid. I understood, at least. That doesnt mean I was gonna let her off easy.
I shrugged, raising my palms towards the sky in mock defeat, shaking my head and giving a sigh. You know, when your moms a dragon you cant wait for a knight in shining armor. She definitely noticed the nod I gave towards the flag at that. Sometimes a girls gotta take matters into her own hands.
Only then did it click with her, and her mouth dropped open. I am not a dragon! she complained.
With all due respect, Agatha, I believe you may be, Matt politely provided from the back.
Moms clearly human, Butterfly said, confused.
Beth, calling someone a dragon means that theyre unpleasant to be around. They anger quickly, always nag about the way you look, the way you sit, the way you decorate your flat
Each word struck my mother like the blow of a hammer, but I wasnt done.
They use names for you that you dislike. Theyre mean to your friends. Despite all of those things, they still demand you show them all the love and affection that they think theyre entitled to.
Ohhhhh, Beth said, nodding along. Then she turned to mom, gave a bright smile, and yelled: Dragon! In case it was unclear who she meant, she even pointed at the older woman.
Her shoulders slumped and she gave a long sigh. Perhaps, she muttered under her breath, I may need to work on shedding some scales.
Chapter 61: Complications
It wasnt too much later that mom and Beth left again. The rest of the visit went quietly, well, as quietly as it could with Beth asking to ride on mine and Matts shoulders. Mom didnt let us throw her back and forth, though. Real shame, she woulda loved it.
But, after some time, the flat door fell shut, and they were out.
There was a brief silence, as both Matt and I took a second to breathe. I had the urge to open a window, but quickly stopped it, and just dialled up the air filtration some more. Screw my power bill, or something.
Then, my friend grinned at me.
What? I asked.
He remained silent.
What is it? I smiled, myself.
Silence, again.
Goddamn it, Rabbit man, wipe that smirk off your face before I whack it off ya! I threatened, slowly moving towards the wall. Within a moment, Id snatched the spear, already bringing the back end down towards Matts head.
The grin on his face did, in fact, vanish at that, soon replaced with a glint in his eyes. He spun to the side, but I adjusted, smacking him in the stomach instead, before he darted to the wall, too, and grabbed the training sword.
Lets see how good you are here, Rat.
Still more than your match, I bet, he teased, then ran at me.
After only five minutes we stopped. With a couple bruises, we decided that would be enough, since we really, really didnt heal as fast here.
Granted, Matt did get the final strike in, smacking the bamboo into my ribs, but we both laughed it off. He had no idea what was coming for him when his back was turned.
Another time, though.
Only a couple hours left until we went to meet the others, after all. So, instead of smacking each other with makeshift weapons - and leaving a rather big scratch on my floor with the distinctly sharp blade of the spear, oops - we decided to get ready.
Well, I got ready, Matt spent the time browsing through his phone and chatting. He sent quite a few memes into the group chat while I showered, as well as some cute rabbit pictures. I truly had struck gold with that nickname.
After washing my hair, I put on reasonably comfortable clothes. I could swap to something more pretty when it was time to leave, for now, this was enough. Especially since my hair still needed to dry, which would take a bit, and I didnt exactly wanna go there with a wet shirt.
So, I scrolled through all the messages in the group, catching up. Emilia was in her hotel room by now, Liam sent a photo of himself, lying upside down on a couch, his legs draped over the pillows you were supposed to lean against, his head almost touching the floor.
He still wore a mask, even here, when he was clearly inside a room. I couldnt help but smile at that. The one he wore in the picture had A winking chibi cat-face on his left cheek.
Even the twins informed us that theyd safely made it to the city. Theyd gotten caught in a storm and the train was delayed a bit, but theyd accounted for enough of a delay to still make it without any trouble.
Ann was stuck. My face fell. Of fucking course she was. Expected delays of multiple hours, when the trip should have taken under a day. Gods damn it all.
The train had gotten into trouble while she slept. She was too giddy, so she only fell asleep fairly late, and now woke up to see the train only a single station past where shed fallen asleep. She probably wouldnt make it. Fuck.
I squeezed my phone hard enough for my knuckles to go white. I wanted to break something so bad. Why. Why the fuck did this have to happen now?!
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Matt placed a hand on my shoulder and I spun around, damn near ready to punch him. The anger faded when I saw his face. Why did his eyes have to be so fucking sad, now?
Breathe, Fio.
Id been holding my breath. I breathed out, hard, then in again. There, happy? I snapped. Matt didnt deserve this, but I did it anyways.
The smile he gave me was crooked. Kinda. If you need to punch something, Ive been told my face is quite punchable.
His voice was so calm. I was unsure if it pissed me off more or was like someone tossing a water bucket over my head. I hardly remember. For a brief moment, I considered the idea, then shook my head. Fuck off with that, Matt.
He squeezed my shoulder a bit. Fio. This means a lot to you, I know. Me as well. It sucks.
I felt my vision go blurry, tears collecting in my eyes. You know nothing, Matt! I yelled, jumping up and knocking his hand away. Nothing! Fuck! This was what this was all about, Matt, about Ann, about making it all feel real, and now she wont be there!!
The fucker had the audacity to look at me with that same expression in his eyes, that same sad smile on his face. Was he hurting? Maybe. Probably, even. I didnt care. Yeah. It fucking sucks, I know. He cared.
How the fuck did he still have the energy to care?!
I shook my head. Shut up, Matt! Just be quiet. Its ruined, dont you get it?! Ruined! My voice broke in the middle of that. I felt the tears, hot against my cheek.
Matt took a step towards me. Fio.
WHAT?!
He stopped. Breathe, for a sec, please.
I was so angry, I wanted to say no, to tell him to fuck off, but all that left my mouth was sobs, then replaced by desperate gasps for air.
If youd like to, you can sit on the couch. Ill make some tea, yeah? He asked. His smile was so fucking bright, I knew he was putting on a brave face for me.
I just nodded. I suddenly didnt have the energy to yell anymore. I was just upset. Everything was just a blurry mess of misery, then Matt came back with a cup of tea.
He picked my favourite cup, the one with a bunch of sheep on it. For himself, hed picked out a cup with a rabbit on it. I looked at him, then he looked at me, then at his cup, and he had the audacity to blush, too. Look, he said, giving me an even more crooked smile, I, uh well, its-
Shut up, Rabbit-guy, I said. He smiled, awkwardly, then nodded.
I took the cup in both hands, feeling the hot ceramic against my hands, then took a big gulp. It burned the back of my mouth, and I loved it for that. Then the sweetness hit. Wow that was a lot of sugar.
Matt watched me place the cup down, a stunned expression on my face. He grinned. I do make good tea, dont I?
I stared at him. Swallowed again. The sweetness still lingered on my tongue. How much sugar is that? I croaked.
Like seven teaspoons or something?
I blinked at him a few times, then shook my head. Fucking weirdo.
The best weirdo, he said, grinning.
Once more, I shook my head at him, then took another sip of the tea. It felt even sweeter now. Thanks.
He took a sip himself. Welcome, he said, staring at the wall straight ahead.
Then I sat, quietly, for a long time, and the tears started flowing again. Then they stopped, then started, then finally stopped again.
Whys it have to hurt so bad I murmured, at no one in particular.
Matt shrugged. Dunno. Never been in love. What I am, though, is here for you.
I paused, looked at him, blinked, then shook my head with a smile. Thanks Matt.
Course, he said with a smile. Tissues?
In my bedside table, I waved my hand. He grabbed them for me. I wiped down my face and blew my nose. Then I took another deep breath. And, uh, sorry for swearing at you.
He laughed, genuinely, at the ceiling. All good, he said with a smile. Ive, uh, heard a lot worse. You just seemed angry, not really at me, you know? Didnt feel as personal as some other people in my life.
... Am I supposed to laugh or frown here?
Bit of both maybe? he said, making a little balancing motion with his palms, then shrugged, taking another, final sip of tea. Dunno. Your call.
I sighed. Sorry. For snapping.
Its alright.
No, I really am. I shouldnt have, and you deserved better.
Fio, its okay-
I grabbed his shoulders again. Listen, rabbit-boy. I am sorry. Because I understand I did something wrong. Its okay for you to forgive me, or accept the apology, or get mad. Dont just tell me its fine, when I know I did something bad.
He looked me in the eyes, first shocked, then surprised, then amused. I let him go and he chuckled. Alright, alright, Sheepio. Your apology has been taken into future consideration. Processing. Accepted.
Your robot voice sucks.
I knoooooow, he sighed.
There was a lull in the conversation.
So, uh, you still gotta get ready? he eventually asked.
Crap.
Chapter 62: Meeting Marie
Knowing that Ann wouldnt be there, I knew I didnt have to look my absolute best, but I still wanted to look good. Time was a bit short now, but there was still more than enough of it to get mostly prepped.
So, I wiped my face and my puffy eyes and blew my nose again before starting to put on makeup. Honestly, I was very glad I read that message before putting things on. Because that crying fit would have absolutely ruined everything I did.
Sure, there were waterproof versions, but those were usually horrible for the skin, so I didnt use them. The brand I used also came with biodegradable wipe pads, which were very nice, knowing there wouldnt be some turtle eating it in the ocean.
Granted, there werent exactly enough turtles in the ocean for that to be too much of a concern anymore, but it was a problem Id learnt about back in primary school, so it was hard to get outta my perception of everyday life. Plus, it was still good when things were biodegradable. One day wed all return to the soil.
I smirked and shook my head. I always got silly like that after crying. Instead of diving further down existentialism, I focused on my makeup again.
A few dozen minutes later, I was done, and ready to head out. I looked well, like someone hiding that shed cried. But hey, I at least looked like I did a decent job hiding it! Surely, it would fade more on the way there. Definitely. Certainly.
I gave my phone a quick glance, and saw I still had ten minutes before we needed to head out. Matt already sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone, clearly ready to go. He heard me come in, looked up, then gave me a smile. Looking great, Fio, he said.
Thanks, I said, smiling. I wore a long, dark orange sweater with fringes at the end, turning it into a kind of half skirt over my black jeans. Underneath the sweater I wore a relatively plain white shirt with some small embroidery. Not looking too shabby yourself.
He smirked at me. He wasnt dressed up super fancily, just a midnight blue open jacket, and a black button-up beneath that. He also wore jeans, though with two chains draped along the sides. Maybe the outfit wasnt super fancy, but Matt rocked it.
Thank you! he said, smiling. People are slowly starting to head out, so thingsve been quiet in the group. You got time to catch up before we head out.
I nodded at him in appreciation, opening my phone and quickly checking the messages.
Sorry to hear it Ann. Let us know when you arrive and well see about setting up a meeting? Eric had written, trying to fix things.
Fucking trains, Emiliad provided helpfully.
It did get a thumbs up react from both Liam and Marie, as well as an angry face from Reya. Amusing.
Piece of shit tin cans, Reya wrote. Hate that. Sorry to hear you cant come. Id threaten arson if it wouldnt just make things worse.
She seemed more liberal in her word choice than Eric had implied while translating.
Dont worry about it. Just be safe, all were losing is a little time, Marie wrote, adding a heart emoji at the end. Ann replied to that with a heart.
With a small sigh, I also replied to her message. Awww, shucks. Super sorry to hear it. Hopefully youll be here soon? Still wanna meet you <3!
Matt saw it arrive and giggled. That sounded a little different than what you told me, Fio, jeez! Wheres my love and affection, huh?
I smirked at him. Careful, or I might smack ya. I brandished my fist.
He raised his hands in mock self-defense. Oh noooooo!
Then, instead, I extended a hand. Alright, Rat. Time to go, come on. He took my gracious peace offering.
With a quick jerk, I pulled him onto his feet off the couch. Got your wallet and things with you?
He patted his pockets, front, then back, then nodded. Yup. All set.
Cool. Should be good to go as well, I said, fiddling with the latch of my purse. Lets go.
And we were off.
- - -
The place we scheduled to meet at wasnt too far away, but it was too far to comfortably walk. So, Matt and I hopped into the car again. He fiddled with the bluetooth for half the ride before managing to get some music playing, so instead we just chatted. Things we liked to do on this side.
Matt told me he liked playing tennis, and I told him about climbing. He apparently used to play in some tournaments as a kid - his parents only allowed hobbies he was good enough to get tournament slots in - but nowadays only did it occasionally when there was enough time. Hed messed up his shoulder with it once, dislocating it pretty hard on a solid swing, but after getting it set back into place, it healed nicely.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Of course, there were also the interest he hid from his parents, as all kids do. He went over to friends houses to play video games a lot, for example, but the interest never stuck around since he wasnt allowed to pursue them. In school he did also learn some stuff about audio mixing, which he still occasionally did, composing 8-bit tunes.
I asked him to play one of them, but he was too embarrassed to do it. The coward. If I werent busy driving I wouldve snatched the phone from his hand. But sadly, 8-bit was not worth hitting a traffic light.
Are the roads here always this empty? Matt commented during a lull in the conversation.
I nodded. Yep. Doesnt get much busier than this. Well, except commuting times.
Why is that? he asked, innocently.
For a moment I was tempted to look over at him, but I kept my eyes on the road. Because this city, like every other place on this planet, is a shithole. People only go out when they need to, because the air will literally kill you with time.
... Right, he said, after a long pause. I tend to forget that. Being on Eden so much.
Sometimes I do, but as soon as I step out the door, well, its hard not to be reminded.
Heh. First time I came back from a longer time in Eden, I wanted to go for a walk to stretch my body on this side. I threw up moments after I stepped out the door, he chuckled.
I gave a small laugh, as well. Sounds like you, yeah.
Whats that supposed to mean, Fio?!
I just laughed.
A couple minutes later, we managed to find the place. It was in a nicer part of town, where most buildings were intact, some even had fresh coats of paint, and the alleys were bright. No random bags of trash, either, or flickering streetlights. It genuinely seemed like an okay enough place to live.
Not that the house I lived in was super terrible, but it wasnt in the nice part of town. It had been recently redone, but well, once again, not super well. But it was affordable enough, and I also spent months at a time somewhere else entirely, so I didnt exactly need to be in a good neighbourhood.
Cutting my reminiscing short, I opened up the car door, hopped out, and locked it once Matt was up as well. There were a few other cars dotted around the lot, but the place was pretty large, and seemed like it would be sparsely populated. I didnt recognize any of the cars, but then again, I had hardly ever met the others, so I wouldnt.
With a short look to Matt, we headed in.
The outside of the restaurant was already nice. It was a kind of creme coloured paint, none of it chippin, and the windows were clean. No big stains around the place either. There was even a small flowerpot out the front, with a growth light hanging overhead.
The whole Park part of Eiros Park was a bit down the hill we drove up to get here, with a small patch of greenery and a couple trees dotted around. Id seen them on the way up, old and gnarled, stubbornly holding onto colourful leaves.
The door opened smoothly, without a creak, and the chilly autumn air was replaced with warmth. It smelled of freshly baked things and other nice food. I quickly walked up to the cash registered.
Table for two? the waiter asked with a smile, already having seen me and Matt come in. He had light brown skin with short, bristly black hair, and grey eyes.
No, no. Reserved. On I fumbled for Maries last name.
Ah, we only have one reservation today, he said with a smile. Eight people? Large table in the corner by the window? One of your friends seems to already be here. He pointed us towards the table, it was around the corner.
I just nodded at him. Yes, that would be us Im guessing. Thank you very much!
No problem at all. Head on over and Ill be right there to pick up your order, he said, flashing another smile of pearly teeth.
With another nod and a thanks from both Matt and I, we headed over. A couple steps later, and we spotted Marie, sitting on a bench, looking up from her phone. Shed probably texted she was here by now; I hadnt seen it after the car ride.
When she saw us though, she immediately got up from the cushioned bench, the ends of her hair bobbing at the fast movement. Her eyes lit up at the sight of us. Fio, Matt! So glad you made it!
I smiled right back, wrapping her into a tight hug. Hey Marie. Great to see you as well, I said, then let her go to hug Matt. She quickly squeezed him as well.
Come on, you two. Sit down, sit down. How are you doing? she asked.
Helped Fio remodel her entire flat. She had barely any decor around, you know? Matt supplied, giving me a succinct smile.
I elbowed him in the side, but Marie already gave me a chuckle. No wonder you never wanted to come back, silly! Im glad youre making things nicer for yourself. What did you get?
Just a couple posters and a flag, I said, shaking my head and giving a noncommittal shrug.
Is it a lesbian flag? Marie asked, smiling.
Its a lesbian flag, Matt answered in my stead, with a sagely nod.
Marie nodded back at him, as though he had spoken great wisdom. I love it, she said, giving me an even wider smile now.
I felt my cheeks heat up a bit. Its not a big deal
She ruffled my hair at that, giving a light giggle. Of course, of course. Im just happy for ya, hun. Her voice sounded so soft that I couldnt help but smile. On Eden she always had this edge to her, usually drawing lines in the sand to be protective. She didnt need that here, I supposed.
It was impossible not to smile back at her. Thanks, Marie.
Her face lit up some more as she gave me a nod and another short hug, then turned to our swordsman. How has the journey been treating you, Matt? Hopefully not too bad?
Trains were fine, really, though sleeping in-
He stopped himself as the waiter came over. Matt and I quickly ordered; a bit of lychee juice for him, and just some coke for me. Marie already had drinks in front of her, sparkling water with some lemon in a glass and a large cup of coffee with some whipped cream next to it.
Sorry, what were you saying Matt? Marie asked once we were done.
Right, right. Sleeping in the train was a bit miserable. Not made for it, really, so the seats were kinda uncomfortable. Got a bit of a stiff neck, but totally worth it. And Fios guest bed is much softer than mine at home, haha, I might need to come over more often! He gave me a small wink at the end.
I sighed. You know, Matt, there is a timeline in which both of us are roommates. And we are both happier for it.
He paused at that, then looked at me. With kind of a blank expression. Like gears were turning in his head.
Maries light giggle interrupted it. Gosh, why dont you move in together, then?
Chapter 63: Crappy World
This time, I paused. I stared at Matt. He stared back at me, then he gave a chuckle. Then a laugh. You know. Not a bad idea personally.
Logistical nightmare, though, I said, leaning back. You need to get to your parents place rather often, dont you, Matt?
He sighed. Kinda. Wish I didnt. Would be cool to have an excuse.
Huh.
Marie pointedly sipped her drink, giving us a grin. So, I see a mutually beneficial arrangement here
Then I felt a twinge in my heart. I I would kinda enjoy to, like, at least consider moving in with Ann.
Matt leaned back in his chair, quickly, eyes widening. Oh, yeah, of course, he said immediately. Totally get that. Your relationship takes priority. I, uh, also get why you wouldnt want me to-
Thats not the issue, Matt, I interrupted him, smirking. You dont wanna see me and Ann doing romantic things. If the three of us were living together I let the sentence hang in the air.
He pointedly coughed into his fist, while Marie started laughing out loud. Right, he muttered. Of course. Yeah. Conflict of interest, there.
I nodded, sagely. Certainly. A misalignment of what matters to me.
Marie smiled. Bit of a poet, Fio?
I blushed. Uhm. Sometimes.
Anywhere in particular you picked it up? she asked. Oh! she added, a moment before I had the chance to answer. Your old spearwork teacher, right?
That got a faint smile out of me. Yes. Rey. He does calligraphy, over on this side I mean, to have a less war-like hobby. He stayed away from any weapon on purpose, so that once he retired, he wouldnt think to touch one. My eyes turned a little sad, and I stared into the glass I held. I respect that.
Marie nodded along. She got a bit of a distant look. Mhm, she hummed. Yes. I think that man was wiser than we gave him credit for.
We gave him no credit for it because he kept beating Fio up, Matt deadpanned.
Marie grinned, snorting, but holding in a laugh. You make a fair point.
Well, granted, I was always the one for sparring matches, and he actually smacked me with quite a bit less force than you usually do, Matt. I emphasized his name, doing my best to bore through him with a stare.
He shrugged and laughed it off. Look. If you weren''t so close to me in skill level, I could also afford to lazily smack you around. He grinned, but it was a little lopsided. Quite frankly, the fact that youre able to hold your own at all is shocking.
I stuck my tongue out at him pointedly, then smiled and drank another sip. Marie leaned back into the couch, looked out the window, and gave a long sigh. Divines. Whyd this place have to go to shit?
At that, silence fell among our group again. Matt stared out the window, and so did I. We both remained silent.
Can you imagine that I got to see it all? Marie asked, suddenly more quiet. Im old enough, older than you, to where I still see it. Still know where the grass grew, still remember running through proper greens. She sighed again, then smirked. Gosh Im old.
Matt tapped her shoulder, lightly. Sorry you had to go through that.
She looked at him, half a smile on her face. The kinda smile that showed pain shed felt countless times before. Then it grew a little wider. Hon, dont worry about it. Just leave a fossil like me to my ramblings she closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate.
Youre barely forty, someone said next to us.
I almost jumped out of my seat I got scared so bad, and Matt did actually half knock over his glass before catching it again. Marie, though, just turned calmly.
Liam gave a smile. He was wearing a mask, this one blue-ish with wave patterns across the front. It muffled his voice slightly, and his lips, but I could see the corners of his eyes lift up. Boo, he said, and I could hear him grin.
And he had scared us, genuinely. None of us heard him coming. Or saw, for that matter. Did he, like, not cast a shadow?
Uhm. Hi? He asked. Suddenly he sounded more unsure, tilting his head a little. I couldnt see, but his smile probably turned crooked.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Before he had a chance to become more insecure, I quickly hopped up from my seat and wrapped him into a hug, tousling his hair. Liam! So glad you could make it!
He hugged me back. Heya Fio! He had a kind type of voice. Comforting.
I held the hug for a second, then let him go and stepped aside. Looking handsome, I said and his eyes lit up a little.
Thanks! he said, already hugging Matt and greeting him. Of course, Marie got her turn as well.
Soon, we were all seated again. Once we were, I poked at Liams shoulder. Sneaking up on us, eh? I asked,
He tilted his head, cheekily. Guess so. Not my fault when youre so unaware!
Matt shook his head. Coulda kidnapped me right there. Or so youd think! He quickly brought his hands up in a mock martial position, making all of us laugh.
A minute later, the waiter brought Liams drink, just a cup of coffee, black with a tiny dab of milk. Which is when he took off the mask, and I saw that he still had the scar on his face.
It looked a little different on this side, I supposed. Less faded? It still went the same though. A small nick on his upper lip turning into a larger one on his lower lip, going down the side of his chin and straight across his throat in a curved, jagged line.
He caught the stare, my eyes meeting his over the coffee cup. He placed it down again without having taken a drink. There was a kind of solemn smile on his face. Thought itd take a little longer to notice, he remarked.
What would take a little longer to notice? Matt asked, tilting his head and looking entirely oblivious.
Liam replied before I could. My scar, Matt. His voice shook.
Hm? Oh. Oh.
Its from this side, then? I asked, tentatively. Marie regarded Liam quietly, empathy in her eyes.
He shrugged, looking away. Not out the window, but instead into the restaurant, his eyes stuck to the floor as he spoke. Guess so.
Whats it from? Matt asked.
Instantly, Marie clicked her tongue, and gave him a look. What? Matt asked again.
If the kid doesnt wanna talk about it, you dont ask, Matt. Thats basic manners, she said.
Im not a kid, he hissed, sounding angry. I saw his knuckles go white as he clenched the side of the coffee cup. He breathed, then relaxed his grip a little. Im not. A kid.
Marie leaned back against the bench, turning towards Liam again. Of course. Sorry. Im too used tah speaking to people younger than me as kids. Thats my bad.
Liams fist slightly unclenched. And its fine, Matt, he said, turning to the swordsman. I did get it over here. But its not a fun story.
Oh. Sorry, didnt mean to bring up bad memories. He looked like a rabbit left out in the rain.
A smile found its way to Liams face, about as slight as any expression could ever be. Its okay. Do you even want to hear it at all?
I nodded. If youre willing to tell it, Id be happy to listen. Matt and Marie nodded at that, too.
Liam gave a long sigh. Alright, he said, leaning back and closing his eyes for a moment. Alright. Its a rather short story though.
Thats fine, I said, trying to be encouraging.
He nodded, then leaned forward. Its self-inflicted. As a teen, I hated my voice. Much more about myself that I hated than that, but it made me so angry. I always sounded so calm, so small. I didnt want that. So I tried to carve my own voice out. Just snuck into a kitchen, took one of the knives there, and took it to my neck.
I slipped, of course, because the pain was really, really bad. Thats where the uh he gestured to his chin, upward curve comes from.
Fuck. Im sorry to hear that, Liam, Matt said.
Again, our rogue sighed. Its okay. Ive gone to voice coaching. Im happier with myself now. Taking testosterone helped as well. Im happier now than I used to be. At that, a small smile played on his lips as well. I am slowly changing my body on the other side, and this one is slowly shifting to match. Its about as effective as the hormones, which I obviously cant take over there. So its not interfering with transitioning, at least.
Marie gave a small nod, and I smiled while Matt gave a bigger smile. I had known Liam was trans, but I was unsure if the others did. Given the look on Matts face, he probably didnt, and given the look on Maries, she probably guessed it but this was him telling her for the first time.
Im glad youre getting to a point where youre happier with yourself, I said.
Liam smiled. Thanks, Fio. Same, honestly. Im getting there, bit by bit.
There wasnt really anything more to say, so there was a lull in the conversation, and Liam got to drink his coffee for the first time. It wasnt steaming anymore, but it was still more than warm. He gave a content sigh and leaned back a bit afterwards. The cushioning of the couch squeaked as he did so.
I also took a sip from my drink, then regarded our rogue again. Whatre your parents like, Liam?
Oh! he lit up at that. Theyre great, honestly. Really supportive. Its been tough on them having me be gone for so long at a time because they care a lot, but I have two younger siblings, both still living at home, who keep them more than busy. Theyre talking about adopting once my siblings move out. Something about too many kids without decent parents out there. He shook his head. Saints is what they are, too kind for their own good.
Marie sighed at that. Wish mine were. Theyre such stubborn old goats. Still think that abolishing coal power was a bad idea, and obsessed with needing to carry guns everywhere. The idiots even go out without masks oftentimes, only to end up hacking their lungs out inside. Then they blame that on the smoking. She shook her head. Sorry. You probably didnt need to hear that.
Matt placed a hand on her shoulder. Im sorry to hear that, Marie.
She waved him off. Eh, its fine. Everyones got their sob stories. Mines just another one for the pile~
Is that what your parents tell you? Liam asked.
At that, Marie froze up, going silent.
She sat like a statue for a few seconds, perfectly straight, then burst out laughing. Hahahaha, yes! Yes, they would, wouldnt they?! She shook her head at her own silliness, then chuckled some more. Hehe, yeah. Youre right. Thanks for screwing my head back on the right way round.
Liam shrugged. Its what friends do.
Chapter 64: Alternative Choices
Matt looked to Marie. Is that maybe how you got into the whole forest ranger job? Getting away from it all?
She turned to face him, and gave a tender smile. Yeah, she said. Thats exactly it.
She leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, head turned towards the ceiling. My parents were into hunting, you know? I couldnt stand that. Theyd come home and parade the dead animals in front of me. Wanted me to watch em skin em. I vomited my guts out.
I grew more jaded to that as I got older. Would just head into my room right after school. I knew I wanted to do somethin with animals, but I couldnt be a farmer. Couldnt handle having to see em die or butchered. So I thought of being a vet, but again, too much death for me. Then I decided to become a park ranger.
It was far away, far from any other humans Id need tah deal with. Id get to see animals. Stop forest fires. Maybe keep things alive for a little longer She opened her eyes with a distant look. Now I just look out for fires among dead and dry wood.
There was a finality in that statement that drove a shiver up my spine. For a few seconds the word hung in the air threateningly, until Marie spoke again.
Now, Im doing my best in my new job to stop another place from becoming like that. Desolate and dead.
My brothers actually working on ways to improve air quality on this side, I said. He helped engineer a new model air filter recently, that collects the particles instead of just filtering them. They can then be properly disposed of with recycling plants and such. Some of them even make decent fertilizer, in smaller measures.
Marie smiled at that. Id love to get one of those.
Ill let you know when theyre available on the market, I said.
Your brother works in air tech, then? Matt asked.
I gave a non-commital shrug. Half-half. Engineering degree and working on general environmental issues. Hes also made some improvements to wave generators by another company before. He works with a specialized team and sometimes theyll design unique things, and sometimes get sub-contracted by other companies for product review and improvement.
Thats fucking awesome! Liam said with a smile. We need more people like that.
Yeah, I said, wearing a grin on my face. My brother is kind of a hero, in his own way, I guess.
Again, there was a brief pause and general hums of agreement. Just when I was about to mention Sarah, though, we heard heavier footsteps turn the corner. Emilia gave us a big smile and a wave.
She didnt have her scars this side, which is why I was so surprised Liam did. Her face had a couple wrinkles, especially around her eyes, from smiling so much I guessed. Her hair was done up in a bun, and she wore a fake leather jacket as well as combat boots that went halfway up her shins and were laced many times. She also had a couple chains draping from her jeans, and wore multiple rings, though only one of those had a skull motive.
Before she even got to our table she spread her hands wide. Look who it is! My favourite motley crew of adventurers! Her grin widened even further, more than I wouldve thought possible.
As she stretched her arms, the sleeves of the jacket were pulled back a bit, revealing colourful ink on her dark skin. I was quite sure it wasnt the only tattoo she had, though i didnt know what the tattoos were of, exactly. I filed it away to ask for later.
Emilia! Matt said, already getting up to hug her. Youre looking awesome!
I know, right? She gave a small pose, flexing, her muscles stretching against the jacket. Not looking to shabby yourself, Matt!
During her pose, hed apparently caught the ink as well. Wait, do you have tattoos? Can I see em? He asked, without the slightest hesitation.
Emilia laughed, and wrapped him in a hug. Nice to see you as well, Rat. And yes, yes, Ill show em off once Im done greeting everyone.
I gave her a hug next, and received a tight squeeze in return, getting quite a bit of air outta my lungs, which turned into a choking laugh as she let me go. Marie and Liam of course also got their share of greetings.
She sat down next to Liam, already having ordered at the register apparently, since the waiter quickly brought over a glass. Then she took off the jacket, revealing a black t-shirt with a flaming skull on it.
On her forearm, there was a huge snake coiling around it, up a tree branch with some snow on it. It was a full, coloured sleeve, with a background in it, even. There was a whole wintry forest there.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Her other arm was less done up, with a few smaller tattoos around. A rim around her wrist from which trees spawned up most of her forearm. Some kind of glyph in the crook of her elbow. A skull on her shoulder, and a set of plate armor, kind of like what she wore on Eden, on her biceps.
Id show you the others but I dont think taking my shirt off in the restaurant would go over well with staff. She gave a cheeky wink at that.
No, no, thanks for showing those, though. Theyre awesome, really, Matt said, his first no coming a little hastily.
Emilia smiled at him. Thought youd like them. You know, I considered plum blossoms for the tree at some point, but then decided on winter instead. Lets the colours of the snake shine more.
Matt nodded. I like the plum aesthetic, but it surely isnt for everyone.
Emilia nodded, then loudly clapped her hands once. So! Hows everyone been? Surely Im not late yet, am I?
Just on time, I said, checking my phone. Twins should be here soon, too.
Im kinda surprised they decided to come, Liam interjected. They havent really been with the team for very long, yet, you know?
Once again, Emilia nodded. Yeah, same. I respect it, though. Its good for team building.
Matt shrugged. I guess. Dunno how easy theyll be to talk to.
We have spent a couple weeks with em, ya know? Marie interrupted him. Surely yall grew at least a little closer during that whole journey? She accompanied the sentiment with a raised eyebrow, eliciting noncommittal grumbles from Matt.
Im glad they decided to come, Liam said. Reya seems kind. He paused. And funny, he added.
A smirk found its way onto my face. You found her swearing funny, didnt you?
He gave a wry smile. Yes, I admit it. I found it entertaining. Cant imagine how annoying it must be to constantly have to talk through her brother. I tried to learn a bit of sign language over the last days, but I really cant do much more than introduce myself, lol.
Marie blinked at him. Did you just say lol out loud? Is this some kind of new generation thing?
At the very least, he had the decency to blush. My friends in school said it all the time. Its been wearing off, now that Im talking to people older than me more often.
Hehe, its alright. I was just surprised, dont worry about it, yeah? Marie said.
Liam smiled. Alright.
My parents would kill me if they heard me say that, Matt said, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning into the couch. They hate it when I use modern language. If phones werent so necessary for everyday life these days, they would break theirs without hesitation. My dad more than my mom, though, he added.
I chuckled. Your parents are way too intense, Matt.
Like youre one to talk, he countered. Your mom is scary, Fio, seriously! We were talking to her three on one and it was still hard to get words in against her!
Hahaha, alright, alright, I concede that point. She is well, as Marie put it, a stubborn old goat.
I can relate to that one alright, Emilia said. My dad really loves putting his head through brick walls. My mom is a lot softer, though, at least on some things. Not when it came to the dancing though, she shivered.
Liam put a hand on her shoulder. Glad you got away from that.
She froze for a second, then loosened up and shook her head with a smile. Me too, Liam. So much pressure in that. Its not for me. People constantly pushing you to do better, turning every tiny fuck-up into a huge deal her voice grew both mournful and full of spite. Would rather face monsters than that. Quite literally.
Apparently, all of us would, Matt commented with a light chuckle. Seriously. Isnt that a crazy thought? The fact that this place is so shit, we would rather go somewhere else entirely, risking our lives, just to not have to be here, specifically?
I giggled. Yeah. That is kind of messed up.
Liam shrugged. I dont hate it here. I just dont feel like I can do as much good as I wouldve liked. And, of course, I dont feel like I really got to love the industry I got into, either.
What do you mean by that? Emilia asked.
He shrugged. Cooking. It was fine, I guess. I loved it when I cooked for people I cared about. But restaurants arent that. You dont do it for the love of the food. Well, maybe some do, but I dont cook cause I love food, I cook cause I love making people happy. Didnt realize that core difference until I was in the thick of it, and crying about the job every day.
If I could have a go at it again, Id pick a different path.
I gave him a look. What would you like to be?
He blushed a little. Ah, well, of course, the whole thing Im doing right now is pretty sweet. But, I guess, Id like to try a couple things
Like what? Matt asked, but Marie interjected again.
Tell us when you feel like it, Liam, she said, smiling.
I will, thank you. He returned the smile.
If I could be something on this side, Id wanna get into something that feels important. Foundational. Maybe construction, or something, Emilia said. No more hopping around in front of people with more money than sense, or trying to appeal to people I dont care about. I wanna create places people like to live.
Construction seems like a bit of a bleak industry, though, I said. You know. So many people dying, so many houses standing empty
At that, each and every one of us at the table grimaced.
Yeah, Emilia said. That does kinda put a damper on it. I guess I could be installing cleaner units or something, though.
That would work, Matt said.
We all sipped our drinks again, though Emilias still hadnt come. The delay became clear, when the waiter showed up with her drink, and two more, for the twins who walked in. Reya and Eric.
Chapter 65: Dystopia
She had done a lot more dressing up than him, with make-up, and even some golden glitter on her cheeks. Some of the radiance in their hair carried over to this side, glinting gold whenever it caught the light correctly, or when their eyes sparkled in it.
Reya wore a cardigan that left her tummy exposed, though she had a thin, partially see-through undershirt under it, probably to keep warm in the weather outside. It also covered her shoulders. She wore a skirt, too, a slightly darker creme-colour than the white of her tops, as well as leggings underneath.
In short, Reya looked gorgeous. Eric, on the other hand, looked just fine. He wore a simple shirt, grey, slightly patterned with darker and lighter tiny flakes. It was somewhat tight, showing that he was decently sporty, without being too-tight. His hair looked a little messy, but well combed, and he wore a pair of jeans with a hole that was too small to be intentional and likely came from wearing them frequently.
The two gave us bright smiles as they approached the table. Eric said a Hello loud enough for us to hear, while Reya gave an excited wave, which we returned, mostly with a bit less energy. Despite being new to the group, both of them still got hugs all around, though they were a bit shorter than with the rest of us.
Reya quickly stole a spot next to Liam, followed by Eric, and then Emilia sitting on the outside of the bench, rounding the table. Everyone was here, now, except for Ann, of course, who wasnt coming. I checked my phone for that, just in case.
There was a message from her, in private, to me. Hey Fio, sosososososo sorry I cant make it. Ill be there as soon as I can, promise! Love you.
I smiled. There was another ding, another message. Actually. Gonna arrive tomorrow. Can I have your address? Cant wait to see you, so I was thinking maybe I could come visit your place! <3
That got a wider smile out of me. The others were talking, already. Reya beamed at Liam after he introduced himself, wildly signing at him, but he quickly got overwhelmed and shook his head embarrassedly, explaining he was still learning. It didnt make her grin any less bright.
Eric was trying his hardest to keep a respectful distance from Emilia, but his sister was bubbly and moving, and our tanker had broad shoulders, so he often ended up squished between the two quite a bit. Emilia was also, by quite a bit, the tallest of us.
Marie listened to everyone with a smile as Matt and Emilia were locked in conversation. Eric also participated in that, occasionally. He wasnt translating for Reya, who was typing out anything Liam didnt understand her signing.
I smiled at them, then turned my attention back to my phone. Omg, Id love that! Gonna send you a screenshot of the gps, oen sec kay?
And then I made good on that promise, sending her a picture of where I lived, pinned on a satellite image. Thanks love! Be there tomorrow. Hope you have an amazing time with everyone else, yeah? Go, shoo, focus on them! Well talk tomorrow!
I quickly sent a big heart as a reply, followed by youre the best!!! and then put my phone away again, focussing on the conversation. Eric drank a tall glass of coke, while Reya had a cocktail in front of her, some kind of pinkish-yellow fruity mix, I would wager. No idea about its name though, cocktail names were kinda silly.
I sighed contently, leaning back on the couch, happily listening to the others. Marie, though, noticed immediately.
Ohhhh, thats the smile you only get when theres good news. Will Ann be making it? she teased.
I shook my head at her. No, no, she wont. But shell come to my place tomorrow, which has me really excited.
Thats amazing, Fio! Marie instantly picked up my excitement. I hope it goes super well. Planning on asking her to move in?
No, no, I blushed a little. Feels too early for that. I dont even know what she used to do this side. Or what her parents are like. Doesnt quite sit right with me to ask that yet, you know?
Marie nodded along. Of course, yeah, I know how private she is. Sometimes a little too much, hehe. But youre gonna figure it out, alright? If you need a recommendation on where to find rings, let me know! She gave a wink at the end there, and my cheeks reddened another shade.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Marieee!! You cant say that! I giggled though, somewhat giddy at the thought.
The older woman replied with grace, though, at least deciding not to tease anymore. Alright, alright, girl. I just want you two to be happy, you know? You deserve it.
I know, I said, smiling. Youre the best.
She grinned. Course I am. Its my job. She pinched my cheek, even, giving me a cheeky grin, then turned back to the rest of the table.
Reya was now openly talking with the others, writing anything she wanted to say in the group chat. Id never seen anyone type quite as fast as her. She was using the swiping-typing stuff that I could never get used to, absolutely blaring profanities into the chat.
There was the additional benefit though that it let me catch up on a conversation Id missed most of. Seemed like people were ragging on which corporations they hated the most. Coal was a strong contender, and the company I worked with, Foundational Exchange was also brought up.
Though they were less of a contender than the companies that ruined our planet in the first place.
Some of those greedy fuckers had even gotten their claws into Eden, like F.E. Co., but there was one company which maintained the absolute biggest stranglehold on the world we worked our second jobs in, Zinnic. They regularly did new invites only to people who, before getting said invite, signed binding contracts made with materials from Eden to also work on their other bodies.
They were immense sponsors to anyone with talent, and threw dozens of bodies down in the dirt, sending out rookies on missions far too challenging for them. My teacher, Rey, had once been one of those rookies, until he showed talent good enough to make his own way in the world, and earned enough contributions to have the divines break the contract early.
He hated them. Hated Zinnic, their absolute disregard for human life in the face of profit. They had lobbied immensely against the ban of fossil power, too, but luckily were overruled. Despite that, they now had regained their presence on the stock market and soared ever higher with innovative products, using materials from Eden.
Their rates were market level. They offered better prices if you contracted with them. The amount of wealth they had made it easy for their people to raise up and crush other groups. They didnt penalize that kinda action, either.
If one of their teams went and killed another team, selling their spoils, Zinnic would purchase, and pay, as though nothing had happened. And if one of their teams was attacked, they retaliated with an iron fist.
Even against Edians.
Those shitheads were the very fucking reason for the increase of dimensional sanctions and the hostility between Edians and us Reflectors. A team from Zinnic whod gone around murking adventurer teams made from Edians, specifically those given Classes by the divines, and stealing their spoils.
Only to then cause havoc in the cities.
It was a horrible action that was barely tolerated once, penalized by the Edians the second time, and after five instances of blatant violence and disregard for Edians, with the members of Zinnic even calling them NPCs, the divines had to step in.
They were forced to expend power, in limited supply, to engage with the absolute horror of a company unable to view life as anything more than profits to be reaped. It put summoning of new Reflectors on hold for a while, imposed stricter conditions on travelling and working in Eden, a lengthened entry phase for newbies to be prepared.
But the damage was done, and the Edians didnt trust the Reflectors. Still, to this day, there were instances of people from Zinnic lashing out, quickly growing violent. They recruited the lowest of the low, those down on their luck, giving them power. It was like a drug, and almost all Zinnic employees went through Eden Addiction at least once.
My blood boiled at the thought of that, and so did everyone elses. Reya had put more insults than I thought existed into the chat, and it still wasnt enough.
I thought of my master. Theyd made attempts on his life in Eden, multiple times. I could not forgive them for that. Could not forgive them for harming a place they were supposed to help.
My own personal bit of hatred was added to the pile as I told the story. Marie added that her previous team was attacked by Zinnic. One of her companions died, the others never came back to Eden. Emilia had once been harassed by a group in broad daylight, though she simply walked away from that confrontation, saying it wasnt worth it.
Reya and Eric had also dealt with the fuckers, having them come to the temple and demand beds. Once, they had threatened to simply kill other patients if it got them a healer faster, but that was stopped by Lurelia really quickly, and the offenders were banished from Eden.
Matt, too, had his fair share of run-ins with them. Especially since he liked to hone his swordsmanship in combat, he once challenged one of them and for a dozen weeks, all he did was get up, go to an arena to deal with all the challenges he got, then go to sleep. He wiped the floor with them, of course. Day after day. And eventually, they backed off a little, but he was still a thorn in their eyes.
Liam was the only one who stayed out of trouble, but he had still seen them harass vendors, Edians and Reflectors alike. Scum is what they were.
And that was when we all decided that maybe, the conversation needed a change of topic.
Chapter 66: A Night to Remember
Anger faded as we chose to talk about food, instead. Wed all ordered, of course, and we ate together. Emilia once accidentally smacked her elbow against Erics arm, spilling some noodles over him, but he was a good sport about it. Liam showed Reya how to hold chopsticks. Marie went with her most familiar option of a burger, while Liam had himself a lentil-rice curry.
Matt ate bibimbap, and I got myself a serving of noodles with a mushroom-cream sauce, already turning on the sense sharing with Cass when I ordered. There was a short period of my vision swimming as it settled in, but it faded after just about a minute and a half. Shed been listening, of course, but didnt feel like she wanted to be part of the conversation, and that was okay.
The food was all pretty delicious, though I did need to add a bit more salt to mine. Marie also had a side of salad and added more vinegar than I think was healthy for any human to consume over the duration of a week, but then again, her call I guessed.
The anger we had at our previous discussion fizzled away. Instead, we talked about nicer things. Dishes we missed from our home countries. Some of us had moved; I hadnt, but Emilia did, wanting to get away from it all. Flew across the globe, even. Marie had, too, though the country she was from was super large, so instead of being in another country, she was on the other end of the same one.
Reya and Eric had moved as well. Their family moved a lot, apparently, and eventually they decided to settle down somewhere separate from their itinerant parents. They called and chatted often, but the two didnt go on plane trips packing their entire lives into suitcases every couple weeks anymore.
It was more peaceful that way. I could see it, too, honestly. I loved travelling, but actually moving that often seemed miserable. Their parents went all across the world on business trips, and the two of them just had to follow until they were old enough to decide theyd rather not.
So they didnt anymore, and a couple years later, they got invited to Eden, pretty quickly finding their calling in healing others using Lurelias powers. The goddess really was just a means to an end, though they obviously revered her teachings. Most of those were simple kindness, so that was fair.
Lurelia was also the goddess of family and children, but very specifically not of love. She actually stated entirely out of relationships almost all the time. Not her domain, apparently. Seemingly none of the current divines wanted to have anything to do with that, either.
I was a little confused by that, so I asked.
Are there just things that none of the divines have any authority over, then? I asked.
Eric shrugged. Yeah, of course. A few things, even, such as technology or mechanics. Sewers, the ocean. But I guess love is kind of different, there used to be a divine for it, after all.
That was something I hadnt known.
Matt asked before I could, head cocked to the side. Used to be? What does that mean?
Reya answered this time, signing before her brother got a word in, then leveraging a pointed stare. He started his own sentence, stopped and sighed, rolling his eyes. Fine, okay. Reya says that, and I quote, there used to be seven sky-people, two fucking died. Why she used sky-people, specifically, is beyond me.
She signed again.
Oh, fair enough, he said, deadpan. She said it because she thought it would be funny.
At his explanation, Reya wore an immensely smug expression, getting a chuckle from everyone but Eric.
Emilia leaned back in the couch, patting her belly after the food, then turned to Eric. Hmm, seven divines, though? First time Ive heard of this.
Eric nodded. Seven, yes. Its a bit of an open secret? The divines tell anyone who asks, but they dont really speak of it without asking.
Howd they die? Liam asked, leaning forward.
Reya signed at him, and he seemed to follow for a moment before looking lost. Eric gave a small smile at that, placid, and repeated the motions of her hands as he spoke. No one has any clue. The divines arent saying, either, but they were probably killed by keepers or usurpers. The three way tug-of-wars the only thing that could really kill divines. Or so Reya says.
She rolled her eyes at him, probably because of the three or so signs he left out, and he elaborated. I left out her swears. Shes annoyed.
I couldnt help but feel a weird, sympathetic smile for the twins. Having Cass only able to talk through me felt a little similar. Though I didnt exactly wanna censor her, I just couldnt always perfectly convey all of her words, in terms of tone and such.
There was a soft hum in my head, from Cass, that let me know she appreciated my efforts anyway. I smiled, and mentally thanked her.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Hmm. Curious that the divines wouldnt be spreading this information, Marie noted. Seems like it would be vital to the whole fighting back part.
Her accent was gone again, suddenly replaced with a crisp and clear no-nonsense undertone. It was strange to see her shift so quickly, but I could also see it in her posture, suddenly more upright.
What even happens to gods when they die? Emilia asked. Do they just stop existing? It cant be that simple, can it?
Eric shook his head. No, its not. Their divinity needs to go somewhere. Sometimes its split among other gods, widening their sphere of influence. It can be taken by the keepers. It may simply reincarnate into a new god if left to itself, and sometimes it forms a mortal body to begin a new journey.
If none of that happens, it might fizzle out or grow over time, becoming a source of environmental change. A dead divine of storms might cause rainfalls in the area the divinity sticks around in. Stuff like that. Theres lots of paths. The long and short of it is: we dont really know what, specifically, happened to either.
I looked around, and was honestly glad the restaurant was empty, or people would have surely been looking at us weird. The waiters usually stayed away, only occasionally coming over once they noticed that the table kinda went silent whenever they passed by.
Now, wed all gone silent after Erics explanation, just mulling over our thoughts. I couldnt see what the others were thinking, but this felt strange. Firstly, that the divines would hide that kinda news, and secondly, the fact that no one really knew what exactly happened to the two other divines.
Because thats what Eric essentiallyd said. There were a dozen options on what could have happened, none more likely than another. It didnt really change anything in particular. Not immediately, at least.
Our group wasnt even close to the power level of people who meddled in the affairs of the divines more. Rey, my teacher, had been at that level, back in his days. But he didnt talk about it much, since he didnt want to, and I was fine with that. Still, our group had a closer link to the divines than many others, what with me having the gateway now.
It was a strange kinda feeling, more an awareness about just how alien they really were. Even if they died, they wouldnt necessarily die at all. They were just bigger, in scale, than I was used to.
I want desserts, Matt said, shrugging, interrupting my train of thought. I smirked at him as everyone turned to look, and a couple giggles broke out.
Alright, me too, Liam agreed.
Same, I said as well.
Bit by bit, the others agreed as well, and we called the waiter over to get another small bit of food.
- - -
Time went by quickly in good company. We spent another hour and a half in that restaurant, before Marie paid the bill. She did it quickly so none of us had a chance to protest. Granted, everyone had seen it coming; her glances towards the cash register were far from subtle.
But none of us were old enough to play the whole you pay - I pay game, so we let it happen.
After leaving the restaurant, we decided to continue our little get together. Liam called up a karaoke bar, booking a room. Of course we went.
Somehow, Matt was also too dang talented at singing. Emilia got a little drunk and rubbed her knuckles through his hair in faux anger. Liams voice was beautiful, as he went through a love song. I duetted with Emilia, even though she slurred her words a little.
Eric said he was fine just watching, and Marie first protested, saying she was too old. Of course she sang, in the end, a country song about murdering your husband, as was natural and in good humor.
We stayed in that bar till it was later, and eventually decided to check out something else. There wasnt really much to check out, especially this late at night, though, so it took some looking things up to find something that was still open.
It was decided we would head to an escape room. It was a particular one with a light horror theme, that exclusively opened at night, actually, which meant it was pretty perfect for us. It usually only hosted six players, but with a quick call, we asked if seven was fine, and they were cool with it, since it was a slow day.
Also, the employee we got was some kid working part time being paid just above minimum wage, so he didnt really care that much. We tipped him ten novas, which was more than needed, but he was a good kid, so yeah.
The room was fun. Reya got very scared actually, jumping and making a kind of hissing sound in her mouth. It sounded a little like a cat, even, and was cute in my opinion, though she seemed terribly embarrassed of it.
We solved the riddles, though we took longer than if Ann had joined us. It was fun, though. My favourite part was the dark room with a spot of light coming above, and needing to use a golden dinner plate to reveal hieroglyphics on the wall we decoded with a little sheet we found. Good times.
After the escape room, which features a mummy reaching out and grasping for us, as well as plenty of unsettling sounds, we all decided that was enough for an evening. By the time we were done it was 1 or 2 a.m., I didnt quite check at the time.
We hugged each other goodbye. It was nice. One of the best evenings Id ever spent. Marie gave a ride to Liam, the twins drove off themselves, and I drove Emilia to her hotel before taking Matt and myself back to the flat.
There were no shankings that night, and for that, I was thankful.
Opening the flat door was strange.
It smelled lived in. Just in general. No one had been in there while we were gone or anything.
But the smell of food lingered in the air, and I could also smell a hint of Matt''s floral perfume. It was so different from the way I usually got into my flat, after coming through the mirror, with everything being sterile or dusty It felt homely.
I flicked on the light, seeing the decorations. Posters on the wall, a bamboo sword next to a full on spear. I smiled. My decorations.
Matt gave me a small push from behind.
Come on, Fio, get out the doorway, I wanna head to bed, he teased, though I could tell he was tired.
Alright, alright, sleepymatt, I joked, stepping out of his way.
He mumbled a thanks, kicking off his shoes and quickly shuffling into the living room, where he promptly flopped down onto the couch with a loud sigh. I took longer, taking off my jacket, hanging it up, then slowly heading over.
I leaned against the doorframe of the living room. Matt had his eyes closed, draped over the couch like a rug, but hed heard my footsteps. He smiled, contentedly. This was nice, he said, eyes still closed.
Yeah, I agreed, nodding. You gonna head to bed?
Mmmmmh, soon as I manage to get off the couch~ he murmured, flopping onto his side.
There was no way he was getting up. With a small sigh, I walked over, scooped him up in a princess carry, and deposited him in his bed. I pulled a blanket over him and just left him to sleep with his clothes on. I smiled. Night little rabbit.
Night Fio
I went to sleep soon after that.
Chapter 67: Playing Around
I woke up to the strange feeling of my world being dull and blurry. For a moment, I felt panicky, thinking something was wrong with my eyes, sitting up in bed, but then it clicked into place. Right. Id shared my senses with Cass yesterday. Of course.
So this must have been her shutting them off when she woke up, waking me in the process. I smiled a little at that.
Morning, Cass, I whispered, my own voice sounding quiet, subdued, and hollow in my ears.
[Hey Fio] Cass replied, somehow managing the mental version of rubbing at her eyes. [What time is it?]
I giggled a little. Arent you supposed to know that, silly?
Cass pouted at me. [You got a phone, come on, just tell me the time!]
Fine, fine, I conceded with a smile at her antics. There. 10:34 a.m. Happy?
[Oh, thats quite late, isnt it?]
A small laugh bubbled from my lips. Haha, no, no. Its totally fine. We stayed out late, we sleep in late. In fact, I bet Matt is still asleep. What do you think we kick him outta bed?
[You cant do that Fio!] Cass giggled. [Let him sleep.]
Fine, fine, I said, leaning back into bed and taking a deep breath. I smiled. No, thats the wrong word. I grinned, wide and happy. There was a flutter of pink and orange in my field of view, my flag, and seeing it made me even happier. I spread my arms out wide on the bed and let out a contented sigh.
I have great friends.
The words hung in the air for a bit, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the quiet in my room.
A minute or five ticked by. I enjoyed the long moment. Eventually, though, I felt my stomach grumble a little. With a smile, I jumped up from bed, landing on my feet, and strolled to the kitchen.
I could make porridge again, but I didnt really feel it. Hm. I was really feeling bread for a second. With some veggies and salt.
There werent enough veggies in the fridge, so I headed out for half an hour, doing a quick grocery trip to buy some tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, as well as some black bread and breadrolls.
By the time I came back, I heard the water in the bathroom running; Matt taking a shower, probably. While my best swordsman bud decided he needed a little cleaning, I set about preparing something to eat.
Vegetables and bread were sliced into nice bits. I took plant-based butter out of the fridge, to let it warm up on the table so it would be easier to cut. I made sure the heating was running, since it was quite cold outside, close to freezing if I had to guess.
By the time Matt came out of the shower, with damp hair that dripped a couple droplets onto a new white shirt of his, this one with a winking cat on it, I had already prepared my first slice of bread.
Just a breadroll with some butter, then garlic powder and salt, topped with cucumber slices. It was good, and I loved it. Matt eyed the table a little with suspicion.
You got any jam? he asked.
In the fridge, on the left! I pointed at it for emphasis.
Thanks!
The other left, Matt, I said, giving a small chuckle at him.
I could tell he rolled his eyes at me without even looking. Its fine, I wouldve found it eventually.
You would, sure, but when do you wanna have breakfast? Now, or in half an hour? I teased.
He gave me a mock-frown, then stuck out his tongue at me. Pfft. I wouldve found it within a second, I bet.
Sure, Rabbit. I smiled.
As I took another bite, Matt took his seat at the kitchen table, adding some butter, then some jam to a sliced breadroll.
Yesterday was awesome, he said, three bites into the meal.
For sure, I agreed.
He looked at me for a second, seeing my wide smile. He grinned. Oh, I see. Youre thinking of Ann right now, arent you?
I paused, then stared at him for a moment. Then my surprise vanished. Am I that much of an open book? I asked, a little exasperated but not unkindly.
Matt grinned, leaned back and draped an arm over the back of the chair in his best cool boy pose. Well, you know, when youre as skilled at reading people as me he said, specifically lowering his voice and putting on a smug smirk.
Pffft, I huffed. Youre missing the sunglasses for that, Rabbit.
Dang, knew I shouldve taken them. I really thought I wouldnt need them with it being this late in the year.
I shrugged. Well. Skys always overcast anyway.
True that, I guess, he said and went quiet.
We chewed on our bread during the lull in the conversation. A few minutes ticked by, the silence going from uncomfortable, to comfortable.
So. Whenll we be heading back to Eden? Matt asked.
I shrugged, again. Soon-ish. I want to see Ann, still. Then need to message my parents about it. My mom wants to go on a cruise in the summer. Maybe I can be back by then, take care of Beth for a week or two.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Gotcha, makes sense. So, when is Ann coming? he asked.
Dont quite know, I said, truthfully. She said as soon as she could. Today, for sure. Just wants to show up at my door, which is honestly kinda adorable.
Matt nodded sagely. Hope she shows up soon, then. Do you need some space, like, should I go out and see if I wanna buy some souvenirs or something?
I smiled at him. Maybe later. Ill let you know if so, but my bedroom is plenty private for cuddles. Ill give you a spare key to the flat, so you can leave if you ever get overwhelmed?
He looked at me for a moment with a slightly blank expression, then his lips turned upwards. There was honesty in his smile, an incredible amount. Id love that, Fio. Thank you. I really appreciate you being considerate.
I reached forward and tapped his nose. Dont worry about it, Rabbit. Ill go grab it real quick.
A few minutes later, Matt held a key, and both of us had devoured some more bread. Id have to cook for lunch or dinner or something, but that could wait for just a smidge longer. I did already buy the ingredients while shopping for breakfast, so that was no trouble at least.
It was stew day, today.
Bit by bit, time drifted by. Neither Matt nor I had any big plans, so we set about doing things to keep ourselves busy. We played a local co-op game on my laptop, sparred a little more, did some exercising with the pull up bar, seeing who could do more muscle-ups, then I read a bit while he watched some videos on his phone.
There was enough to keep us busy, all the way until there was a knock on the door.
I darted towards it a second later, quickly looking through the peephole, and seeing exactly who I expected to see. Ann, in the flesh.
My breath caught in my lungs as I opened the door.
For a fraction of a second - it felt entirely too long, but that is how long it took - I stood and stared at her. A half-long brown leather jacket over a pinkish-purple shirt with tiny, white-blue stars on there. She wore a black skirt and black leggins with it, and looked gorgeous.
Then, for another fraction of a second, something seemed off. About her eyes, especially, but also her hair. The fire red of it all seemed a little too bright, a little too intense. For a moment, I almost lost myself in her eyes, those deep, vibrant pits of red. It lasted less than a moment, then that thought broke away.
I almost started crying right then and there, because I loved her, and I was so happy to see her. Without wasting another millisecond, I threw myself at her, wrapping her in a hug, and she had her arms around me at the same time. Her head rested on my shoulder, and I ran my fingers through her scarlet curls.
Her hair felt faintly warm, like the kind embers of a fire on a cold night. It felt so right to hold her like that. We stood in that hug for an amount of time longer than what one might usually be comfortable with, yet I enjoyed every moment I spent wrapped in her arms.
Eventually, though, Ann gave a tiny giggle, and tapped my back. Come on, love, Im just as happy to see you, but you gotta let me get inside, at least. Its cold out!
I smiled, took another deep breath, smelling her perfume and everything else I loved about her, then let go. Ah. My cheek was a little wet. I quickly wiped away the happy tears, then stepped aside.
Come in, come in, youre right. I missed you a lot, you know? I said, my voice almost breaking.
I missed you too, love, she said, smiling. She stepped in, slipping out of her shoes.
While she did so, I looked at her. The way the light of my lamps played off her hair, the way it caught her eyes. She hummed a tiny tune to herself as she took off the jacket. It looked a little out of place among the winter coats it hung aside, the long sleeves draping quite far past the main body of the jacket, which only reached Anns tummy.
I smiled, and she smiled back. Happy staring, Fio? she teased, humming the words without any hostility.
Not my fault you look so good, I replied.
She giggled at that. You compliment me too much.
Nope, I only speak the truth! I said, sticking my tongue out at her.
She regarded me for a moment, then gave me a quick kiss. I looked at her, kinda stunned. She giggled again. Not my fault you look so good!
With a quick turn that sent her skirt spinning, Ann strutted off into the flat. I followed her, of course, as she made her way. She gave me a look like she was asking if she could explore ahead, and I gave her a quick nod.
Ann smiled at me, nodded back as a sign shed got the message, and started exploring my flat. She soon found the kitchen, breakfast well and stored away. I hadnt yet started cooking, since it was that awkward space where Id known there would be a visitor and I didnt wanna be busy when Ann came even though I was starting to get a little hungry again.
She moved on to the bathroom and the toilet. Jokingly, she checked the top of a cupboard for dust, acting as though she was doing a real estate survey. I chuckled at her antics.
Youre silly, I said.
And youre cute, Ann countered, already moving on with her exploration.
She soon found the living room, where Matt laid on the couch. He stuck up a hand and gave us a lazy wave, his feet dangling over the armrest.
Heya Matt, Ann greeted chipperly.
Heya Ann, Matt replied.
Hast thou declared this couch to officially be thine domain? Ann asked, teasing, walking closer.
Matt smiled, he swung his legs off the armrest, sitting up on the couch gracefully. His hair flipped through the air for a moment, landing to perfectly frame his face. The bastard. No, no. My skill with the sword is far too poor to form a domain, he explained.
Ann rolled her eyes. Gosh Matt, you could at least play along.
My parents told me to never engage mages in trickery. His face remained tauntingly stoic as he spoke.
Oh reaaaaally now? Ann asked, smiling, taking a seat on the armrest of the couch, now. She leaned back until she was at eye level with Matt again, using her feet and arms to balance out. There was a funny contrast between her teasing grin and Matts stoic expression.
Yes, really. He nodded.
Truly?
Truly.
Certainly?
Most certainly, in fact.
I see how it is.
Do you now?
Certainly. Boop. At the end of their quick exchange, Ann reached out and tapped Matts nose.
He smiled. You know, Fio did that too.
Really now? Ann sat back up straight, giving me a curious look, then a grin. Well, Im glad to know my girlfriend knows what a boopable nose looks like.
Mhm, Matt said. You should be careful, you know? This rabbit bites, sometimes~ he hummed.
Really now?
Yep.
Truly?
Yep.
Certainly?
Yep.
...
There was a brief silence as Ann simply looked at Matt. He looked back at her. She reached out to boop his nose. He, unsurprisingly, bit her finger.
In faux pain, because I knew Matt wouldnt have hurt her, Ann quietly yowled, dramatically flinging herself off the armrest and rolling on the floor.
Oh woe is me! she cried. This evil rabbit has harmed me! If only there was someone to save me from this evil! She gave me a look that was somehow pleading, mischievous, and flirty at the same time.
I blushed for a moment, then cleared my throat, when Matt burst out into laughter first. Ann and I quickly followed, and the three of us laughed heartily for a few moments.
The moment passed, and when laughs turned to giggles, I did walk over and scooped Ann up from the floor in a princess carry. She first gave a small yelp as I picked her up, then blushed and wrapped her arms around my neck. I quickly deposited her next to Matt on the couch before she got a chance to bite my neck.
I saw the mischief in her eyes, but put a stop to it for now. Matt pulled her into a hug, which she returned. Its good to see you, Ann, he said.
Our mage smiled. Its good to see you too, Matt.
They gave each other another squeeze, then let go as I joined them on the couch. Anyone hungry? Or feeling a movie first?
Movie, both of them said immediately.
I smiled and gave a small shrug. Alright. Lets see what we can find.
Chapter 68: A Good Day
The afternoon was great. Matt picked out the movie after Ann told us she was up for everything. It was an old samurai comedy, with very silly scenes, such as someone losing a duel because they fled to a doctor when the main character, an incompetent man named Michelangelo, drew and sheathed his sword, bluffing about his skill.
For the entire runtime, really, he was failing his way upwards in society. It was hilarious.
After that, we set about cooking. Matt and Ann helped, though I do have to say one of the two contributed more to the affair than the other. Anns talents were many, but cooking was not one of them. Shed once managed to burn veggies while boiling them in water.
Despite that, she still helped us cook, and I was honestly happy she didnt cut herself. She did also once twirl the spear on my wall, leaving a small cut on the floor, for which she embarrassedly and meekly apologized as she put it back. Like an adorable little mouse.
A bit after that, we ate. It was vegetable stew. We threw in potatoes, zucchini, some leftover pak choy, eggplant, leek, mushrooms, and so on. Then a whole lot of soup and spices, then another whole lot of boiling, and it was done!
We ate, joked, and laughed. It tasted delicious. Matt and I made a little fun of Ann at how fascinated she seemed to be with the TV. Ann and I made fun of Matt for how seemingly permanently perfect he was. Matt and Ann made fun of me for how impatient I was.
I loved it. The entire meal. There wasnt a moment where I had to pause or feel awkward or ask someone to stop. It was genuinely, thoroughly, lovely. Every bit of it.
Afterwards, I had a desire to take Ann on a walk. Through, like, a park or something. That desire sadly died quickly, because there were no parks. Ann wiped the frown off my face rather quickly with a kiss while I did the dishes, when Matt was already in the living room.
For most of the cleanup, she sat on the counter next to me, dangling her legs through the air as I went about putting things away and into the dishwasher. We chatted.
Mostly, it was me telling her about my life over on this side. Yesterdays gathering, my parents, my new decorations, what kinda clothes I enjoyed wearing
Ann smiled when I mentioned clothes. A kind of longing smile. I noticed, immediately.
Hey. Wanna go shopping? I asked.
She looked at me, surprised. Shopping?
Yeah, shopping. For clothes, and stuff. I know a couple stores around here that still make ones from decent material. Theyre a bit pricy but-
Ann beamed at me, wrapping me in a hug that almost pulled her off the counter. YES! Id love to! Price isnt a problem, dont worry.
With a small laugh, I hugged her back for a moment, then pulled myself out of the hug. Not a problem you say, eh? Been saving up that money from Eden?
She gave me a conspiratorial grin. You could say that Her grin turned down a little. But, well, I suppose you wouldnt need to. Im, uh, rather set for money, I suppose.
Oh?
Born into advantageous circumstances, she said.
I smiled at her. Im happy for you! Then were gonna get you plenty of things you love, yeah? Though, if you have enough money, whats keeping you to Eden? Do you just love me so much? I teased.
Yes. Ann looked at me, entirely serious. There was a faint smile on her lips, but it was the loving kind. Yes. I love you enough that Id go to Eden just to be with you. Id follow you to another world without hesitation, no matter how foreign. I love you, Fio. Thanks for not judging me for my generational wealth, I guess.
For a moment, I felt my heart skip, the pound in my chest, even harder. I grinned, about as happy as I ever felt. I put away the dishes, dried off my hands, and walked over to Ann, silently. I wrapped her in a hug, tightly, for about a dozen seconds, then pulled her off the counter and kissed her, for another dozen seconds.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
I love you too, I said, then hugged her tighter, pressing my cheek against hers. She sniffled once, happily, and I squeezed her all the more for it.
Love you too, Fio. So much.
The moment lasted for another half minute. Then we let each other go. Ann smiled. She hopped back onto the counter. I got back to cleaning the dishes.
We got done not too long later. I told Matt we were going shopping. He grinned.
Have a nice date, you two, he said, leaning back on the couch.
I looked at Ann, and she looked back at me with the same expression I probably had. Slightly wide eyes and a small smile. Right, this probably was-
You two really set up a date without knowing it was a date! Matt said, then guffawed. Hahaha, how?! Haha! You need me, an aro person, zero interest in ever dating, to tell you when youre on a date! Jeez, if that isnt the most stereotypically lesbian thing I ever did see
He laughed a little more, and both Ann and I couldnt help but giggle along. Well, I started, drawing out the word, look, Rabbit, maybe youre just guiding others to a treasure you cannot possess!
Matt laughed, and Ann smirked at me a bit. Was that a reference? she asked.
I smiled at her. Yeah, popular movie. We can watch it at some point, if youd like.
Id love to. But lets go on our date, for now! She said the word date so giddily, I couldnt help but smile.
Alright, sounds perfect. See you later, Matt!
Later, Matt.
See ya.
And so we went.
I loved it. Shopping with Ann was so fun. She seemed so happy every time she tried on a new bit of clothing.
It was funny, because we went to both the fairly produced clothing places, which were rather expensive, as well as second-hand stores, since both of those had clothing that was rather ethical. Also, it was much easier to find summer clothes, like skirts or crop-tops in second hand stores, when everywhere else was beginning to stock winter fashion.
Ann would hop into the changing room, then ask me to come in when she was trying new things out and wanted my opinion. Some of the pieces suited her more. Some were too small. She really seemed to love the sweater-dress type clothing, which looked a little like robes on her.
After a few hours, shed bought a few of those, a handful of skirts, some longer pants, a set of scarlet leggings, and a few more bits and bobs she liked. We got two different earrings as well, a set of silver cats, with tails made to look like fire and adorned with fake red gems, and some that had little golden teardrops hanging from them.
I texted Matt before we came back, and he said hed be out of the house, running an errand or two. We both knew he didnt have any errands to run, but that was okay.
The rest of the afternoon was just as lovely. I made hot cocoa for Ann and I, and we watched another movie, romance this time, cuddling on the couch. Then cuddling on the bed, for a little while longer.
It was wonderful, and romantic, and I wouldnt trade the evening for anything in the world.
Eventually, my phone rang. It was a text, from Matt.
Hey. Fio. Sorry to bother you, its urgent. I need you to come to Skyler Street 35a, bring Ann, please.
Which was cryptic. But Ann and I had just been cuddling again for the last ten minutes anyway. So I tapped her and showed her the message.
She kissed me on the nose. Alright, love. Lets go help out our favourite Rabbit.
I nodded, quickly hopping up, changing clothes into something street ready, same as Ann did, snatched the car keys, and we headed out.
The address wasnt nearby, but also not far away. Just a ten minute drive. Too short for Ann to even put on any music in the car.
When we got there, though, it didnt seem like a place to have an emergency at. It was a restaurant?
Ann and I quickly put on masks, which I kept in the car, and headed in. Matt was waiting in the foyer.
Great! You made it. Come on, quick. Its important, he said, not giving us a chance to get a word in, as he already hurried further in.
The building was old, much of it still made from wood that groaned a little as we walked on it. It was well maintained, though, doors of wooden frame, with thick, blurry glass in the middle that only let through warm rays of yellowy light.
Matt pushed it open, heading in, and Ann and I followed.
Then, there was a quiet pop. Pink, orange, and white confetti rained on us. In hindsight, I am so glad they chose a confetti gun that didnt sound like an actual gun.
When my eyes adjusted to the light, everyone was there. Matt, Liam, Marie, Emilia, Reya and Eric. All of them, standing around a table with drinks and cake. My mind raced to catch up. What?
Surprise party, Fio, Matt said, smiling brightly. Ann couldnt join us yesterday. I decided to make it happen tonight.
I teared up. You Rabbit! I said, wrapping him in a tight hug.
Ann, too, seemed happy. I chided Matt a little for his message. I was worried, you jerk! The conviction behind my words was undermined by the bright smile on my face.
Thats why its a surprise, princess, Emilia said. Come on. Sit down, have some cake. Lets have a good night.
Chapter 69: Defiance
The night went on. It was amazing. Cass joined the party, too, with me conveying what she wanted to say. Somehow, all of them were so kind about it all. Accepting.
I felt at home.
We talked for a long, long while. I talked about Ivan again, how he was unavailable and Sarah a reflector. I almost panicked, when I finally got the words out, but the others calmed me down. Wed keep an eye out in Eden. Ivan was smart, too, much smarter than me, he could handle himself. Eventually, I calmed down enough again to genuinely, fully enjoy the night.
We went and did some other things, too, staying out even longer than yesterday.
Eventually, we went home. Parting. The others would head home in trains, tomorrow. That was fine; I said my goodbyes.
Matt stayed at my place another night and left in the morning.
I spent another day with Ann. Another night after that, too. Then another day, until she left in the evening.
A nighttime train was more convenient to catch, apparently, since she could sleep through the journey. She told me shed dream of me, and it was adorable. I missed her warmth, but that was okay.
Without Matt and Ann, my flat was a little quiet, but it wasnt lonely. I still smelled Ann on my pillow, for example. I was truly, truly happy.
On the day after Ann left, I met my parents one more time, both of them. I told them Id be gone a while. I told Ivan, too, on a call. He was busy-busy with work, since hed just come back from a short vacation, so he didnt have time to meet.
Honestly, I was just glad. He was available. If hed been to Eden, he made it back safe. His voice told me he wasnt in too much trouble. It was fine, for now.
I masked my own coming absence as a longer trip. Dad was sad. Mom was a little disappointed. Beth seemed happy at the promise of some kind of souvenir. Id find something.
Then, I went to bed one more time.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The next day, I woke up.
Took a deep breath.
The air was okay, with the filtration machine.
I got up, and set about doing my morning routine.
Life was good.
I brushed my hair. It was a little longer now, maybe in need of a cut, and smooth, although its sheen made it look greasy sometimes. I haphazardly threw on some clothes. They mattered little for what the plan was today, so I went for a simple t-shirt and a pair of comfortable shorts. It was late fall, so I put on a pair of socks.
Then I ate breakfast with a cup of coffee. I had the drink rarely, but it somehow felt appropriate. I didnt take a look at the newspaper, because I didnt want to. After breakfast, I brushed my teeth.
It left me standing in the bathroom, in front of my full-height mirror. I breathed in deep, centered myself. Felt the knot of Qi in my chest. It was there. This was real.
Both knots of Qi were.
Knowing what my second core meant, I steeled myself. I felt my path, imprint, hum deep within me, resonating with this. I wouldnt keep my eyes closed.
I stepped through the mirror.
The first time had been weird. Feeling the glass wrap around my chest, my arms, my face. I held my breath; getting a nose full of liquid portal glass had not been fun, neither the first time nor the fifth.
My eyes were open. The path in between wasnt long, but it was different now. A thousand people like myself, watched over by a thousand thousand eyes. Malevolent eyes, their pupils replaced by mirrors, their irises too vibrant, too colourful and bright to look at.
So many were focused on me. Nearby ones moved over, staring at me with desire. Like hungry beasts. They wanted what was within my soul. They wished to reach out. Tear those shreds of glass out from under my skin, that core out from my soul, and leave me a dead husk in doing so.
Cass flexed her power. She was my keeper, not any of them.
I felt her, a radiant flame of power in a place that wasnt quite inside of me at all, yet a part of me. It made me feel powerful, knowing I had her by my side.
Her spite kept the keepers at bay. Imprint hummed. We were defying the keepers, and we would do so. Over, and over, and over again. As many times as it took.
I knew they wouldnt take it easily. I knew the usurpers wouldnt, and I knew the divines maybe wouldnt.
But regardless of all of their wishes, I was going to defy them all.
There was no compromising my freedom for anyone else. I would see Eden. I would see Neamhan. I was going to make a future on both of those worlds, with Ann, with my friends.
I would carve out my place in both those worlds.
Chapter 70: Hunting Dogs
Somewhere, far away, there was a room that didnt exist.
Someone, though perhaps calling them a person would be an exaggeration, sat on a chair in that room. It was a featureless chair, made as though drawn with one continuous line, solid white with black lines denoting its edges.
Without those lines, no one could have told where the edges laid, since the room - if its worth calling it that, even - was also entirely blank. The kind of blank where colour doesnt really do it justice, at all, so while the room wasnt really white, it was so empty it may as well have been.
In that white room sat something. A thing was more accurate than to call it a person, so it was a thing. A creature which had shoved its entire existence in a facsimile of a human shape, but was very clearly not human. It had a head, two arms and two legs, as well as a torso and neck, but that is about all that was human about it.
The things skin was entirely colourless. See-through, more like smudged glass, as if a child had put its hands all over and then those stains had been dragged around with a dirty cloth. Inside the glass framing of the creature, there was a layer of dozens upon dozens of eyes. They laid over and under each other, to the sides and across. Each one seemed pressed up against the glass, straining to escape.
Each eye was a different colour, too. Some brown, some blue, some green or yellow or pink. They had round pupils, slit pupils, horizontal pupils, pupils like those of a goat with two round circles interconnected with a line between them. Pupils that were entirely different, shaped like vortices or towers or buildings.
It was a thing of evershifting complexity and undulating colour as the eyes blinked, and vanished, and were replaced by other eyes pressing up against the glass from inside.
Across that thing, for calling it a person would be too kind, sat another creature confined into a too tight human body. This one had managed a somewhat better mimicry, for it put in more effort. While the other creature was full of eyes that wanted to escape and see more, this creature had wrapped itself into infinite density.
Layer upon layer of something covered it. Like a matryoshka doll in the shape of a human. Its outermost layer was thin wrapping paper, the kind youd get to cheaply wrap christmas packages, but without the colour. It was thin, translucent, and a dirty brown. Underneath that was a layer of glass.
Glass, of course, was intrinsic to these creatures, but while one proudly displayed it, the other was more private - though saying they understood the concept of privacy would have been giving them too much credit. Underneath the glass there was a layer of the creature made from mattress foam. Then one of fabric. One of thin wood. One of plastic. Aluminium foil.
A thousand thousand layers followed, each one smaller and more delicate yet just as intricate as the last, and all of them hidden behind that shitty paper wrapping. The layers, of course, had friction, and would rip and tear when the creature moved, revealing deeper and deeper gashes into its body until those layers sealed back up and it was a simple human shape wrapped in wrapping paper.
One creature looked at the other.
It is time. She must perish, now, Eyes said.
She will not walk through until her soul is strong enough. You know this, Matryoshka replied.
Then we must make her, Eyes spoke again. The vibrations appeared in the room, though there was no air, and Eyes had no mouth to speak.
We must. Matryoshka agreed, its hum shredding the wrapping paper and revealing a dozen layers deep into its body.
How?
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Violence.
Eyes nodded, a bastardization of the human motion. It wasnt smooth or gentle like a normal nod, instead looking frazzled and jerky, like a video watched from a scratched CD, jumping ahead and back, or a glitch in a game.
Always Violence, Eyes agreed, nodding some more.
Who?
Always our enforcers.
Which of them? Matryoshka asked, again. Their voice was even, but the paper tore, in the shape of a vein on their forehead. Angrily, it revealed dirty glass.
The violent ones, Eyes hummed, blinking a thousand times as though it was obvious.
Always the violent ones, Matryoshka agreed, leaning back.
How violent?
Very.
Very, Eyes agreed.
Then, each one of the eyes underneath their surface moved. A thousand directionless, curious gazes, taking in the nothingness around, suddenly flickered, turning towards one direction.
Choose, it said, and it revealed pictures of people. Not all human. None of them looking kind.
All?
No. Eyes voice reverberated strongly, popping one of the eyes, sending a splatter of blood against the inside of the glass. It vanished, a moment later, replaced by more eyes. Never all.
Never all? Matryoshka hummed, curiously. Tauntingly.
Never.
Slowly, Matryoshka nodded. Its mimicry was better than that of Eyes, because it tried. Still, the paper was not bendable, and so it tore. The glass fractured, and for a moment, a thousand colours spilled into the room.
A failure of mimicry. An embarrassment. Matryoshka closed the hole, watching a million mocking gazes from Eyes. It was enraged, but despite that, nodded again.
Not all, then.
Choose, Eyes commanded.
At that, Matryoshka froze. The wrapping paper shredded away, all at once, as its body vibrated, layer after layer underneath the glass disintegrating and being replaced. You dare?
Silence.
Choose, Eyes requested.
Slowly, Matryoshkas anger faded. The creature grew wrapped in beige, thin paper again. Silently, it picked out some of the people, indicating them with a pointed finger. These.
A human man. Middle aged, in his forties. Scraggly beard, unkempt hair, violent eyes. Many scars.
A woman of green scaled skin, with a tail for a lower body. One of the folk, some kind of snake. Her scalp full of sharp scales, done up with decorations. Piercings in the shape of golden rings, through ridges of scales that stood taller. She had a cruel smile on her face.
Finally, one person with three bodies. One of the tris-adu. The shellcrafters. This one had made its bodies different from one another.
A wooden thing, tall, lanky, like a tree come to life, a deer skull with green embers for eyes. Decorated with bones.
A thing of stone, granite blocks attached to one another. Their bonds tight yet malleable, easily able to change shape. A hunting dog, for now.
Third, it was a human. A face to wear. Young, beautiful. Wild raven hair, cheerful smile, kind face and mysterious eyes. A scar, across one eye. A facade to mimic a kind but reckless beastmaster - a facade the tris-adu must have stolen.
This one, Eyes said, indicating the tris-adu. Far away.
Matryoshka waved its compatriot off. Time.
Time.
Agreed? Matryoshka asked.
Acceptable, Eyes indicating, a thousand affirmative blinks just beyond its tainted glass skin.
Good. Hunt well.
With an explosion of colour, the room broke. Eyes and Matryoshka relieved themselves of their limiting, human fakes and returned to being what they truly were, in their own realms. There were a thousand other things to manage, and they had neglected those for too long in the few seconds their conversation took.
Hurriedly, Eyes turned its gaze around, and solved problems where they arose. Renewing stasis. Maintaining gateways; maintaining itself as was needed.
But back in there, somewhere, within what one could have called its mind, there was a hunger for growth and expansion. A morsel had appeared, and it was sending out its proverbial hunting dogs.
Soon, it would become more than it was. It drooled at the thought.
Chapter 71: Morning in Eden
It was a new day in Eden.
I woke up in our guild, Dawn of Ambition. The beds in Eden were a little less comfortable than back on the other side Neamhan. My bed back on Neamhan was nicer. But. This side did have Ann sleeping next to me, so quite frankly, it was all worth it.
Ann, of course, was my gorgeous girlfriend. How she managed to be gorgeous even while sleeping I did not know. She was still asleep, and I decided to let her be.
With quiet motions, I took off the blanket, stepped out of bed, and stretched. There was a window in the room, and I pulled back the curtain enough to feel the sun on my face. It was still morning, though far from sunrise by now.
I felt a tug at my soul. Right, thanks Cass! I thought at my keeper, then, with a small expression of my will, I reigned in my Mirror Qi, keeping it tightly contained within myself. Not a drop of it leaked outside. Better safe than sorry, it just wasnt worth the risk of drawing monsters in if there was a gap in the repelling formations.
Then I looked at the sun.
The sky in Eden was lilac, during the days, and looked gorgeous in the sunlight. I smiled, then pulled the curtains closed, letting Ann sleep a while longer.
With a quick grab into where there would have been empty air, I pulled clothes from my inventory, quickly changing into those instead of my pajamas. I quietly headed out the door and downstairs, to the common room.
Matt and Liam already sat at the table. Emilia, well, for a certain definition, she might have sat, but it was honestly more like she was draped over the couch like a wet sock. Hungover, badly so.
Morning, I said, keeping my tone even but cheery.
Morning, Matt said, with a nod and a smile.
Morning, Liams voice sounded right in my ears.
Huuuurrrrggghhhhhh, Emilia said. To give her credit where it was due, she did raise her hand to wave at me. For a certain definition of wave, anyway.
You really shouldnt drink so much, I told her, as I opened up the fridge, grabbing some jam to put on bread.
She went through the bare minimum effort to stick her tongue out at me. It would have had more impact if she looked less like a wet sock and more like a fierce warrior. Eh, Id have to give her a few hours for that.
As I prepared my bread, Cass appeared next to me.
It took a tiny amount of Qi for her to appear, and there was an invisible tether of it connecting her ethereal appearance to mine. She looked kind of like a floating ghost, slightly translucent, slightly glowing. She had the shape of an artist sketch of a human, the stuff youd draw before adding any defining features.
A round, featureless head, with a line horizontally and vertically across the face, to more easily determine where the eyes, nose and mouth would go. Her body was entirely the same colour, with no shadows or definition, more like a facsimile, and spheres kinda sketched in where joints would have been. She was about the size of an average eight-year old, hovering in the air beside me.
Whatcha making? She asked. She kind of vibrated as she spoke, since she didnt have a mouth, but she did speak. Matt and Liam could also hear her. Emilia reasonably could hear her, but I dont think she was listening, particularly.
Breakfast, I told Cass.
Is it any good? She asked, flitting over to my other side.
I shrugged a little. Eh. Its alright. We were out of my favourite jam, so it was alright, for a certain definition of alright.
Cass nodded, sagely, then floated over and sat down on the couch. She didnt really sit, she couldnt really interact with the couch after all, but she could simulate it. Though she did decide to sit on the backrest, with her feet dangling in the air, since she was short enough to not have them reach the seating.
Matt smirked at her. Having fun, Boo? He found it incredibly amusing to call Cass Boo, since she looked like a ghost, according to him. And apparently, if she didnt say boo to scare people, he had to do the job for her.
Very, she said smiling.
I smiled, too. The last what, had it already been a month? It must have, I suppose. Well, the last month had been hectic. Rushing from gateway to gateway, absorbing shards. Id made it to the seventh step on both voyage and imprint. I was on the very precipice of the wellspring realm, and I had been there for that entire month, essentially.
Voyage ticked over pretty soon after I got back to Eden. Id expected that. With all the stuff I did to feel comfortable back on Neamhan? It made me feel free, instead of bottling things up. That was good for voyage, so it hit the seventh step quickly.
The sea inside my soul changed again, then. It now had a pier. I knew what I had to do to advance. It wasnt called walk across the golden beach, after all. It was a voyage. I needed to build myself a ship, now, and that ship would serve as my wellspring.
But that was exactly the hard part.
For imprint, the story was similar. I walked across that ethereal road, and hit a wall. Not a bottleneck that could have been broken through like all the ones before, but an actual, proper wall. I needed a shift of perspective, a change of attitude, and I just couldnt figure it out.
With every gateway fragment I consumed, that truth felt a little closer. By now, the gateway was, after all, fully repaired. That had unlocked the possibility of buying the [Keeper Manifestation] ability that Cass was using to talk to Matt right now.
It was, well and truly, repaired. And so, the keepers could now take it away. So, what I still needed to do was get the gateway attached solidly enough for it to be inseparable from my soul. I was still a ways away from that, too.
But despite all the shortcomings, I could feel satisfied when looking at my status. It had been a month of hard work, and I had run myself ragged. But it was all worth it. I smiled, staring at the words in the air.
Of course, Matt noticed. Hey, Fio, he called from over on the couch.
Dont you dare, Matt, I said, glaring at him over my shoulder.
He grinned, wider. You remember, Fio?
Dont you daaaare!
Matt leaned back, crossing his arms behind his bed. Remember that beautiful day, when we came back to Eden, and Id already hit the seventh stage-
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
You Rat! I yelled, not truly angry at all.
Our swordsman only laughed at my antics; it seemed the only one who truly suffered the consequences of my actions was Emilia, who barely managed half a turn on the couch to give me another groan. I was pretty sure she muttered something. Probably something about being quieter.
Just wait until the twins wake up, theyll cure your headache, Im sure, Liam said, laying his hand on the taller womans shoulder empathetically.
Was that a good use of divine power?
The thought hung around for all of half a second until I shrugged. Meh. Dont care. Not my problem.
What was my problem, was the fact that Matt was still smugly grinning about getting to stage seven first. It was only a tiny difference, too, but he had gotten there before me. I frowned as I picked up my plate of now finished sliced bread with jam, and moved to sit down on the couch. Cass floated up for a second to make some space for me, then promptly sat down on my shoulder.
Luckily for me, our little ghost was entirely weightless. Not that lifting a kids weight would have given me much trouble, but it would have made it much more uncomfortable for her to sit whilst I ate.
Her form was one of the new abilities Id picked up, that one from the contribution shop specifically. Id also levelled Gateway to five, and Spearwoman to eight. With a small smile, I pulled up my full status for the first time in a while.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (8) / Gateway (5)
- - Techniques
- - Spear Techniques
- - Spear Technique - Fundamentals (Intermediate)
- - Swift Spear (Basic)
- - Momentum Shift (Low)
- - Qi Techniques
- - General
- - Aura Suppression (Intermediate) (Keeping your Qi contained inside your body allows you to appear perfectly ordinary)
- - Golden Core
- - Spear Qi (Intermediate) (Manifest your Qi outside your body and on your weapon)
- - Golden Body (Intermediate) (Flood your body with your Qi to temporarily improve all physical attributes)
- - Weapon Resonance (Basic) (You and your weapon are one. It resonates with your Qi, amplifying its effect)
- - Mirror Core
- - Gateway Manifestation (Low) (Your body functions as a Gateway to and from Eden)
- - Gateway (Basic) (You are a Gateway, with all that entails)
- - Reflection (Basic) (Manifest a mirror from your Qi and use it to reflect enemy attacks back)
- - Lost and Found (Intermediate) (You have a tether to other problematic gateways, allowing you to feel their location)
- - Keeper Manifestation (Low) (Summon an Avatar for your Keeper to interact with the world)
- - Stats
- - General
- - Strength: Medium (Lesser)
- - Agility: Medium (Greater)
- - Endurance: Medium (Superior)
- - Resilience: Medium (Greater)
- - Manipulation: Medium (Inferior)
- - Capacity: Medium (Basic)
- - Absorption: Medium (Intermediate)
- - Qi
-
-
- - Gold
- - Purity (Intermediate)
- - Realm (Golden Core)
- - Stage (7th Step)
- - Path (Voyage through the Golden Shores)
- - Mirror
- - Purity (Perfect)
- - Realm (Mirror Core)
- - Stage (7th Step)
- - Path (Imprint upon infinite Self-Similarity)
Current Status: Healthy]
I didnt need to check my disposition; nothing about it had changed since my last check-in. But, since my last time in Eden, these were all my improvements. I was especially proud of getting my manipulation over the hurdle and into medium; Id only managed that practicing a lot with my mirror Qi.
And it had taken a lot of practice. Enough for [Aura Suppression] to increase in rank twice. [Golden Body] was also mainly trained via manipulation. I did focus on speed a lot, so my agility increased by two minor realms. That was satisfying.
The strangest change, though, was probably the fact that [Gateway Manipulation] turned into just [Gateway]. That had happened right after picking up another fragment, the first one after I came back to Eden and it was an experience.
I didnt wanna think back to it, so I shoved that thought aside, instead focussing on what the ability was now.
Fio, youre staring into the air, Matt said. And you havent touched your breakfast. At all.
With a light frown, I moved to take a bite of my bread.
Checking your status again? Liam whispered.
Mhm, I nodded. Reviewing it all. Feels surreal.
He gave a hum of agreement, nodding as well. I didnt know all of Liams stats, and it would feel kinda rude to ask, but Id certainly noticed his improvement over the last month.
Gonna get to wellspring before you~ Matt hummed, cheekily.
I was tempted to throw a slice of bread at him, but that would have been both a waste of food, and an entirely undue way of dealing with his teasing. Instead I just gave him a groan, and he chuckled back at me.
With a roll of my eyes, I thought about my status again. [Gateway] still hung there, with a description that told me entirely nothing about what it did, and an entirely unearned basic ranking. Id hardly used the ability, because it didnt feel like some of the others.
For example: [Golden Body] had felt like a switch in the back of my head, until I used it enough that now it was more detached from the system. It was easier to activate just by myself, with my own skill at manipulation.
But [Gateway]... wasnt quite like that. It wasnt a switch, it was a whole airline controls worth of different options and choices and none of them were labelled, and I had no idea what any of them did and it was unbelievably frustrating and I wish I-!
[Thats why you need a Keeper,] Cass calmly interrupted, her legs drumming against my shoulder as she swung them. [Ill press the right buttons to make things work!]
I paused for a moment, long enough to take another bite of my breakfast, then take a sip of water. Matt and Liam eyes my ghosty little friend for a few moments, then shrugged. Matt drank a bit of what I think was tea, Liam went about sharpening some of his never ending supply of knives.
Thanks, Cass. Ill try to keep it in mind, I said, genuinely meaning it.
[Dont sweat it too much. Its all a lot. But at the end of the day, its part of you, and not at all bad, either. Theres a lot you can do with the ability, and I havent quite figured out much of it yet, myself. I can certainly get the others teleported back to Neamhan, if the need ever arises, though!]
This time, I smiled. Lets hope we never need to use that.
Emilia groaned loudly enough to inform us that she, right now, might want a transport back to Neamhan to deal with the headache.
We all laughed. Emilia groaned at the noise again. It was a good morning.
Chapter 72: Ruined Morning
After the morning, we discussed what to do next. My Gateway was fully grown now, but it was not fully strengthened. It took some playing around with [Gateway] and some of Cass help, but eventually, I was able to summon up a new menu.
[Gateway:
- Strength: 8
- Fragments: 12
- Figments: 1]
That was all it said. I had no idea what a figment was, and neither did Cass, apparently. The fragments, though, were clear. When I absorbed broken gateways, they were worth some amount of fragments. Some more than others.
The first one I grabbed had been decently strong, worth five fragments. The one from the nest was a single fragment, and so on.
What the strength meant was still a bit nebulous. It seemed linked to the territory Cass could manage in the astral, and for how well it was tied to my soul, but the technique didnt exactly give much more of an explanation.
Disregarding that for now, I stepped out onto the sun-soaked streets of Renvil. I took a long moment to let the sun shine on my face, stretching wide. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself frowning.
In front of me, there was a man, probably slightly older than me, with a stubble for a beard. He wore long, grey robes. There was a necklace around his neck, with a small Tombstone on it. There was writing on the stone, and I didnt bother trying to read it. Hir obscured that kinda stuff themselves.
Good day miss Fio, the cleric greeted, giving me a small bow.
Good morning? May I ask who I have the pleasure of talking to? I asked, though I think the frown on my face may have given away just how much of a pleasure I found it.
He gave me a sad, understanding smile. Of course. My name is Iryel. I am a cleric of-
Hir. I figured, I said, indicating his necklace, maybe a bit more flippantly than I needed to. What does the divine need of me?
Once again, the priest gave me a pained smile. I see you did not wish to see someone like myself today?
I shook my head. I did not. This was my first day off in a while. Well, it seemed like it might just be a morning off, then. Regardless. State your case.
My words were a bit too arrogant, and I almost flinched after Id spoken them, but if the priest took offense, he showed no indication. Right then. I shall keep it short. The divines overall wish to talk.
I imagined, I deadpanned.
Please, allow me to finish, he said, giving yet another small bow. Your reluctance is seen. If you would prefer it, the divines have allocated me as our go-between. They used prettier words, but that is what they mean.
For a few seconds, I looked the man up and down. His air was grey already, even though he was probably only in his early thirties. His face was smooth, without scars, but the rings under his eyes told me he slept rarely. Probably from nightmares, I guessed. They were too deep, and his eyes too aware to be from sleep deprivation.
Slowly, I nodded. Right, then. Iryel. That name sounds holy.
At that, his eyes glinted, and for the first time I saw their colour shift. The usual dim grey shifted to bright white for a moment. Shit. My guess was right on.
The angel regarded me again. Well then, miss Fio. Let us keep this conversation clear. Anytime the divines make requests of you, I scoffed when he said requests; they were more like demands, it will be through me. Exclusively. The clerics in your party will be unbothered by this role.
So an angel was sent because I was suddenly too high-profile. Right, that was fair. Im guessing you arent here to tell me just that.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
He nodded. Then paused. Drew a long deep breath. Edians were killed by Reflectors.
I froze. Fuck.
Once more, Iryel nodded. Three dead. Middle of the night, here in Renvil. New people, fresh from the tutorial. Cocky after their first mission, drunk in a bar. One of em got a little touchy, was rebuffed, took it poorly.
Shit.
The divines wish for a rebuttal, he said, almost hissing the last word.
Right. The dimensional sanctions they werent enough in cases like this. Slaps on the wrist only did so much. The divines couldnt take away levels at all. Edians werent supposed to hurt Reflectors.
So when shit like this happened? Reflectors were recruited. Now, in most cases it was just a quick bout of fighting. In the worst case It was an execution.
I swallowed heavily.
How severe is this rebuttal meant to be? I asked. My voice shook. Damn it.
Iryel eyed me, eyes glinting with tired divine light. You arent killing anyone, miss Fio.
Involuntarily, air heavily left my lungs. Glad to hear that.
It is good you are glad. If we are to work together, I would dislike for you to be a killer.
The words came genuinely and raised my mirth slightly. Angel of death doesnt wanna work with killers, eh?
How is this gonna go, then? I asked.
We offer a reward of contribution, as per the general standard. You will be incorporated into the lists of a dimensional agent. We may make requests for you to carry out missions on the other side, too.
I nodded, that much was expected.
You can turn down missions, he said, and my shoulders fell a bit in relief. We will try to give you only ones you are amicable towards. In exchange, the divines promise to keep your he nodded towards me, and I felt he was indicating the mirror core in my chest, secret.
Heh, I couldnt help but huff. Extortion?
He looked at me, and his eyes turned grey and tired. Tis a shit world we live in. The divines tell me to say they mean no extortion. They simply wish for an amicable work relationship but you know what they mean. You are being underestimated, because they cannot cope with the scale of our small world. I can, that is why I am here.
So, I deliver the message as I deem best. Yes. There will be some veiled threats. You have your own, too, do you not? Should you join the usurpers Eden is another step towards doom, because this Gateway now has a fragment of the divine gift. The potential for growth, and that is new.
Therefore, I ask this of you: Work with us. Please. I want this world to prosper. That is all. The divines are afraid, so they make thre- Argh! Iryel held his head for a few moments, then breathed. He gave me a pained smile. Ru does not like being called afraid, I have been notified. Regardless. The threats please, simply see them as part of protocol. None of us truly want to act on them.
There was another implied threat there. He didnt want to act on them, but he would if there was a need. I blinked at him, and saw that he understood that I caught his meaning. His smile turned even more pained, this time in empathy.
The divine gift? I asked.
Ah. The what do you call it? System? Your levels. Techniques. The Assortment of it. It is woven into this world, gifted to those deemed worthy. For Reflectors, it is gifted by the divines and keepers together. The usurpers want it, of course, but cannot tear it from corpses. Your gateway, though? Its a vulnerability.
I see, I said. Yet another reason people would want me dead. How many more targets would I need on my back. Where do I find these murderers of yours. I said the word and felt disgusted already. Killing other sentient beings. What scum.
For once, Iryels smile wasnt sad or pained, but held slight satisfaction. May I give you a divine thread?
Please, stick to mundane directions. I didnt need a glowing line tethering me to them.
Of course. The bar they forced their way into sleeping at, and are still currently at, is called the Golden Dewdrop, he said. Then, he gave another bow, deeper this time. Thank you for your assistance. Contribution will be attributed as you are used to. I hope we will continue working well together.
Then he was off. I knew the Golden Dewdrop, of course, like I knew most bars in town. Wed been there a few times. They had a rather pretty barmaid, there And now she might be dead. Dread crept up in my chest.
Dying in Eden was supposed to be temporary- This was just like Jacob- I-!
I took a deep breath. Goosebumps rolled across my skin. Dread churned in my stomach. I felt bile in my throat, but forced it down.
Behind me, I heard footsteps approaching the door. Matts, I could tell. I hesitated for a fraction of a second, and before even hearing his voice, I spoke.
Got an errand to run, Matt. My voice shook, like a leaf in the wind. My eyes were almost tearing up. It reminded me of the night my brother died- Ill be back soon, I said interrupting the train of thought.
Matt hesitated. He knew something was wrong. He spoke through the door. Okay Fio. Let me know if I, or any of us, can help.
He didnt open the door. I was grateful for that. I took another deep breath, and the fresh Eden air tasted of decay and death and horrible memories. I didnt reply anymore, and walked off.
Ah the morning was truly ruined, wasnt it?
Chapter 73: Brief Violence
Before I knew it, I was in front of the Golden Dewdrop. I breathed. Id sunken deep into [Single-Minded]. The talent helped me focus. This time, I focused on walking, apparently, because everything else had faded into the background.
Now I stood and looked at the building. It was two stories tall, made from wood and brick and clay. There was a hole in the wall, and blood on the half of the door that was still left. I heard snoring from upstairs.
I pushed open the door and it fell off its hinges, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. I hardly heard it. The smell of blood hit my nose. The bodies had been taken away. I didnt know who died, but people had died.
The blood had not been scrubbed. The floor was covered in dried, flaking, once-puddles of red. Residue clung to the wooden boards, clots of red held together by sawdust. Some tables and chairs had been broken.
It was so strange to see. From a certain angle it looked like an entirely normal establishment. All the tables and chairs in that corner over there were intact. In their normal arrangement. The bar was mostly fine, only the bottles behind it having been raided.
Then I turned, and red filled my vision.
I breathed again, the smell of iron in my nose, and I almost choked on my disgust.
Heavy steps carried me to the back, to a door that had already been entirely torn off its hinges. This was the horror of superhumans, I supposed. I dimly took note that some of the blood in the staircase up wasnt red.
Some kind of shifter. Was the barkeep a shifter? I thought I remembered, but my mind seemed a bit foggy.
A blink later, I stood at the top of the staircase. Right. I had to do something.
Gently, I sunk into [Single-Minded] again. Focused on delivering a rightful beatdown.
I opened followed the noise of snoring into a room of four Reflectors. They were humans, all. I barely registered what they looked like.
One of them was awake, staring at me. Morning, she mumbled. It was a girl, younger than me. I think. She carried a small staff and wore robes. Clearly a mage, using a beginner staff.
Your boots are bloody, I said.
She looked down at herself, confused. Then she saw the blood staining her pants until her knees. Ah. They appear to be.
Dont they now.
Why are you here? She asked. The large man who was snoring slowly rumbled awake now.
He was a hulking goliath in plate armor. The kind you bought if you started with more money than you should. Sponsored? Whore you? he rumbled at me.
His voice was deep and gruff and annoying enough to wake the other two. None of them clerics. A swordswoman with wild hair, stained in just as much blood as the goliaths armor. Then another mage, an older man, around fourty, the only one clean of blood.
The swordswoman grinned as she saw me. Arent you a lovely sight to walk up tah? she said. I grimaced. The blood in her hair made it red, but it was a mockery of the colour that I loved so much about Ann.
Why arent you saying anything? the young mage asked me. Her mouth was shaped into a perpetual o, staring curiously out into the world, as though everything was new to her.
The older mage looked at me. He seemed clean, and the most lucid, right now. His eyebrows scrunched up. Why are you inside our room, young lady? You smell of trouble.
I love tah toussle with some trouble! the swordswoman commented. The older mage, though, shot her a glare, and she shut her mouth.
Identify yourself or we will engage hostile action, he said.
So businesslike, I commented dryly. You killed some people yesterday.
The goliath scoffed, then spat onto the floor. Calls em people, she does.
I got a frown from the swordswoman. Eyecandy is what they are, not real at all.
The younger mage simply tilted her head at me. What? We did nothing like that at all. I barely even remember yesterday. She had the audacity to follow it with an unsure giggle.
Then, the old mage spoke, the party leader, it seemed. He sighed. I told you all to not get blood on yourselves. You use icicles to kill. The murder weapon melts itself away.
Bah. Ices no fun, the goliath said, picking up a mace.
I felt a vein pulsing on my neck. Do you regret?
They looked at me like I was being ridiculous.
No? the goliath asked, confused. The swordswoman chuckled and shook her head. The old mage simply frowned, deeply, and the young mage tilted her head further, confused.
I reached into the air beside me, withdrawing my spear. I wore no armor. My spear looked simple, because I controlled that shape. I spun it, gingerly, with an amount of mastery I would wager none of them could appreciate. No regrets? I asked again, just making sure.
Bah. Piss off, you piece of shit. Theyre npcs, stop fucking around- the goliath rumbled, lifting his massive frame. I waited. Leave, now.
I waited.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
He stepped closed, trying to intimidate me.
Leave, he growled, this time. He was right in front of me, two heads taller than me and twice as wide, too. Then he frowned. Blank-faced bitch. Get lost or get hurt.
This time the edge to his voice was real. They were sponsored, for sure. Lightly dangerous.
I waited.
Only half a second passed before he move, a blur to the normal human eye. The mace on his shoulder descended so fast-
Not nearly fast enough. Casually, I reached out with my off hand, catching the handle of the mace, and stopping the swing.
The goliath looked at me, a confused expression on his face. He pressed down on the weapon with both of his massive arms, and the weight was like lifting two treetrunks.
Not much trouble at all.
With a flick of force, I stepped aside, and assisted his motion, pulling the mace down, throwing him off balance. He recovered remarkably quickly and tried to stop the swing, but I was faster.
Before he could blink, I had pulled the weapon down far enough to bring his face to the same height as mine.
I dropped my spear, staring into his dark eyes for a moment, before grabbing his cheeks. I squished his face, and for a second I saw fear begin to build. Then I didnt see him anymore, because I threw him through the wall.
The room was quiet.
Three people looked at me, the sound of wood splinters raining to the floor the only one accompanying it all. I was [Single-Minded] on dealing with these people. Any little twitch I took note of.
I saw a grin flicker onto the swordwomans face. She licked her lips, then brandished her blade, and it shifted-
A thin rapier lashed out at me with whip like speed.
My spear was in my hand where Id dropped it, and the rapier blade shattered against the wood. The swordswoman was confused. Before that expression shifted even slightly, I lashed out, and suddenly she laid on her ass on the floor with a broken leg.
There was a weary sigh from the old mage. The curious, young one, seemed entirely unbothered by this.
Why are you doing this? oldie asked. I breathed deep.
You hurt others. You get hurt.
Yeah fucking right, the goliath grumbled, tumbling through the door. Blood dripped down his forehead, where the splinters had dug into his skin. The swordswoman reached out into the air, drawing forth another sword. I saw the old mage brandish his staff.
The young mage simply watched. I looked to her.
Kid. You there?
She blinked at me, then nodded.
You killed people.
I guess I must have, she said, breathing out.
Any remorse? I asked.
She shrugged. Hard to tell. Im trying to figure it out still.
Allow me to give you a helping hand. This is what happens when you hurt people.
When I finished speaking, I moved. Their martials, who had been catching their breath, tried to stop me, but that didnt work out. I was faster.
Within a fraction of a second, I had shattered the young mages staff, and given her a dozen bruises, as well as a handful of cracked bones. I was very soft on her, but there was only so much a human could do to hold back in battle.
A moment later, the goliath and the swordswoman were onto me again, and before I finished breathing out, they were both on the floor once more. Their blood now mixed with that of their victims.
I used the tip of the spear to cut a few long lines into skin, never going quite deep. It reeked of blood. Bile rose in my throat, and I sunk deeper into my focus.
The older mage looked at me with scrunched up eyebrows, yet didnt seem afraid.
Ill break you next. Do you have a preferred arm, or do I break them both? I asked. My voice sounded husky to even myself.
He scoffed at me. Fuck off, he said, raising his much more expensive staff. Lightning lashed out at me, crashing into my skin, searing my nerves and-
It impacted a barrier of Qi on my skin. Metal Qi. That was the truth of my golden core. The metal easily directed the electricity into my spear instead, holding the charge in itself. Then I tapped it against the old man.
His robes almost caught fire, patches of them burnt, and he curled on the floor in pain. I broke both his arms. Then, they were all on the floor.
Some were groaning in pain. I breathed in, leaning further into the focus. Then, I spoke as if on autopilot.
Quiet your moans or I hurt you more, I said, calmly. My voice was so deadpan it was scary.
Well, having just wiped the floor with their whole team in my morning shirt and a loose pair of pants probably helped. I kicked the goliath anyway, just to make my point, when he huffed at me.
Let me make myself clear. You hurt Edians, this is what happens, I said.
They were silent.
You, I said, pointing my spear at the throat of the old mage. You knew this. You hurt them, though. Why?
He frowned. Their lives are worthless, they should be happy to-
I stabbed his leg.
He didnt scream.
Youre not cruel. Youre just unscrupulous. You dont care. That is acceptable, but you need to control yourself. Let me explain it in a way that happens: You acted, these are the consequences. You see them now, yes?
He nodded.
Step out of line again, and it will be worse.
Then I turned to the goliath. You, on the other hand, are just cruel. That is fine, too. Bad people can do good things. Do good things, and we have no trouble. Save your cruelty for the monsters - they deserve no mercy.
He glared, but I moved on.
The swordswoman. You, though, take pride in what you did. She grinned at me and nodded. That is a problem. Ill get back to you.
I pointed my spear at the young mage woman. You. Youre clueless. Testing the limits. You found them. Overstep one more time, and you die. Simple as, clear?
Yes, clear, she said. Her voice was calm, didnt even quiver. The fearless kind, the kind to get sponsored. I knew that already.
Then I turned to the swordswoman again. Name?
Olivia, she said, sticking out her tongue at me. Her bright blonde hair fell into her face as she did so, the blood flaking from her hair, and parts sticking to her cheek.
Okay, Olivia. I understand I cannot get through to you with pain. The next time you do this, you will be barred from Eden. Permanently. Youll lose all memories from here, all powers, and your soul will be hurt, badly. You will be in a haze on the other side for months, barely aware of whats happening.
I saw her face fall as I spoke. This is not a threat, it is a simple truth. The only reason you arent back on Neamhan again yet is because I dont like killing. Let me repeat that. I dont like killing. Understood?
She swallowed.
Alright then. You batch of filthy murderers. As a sanction from the divines, I will be stripping you of any and all magical equipment you possess. Within a moment, my spear separated their weapons and armor from their body. Anything with magic in it was taken into my inventory, until they all sat there, in thin, common clothes.
Your money will be confiscated. The coins were lightly magical, so Id already taken them all. Who sponsored you?
Zinnic, the goliath said, wearing a cruel grin.
I looked at him. His shit-eating grin. Then I gave a smile myself, as kind and warm as I could manage. I kicked his broken leg, hard, and there was another crunch. He doubled over into himself, groaning in pain.
Then I took a long breath. I expected as much. This might get me in trouble with Zinnic. I suppose that much was inevitable. I smiled again, at the freedom. I hated that piece of shit corp anyway. Who gave a fuck if the hated me? Now I was just gonna act against them more openly.
I know youll go crying to the big dogs. Let me be clear. If someone comes for me, Ill kick their asses. Anyone Zinnic sends at me will be sent back in just as poor condition as you all. Bring me Reflectors and Ill return broken goods. I heavily struck the floor with the butt of my spear, making the whole building shake with a resonant wave of Qi. Clear?
The goliath didnt smile anymore. Olivia seemed conflicted between frowning and grinning with elation. The clueless mage blinked at me multiple times, but I knew she got the message. The old mage seemed resigned, like hed known this would happen.
I breathed deep again. The smell of iron sent more bile into my throat, but I forced it down.
Dont let it happen again.
I headed home.
Chapter 74: Calm before the Storm
I threw up in an alley before I made it to the guild. There was blood on me. On my shoes, on my shirt. It clung to my hair. It was disgusting.
The smell of iron was so much worse inside a city than the wilderness. There were no earthy tones to subdue it all, only the smell and noise of more people. All people who looked at me with disgust, disdain, and distrust.
Step by step I shambled through the city. I dont think my route was quite right, but I was kind of out of it. [Single-Minded] was off now, and I felt the disgust cling heavily to myself.
Eventually, there was a tap on my shoulder. I lashed out with a quick swipe of my open hand, not wanting to kill anyone, but I didnt strike.
When I turned there was a man there. Tall, lanky, springy hair, a black goatee, dark skin and hazel eyes. He grinned. Next to him were two women, one old and hunched and frowning, the other young a child, really, halfway hiding behind the man. Scared.
He smiled at me, almost a grin. Hey there again, Dawn of Ambition lady!
He recognized me. Where did I know him from? Who was this?
Seems like its our fate to find you in trouble and have ya lash out, huh? he asked, humor in his voice.
He had one of those faces it was hard to stay mad at. That goatee is hideous.
The girl chuckled, and the older woman barked out a bout of laughter. The man himself flushed for a second, then laughed, too. It was mundane. It helped.
And it clicked. These were the people whod taken me onto a stretcher back in the day, when I first came back from the wilderness.
You know, you never told us your name, lady, the man said.
I smirked. The feelings mutual. Since you all got three names to give, why dont you start, huh?
For a second, I saw that the man almost replied, but the old woman interrupted him. I am Evelyn. The young one is Sophia. The idiot is named Trevor.
I almost laughed. Their names were so normal it was refreshing. Fio, I said, reaching out a hand. Then I noticed it had blood on it. Crap.
Is that short for anything? Trevor asked me. Fiona perhaps?
Call me that and maybe Ill leave more bloody than you met me, I said, though my tone was joking. I breathed in the air, and the smell of iron didnt suffocate me for a moment.
Hah! Trevor laughed. Alright, Fio. I got that. You call me Trev, then, alright?
Sure.
Sophia was no longer hidden behind Trevor by now, coming a little closer to me. Back when I first saw her Id guessed she was in her teens. She was, I now saw, and early-ish, too. She couldnt have been older than fifteen.
Lightly, she reached out with a hand. I looked at her in confusion.
Evelyn spoke for her. She wants to cleanse you of the blood. Shes a cleric, though she hasnt chosen a deity yet. Argus, Archiva and Hir favour her.
Slowly, I reached out, then took the girls hand. I felt a small rush of divinity crawl across my skin, eliciting a shiver that sent the girl skittering, and goosebumps raising on my skin. I breathed to shake off the feeling of static underneath my flesh. Then I shook myself again.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
I turned to Sophia with a smile. Thank you for that, I said.
She gave me a timid smile. Youre welcome, she said, in a quiet, bright voice, almost as bright as her grass-green eyes.
Evelyn spoke again. I am glad you feel better, Fio.
What didya get into to get that much bloo- Trev started, before she continued, but she interrupted him in turn.
We will not ask you what happened, she said, glaring at the man, who gave a non-remorseful motion of backing off. How about this, instead: Let us walk you to your guild?
I eyed her for a bit. Why are you being so kind?
Trev blinked at me, then laughed. Hah! Hahaha! Cmon, Fio. Were all Reflectors. This aint an easy life. We lie and fight and hardly have any true friends. So isnt it right to help another when you see one in trouble?
Humans gotta stick together, Evelyn said with a shrug.
I cringed at that. People gotta stick together, I said.
The old woman gave me a long look. Right. That works.
With a small nod, she walked ahead, her walking stick, which I was now sure was a magic staff, tapped against the road with a rhythmical tak. Come along then. Lets get to your guild.
And then we did just that. I was glad for the company.
Trev, too, seemed glad. Because he did not shut up for a single moment of the walk. I now understood why he was in this party exactly. Anyone else would just get sick of his constant waterfall of quips, but right now, it felt nice.
I let his talking wash over me, not needing to put in much effort besides walking. He told me of their quests, how they met, what their plans in Eden were and then we were at the doorstep of the guild.
There, they waved me goodbye, and I took another deep breath, before pushing open the door to Dawn of Ambition.
Ann stood in front of me.
I looked into her eyes and she looked into me. A scowl was firmly placed on her lips, and her arms were crossed.
Whereve you been? she asked.
I looked at her. The small joys of the short walk evaporated quickly. My smile disintegrated. For a moment, I reflexively opened my mouth, about to lie like I was used to from my parents and Neamhan as a whole.
Then I decided I would do better. The divines sent me an angel with a missive. To remind a few newbies why you don''t kill Edians.
She flinched. The frown disappeared. She looked sad, instead. Oh. Those poor people
I put my hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. It''s done now. I took care of it.
Ann looked at me for a long moment. Seconds ticked by, then she nodded. Okay. Sorry. I thought- I want to support you. I thought this was something I should have supported you in. And maybe I should have.
But I wanted to do it on my own, I said. Felt like I had to, really.
She nodded again. Yeah. I respect that. Sorry for putting you on the spot.
Apology accepted and forgiven, I said, wrapping her into a quick hug and a small peck. Come on, then, sleepyhead. We got a whole day ahead of us.
We did not, in fact, have a whole day ahead of us.
- - -
The usurpers were not an organized force. There was an inherent difference between them and the keepers and the divines, and that difference was communication.
If you talked to one of the divines, you were practically talking to all of them. Keepers well, I didnt exactly know how much they interacted with each other back then, but suffice it to say, they can talk when needed to.
Usurpers dont do that.
Most of them, anyway. They were a loose force, mostly powerful monsters birthing more monsters. They consumed things to create more of themselves, and anything that wasnt them was an enemy.
Frankly, the only reason Eden hadnt ended yet, was because a lot of the time, the bigger monsters kept each other in check. Well, not just that, of course. People like Orvan were a major reason, too. But usurpers, by their nature, wanted to consume and spread out. To live.
Gateways, like the one inside me, made that possible. They could take that power, twist it to their own purposes, and drag more monsters through the void between worlds over onto Eden. Each monster meant this world was a little closer to falling, and it meant a little more territory belonged to the usurpers, so gateways were valuable to them.
That was why Id kept the mirror Qi signature hidden.
Cities were warded in Eden. They had to be warded in Eden. The monsters would come and need to be fought off every minute of the day, otherwise. This way, the bases of civilization were hidden behind shrouds.
But those shrouds werent perfect.
If my mirror Qi leaked out, it would attract monsters. So I kept a tight grip on it. I let none of it spill, unless I was already locked in combat, when I occasionally used a [Reflection] to turn attacks back where they came from.
So I was sufficiently surprised when, during my walk to the temple to check what my contribution could buy me, I saw the sky flicker.
Chapter 75: Blood in the Streets
A month. That was, give or take, the amount of time I spent in Eden before things went poorly. If I were to give an exact number, it would have been forty-one days. More than a month, really, but time had flown by.
The first week, I finally fixed up the gateway inside my soul. Then there were three days of normal missions. A longer excursion, two and a half weeks, to get yet another gateway fragment, this one pried from a newly forming nest.
We were gearing up for another, longer excursion, expecting to be out for a month. That meant we needed to prepare. Get backup sets of armor ready, buy rations, stock up on it all. Could we have done it within a week and headed out before the sky flickers? Yes, probably, but it hadnt felt that urgent.
Now, though?
That sense of urgency was back.
I was outside, middle of the city, in civilian clothing, hand in hand with Ann. I had expected it to be a calm day, because usually I only needed to do one drastic thing each day.
Honestly, Id known that tomorrow, at least, would be annoying. Zinnic acted fast and with vengeance. But I expected to have some time.
Instead, a new problem appeared. The sky flickered a second time, and then it fractured.
The protections around the city broke. The walls of Qi and Mana and Divinity all fell apart. There had been power invested in those defenses, real power by the truly high-level people.
So much power had been in there that when they broke, shard of the sky rained down like so much broken glass. None of the energies were usually solid when they werent in control of a person, yet this time, they were.
I remember that moment, still.
I stood, frozen, in the middle of the road. Anns hand tightened around mine, and I felt her nails digging into my skin. But it all didnt seem to matter.
When the barrier broke and the glass rained down, the whole world turned silent for a moment, except of course for the brief noise of shattering. Chatter stopped, people looked upwards, facing a fractured sky.
The power invested fell down. One of the pieces scratched my face. It was Qi, compacted and unbelievably dense, holding its shape even as it was slowly disintegrating into the ambient atmosphere. Blood trickled down my face.
Slowly, I turned to Ann. Her mouth was open. She knew what it meant. The moment of silence ended.
Fuck, I said.
Things happened quickly.
The first thing I felt, was the atmosphere changing. The blocks around the cities kept the air kind, the Qi nonhostile. But now, with the formations gone, I could literally feel safety and comfort flow away from me, replaced by an irritating scratching against my skin.
It was the energy in the air, scratching and clawing at me, trying to take what I was into itself. Trying to assimilate, like it always did. Instinctually, I coated my skin in thicker golden Qi, and the feeling faded away. As did the pain from AnnS fingernails, as my skin grew tougher.
Then, secondly, there was a noise of Divinity. Golden flames tore across the heavens, trying to rebuild the barriers, but it was too late. How had they gone down so fast? I didnt have the answers to that, not at all.
But the sky itself roared as flames blanketed it, briefly. Then, suddenly, they winked out. There was nothing to latch onto, nothing to rebuild, so it fizzled away into nothing but sparks, like fireworks heralding a poor end.
A moment later, the usurpers roared back.
My head turned, mechanically. Beyond the city walls, I saw a large shape. Antlers, poking over the edge of the wall. Long limbs, with multiple joints, and arms long enough to drag on the ground.
From this close, I saw the things eyes. Pits of black fire. Its face was animalistically humanoid, great tusks carving upwards over its lips, and its skin tainted bluish. Dozens upon dozens of antlers tangled off its head, branching off to the sides. They had dozens of prongs, seemingly piercing the sky itself.
It looked at me.
That black fire stirred, briefly, in recognition. It was the same thing we had fled from in the mountains. Its face twisted into what looked like a cruel grin. The giant moved, slowly. Shambling. Its hip tilted to the side, and it almost took a step forward, but then, instead, its arm moved.
With the same noise a whip made when it was cracked, the thing broke the sound barrier. Its arm snapped forward at unbelievably speeds, slamming into and breaking apart the city walls, and the creature raised a screech to the sky. It was somewhere between a howl and a roar, sending shivers down my spine.
Ann squeezed my hand. We have to move.
With an exertion of will, I tore my eyes from the pits of black fire, and nodded. My stomach spun, but regardless, I reached into the air and grabbed my spear from my inventory. With another small push, I felt [Iron Will] click into place, and the world suddenly came into focus.
My fear vanished and I heard the screaming around me. People were panicking. Edians sprinted past me, all over the place, but mainly further east. Of course, the monsters were coming from the west, after all.
Reflectors were running, too, some brave ones towards the horde. The more sensible ones ran north, trying to get to the gateways, to escape back onto Neamhan, where they would be safe.
I blinked and found myself running, dragging Ann along as my steps were faster than hers. Then, a moment later, shed muttered a spell, and floated right beside me, suddenly weightless.
Realization hit me hard for a millisecond, then mellow. I couldnt take the gateways out. They were close, and an easy escape that promised relocation to another city. But I couldnt take that path.
If I stepped through the gateways, I would die. No doubt about it. The keepers would tear the repaired gateway from my soul, and I would be discarded. Simple as that.
I breathed, deep. The air tried to burn away my lungs, but the Qi in it got subsumed by my golden core instead, trickling into my barely drained reserves. My heartbeat steadied. It was do or die, now, and the panic left me.
Dawn of Ambition, our guildhouse, was further to the south. Ann and I sprinted towards it. Our team was in there. So were Anns robes. Briefly, I spared a thought for whether Orvan was alright, then discarded it when the giant slammed into the wall again with a loud crack, then a rumble. Stones fell to the floor as the protective construct vanished.
There had been guards up there, but by now theyd been reduced to little more than bloody smears. How had they not seen this coming? Something must have gone deeply wrong
Ann and I turned a corner, racing through the streets. Edians were sprinting past us, away from the horde, and the streams only grew denser as more fled. Reluctantly, I stepped into the air, making us more visible to the monsters.
Dozens were streaming through the cracks in the walls already, dozens more breaking the stone further. The Drytz, burrowing creatures they were, had already entered the city. One almost swallowed a young woman down on the floor just below us, by with a throw of my spear, the monster was dead, and a moment later I held my weapon again.
Bound weapons were incredible.
My Qi already cycled through the spear, reinforcing its edges, keeping the metal ever sharp. The tiny chips in the blade that came from impacting stone at high velocities had already vanished, the wood laying smooth and cool in my hand. I breathed.
We rounded another corner, finally stepping higher than the nearby ceilings, letting me pick a much more direct path. A moment later, there was another whip-crack hissing through the air, this one ever louder, sending my ears ringing. Despite that, I swung my spear with my free hand.
Qi coated the blade, making it larger, and I carved apart the rock that had flown at us, thrown by the giant. It was focused on me, I knew that much. Why was it focused on me? My mirror Qi wasnt leaking!
Still, Ann squeezed my hand. Keep high, she said, confidently. I saw her eyes dart around, already taking it all in, and trusted her judgement.
With quick steps, I carried us through the air, as more and more monsters flooded into the city. Whenever something approached us, because there were flying creatures - Torin, bat things with one giant eyes and an entire torso that could unfurl into nothing but teeth - my spear lashed out, carving through monsters.
Ann sometimes blasted the ground with spells, shaping the stone from buildings to fall over and bury monsters in the rubble. We saved Edians, as Reflectors ran for the gateways.
Another dozen steps later, most of the way to the guild, I saw someone appear next to me in the air. I almost lashed out, on reflex, then I held back. It was Trev. Little Sophia was riding piggyback on him as he leapt though the sky, with Evelyn graceful hovering besides them.
The man flashed me a bright, if somewhat pained, smile. Didnt expect to see you again so soon!
Me neither! I yelled, over the roaring of the wind, when yet another whip-crack split the sky. I swung my spear before I could even think twice about things, carving a boulder in two. Behind it, I saw the giant creature stare at me, black fire burning where its eyesockets should be.
It was looking at us. Me? Most likely me. Was the creature a usurper, then? What had made them find the city? How were there so many of them?
My spear hissed through the air again, bisecting another of the bat creatures as I took swift steps. I could see the guildhouse now, standing high above the city as I was.
Got anyone we can pick up for reinforcements? Trev asked over the howling winds.
Yeah! I nodded. Whole guild! There were flashes down the road where people smashed and burnt and hacked apart the dryzt. But people were also getting hurt at the same time. Reflectors were fleeing.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
I bit my lips, then focused on the present.
Alright, lets go! Trevor said, charging ahead. He was fast.
I saw Sophias hand on him alight with a faint glow. Right, then. Some kind of buff spell.
A moment later, he spun in the air, leg lashing out, and smashing one of the torin right to pieces. The teeth from its stomach-maw scattered the floor with all the other dust and debris floating around. Another whip-crack impacted the wall, sending it crumbling into bits more and more, and monster streamed in.
Larger ones, too. Zurulen, giants with crystalline growths, streamed through the gates, wielding maces of stone, some having freshly shaped their weapons from the remains of the wall. Scorions scuttled over the debris, their stinger lashing out with venom, while Qi suffused their weapons.
I was forced to turn away when a small swarm Torins descended to try and take a bite out of me. Ann set two of them on fire, Evelyn shot down another three, and I dispatched the remainder with a few swift swipes of my spear.
Then, suddenly, Ann yelled. DOWN!
She didnt have to tell me twice. Within a moment, the platforms of Qi underneath my feet dissolved and I plummeted from the sky. A boulder shot just over my head, this one clearly coated in black flame.
It singed the edges of my hair just as it soared by, then impacted the ground with a great crash, sending a whole handful of buildings tumbling to the ground. I felt the hairs on my skin raise up.
We run through the streets! I called to Trevor. Hope it cant track us!
The man gave me a quick salute, also descending. Evelyn still hovered high for another moment, waves of magic streaming from her. For a moment, the rocky debris around us turned liquid, a wave spreading through it all, then, within seconds, walls reconstructed themselves into a labyrinthine barrier.
She even seemed to coat it with a sheen of illusion, making it hard to see through. I gave her a quick nod as I hastily sprinted through more narrow corners, with Ann course correcting whenever her levitation threatened to smack her into a corner.
A minute passed quietly, then a second minute, until a storm of pink tore through a scorion in front of me. Matt flashed me a grin, though the effect was lightened by the blood trickling down his face. Not his own, I hoped.
Fio! Good to have you! Follow me! he said, and I followed.
Matt moved blazingly fast, and I sped up even more to compensate, giving some more focus to my movement. Only three swift turns later, we found Emilia and the twins, bunkered up. I saw a nearby shadow swirl suspiciously, then an arrow soared past my head, spearing through another Torin.
Were all here! Marie called from a nearby roof. Her eyes glowed with a telltale magic she liked to use, something to enhance her eyesight and aim. Fighting retreat! Revils falling!
A moment later, I stood by Emilias right. Her shield was glowing with the grey of stone. Matt was on her left, his eyes alight with a hunger for battle. I realized I probably looked pretty frenzied myself.
With a quick movement, I brushed some of the dust off my hair, the blood on it boiling away with a drop of Qi. I breathed, and it smelled of iron, but the nausea didnt come. Too focused.
Trevor stepped up a moment later, little Sophia still clinging to him. She must have been under some kind of weightlessness spell, given the fact that she easily held on even when he was darting around doing flips and whatever else it was he did.
Whore- oh, the people who found you? Whyre they here? Emilia asked, raising an eyebrow.
Picked them up on the way. Allies seemed like a decent thing to have, I said in the brief calm.
Emilia moved to nod, but then her head snapped forward. A roar pierced through the air, as a Zurulen stomped towards us. Emilia stepped up.
Its club was larger than the woman moving to stop it, but when the giant swung, I saw her Qi flex, and the weapon broke like putty against her shield. Her mace swung, cracking the monsters crystal skin.
Half a moment later, Matt descended upon it like a whirlwind of blades. Every movement he made conjured up a swarm of petals, digging into the wound, stripping the giants crystalline protection.
But the monster was hardly. It swiped at Matt, giving a roar, only to have the attack stopped on a metal boot. Trevor stood, little Sophia on his back, and grabbed the giants arm, pulling on it as if trying to throw it.
The creature didnt budge, of course, but Liam slipped out of the shadows, and used the moment to cut the tendons in the things armpits, while it was locked down. Suddenly, the arm Trevor held onto was limp and useless.
Icicles and arrows dug further furrows into the crystal, and when Matt withdrew for a moment, my spear moved. Enveloped in golden radiance, I carved into the monsters waist, and promptly disemboweled the thing.
The roars around us were only increasing in intensity though, drowning out the screams of the people. Back! Marie yelled, and we moved back. The alleys were too tight, and I jumped back onto a roof.
From there, I saw the monsters, properly.
What had been a trickle turned into a tide. There were not only scorions and zurulen storming through the broken walls anymore. I saw two leyburn. The things that had broken my entire body. They held their heads high with majesty, not even bothering to crush or devour the fleeing Edians. Only those who stood and fought caught their interest at all.
We ran.
Dozens upon dozens of bodies broke upon my spear. I cut apart torins and drytz and zurulen. Crystal, flesh, bone, all carved to pieces.
And it wasnt enough.
Everywhere we went, I saw bodies. Beastfolk laid on the floor, covered in blood. Some had chunks missing from their bodies. I grimaced but kept running.
Whenever we encountered someone still alive, wed stop, kill whatever was killing them, then run some more. The black-fire giant thing would watch us, though. It would throw boulders into the sky, raining them down on us. Playing with its food.
Then it decided that it had played enough.
I saw it step into the city, turn rubble into dust with its massive steps. Whenever it moved its arms, there would be another whip-crack, sending spikes of pain through my ears and rattling my bones. All around, things broke apart.
Renvil was a frontier city. It had warriors, a whole guard. It had mages and archers. None of them stood a chance.
There were Edians who could fight. Keep up with us Reflectors, certainly. Ones who had been granted the divine gift, as Iryel called it. They could level and grow powerful.
But unlike castle Arhan, which had archmage Orvan, this town had no one like that. The most powerful Edian in the city was well known: Rufus. He was usually holed up in the hill district, but I knew he would fight.
He was many things, but he was not a coward. But he was not enough to turn the tides against this. Maybe he could fight a leyburn in single combat, but this? No.
So we ran.
Boulder after boulder slammed down on the floor nearby. The monster was speeding up its pace now, grabbing pieces of houses it had broken, sometimes even the bodies of other monsters, and tossing them at us.
Then, for a moment, the barrage let up. I looked back. The thing stood, black fire in its eyes, with a gash on its shoulder. It bled black.
A man floated in the sky, red lightning burning in the air around him. Maybe I had underestimated Rufus. For a moment, all eyes were on him, as the monster roars grew still. Even the leyburn watched him, in front of the giant.
He wielded a large curved sword, made for slashing. Lightning danced along the rim of the blade, though it was hard to make out from where I stood. He swung, and an arc of power struck the monster, leaving patches of black on its skin.
Then it laughed.
The sound set the sky rumbling, the earth shaking, and the hairs on my skin rose again. Its laugh was loud and cruel and guttural. It was distorted and so close to human, yet so clearly inhuman and horrific.
It moved.
I didnt even see the motion, only a blur in the sky. Its bluish skin was a smear across the lilac sky. The red of Rufus aura winked out in the same moment. He was turned into little more than a smear of blood on the things hands.
For a moment, everyone was quiet. Then, the monster laughed once more, slowly turning its head. It looked towards us, our little group, and there was a moment of fear before I ruthlessly crushed that emotion with [Iron Will].
Move, I said. MOVE!
The thing was looking at us again. Staring. Smiling. It stretched out its long, gangly arms, and what appeared wasnt a boulder.
A bow, made of black flames appeared in its arms. Then an arrow materialized in the other. It was at least three meters long, and looked unbelievably heavy, yet the creature nocked it with little trouble.
It drew the bowstring back.
Then, for a moment, I felt time freeze. There was a voice in my ears. Not my ears, my core.. My voice.
[Gateway has reached (Intermediate)!]
Take a sharp left.
In the moment before the creature fired, I followed the advice. LEFT!! I screamed, voice enhanced by Qi. No one hesitated to follow the order. A moment later, my entire world flashed.
First, there was a noise. The bowstring moved, the arrow flew forward, and it impacted something. I couldnt exactly place what it sounded like, because the moment the noise got to my ears, it was replaced with a ringing and blinding pain.
Despite that, I didnt die.
I opened my eyes and all I saw was a blinding mess of colours. I couldnt place if it was white or black, because really, there was no point. I blinked, once, twice, fifteen more times, feeling how dried out my eyeballs were. The pain hardly even registered. My nerves might have been singed.
Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and my vision returned. Not my hearing, though. Not quite.
Having my nerves regrown sent shivers of pain down my entire body as my spine realigned with itself. For a moment, everything was agony, and another moment later, everything was pain.
But I focused.
[Iron Will] activated at full force, and I shoved it all aside, looking around to get my bearings.
We were in a small protected space in the middle of a crater. The air in front of me shimmered with grey divinity. All around me, my companions laid on the floor. Iryel stood, his hand on my shoulder. I saw him turn to me, eyes tired and heavy.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then coughed up enough blood to dye his grey robes red. He looked down at himself, then mouthed something like Ah.
With a monumental effort, he wiped the blood from his lips. I didnt see him move his mouth anymore. Instead, his voice resounded in my head. Miss Bellum, he spoke, I recommend you take your girlfriend, excuse me, miss Belleflamme, as well as the rest of your team and withdraw from this location. Archmage Orvan has been informed and will be arri-
He paused, vomiting up more blood. Ah. Divinity taking its toll. You get the picture. I shall be busy.
I saw him slowly turn, to look at the sneering monster. Then he pressed his palms against one another, and Divinity flared bright around him. A moment later, my friends opened their eyes.
They gasped, or spasmed, or simply remained lying down. I saw Matt reach for his sword, then refuse to drop it even though his hand bled. We were all bleeding. My skin was burnt, charred at some points. I knew a couple of my muscles were torn, and my bones ached as though someone had bowled me through five sets of stone houses.
Despite it all, I got up. I took out some of the potions I kept in my inventory. Id spent the money on them after having recently found out I needed them quite often. I gave two to the twins, first. Hoping they could heal the others. I splashed a little into my ears.
It was just enough to barely hear the world in ringing, distorted whispers.
Iryel spoke. Ahhh, this is going to suck. [Divinity Descends].
Then there was a flashing tower of grey. The barrier flickered for a moment, then collapsed in on itself, shards of glass hovering towards Iryel himself, and forming the shapes of wings, like those of a dragonfly.
He vomited more blood, more than anyone should reasonably vomit, then grumbled as he took to the skies. I lost sight of him, then. The whip-cracks of the monster were the only things I could really still hear through my half-healed eardrums.
I took half a moment to look around as I helped the twins off the floor. They could barely stand, but I saw them apply light healing to one another. Good. Wed need more of that.
All around us was a crater. Wed barely managed to make it into Iryels barrier. Even inside it, the heat was sweltering. I could see that some of Emilias armor had molten before the shield came down. Some of the rock around us seemed like it had briefly turned liquid around the edges.
Outside the barrier? All that remained was a smooth surface. If wed been in a desert, the sand wouldve turned to glass.
I breathed. There was another horrible noise, but I could hardly hear it. Reya flinched, though, and I couldnt blame her. While the twins set about healing, I started pulling off Emilias molten armor. Bit of tissue stuck to it, and I saw her grit her teeth, but she endured.
With another use of my inventory, I poured half of my last health potion onto her wounds. It would have to do.
The other half went to Ann.
Liam had been hit the worst, the attack tearing him from the shadows and sending him flying out onto the streets. Reya laid a hand on him for a long, long moment, yellow radiance covering his body.
Eventually, he drew in a gasp of air.
Marie was up on her feet early. She and I started heading out clearing some of the rubble ahead to make our escape easier. Eventually, throughout the next five minutes, all members of our party became able to walk. Ann floated herself and Liam. I helped Matt with an Arm wrapped around my shoulder. Emilia assisted Reya, despite her own wounds, Marie helped Eric.
Tervor still held onto Sophia, and Evelyn made herself float. Sneakily, I think she also cast some weight reduction spells on all of us, but I could tell her mana was low after that labyrinth spell.
Slowly but surely, we began hobbling out of the city.
Eventually, we reached the other side of the wall. It was broken by a couple boulders, rough and uneven, and we made our way out, ignoring the flashes of light in the sky.
A couple dozen meters after wed left, the lavender sky turned blue with a wave of magic. Orvan had arrived. I wish I could say more on the battle, because it must have been epic. An angel and an archmage against a giant of black fire. But I honestly couldnt hear it, nor did I bother to turn around.
All I could focus my significant willpower on was walking forward.
Chapter 76: Marching for Food
The damage was done.
Despite the fact that there was a huge attack on the city, there were still monsters in the trees. Bornins hassled us, and I could barely supply the effort to lift my spear and kill them. Matt still held onto his sword. He would raise it, then send out a blast of pink petals.
He barely controlled his power. Sometimes, the petals would leave gashes, other times, he straight evaporated the upper bodies of the monsters. Each time, I saw that bloody glint in his eyes flare up. Each time, he almost passed out and I dragged him further ahead.
Trevor recovered quicker with Sophias buffs. He and Marie scouted.
Marie was, quite frankly, the only thing keeping us alive. Did we have rations? Sure. Not nearly enough. We had wounds, we needed to wash them, and she found a stream. While all of us were bathing, she braved the wilderness again, and found us more food. Even some herbs that had a light medicinal effect.
Trevor had hit his healing limit, and so had Emilia. I had as well. Any more Divinity would only leave lasting damage. But the herbs? The smaller healing effect would help regeneration, rather than exhaust our bodies.
We were also ravenous after all the damage and healing. Reya dug into the handful of roots, berries and herbs Marie gave her like a starving hound.
I tried to speak to the older woman, barely hearing my own voice, but she gently put a finger on my lips. I could see the burns on her skin. Despite it all, with only a small charge of healing she headed out again.
Despite every bone in my body being weary and worn, I decided I wanted to contribute. I dragged myself up. My wounds were all clean now, and they burnt like fire as I moved, but using my spear as a walking stick, I could do it.
There were, certainly, some animals in this forest. Not monsters, actual animals. I knew they existed. Id find one, too.
For a moment, I felt Anns hand on my shoulder. Half of her face was scabbed over, and some of the scabs cracked as her lips moved, dripping tiny hints of blood. I couldnt hear her. I just smiled. I got this, I mouthed. Then I set off.
[Hero complex?] Cass asked.
I heard her voice and flinched in fear for a moment, expecting another attack. It was pointless, only leading me to stumble, fall, and scrape my knees. I grit my teeth, then pushed myself back up.
Im fine, I thought at her. Actually. We have time now. What was that voice?
[A figment, if Im reading things correctly.]
Figment? Ah. That thing from my gateway menu, right?
[Yes.]
Details?
[I can give you my best guess.] I nodded at the suggestion. [Seems to me like fully restoring the gateway has given it the ability to access parallel dimensions. Other versions of, well, you. They can help you, shortly after their death, it seems.]
Another me had died to the monster, then. In fact, my entire group mustve died over there. Iryel was too late. That thing had, somewhere out there, killed Ann.
Unforgivable.
[Fio.]
Casss voice was like ice cold water on the fire of my rage. I stopped my hobbled walk, and took a deep breath. My vision was blurry with angry tears, now that I had digested enough water to produce them again.
I blinked them away. Sorry. Im here.
[Good. You saved yourself. This is good.]
Good? I asked. I felt so angry, I had trouble comprehending that. I, essentially, died, Cass.
[Fio, breathe.] She commanded.
For a moment I considered lashing out, but I followed the advice. I drew in a deep breath, feeling my skin and muscles and bones ache at the thing. The pain grounded me for a moment. I breathed out. Calmly.
[Its good. We can network. Link up with other yous. Learn from them. We wanna be free, yeah?]
Yes.
[So well make use of this. Every failure, every mistake by another figment. We learn from them. And if we fall, we pass the torch. Tell another Fio how to get free. Until one of us goes and fucking does it, Fio.]
I paused at that.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Yeah. Okay. A grin appeared on my face. Lets help ourselves, Cass.
I swear I could hear her grin. [Lets. If one of us cant do it, well try a hundred times. And if thats not enough, well try a million times.]
Now that was something I could get along with. But there were still the technicalities to work out. How long until the figment recharges? I couldnt imagine that with just one figment, Id get a warning every single time I was in danger.
[Once every week, I believe.]
Ah. That was quite the cooldown. I only had one for now, after all. But that would grow with time. Have you figured out what the other numbers mean?
[Not quite,] Cass said. [Strength still links to the territory, but also to the length of the message the figment can give us. Fragments are a bit more nebulous, but they seem to generally provide you with a tiny fraction of the potential other versions of you have. I can tell that neither of those are all that those numbers do, though. Even figments arent just about knowing when theres danger. I can tell theres more to them, but [Gateway] is still not a high enough level.]
Id need to level it more, then. In the future, though. Right now, most of my Qi was focused on keeping my body running. At least that was something I could make my mirror Qi do without worry of attracting monsters.
If I used it purely internally, then it was fine, though the control needed for that was quite intricate. With how much of my mind was occupied on forcing the pain aside, then the rest making my body move, I had little left for extraneous thoughts, so I stopped having them.
Instead, now that my talk with Cass was mostly done, I decided to focus on hunting. There had been flashes of movement in the trees around me, but it seemed like it was mostly bornins. Nothing edible.
Monster meat decayed in the wild, back into ambient energies. Qi, Mana, sometimes even Divinity. But without alchemical preparations, it was absolutely inedible. None of us had that kinda experience in alchemy. So, Id need to find something that wasnt a monster.
With the little hearing I had, it was honestly already hard to just keep my balance. I stumbled through the undergrowth with my spear as a crutch. Maybe the bornins were grouping up to attack me. Ah. There was a decent chance of that, wasnt there?
Whatever.
I kept the glass underneath my skin shifting as I moved on, disregarding the potential of monster attacks. I was weakened. Had almost died, even. But I still wasnt going to die to some fucking beginner mobs.
Indeed, they had been grouping up to attack me. I realized when they gathered in the trees, watching me. So, I indulged. I faked a stumble, and a fall, letting my spear slip from my hand.
Of course they pounced, instantly.
At the same time, I turned my stumble into a roll, feeling the skin on my back scream in pain, and resummoned my bound spear into my hand, then infused it with whatever dregs of golden Qi I still had. My muscles burned and hardly listened to me, so I moved my body by willing the shifting glass to move. That did it.
My spear spun above my head once as the little monkey-kobolds jumped at me, and then five bisected corpses dropped to the floor. I pushed myself up slowly, staring into the forest with feral eyes. For a few more minutes, the bornins watched me. I stared them down.
They fled.
I let out a deep breath, then sucked in more air, panting. Slowly, I took another shaky step. The second one came easier. Breathing slowly, I continued on my walk.
Eventually, I smelled something. My sense of smell seemed like it was still mostly working, especially compared to my blurry eyesight and ringing hearing, so I relied on it. It was like wet moss. Maybe a river?
Following the sensation, I made my way through a much more uncomfortable part of the forest, and some thorny bushes that I had to push aside and sometimes even cut apart with my spear. Eventually, though, after a few minutes of trekking through the undergrowth, I did find a larger stream than the one we were camping at.
Not quite big enough to call a river, but it definitely had a source somewhere. Maybe a pond? Some fish could be good. Hells, Id eaten rats before. Id eat just about anything, really. Frogs, maybe even snails. Could Ann cook snails?
I shook my head as if to clear the thoughts away, then started single-mindedly walking again, upstream. Occasionally, I stopped to drink some water, or pour some on my more egregious wounds to clean them of dirt. Infection was, luckily, not that big a deal, since I could use Qi to kill microorganisms in my body.
Despite that, I decided to be careful, because I was still running on dregs, using Qi to make my walking possible at all. So, I just put one foot in front of the other.
Step, after step, after step.
An hour, maybe two passed as I marched. It was uphill slightly, and the undergrowth was thinner around the stream; probably cleared away by monsters and animals who used it for drinking. It made the march less troublesome, at least.
Eventually, though, after a while, I did find a pond that the stream originated from. Maybe it was even large enough to call a lake? Something in between. Surely large enough to grab some fish.
I slowly approached the surface of the water, careful about any aquatic monsters, but when none leaped out at me, I looked a little closer. My face was haggard, my eyes wild, my hair in a mess. Parts of my skin were sticky, and the hand gripping my spear was slick with blood. I took in a long breath.
This was me. I was alive.
With a shift of the focus of my vision, I started to look underneath the water for any fish, but of course, I couldnt find any this close to the shore. The water was relatively clear, though, with most of the lakebed made from stone. So, I took a deep breath, held it in, and stepped into the water.
The Qi made my muscles more dense, so I didnt float. I could have, of course, but instead, I just held my breath and walked along the bottom of the lakebed. I didnt have to walk very long.
Only a couple dozen steps in, the water got quite a bit deeper, with a rather steep drop in front of me. In there, I saw a school of fish. Bass, or something. Large, and very edible. They probably survived here by being out of sight of the monsters. Lucky for me, I supposed.
I wound back, infusing my spear with another bit of Qi, then tossed it. The Qi helped it glide through the water, spearing two fish at once. The school instantly dispersed, of course, but I had my haul. With some small, and still painful, motions I swam to get my spear with the fish on it, then quickly made my way back to the surface.
Being underwater wasnt uncomfortable per-se, but my lungs burned a bit from holding my breath, so I panted for more air, as the water dripped onto the rocky shore beside me. I grinned as I looked at the fish on my weapon.
Despite the fact that I was in lots and lots of pain from all my wounds and the water touching them, I grinned. This was a good amount of food. Especially for superhumans like us, this could sustain you for a while, surely.
I raised my head, just about to start making my way back, tossing the fish into my inventory. Then, I saw the tip of a sword pointed at me.
Ah, I said to the swordswoman, Olivia, in front of me. So this is how its gonna be, isnt it?
Chapter 77: Precipice of Death
Olivia grinned, pushing her sword just a little closer to my face. Seems like it, spear-bitch. Her teeth seemed almost sharp.
Briefly, I wondered how she was standing in front of me. I broke her leg. And her sword. Yet, there she was. Zinnic. Sponsorship mustve included healing and weapon replacements.
Wheres the rest of your little party? I asked, my voice hoarse.
None of your business, is it? she asked right back.
Then I opened my mouth to speak and she grinned. No more stalling, lady. I see what youre doing. Tell me your name, so I can cut you down where you stand.
Staring down the tip of a sword, which she poked yet closer to my eye as she spoke, I strained my manipulation, drawing as much Qi into my cores as I could. I was low on mirror Qi after using it to march, but my golden Qi was even lower than that. Dregs. Tiny bits of it. It would have to do.
I stared the swordswoman down, the tip of her blade maybe an inch from my eye. With a lot of effort, I lifted the muscles of my lips. You wanna know my name? My name means war, and Ill show you just how fucking serious I am about that!
Then, I twirled the spear in my hand, knocking the rapier aside. It was a distinctly more expensive weapon than what she had before, and wouldnt just shatter against my bound one. I frowned, and a wild grin plastered itself on Olivias face.
She took half a step back then grinned at me. She laughed. Hahahahaha!! Oh fuck yes, fight me! she yelled, words echoing back from the forest. We stood maybe two metres apart. I used every moment to grab more Qi, knowing it wouldnt be enough.
Olivia didnt give me much time.
Maybe half a second after her bout of laughter she lunged at me, stabbing forward with her rapier. My arm screamed as I moved it, batting the weapon aside, and sweeping my blade upwards from below.
Nimbly, the woman sidestepped the slice, bringing her sword up higher, aiming for my shoulders to extend her reach. I commanded my muscles to move, and they refused, so instead, I shifted the glass under my skin, bringing my spear up half a moment late, as the rapier drew a thin line of blood.
The pain from the wound was superficial. Slowly, I felt myself slip into [Single-Minded] focus. All around me, the world blurred. Only the battle mattered.
Olivia thrust forward and I stepped backwards and to the side, water leaking into my torn boots as I stepped into the lake. Instantly, the swordswoman followed up with yet another slice, which I deflected, making my body move via Qi again.
My follow up was raw physical power though, pain screeching through my legs, up my back, and into my arms as I moved. I grit my teeth and endured, half my mind focussed on clawing Qi from the air into my cores.
With hardly any effort, Olivia reflected the slow swing to her right, and went underneath my spear, aiming for my waist. She was skilled, quick and decisive, but she wasnt Matt. I pushed down on the spear with both hands, forcing her arm to pass by my right side, then brought the back of my spear up to slam into her stomach.
It didnt reach. Instead, her fist collided with my jaw. I could hardly hear, blood ringing in my ears, but I still heard the rattle of my bones.
My world started spinning, and I lost my balance for a moment. On pure instinct I stepped back, receiving only a small slash across my cheek rather than one which would have ripped out my eye.
Slowly, with a vicious grin, Olivia circled around me. She had hardly used any Qi. I didnt even know what type she used, or what stage she was in It didnt matter. I breathed, ignoring the cruel words she spoke, but she stopped in the middle of the sentence to stab at me.
I hadnt expected it, sending more Qi throughout my body to avoid a deep wound to my upper body. Forcing my body to move was horribly inefficient, and quickly, my mirror Qi was running out, too.
With the tiny bit of golden energy Id collected, I reinforced my spear. Then I decided against it. Reinforcement was not needed. Instead, I thrust forward, forcing Olivia back. She had an annoying habit of dancing just out of my reach, light as a feather. But she didnt expect that reach to extend a bit, for just a moment.
A golden blade shot forth from the thrust she avoided.
With brilliantly quick reflexes, she twisted, but the stab still drew blood. It tore through her fancy leather armor, leaving a small gash just above her elbow, on her non-dominant arm. If only shed twisted the other way. I spat blood on the floor.
My golden core was truly empty. Floating sparks were all that coursed through it as I desperately clawed for more Qi to enter into it. But I got no breaks.
Olivia capitalized on my weakness, moving in while my spear was extended. I brought up the back of it to block her swing, but I needed two hands to stop one of hers, and a brutal kick against my thigh sent me kneeling on the floor.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Blood poured from my lips, now. I spat more of it onto the ground.
Then I got the fuck back up again.
You fucking done? I asked, my jaw clicking from the punch Id gotten.
Viciously swift, the woman sliced at me again, and every muscle in my body screamed in protest, yet it moved as my mirror Qi demanded, blocking her first blow, then another. My reserves were dangerously low, but nothing remained except to use more of it.
Despite it all, I felt death closing in.
By now, my movements were too slow, permitting me no counterattacks, and only my significantly greater technique stopped me from being killed. Every moment was a dance on the precipice of death. Every dodge a step closer to that cliff.
Almost automatically, I slipped into [Mirror Mind]. Subconsciously, I was reaching out for every shred of power I could find.
My masters movements replayed in front of my inner eye, and I flowed like water. A slash came, and was gently guided aside. Olivia stumbled forward, taking three steps into the water.
She slashed at me, and once again was intercepted, a slow slash blocked, a thrust batted aside. I had a moment to bring my blade down on her head, but she moved aside. A dozen more exchanges passed, and I felt my mastery of my spear increase with every moment.
[Momentum Shift has reached (Basic)!]
My core burned inside my chest with exertion. I was desperately gasping for air, each breath bringing life saving Qi, but it was endlessly slow compared to my expenditure.
Olivia panted, too, but it was a light exhaustion compared to my ragged wheezing. Looks like youre on your last legs, hah, she gloated and I breathed in a hiss of air through my teeth.
She lunged again, suddenly dropping close to the floor. With a degree of mastery I never should have managed, I slid my leg out of the way, her blade biting into empty air. My footing was unstable, and I threatened to fall forwards, so I committed, lifting my other foot away, and kicking at her.
My leg connected with her skull, sending her careening back, blood trickling down her forehead. My shin cracked in the collision, pain racing up my body. The glass under my skin felt so lethargic, and I collapsed to the ground with the movement, only barely getting back up in time for Olivia to wipe the blood off her face.
Then she moved towards me again.
I commanded my hand to move up to block the blow- And it refused.
For a few moments, all I could see was death coming. My mirror core was empty. I bled from my eyes and nose, the strain of the Qi manipulation too high. My golden core had tiny sparks of Qi in it, and I dragged every single one out of it and into my arm, beckoning it to move, letting go of my spear.
It wasnt enough - it just wasnt enough!
The world slowed down to a crawl, then.
There was the tip of a sword approaching my left eye. I was raising my left arm, and with a brutal effort of my mind, I had, somehow, triggered [Golden Body] on it. But it was too little. I focused further. The zone of my ability condensed, down to two tiny points, one in my elbow, to move the arm, one in my palm, to block the sword.
[Golden Body has reached (High)]
And it was too slow.
I saw it - saw the sword about to enter my eye, with my hand only at the level of my cheek. The glass under my skin grinded against each other as I moved, no longer liquid and supportive, but instead rigid.
The golden power flowing through me wouldnt do.
When the blade was an inch from my eye, my life started flashing in front of me.
I saw scenes. Of my childhood, school, university, the easier nights and the tougher ones. Of the divorce, Jacobs funeral and the way my parents cried. Beths birth. Desperately, I analyzed them for a hint of how to live.
My bits of enlightenment flew by. When I learned how to properly hold a spear, that it was an art. When the movements were drilled into me - and how imperfect I still was!
[Spear Technique - Fundamentals has reached (High)!]
Then more and more flashed by, until, for a moment, my mind desperately clung to my experiences with cultivation. My journey through the golden shores. My walk along the road of infinite self-similarity. The barriers I broke. The freedom I yearned for.
My small attempt to feel my connection to my cores on Neamhan.
Now, I felt them more than ever. They felt like two burning suns in my chest, searing my flesh, making it hard to breathe.
I had been desperately drawing Qi into them, through my connection to them, from the air. But that connection - it was there! Id reached out to it, almost manifested a core back on Neamhan, but there hadnt been any Qi there to support it! The agony was my core collapsing; of course it was! It would have consumed me instead of the Qi!
The blade approached ever closer, but time slowed down even more as my mind raced.
I could feel my body try to spasm with enlightenment, but my mind tuned it all out. Only the memories mattered.
That connection to my cores, that consumption of myself for Qi there was something there, on the tip of my tongue
The tip of the sword came ever closer and suddenly, roiling anger bubbled forth from me.
I would not die here.
I closed my eyes. The blink was instant, even in slowed time. Perhaps my eyelids didnt even shut, but the outside world disappeared, and I was in two places at once.
On a road to the sky, and the shores of the ocean.
My intuition told me I needed a vehicle to travel. The road in the sky ended; imprint wouldnt carry me any further. The shores, the beaches, held no more for me, only the ocean had the answers.
But I didnt have those vessels. I could have made a ship from the palm trees for voyage. Made my own road for imprint. But I didnt have the time.
I. Would. NOT. DIE.
Two destinies, and both of them were mine. Not for me to make vessels, but for me to move forward. Take my freedom. Make myself known.
With a wild dash forward, I dove into the ocean. The golden waters swallowed my silhouette, and I opened my eyes to the depths. The ocean would go down infinitely, the waves crashing over my head, and my lungs burnt, but I swam down into those depths, because they were mine to see.
Uncaring for the road in the sky ending, I didnt build more of a road. I simply ignored the wall in front of me. I stepped into the sky, my feet holding on pure willpower. I looked up, seeing an infinity of Fios, on different stages on the path, then I rose one step above the others.
More of me followed, taking their first brave steps into the sky. But I was ahead, up just a little further - carving out my identity.
My vision fluttered back, and it was all consumed by the tip of the sword. My world was tinged red, as my eyes bled.
I roared, as pain gripped my chest, as I dug through my cores for more Qi, shattering their bottoms, and more Qi spilled forth.
[Congratulations! You brave the depths on your Voyage. You have found that your Qi is yours alone, and made your Wellspring.]
[Golden Core advanced to Wellspring Realm!]
[Congratulations! You make your Imprint in the skies. You have chosen to rise above and prove your power to yourself.]
[Mirror Core advanced to Wellspring Realm!]
Chapter 78: Wellsprings
For a single moment, time remained frozen. The heat in my chest bloomed, my two cores suddenly growing searing hot, sending waves of agony through my broken body, until, with a pop in my ears, they suddenly changed.
The searing heat collapsed into two singularities, then suddenly froze, as an icy chill spread from those two locations. A moment later, the freezing cold turned into an invigorating, cool breeze, blowing away the absolute agony from the heat.
And that same instant, Qi bubbled forth from within my wellsprings - for that is what they were now, no longer cores.
Within a moment, the golden Qi rushed to my hand, reinforcing my arm, letting it move the faint few centimeters sideways it still needed.
Olivias rapier bit into my flesh, then broke through the bone of my palm, stabbing right through my hand. With all the golden Qi I could muster, I drove my hand upwards.
The power of the attack drove my hand up against my head, the blade digging deep into the flesh on my forehead. It cut through my eyebrow, barely missing my eye itself, then scraped upwards against my skull, all the way until it exited at my scalp.
I roared out a pained scream, blood oozing from the wound, blinding me in my left eye- the one Id almost missed. With my other hand, the mirror Qi moved, shifting the glass underneath my skin.
With newfound mastery, I stabbed forward, my weapon whistling through the air.
[Swift Spear has reached (Intermediate)!]
The metal bit deep into Olivias outer thigh. The woman - not used to pain like I was - instinctively let go of her weapon to grab at the wound. The sword was still stuck in my hand, now pulled down by gravity, and sent new waves of blazing hot pain through my body as the wound worsened.
Despite that, I was left not a moment of respite.
There was a whisper in the air, something that I barely detected because I was drawing all the Qi in the area to me. I activated [Reflection] for the attack, shifting its energy with another twist of my already strained mind.
My wellspring had just bloomed, and the technique was hungry for Qi, though, so it didnt work entirely.
Instead of reflecting the attack, it was more like a deflection, and an icicle dug into my right side from my back, stabbing through muscles and injuring organs, but not puncturing my lungs as it would have.
Another scream tore itself from my hoarse lips as I fell to my knees. My muscles, barely refreshed from my ascendance to another realm of cultivation - twice at that! - convulsed with the pain of the enlightenment I had felt.
My spear was so comfortable to me now, the weapon resonating with my very soul, and yet I could do little more except let go of it and drop to the floor. I twisted my head a little and, yes, there he was. The damned old mage from Olivias party had shot an icicle into me.
The woman who had just almost stabbed my brains out was still screaming, but I filtered her voice out. Deep within me, Qi bubbled from my wellsprings, desperately trying to fill my well. My wells? Maybe I should still call them cores.
Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
A moment later the extraneous thoughts faded away. [Mirror Mind] still ran, and I remembered patterns. How people shifted Qi in their bodies. My master his technique was incredible. Evershifting, staving off the effects of age, increasing blood clotting on wounds, making him faster, stronger, and even increasing his regeneration
It was unbelievably sophisticated, and a more pure expression of his mastery than almost anything I could come up with. It was also far too complicated for me to mimic, even with the help of my talent.
Instead, my mind turned to Matt. A prodigy, seemingly always a step ahead of me, with unbelievable skill and incredible talent to boot. His cycling technique was good, very good even, and I mimicked it for a moment.
Flakes of gold suddenly hovered around my body, tearing apart the icicle.
I almost passed out from the pain, and dizziness as I started losing blood, but then I blended the methods. [Golden Body] - which I now knew was simply a method to circulate Qi - mixed with Matts petal manipulation.
The flakes of gold settled down on my wounds, stopping the flow of blood, and the glass underneath my skin roiled, somehow helping me turn more water into blood. My skin virtually sucked my sweat back in, even absorbing some of the bloody lake water I laid in, and more blood was made.
Smaller parts of my skin cracked from the lack of moisture, but despite the wounds, despite the fact that there was quite literally a hole about three inches deep and one wide in my back, I moved.
My hand dug into the muddy ground of the lakeshore, each muscle in it burning with agony. Then I pushed my upper body up.
The entire area around me was still under my will, the Qi obeying me, and so, when another icicle came flying, I leaned to the side until it missed.
When I was sat up, I moved some more. My right hand went over to my left, then pulled Olivias sword out of my palm. I tossed the rapier onto the ground with a grunt. By now, the woman had long since stopped screaming.
In fact, despite the fear in her eyes, she came at me, trying to kick my face.
Instantly, I drained my mirror well empty again. The Qi flooded into my circuit, demanding the glass underneath me move, and I dodged back by simply a hair, her boot brushing by me and missing my chin. She lost her balance because of the injured leg, slipping and falling onto the shallow lakebed.
My well started filling up again, Qi bubbling forth, but my eyes bled more. My mind pounded, my head aching as if my brain was trying to escape my skull, from the exertion of the manipulation. Still, I breathed, scraping Qi from the world and into my wells. Because it was mine.
Slowly, guiding the glass under my skin, I got up. Shakily, I stood, then caught another icicle with my bleeding hand.
My eyes had bled so much they were both blind, so I shut them, and simply relied on my sense for Qi.
[Aura Sense [New!] (Low) (Perceive your surroundings by being in touch with the energies suffusing them)]
I breathed. I dropped the icicle, stained red in blood. I tried to speak, but only gargled noises left my mouth; my throat was filled with blood. Ah, damn it.
With another twist of Qi, because, really, I was already bleeding everywhere, and my aching mind seemed to lack care for whether it would ache more, I burned away the blood in my throat and lungs. Some of my pain faded, but new pain blossomed to replace it, like a carefully cultivated flower of misery.
I spoke, though, my throat hoarse and wounded. Stay the fuck out of my way.
A moment later, I cut off Olivias right hand. My ears had bled so much, and my eardrums might have ruptured again so I didnt hear her screams.
The mage was too far away. I simply looked at where I thought he was, over the lake. I had my eyes closed, and [Aura Sense] only let me see a few meters around me, so I just guessed where he was.
No more icicles came.
Then I walked away.
All of this for a meagre two fish well, and a human hand, but I wasnt about to eat that, so I just left it.
Chapter 79: Campfire
Each and every step through the damned forest along the damned stream was agony.
I desperately clung to my spear with both hands, barely keeping upright, only by expending almost as much Qi as my wellspring made. The wound the icicle had torn into my side reopened, not just once, but five separate times.
With each damned reopening, new flashes of pain wracked my shivering body. My muscles were worn down by the enlightenment I had grasped on the cusp of death, too, so they protested even more now, and I felt more like a skeleton puppeteered by strings of Qi.
Still, when my wound opened up, I diligently stopped, circulated my Qi to form tiny flakes of leaf gold, then had that cover the wound up again through a clever twist of [Golden Body]. I would probably evolve that into my own Qi circulation method soon enough - maybe something like [Golden Mirror]?
The agony of the next step shook me from my thoughts.
It took every ounce of discipline I had to remain standing. And, according to [Disciplined], I was quite good at managing my body.
Only [Iron-Will] and [Single-Minded] let me continue my dreadful march back to my companions.
I just had to take it step by agonizing fucking step.
- - -
It took me two hours to make it back to the base camp.
Two full hours of shambling through the forest while barely alive, leaking a trail of blood. I drank from the stream while I followed it, then from filled waterskins, keeping my blood replenished whenever I started feeling light-headed.
By the end of the march, I was relatively sure that each and every muscle in my body, both physical and mental, was at the verge of breaking. Liam found me before I arrived at camp; well, he felt my shadow, rather.
He didnt pick me up, cause he was literally unable to move himself. Didnt even have the Qi to tell the others I was coming, just a simple sign telling them the rustling was a friend rather than a foe.
Secondly, I noticed Matt. He had a big grin on his face. Fio! Guess what! he yelled before I even came through the bushes, his voice a dull thrumming in my barely working ears. Maybe I was detecting the vibration through the Qi? Genuinely couldnt tell.
Anyway, with this annoyingly chipper tone, he yelled at me. Guess who hit wellspring realm just two and a half hours ago!
THIS MOTHERFUC-
[Calm down Fio, or youll fall unconscious from blood pressure!]
Cass. He got to wellspring before I did, when I literally almost died!! How do you want me to be ca-
Then my blood pressure spiked, and I did, in fact, fall unconscious.
The third thing that I noticed was that my face never impacted the forest floor, because a warm, comforting, familiar presence entered the Qi near me. The smell of fire - not smoke, but fire itself, really, mixed with a faint hint of orange and an even fainter touch of cinnamon.
Ann.
Like lifting a mountain, I opened up my eyelids, dried blood leaving my eyes as I caught a glimpse of her beautiful, beautiful and incredibly worried face.
My lips twisted into a weak smile.
Hey there, gorgeous, I croaked, then fell unconscious properly.
- - -
When I woke up, it wasnt to the lovely sight of Ann, though. Instead, it was the noise of footsteps and swinging weapons. Pained howls from monsters, and grunts of exertion from my guild.
Opening my eyelids was like lifting mountains, yet I did it anyway. I saw the lilac sky hang above the clearing for a moment. It was so peaceful
Three celestial silhouettes hung in the sky. The sun, and the two moons, not too far from each other, really. I smiled, and reached my hand up high into the sky. For a moment, I let the feeling of peace run through me.
Then, blood splashed onto my extended arm.
My smile turned into a frown, and my fist in the sky clenched, my spear weaving itself together from my Qi. It was a bit different now, I noticed, since my mastery increased. It felt closer, more like a part of myself. I smiled. Maybe soon, Id learn more of my masters techniques-
Once again, my thoughts were ended by something entering my field of view. A bloody bornin flew by me, splattering blood onto my face. It joined the dried stuff that was already there.
My entire body still ached, my muscles burning with pain and soreness. They couldnt have used healing magic yet, so my body was wrapped in bandages, and I quite distinctly felt the hole in my side.
Despite it all, I got to my feet.
A bornin saw me and lunged, but with my newfound Qi, it was easy to send it into my spear. I made the weapon much longer, and a tiny movement of my arm annihilated the creature.
The dull ache in my head grew stronger, the strain from manipulating Qi getting to me, but that one was just pain at the end of the day. I pushed it aside, into the corner of my head, and moved on.
Two wells rested inside my body. Neither of them were even remotely full. After my recent fight, their capacity must have increased. I was leaning so heavily on my Qi I would be enormously surprised if those stats didnt increase.
So, I decided to go with my new advantages.
[Golden Body] activated as I began cycling my Qi throughout myself. I mixed in some tricks from Matts style, and some of the things my master had shown me to get more efficiency out of it. Frankly, the ability was the only thing that allowed my battered body to move.
A faint smile wound its way on my face nonetheless.
It felt good to be alive, you know? Sure, I felt dizzy. I wanted to throw up. I was disgusted with cutting someones hand off. But I was alive!
Faintly, in the back of my head, [Mirror Mind] still buzzed, mimicking the Qi circulation, and, strangely, it also let me mirror the bornins. For a moment, I saw one lunge at me.
I was so familiar with the critters, though, that the ability showed me its next movements. I could see exactly how the fight would go. Then, it also let me borrow something from those creatures.
Curiously, I let myself learn from the monsters - the usurpers? Perhaps.
With the mirror in my mind, my body followed, moving with cruel ferocity. Rather than lash out with my spear, I followed the instincts, and stabbed forward with my hand. It was longer than the monster, and I latched onto its head.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
For a moment, the mirror told me to rip into it with my teeth, but that was quickly shut down. I was not a monster. I could learn from them, though.
Instead of becoming animalistic, I used my spear as a claw, driving it through the creatures heart.
Another one lunged at me, and I sidestepped. Every move it could make played out in front of my inner eye, but I ended the fight by jumping right at the monster, and smashing its head against the ground.
Blood pooled, turning the soles of my boots sticky, and more bornins fell. One after another, we tore them apart. They were ferocious and numerous, some throwing rocks or crappy javelins carved from sticks, but they were no match for us.
Trevor and Emilia bashed, Ann and Evelyn cast, Marie fired arrows, Matt sliced them apart.
Qi bubbled up in my wells and was almost instantly consumed by my hungry abilities, as my spear turned into a shifting weapon of destruction. When enemies came too close, I could even create a secondary blade purely from Qi, or shift the entire shaft into being a blade. Once, I even made the main blade into a scythe, and drew it back, cutting one of the bornins in half.
Fifteen minutes later and the assault was over. I allowed my mind to rest a little, and the dull ache returned. A moment later, with my Qi seeping out of my muscles, I collapsed to the ground, my spear disappearing.
Ann instantly appeared next to me, kneeling down and holding me up. Fio? she asked worriedly. You there? Come on, lay down, you shouldnt be moving, let alone fighting right now
I held up a hand to stop her, gently laying a bloodied finger on her lips. I cracked a smile, attempting to be reassuring, but there was blood in my mouth, so some of my teeth mightve been red. Dont worry, love. Im okay-
My calming speech was interrupted by a coughing fit filled with chunks of blood. It felt like I was coughing half my lung out, really. Ann attempted to guide me to a makeshift bed of leaves, but I stopped her again.
Fio, please. Lay down, its-
Its just pain, I said. I looked into her eyes for a long moment. Its just pain, Ann.
Her face fell, not into anger or disappointment. She just looked sad. Defeated. Fio
Marie spoke instead. Fio. You need to rest to recover.
I looked at her for a moment, then swiped my gaze across the camp once. Trev, Evelyn and Sophia wisely kept out of the discussion. My eyes focused on our leader again. I saw that her expression was stern, set in stone. No, Marie, I shook my head. I wont be a burden this time. I reached wellspring realm, on both my cores. I will heal.
Our leader frowned even more now. Resting does not make you a burden-
YES IT DOES!! I snapped. Then I coughed again, more blood seeping into the grass. Yes it does, I whispered.
Fio, Matt tried, but I shot him a glare, and he wisely closed his mouth.
I looked at Marie. For a long, long moment, I held her gaze. She was our leader. The most adept at keeping a cool head and at keeping all of us alive. But Id fucked up before. Each time I fucked up the others payed the price, in time and effort and pain and money, even.
Not this time.
Slowly, stubbornly, I rose to my feet, then moved to a fallen over log, sitting down heavily. Then, I looked at Marie again. Her face had softened. She understood. Sorry for snapping. Marie, everyone, please, just trust me. I know I look bad, but we all do. Were in the wilderness. The next city is dozens of miles from here. Monsters will find us. You cant afford to protect me, and I dont need protection.
I let out a long sigh. As long as I can move, Ill move.
Emilia shot me a smile. Alright princess, she said. Youre being mighty strong right now. Ill rely on you, then, and you rely on us as well. Well have your back, and youll have ours.
It brought a faint smile to my face, too.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Reya and Eric nod. Marie spoke up again. Emilia is right. Were a team. Trust is important. If Fio says she can keep going, she can. We trust you.
At that, there were more nods around the camp. I smiled. I did bring home a bit of food, I said, taking the two large fish out of my inventory. Mountain lake without aquatic monsters. Its where I got ambushed by some of the Zinnic murderers I taught a lesson to.
Liam flinched, which was impressive, given that he was laying down. Shit! He was resting! I knew he was worrying about being a burden, he- Will they come after you again? his voice resounded in my ears.
It was terribly sad, even less than a whisper, barely more audible than a croak. He sounded hoarse and defeated. ... No, I said solemnly. I cut off the swordswomans hand. There was a mage, but hes afraid, now, I think.
Zinnic wont continue supporting them if theyre that hurt, Emilia said.
Youd think so. I broke the swordswomans legs just this morning though, and here she was.
At that, I saw faces turn into grimaces. Ann gently ran her fingers through my hair. Zinnic wouldnt tolerate failure twice.
Thats true, Matt nodded. And if they do come again, well be here to help you.
He and Emilia were in the best shape out of all of us. Matt, because he advanced, and Emilia because she was unbelievably resilient. I nodded. Probably, yes. Might make her desperate though. But she wont come swinging a sword well, at least.
Once again, people nodded, and things turned quiet. The clearing smelled of iron, dark bornin blood staining the grassy ground. Our campfire crackled quietly, the fish cooking quietly above it. Reya had placed them there.
For a moment, the crackling was the only noise.
I used the moment to call up the divine gift, checking my Status. I hid the parts whose updates Id seen in combat already.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (8) / Gateway (5)
- Techniques
- Stats
- General
- Strength: Medium (Intermediate)
- Agility: Medium (Superior)
- Endurance: High (Inferior)
- Resilience: Medium (Superior)
- Manipulation: Medium (Greater)
- Capacity: Medium (Greater)
- Absorption: Medium (Superior)
- Qi
- Gold
- Purity (Intermediate)
- Realm (Golden Wellspring)
- Stage (1st Step)
- Path (Voyage through the Golden Depths)
- Mirror
- Purity (Perfect)
- Realm (Mirror Wellspring)
- Stage (1st Step)
- Path (Imprint upon infinite Self-Similarity)
- Disposition
- Covenant
- Familiarity (Kind to the known, distrustful to the new.)
- Temperament
- Impatient (Time ticks and you wish to be ahead of it.)
- Disciplined (Your command over yourself is admirable.)
- Iron Will (Your tenacity is incredible, even among the outstanding.)
- Talent
- Slight Edge (Average is below your standards. Go above, even by a little.)
- Single-Minded (Your focus is your strength. Once your mind is set, nothing will shake you out of it.)
- Mirror Mind (You reflect what is around you. Mimicking what you see becomes second nature.)
- Precipice [New!] (Growth lies on the edge between life and death. Throw yourself onto the precipice and thrive.)
Current Status: Moribund]
I checked my current status first and winced at the divine gifts choice of words. Moribund was well, essentially describing me as a shambling near-corpse. Then again, human bodies were not meant to have this many holes in it. And I was kind of only walking by making my Qi move my own body
On a brighter note, that had done wonders for my manipulation. The stat that has always been one of my weaknesses suddenly turned into a strength. Of course, I was under no illusions about this - it had come from a long time of accumulation. Watching people who were better at it than me.
Heck, I may have been mirroring Matt and Rey, my old master, but I had certainly learned a lot of those principles from the way Ann handled mana. In fact, there were still things to learn from her.
However, seeing my endurance jump a major realm was even sweeter than that. It has probably happened sometime during the body puppeteering march. My muscles still hurt from that exertion, yet I lived, and my body would grow. Because of the divine gift.
That was too long. Why did Iryel have to tell me, really? Id just call it the Gift from now.
Gazing at my status again, though, I looked at what was by far the biggest gain. [Precipice]. It was the first new talent I had acquired myself, after three years in Eden.
I had heard of something similar before, though the wording on this one was slightly vague. Sinister, almost, telling me to get myself nearly killed. Just thinking of that moment made the deep gash on my forehead ache again. Id have an eyebrow slit for a little bit, I supposed.
But reading the vague wording told me it did exactly what it promised: help me learn when I was hurt. Especially, if I was in a life-or-death kinda scenario. A thin smile found itself on my lips, that probably shouldnt have been there.
The thought of plunging myself into life-or-death battles was dangerous. Reckless. I should treat this ability as a safety net, not as a talent to actively try my best to use.
Still the Gift called me moribund right now. Almost dead. What if I sparred-
Dont even think it, Ann hissed. Well be moving out tomorrow morning. Youll need to walk. Wipe that grin off your face and lay down, please. You are not sparring.
Matt perked up at the word, then quickly lowered his head again. He let out a wistful sigh. Then he smiled at me. So, Fio, whend you reach wellspring?
I felt an artery on my forehead pulse, one that hadnt been severed in my last battle. Half an hour after you, I said through gritted teeth, clenching them so hard it ached.
The rat-looking fucker had the audacity to give me a bright, truly kind smile. Ah. That is the smallest gap to me you managed yet! Im proud of you Fio.
For a moment I faked more anger, struggling against Anns grip as if I was about to kill him, but then my wound ached, and I dropped back down. Playing with Matt wasnt quite worth aggravating my pain for tomorrow. I sighed. Proud of you too, you prodigious Rat.
He grinned. I am quite talented, arent I?
Quietly, I grumbled. Maybe I was gonna use [Precipice] a liiiiittle more than strictly necessary.
Chapter 80: Calm
The fish were a bit dark by the time we took them off the fire. Liam devoured one of them, all on his own, while everyone else shared the second. I refused any bite of it, though I did eat quite a few of Maries roots.
My body could sustain itself for longer than the others, and from a more dire diet by now. My endurance was probably the highest of the party, so I could reasonably eat tree bark by now, too. As long as it wasnt too poisonous.
Additionally, my body was partially fed by Qi from my wells. Which helped stave off hunger for a truly superhuman time. It also worked for sleep, luckily enough. Though my mental exhaustion still told me I needed rest right now.
So I politely remained laying down, closed my eyes, and was out like a light a moment after Id eaten.
- - -
When I woke up, the sky was still dark, and full of stars.
There were, however, sounds of fighting around me. Those had not awoken me. What had woken me up, was Cass loudly screaming into my head, telling me to dodge.
Adrenaline flooding my veins from the sudden stop to my rest, I rolled to the side. Where Id just been, a drytz poked out of the floor, its claws tearing apart my rudimentary bedding. I was slow, and it scraped my shoulder, but glanced off one of Anns barriers.
With a herculean effort, I lifted myself off the floor, then closed my eyes again, not bothering to keep them open. My aura sense encompassed a small area around me, but I learnt fast on the verge of death.
Plus, it extended underground.
With a swift grab into thin air, my spear materialized then I stabbed it into the ground with pinpoint precision, spearing a drytz straight through its head. The creatures were tough, and ferocious, but they were most of all stealthy. How theyd found us I didnt know, since Marie should have put up barriers
Then again, the monsters also found the city.
Combat was swift and brutal, and by the end, the range of my Aura sense had improved by about half a meter, fed by the Qi Id been able to recover during my brief rest.
When we were all catching our breaths, I turned to Ann, every muscle once again alight with fire. How long was I out? I asked between gasps.
My girlfriend was luckily less winded, since she had been levitting and blasting them with spells. Two hours, maybe. A little less.
We have to move, Marie commanded. I turned to her, seeing the gritted teeth and pained expression, but she was right. Resting when monster hordes were about and protections didnt work was a poor choice. No, we needed to move.
Ill take point, Emilia said. Matt joined her in the front of the party. Our scout was down, and Marie needed to get us something to eat while we moved, so we wouldnt have time to find monsters ahead of time.
Soon, our formation roughly established itself. Matt and Emilia ahead, followed by Trevor and Evelyn, then our healers, as well as Liam and I. Ann was at the back. I was almost bothered at being so far in the back, but those thoughts soon faded away when simply marching forward took all my focus.
By now, my clothes were filthy. My boots rubbed against my already hurt skin, blistering rapidly. I couldnt reinforce my skin with Qi either; despite my wellsprings producing much more, it was still not enough for luxuries.
It was barely enough to puppeteer my broken body while allowing my cores to fill ever so slowly. I didnt have enough for luxuries.
A half dozen hours passed in a silent march. Occasionally, there would be a small skirmish, but our vanguard usually blasted solitary monsters apart before I even noticed. Halfway through, Liam stirred.
Hed remained firmly asleep throughout everything until now, but when his eyes opened, some light had returned to them. In fact, as soon as he moved, I saw the shadows around us shift a little, as if his control over them manifested itself. He had regained enough Qi for that, then.
I saw the rogue take a couple ragged breaths, then he turned to me. I saw him linger, as if in thought. He still levitated, laying down in mid air, so it was a little strange seeing him turn.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
His face was pale as a corpse, and his eyes had bags under them. Other parts of his skin were still blackened and burnt, some flaking off and revealing red flesh underneath.
A few moments, the silence lasted. Eventually, though, I heard his voice - and I was sure I was the only one who heard it.
Youre tough Fio. You advanced, too. Be proud of yourself.
That was all he said, his voice an even quieter whisper than usual, and raspy to boot. Still, his eyes lingered on me, dark and dreary. I gave him my bravest smile. I am, yes. But. We each have our strengths, we cover for each other.
My words prompted a small smile from him as well, his skin slightly cracking as he smiled, though shadows soon rose and laid onto his body. ... Yeah, he whispered. Lend me your shadow for a bit?
I gave a short nod, not spending my bare energy on an answer, and a moment later, my own shadow liquified, then materialized into a glob of black, and floated off me before attaching to Liam himself.
This wasnt a new ability. It let him borrow some of the attributes of the shadow-bearer for a bit, so he was probably using it to enhance his endurance. Indeed, I saw his wounds begin knitting themselves together. He had a lot of experience in manipulating his body simply because he used Qi to help him transition, so that probably came in quite handy in helping him fix himself up.
In the process, his gaunt form turned even slimmer, using a mix of Qi, fat, and muscle to cannibalize enough nutrients for reshaping flesh. It wasnt a miracle, no form of healing was. But with it, he would be in walking shape again sooner rather than later.
A few seconds after he laid the shadows onto himself, he turned his head. Reya had stepped closer. Suddenly, his form wasn''t shrinking anymore, instead, the nutrients were supplied from Divinity. Liam couldnt receive divine healing anymore, but his own Qi was a bit different.
The healing went slowly, but bit by bit, his wounds closed.
After another couple hours, he was almost ready to walk again, though he still remained floating.
We marched silently.
Another hour passed by.
You know, Fio, he said, looking up into the night sky. You dont have to worry. I feel a bit bad about myself. But Ill catch up.
As he said the words, I saw a small ripple in the shadows on his skin, as if responding to his promise. I feel like this has been a learning experience. This kind of silence is rare, you know. Im getting close to something.
His thin lips turned into another smile. Soon. Then Ill join you in wellspring. Just you wait.
Somehow, despite the difficulty of advancement, I didnt doubt his words for a moment. Liam was talented. He also chose an element that allowed him to inherit some power by shadowing others around him. With both Matt and I having wells it was only a matter of days until he was there, too.
The thought made me look towards Ann at the back of our party. She was keeping a lot of spells active, and had been for a while My eyes went wide, then she noticed my stare and gave me a sheepish smile.
Shed reached fourth circle. Before Matt reached wellspring, too!
I smiled back, and blew her a kiss, to which she stifled a giggle.
Then I almost fell flat on my face, as a tiny rock impeded my movement. An application of Qi and a painful twist of my muscles later I managed the step but learned my lesson. Instead of flirting, I focussed back on the road at hand.
- - -
[Were being watched.]
I gave Cass a small nod.
Another hour or two had passed, and the forest was quiet. Sure, we stumbled upon occasional small monsters, and even big ones we had to flee from, but we hadnt been overrun by the horde, or felt the quakes from a distant battle.
What surprised me most, though, was that we found no other survivors. See, there had been thousands of Edians back in Renvil, and hundreds of Reflectors. Surely, we should have met at least some, rather than just me seeing the hostile swordswoman.
Additionally, I couldnt shake the feeling of being watched. Which, honestly, would be just my luck.
Circulating my Qi had been healing my wounds a little, but this was not damage that could be mended in less than a day, especially when I hit my healing limit already.
The sky was dark above, though not quite as dark as during the night. The sun was, ever so slowly, cresting the horizon above a chain of mountains. Each tree cast enormously long shadows onto the dark ground, and clouds were gathering.
It would rain soon. It felt like something was waiting for their moment to pounce. With a small tap, Liam focused on me, and I formed a couple shapes with my hand, disguising them as best as I could.
His face remained neutral, heavily schooled, but a moment later, every member of our party got the message. All except Trevor, Evelyn, and Sophia. They wouldnt expect the communication, and we couldnt afford to give our knowledge away with a flinch or something.
I saw the muscles on Maries back tense slightly. She was currently with the party, luckily. We remained silent, all focussed, though our magical senses were now stretched to their limit.
With slight glances, I observed the trees all around us. If I werent hiding my expression I would have grimaced. There were too damn many places to hide!
Eventually, though, the first raindrop fell.
Dark clouds had gathered in the twilight sky, and the rising sunlight was once again almost extinguished. Thin, tiny wisps of sun, cast enormous shadow, turning the whole forest dark and sinister.
The rain grew quickly, and minutes later, it came down in a pour. Thousands of thick drops slammed into the ground, turning it into slick mud and insecure footing.
I tensed further, the prickling in the back of my neck growing intense. I even felt that Cass was uncomfortably on edge.
Then, eventually, it happened.
A raindrop fell just right; into a ray of sunshine that came through the leaves, hitting my eye at just the right angle. I closed it, the blinding light forcing my pupils to adjust and creating a small distraction for a moment.
The very second my eyelid closed, my aura sense shifted. The raindrop turned into a human figure wielding a sharp knife, thrusting it at my eyes, while from the shadow a tree cast on me, a serpentine hand reached up to slash my tendons.
Not a second later, everything exploded into motion.
Chapter 81: Effort
An attack from a raindrop and the shadows. The first used water to fight, probably. Maybe even rain. The other was shadow or mud, it was almost impossible to tell the difference in that split second, and both would allow them to step through the muddy, dark ground beneath me.
Bending my Qi, I forced my torso backward, barely evading the knife coming at my face and watching it sail through where my head had just been. I saw the silhouette of the man who swung it, a gruff human covered in scars, with a scraggly beard, unruly, wet hair and bloodlust in his eyes.
Unfortunately, the move messed with my footing. The hand sliced against Anns barriers, and wouldve broken through in a moment, but settled for the much faster move of Grabbing my ankle, and dragging forward.
Before a second had passed, I felt my back slam into the ground, spikes of hardened shadow threatening to dig into my skin before Liam forced them back down. Instead, mud and stone were the only things that awaited me.
The muck seeped into my open wounds, eliciting a hoarse scream, since the impact blew all the air out of my lungs. The pain made my vision flash white for a moment, and the very instant it came back, a knife was already being stabbed toward my eye again.
Whats with everyone going for my eyes?!
The thought lasted a brief moment, before I jerked my head to the side. The knife plunged into the ground, but a moment later, shadows wrapped themselves around my neck and squeezed.
My attempts to take another breath were quickly interrupted, and I ended up choking on empty air, being pulled a bit deeper into the muck. Every bit of my body ached, and the compression on my throat was strong enough to make my neck creak.
Then, a second later, the shadows lifted, Liam wrangling control of them into his arms again. I quickly activated [Reflecion] on the next stab coming for my face, and the returned slash was quick enough to leave a wound on my attackers wrist.
Enough time passed for Matt and Ann to explode into the fight - very literally.
In an instant, petals and fire consumed my immediate area, while Marie dashed in to pick me up and drag me out. The bright light briefly drove the shadows away, forcing them to take shape.
A serpent-folk stood in the darkness, red tongue flickering across bronze scales. Her long, scaled tail slithered, already propelling her forward rapidly through the mud, the golden jewellery attached to her scales tinkling as she slithered forward.
The man clashed with Matt, whose sword slid off his dagger. A storm of petals deflected the second stab, headed for his gut.
For but an instant, we held the stalemate, then Trevor and Emilia pounced, smashing at the man. The rogue, however, simply vanished. Reappearing from another raindrop to slash at me.
I quickly raised my spear to stop the swing.
He was using just a dagger, but the force of the attack was nothing short of calamitous. The blow rang down heavily enough to send my bones shaking, and slammed me out of Maries grasp, instead landing on the floor again.
Only our leaders quick intervention with her own shortsword stopped me from losing my head.
Then, the snake was upon me again - the shadows around me turned into twisted claws, grasping hands with fingers sharp as knives. The serpent directed them, in a bizarre act that could be borne from Qi or Mana. I even heard her hum, in a bastardized incantation.
In a moment, the claws came down.
All but one dissolved away, pained screams tearing forth from Liams throat and mine. The rogue was wrestling the snake for control of the shadows - and she was trouncing him. The serpent was certainly at wellspring rank, probably at a higher step than me, too, and still used mana to enhance her attacks.
Liam was already crying tears of blood from exertion, yet my wound was much more mundane.
Sharp, knife-like fingers tore into my thigh, where Liam had failed to dissolve them, and tore apart my flesh to the bone. I lashed out with my spear, dispelling the illusion, but the muck beneath me was already calamitously turned red.
My whole world flashed red. I could not have even reflected that attack, I just didnt have enough Qi. Despite being at wellspring rank, the march was taking a lot out of me, and I was already only barely hanging on.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Despite the horrendous pain, I forced myself to sense the area, at least. Something stirred next to me, sinister and hateful, and I rolled aside, instinctively stabbing back, and hitting only empty air. Whatever I was aiming at, the man I guessed, was horrendously flexible, bending away from my spear with an almost inhuman movement.
A low, hoarse chuckle resounded around me. I thought this hunt would be harder.
The second voice was beautiful, almost enchanting. Quite. But our timing was quite fortunate.
Indeed, who would have thought that Renvil would be overrun so soon I thought the tide would take some time to trigger?
Ah, we must simply be quite excellent at luring the monsters.
The fight had lulled for a moment as the voices spoke, all of us taking the time to regain our bearings, and some power. I ran threads of mirror Qi through my body, forcing my leg to move, and raising from the floor like a twisted marionette.
But the moment they spoke all the fear in my heart was instantly replaced with boiling, bottomless fury.
I stabbed out at the shape most nearby to me, the man in dark blue clothes, and he twisted out of the way again. It was strange watching him, the way the raindrops coalesced, and moved once they hit his skin. Rather than flow to the floor, he seemed to be collecting them.
Not that I cared.
With a huge blast of Qi, my spear expanded, becoming one enormously long blade. I swiped it to the side in a motion that would bisect him, but the man just grinned and vanished.
He appeared behind me, quite a distance away, and stabbed forward with his dagger. Suddenly, all the water that had hit him reappeared from behind his back, flowing along his blade and forming a long needle of ice.
Instantly, burning pain erupted in the same leg the shadow snake had already hurt, the needle piercing into my thigh. With another quick movement of Qi, he broke off the bit that was not inside my leg, and recalled the rest of the ice into water before I even had a chance to retaliate.
A sinister grin was on his face as he danced even further back.
Grimacing, I stepped forward, chasing after him. The shadows around me roiled, snaking across the ground and began reaching out, but were then beaten down. I trusted my party, and narrowed my focus.
Everything vanished except for the man.
His steps slowed down in my vision, the raindrops freezing in midair. For a moment, I thought it was my focus, but then the drops turned into tiny spikes of ice and flew at me.
I gritted my teeth, and quickly made my spear as wide as I could, hiding behind it like a shield, and watching the needles tinkle to the ground as they hit it. But by the time I moved forward again, the man was gone.
Instead, he was replaced with flashing pain in my side, his knife digging into the hole left behind by another icicle.
Another scream tore from my mouth, but the fury replaced the pain, and I lashed out with my spear. He dodged the blade, but was close enough for my fist to smack him in his mouth.
He tumbled back a step, then laughed hoarsely and spat out some blood. I was panting, desperately shoving the pain aside, while this fucker wasnt even out of breath.
Serpent! he suddenly shouted. Target change! Shes no longer a real danger!
Then he vanished.
Ann.
It was all I could think of to turn, and right there, in the back of the party she stood.
Her hands were extended, wisps of steam flowing off them because of the intense heat concentrated in summoning a fireball. There, only a few steps from her, the man stood.
I saw the water behind him move again, snaking its way onto his dagger to create the same kind of needle hed made to stab my leg.
Ann would die.
She was a mage. It would just pierce her heart, and that would be that. Death. Right then and there.
I had to save her.
My mind raced, looking for a way to get to her. Liam could step through the shadows, and the man could step through the rain, but there was no metal for me to step through with my golden Qi.
So how? How to get there?!
Then, I remembered. Right at the start of the fight. Id thought the man moved through reflections
What were raindrops, if not tiny mirrors?
The moment the thought appeared in my head, I saw it. Every single droplet in the sky mirrored the world around it. I saw myself in a hundred kaleidoscopic refractions, my face smeared with blood, my body torn and twisted. I saw Matt and Liam and all the others hold the snake down. Eric was close to me.
I gazed at him through the reflection, and he nodded.
An instant later, he crumpled to the floor, spent.
Every drop of divinity in his body flooded through me, fueling my broken muscles with power.
With an iron will, I drew on my mirror Qi, emptying my entire core within a moment.
The world shifted, and I was no longer where I had been before. I stood, in between the assassin and Ann.
[Reflection has reached (Intermediate)!]
Then, everything turned to blinding pain for an instant, my vision going blank. It faded a moment later, my brian overwhelmed with the signals. I looked down, and
Oh. There was an icy dagger, right through my chest. How unpleasant.
Despite it, I gritted my teeth.
The assassin wasnt far from me. Id stepped closer to him than to Ann.
With a push of will, I grabbed his shoulder. He couldnt step through the rain if I held onto him.
The expression on his face shifted. From cruel confidence into surprise, glee, then suddenly more surprise and a hint of worry.
I slammed my forehead into his nose, breaking it in a moment.
ARGH! he screamed in pain, grasping at his face, but I wasnt done.
With a broken body, I shifted my mirror Qi, forcing my hand to move.
You want this back, fucker?! I asked, my hand wrapping around the ice in my chest. I broke off part of it, and stabbed it through his eyes. Get away from her!!
The man staggered back a step, screaming with pain, but I didn''t let go of his shoulder, my hand like a vice grip on him. The extra distance let me summon my spear again though, which I promptly drove into his stomach.
Water shifted, and a layer of ice went to protect him, but it was never gonna be enough.
Every drop of golden Qi rushed through my body, into the tip of my weapon. His shield of ice, made from thousands of raindrops shattered within a moment. My spear went into his gut and back out the other side.
The Qi drove through him, tearing his insides apart.
A moment later, the light in his eyes went out.
Chapter 82: Alive
My Qi was empty. The snake woman was still alive, though she was currently held down by all members of our party. Then, though, she suddenly sunk into the floor, vanishing into the shadows.
A moment later, as my vision turned red and my world tipped onto its side, I saw Liam, too, lose cohesion and turn into a black blob.
Then, for a bit, the world was filled with dancing shadows and bestial howls. I saw claws and fangs and horrid monstrosities in the darkness.
The fight lasted only an instant. At the end, Liam returned from the shadows, his body now covered in lacerations, and bites, bleeding from a myriad wounds. Still, he grinned. Made it, he whispered. Wellspring.
Only a few seconds later, the snake reappeared, mauled and broken, barely clinging to life. She had not expected an attack in the shadows, and never held that kind of battle, so Liams rather suicidal charge took her by surprise.
Hed been brutal, too.
Both her eyes were clawed out, turning her blind, and bite marks like those from a wild beast covered her side, having torn off huge chunks of shadowy flesh. Her body seemed to barely hold its cohesion together, but already, shadows twirled to repair it.
Liam had run out of Qi before finishing her, but that didnt matter.
Emilias mace came down, breaking her face, and a moment later, icicles made by Evelyn and Ann sunk into her flesh, until she stopped moving.
The camp was silent for a moment, and I staggered.
Briefly, I remembered the gaping wound in my chest. The flame of divinity burnt for a moment longer, then left like a flickering echo.
All the strength that had fueled my body suddenly disappeared, leaving me feeling hollow and weak.
A small, terrible smile appeared on my face. I really was hollow now, wasnt I? Who could boast about having a hole in their ch-
Then, I fell unconscious, once again.
- - -
Awakening was a soup of pain, made worse by the fact that I saw everything and everyone from a hundred different perspectives. Maybe more than that.
The pain was a red hot iron diving into my brain. I tried to let out another scream but all that left my mouth was a wet gurgle.
Ah, nice. Punctured lung. Lovely.
[Fio. Cycle your Qi. Try to breathe. Your left lung is punctured.]
Okay. Luckily, the stab wasnt too thick. Only about an inch in diameter?
[Its bad, but you can breathe.]
I could. Slowly, forcing myself to be as calm as possible, I drew in a small breath. My right lung moved, and oxygen slowly reached my blood. It hurt like hell, but what was another bit of pain on top?
[Ah. Sorry. I can]
Suddenly, some of the pain faded. I only saw darkness again. What was that? I asked. It was honestly hard to even form cohesive thoughts.
[Reflection. You can see and walk through mirrors near you now? Something like that. Its still raining, so there are a lot of mirrors. I took that part of your perception. Easier for me to filter through than you. Let me see if I cant]
My vision changed again as Cass tried out something. Images after images flashed by my mind, distorted, strange reflections of reality. The darkness before my inner eye suddenly became awash with twisting, blinding colours, and honestly I wanted to close my eyes.
Too bad they were already closed.
A few seconds passed where my world was awash with twisted brightness, until it finally settled.
Once again, my perception was different. The new perspective, I supposed, joined my aura sense. I could already feel the world around me, my range having expanded again after the battle.
Now, though, in addition to the strange sense of my surroundings, there was also a clear visual image of the world around me. I could see all my companions, despite my closed eyes, and I could see myself.
Wow did I look bad.
The rain had washed away a lot of blood, but more still was oozing from my wounds, as Ann desperately tried to stem the bleeding. Oh. I was still lying in the mud? Only a couple seconds must have passed
[Two minutes. You were out for two minutes, Fio. Ann had been doing chest compressions on you.]
Oh crap.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Just to calm my girlfriend down, I put in the effort it took to lift my eyelids. Honestly, there was little point to the motion. I felt raindrops falling into them eliciting tiny bits of pain, but they faded again moments after.
Okay, maybe it was worth it, to see Anns face.
She was crying. Her red hair was a dark crimson, stained by the rain, and hung down in muddy curls. The rain mixed with her tears on her face, dripping down onto me. My ears popped and I could hear her sobbing.
Cmon! she cried, pressing down on my chest one more time, prompting me to cough painfully, bloody chunks of flesh evicting themselves from my body. I spat on the ground next to me, the dark mud tinged red.
Fio! Ann yelled again, suddenly turning to look at my face, her scarlet eyes lighting up with hope.
Despite all the pain in every tiny part of my body, I gave her my best smile. Heya Ann. Sorry, I- my clever line was rudely interrupted by another bloody cough. I was doing that a lot recently. I drew in a ragged breath and finished my sentence. I mustve slept in. Did I miss anything?
Slowly but surely, Anns lips curled as well, a tiny smile mixing onto her face, and she started laughing and crying at the same time, drawing in deep gasps of wet air. She even smacked the ground next to me, scattering some bloody mud through the air.
Youre so grounded! she cried in the middle of a horribly sad laugh. Dont do that, Fio! Dont ever do it again!
I was more glad than ever to have reached wellspring. The two minutes of calmly laying down and bleeding out were enough to regain some Qi. I immediately used some golden Qi to keep my insides inside, and some mirror Qi to move myself.
Slowly, gently, my arm reached up, and I wiped a tear off Anns face. Come on, I mustve looked really cool, didnt I? I grinned.
She laughed again, her body wracked and struggling to cope with it all. Eventually, she managed to get out a couple words. Yeah, she said between quiet sobs. Thank- Thank you.
Then I let my hand drop.
Cass, monitor my vitals. Make sure I keep breathing. Sync if you have to, but please, stay away from my pain receptors, alright?
My keeper gave me a small affirmation, then I felt a bit more secure. I coughed again, lighting up the flares of pain in my chest, but it didnt matter for now.
Im so proud of you, Ann, I say, taking laboured breaths, and still feeling short on air. Liam, too. Youre all amazing. Another breath. Ill take a nap now.
Her face fell.
Dont be dramatic, I chided, then coughed again. Wow, I really unlocked a whole new stage of agony. Ill wake back up.
She laughed again, a horribly sad giggle that almost shattered my heart. You better! Or Ill come after you and kick your butt.
I gave one last smile, then fell asleep.
- - -
Somehow, the next time I woke up, everything hurt even worse than before. At least I wasnt walking this time. Instead, I was gently floating in midair.
Rain still pattered down on my face, much more gentle now, and the wind was a cool breeze.
My hair was, however, still sticky with blood. In fact, all my clothes were caked in it. The rain did, however, let me see the outside world, overlapping with my Qi sense. My ears were better. No longer ringing. I could actually hear the sound of droplets coming down on my face, and my friends marching.
Other than that, there was the rustling of leaves in the wind. The storm had let off a little. But there were definitely more footsteps than there were supposed to be.
I focussed on my sense and the images Cass projected into my mind. This kind of sight had limited range, and was a little blurry at times, since it was a patchwork of distorted reflections, but it was omnidirectional.
A quick review of what was going on around me told me that yes, there were actually more people. Wed picked up some refugees. Lots of people I had never seen, and a couple I had. Someone from the market, someone whod been at a blacksmith at the same time as me, an alchemist Id brought supplies to once.
Every last one an Edian.
They looked well, I couldnt exactly say worse than me, but definitely more demoralized. These were people who had lost their homes to monsters. People who mightve only seen the wilderness a few times. Now they were being escorted through monster infected woods by a group of ragtag Reflectors riddled with wounds.
Should not have thought of wounds. The reminder of their existence made pain in my lungs flare up. I forcefully made my breathing more shallow, trying to take in only as much air as I needed.
At the same time, I tried to envision how Liam moved his Qi. His technique had been made for turning flesh malleable - both for being a good scout, but also to truly reshape his body. I could surely take some of his patterns and apply them to me
My next couple minutes of consciousness were spent cycling Qi. I took it slow, combining multiple tricks from multiple people to create a method that worked for me. It was a patchwork at best, but with my recent intense practice, I made progress faster than I usually would have.
Ah. Right, that was something my master had once told me. Advancing, then consolidating your experience. Push your boundaries, then settle your strength. I suppose now, I was onto consolidating.
Everything about my use of Qi had progressed by leaps and bounds, though at a cost. I had cried blood and cut up my insides, but I had progressed. Now it was time to settle into that new power.
Briefly, I took up a moment to turn to the side, and cough up some blood. Yeah, okay, there was definitely more internal damage from overly straining my Qi pathways. But it would heal, I hoped.
It did mean that I needed to be careful now.
Strangely, my mind still felt fresh. Well not exactly fresh. It had been more than through the wringer, but by now the headaches were so constant they were more of a background hum. So, I simply remained with my eyes closed, and focused on moving my Qi.
Eventually, I was interrupted by a small tap on my forehead. I didnt bother opening my eyes, but I did focus more attention on my outside senses again. Ann? I croaked. Wow, my throat was scratchy. Water, please?
She smirked. Really? Not even gonna look at me? Despite her protest, she brought a small cup-like thing to my lips and poured some water into my mouth.
Your beauty is too radiant, I countered after taking a moment to swallow.
Oh my gosh, she said, then giggled. Seriously, though. Your skin is glowing. Its making people nervous.
Ah, I said, then checked. So it is. Golden body did indeed make my skin glow. A part of my current Qi circulation was taken from that Skill, and really, most of it was. What I was doing now was more a special application than a real overhaul.
Your wounds also seem to be scabbing over in gold. Thats you, Im guessing? She asked.
I gave a small nod, managing the tiny gesture since my neck muscles were some of the few I hadnt had to completely overwork. Still hurt, though.
Okay. Nothing dangerous?
I shook my head.
Ann nodded. Okay. She paused for a moment, then placed a light kiss on my lips. You focus on getting better soon, sleeping beauty.
At that, I could not hold back a smile. Okay, I said simply. I wouldve loved to tell her more, but I was already feeling short on breath, spouts of dizziness setting in, and so was forced to focus on my meditation again.
Quite a bit of time mustve passed like that.
Chapter 83: Qi Control
I was woken up by a tap on my nose from Ann. My meditation had most certainly ended up with me drifting into sleep. Which wasnt the point, but at the end of the day, circulating Qi was mentally exhausting, so it was only really a matter of time.
Oh, good. Youre thinking again, Ann chimed in with a smile.
Hearing her voice, I took a moment to focus on the present again - and immediately regretted it.
Every single bit of my body hurt and complained. My bones ached like I was over three hundred, my skin felt paper thin, the windchill already cutting through it. My muscles had it worst, the pain of their overuse mixing with the pain of my countless cuts and bruises.
Of course, it still paled in comparison to the aches on my head and chest, where I got my skull scraped by a sword and my lung pierced. Divines, my lungs hurt. I could have been breathing nails and I swear it wouldve felt better.
Despite that, I forced myself to take a shallow breath. Only half my lung was moving anyway, so I supplemented Oxygen with Qi. It was not exactly sustainable for long, but it was better than nothing.
With the magical energy coursing through my circuit, I felt a lot better already. My eyes were still heavy, so I instead tried to give a smile to Ann. Howd you know? I asked.
Your face. You look peaceful when you sleep, but that was your thinking face just now, she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
I have a thinking face?
Oh, yes, she agreed. Very serious business.
Despite all the pain, I was still glad to see, no, feel the smile on her face. The rain had not stopped, but slowed a lot. With fewer reflective surfaces around me, my view of the world shifted again, essentially only encompassing my Qi sense. It made the world less clear, certainly, but at least the pressure against my mind decreased a whole lot.
Less sensory overload - I think that might have actually knocked me unconscious without Cass to handle it. I sent her a quick thanks before focusing on Ann again.
So much thinking, she teased, giving me a kiss on the nose.
Sure, sure. Whyd you wake me up, then? Just to tease me a little? I asked, innocently.
No, really it was uh I was worried youd bleed out. Also, your blood is attracting monsters a bit, and your mirror Qi was increasing, also drawing more of them to us, so yeah. Were not in dire straits yet, but it would definitely be better for you if you closed the wounds up again, she explained.
Ah, I simply mouthed, and focused some more. Within a few moments, my Qi was circulating. My wells were half full, which meant I had probably slept for a couple hours at least.
Their capacity had increased a whole lot since they became wells, so half full was about as much as my cores used to hold. Sadly, that meant very little, since [Golden Body], the technique at the foundation of my Qi cycling, was a very hungry skill. Of course, I could reduce the amount of power it used by augmenting my own strength and speed less, but enhancing my regeneration still consumed a lot of resources.
Still, I did it. I contained my mirror Qi, using it instead to plug gaps in my wounded body, to seal smaller scraped and medium sized lacerations. The blood dripping out from my wounds decreased, then stopped as a whole, when my skin once again shone with radiance.
Ann smiled. Okay, love. Youre doing great. Wanna hear some news on how thingsve been going? she asked.
Sure, I replied with a smile.
She nodded. Right. We picked up a couple more refugees. Some angel came by and told us to head to the nearest city. Same guy who shielded us. He looked bad. Not as bad as you, but a close second.
Iryel?
He did not stay long enough to introduce himself. But hell live, Im sure. Had the type of tired expression that told me if he was going to fall over dead he already would have. She said the words in such a deadpan tone I had to try hard to stifle a giggle
Youre probably right.
I am quite brilliant, she said, giving me a shrug and a dramatic sigh, before giggling at her own joke. But yeah, unfortunately he had no healing left in the tank. Not that you are in a state to accept it. General wisdom tells me to drop you off at a gateway now.
If only, I said with a grimace.
Ann nodded somberly. The soul stuff?
Yep. According to Cass its still not looking good. Really, eventually, I should just be able to gate myself back, no other mirror needed.
She sighed. Alright. Lets hope its sooner rather than later. Iryel seemed troubled. More than he should be, I mean.
I used some strength to reach out and squeeze her hand. Well make it through, I said. We will. And even if I didnt, Id make sure Ann did.
Despite her best efforts, she couldnt suppress the small smile on her face. Alright, love. We will. Once more, she gave me a small kiss. Make sure you heal quickly.
Its not as easy as it looks! I said, trying to put a grimace onto my face.
Ann chuckled. Well, then youll just have to figure it out, little genius.
I gasped at her audacity. Im the genius now?
All Ann gave me was a slight shrug. Look, I dunno which one of us reached wellspring twice over
Thats cause you dont cultivate!! My offended yell tapered off into more of a whimper and a cough as I used up the air in the lung I had left.
My lovely girlfriend gave me a sad smile. Okay, thats enough teasing for now. Just make sure you heal, okay?
I will, promise.
Thanks, Ann said. She placed a kiss on my forehead, then stepped away again, though I felt her hand linger in mine before she eventually let go. I almost mourned the warmth for a second, but was able to swiftly focus on my own situation again. The powerful pain of taking a too-deep breath certainly helped.
[Dont worry about stitching yourself back together wrong, I have blueprints of your body stored!] Cass supplied cheerily.
A tiny smile found its way onto my face again. Thanks Cass.
- - -
Time kind of started to fly by after that little exchange. Occasionally, my meditation would be interrupted. Sometimes it would be people trying to talk to me. Mostly, those conversations started with them waking me up, and me stopping any wounds that had reopened and were freshly bleeding.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Occasionally, it was for food. Most of the time, though, when I stopped meditating, it was because I had fallen asleep. I slept a lot. Twelve hours one day, sixteen the next. I developed a small fever, but I crushed the invading tiny lifeforms with the brute force of my Qi.
Then, the very next day, my body temperature dropped too low and I was constantly dehydrated from losing too much blood. It was truly strange. I was healing, definitely, but at the same time, I was falling apart inside.
Keeping my lung going was painful and difficult work, my own muscles and organs seemingly begging me for rest. But there was no more rest I could give them. I already wasnt marching - and I was truly glad for that.
I saw it in the eyes of everyone else. In the mornings, when ice formed on the grass, I could often see the whole group more clearly. See the bags under their eyes.
Liam was marching again before me. His flesh was supported by shadows where too many muscles had been lost. The duel he had with the snake was a brutal one, and while he had carved out bits of her flesh, she had taken some of his as well.
But he supported himself. And walked.
We didnt have many mages, so only the most injured could be levitated. Especially if we wanted to be ready for combat. Qi simply wasnt as good at utility as Mana, but it was just as well suited for combat.
So, the mages were busy levitating refugees that were truly incapable of walking.
And the march was gruelling.
Marie was a truly talented forager, and we had alchemists to prepare monster meat to be cooked now, but with that came trouble. Repelling formations were simply no longer working. Monsters would run right past them, smelling us.
It meant that we had to stay moving. Sleep in shifts. Never rest too long.
With the formations failing, cooking became troublesome. Fire and burnt meat attracted even more hungry monsters. We scattered so often, or needed to fight around a fireplace. And I just laid there, dead weight, slowly mending my wounds and knitting my flesh back together.
Of course, the meat also took a long while and resources to prepare - no expelling those wild energies without using your own. It took energy to purify monster meat, and it was not a short process either. So our meals became sparser rather than fuller as we found more refugees.
Despite that, though, they all hung on.
Some of the people were older, some families with kids, some kids without parents. But they took care of each other.
The hostilities between Edians and Reflectors didnt matter anymore when you had to rely on each other to get food on your plates. We could see the Edians doing their best now. Boiling tree bark, picking berries, making nourishing tea from leaves, and they saw us. The way that we cut down monsters, got hurt, then fought again.
All the little conflicts over the ages were washed away, because everyone had to make a sincere effort to survive and march on.
Because, despite all that effort, each day our group grew and shrank. People would fall down, and others would carry them on their backs. Emilia regularly carried three or four people, lugging them over her shoulders when they were too tired to continue walking.
And every time someone collapsed it cost us when we had to fight. Wounds piled up. People slunk too far back and were picked off. Creatures swooped in undetected from the ground or above, and someone lost their legs before being able to fight back.
Then, wed find a new group of survivors and our numbers grew more than they shrank.
It was horrible, seeing it all, and yet being unable to help. But despite the horror of it all, my body could not move that much. The gift told me so, too.
[Current Status: Subsisting]
I was subsisting. Staying alive. Not yet properly recovering. And I knew it was right - while I was staying alive, my wounds were healing slowly. My resilience would most certainly increase by the time I was done, though, which was nice. Nothing to take you over the hurdle of a major realm like a hole in your chest!
But it still bothered me, being unable to fight with the others. Still, it was something I had to endure, despite my impatience. So, I used the time to improve my Qi cycling.
There was nothing else to do, after all, and with recently unlocking aura sense, and being able to look through reflections, I could still see the world quite well.
Maybe the strangest part of the ability was being able to see the world through other peoples eyes. Like, sure, they were called mirrors to the soul, but they were also actually reflective. But my ability also showed me what was reflected, creating a slightly distorted, strange perspective on the world - but a perspective nonetheless.
With the amount of refugees slowly increasing, my points of view also increased. Cass, luckily, helped me filter through them, otherwise it might have become overwhelming. My range was also limited, but the distance I could see was quite a bit further than the distance I could blink through them.
Mosty, though, I used this perspective combined with my aura sense to trace how people were moving their Qi. I learnt from them all.
Liam had a technique that was shapeless and quick, changing his body and allowing momentary adaptations. Matt was graceful but with a hidden fury, like a moving torrent of water, able to release a storm with the smallest movement of the floodgates.
Emilias method was calm and solid. Reinforcing her. Letting her become an unmoving bulwark, and Marie kept hers light, keeping her quick on her feet but also strengthening the chain of her body, letting her shoot arrows faster.
Each of them was different, each something I could learn from. I even watched Trevor a little, and some of the other small handful of Reflectors whod joined our group.
Strangely, though, each and every one of them paled compared to one memory I had in mind. I had seen it precisely once, before I could properly sense Qi, but the memory stuck out like a sore thumb in my mind, and even now, afterwards, I could barely comprehend the magnitude of mastery on display.
My teacher, Rae. It was a single display, the only time I had ever seen him seriously fight, and the memory was seared into the back of my head.
It was, after all, the first brush with death Id had in Eden.
There were a lot of things that went wrong, as well as a bit of bad luck. With my first proper party, wed elected to stay in Eden despite the eclipse happening. Wed known very little about it then, and thought that the other Reflectors were simply cowards.
They were not.
We headed out on a normal mission, the sky dark, the sun obscured by the moon. The world felt so angry, I still remembered the very air outside the protective magic feeling like it boiled against my skin.
Despite the warning signs we ventured out into the forest. I was not stationed at Renvil back then. The frontier was a bad place to be as a newbie, and Id luckily spawned into the heartland. But that didnt matter when there was an eclipse.
Wed just fought off a group of starved, weakened bornins, when the rift opened.
I saw it, then.
The world, itself, torn open.
A gaping wound in the fabric of reality. An opening that let in an unbelievable hunger. Simply gazing at it was enough for me to believe I was starving.
Then, something crawled out.
It was a claw. It tore free from the rift, grabbed its edges and pulled it open further. There was a maw, ringed with eyes, each the size of a house. It was a truly enormous monster, clawing apart the world, and taking huge bites from it as the gash opened.
With a single snap of those dreadful teeth, half my party was gone. After a second snap, I was the only one left, since Id had the sensibility and self control to crawl backwards. Chunks of the floor vanished into the maw, until he appeared.
A spear struck down from the sky. It was gleaming, a bright, blazing white, radiant and horrifying in its intensity.
The weapon struck like a lightning bolt, carving a ravine into the land. An enormous blow that uprooted trees, breaking them into splinters. The spear was gorgeous, too. Handle made entirely from steel, full of thousands of tiny engravings. A magical artefact made by the most skilled artisans all of Eden had to offer.
Its blade was pristine, with grooves cut into it, and slightly curved edges, giving it a brutal edge. It tore apart the monster.
A blink later, the fight was over. It had barely been a few blurs. A man, white hair and white robes, incandescent with radiance, picked up the weapon. He slashed out with casual ease, yet each moment gave a sense of supreme master, and a fathomless ocean of Qi moved with him.
Incandescence spilled forth. It was like seeing the tides, all condensed into a moment. A hurricane of unbelievable heat. An amount of Qi that seemed entirely inhuman. Impossible. Blazing with power and mercilessness. A consuming energy that left nothing standing.
Within moments, the world burnt. The rift burnt. The forest burnt.
My eyes dried from the heat and I shut them for a moment, then opened them again and it was all gone. The forest had turned into flatlands, and we were surrounded by glassy, barren soil.
Oh, Rae had said. This isnt good for my back. Ah, are you? Oh, no. What is a newbie like you doing out here. Come, come. Get up, come on. That mustve been bright, I do apologize.
Hed extended a hand, and, dazedly, Id grabbed it. A moment later I was on my feet.
Whats your name, kiddo? hed asked.
I wasnt really a kid anymore at all but he was old enough I let it slide. The fact that he had levelled the forest within a kilometer also helped. Fio, I said. Fio Bellum.
His lips curled up. A warrior? Then his eyes flitted to the ashes that remained of my spear. Id dropped it and it had not escaped the incinerating ocean. Ah. Sorry. Ill uh pay for a new one? He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
Slowly, I shook my head. He was like a regular grandpa to talk to. Teach teach me, please.
... Huh?!?!
Instantly, Raed taken a step backwards. But he couldnt decline. And thats how Id ended up learning from him.
Now, that memory flooded to the forefront. The flood of Qi that was unending yet measured. Somehow, that entire ocean had been at his beckoning. Not a drop of the magical substance was wasted. Each bit terribly efficient and terrifyingly destructive.
Still, more interestingly was how he cycled Qi through himself to remain entirely unscathed. And keep me unscathed, despite hardly knowing I was there. How?
The thought gave me a headache, and I abandoned the attempt for now.
One day.
Chapter 84: Preparations
That day certainly wasnt coming anytime soon, though. For now, I was busy trying to keep myself from dying. I used my Qi to copy some healing patterns from the twins as well, when they used it on the other refugees, though the Divinity did a large chunk of the work, and thus my imitations didnt work nearly as well.
Knitting flesh back together was unbelievably complex, after all. That was why healing was usually within the realm of Divinity. Different types of tissue demanded different ways of manipulating the energy - essentially frequencies. And they needed to be regenerated within the right framework, with the ability to replicate themselves, and no damage
It was difficult. Instead of trying to mimic that aspect, I copied and enhanced other bits. Namely, the stimulation of regular recovery. That was something Divinity excelled in as well, and the aspect I copied. The patterns were still complex, but I could reasonably substitute Qi.
The newly made flesh wasnt always perfect. Sometimes, there were small defects or it broke apart. But the enhanced regeneration could largely keep up. Essentially, it looked as if my wounds scabbed over more than once, with skin building and shedding.
Was it a little gross? Yes, for sure. But I was finally recovering, rather than just subsisting.
Of course, the journey still continued on, and so I cultivated, too. My mirror well advanced another step first, the jump coming to me rapidly. Apparently, killing the assassins left a pretty big imprint on the future.
Voyage took a little longer to raise, almost a week. But as I lazily drifted through the air, held aloft by Anns floating spells, the sensation was quite similar to being underwater. It meshed well with the slightly strange turn my voyage had taken.
The thought brought a smirk to my lips. Yes, voyage hadnt progressed the way Id planned for it to. But then again, if a journey went entirely according to plan that was a pretty boring journey, wasnt it?
So, I leaned into it. Leveraging my new sensation to explore deeper and deeper into the golden depths. What I found was calm. Quiet. Beauty. Ferociousness.
It felt like those depths were a reflection of myself. And what I truly ended up finding and advancing was my impatience. That was when I began to slightly crack through the barrier. Then, bit by bit, I crept closer. And, eventually, with a week and a halfs worth of persistence, as I floated along, carried by Ann, I broke through to the second step of voyage.
With the breakthrough, I also noticed the depths becoming a bit lighter. My purity had increased. It would do so slowly now, since I could refine my Qi, and my well would produce more pure one than what was in there.
So, bit by bit, as I used it, then refilled my core, then used it again, the purity would increase. For now, it jumped from Intermediate purity to Greater purity. Which would do wonders for any abilities powered by it.
These were, however, my only breakthroughs. My Qi cycling improved by leaps and bounds, and with it my manipulation, but I had not called up the seven basic stats. I wanted to wait until Id healed before. Watching them in the middle of training was bad, or so Rae had taught me. Even if that training was knitting my body back together.
Another week passed before we finally arrived at the next city. And, luckily, this one was still standing.
Barely.
My vision was quite good now, with me being able to see through the eyes of the others. This meshed especially well with Marie, since her eyesight was incredible. Synced up with her, I saw the monsters.
The city walls still stood but were veritably covered by critters. Torins were tearing down from the sky, being shot down in droves by balls of fire, and cut down by warriors standing in the sky.
Shields of Mana and Divinity lit up all across the city stopping blow after blow. Seems like this citys arrays had failed as well. How wonderful.
Seeing the danger, Marie returned and reported. It was disheartening, really. By now our group was quite large, with hundreds of Edians, and two dozen total reflectors. Somehow, Marie remained in charge of it all. But with the news of the monsters, hope almost drained out of the peasants faces.
I smiled, faintly. Fine, then. Maybe it was time to do my job then.
With a groan, I lifted myself upright. The wound on my chest was scabbed over, my clothes bloody and filthy. I sported new smaller scars all over, and a large one on my forehead that was still not fully healed.
These people all had seen me lay on my back for over two weeks now. Time to show them.
With a swift use of mirror Qi, I appeared next to Marie, jumping through a bit of reflective dew. I smacked my spear onto the ground, Letting a golden wave travel through the group. The murmurs of despair quieted.
Matt appeared on the other side of our leader, flashing me a radiant smile. Ann laid a hand on my shoulder, concerned, but I gave her a light kiss, then shook my head. With some effort, I turned back to the crowd.
Stop cowering, I said. I projected my voice using Qi, just to make it louder. It wasnt like Liams technique which only the person he spoke to would hear, my words simply sounded out across the whole camp.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
This world is overrun with monsters, isnt it? You all have faced this threat every day of your life. So now theyre here, in front of you, and you cant hide behind those walls anymore, right? But the city is standing. There are people out there fighting. I will be fighting - hole in my chest and all.
That got a few nervous chuckles.
Your city fell because you were unlucky. Caught on the back foot. The monsters killed a lot of people. So, how about we start killing em back?!
And that got a tentative couple cheers. I took a step back again, standing next to and behind Marie. She gave me a thankful nod, then continued speaking. Hers were more practical terms, with a little bit of inspiration mixed in.
But most of the speech focused on distribution in the group. Where would the Reflectors go, where the Edians? Apparently, we were to be the tip of the spear, in a fanned out triangle formation, while the Edians would be in the middle. Hopefully, theyd be safer there.
For a few moments, I zoned out, choosing to focus on my heartbeat instead of the situation. The organ thumped loudly in my chest, and I could feel Qi bubbling forth from my wells with every heartbeat. It flowed through me, through my blood and my muscles and my tissue. Bits and pieces of it were turned malleable, connecting with one another and mending.
And the pieces that came back were more suffused with the magical substance. Tougher, by a major realm. My endurance, too, was higher now. How long could I keep fighting? And I looked at the city with trepidation. Would it be long enough?
Then, Ann bumped her elbow into me. Youll be fighting, hm? she asked with a mischievous smirk. I wasnt aware of that.
I gave her a grin. Seems like Im full of charming and tantalizing mystery.
She snorted in reply. Oh yes, so charming, she said, giving me a kiss. For a few moments she stared into my eyes, happily. Then, her smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. Make sure you live.
Always. I nodded, holding her gaze. We would live, no matter what.
For a few more seconds, she looked at me. Eventually, her lips curled up into a smile. Ann gave me a hug and I squeezed her tightly, ignoring the small pinpricks of pain it caused in my chest. Then, she let go, giving me a strong nod. Always. And she was off, to wherever she would be needed.
I swept my gaze over the Edians. A ragtag band of people, some kids, some old, most in their adult years. There were hundreds. Some seemed afraid, some enraged, others again hopeful. I didnt know what it took for them to receive the Divine Gift, but if none of them got it after participating in the battle, I would have been surprised.
They needed weapons.
This was something I could help with. Another one of the Reflectors in our group seemed to have the ability to shape wood to a degree, with a strange mix of magic, Qi, and singing. I approached them, Soren, and they looked up from their meditation.
Can you make me some spear shafts? I asked.
What, you want throwing weapons? they returned, tilting their head a bit. It made their hair bounce slightly, shoulder long and bright.
I shook my head. No, I want to make spears for the Edians.
They paused, regarding me once over again, scrunching up their eyebrows. ... Metal Qi?
Thats right, I nodded.
Hm. Sure. Ill make you those, they said. Couple hundred ah, it might take me fifteen minutes?
Sounds good, thanks, I said, receiving another nod from Soren as I walked off again. The Edians had huddled together a bit, to where they would eventually be in the formation. I called out to them. Anyone who wants a weapon, hand over some metal! Cooking pots, pans, belt buckles, anything from solid steel will do! Silver, too!
Using silver wasnt exactly optimal, as it wasnt the strongest metal, but some monsters were weaker to it, and it was certainly better than nothing. I spent the next half hour making more weapons.
Some of the Edians carried daggers and wanted something with more reach. So, I would push my Qi into the metal, then force it to take on the shape of a speartip, firmly attaching it to the wooden shafts Soren provided.
Sometimes, when we had especially little metal, I made my partner in smithing form a wooden spearhead, then simply covered it. The weapons were of poor quality. They were sharp, sure, but not sharp enough, since I couldnt exactly make edges that smooth with metal Qi.
Shaping it with my Qi also meant that there would not be as much hardness from tempering and quenching and whatever other things blacksmiths did. But they were still poky metal things, and Liam was handing out dozens of whetstones each minute.
Why the heck did he carry that many whetstones?
I shook my head, quickly getting rid of that extraneous thought, instead focussing on my task again. The manipulations I performed were small, but somewhat frequent. It drained my resources, but at a slow, manageable pace. My capacity and manipulation had increased, too, so I was handling my power with greater skill than ever before.
Minute after minute ticked by. Plans were finalized, people went to their positions. I got stationed with Matt and Emilia, Ann a bit further behind. Reya was closer to the middle, there would not only be one spot needing healing today, and we were short on healers.
A warrior cleric of Ru stood a little ways to my right, and a duo of mages a little ways to my left. They would pull their weight, I hoped. Trevor was on the other side of the wedge formation, but one of us would most likely save the other when chaos broke loose. It always went that way.
With a glance, I looked over my party members where they stood. Liam was close to the front, on the other side and a bit further forward than us. We would face the horde, holding them back, the other side would have to carve the way through the monsters into the city.
The rogue was bouncing in place, staying warmed up, shadows swirling around him as he tested them. Reya was already patching up small injuries that would be troublesome in a fight, trying to remember all the Edians. Eric stood by her side, looking nervous, but still outputting just as much Divinity.
Marie was close to the middle as a leader. Her bow glowed with green magic, a spell she had most likely woven herself. Her eyes, too, glowed faintly, surveying the battlefield ahead. Emilia was to my right, steadfast and calm. Her mace slung over her shoulder, the battered shield in the other hand.
She gave me a glance. Itll be a long day, princess. Lets stay standing at the end of it all.
I nodded, turning to look at Matt. He was characteristically silent. I saw it in his eyes already. The way his lips faintly curled up, the way his fingers held onto the grip of his sword. He breathed, deep and hard. That same manic glint was in his eyes that he always had before a fight.
He would be fine, I knew that much. Lastly, I turned to Ann behind me, and she gave an encouraging wave. Somehow, her robes seemed brighter, now. Shed probably applied temporary enchantments during our bit of prep time. Mana regeneration or something similar, if I interpreted it correctly.
I waved back, flashing her my brightest smile, then turned forward. The monsters were still coming for the city, crashing against the wall and barely being held off in a trade of blood for blood and flesh for flesh. If I focussed, I could hear their screeches.
Expanding my lungs, I drew in a deep breath of air, despite the ache it caused me, then slowly let it out.
Lets see just how much they could screech.
Chapter 85: Worming through the Sky
Fighting on unfamiliar terrain, generally, was a poor idea. In this case, however, most of the terrain was flat. The forest around the city had been cut away in order to see enemies when approaching, and not give monsters breeding grounds.
This also meant that the city guard saw us coming. It was a strange feeling, my perspective shifting as I moved. It was quite a long, uncomfortable run, too. More of a jog, given that the Edians had to keep up.
Despite that, it took some adjusting. When we got close to the monsters, my sight changed. More reflective surfaces entered my range - chitin plates, armor from the guard, and dozens of sets of eyes, and my sight changed, shifted and morphed.
Cass?
[On it.]
The disorientation disappeared a moment later, with the extra vision settling into my head like a minimap? It brought a small smile to my face.
[Taking quite a bit of processing power. Wont be able to trigger any abilities for you.]
Got it, I nodded along. A glimpse at the minimap, which was still somewhat surreal, revealed the amount of monsters in the full scope. My lungs ached. My chest hurt. A grin spread on my face.
My grip on my spear tightened. I spun it in my hand for a moment. Then, the tide of monsters crashed into us.
From one moment to another, my world became a whirlwind of blood and violence. With a rapid flick of my wrist, a bornin was torn in half. A moment later, I cut a torin apart. Magic soared over my head, icicles and fireballs and blocks of stone.
Matt had turned into a whirlwind of death, massacring dozens of weaker monsters with storms of petals. Emilia sent blasts of stone up, spearing monsters and funnelling them away from the weaker fighters. Marie controlled the battlefield by creating thorny patches of vines and sending out exploding arrows.
I decided to quickly put my companions in the back of my mind, focusing on my own fight. This was going to be a test of endurance - I needed to conserve resources. With barely any exertion, I started cycling a consistent, small amount of Qi. Enough for my wellspring to consistently regenerate as much.
The energy coursed through my veins with newfound Skill, giving my skin a metallic sheen. My vision shifted slightly again as it did so, and I smirked as everything within a few meters of me was now within my immediate vision. Apparently that much was possible for my brain to handle.
From behind me, refugees stabbed forward with spears, and I made sure to leave enough room for them to stab, but not enough for monsters to get through.
The second wave of the hoard fell on us, then. Drytz came up from the ground, and were swiftly dispatched by Emilia and our mages stone spells. I focused on enemies on the ground, stabbing and slashing and smashing wherever possible.
Some of the monsters got close to me, and with my armor already in tatters, they managed to bite my skin. I didnt bother to dodge or avoid them. Their fangs slid off my enhanced skin, boosted by my resilience and the power of my [Golden Body]. It was kind of funny, watching a bornin shut its teeth, then open its eyes in confusion when i swung it from my forearm like a club into the other monsters.
My breathing soon grew laboured and I felt my chest burning, but my endurance kept me going. I supplemented for lack of oxygen due to lowered lung capacity with more Qi. Now, my wellspring couldnt quite keep up anymore, and my capacity would slowly be draining, but that was fine.
I weaved in more [Reflections] into my fighting, to use both my wells to their full potential, marks of claws and fangs appearing on monsters. My Qi coursed through my spear, enhancing it, resonating with it, elongating the blade whenever needed.
With supernatural speed, the weapon stabbed forth, cleaving apart fur, flesh and chitin alike. The tide broke against my steel.
And we kept running. Forward, always forward, into an unending slew of enemies. I cut apart weaker monsters and stronger ones. Scorions began appearing, having come inland from the black sands, and wielding weapons infused with Qi.
Stopping one of their clubs was my first true injury. It was necessary - if I hadnt the weapon would have slammed down on the Edians behind me, so I raised my spear to block it, digging my feet into the ground, but the shock it sent to my shoulder hurt.
I gritted my teeth with fury, quickly lashing out with the butt of my spear, using golden Qi to simulate a metal spike at its end. It stabbed deep into the scorions side, but the things were more sturdy. It took another half dozen exchanges before the giant chimera gave me a chance to carve deeply into it.
But I did it. I defeated one by myself, with only a couple bruises to show for it. If it had been the me of even a few months ago? I could not have won that fight on my own. Now it was a challenge, but not an insurmountable one - even while injured.
The grin on my face grew as I stormed further forwards, keeping pace with the group. Matt and Emilia followed along with my stride, thinning the horde. The city walls were in sight, but we still had plenty of monsters to go through.
Projectiles, magical and mundane, flew overhead. I cut and thrust and broke the monsters approaching me, one after another. Bornins and zurulen and torins, but also the bull headed flying fish like gyuki, that were more common locally, broke against my weapon.
Sometimes, ones passed by me. It was unavoidable. I was honestly glad that the roaring of monsters drowned out any possible human screeches. My breathing was laboured and my heart beat heavily against my chest. All my organs were reinforced by Qi, too, to handle the blood pressure.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
That familiar weight of burning muscles and exertion settled onto my body, growing more heavy each moment, yet it was not uncomfortable. Familiar, really. Not easy, but this was an everyday fight. This was doable. Possible.
Up until it suddenly wasnt anymore.
It began with the trembling of the ground. The earth shaking beneath my feet. I turned to look at Emilia, and she shook her head, moving her mouth. I knew what she was trying to say, Not me, princess!, she probably yelled. I didnt hear it against the monsters.
Then, I looked around. The notion was still useful, despite my ability to tap into other peoples sight. My own was the most familiar. But there was nothing around that should have made the ground shake.
But it happened again, of course it did. More intensely. Then, in an instant, my world suddenly spun.
Now, that was a strange experience. One moment I stood on stable ground, the next, the world was all sideways. The ground had broken apart into fragments of stone and dirt. Suddenly, I felt multiple pulls on my senses.
First, a simple visual sensation. My body was spinning uncontrollably in the air. Like someone had turned a blender on high settings, except I was the spinning blades. The wind rushing by my ears was almost loud enough to cover up the earth shattering noise of earth being shattered. Everything was suddenly disoriented.
Secondly, a much more ethereal pull on [Lost and Found]. There was a gateway fragment beneath me, ever so close, only a fingertip away. Only hidden beneath layers and layers of monster skin.
Thirdly the ground wasnt coming closer the right way. I was falling upwards. Accelerating upwards.
[Gravity shift detected on you.]
I bit my lips. That confirmed it then.
With a twist of effort I manifested platforms of gold above my feet, soon crashing into them. A shock went through my knees, sending them aching as I caught the momentum of my spin and leapt to the side and down in a desperate maneuver.
Not a moment too late, since a second later, the monstrous maw of an enormous worm closed on my previous location.
Matt and Emilia, too, had been thrown into the air, most of the Edians being launched backwards. I was glad for that. The thing had eyes, a dozen of them in a ring around the maw. Each of them burnt red with fury and hatred, each one glistened with hunger.
I saw Ann in the distance, and a spell settled on me. Suddenly, the pull of the new gravity was less oppressive. I was almost weightless, really, hovering in the air. I smiled.
The usurped below me was already getting closer to the ground again, and with it, gravity on me flipped once more. I was falling now, the gravity affecting me growing heavier and heavier. It increased beyond normal, despite the spell, and a moment later I was plummeting to the ground feeling thrice as heavy as I usually did.
Fuck it, COMMIT!! I thought, pushing the thought into Qi and towards Matt and Emilia crudely.
Thinking back on it, that might not have been necessary. The battle maniac swordsman was already falling down on the worm with a hungry glint in his eye, and Emilia was falling with her shield in front of her, ready to smash the worm into the ground.
I sent a monumental wave of Qi into my spear, burning through truly prodigious amounts of power in my golden well, turning the blade enormous, twice as long as I was tall, and half that wide again.
A moment later, the three of us crashed into the ground.
Matt landed on top of the worm, his sword stabbing in, and his petals bouncing off. Emilia, on the other hand, landed below, but the ground underneath her turned soft and springy, then she bounced right back up, slamming the rim of her shield into the worm hard enough to make it reel.
I landed last, having been flung up the furthest, cleaving my spear towards the worm. Sudden sideways gravity tore my swing off target, leading to a glancing blow, as the worms jaws opened again.
Without any hesitation, I spawned platforms to catch my momentum as the world suddenly flipped sideways again, my eyes and brain struggling to make things match. Suddenly, the floor was like a wall in front of me, a wall full of jaws.
But the bite never came. Instead, sharp stone rose from the ground as tendrils to stab at me. I barely reacted, sidestepping some of them, with Marie blowing one up with an arrow. The explosion pushed me out of the way of yet another, the fight suddenly chaotic.
Then, gravity flipped again for me, just as Matt and Emilia were hacking into the thing. The world spun, and I fell upwards, catching myself and leaping for the worm, which was suddenly rising into the sky.
Once again, jaws approached me. I braced for a bite, when the thing screeched.
My ears instantly bled as splitting pain assaulted my head. My sense of orientation suffered more, setting the world spinning. Then it shifted even more, gravity flipping to the point where the ground was the ground again, with me falling into the still open, still screeching jaws.
With a desperate leap, I jumped to the side, triggering [Reflection] just to be safe and suddenly burning through a quarter of my mirror Qi as a stone spike I hadnt noticed was returned into the giant worms flesh, breaking upon its carapace.
A moment later, I slammed into the ground alongside the creature, Matt still latched onto it, holding onto his sword, his body fluttering like a flag in the wind as gravity acting on him constantly shifted.
Emilia was already waiting below, making each step heavily and with exertion, but when I threatened to land on my back, she caught me in her arms, grunting with the effort. Still, she shot me a grin.
Didnt expect to end up carrying you here, she said, or so Cass relayed to me. She was using my own vision to analyze her lip movements, since I could barely focus enough for it.
Instead, I relied on my combat instincts, spinning in the air, and somehow placing a foot against Emilias hand. With a wide grin, the amazoness tossed me, against the force of much more than tripled gravity, at the worm.
Once again, wind rushed against my ears, and I moved too quickly for gravity changes to matter, swinging my spear and imbuing it with yet another massive chunk of Qi.
The worm tried to wrangle its body out of the way, but failed, shadows wrapping around it for a moment and digging into its stone hard skin. Then, my blow made contact.
Stone shattered against my metal, the enormously enlarged weapon gouging deep into the worms flesh. The thing screeched again, giving me a splitting headache, but I simply drew back and swung again, shaping my Qi as a glaive and cutting deep into the thing.
More of its power focused on me, my body suddenly falling sideways, unstable, then plummeting downwards hard enough to crack the ground as I smashed into it. With a gasp all air was driven from my pitiful lungs. Rocks dug into my open wounds and I felt blood pool in my mouth again.
Then, there was an enormous crash and a light so bright it seared my eyes. I knew it, instantly. A howling firestorm raged across the worm, with Matt in its centre, his petals joining in.
Blazing flames and razor sharp petals simultaneously assaulted the worm, digging into its hard exterior, slowly tearing it apart. But it wasnt perfect. The gouges I had left suddenly became exploitable, both fire and petals digging into the wounds, turning clean cuts jagged and burnt.
It only lasted for a few moments, but I wouldve sworn the fire was so hot it burnt white rather than red. The moment it was gone, Emilia jumped in again. Her own mace was reinforced with the power of stone, slamming into the creatures maw and shattering part of it entirely, the damaged stone breaking apart under her manipulation.
A warm hand laid itself on my shoulder, then I could suddenly breathe again, and hear again. The next moment I was on my feet once more. Another spell wove into the first one, this one making me stronger and faster, alongside the Qi burning through my veins. Another second later, I was racing at the worm again.
Chapter 86: Status Update
My next swing, with my halfway ruined body would not have cut as deeply as my last one. To make up for the difference, I charged enormous amounts of mirror Qi through my body, blasting through another quarter of my resources.
The gold extending from the tip of my spear turned into a radiant glaive, then the glass underneath my skin shifted. It felt like there was a mirror of myself, some alternate version, always a handful of steps ahead. Like I was strung along by a faster, better version of myself.
Glass wrapped around my bones, then dragged them forward, my muscles infused with shiny, silvery radiance. My body moved, Qi charging through it, and the golden weapon slammed into the side of the worm.
Vines, conjured up by Marie, held the thing in place against its thrashing, burning through her mana at incredible rates, but she stopped it in place just long enough for me to hit. Its hide might have resisted my body before, but the worm was injured. Every bit of its flexible carapace had been burnt and scorched by Ann.
Now, it was enveloped in a cracked, weakened shell of rock. I felt the resistance slam into my body as though Id thrown myself against a steel wall, and my bones creaked underneath the effort, but it was nothing I couldnt fix with brute force.
[Swift Spear] triggered a moment after the impact, speeding my weapon back up and driving it deeper and deeper into the worm. My blade carved almost halfway through its body before I was interrupted.
A stone spike slammed into my chest, turned aside by a last moment [Reflection], stabbing into the worms hide and adding yet another wound to it, but also bringing my mirror well to horribly low rates.
Luckily, Matt slammed into the thing next, alongside Liam and Emilia, bringing our artillery to bear.
Our most frontline warrior slammed her mace into the monster, and, in an expression of brutal control and willpower, ripped its control of its own hide away from it. The sight was horrifying. Her attack landed, then the stone carapace rippled, shivered, then collapsed in on itself.
The massive sheet of liquidy rock suddenly lost that quality, turning coarse and hard as it contracted into a tiny ring, crushing and tearing the monsters flesh and cutting that whole part of its body off. With monstrous strength, Emilia stomped forward again, grabbing onto the thing with her shield hand, and tossing the headless half of its body aside.
Liam attacked the open wound. Shadows coalesced around him, forming an ever shifting shell of knives. The weapons of shadow spun around him like a blender, and the soft, vulnerable flesh exploded into a shower of gore in front of him, which the rogue faced with absolute calm.
Our swordsman, however, had chosen to not take any easy path. Instead, he was bearing the full brunt of the things gravity attacks, dancing through an ever shifting world, as he fell up, then to the side, then down, constantly dancing on small platforms made from flower petals.
Each footfall landed graciously, and somehow, the bastard managed to shift his increased weight perfectly with each movement, bringing it to bear as power against the worm, constantly slashing at its jaw in a storm of pink.
Not to be outdone, Ann and Marie barraged the other, still writhing half of the worm, incinerating the flesh that seemed intent on living without its head. I charged in again, swinging and cutting until the world turned red and my vision faded.
Because my vision did, in fact, go dark. It was an uncomfortable sensation, but there just wasnt enough air for me to keep going the way I was. Regardless of it, my endurance helped me stay on my legs. Slowly, things faded into red and black, but before it happened, the worm breathed its last breath.
Running purely on instinct, I carved another gash into its, now soft, corpse, and ripped out the gateway bits it had inside of it.
For a moment, all I saw was silver. Then I breathed in deep.
There was another figment. Another piece of myself, form another dimension to give advice. I knew, because my own voice rang in my ears again.
Lean forward. Hands on your thighs. Breathe, deeply.
I followed the advice, using Qi to keep myself upright. I focused on my breathing, making sure I was expanding my lung properly into my stomach, and it slowly came easier. Divine warmth flooded me one more time, but by then, the darkness had already been receding.
What a silly message. I had to smirk as I thought about it - did this mean another version of myself had suffocated here? That was such a pathetic way to die on a battlefield.
After that thought, I coughed up quite a bit of blood again. Then, my breathing slowly settled bit by bit. My mirror well was much fuller again after absorbing the fragment. My golden well had a little under a fifth remaining.
With deep breaths, and a thankful nod towards Reya, we faced the horde again. Many of the smaller monsters had perished as collateral against the worm. Its gravity effects had been slightly sweeping, crushing smaller monsters under heavier ones.
Shards of rock dug had flown about, as well as sharp petals, exploding arrows, and more. The chaos had thinned the horde considerably, giving us a clearer shot to the city gates, though not exactly what I would call clear.
Trevor flew around in front of me, covering our flank, with aerial assistance from Evelyn. Despite the blood covering him, he shot a confident smile, drawing back a bit and letting me step forward.
Golden Qi surged again, flowing from my hand into my spear.
Then, monsters broke against my weapon again.
- - -
I stood at the altar in the local gateway hall. It was gonna be annoying, but better than the divines. With a deep, painfully stinging breath, I reached out.
[Greetings, Fiona.]
Jams hollow voice was just as jarring as usual.
[Establishing connections. Reading contribution data. Processed. Reading personal data. Processed. Significant injury detected. You are recommended to put your body in stasis in the gateway in order to recover.]
Lovely talking to you again, too, Jam. I will not be going into stasis, though. Not keen on having my soul ripped out, I told the guidance spirit.
My gateway was stronger now, but not strong enough.
[Gateway:
-
Strength: 12
-
Fragments: 16
-
Figments: 2]
The categories now also helped me understand better. Strength very directly enhanced the raw power of my abilities. I could step further through reflections, see through ones more distant as well. Fragments gave me potential and instincts I wouldnt have had. Figments were like lifelines, where another version of me would bail me out.
But. It was not enough for me to enter another gateway yet - it was far from enough. Right now, the other keepers would still have torn me apart like a piece of cheap paper.
[Accepted. You are required to pay a portion of your contribution in order to acquire a mending potion and imbibe it before continuing your growth.]
That was frustrating. But needed. The wound had worsened during the battle. Heck, in another world, I had died from it. So, reluctantly, I confirmed.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
A small, green vial appeared in my hand, and I downed it immediately. It tasted like slightly salty spinach-broccoli soup. Not miserable, but not exactly my favourite meal. Still, I could feel it working.
Potions of mending were different from healing ones. Firstly, they were far more pricey, because they required high level alchemical skills and more rare herbs, some of which could only be found rather deep in the frontier.
Secondly, they worked differently. Rather than try to immediately heal any wounds, they enabled stem cell production and enhanced the DNA''s ability to replicate itself without flaws. Which led to the possibility of reconstructing injuries that would have been permanent, and also reduced the risk of cancer slightly - though that was something Qi and the other energies already helped with.
The potion also did its work over a much longer timespan. For the first time, my current status read Healing. How lovely.
With that dealt with, I took a deeper breath, facing Jam again. Done. Can I browse, now?
[Affirmative.]
Having the robotic voices approval, dozens, then hundreds of choices appeared in front of my inner eye, immediately overloading my mind. The pounding headache set on, compounded, then slowly faded as the information settled.
Never gonna be less uncomfortable
[It will be, slightly,] Cass provided. [As you grow, you will become more able to handle this kind of stuff. It scales with manipulation.]
Thanks, Cass, I thought at the little ghost in the machi- in my head, help me sort through it all?
A small noise of affirmation later, we leafed through the choices.
[You have amassed significant contribution, Fiona Bellum. It is enough for you to increase in levels and gather new abilities if you so wish.]
I didnt give more than a small recognition to that. Jam must have been leaving through my status sheet - something I would also be doing after picking these abilities. There were, unfortunately, hundreds to look through. Each one with only a title and vague description, as well as the feelings it invoked in me.
One by one, I checked the abilities, discarding them one after another. I would not purchase basic swordsmanship techniques. I would not purchase advanced spear techniques - a lesson from my master, skills like that were only worthwhile when earned.
Always bet on a warrior who trains, hed said.
Very solid advice, that. So, I discarded most of the non-esoteric weapon skills. More strange ones, such as [Thrice-Cruel] I did consider, this one letting me deliver a vicious strike with greater power the more hatred you harbour.
Sinister. Also, gimmicky, and not worthwhile. I wanted something else something to properly synergize with me. And eventually, I found something.
[Spear Spirit (Your weapon has resonated and fought with you. Now, it actively cooperates.)]
This was clearly a technique borne from weapon resonance. Something enabled by the fact that my spear was bound to one of my wells. An ability I had essentially no chance of picking up myself.
How much? I asked the spirit of growth.
[Twenty percent,] Jam supplied calmly.
It felt low. How much to level my primary class?
[Ten percent,] Jam replied again.
Wow. I had really amassed a lot of contribution, then. That was impressive.
That skill was definitely getting bought.
[Fio!! Found something, something incredible!]
Cass voice rang out in my head, and I followed her prodding instantly. She was diligently going through abilities, albeit quite a bit faster than me. Somehow, she seemed rather nimble inside my head.
I saw the technique shed selected and already felt that it was a rather potent one, related to my gateway abilities. And by potent I meant powerful. The ability was at the higher end of things I could purchase, and entirely unrelated to anything I could hope to achieve by myself.
[Gifted Fragment (Your paths grows with each branch. Grant others pieces of their branching selves - and take some for yourself. Root your network deeply and reap your future.)]
Three sentences of description were the most I had ever seen. And it was perfect. I had felt it, after all. The differences in our party. The way Matt and Ann left the others behind. This was an equalizer.
I wanted it.
[Fifty percent.]
Jams voice cut deep, and hard. I grit my teeth. It was necessary. This was fine.
With that in mind, wanting to purchase some levels meant that these would be my two abilities. One on the border between my golden core and my spear technique, the other firmly rooted in my mirror Qi. I finalized the selection of the abilities, using the rest of my contribution to buy levels - one in Spearwoman, two in Gateway.
Once the selection took hold, I felt an immense power settled down on me and spread from within me. Liquid ambrosia settled into my veins, flowing all throughout me. My legs gave in, as they always did.
My cores burnt in my chest like bonfires, my battered body writhing with power. It was like every muscle was being reattached, replaced with steel cords. My strength became worth more. Every drop of myself became more.
A hopeless laugh left my throat, but I shoved down all other emotions until the sensation ebbed. Eventually, the euphoria ended, and I raised myself up again. No one had batted an eye at the display - Reflectors collapsed and laughed around the altars constantly.
Carefully, I stood on my legs, the feeling of standing a little foreign again. While my brain was adjusting to all the new sensations, I decided to call up my status page. I had a couple fights worth of growth to look forward to, after all.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (9) / Gateway (7)
-
Techniques
-
Spear Techniques
-
Spear Technique - Fundamentals (High)
-
Swift Spear (Intermediate)
-
Momentum Shift (Intermediate)
-
Qi Techniques
-
General
-
Aura Suppression (Intermediate) (Keeping your Qi contained inside your body allows you to appear perfectly ordinary)
-
Aura Sense (Basic) (Perceive your surroundings by being in touch with the energies suffusing them)
-
Golden Well
-
Spear Qi (High) (Manifest your Qi outside your body and on your weapon)
-
Golden Body (High) (Flood your body with your Qi to temporarily improve all physical attributes)
-
Weapon Resonance (Intermediate) (You and your weapon are one. It resonates with your Qi, amplifying its effect)
-
Spear Spirit (Low) (Your weapon has resonated and fought with you. Now, it actively cooperates)
-
Mirror Well
-
Gateway (Basic) (You are a Gateway, with all that entails)
-
Reflection (Intermediate) (Manifest a mirror from your Qi and use it to reflect enemy attacks back)
-
Lost and Found (Intermediate) (You have a tether to other problematic gateways, allowing you to feel their location)
-
Keeper Manifestation (Low) (Summon an Avatar for your Keeper to interact with the world)
-
Gifted Fragment (Low) (Your paths grows with each branch. Grant others pieces of their branching selves - and take some for yourself. Root your network deeply and reap your future)
-
Stats
-
General
-
Strength: Medium (Superior)
-
Agility: Greater (Inferior)
-
Endurance: Greater (Lesser)
-
Resilience: Greater (Lesser)
-
Manipulation: Greater (Inferior)
-
Capacity: Medium (Superior)
-
Absorption: Medium (Superior)
-
Qi
-
Gold
-
Mirror
-
Purity (Perfect)
-
Realm (Mirror Wellspring)
-
Stage (3rd Step)
-
Path (Imprint upon infinite Self-Similarity)
-
Disposition
Current Status: Healing]
I was not disappointed. Three of my main attributes had broken through a major realm. My agility it mustve made the jump when I forced my body to move at the worm in the end. I could feel my skeleton accelerating before my muscles could. Which was an experience, to be sure.
For resilience, the catalyst to push it was my stab wound, and the fact that I was recovering from it. Plus, reinforcing my body constantly to heal it certainly helped. Manipulation was more insidious to raise, and not something I would have considered my specialty, but it mustve been from mirroring the others.
By combining techniques for cycling my Qi, I had practiced my manipulation an incredible amount. Constantly doing so until I passed out for weeks at a time if that didnt raise it, I didnt know what wouldve.
My other stats were all on the precipice of major realms as well. I would have to make sure not to slack on my training from now on.
Seeing my mirror well also increase by another step was a pleasant surprise. I had not expected it to increase, but there were plenty of experiences for me to cultivate on. This was the part where I could sit down in a cave for a month and meditate.
Of course, that wasnt happening. My paths were based on freedom, so that wouldnt exactly be very helpful. I could digest my previous experience, of course. Or, I could do that and make new ones to move forward at the same time.
A quick glance at the improvements to my Skills was also very satisfying. My ability to channel Qi through my spear had also improved a lot. I could feel it in the way the weapon responded to my desires. Now, with [Spear Spirit], that effect would only be enhanced.
Happy with the enhancements I turned around.
[There is additional information the divines want me to relay.]
Oh, lovely. I just couldnt catch a break.
All right, Jam. What kinda information?
[Restricted. You must pay a portion of your contribution to access it.]
Is this some kinda joke? I asked. Why would the divines tell me there was information, then restrict it. That seemed silly. Who restricted it?
[That is also restricted information.]
I blinked at the altar spirit. Youre kidding.
[I am not. Acquiring the restricted information will require eighty percent of your current contribution. Acquiring information on who restricted the information is not currently possible for you to buy.]
Eighty percent was a lot, but at the same time, not much. With how much I had left over, it was maybe five percent of my original contribution? Fine, sure, Id play along. Buy the intel.
[An eclipse is beginning.]
Fuck.
Chapter 87: Respite
What do you mean there is an eclipse?!
[The information you paid for has been delivered. Your contribution is not significant enough to acquire additional intel. Please vacate the altar for interaction by other users.]
Rage. Jam, you cant just say that and then fucking blow me off.
[Please vacate the altar for interaction by other users.]
An eclipse?? And youre telling me I cant leave?!
[Please vacate the altar for interaction by other users.]
I ripped my hand from the cool stone with impunity, stumbling aside, my legs not moving quite the same way they were supposed to. On my way out, I bumped into another Reflector, stumbling and falling to the floor. She extended a hand and for a moment I almost growled at her.
Then, I realized just how much the intel messed me up.
[Breathe, Fio.]
Cass had been talking for a while, Id just zoned her out. Following her advice, I stumbled up, past the confused woman, and out the door of the gateway hall. I took a couple deep breaths, leaning against the stone wall for support. I saw people pass by.
In and out, a handful every couple seconds. All of them had their faces set. These were people who had chosen to stay in Eden. Despite the hordes of monsters, despite the sigils no longer working.
A rueful smile wormed its way onto my face. Theyd all made their choices, to stay and fight. And me? I was whining, thats what. So what if there was an eclipse coming? So what if there were assassins after me? Would I run just cause I was afraid?
I slammed my shaking hand into the stone walls. No. I wouldnt just run. I couldnt, anyway, not to Neamhan. But I would choose to stay and fight.
[Well get through it together, Bell.]
Thanks, Cass, I thought at her, my breathing slowly evening out. I summoned my spear, leaning on it a bit as I walked. There was one more pitstop I had to make now, before going back to my guild. The temples.
On my way there, I thought about it. The fact that there was an eclipse coming I definitely wasnt the only one who knew. Any truly powerful Reflectors would know, and so would any Edians. Orvan? Iryel? Both, yes.
And it made sense, too. The protections failing. The monsters already coming towards the city before the hunters drew them there. A usurper at the city gates It all made sense if it was an eclipse.
No coincidences, I muttered, trudging my way towards the temples, stumbling over my own feet a couple times. Eventually, though, I made it there. Instantly, I walked up to Hirs altar, and placed my hand on it.
Ah, Fio. It is a pleasure-
What the fuck do you mean theres an eclipse?? I interrupted the chorus of voices. I could swear I could hear the divine flinch.
There was a pause for a couple seconds. Well, you see, Hir eventually spoke again, their voice almost unsure, we couldnt just tell you
Oh yeah? Why? I demanded.
Thats not something I am at liberty to tell you, they said, the resignation clear.
Not at liberty to tell me. I was acting angry, yes, but that didnt mean I couldnt think clearly. Someone was stopping the divines. And it was probably better if said someone didnt realize I knew they were interfering.
Sure you arent. You wouldnt spill your secrets to save my life, I thought angrily at Hir.
You misunderstand- they started, but I didnt let them finish.
Oh, do I now? Are you divines and your world-spanning plans too big for a little mortal mind like me? So big that Im not even worth a warning? I demanded.
Finally, I could hear the veneer of patience crack. And what would you have done if we could have told you? Not returned to Eden?
I would have chosen to fight, Hir. You took that choice away.
We did no such thing!
The divine command boomed inside my head, sending me to a knee. My nose bled, each drop onto the stone floor ringing loudly in the empty prayer hall.
A weak smile placed itself on my lips. Sure you didnt. Then, for a moment, I withdrew from Hir.
Cass. Send an information package. You know, encrypted, like computers and stuff. Make it so it can only be opened by the divines - use a cypher or something.
[A riddle. I can do riddles. Itll only open when the divines give the right answer. Two servants, one guild, one silent, one loud. What may the silent one never speak?]
That works. Lurelia will get it. Tell the divines we are on decent terms, but I thought this call might be monitored. Tell them I know they didnt hide the info on the eclipse.
[Who did?] Cass asked, more to herself than out loud.
Later, I chided. Send the package, now.
A moment later, I felt a brief flash of heat in my mind. Good, that was done. It had only taken a moment, the conversation happening at the speed of thought. My attention turned back to Hir. You divines. Always so self-righteous. You want us to save your world and let us come here for that only. Then, you entice us to stay.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
We give a gift! Hir thundered.
My head hurt, but I continued anyway. You give a poisoned chalice. You want Reflectors to get addicted. To come back here. To forsake the other world and fight your battles. Because youre losing. So you manipulate us, manipulate me into coming here, and risking my life, and-
Do not insult me to my face!
This time, the blast was more powerful. It felt like a cannonball struck my stomach or something. I staggered back a few steps from the altar, showing a vicious snarl. Yeah, I muttered out loud, thats what I thought.
Then, I shook my head in exasperation, or at least acted like it, and shambled out with my spear as a crutch, still acting as though I was off balance.
- - -
So that went about as well as it couldve gone, I thought at Cass once we were a bit further from the temple. She seemed less thrilled than me, somehow.
[Well? That seemed borderline suicidal, Bell! I hope they understand your hidden message!]
Theyll get it, I brushed her off. Im sure. Otherwise, they wouldnt seem very divine.
My keeper huffed. [So well just bet on that?]
No, no. See, were kinda screwed anyway, right? The keepers hid the fact that an eclipse is happening. Well, either them, or the usurpers. I dont see why the keeper would hide that they did it. While talking, I also kept walking back towards the guild, soon stopping my limping, and dispelling the spear. The nascent spirit in it almost seemed to wave me goodnight as it disappeared.
[You think the Usurpers hid the eclipse from us?]
Oh, theres definitely a chance, isnt there? They need to have forces on the level of the divines, otherwise they wouldve stopped them invading already. They have a strong motive to keep me on Eden: wanting to get at my gateway. Even more so than the keepers. If Im on Neamhan, I cant absorb more gateways, and theyll just get the thing if I ever want to go back to Eden at all.
[... huh.] Cass hummed. She reached to trigger the avatar technique, and I let her. A moment later, her ghostly body that seemed like a 2D sketch in 3D reality appeared on my shoulder. She weighed nothing, of course, but she loved riding on it, in the same way Butterfly often did.
[What now, then?]
Now we wait, I answered her out loud, giving a shrug with my free shoulder. Either one of the divines sends us some priest or angel, or they dont. It doesnt really change much. I need to get stronger, so its time to learn to handle the new techniques. And, you know, let that potion do its work and heal my chest.
And so we did. I walked back to the inn we were staying at. I saw Emilia sit with Marie, Matt and Reya at the bar, downing drinks. Rabbit was barely holding onto his stool anymore, though, so I quickly scooped him up. Marie directed me to which bed I should deposit him in.
I left his room, then remained outside the door for a few moments. The eclipse was coming. I should tell them. All of them, absolutely. But not today. Not when half the party was black-out drunk. I sighed. So much to do. The eclipse could wait until the morning at least.
Shortly after that moment of contemplation, I went back down. Howre the Edians?
Settling, Marie said. Shed been overlooking that process. They are currently staying at various inns. Houses might open up soon. Well, as long as theres not too much property damage. The city expects that some houses might free up soon.
Riiight, I nodded along. That was a little depressing. The inns were usually where Reflectors stayed, but now, all that infrastructure for a moving population would go to the Edian refugees. Houses would also free up. Cuz of death. So that was lovely.
Its a bit grim, the older woman admitted, taking another small sip from her glass, but we make do.
That we do.
I swiped my gaze over the establishment. It was reasonably busy. Soldiers and guards whod only put off the most weighty parts of their armor, sitting in their gambesons while their weapons leaned against the wall.
Of course, there were also plenty of other people. Edians whod just lost loved ones, drinking away their sorrows. Others, trying to find a place to sleep. The doors opened and shut every couple minutes, letting some cool night air into the warm room.
Reya and Emilia were still talking, communicating with their hands and feet as best as they could. When in doubt, the priestess wrote things down, though I could tell the alcohol was helping neither her handwriting, nor Emilias ability to read it.
Our tank was genuinely using her Qi to empower her eyes, just so she could make out the scribbles on a piece of paper. I let out a small giggle at the ridiculousness of the situation, then sighed. Howre the others holding up? I asked Marie.
She gave me a long look. Well, she said, drawing out the word. I think I am fine. You seem okay. Emilia is doing well-ish, she gave the woman a look, but she was too focused on reading to hear us. Struggling a bit with being unable to protect everyone.
I nodded. Heroism troubles. Reya is holding on. I can tell shes tough, but shes also kind. She wants to help, and cant, but the idea of not trying would eat her up even more. Liam has been supporting her. Hes a good kid, and hell deal, but hes got a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
Yeah. He worries about his use, doesnt he?
Mmh, she hummed in agreement. But he doesnt mind the fighting. Hell make it through. Hopefully, he can look out for himself. Matt, though, Im a bit worried about.
How so? I asked, tilting my head a little.
The fighting. Hes gotta make sure not to get lost in it. And therell be a lot of fighting going forward. We should find something to keep him grounded, something he can do for leisure, she explained.
Ah, yeah. I agree entirely. We should get him into board games or something.
Marie chuckled. Hah, I, uh, doubt that would work.
I gave a smirk. Really? And here I was so hopeful. I might be able to get him to cook with me more often.
He hates it, she said.
Howd you know?
The older woman just blinked at me. Because I see him being miserable when cooking?
I shook my head slightly. Of course she knew. When didnt she? Right, I said. But I do think we can get him into it more. Might be something he enjoys more when doing it with others.
She nodded tentatively. Okay, yeah. We can try. Also, lets ask him if theres anything he enjoys doing, too.
Well, I know he likes taking walks, I said. Marie nodded along, encouraging me to keep going. He likes talking about movies. Joking. I think it might be kinda the only thing he knows how to do, as far as I know his parents arent the most supportive of having many hobbies.
Right, she said, leaning back a bit and taking another sip. Well figure something out. Talk to him, if you can. Ill try as well. If he doesnt know what he likes, well have to try things out.
I nodded. There was a brief silence. How about Ann? I asked, quietly.
Marie sighed. She stared at the wall for a while, letting the background noise of drinking drown out the silence. Its hitting her, she said, eventually. She feels for the Edians a lot, I think. More than any of us, and I think we already care more than the average Reflector.
Hmm, I hummed non-commitally. Yeah. Ill check on her in a minute. How about Eric? I asked. The question came after Ann, as if to take my mind off the topic. Maybe that was the reasoning a little.
She frowned. Eric. Hes here, certainly. Mainly because of Reya, I think. Its hard to put a finger on it. The destruction isnt really wearing on him so much as hes afraid.
Afraid?
Yep, she nodded along. Everyone is, of course. Not being afraid is suicidal, she gave me a long look saying that, but I feel hes starting to really worry.
Should I talk to him? I asked.
Maybe. Do you wanna? She gave me a long look, then shook her head. No. You dont. I can see it, Fio. Eric is a part of our party, yes, but hes not really established himself, to you. Hes not hung out with anyone particularly much. Hes not engaged a whole lot. And thats fine, but it means you dont know how to talk to him.
I nodded, feeling a small lump in my throat.
Marie sighed, closing her eyes for a scant few seconds. Look. If you wanna talk to him, you can. But you dont have to. Dont overextend yourself. You shouldnt spread yourself thin. Go. Talk to Ann. Be there for her. Ill see about talking to Eric.
Slowly, I nodded at her. Thanks, Marie.
She smiled, bright and happy suddenly. Its what I do.
Chapter 88: Tavern Time
I stood in front of the door to mine and Anns room for too long before I finally worked up the courage to knock. My knuckles tapped against the wood exactly once, then the door swung open before I could tap it again.
Ann stood in front of me. Shed swapped out her mage robes for a purple, slightly baggy shirt and black pajama shorts. Her red eyes were as vibrant as ever, and her short hair dark from what seemed like a recent wash.
Uh, hey, I said, smiling at her. I felt a slight buzz of butterflies in my stomach again. Not as intense as when we first got together, but the feeling of affection was now familiar, and comfortable.
She blinked at me for a moment, seemingly worried, then blushed slightly, leaning against the doorframe. Uhm, yeah, hi, Fio! she said, crossing her arms. Fancy seeing you here.
I stared at her, then slowly grinned. Fancy?
Her cheeks turned even more red, but she still met my eyes. Yep. Fancy. For sure.
With a smirk, I quickly shuffled into the room, closing the door behind me. Ann still leaned against the frame, enough space there for her. We stood close to one another, and I felt those familiar butterflies again.
I was slightly taller than her, and it was pronounced slightly because of her leaning. In a small shuffle, she stopped doing so, getting back to her own feet. I wrapped her in a hug.
Her hands clasped around my back as if she was looking for something to hold onto. I took a deep breath, squeezing her slightly. Not too much, more like a weighted blanket.
For a long, long moment, we just stood there like that.
Eventually, Ann pulled away. I would have held her for as long as it took. She had her hands on my forearms still, rather than my back now, looking into my eyes. It felt like she was trying to say something, wrestling with her words.
I waited.
For a few long minutes Ann stood there, and eventually turned her gaze away. Sorry, she said quietly.
Lightly, I shook my head. Its okay, I said, my voice calm. Take your time. I moved to hug her again, and she leaned her head against my shoulder.
We stayed like that for another long while. This was a bit of a difference from my usually fierce Ann, but really, who had never been upset before? She needed comfort, and I was happy to be comfortable to her.
Eventually, after a long while, she spoke. Her voice shook slightly, but didnt break. Can we sit down on the bed?
Of course, love, I said, guiding her there. I sat down on it, the mattress a bit harder than what we had on Neamhan. That didnt matter. Ann took a seat next to me. For a moment, she hesitated, then leaned against me once more.
I wrapped one arm around her, and pat her head with the other. She closed her eyes, but hummed to show me she liked it. After some time, I gave her a kiss on the cheek, which even elicited a small smile.
That made me smile as well in turn.
Thanks Fio, she said, eyes still closed.
I kissed the top of her head. Of course, love. For as long as you need.
I- she paused, struggling with the words. I think I might not tell you today.
Thats okay.
Is it? she opened up her eyes again, looking at me with worry. Are you sure?
More than sure, I nodded, giving her a smile and ruffling her hair. Cmon. I might be a lotta things, but have I ever lied to you?
There was a pause in the conversation, and I saw the faintest hint of a smile cross Anns face. First genuine, then mischievous. Yes, of course. Like when you told me you would make sure to heal up, you know? And then what did you do, Fio?
She pushed my shoulder a little, making me shake slightly. I gave a nervous laugh. I, uh. No comment?
You, she said, punctuating the words by poking me again, went and fought a giant worm!! As she finished, she pounced on me, knocking me onto my bed. Even with the hole in my chest I was more than sturdy enough to endure it.
The wound had healed enough from the potion to not really ache anymore. I just had to be careful not to reopen it, and it would take more than a bit of play-fighting to do that. Especially with my new levels and enhanced stats no, I wouldnt get hurt so easily.
Ann sat down on my tummy, looking down on me, finally wearing a smile again. It made my heart race a little; I was incredibly happy to see her enjoy life. Despite all the troubles, despite the fact that the world was gonna come close to ending soon. She was able to smile, in part because of me.
It meant the world.
Look, to be fair, the worm really deserved it? I said, giving her half a shrug.
She frowned in mock-annoyance. Really now?! What a flimsy excuse! Matt entirely had it covered!
I think Emilia actually contributed the most, I hummed. Tearing it in half like that
Ann grinned. Oho? And yet you dont even know, do you
Dont know what? I asked. Somehow, I was a little glad she didnt comment any further.
Wouldnt you like to know, Fio? Ann teased, booping my nose. I scrunched up my face in response, and she giggled, a light, pearly sound. I smiled.
Indeed, I would, I readily admitted. Im impatient you see. Tells me so, right in my disposition.
Pfft, disposition, disposchmition, Ann mocked. Those divines dont know what theyre talking about. Back in my day she let the joke trail off, wearing a small smile.
I laughed, making her smile widen some more. Indeed. Those younguns. They want a world that is livable! How dare they, such entitlement! I rolled my eyes in faux-annoyment, and Ann laughed.
Really, it was a bit of gallows humour. Some old people back on Neamhan really did think that way. Absolutely wild, really. Imagine poisoning a planet, then saying how entitled kids are for wanting to breathe clean air.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Fucking Zinnic, Ann sighed.
Again, I laughed. Okay, lets not talk about those for one day. Please. Theres enough bad news to go around, aside from me having put myself in the truly bad graces with a megacorp.
Ann smiled. Alright, we can do that. She cupped my cheek, running her thumb over it. Youre looking gorgeous right now, you know that?
A slight blush spread across my face. So are you, love.
She smirked. Dont you go around stealing my compliments.
Not my fault if its true! I protested. When Ann laughed, I quickly moved to sit up, hugging her tightly again and kissing her. It was a long kiss.
Eventually, I leaned my forehead against hers. I love you, I said, entirely genuinely.
I could almost hear Anns smile. I love you, too.
For a while, I let the moment stay, kissing her a few more times. But there was something I knew that I had to share. So eventually, I forced myself to pull away.
Ann, I said, now with a bit of distance between us. I do have to tell you something.
Oh? she asked, teasingly. And what would that be?
Nothing fun, unfortunately, I said, as much as it pained me to see the smirk fade from Anns face. Theres an eclipse coming.
Then, Ann paused. She looked at me for a long moment, her face neutral and almost unreadable, except to me. Her brows were creased ever so slightly, telling me she was thinking. I let her.
A minute or two mustve passed like that until she spoke again. Thats troublesome, she admitted readily, all playfulness gone from her voice.
I nodded quietly.
Do the others know yet? she asked.
No, I said, shaking my head.
She gave a slow nod. Right. That makes sense, since they were a bit out of it today. I nodded in agreement. Thank you for telling me first.
Of course, I said, though my mouth felt a little dry at her neutral tone.
Ann noticed and gave a small smile. Love, I really appreciate knowing, she said. I dont want to worry you. I believe we can get through this together. But it will not be easy.
Yeah, I know that, I said, leaning against the wall the bed stood against. But weve been through worse things.
I doubt that, Ann said, her smile turning crooked, but I admire your optimism. She paused again. We are staying in Eden, right? The question came out quietly.
Absolutely, I affirmed. The words left my mouth before I could think, but I was sure of it. I couldnt go back anyway, because of the keepers. Would I stay if leaving wasnt an option? That was a question I couldnt answer, but seeing Ann like that? It made me lean towards yes. Im staying. Id hope you are as well, though I want you to be safe, of course.
She smiled slightly. Im staying, she said. I wouldnt leave you alone. Or the people here, for that matter.
That was so her. Ann always cared, no matter if she thought she was hiding it well. I returned her smile. Okay. Itll be at least the two of us then.
Knowing the others? Id wager much more than just us, Ann said, then leaned forward, kissing me on the forehead. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a hug.
Well, I said, huffing slightly, maybe right now, Im okay with it being just us.
Ann smirked again, seemingly amused at my antics. I suppose I could stand to be in a room with you for a bit.
The rest of the night passed rather quickly.
- - -
When the next morning came, I took a shower before putting my backup set of armor on. The other one was riddled with holes from the amount of stabs and bites I had taken, which would have been even worse if it hadnt been for the armor. Id given it to the innkeep, who took it to a blacksmith.
Some poor apprentice would be fixing it up over the next couple days, making sure to mend it or replace any parts that needed replacing. Pay was already done; Id given them some of the novas the divines had given me for the amount of usurpers I killed.
Knowing there was some apprentice working on my armor late into the night would always be a strange thought, but it was also one that I could live with. It did mean that we would remain in this town - Elyrstead - for the foreseeable future.
I was fine with that. It was further away from the frontier than Renvil had been, though with that city destroyed, maybe this would mark the new frontier, instead.
It went like that a lot. Edians and Reflectors would push back the usurpers, reclaim Edens territories, establish cities and outposts. Then, eventually, when an eclipse came, the usurpers would gather more territories, as powerful beasts came from the rifts.
Those could often only be defeated by archmages, like Orvan, and even then, they were often just fought to a standstill. Then, theyd hide until the next eclipse, like that giant monster that shot black flames. It had been here before this eclipse began, so it mustve been in this world for a while.
And even then, we were still only in the beginning phases. Now, formations and arrays would become less reliable - larger ones breaking first, hence why the protections around cities worked more poorly than personal ones - then, the sun would get darker, and eventually, rifts would tear open.
But that was all something for me to worry about when discussing it with my team. For now, I took solace in the fact that I was wearing armor again, though its protection mattered significantly less with my increased levels of resilience and [Golden Body]. Still, every bit would matter.
When Ann was also ready, wearing her mages robes, we made our way downstairs together. Marie was already up, talking to some locals, probably gathering information. Liam and Eric were seated, too, mostly browsing through their gifts. I could tell Liam was cycling his Qi, and Eric seemed to be doing some stuff with his divinity, though I was unsure quite what he was doing.
I took a seat at the table with them, receiving two nods in greeting. Reya, Emilia and Matt still nursing headaches? I asked.
My sister is, unfortunately, hungover, Eric said with a sigh. Shell probably cure it once she wakes up. The fact that she uses her divine healing for it is something I wont understand.
Ann shrugged. Whats it for if you dont use it?
I glanced sideways at her. That was unexpected. Ann rarely commented on what clerics did.
Eric shrugged in response. It just seems disrespectful to Lurelia, I suppose, he said.
So? Ann asked. If Lurelia minded, she can tell your sister herself. Thats what [Divine Communion] is for, isnt it?
The cleric gave her a long look, then smiled slightly. I suppose. Seems strange to provoke a goddess to respond to pointless use of her powers, though.
If it lets her fight more, Lurelia would approve, Im sure, Ann said.
You seem to know a lot about my goddess, Eric commented, somewhat snarkily.
At that, Ann gave him a long look with an expressionless face. Ive dealt with clerics before, some who used her powers a lot more loosely than you two.
Oh? This time, Eric seemed more genuinely curious than annoyed.
Ann decided to answer, though she ordered a glass of water beforehand. After taking a small sip, she looked at the cleric again. Yes. The worst abuse Ive ever seen was a hitman. He would attack targets while they slept, taking away their pain using a special skill, then heal all their wounds to the point where the healing fatigue killed them. It made for murders that were astonishingly hard to trace, you see, and bodies that could not ever be brought back properly.
At that, Erics face fell visibly. Oh, he said, this time more as if sick.
This, of course, was something that Lurelia did disapprove of, Ann continued with a straight face. So, she cut him off from gaining additional levels. Divines cannot withdraw levels already given, you see. Having a sponsor divine helps to advance as a cleric, but isnt strictly required, and any gift once given cannot be demanded to be returned.
Did he ever get caught?
Of course, Ann nodded. Paladins. A whole dozen of them surrounded him after knowing about a hit. They crashed into the room right as he was about to deliver yet another killing blow. Instead, the assassin died that day.
... Right, Eric said. In comparison, Reyas actions do seem less antithetical to the goddess. It felt like he was trying to lighten the mood.
Quite, Ann agreed happily. She is taking away pain, after all, that is why Lurelia bestows healing onto mortals like us, isnt it?
Eric just nodded in reply.
The silence hung in the air until Marie sat down with us. The locals, sadly, didnt seem to know much about what was going on. I do, I said when she was done reporting. I know what is happening. But Id be a lot more comfortable if everyone was here when I said it.
Marie gave me a long look, and I returned a small nod. Okay, she said, without hesitation. Let me go drag the others out of bed then.
Do you need my help? Eric asked.
No need, the older woman shook her head. I have a minor boon from Argus. For my nature magic. It lets me deliver tiny amounts of healing, just enough to cure a headache. She said with a wink, and her teasing seemed to dispel a bit more of the lingering strangeness around Eric.
He gave a half amused nod as Emilia set off, coming back with three zombie-looking creatures a minute later. Soon, they were all seated at the table, and a minute later, they all looked awake. It was time to bring them the news.
Chapter 89: Decisions, Decisions.
Theres an eclipse coming.
It was starting to feel like that sentence was one of the heaviest strings of words Id had to say in my life. On par with I cant come to school, Im attending my brothers funeral. and You cant come over, my dad is drunk off his rocker right now.
But this time, the reaction was none of the awkward stumbling I usually got as a reply. Instead, there was a heavy silence hanging over our group.
The inn around us was busy. I had used my voice transmission to tell the others directly, so none of the patrons would be scared away. Really, the background noise just made the silence feel more awkward.
I saw Liams Qi fluctuate for a moment before it stabilized, the rogue schooling his expression back to one of neutrality. Marie wore a deep frown, but her eyes wandered over the others.
Ann gave my hand a squeeze, and I squeezed back. Right, we would get through this together.
Matt was looking at me, too. There was a question there. I shook my head slowly, telling him that no, I could not just go back to Neamhan. Then he nodded.
I am staying, the swordsman agreed.
Me too, Emilia said without any more hesitation.
Marie smiled, a tiny, fragile, worried expression, but still nodded grimly. Then Ill stick around, too.
Liam seemed almost bemused as he nodded. Same here, then, the whisper rang out next to my ear. I saw him turn to Reya. She smiled.
Were leaving, right? Eric asked his sister.
I turned to him. Ann did, too. I think I looked surprised, though I certainly know she didnt. Ann looked furious.
Like she was about to set his ass on fire.
What? he asked, glancing around the table. Its an eclipse! Were going home, right, Reya?
The woman looked at her brother for a long moment. Then to Liam, then to me, then back to Eric. Very slowly, she shook her head. She signed something, but I didnt speak sign language yet.
Eric seemed stunned. Like he couldnt believe what was happening. Sis, Reya, please. Dont- this isnt a joke or something, right?
She shook her head again.
Are are all of you serious? He looked around the table for help.
Emilia reached out. She laid a hand on his shoulder, her expression frozen somewhere between angry, disappointment, and compassion. But then it faded, and she simply looked sincere. Dead serious, she assured him.
You too, Emilia? Eric asked, his voice trembling.
She nodded.
The cleric turned to his sister. Reya. Youre staying? She nodded, too. I saw as Eric dropped his face into his hands for a moment, his fingers interlacing with his hair, turning it more messy. Fuck, he gasped from between his hands. Divines fuck.
Marie seemed sympathetic to his pleas, really. Like she was just about to reach out and grab his hands, but Ann looked at her, and shook her head. She wasnt just angry, she was beyond pissed. Why? Just for me?
A minute ticked by, then a second one. Eric shook once, probably sobbing. I zoned out a bit. It felt so distant now. The fact that I had received so much more support than expected made this bit of pushback hit unreasonably harder.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Eric, Anns icy voice cut through the air, and he raised his head. You can leave now. It wasnt really giving him permission so much as it was demanding he do it.
He looked at her, then at Reya again as if seeking help. She shook her head, though it seemed like it was breaking her heart. Then, Erics expression hardened in real time.
In just a couple seconds he went from close to sobbing back to composed and frigid. Fine, he said, raising with a scrape of the chair against the wooden flooring. Reya. Ill make sure. When you die, Ill make sure you have someplace to return to.
She signed again. She wont die, Liam said. He didnt whisper it, either. He told Eric, upfront, standing as well by now. Id barely seen him get up.
Reya looked at Liam, then gently pushed down on his shoulder. The rogue gave her a look, then sat back down. Reya turned to her brother, and gave the saddest smile I ever saw. Her lips moved soundlessly, but I could read them. I love you, she said.
Eric clenched his fist, trembling. Then he turned, walked to the door. Ill wait on the other side, sis, he said, then left.
The door fell closed louder than I think it had any right too. I saw Ann reach for her drink in the silence that hung over the party. Reya still stood, looking at the door. Then there was the sound of wood splintering, as Ann crushed the tankard into a thousand pieces in her hand.
Ah, she said, her voice dry. I appear to be mildly angry.
I put a hand on hers, and she looked at me. She would have scared me if I didnt love her. Her eyes, usually fire red, seemed more like pools of blood, deep as the ocean. Her fury wasnt the usual flaming kind, but more like unfathomable depths trying to swallow me.
So, instead, I pulled her into a hug.
She was tense, and I could feel every muscle in her smaller frame tightened. From her back, down her arms, to even her jaw. Really, she seemed just short of shattering her teeth. It was a testament to her practice that she was still able to enunciate her speech so clearly.
Im fine, Fio, she said in that same frigid tone.
Yeah, of course, I lied. Id just, uhm, like to hug you if thats okay. For purely and entirely selfish reasons.
She didnt deign me with a reply, but I felt her lean onto my shoulder slightly, and that was all the confirmation I needed. I held her for a long, silent moment.
When I finally turned to the group again, I looked everyone over. Maria and Emilia seemed pensive. They understood. They knew why he left, and were saddened by the decision, but compassionate.
Reya was more sad than them, though. Liam had given her a hug, but now just had his hand on her shoulder. She stared at a wall absently, alone with her thoughts. The rogue seemed more preoccupied with her than with Eric leaving. The two hadnt really interacted much, after all.
Ann was still furious, but now she just seemed defeated. All that rage driving her was slowly dissipating, and all that was left was a gaping hole of disappointment. She had expected more from Eric.
And then, there was Matt. He seemed shockingly neutral. Like this was the expected outcome and he had dealt with it already. He looked over at me, then gave a crooked smile. My eyes widened. He had expected it.
When? I asked, quietly, barely above a whisper.
The moment you told us, he answered. Then he shrugged. Nothing wrong with being a coward, he added. Being brave is about fighting even when youre scared. I honestly wish I were more like that. Bit of fear would do me well. His crooked smile turned sad.
Emilia nodded. Nothing wrong with being a coward.
Ann stared at the two of them, her eyes reddened, both from fury and some tears I imagined. Maybe angry tears. How can you say that? People will die because he left.
Marie gave Ann a long look. Hes not killing them, hon.
Theyll die because of his choice!!
Hes not killing them, Marie affirmed again, more solidly. Hes made his choice. Weve made ours.
Marie, I cant fucking forgive that. Hes despic-
Reya spun over at Ann to slap her. I lightly caught her hand, looked at the cleric, then shook my head, slowly. Ann, I said, maintaining eye contact with Reya, Eric is back on the other side. He made a choice, one that he is free to make. You can be as angry as youd like, but please do not insult him in front of the people he wants to keep safe.
From the corner of my eyes I saw Ann bite her lips, hard. Yeah, she mumbled. Yeah, yeah. Fucking fine or something.
I kissed the top of her head. Hey. If hes gone, well just work extra hard to save all the people he wouldve.
At that, I saw Reya give a small nod. She signed again, though I didnt understand. She says fuck yes we will, Liam provided, still using his own voice rather than the whispering he usually did.
Ann froze at that, then cracked a tiny smile. She shook her head, and I saw the world in a myriad of tiny reflections as scattered droplets of water almost too small to see flew through the air. I- yeah. We will. Thank you, Fio. Liam, Reya, she said, shooting them a smile that seemed only slightly forced.
I kissed the top of her head again. There was another moment of silence, until Matt talked. So uh, I guess Ill go pay for that, he said, gesturing at Anns broken tankard, and order you another drink? You look like you could use it. For like, hydration I mean.
The mage took a long, shaky breath, then nodded. Yeah, Ill, uh, take a glass of water. Definitely.
Emilia shot her a small smile. Hydrate dont diedrate, eh?
Hydrate dont diedrate, Ann confirmed, shaking her head at it.
Chapter 90: Archmage Saif Zolycc
One way to break the news, eh? Matt joked when we were outside later.
I snorted. Seriously?
He sighed, giving half a shake of his head. Nah. Im not the one who broke anything.
Pfft, I said, then pinched his cheek. Listen here, brat, dont you speak to me like that.
Or whaa? he asked, his words coming out muffled with me holding onto him.
Or Ill shake you down for your lunch money.
He huffed in amusement, then lightly smacked my hand aside. For a while, he just stared up into the sky. It was still early enough, people just coming to the streets - most of them walking towards the walls and repairing them. Our shift was coming up in just a little while.
Hey, Fio? he asked, eventually.
Yeah? Whats up? I replied. He was still looking into the sky, but I knew he wouldnt reply with a childish retort. Matt had a thinking expression on his face. He was actually serious for once.
If I die- he held up his hand as I moved to interrupt him. Let me finish, Fio. Please. If I die, here, then I want you to live. Got it? he looked at me intensely.
You wont die, I said, meeting him right on.
He smiled. Of course not. This is a what if scenario, silly.
Matt, I said, grabbing his shoulder. You arent dying.
I understand that-
No, no, I dont think you do. Youre thinking something like, well, youre so likely to die, because youre addicted to fighting, I mimicked his voice, isnt that right? But listen here, you rat, if you ever get close to death, its gonna go very simply. Ill touch you, and Ill send your ass straight back to Neamhan.
His eyes widened. He took a step back. You wouldnt.
I would, I said. Matt. You dont get to pull any of that. No self-sacrificial shit.
Fio, if something happens to you-
Matt. Listen to yourself. Youre saying that I should let you die? Just in case? No. If anyone from the party gets close to death? Beyond saving with healing? Im sending their asses back. Each and every one.
Fio-
I stepped closer to him, jabbing my finger into his chest. Dont fucking Fio me, Matt. This isnt a joke. This is an eclipse. Renvil got wiped off the fucking maps in an hour. We called in an archmage and thats the only reason we could evacuate. You dont get to throw away your life for me, not even just one of it.
He smacked my finger aside. Neither do you, he hissed. You dont get to throw away your life for me either. Not again. Never. Again. The mix of anger and sadness in his voice was enough to crack my heart.
Neither of us will, I said. Well both live. Im staying in Eden. Ill grow my gateway. Ill become strong enough to fuck up each and every damn keeper, and then well be just a regular elite team.
And what if? What if you die? he hissed.
Then Ill die. And itll be miserable. But you bet your ass Im going down fighting. Im not gonna leave my friends behind to save my hide.
Matt gave me another long moment of silence. Fine, he eventually said. Fine, cool. Sure, fuck it, Im in. Well throw our lives away together, how about that?
What?
If you get to go down fighting, so do I, Fio. Dont send me back to Neamhan. Promise me you wont do that. I dont think Id be able to live with myself if you did. He gulped, and I saw tears forming at the edges of his eyes. Still he refused to look away.
I stared back. I dont think I can-
Promise me, goddamn it! Matt grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it. I need you to say it, Fio.
I bit my lip. Okay fine-
Just then, we were interrupted. Sorry, huff, someone said, taking deep breaths, as if theyd just sprinted here. Are you a Ms. Bellum?
Turning towards the source of the noise it was a young man, still a kid really, with sticky, short black hair. He was small of stature and looked a little thin, holding his legs as he panted. One of his hands was wrapped around a letter.
... Yeah, that would be me. Why? I asked.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The higher-ups, huff, he took another couple gulps of air. Archmage Zolycc wishes to see you. At the palace.
Im sorry, my shift at the wall starts in-
Your shift has been moved, he said between breaths. Uhm. Youre to go there as soon as possible, just after reading the letter. He handed it to me. If you wish, you may bring your, uh, guild, huff. Arrangements for the wall have been made.
I looked from him, then to Matt, who shrugged. Go on, read it, he said, nodding in the direction of the letter. There was still some of that intensity in his eyes, but he seemed somewhat placated, since I had said okay. What a fucking shitshow.
To distract myself from the emotional trainwreck I was going through, I opened up the letter, breaking the wax seal. It was the usual stuff, really. Something something your special abilities have garnered our interest something something come immediately.
Alright, Matt? Lets grab the others, were heading out. Thanks for your service, I told the courier. He gave me a quick nod, and a salute, then ran back off to make another delivery I guessed.
The others were still inside the tavern, drinking and quietly chatting. Matt and I made our way over to the table. Hey, looks like were moving up in the world, our swordsman said in a weak attempt at humor, weve been invited to the castle.
Marie arched an eyebrow. Us? Why?
He pointed a thumb over here. Fio, of course. Special gateway powers. Maybe just a recommendations from our archmage buddy, or the divines themselves. No real way to know.
I gave a crooked, half-hearted smile.
What about the wall? Emilia asked.
Someone else is covering for us. Youre all invited, I said. Were supposed to be there as soon as we can.
Whelp, Marie said, getting up with a light scrape of her chair. No use wasting time, then.
With a nod, the others rose. Liam held Reyas hand as we walked out of the tavern.
- - -
Finding the palace wasnt exactly difficult - it was built on a hill in the middle of the city after all. It helped that it was large.
Only a couple minutes later, we stood in front of the guards, who let us through rather quickly when I showed off the letter. An older manservant picked us up from there, a man whose salt and pepper was really more of a salt and darker salt.
Ms. Bellum. Youve been expected. I thank you in the names of the lord and lady, as well as the archmage that you have made it here so soon, he said, leading us through the halls.
Uh, thanks, I said, unsure. What exactly do they want from me.
Rounding a corner, he chuckled lowly. I do not presume to know about the intentions of our rulers. But I suspect it is an offer of cooperation - nothing to fear, I believe.
It was a bit annoying, since this was eating into my time to try out the new techniques I bought, and especially the one Cass recommended seemed like the sooner I got to it the better. But I also knew that making royalty wait, especially when they sent an urgent invitation was considered poor form.
Right, then. Thank you for your guidance, Mister
Gregor will suffice, he said, a thin smile on his lips. Then, after some more walking, he gestured at a large wooden door. Here we are! The throne room. My employers are ready to meet you inside.
At his approval, I pushed open the door, using both hands for it. Inside, as expected, there were two thrones and a wheelchair?
The lord and lady of the city were easy to pick out. They didnt wear anything opulent, and their thrones were carved from wood, rather than endowed with much gold. Still, their regal behaviour and hardened eyes gave it away.
But my letter had come from an archmage, and seeing her in question was a bit different than expected. I took her in more as I stepped closer to the thrones.
Archmage Zolycc was not human, that much was easy to tell. Her skin was a pallid grey - which might have been from sickness, but I knew it wasnt - and her eyes dim circles of pale lilac. Her hair came in hundreds of thin strands that floated in the air behind her. She was one of the sky spirits.
Her left side was covered in a large scar, well, the parts of her that remained there, at least. She was missing both those arms, after all. Her upper left arm was missing at the shoulder, her lower left severed in the middle of her bicep. It started at the stump left of her shoulder, turning her grey skin a lighter, almost paper-white, and snuck up the side of her neck to her ear.
The womans legs were covered in a pale pink skirt, and she wore a loose shirt. She looked at me, and her face turned a bit brighter. It was impossible to tell her age, as it was with most sky spirits, but she still extended her right arms to greet us.
Ah, Ms. Bellum! My friend Orvan has told me much about you. May I call you Fio? Her voice was melodic and sweet.
I tried my best to return her smile, still wary, but if Orvan endorsed her, that was a good sign. Sure, yes, archmage Zolycc.
Oh, please, she waved her upper right arm. You can simply call me Saif.
That did put her in my better books already. Alright then, Saif, I said, my thin smile a little more genuine. I believe you called me here. I was unaware that Elyrstead had an archmage stationed here.
Her smile turned a little sadder, and she let out a wistful sigh. The brush of air was enough to send her hair scattering behind her, each strand seemingly only barely as heavy as the air surrounding them. Well, I wasnt stationed here before. I have been called to the frontier- she interrupted herself with a small scoff, the new frontier, in order to preserve the alliances territory.
Oh?
Yes. Most archmages have been called to Frontier cities. Archmage Dreyfus has been stationed just further south, but he is also leading excursions into the frontier, to thin the hordes I hear, she explained. The other archmages are in similar positions. The forces of Eden are being leveraged properly now. People like me are needed to keep the stalemate, you see?
Stalemate?
Between the usurpers and the divines, Fio. Well, and the keepers, but those have much less of a hand in the game. Her eyes glinted, then. Perhaps I should say had less of a hand in the game, though. You see, that was until you came into the picture.
... Right, I hummed.
Is it alright if I come a little closer? she asked me. I only now realized I was still standing quite far from the thrones.
Uhm, sure, I nodded, stepping closer as well. I saw her quickly flick a lever on the side of the wheelchair, which seemed to engage some rod that let her turn the wheels on both sides by turning them on only one.
With a bit of elbow grease, we soon stood closer. The archmage smiled. How old do you think I am? she asked me.
I blinked at the question. Uhm. Like, fifty? She looked younger than that.
She chuckled. Close, really. Im seventy-two years old now, though. I cannot say to have seen the very first beginnings of the war between worlds, but my ancestors sure did. Kids like you to shake up the order is just what we need, really.
Okay? I was a bit confused.
The old archmage gave me a smile. So, Fio. Tell me, would you like to know a bit more about this war we wage? I instantly leaned forward. If I told you it came with a personal story, would you still listen?
Instantly, I replied. Yes. I would. I needed to know more about the keepers and usurpers.
Chapter 91: History Lesson
She smiled, faintly, then gave a small bow towards me, though as she did so, her eyes flitted over the rest of our party. Your guild, Dawn of Ambition, may listen as well, of course. It may be a bit rude of me not to greet you all individually, but I can assure you, your services are valued. Please indulge an old lady for a while.
Its no trouble, really, archmage, Marie said.
The old lady smiled at her, too, then turned back to me. So, then. About the war where do I start? She smirked. Perhaps with myself? Thatll do, yes.
You see, I was born without the use of my legs. Divine magic can only do so much, and returning them to full function was not in those cards. The life of a warrior was, therefore, never really for me. Instead, I focused my pursuits on knowledge.
Archiva became my patron, eventually. She gave me the Gift, you see. Suddenly, I could buy knowledge, not simply books, but actual, applicable knowledge, if I simply helped the efforts of fighting. It was invaluable. And I fought.
Tooth and nail. Really, I was a bit feral back in my younger days. She reached out to tough the remains of her left arms. These I lost them a while ago. During the beginning of an eclipse - not even the main fight. What a joke, right?
A mage with two right arms - quite literally, she chuckled. But I made it work. I learnt how to case magic with them, do the sigils with one hand, improved my mana shaping - ah, the kids call it manipulation these days, do you not? I practiced my mana manipulation until I mastered it.
In fact, I would wager that even among the archmages, none can match me in sigil-less casting. And despite all of this, despite my mastery, my practice, the battles I waged somehow, you throw yourself into greater damage than even I did. Her eyes glinted with mirth.
Life isnt something you should throw away, girl, she leaned forward, placing a hand on my forearm. It was faintly cool, despite the slightly oppressive warmth in the throne room. But, and this is the cruel part, people like you are hardly granted a choice, were you?
So, all I can do is grant you the knowledge necessary to fight. To struggle, like a rabid dog, to fight tooth and nail, until you can eventually walk up to those who took your choice away and rip their throats out, isnt that right? She said it with that same kindly, old voice.
I nodded, dully.
Right, so let me tell you then. Her eyes darted to my group for a moment, before locking onto mine again. There used to be seven divines before, she said, casually dropping an enormous secret. Can you imagine that? Only five left now, though.
It made sense. Seven was an important number here in Eden. Seven main stats. Seven steps to each realm of cultivation. Seven realms, as far as anyone knew, seven magic circles, too.
Saif smiled. You get it, she said. Yes. It all comes in sevens. The divines used to, too, then two of them died.
Its a bit complicated what happened from there, but suffice to say, it changed the other divines. Ru became more violent, Hir more sombre. It was a difficult time in Eden, but things stabilised both times. Now, we have five divines, and I hope that their numbers remain as such.
What really matters, after all, is the usurpers. They are limitless, Fio, but not because they are mindless. They arent, after all. Some of them are unbelievably wise, even. They have upper echelons, just like the divines, they are simply different.
They are soldiers. Made for war by their higher ups who are hungry for power. Once upon a time, after all, the usurpers had their own worlds. Until those were swallowed by the void. Those experiences turned them jagged, and now, they want more worlds for their people, and invade new ones.
This puts them at odds with us, of course. Because, well, I certainly enjoy Eden without the twisting of the Usurpers. In order to make it hospitable to them, they change the landscape, twisting it to fit them, and frankly, I do not think this planet deserves that. None do, isnt that right?
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
I choked back a laugh. Yeah, none of them do, I agreed readily. Were the usurpers really just like Zinnic after all? How ironic.
Now you know about the divines. They were here and want to see the world remain as it is - which, of course, isnt quite right either, is it? Worlds must advance. Move forward. Keep changing. That is in the nature of us mortals, after all. But the usurpers, which seek to bring in their own status quo? They are also in the wrong. So we pick our closest allies, as long as our goals align.
For a moment, Saif closes her eyes, with a frown and creased eyebrows. Apologies, she whimpered, eyes still closed. This is what I am getting for what is being perceived as Blasphemy. Archiva, you are a goddess of Knowledge are you not? Let me be honest with this warrior.
For a few more moments, her face remained twisted, then relaxed. She took a deep breath, opened her lilac eyes again, and gave me a bright smile. Onto more blaspheming, she joked in a conspiratorial whisper.
What about the keepers? I asked.
Her lips froze in that smile, then slowly sank down to a thin line. The keepers. They are interdimensional. They know no compassion for the worlds themselves. They care about their own reach, and reach only.
I know that the keepers bring you to our worlds. That they work with the divines. They do this, because it allows them to spread their fingers into this planet. To make more gateways. You know what keepers would do for more gateways? Anything.
They are temporary allies at best. They are always only a thin line away from enemies, both ours and each others. Constantly seeking to tear one another apart, simply for more reach. Another world, another mirror, another parallel existence, just one more mirror. They would break worlds for that - have broken worlds for that.
I gulped.
And they want to break you for that, she said with an empathetic sigh. Fio. Let me tell you this. I dont know everything about the divines, or the usurpers, because they are complex. They know compassion, they know cruelty. They know all of that.
The keepers do not. They do not care for you, or for me, or for this world at all. What they care about is just another shard of glass, any shred of profit they can squeeze, no matter the toll of lives, mortal or immortal. Never trust them. Never think they have your interests at heart, because those interests only align while you are giving them more power to utilize.
That sounded suspiciously like what Zinnic did. Were they?
Can keepers assume mortal forms? I asked, quietly.
Saif looked at me for a long moment. They can, certainly. They would view it as disgusting, beneath them, even, but they would, without hesitation, if it let them get a shred more.
Were they really already on Neamhan, then? Had they ruined our world? Just so they could spread their influence farther?
Or was it really just human folly? Were we any better than those things?
I felt a second cool hand touch my arm. Fio. No species is inherently good or bad. Cultures, sometimes, can be, but even bad cultures occasionally produce good people. Growing up in a moral society will increase the likelihood of good morals, as long as those allow one to thrive. But they are not always a guarantee.
Take a look at Cass, for example. I know her name through the divines, I do hope this isnt considered prying.
Cass appeared in her avatar form, drawing a small amount of my Qi. Its fine, she assured Saif.
The old mage smiled. Thank you, Cass. While Cass is a keeper, a simple fact of her species, she is not at all included when I talk about how power hungry they are. Because that is referring to the keepers society, which she is not a part of.
Any living creature can be greedy, power hungry, and cruel. Any living creature has the potential for kindness and selflessness. And there is a whole spectrum between that.
I nodded, quietly. Right. The keepers probably didnt single handedly ruin our world. Saif was right, of course. Humans were perfectly capable of ruining things ourselves. There was, as of now, little reason to assume keepers were involved in it.
They werent improving things either, though. Zinninc was definitely exploiting the existence of keepers for profit, and the keepers were happy to continue letting them use the gateways, because the bodies would feed them energy.
It was all a stack of greed. I shook my head to clear it, focusing on Saif again.
Thank you, I said. This explanation has been eye opening.
She smiled, gently, but her eyes gleamed with fire. I am glad to hear that. Now, how about we go out there and show them why they should keep their greed in check?
I glanced over at the city lady and lord. The two had been watching the entire conversation, but not said anything. Dont they, uh, need something from me?
Saif shook her head slowly. No, she said, looking at them.
The lady cleared her throat, and spoke, her voice deep and gravelly. We are not currently in needs of further discussion with Ms. Bellum. You were invited here because the archmage requested it. We hope your stay in this city will be enjoyable, as far as possible, and that you will contribute to the citys defense when we all upon you.
I gave her a nod. Of course, I said.
With that, Saif let go of my arms. I believe we may talk again later, she told me with a small wink, then folded both her right arms onto her lap.
After another short wave from me and the party, it was finally time to take our shift on the walls.
Chapter 92: Blackmail…?
A week passed like that. We fought on the walls, and in front of them, holding back the tides of monsters with the other Reflectors, before hiding back within the city. Reya was spending every drop of Divinity she could spare on patching people back together.
The hole in my chest healed, thanks to the potion, and I improved my Qi cycling some more, focusing on regeneration. Maybe, in a couple more weeks or months, Id be able to heal a wound like that without any assistance. That would be awesome.
I also, after our first shift on the wall, finally got a chance to experiment with [Gifted Fragment]. Apparently, the gifted in the techniques title was a reference both to giving something away, and to the Gift itself.
It allowed me to create a network of half as many people as I had gateway fragments, and then allowed those to partially share talents. As in, ones from the talent tab in the menu.
Suffice to say, I included our entire party in the network. With Me, Matt, Ann, Marie, Emilia, Liam, and Reya, that meant seven of my eight slots were filled. I had sixteen fragments, after all, allowing me to connect eight people with one another.
Keeping the technique up was easy. Every member of the network donated a small part of their energies to keep it running. It was a bit of a hidden blessing that we didnt have it function off only Qi, since Divinity and Mana might have been prerequisites for certain talents.
The feeling of it was strange, though. None of the effects fully carried over, after all, but the others experienced some of the effects of my [Precipice] for example.
From Matt, we inherited a fragment of [Prodigy], allowing me to advance my cultivation faster. Liam had [Observant], meaning learning from others was easier, which worked well with [Mirror Mind]. Anns [Genius], which she used mainly for mana, helped me grasp Qi manipulation significantly faster.
Marie provided [Fundamentals], a talent that allowed new knowledge to be assimilated and usable much faster, while Emilia added her [Stalwart Patience], which made it so that skills became easier to learn the longer you practiced them. Finally, Reya had a talent called [Practical], which meant abilities were learnt more quickly when used in actual applications rather than training.
For now, we could all only share one talent each, but that was sure to increase as the ability grew. I was also simply maintaining it as that switch the Gift gave me, rather than understanding how it functioned. If I had to say how much of the talents I was granted, then maybe it was a tenth of their original power.
Which was still outstanding, of course. Especially with the learning bonuses stacked on top of each other I couldnt say that advancing became a breeze, but it felt like I was learning more with each bit of practice I did.
Still, that peaceful while of practice only lasted for a single week before it got interrupted.
Because, after that week was over, I heard a knock on my door. Ann was currently out, doing things, so I opened it up.
In front of me stood a young man. He had a handsome face and messy, dark hair. His eyes were a bit intense, as he focused on me, like he was looking for some kind of weakness. Looking at him made me tense up.
Good day, he said. Is this Fiona Bellum Im speaking to? his voice was polite, but he spoke with a strange undertone, like he was waiting for something.
Yeah, thatd be me. You need anything? I asked.
His smile widened. Yes. I was sent here to kill you. I have your brother, one Ivan Bellum.
I tensed up. Instantly, my spear appeared in my hands. I felt the nascent spirit within boiling with fury just as I was. But at the same time, I was terribly afraid. Why was Ivan in Eden?
Who are you? I demanded. What do you want from me?
If he had Ivan, then that meant he had done his research. He knew who I was. Somehow, he found out my brother was in Eden despite me not knowing. Had Sarah brought him here? Did he join Zinnic?!
The man simply smiled. My name is Chikrotekete. You can just call me Chris, if that is alright with you? he said, his voice even and polite.
Chris, I said, barely keeping the hate from my voice. What do you want?
Ah, he said, looking at me, his expression slightly shifting. He saw the way my fist clenched around my spear, the knuckles turning white. He observed the muscles in my arm and shoulder growing taut. I appear to have misstepped.
He said it so nonchalantly, as if there was nothing to him just admitting to kidnapping my brother.
Tell me already, I ground out.
Of course, my mistake. I would like to build an amicable relationship with you, Ms. Bellum. May I call you Fio? I have heard you prefer that, from your brother, he told me.
Why why would Ivan tell him that?
No, you may not, I said.
He frowned, almost imperceptibly. I see. I appear to have offended you. I would like to build an amicable relationship with you.
Then why do you have my brother?
... I believed it would make it easier to speak with you? He tilted his head, as if curious.
Youre here to kill me.
Oh, no, no. I was sent here to kill you, he said, smiling brightly. I plan to disobey my orders.
And why is that? I asked.
Because I believe that your existence is more valuable to this world and me personally than the price my employers are paying. Something about their voice shifted, then, not quite belonging to the young man in front of me anymore. Your brother is safe, they said, eyes glowing. In fact, he currently appears to be drinking water. An activity I believe is commonly partaken in when trying to maintain good health?
Why the fuck do you talk like that? I asked, angrily.
Oh. I see. My disguise, yes, right. I am triz-adu. I believed my name gave it away.
It did. I was a little too angry to focus on that. Even now, I was worried. And why would you tell me you have my brother?
Because he is in a safe location.
You said so right after saying you were sent here to kill me!
I am clearly displaying nonhostility and not even holding a weapon.
The way Chris spoke with utter nonchalance was absolutely infuriating. It made me want to break a chair over their head. Take me to Ivan, I demanded.
At that, they grimaced. My apologies, but I cannot do that yet. There is a request I would like to make of you.
Fucking what? I asked again, hoping to finally get an answer.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
That technique. It allows you to share talents. I would like to be allowed into your network.
How the fuck did they know? The triz-adu were known for being spies. They crafted their own bodies, or stole those of others. They could hide in birds, and similar. Some could even make immobile bodies for themselves, like tables or benches.
But even then, how? We had only talked about it in private, we-
You appear surprised. I have gained this information from my employers. They are maintaining surveillance upon your mirror-aspected abilities.
It clicked. The keepers sent you. I didnt ask.
They nodded. Yes.
Youre another assassin.
Another nod, this time they had the audacity to smile. Yes!
Fucking fight me, then!
That seemed to confuse them. Chris blinked at me, tilting their head. Why? I simply wish to grow stronger. We have no need to fight. You would lose.
They said it as if it was obvious, self explanatory even. I didnt feel any energy from them, though. Which was usually a good sign, meaning that I could crush them. But here? I doubted it meant that.
No assassin lived long without a lot of power. Catching people off guard could only do so much. Plus, Chris had two other bodies. If I crushed this one, they would simply make another one. Worst case, Ivan would end up as the next skin for that thing to wear. The thought disgusted me.
Your shell, you call them?
Yes! Shellcrafters, that is what we are.
The one you wear now. How did you find them?
Chris looked at me in confusion. They tried to kill me, I killed them back. As if to prove it, they pulled down the collar, revealing a nasty scar on the side of the neck, where a dagger had been run through it.
You cant prove that.
Ivan said to tell you stop being a hothead if you kept being hostile. Is this an appropriate time?
I stared at them for a long moment, feeling my anger. There was a lot of distrust there, too. Eric leaving had hurt, and made it even harder to think of Chris as having good intentions to me at all.
But yelling wouldnt bring Ivan back.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to let part of that anger go, and put the rest aside, to slowly disperse as Chris proved themselves. Fine, I grumbled. Take me to my brother.
Gladly, the triz-adu told me, then spun around on their heels and walked off. I followed them down the stairs, onto the streets, past a couple blocks, and into an old warehouse.
There we are! they said, pointing at a table full of glass tools. Vials, beakers, funnels, and so on. Alchemy equipment. Of course Ivan would be into alchemy.
And there, at that table, sat my brother. Raven hair, and a mostly well maintained beard, combined with his dark eyes. Now, he even wore grey robes, making him look like a viking scientist. I held back a snort.
Ivan? I called.
He turned around at the sound of my voice in a way he hadnt when Chris called. Instantly, he shot up from the table. Fio! he yelled right back, running into a hug with me. Holy shit. I- I almost didnt believe it all. This- a whole world!! Its incredible! he gushed.
I laughed. It was the only thing that seemed reasonable in the moment. You find a new world, and the first thing you do is get yourself abducted so some assassin can find me?
Ivann snorted. No, thats not at all the first thing I did. The first thing I did was select a class, choosing to be an alchemist.
Youre so pedantic, I rolled my eyes.
Precision is important, he chided.
Whats important is why the fuck youre in Eden!
At that, his face hardened a little. He distanced himself from me slightly, still holding onto my shoulders. No, Fio. Whats important is that you hid this from me. From your whole family.
No, I said instantly. If youre here, you know exactly why I didnt tell you, or mom or dad. Because of this. Because its dangerous.
And you think I want you risking your life? Ivan shot back.
I know you dont, Ivan, I said. And, as callous as it sounds, I dont care. Its not your decision. Mom and dad would think its theirs, but it isnt.
His face fell, and he chewed the inside of his lips. He knew I was right, and he hated it. Fio. You couldve shared this-
Could I, Ivan? Could I really? I asked. Neamhan is a shithole, broski. Youre busy making air breathable again. Do you wanna worry about a whole second world, too? How much saving are you gonna do? No, this world doesnt need geniuses like you. It has simple problems, ones that I can solve by hitting them hard enough.
... You thought this through, huh?
A thousand times over, I said, laughing even as I felt tears coming from my eyes. Of course I thought about it, Ivan. Youre my brother. Youre keeping this family together far more than I ever could. Hell, if it werent for you, I think I wouldn''t be on speaking terms with mom and dad anymore. And some days, I hate you for that. But youre trying, so hard, to be the best brother, and to make time for me, and to talk about all my troubles.
He took a shaky breath. Fio, youre crushing my shoulder a bit.
Sorry, I yelped, letting go. Sorry.
The silence hung in the air briefly, before Ivan talked.
Im sorry you didnt have anyone to share this with, he lamented. It mustve been so hard-
It wasnt, I said, shaking my head. Not at all. I have friends here, you know? Built a whole life. We met up on Neamhan recently, and just talked. Hung out, drank, had fun. I felt alive, accepted, loved.
He swallowed dryly.
I mean, for the love of the divines, Ive been dating my girlfriend here for almost two years now, Ivan. This place has been amazing. Its made me not want to go back to Neamhan at all. Sometimes it feels like Im only going back there out of an obligation. Because I owe it to mom and dad.
That sucks.
Yeah, it does. Seeing our parents has become tolerable on the good days. You know how often they promise to change, only to have the exact same talk with me again the next time around? Mustve been dozens of times by now.
Fio, I really dont wanna interrupt but could we focus on the fact that there are multiple worlds? he asked.
Right, sorry, I said, wiping away a couple tears. I guess, what I mean to say is, Im rather happy here. You dont need to worry about me. How are you handling all this? Wheres Sarah? Did you join Zinnic?
At that, he burst out laughing. Bahahahahaha! Join Zinnic? Surely youre joking? As if Id ever, pfffft. No, no. Absolutely not. Right now, I got a sponsorship specifically from the city. Im making potions for them, so theyre providing ingredients and tools and such.
And youre still working in a shabby warehouse?
Look, if I, a beginner alchemist, dont look like a shady drug dealer, then Im not doing it right, he said with a smirk. As for Sarah, well. She has a team, and does active combat missions. Thats not for me.
I nodded, honestly glad to hear it. And now? Youll stay here and just do this?
He laughed again. Hah, absolutely not, no. You said it yourself, Fio. Neamhans a wreck. I got a world to save over there. I wanted to see you, thats all. Sarah told me you were a Reflector. A special one, too, from what I hear. His eyes glinted proudly.
Look, this whole shtick youre doing is dangerous, sis. Its messy, and risky, and generally a bit irresponsible. But. Ive not seen you smile this brightly in years. I mean, you met your love here. Friends. I would never get between that and you. No. Before this gets too dangerous, Ill dip. Back to Neamhan, permanently. You dont need to worry about me, okay?
I cried a little again. Fucking Ivan. I always knew he was smarter than me, but hed understood it all immediately. Why this mattered, why it was something I had to do regardless. He knew I met my friends here, and that it was what let me get some self-worth.
Thanks, broski, I muttered, drawing him into another hug.
Of course, sis. Though I have to say, this Gift thing is pretty cool. The disposition bit is a bit eerie, the fact that it can sum up my character, but knowing just how amazing my talent is? Worth it.
Your talent?
Oh, Ive got a few, Ivan said with a smile. Namely, though, there is [Grasp], which lets me learn much faster when I take apart the objects Im trying to understand with my own hands, as well as [Deconstruct], which lets me grasp the fundamental principles when I learn about complex things. Both incredibly helpful for alchemy, as you can imagine.
Youre impossible, I said, shaking my head at him. Divines. What did I do to be constantly surrounded by geniuses all the time!
Ivan tilted his head. What do you mean?
I smirked at him. I started with one talent, Ivan. I bet you have more than that. Wanna know what it was? [Slight Edge]. You are slightly above average. Thats it.
He gaped at me, eyes wide open. Oh, he said. Oh. But you got more?
Yeah, I nodded. I, uh, dont think youd like them. One of them requires me to be near death to learn faster.
Once more, Ivan just stood there and blinked. Well, I- he stopped, thinking. I guess the rapid emittance of adrenaline and other performance boosting neurotransmitters might lead to enhanced cognition in the moment of death. This talent could play into that? Thats amazing, sis.
... I needa almost die if I wanna keep up with geniuses like you. Regularly.
Oh shit! he scratched his head. Yeah, that uh. That sucks. Big time.
I smiled. Not that bad. Got a nice eyebrow notch out of it, I pointed at the scar.
Riiight, Ivan said, drawing out the word. Well. At any rate. You gotta introduce me to these friends of yours! Not here though. Not now. Ive been hearing that something bad is coming, and Im guessing you dont want me here for that.
Dead on, I nodded. Now, you ready to go back to Neamhan?
This isnt a dream, right? Ill remember all this?
I shot him a grin. Every last bit, given your memory at least.
Ivan gave me a crooked smile. Briefly, I considered incorporating him into the network. It would take the last slot, though, and I was unsure how willing to wait Chris was. Plus, his talents sounded more suited to science than fighting.
Okay, sis. Youre amazing. Im so proud of you. Show this world just why youre so fucking special, okay? he said, giving me a big, toothy grin.
Alright, broski, I replied with a smile, laying a hand on his shoulder. See you on the other side.
See you on the other side.
Then, I triggered [Gateway], and a moment later, Ivan was gone.
Chapter 93: Welcome to the Party
I took a long, deep breath to compose myself when Ivan was gone.
The fact hed made it to Eden was certainly something. It did not make me like Sarah very much. But it could also be a good thing. I was glad he didnt get roped into anything bad, though. Not that I should have worried. Ivan was brilliant, after all.
His relationship with Sarah was his business. I wouldnt meddle.
Shaking my head for a few seconds to get back to the situation at hand, I turned to Chris. So, I said, letting out another deep breath. I thank you for keeping my brother safe.
They smiled. It was rather simple. He did not make it difficult. Finding you was harder, though my employers assisted me in this venture.
Assisted you? I asked.
Quite, they nodded. I received a small beacon pointing to the nearest gateway, as well as knowing your general location. Then I kept moving until the gateway it was pointing to was mobile.
Ah, that makes sense. The fact that the keepers could just grant a boon like that did suck, though. Hopefully they didnt hand them out easily.
Yes. Now, to the network. I would like access to it, please, they said, bowing slightly.
At that, I froze up slightly, raising my metaphorical guard a bit. And why would I do this for you?
They raised themselves up again, looking at me with a neutral expression. I believe it would be to our mutual benefit. You gain an ally. We gain the ability to progress. I would contribute my part, as well.
I dont think I am comfortable just handing this out, I said, chewing on my lips. Is there any guarantee you wont backstab me?
Chris tilted their head. Why would I do this? The network depends on you. It would be in my best interest to keep you alive.
That was a fair point. Then how about your motivation, why do you want to grow stronger?
At that, they became sad. It was a quiet, small sadness, in the slumping of their shoulders, and the way their arms sagged a little. Ah, this is not a nice thing to speak of. But if I must. One of my old shells, one of the first I crafted, is still out there. Puppeteered around somewhere along the northern frontier. I wish to put it down, finally.
They said it with conviction, as if it was truly important. It made me wonder, briefly, what those shells were like for them. How much time and effort went into one? Clearly, right now, they wore human skin as one of their bodies.
Was this respectful? Was this a culture of burying things to them? How did one go about discarding a body? If someone else was wearing it and they werent, how disrespectful was it? Like a slap in the face, or like digging up a relatives corpse?
I didnt ask them.
All I could do was answer. I see. Then mull the decision over some more, but really, it was set in stone already.
Chris had been nice. They had also appeared honest, albeit a bit bad at communicating that honesty. How paranoid was too paranoid, though? Should I demand an oath or something?
Despite all my hesitation the triz-adu just stood in front of me, waiting with a neutral expression. The sadness had faded. They didnt threaten me, didnt say I would be hurt if I denied them. Before gaining anything, theyd brought me to my brother.
I sighed. Fuck it, time to take a chance. Alright. Ill include you, I said. It was my last slot for now, but I was sure thered be more in the future.
With a quick tap to their shoulder, it was done. Chris smiled. Thank you, they said, then gave a short pause, before asking bluntly. Is it possible for me to join your guild?
For a second, I stared at them. Then, I gave a small shrug. We, uh, havent exactly been receiving applications. I suppose youd wanna talk to Marie about it.
Are they your leader?
She is, yeah, I nodded.
Then I would like to speak with her if possible, they said, giving yet another short bow.
Uh, sure, Ill take you.
Would it be acceptable for me to bring my other bodies? Chris asked.
You have some in reserve?
They shook their head. No, the other ones Im using right now.
I blinked a few times. Right. Sure, I suppose? Are they nearby?
One is stationed in another house, having kept watch over your brother. The other is out in the frontier, fighting against the usurpers. I shall call them both here. Please give us a few minutes.
The request was a bit surreal, alien, even, but it made sense. If they were gonna join our guild, wed wanna know all their abilities. Only a couple dozen seconds later, the first new creature came in, a hound-like thing made from rocks. Their body was rough, with many of the larger ones not quite fitting the shape a canine would usually have, but it was kind of cute, in a bizarre way.
Its eyes were little pieces of ruby inlaid in their reddish body. I wouldve guessed it was made from granite or something, but I was by no means an expert.
Chris made no effort to introduce their other self, though the wolf-thing did give me a small bow. I nodded my head back at it, them, I mean, and they seemed to take that as affirmation enough. The other body would take a bit to get here, so I decided to check what Chris contributed to the network, for now.
Very quickly, I found the talent they had decided to share. It was something called [Malleable Mind], making it easier to adapt to new sensations, perspectives, and general mental frameworks. A quick test showed me that it also made my reflection-vision easier to digest, which was rather lovely.
I did a few more tests, seeing how helpful it was for cycling Qi, and it felt like a minor boon to learning most manipulation-related abilities. Quite lovely. By the time I was done testing, Chris final body had arrived.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
This one was made from wood, mainly, and a few bones and leathers they seemed to have attached to it. It was a tall thing, almost three metres including the antlers, with a deer skull for its head. Dim, green glows lingered in the empty eye sockets.
It reminded me faintly of the gangly giant of black flame that had so effortlessly destroyed Renvil, yet it looked at me with clearly different interests.
I saw it - them, dang it - tilt their head, and gaze at me with curiosity. They extended one long, wooden hand, their fingers carved into crude claws, and then gazed at me with anticipation.
Slowly, I reached out and shook their hand. They returned the handshake with enthusiasm, jostling me up and down slightly, as the glow in the eye sockets brightened. After a few moments, they took a step back and gave me a small bow. It was not easy to notice, given the giants hunched position in the warehouse, but I returned the gesture, and they seemed pleased.
Chris human body gave me a faint smile. I hope this experience is not too alien for you, they said, though I felt there was some amusement in that statement.
I did my best to return the smile. Getting used to it.
They nodded, a small gesture, then continued. Shall we meet your leader, then?
Sure, yeah.
And with that, I started walking to the inn the others were staying at. They should be up by now, surely. Walking through town with all of Chris was, of course, an experience. The rock dog and forest giant certainly drew more than a couple wary looks.
But, surprisingly, no one attacked us. Maybe people were too preoccupied with their own safety. Maybe they were intimidated. I didnt think I looked particularly intimidating, having unsummoned my spear and wearing civilian clothing.
Of course, that was probably made up for by the nonchalance Chris walked with the monsters - or, well, their other shells.
They seemed faintly happy with the proceedings of the day, wearing a small smile all the way until we were back at the inn. Then, they eyed the building.
It is a bit small, they remarked.
What?
I wont fit, the triz-adu in the shape of a young man told me. I blinked. After a moment, they pointed at the forest-thing. I, they emphasized, will not fit.
Right. The thing - I really needed to figure out a better way to refer to it - would certainly have a tough time with the tavern. Uh, do you want me to call the others out?
That would be rather more polite, they nodded.
Fine, I could do that. With small words of affirmation, I headed inside the tavern. Luckily, Marie was downstairs, at a table, with Ann. She must be back from running errands. The two were currently working on some arrows, adding enchantments to them.
I waited for them to be done with the one they were currently working on, then gave a knock on the table to get their attention. Both of them turned like squirrels shaken from a tree. I suppressed a laugh at Anns surprised look.
Fio! she said, quickly smiling. Whereve you been? I was a bit surprised when you werent home when I checked in!
Ah, I didnt exactly have a good answer prepared. Telling her I went with an assassin certainly would get the wrong image across.
Okay, I need you to hear me out- I started.
This was the point at which Matt was making his way down the stairs, giving me a bit of a laugh. Haha, this is gonna be good. Whatre we hearing you out on?
I rolled my eyes at the swordsman. Someone showed up at my door, telling me my brother was in Eden.
Oh, fuck, Matt said, no longer amused.
This person appears to be well willed and has asked to join our guild. But. They were hired by the keepers to kill me.
Ann stared at me. You went along with an assassin?!
For a second I considered whether her anger was justified, then remembered she had been doing chest compressions on me last time. It was probably justified. Let me elaborate. They did tell me by then that they had no plans to hurt me.
... And you believed that? Matt asked.
They had Ivan.
They couldve been lying!
But they werent, Ann. I stared her down. I saw my brother. I was able to have a peaceful talk with him. I was able to send him back home to Neamhan, before this whole place goes up in flames. And I am entirely unhurt. They told the truth, with every bit of it.
Why did you believe them? Marie asked, calmly.
Because it made sense. Ivan hadnt been on Neamhan for a while. I knew his new girlfriend was a Reflector. Plus, they wanted me alive for the networking ability, because they have a personal vendetta.
The older woman nodded, leaning back in her chair. Okay. I see your point, Fio. I wouldve liked it if you asked us for help, though.
I bit my lip. Yeah, thats understandable.
Im sorry I wasnt there, Ann said, staring at the table. I-
They probably came in because you were out, Ann, Matt said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Not your fault. Its what assassins do.
Right, I nodded. Plus, we might walk out of this with another ally. In fact, since they asked to join the guild they are waiting outside.
Marie raised an eyebrow. Outside? Why?
Triz-adu. One of their shells doesnt fit in, I explained.
Ann nodded. Yeah, they can be particular about that. When making decisions that affect all their shells they want them all present, preferably.
Nerd, Matt teased, once more trying to diffuse the atmosphere. It worked, a little.
Lets go meet them, then, Marie said, getting up from her chair. She stretched slightly, having probably been hunched over the arrows for a little while too long.
Not long after, we stood in front of them on the outside.
Anns hostility dissipated a little when she saw Chris. These are well crafted, she muttered, looking at the other bodies. I saw her eyes glow a little, she mustve been looking at the mana in them. The weave extraordinary.
Chris smiled wide. Thank you! We take pride in our work.
Given Anns expression, the pride was warranted. Before our lovely mage had any chances to disrupt the discussion any more, Marie spoke up.
So, she asked, drawing out the word until all three of Chris bodies turned to look at her. You wanna join our guild, is that right?
They nodded. Yes, thats correct, the human mouth replied.
Right, great. You got the Gift?
The Gift? Ah, yes. The divines have bestowed it to me a little while ago. I exchanged enough contributions to be inaugurated, they explained.
Marie nodded again, slowly. Whats your goal in this?
Chris tilted their head slightly. Well, growing stronger I suppose. Making sure Fio remains alive so I may benefit from my increased talent. One of my once-shells is still out there, being used by another being. I wish to put it down.
Thats all? Marie asked.
All? I thought this was a more than sufficient reason, Chris said.
Usually, uh, people ask about like payment, and stuff. Contract length, employment hours, that kinda deal, Marie elaborated.
Tilting their head even more, Chris sounded a little unsure. ... I would like to eat food occasionally?
Almost absentmindedly, Ann explained. Triz-adu rarely need to worry about sleep or rest due to their multiple bodies. Theyll usually only require bare minimum maintenance and throw themselves at any problem with everything they have. They dont need comfortable beds, good hours, or even pay, they simply expect their maintenance to be taken care of. She said it without lifting her gaze from the forest-thing shell even once.
Yes! Chris excitedly confirmed. Maintenance. I will occasionally need rocks and sticks and mosses. If they are magical, that is better. If we remain in human lands, then I may need crowns to acquire them?
The currency is called novas, Ann helpfully provided.
Thank you, novas then, Chris said, smiling. I can buy rocks with them, yes?
Marie nodded. I suppose so.
Then, if we find no maintenance materials on the road, I shall require some novas to purchase them, Chris beamed. I will also require a somewhat soft surface to rest my talking shell upon. And human food to sustain it.
Entirely reasonable, Marie said, still a little perplexed. How, uh, long are you planning to work with us?
I would expect to be working with you until I am powerful enough to lay to rest my wayward shell. My expectations are for this to take half a year of ordinary exploration type activities. I understand you may not all remain in Eden for that long? they asked.
No, I said. Well most likely head back in a month, maybe two, depending on how long the eclipse lasts.
Ah. If there is an eclipse, I expect it to not take much longer than until that ends for me to become strong enough. Either that or I will die. These are acceptable conditions, for now. I may lengthen this contract if you have need for me for longer, afterward, and are amicable to my presence, Chris said.
Well, I mean, does anyone have anything against them joining the party? Marie asked.
Liam, Matt, and Reya shook their heads. Emilia kinda shrugged, while Ann was still transfixed by their magic, but gave at least a half hearted wave of her hand. I finally also agreed.
Marie turned to Chris. Welcome to the party, I suppose?
Chapter 94: Fighting
The battles never seemed to end.
Day after day, shift after shift, time after time. Monsters would swarm the walls, and every time they came, wed be sent out there.
I swung my spear, dozens, hundreds, tens of thousands of times each day. I swung my spear until my hands bled. Until I could barely lift my arms anymore, until it felt like I was chained down by cinder blocks.
It was a horrible, unsustainable rhythm. Slaughter until I couldnt do it anymore, then run just before I ended up on the wrong side of the fight, pass out, wake up, do it all over again. Pass off any broken pieces of armor to the crafters, put away my bloody clothes, and get new ones once I awoke.
Everyone in the city was constantly working, just to maintain even basic comfort. Being able to wash myself was a luxury not always present. The amount of days I woke up with caked blood in my hair, only to go and fight again
Miserable. Truly miserable. Sometimes fighting was miserable, but it was also necessary.
Cause people would die otherwise.
Sometimes, there would be a brief respite when Saif came to defend the wall. The amount of destruction archmages could cause was still rather impressive. Shed slowly roll up a ramp to the side of the wall, raise her two right arms, and then monsters would start being torn apart by the wind.
Of course, things could never proceed simply. Not that waking up, killing shit, then collapsing into bed was easy, but it was, in a way, simple. Requiring focus and precision and constant awareness? Certainly, but it was predictable. Just fight.
Edens war machine had fully revved up at least. I didnt need to worry about anything other than slashing and hacking away. Until, after two weeks of ever growing waves of monsters, I woke up to someone new at my door.
A man in a fancy suit, with strikingly blue eyes and short, blonde hair. He looked put together, if barely. The suit was clearly tailored and expensive, but not pristine. Like it had been worn for too long, with slight bits of dirt.
Hello, is this Ms. Bellum? he asked.
I recognized that voice. That was the guy from Jules apartment. The one that had an elevator installed. He sounded tired. Then again, so did I.
It was one of those lovely days where I still wore bloodstained clothes, not having taken off all my armor, only the damaged bits. So I wasnt exactly looking pristine.
Yeah. Need anything?
He looked up from his clipboard, as if he had just read what it said. Yes. It says here that you damaged some of our resources.
Oh fuck me, youre Zinnic arent you? I said, sighing, and leaning against the doorframe. Do you want money? I really couldnt care less.
Money, sadly, will not do. The reparations we have been forced to undertake-
Look, buddy. Let me be extremely real with you. Piss off. Go home, cry to your dad about a failed job, tell him Im not going to be taking shit. I offered to pay, I sighed. Im not gonna recruit people for you, Im not bringing new people into Eden for you.
He seemed to narrow his eyes at my tone. We may see ourselves forced to take countermeasures and see if we cannot collect our lost resources.
I stared at him. Very slowly, I reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. His face scrunched up in disgust, but it got my message across, and would distract him from recognizing me. I did not want Zinnic knowing who I was on the other side.
Whats your name? I asked, holding his eyes.
Richard Terril, he ground out.
Alright Rich, he opened his mouth to interrupt me at the nickname, but I held up my free hand. Let me make it very clear what merchandise I damaged, alright? The divines gave me a task to clean up trash. People whod killed Edians. You know that shit is taboo, right?
I shook my head at him. So, Rich, imagine my surprise when four people from Zinnic had done so. Imagine my surprise when they attacked me after I told them what they''d done wrong. I hurt them. They came after me again, and I hurt them more. Now, if it isnt crystal clear yet.
This time, I really held his eyes, squeezing his shoulder. Ill do it again. My patience was running real thin right now. Ill hurt people, Rich, if I need to. I cut off a womans hand. I didnt enjoy that. I hope I never see her again and that she learns. He gulped.
So, go home. Cry about the mean woman who wont give her contribution up. Because let me tell you, if you attack me, I just might cost you more precious resources.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Despite the clear apprehension, Rich spoke. We have a reputation to uphold. If we let this go unpunished-
If you let this go unpunished I promise not to take any more blood tax from Zinnic, I said.
This should be a prerequisite! he complained, so engorged in his usual negotiating that the threat went by the wayside.
Rich, I hissed. Be quiet for a sec.
Then, I held out my free hand, summoning my spear. His eyes widened. I smiled at him, holding my weapon right at the blade. Careful, dont flinch. Its sharp, I warned.
Ever so slowly, I brought it closer to his picture-fucking-perfect face. Rich. I need you to know, this isnt a blood tax, okay? Im not gonna harm you. My voice was succinct, but the diplomat was suddenly frozen.
He flinched back slightly as I brought the spear closer to his face, but I maintained my grip on his shoulder. So I brought it a bit closer.
Coursing Qi through my spear, it even hummed softly. I could hear Rich start breathing faster.
With a light touch, my spear moved, and in the blink of an eye, I had cut off some of his perfect bangs. The hair floated slowly to the ground, but I unsummoned my spear, plucking one curl out of the air, and holding it up to him.
See? Youre safe. Unharmed. I know about Zinnic, about your reputation, about your fucking policies of reclamation. I almost didnt wanna take the divine job. Almost turned it down. Almost let murderers go. So, and I ask this so fucking kindly, dont make me a human killer, yeah?
I let the sentence sink in for a few silent seconds, then clapped Rich on the back. Well! Off to battle I go. Got monsters to massacre my way through.
Dunno how long he spent in that hallway afterwards. I didnt care.
- - -
When I came back from the wall, I threw out the bloodstained cloth, then took a shower, almost passing out in it. As I crashed into the bed, I closed my eyes, trying to get in the barest amount of cultivating I could.
Seeing and fighting so much did wonders for my wells, and a breakthrough felt close. So I plunged into the golden Depths, diving deeper and deeper. Ivan, Chris, Zinnic, my knowledge on the usurpers and the keepers the world was a vast one. I would see it all.
My underwater scene shifted. Beautiful corals appeared in the darkness. Specks of hope for me to explore.
I smiled.
[Golden Wellspring advanced to 3rd Step.]
I took a deep breath, then fell asleep.
- - -
The hordes were growing more intense. The air constantly swarmed with usurpers. I had grown accustomed to sleeping with the sound of swords and screams in the background
I was less accustomed to waking to the smell of smoke.
Despite it, I was so tired I almost simply turned and closed my eyes once more.
But it was hot enough to shake that idea out of my head. Why was it so hot? Anns practice usually didnt cause that did she set herself on fire?
My bed was burning.
Finally, adrenaline coursed through my veins, activating any remaining survival instinct I may have had, and I quickly coursed Qi through my body, glowing with a slight sheen. Ann! I called for her.
From a few meters away, I heard a tumbling, then a new perspective opened up in my mirror-vision as Ann opened her eyes. I saw myself hop off the bed, charging through the smoke as a dim silhouette. Picking her up, and rushing out of the building.
She conjured wind mana to help her breathe, a small spell. Fio? Whats happening? she asked, drowsily but yet alert.
Building on fire, I guess, I said, rushing out. Respiration buff, quick.
Obliging my request, Ann chanted and moved her hands. Soon, I found myself with a thin mask of mana across my face. Then, I charged back in, calling for the others. I slammed open the doors to their rooms.
Matt woke up when I entered, hand already on his sword and dashing towards me, when his eyes cleared. Out!!
When he was down the hall, Marie was already at the door. Liam quickly appeared next to them. I rushed to Emilias room, who was quickly snatching up her armor, giving her a nod, before heading for Reya.
As a healer, she was the least physically powerful out of us, and with all the fighting happening she was wrung dry. Unsurprisingly, she still remained slack on her bed. I quickly channelled my Qi harder, grabbing onto her roughly enough to slowly wake her, as I dashed back down, trying to keep her in areas with little smoke.
We were outside seconds later, and I saw it. The inn had been lit ablaze by an arrow. Of black fire.
Ann chanted, as my gaze snapped to the walls. It was there. It was there.
A giant skull, its sockets alight with dark fire was at the city. Within its monstrously long arms was an enormous warbow, arrows of sinister, boiling darkness coalescing in its hands. It was aiming at me.
For a moment, I realized it was too late. None of my figments were recharged yet. I didnt get a warning this time, no re-dos.
The arrow finished forming. I could see the fire in its eyes flicker gleefully, as if certain it had me now. It moved the bow, adjusting slightly, then, finally, began releasing its fingers
Saif rose into the air. Her grey form was so unassuming in the sky. Her legs dangled below her, two arms outstretched.
Seeing her magic it was as if Id never seen a storm before.
Calling it a tornado would be doing it a disservice. The raging winds the archmage summoned could only be described as terrifying. I was just beginning to grow aware enough to notice the screams, only to have them all buried.
The wind howled so loudly, it swept away all other noise. The burning building was like a candle in the path of a hurricane. Chris darted out from the wooden boards that were now being broken and snapped as the fire was snuffed out.
It felt like time slowed down as the storm raged. It tore through the skies, a truly horrific mass of moving air. It slammed into the monster, and the fire in its eye sockets flickered. The bow was knocked off course, the flaming arrow flying off into the sky instead.
Ann was screaming something at me, but I could not hear her. The wind was too intense. She screamed again, then paused, quickly growing more measured. I smiled. She truly had an amazing head on her shoulders.
Taking control of only a tiny sliver of air, inconspicuous enough to not matter in the face of the grans spell, Ann whispered in everyones ears. Lets move.
I looked at the monster. We werent ready to fight it, not at all, but I couldnt run. Not again.
Marie looked at me, and held my eyes. She knew what I was thinking. A moment later, Ann got it, too, then Matt.
The swordsman was the one who brought it up. Screw running, he said, his voice coming with the brief smell of plum. Lets tear up the frontier?
We looked around at the group. It all snapped into place. Every last person here was sick of running.
Despite my fear, my wildly beating heart, and the howling wind, I couldnt help but give a manic grin.
Lets run into the frontier.
Chapter 95: Wraith
Now, among my many stupid decisions, this one does stand out. Because, quite frankly, being out in the frontier is generally a poor choice. It has monsters, after all, and usurpers.
On the other hand, could I justify remaining in cities? When the wards were down, and I was being hunted by usurpers? No. That would be cruel. There were people in those cities that couldnt defend themselves, people that I couldnt defend, either. Those dont deserve to die.
So, into the frontier we went.
Honestly, by now, that line had moved far. We went southwest, to avoid the giant of black flame, though Saif seemed to be doing rather well at fighting it off. Not to say that this was easy, either. We had to carve our way through plenty of monsters.
Bornins were rushing across the grassy earth in droves, with drytz coming through the ground. Zurulen and scorions occasionally headed the packs, working as larger, more powerful anchors.
But we cut through them.
None of us were the same anymore. I had grown stronger, but so had everyone else. Emilia, Matt and Liam had crossed into wellspring, Ann had unlocked the fourth circle, and Marie was both in the third circle and the mid steps of the core realm. I didnt exactly know how progression among a priests path worked, but Reya had grown too, without a doubt.
Additionally, we had Chris. We were already a decent team when I first got the whole [Gateway] thing going, but now? We could be considered elites.
So, we carved through the monsters. Emilia single handedly stopped a zurulen, a giant monster of stone and crystal, before Matt cut it in half. Emilia shot out both eyes of a scorion with two rapid fire magic arrows. Liam controlled the monsters own shadows to strange them, while I couldnt even be touched by their attacks due to [Reflection].
It was a massacre, as we moved deeper into monstrous territory, with the glow of Divinity wrapping around us, making us even faster. The weaker creatures didnt stand a chance, and even monsters we used to hunt as a group we could now take on in single combat. This last half year or so had probably been some of my fastest growth in Eden.
Then, there was a pang of danger from the nascent spirit in my spear, and I felt Cass trigger [Mirror Mind]. My body bent, ducking under a sharp quill, soaring over my head. Through the reflection of Liams eyes I saw what had shot it at me. A large, gorilla like thing, with sharp spikes on its back. It plucked off another one, using additional arms to balance, and threw it at me.
This time, I was ready. I caught it, enveloped it with enough Qi that the ephemeral, golden energy solidified, and formed the ghostly image of a spear, then tossed it back even faster. My Qi-spear dug deep into the monsters abdomen, as we ran on. I didnt see it do anything after that, since it was enveloped in a storm of pink plum petals.
Soon after that, we broke through the cover of the forest. Saifs storm was no longer ravaging above us, so there were flying monsters again, but none of them got close before being enveloped in gusts of fire from Ann.
Chris shells, the stone-wolf and the wod-thing, stalked forth into the trees. I could still see them, often through the eyes of monsters, before they were torn apart. And it was, indeed, a brutal affair. The shells fought roughly, with the natural weapons that were their bodies, mauling and ripping and tearing things to bits.
We fought, and cut, and ran until we were getting tired. Until the sun started hanging low in the sky. Marie set up the campsite, we had a meagre meal, and then set up watches.
They were desperately necessary, now that repelling formations no longer worked because of the eclipse. I felt the nascent spirit imbued in my spear hum slightly as I sat in the quiet forest. The winds had settled down, by now, as if the air itself for dozens of miles had been exhausted by Saifs spells.
Nights in Eden were already eerily quiet. There were no crickets. No cicadas or birds tweeting. Only the sounds of plants and air, and even those were gone today.
So I simply sat, listening to my spear hum. No one could hear it but me, but I could tell it was there. It was absorbing Qi, drawing it from my wellspring, though at a rate so slow compared to my generation it hardly even mattered at all.
In fact, my wells had filled up again during my rest, so Cass was able to summon her avatar, too, without causing any trouble.
She didnt say anything, her shimmering, pale body simply taking a seat next to me, also staying on the lookout. Not that she really needed to. It was cold, and tiny amounts of dew had collected on the leaves already, so I could see a large area around me.
I fought that first night. Id woken up before, when the others fought off minor patrols of monsters, and so when it was my turn, I stepped through the reflections occasionally, cutting off a bornins or a drytzs head before they could get too close to the camp.
Then, once I was done, I went back to bed.
- - -
When I woke up in the morning, I noticed that the world looked a little dim. It had been getting dimmer slowly, of course, but only now did that really settle in. It would get faster, bit by bit, until for about a week, Eden would face an endless night.
You can feel it too, right, Cass? I asked her.
[Yeah,] my keeper replied. [The gateways resonating. The boundaries between worlds are growing thin.]
With a nod, I told the party. Rifts will start opening. We have maybe another two weeks until the eclipse starts properly.
Everyone nodded. We were prepared for that, after all. Rfits would open. More powerful usurpers would come through. New species of them, some maybe already holding gateway fragments from other worlds.
Whats the plan, then? Matt asked.
Marie was whittling a bit of wood into another arrow as she answered. Simple, we kill monsters, we protect people.
How do we find them? Chris asked. I can go scout. Liam nodded his agreement, clearly itching to go as well.
No, Marie shook her head. Cutting down weaker monsters, or looking aimlessly is pointless. But we have a technique for just this, dont we? Fio, you can find other gateways, cant you? How about seeing if there is one nearby thats moving, she said, throwing a smirk at me.
Oh, I said, grinning, I think I like that idea.
The usurpers had come after me for a while now, trying to hunt down my fragment. Maybe it was time I hunted theirs, then.
Closing my eyes, I called out to [Lost and Found]. Id neglected the technique a little, but with my vastly improved control over Qi, I could still utilize it a lot better than I used to.
Dozens of gateways pinged my senses, like looking at the sparkling stars in the night sky. I felt thin threads connect me to each one. An invisible draw, a shared similarity, maybe, or a bit of fate. Not that it mattered.
Many were intact, especially pointing towards the east, where further cities still stood. There were hardly any gateways out in the west, in the midst of the frontier. Last time I triggered the skill, the hall of gateways in Renvil had been like a beacon, but now it was like a patch of bright stars had been wiped blank.
Not too far east from us, I felt a powerful, corrupt glow. Gateways, multiple full ones, inside a single body. The giant of black flame. We would not be hunting it.
But down south, there were more. Dozens of tiny pinpricks, the threads thinner than spider silk. They would be held by powerful monsters, ones that had already survived destroying cities, without a doubt. That sounded good.
South, for now. The nearest one is slightly to the west, but well have to go east afterwards, I said, after checking again. Actually, we want to hunt it down, right?
Yes, Ann said without hesitation. Well hunt them.
Right, I nodded. Let me try something.
Then, closing my eyes again, I called on Cass help. She was a bit better in tune with the gateways, so she already added the direction of the nearest monster as a small thread and pull I could see and feel if I focused on it. But I wanted something better.
Cass? Help me reach out really quick, I asked her, and after a quick affirmation, we both extended our hands.
The feeling was strange. A tingle in my fingertips as Cass smaller hand merged with mine, a bit like when she shared my sensations. But I felt the difference. The glass that was always just underneath my skin now seemed to envelop it like a fractal glove, infinitely repeating vestiges of myself in it.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
My affinity with mirrors seemed to temporarily be at its peak, though I felt it consume quite a bit of Qi, so I did what I meant to do. We reached out to the string, connecting me to the nearest usurper with a gateway fragment. Then we grabbed it.
With a yank on the string, I felt the creature on the other side react. I yanked again, harder this time, and the string quivered. It didnt fray, or break, or stretch. It just made it aware of where I was, and maybe hurt it a little as I pulled on its soul.
Come and get me, I whispered, grinning, as Cass and my own hand separated again.
[Lost and Found has reached (High)!]
Yeah, that seemed about right.
What did you do? Liam asked with a whisper. The amount of Qi you channeled just now was incredible.
I think I pulled on the connection between our gateways to taunt the thing.
Thats awesome, Matt said.
It seems rather useful for hunting, Chris nodded. Is it approaching us? They tilted their head in their usual fashion as they asked.
Another quick check revealed that yes, it was, and I told them as such. It is. We can probably head straight south and let it come to us.
Amazing, Marie said, patting my shoulder. Lets head out then. Everyone ready?
After a set of nods, and even an affirmative hum from my spear-spirit, we headed out.
- - -
The journey south, by itself, was uneventful. We moved quickly. Chris stone wolf was remarkably fast, helping Liam and Marie with scouting, while my vision through reflections was greatly aided by the morning dew.
Additionally, Chris forest-guardian body, which they called a leshi, showed incredible talent at navigating the forest as well. They used nature Qi and an ability called [Plant Guardian], which let them feel when grass was crushed underneath someones steps nearby. So they were very effective at detecting drytz through the roots of plants.
With all these advantages in terms of vision, Marie having bought more nature related skills as well using her contribution, we quickly made our way down south. There were dozens of tiny skirmishes, many against monsters that were not really at home in forests.
We met more scorions, some even in packs, with powerful matriarchs, but we always had the drop on them, and were able to dispatch them quickly. There were more of the gorilla-porcupine monsters, which Ann knew were called irideres. They lived further down south, and became more frequent as the day went on.
By the time noon came around, we must have already ran a hundred miles. Ann and Reya spent some of that time floating, and so did Chris human body, but we were still making incredible time.
During the afternoon, we finally had to cut out to the west a bit, to meet the gateway delivery Id ordered. We were wary, of course. Up until now, encounters with monsters that harboured gateways had always been brutal.
So, when none of us could find the creature, it was disappointing, but not exactly surprising.
I could feel it. I knew it was nearby, but it seemed entirely invisible to us. Ann didnt sense any mana, nor did it disturb our environment at all. According to Liam, it didnt even have a shadow.
Tensely, we stepped forward. The forest was dim in the afternoon sun, looking more as though it was already dusk, the leaves hanging low. Gingerly following the thread my technique showed me, we stepped into a clearing.
The grass there was wilted, and covered in a layer of mildew and frost. It smelled stale, moldy, and no wind swept through the area. A frosty mist hung just above the ground, clinging to blades of grass and small patches of mushrooms.
Leshi-Chris stepped forward first. It was what we had agreed on.
They went into the center of the clearing, brown grass crunching underneath their wooden legs, yet nothing happened. The forest remained deathly silent. Not a breeze disturbed them.
Until there was a twinge in my soul. A pang from [Lost and Found] that told me my fellow gateway was close enough for me to hug it, if I just reached out.
The spirit in my spear let out a quiet rasp, as if breathlessly asking for more Qi, and I infused it more, every muscle poised for the slightest change.
Leshi was gone.
I had been distracted for a moment, channelling my Qi, and Chris shell had disappeared. The centre of the cleaning was empty.
Without hesitation, I lashed out, slashing through the air with my spear, and things changed.
[Lost and Found] told me that the other creature was further away again. My vision had also shifted, however. A perspective was missing.
Wheres Matt?
A howling laughter rang out across the clearing.
The frost moved now. The mist no longer clinging to the floor, but billowing in a sudden gust of wind. I blinked for a moment, as bits of snow and mushroom spores seemed to land in my eyes, quickly conjuring a barrier of Qi to protect them.
In the moment that took, I found myself trapped in a deep mist. Suddenly, the entire clearing was covered in white fog. I breathed out and saw my own breath condense in the air before me.
My spear sent a warning to me, again, and I stepped to the left based on the vague impulse it gave me.
Where I had just stood, something strange happened. As if by itself, the fog condensed together, forming a dense cloud of freezing cold air, which then sliced down in an arc, leaving behind a crescent of pure ice.
What the fu- the words choked as I felt the freezing air enter my lungs. I hacked out a cough, stumbling backwards out of the way of another, similar, icy crescent. The resulting sculpture fell and shattered on the floor, before quickly sublimating into fog again.
Covering my entire head in a bubble of golden Qi, I sent it coursing through my entire body, like a raging storm. Every fibre of muscle was reinforced, and my spear itself was also included in the cycle, with Qi flooding into and back out of it, enveloping it in a sheen of gold.
[Getting flickers from reflections, Fio. Your companions are around, the mist is just reducing its range a lot!] Cass notified me.
Got it. Next time one pops up, tell me, so I can step through.
[Understood!]
Another slash came, and I deflected this one with my spear. The moment the blade touched the dense cloud, it dissipated, the Qi of the technique brought into disarray by the pure power of mine.
There were a few more close calls, since I could barely see the attacks coming, but by angling my spear, and using the first on the floor, I could at least get a decent visual in a small radius around me. Then, in the middle of a swing, Cass message came.
[Now!]
Without hesitation, I triggered the skill, stepping through the reflection, and appearing somewhere else entirely. The next moment I threw myself to the floor, and a mace rushed through the air where Id just been.
Emilia, wait!! I screamed. Projecting my voice in the middle of keeping so many techniques up was enough to send my head spinning, not to mention the disorientation from the teleportation, but I did it anyway.
There was a short delay, but eventually the answer came. Princess?!
Not an instant later, my vision was once again filled by dense fog, though not an isolating one, but the kind that came just before an attack. But I wouldnt let this wretch separate us again so easily.
The cloud of cold air impacted against my [Reflection], instantly disappearing in the mirror sheen, and half a second later, an abhorrent wailing reached my ears. It made my vision swim, and was most certainly imbued with some kind of harmful thing, maybe rot or decay magic.
Emilia caught my shoulder and helped me keep myself upright. Hey, princess, you okay? Whats happening?
I think were fighting an apparition! Fuck, projecting my voice hurt, it made my ears ring even worse, but I grit my teeth anyway.
Okay. Whats our move? she asked, calmly.
We got shit affinities. Best case, we bait it out. It wants me, after all. Keep me safe? I asked.
You got it! Emilia said without hesitation, already raising her shield high.
Can you detect the attacks?
She nodded grimly. Barely.
Cass? Get your avatar out. Warn Emilia. Youre her eyes now! I told her.
A moment later, her ghostly appearance wove itself, a thin tether connecting her to me. Got it. Emilia, three oclock, downwards slash.
Understood! The warrior raised her shield to meet it, the cloud dispersing harmlessly against the metal wrapped in grey.
Ill start moving now! I told her, then placed my trust in being safe. I closed my eyes. Cass was no longer there to direct my sensations, so instead, I focused on [Lost and Found].
Coursing the mirror Qi through my body, I yanked on that string again, which elicited a growl from the mist. There was something in there. I felt the frost and the decay try to rot away my Qi, but I ignored it, marching on.
There was the sound of clanging around me, of ice striking metal, and stirring rocks as Emilia conjured up stone to protect herself and me. I ignored all that, focusing further.
The world faded away, until I was borderline cultivating. I felt myself, enveloped in the mist, as if I was in the golden depths, almost weightless, yet confidently striding forward, as if I was walking the path into the sky of imprint.
I let that sensation guide me, walking forward through the mist step by step. The presence drew away whenever I got closer, so I walked faster. Eventually, I started running. There was the sound of wood shattering, and splinters raining on me. Emilia must have shattered a tree in my path. I grinned.
What a friend she was.
Following the tether of [Lost and Found], I spent more Qi, yanking on it. My mirror well protested at the rapid expenditure of Qi, the volume of it so great it burnt as it coursed through me, but I didnt care. When I pulled, the thing paused.
Then I caught up.
I felt it the moment it happened. Rather than following a tether, it was suddenly just there. Right in front of me. I coursed even more mirror Qi through myself, emptying my well at once.
It braided with the liquid gold already coursing through me. The energies melded, reinforcing me in a way that should not be possible. I felt the liquid glass underneath my skin roil at the moment, and willed myself forward. Willed it forward.
The glass moved before I could.
[Golden Body has reached (Great)!]
Liquid gold, polished to a mirror sheen, leapt from my fingertips, grasping at the mist in front of me, and it caught something. A moment later, my hands of flesh and blood caught up, snatching the thing.
I slammed it into the floor, and with a horrifying wail that sent my entire world spinning, I knew the mist was gone.
A moment later, the ice that I just now felt grippin all my bones was replaced by a scorching heat. I opened my eyes, breathing heavily, and saw an inferno. Flames so bright they had turned incandescent blue raged over the mist wraith, burning away its frost, and the rest of the mist until that was gone.
Once the inferno abated, though, a storm of petals swept through the area again, and I smelt plum. It dispersed the feeling of rot that was still hanging in the air.
Still after that, I knew Marie and Chris were using nature magic to combat that vile corruption, and finally, even Divinity swept through the area, truly burning it away. Only once Liam collected even the shadows of everything in the area, and we disintegrated those down to ash and let them reform, was the cleansing done, and the thing truly dead.
[Lost and Found] cried out to me, and I stretched my hand forwards, wrapping my hand around what had been the core of the wraith, and crushing it. From within, a sliver of glass flowed into my hand, soon melding with the rest that was already inside me.
[Gateway:
-
Strength: 15
-
Fragments: 19
-
Figments: 3]
I grinned. We were hurt, of course, but everyone lived. Chris would need to mend their shells, especially the Leshi, which had taken severe damage from the rot. Reya had been hurt, and lived only because Liam was with her, having dived in her shadow the moment we were separated.
But we lived.
And we were stronger again, I knew that much.
Blue fire now, Ann? Matt chipped. You know, if we keep growing at this rate, maybe you can create rainbow fire by the time pride month rolls around on Neamhan, eh?
I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt.
Chapter 96: The Frontier
Somehow, someway, we lived in the frontier.
Calling it difficult wouldnt be right. It wasnt just difficult, it was harrowing. We had to adjust, every moment, be ready to fight. Being high-strung wasnt enough.
There were nights I woke up to yelling. There was no time to get ready. We slept in our clothes, because our armor had long since broken a bit. Because when there was screaming, there was no time for hesitation.
A single whiff of plum at night made my eyes tear open, and my spear appear in my hands. I had to summon it so often that my speed improved significantly. Spending so much time holding the weapon I felt closer to it.
Things got so far, that I began to try and cycle Qi during my sleep. [Golden Body] was my highest technique now, after all, so I tried to push that to its very limits. We fought, and then we would cultivate, then scramble for food and rest wherever we could get it.
Every living moment was fraught with danger. Because of this, maybe we should have argued more, gotten angry and snapped at each other, but it didnt happen.
When we were woken up in the middle of a night by some abomination looking to kill us, trying to claw my gateway from my soul, we got up and fought it together. No one got angry. No one yelled, no one argued. We simply battled and went back to sleep.
My least favourite nights were the ones where I was woken up by blood splashing over my face. It was always miserable. But we lived, and got stronger.
This kind of gauntlet forced it. I felt the effects of everyone elses talents, too. The network got stronger as we worked with each other. I could pull more from some if I wanted to.
In order to get my Qi coursing through me at night, I leaned heavily into [Prodigy] from Matt, as well as [Stalwart Patience] from Emilia. The longer I tried, the more likely Id be to succeed.
A couple days passed like that. The world was starting to grow darker, and with the dim twilight being the brightest it got, our sleep cycles were thrown off. We would fight, then half of us passed out from exhaustion, usually waking up to more fighting.
In the rare moments we got to choose to sleep, I would hold Ann close, and run my fingers through her hair. She was doing the same thing as me, trying to practice her mana control until she could do it in her sleep. Holding her helped her focus a little, but it was more about showing that I loved her.
Those little gestures became all the more important as exhaustion set in. Doing things for one another became a high priority. We divided up tasks, helped each other cook. I often went foraging with Marie or Chris, who could find food the best. Matt and I meditated together.
Reya taught us a bit about how Divinity healed wounds, and we practiced emulating the effects with Qi or Mana, slowly learning to improve our healing. Liam showed us a trick about cloaking himself in shadow, which would become more important to learn as our clothing degraded. I had spare sets, of course, but not infinite of them.
Ann would summon water with any spare mana she had, both to wash ourselves and to drink. Whenever my wells were full, Cass would summon herself and keep watch, or talk to the others. It was important to retain morale.
I wouldnt call it peaceful, but it was strangely meditative. Simple, almost. Fight when there was fighting to be done, walk when there was walking to be done, help when there was helping to be done.
The cycle of journeying, battling, and interacting advanced my cultivation. I immersed myself in that, too. Feeling the limits of my wellsprings grow slowly. Not enough to break through a new realm, but steadily, observably, they grew.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
It was something I noticed, too. When my cores were full, my wellsprings would still produce more Qi, simply doing so far slower. Theyd expand the boundaries of my power. Giving me a larger total pool. It was not immediately noticeable, since cultivating my paths did that same thing, but thinking about it in a time sense - how big must the pools of old monsters be?
I let that thought trail off; there were better things to do than worrying. We were walking again, after all, so I closed my eyes and immersed myself in the golden depths, journeying to see ever new magical sights as I digested things.
Every fight, every emotion, every experience, was fuel for my path. Sorrow, anger, fear, worry, determination I let it all feed into the endless waters, growing them. And we journeyed on.
After five days of heading southeast, we finally reached the location where the city had once been. In the meantime, we had picked off another creature carrying a single gateway fragment, raising those from 19 to 20, and my gateways strength from 15 to 16. My network now had two open slots.
It was satisfying to know, but any satisfaction was crushed when we saw the ruins.
The city was a scene of ruin.
So much carnage. Buildings had been broken down to rubble, walls cracked and knocked over. Dust and death hung heavily over the ruins, monsters still crawling through them, searching for more morsels.
There were elemental auras from stronger foes hanging heavily in the air, creating colourful clouds that merged into one giant, chaotic mess. The walls of the city served only to contain the tide of horrors inside.
But none of that was the worst part.
When we got close enough, I could feel the Qi in the air shift. I could usually feel its affinities - forests were dense with nature Qi, while the black sands had a lot of death Qi and so on. This city, though? It wasnt just chaotic, as we would have expected given the amount of monsters it was different than that. Sinister.
And it was easy to tell why. There was a rift in its center, after all.
Seeing a rift for the first time is hard to describe, you know. It simply hung there, in the air. It looked two dimensional. Flat, really, and it had no backside. No matter where I went, I was always facing the front of the strange portal.
It didnt have any proper colour. I could have called it iridescent as well as I could have called it monochrome. A tall, jagged scar, which seemed entirely out of place, defying all rules of physics and reality.
In as clear terms as I could put it: Staring at the rift felt like looking into another universe.
Physics didnt apply to it. Gravity didnt make sense. It broke space, and it broke logic, and it, in the most real sense of the world, carved a tear into reality. There was a whole different world behind it, a myriad of perspectives that shifted as I moved, and I could make sense of none of them.
Eden and Neamhan were at least similar, you know? They had the same amount of spatial dimensions, similar gravities, overlapping species. But this?
Looking at it made me dizzy, and I wanted to throw up. It felt wrong - I knew it technically wasnt, that it was simply something I could not understand, but I could feel that it had no place here. No place on Eden. That it would, inevitably, damage the integrity of this world.
Slowly, I tore my eyes away from it, turning to face my companions. They, too, had strange looks in their eyes. Staring at the rift.
The city was broken, destroyed, and a gouge of reality right in its middle. It was, in all meanings of the word, a hunting ground. There was just one more thing to look for
Channelling Qi into my eyes, my vision improved, and I began swiping my gaze over the city. Ruin after ruin was passed by and discarded. I was looking for something very specific, something important There.
Halfway between the rift and the northern city walls, there was a ruined building. One with its roof caved in, broken and devastated. It had, once, been the gateway hall, housing dozens of entryways in and out of this world, as well as the statues of the gods.
[Lost and Found] told me that none of the gateways remained in there anymore. They had been shattered and usurped, taken and twisted to bring more usurpers into this world. I still felt some chunks write and slither in the city.
But that did not make this building useless. All that we needed was a single divine altar, and we could exchange contribution points. Beat back this plague, before it had time to become an even worse infestation, and bring one city back.
The archmages could hold the line. Perhaps one would visit us, eventually, if we established a channel of communication with the divines, or maybe an angel. But first, we needed to carve a path through the city.
It was time to get to work.
Chapter 97: A Place to Stay
Before we headed into the city, we took some time to look over everything we had. Without a doubt, we would need to do some looting here. Food was beginning to become a priority, and I would really like to restock my set of spare shirts.
Armor was less of a priority, since between [Golden Body] and Anns barriers, my skin was rather tough these days. Marie wanted decent materials to make arrows from, maybe enchanted ones if there were weapons stored in the keep. She could summon ones from Qi and Mana, but it would tire her out faster.
Chris shells had taken some damage, too. They were able to repair their leshi-self just fine with the materials of the forest, but they wanted to find some prime stone, preferably enchanted, in order to restore the hound. Reya was hoping for some divinely blessed items, since she, and us as well, could return those and receive contribution in turn.
That was the central point, though - we wanted contribution. Cleansing this city, or halting any further monster hordes that would pass through here, was certainly going to give us more contribution. If there was a single altar, anywhere in this city, be that to Jam or any of the divines we could use it.
And it was almost certain that there would be an altar - those were supremely hard to break. Especially since most of the usurpers seemed rather like wild animals than a coordinated unit, they were still killing each other in the city, occasionally, it was unlikely they had targeted them.
Even if they did break those in the gateway hall, there might be secret ones hidden away in churches or the keep. We would just have to find them.
So, essentially, our goals were: grabbing gateway fragments for me, any useful materials for the party, including items and clothing, and finally, some kind of altar to turn in our contribution.
It seemed doable.
Before we all go in, please give me a moment, Liam whisper-spoke to us. Id like to see how the usurpers behave.
Okay, Marie nodded. Go ahead.
A moment later, Liam sunk into the shadows, then darted off into the direction of the city.
Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes. We were tense. After all, there was a chance Liam returned with a monster or two in tow, or that we would be attacked from behind. Cass was keeping a lookout, too, but still.
After maybe ten minutes, our scout returned. He looked a little worse for wear, his breathing ragged. So? How are things? Matt asked, as Liam caught his breath.
Bad, the rogue whispered. Streets full of them, strong ones, too. The weak ones already starved or moved on. Theyre killing each other now. Trying to establish territories, where they absorb the Qi, and twist it to their element.
Ann clicked her tongue. Leeches.
Liam gave her a glance. Just a few of them, most have parts of other animals, and a couple are so different they hurt to look at.
She rolled her eyes at the first part, then listened intently to the second. Ah, she said. Those would be the ones right from the rift. They dont always fit into our world properly.
Emilia blinked at her. Whered you learn that?
Mage school, Ann shrugged, getting an amused huff in return. Getting info on monsters was my job in our guild, wasnt it? the mage added cheekily.
Chris seemed a little interested. The strange ones. Would they make good shells?
Ann shook her head. Hardly, I think. Might be too alien to adapt to, even for you.
They paused for a moment, then shrugged. I can find out eventually. If it is safe to try. I will not endanger myself over this. My current shells suit me well.
Emilia clapped him on the shoulder. That they do, she said. Quite handsome, too.
Chris tilted their head, in their usual manner. This is not a characteristic the triz-adu usually derive from shells.
Huh? the warrior asked.
Someones shell is an expression of their self, of their artistic taste. It is not their true self. For that, you must look at the spirit, Chris lectured, as if it was the most sensible thing in the world.
... And how would I see your spirit?
Chris smiled, somewhat teasingly. For that you must get to know me. A few days will not suffice, they said.
Matt gave a huff at that. Sounds like youre demi to me.
Demi? Chris asked.
A concept humans developed to explain certain types of developing attraction, Matt said. It means that you only develop romantic or sexual attraction to someone you already enjoy platonically.
Chris gave him a long look. I see, they said. It does sound similar. Attraction after knowing someone I find myself liking it. Chris gave a small smile, which Matt returned. Then, after a few moments, they turned towards the city. Ah, but we should start exploring. Before it gets well, its already dark. Before it gets darker.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Marie nodded. Right. We should go find somewhere to stay. Liam, did you find a spot?
A few candidates, he whispered. There are a couple empty houses that are mostly in decent condition. Well need to kill something to free up the area, though.
Of course we will, I rolled my eyes. So, whats the best spot out of the candidates you have?
An old forge. Large, unoccupied basement with plenty of space. The building is well made and still mostly intact. Houses a nasty creature, but nothing too terrible to handle. It seems to mainly ambush anything that visits, Liam explained.
Marie nodded, patting some dust off her clothes. Alright, she said. Lets get to it.
- - -
Ambushing the ambush predator went about as well as it could have. Liam made shadowy ropes, and Marie got a couple in place at once by attaching them to arrows. Then Emilia, Chris and I held the thing down, Reya applied some buffs, and not long after, Ann and Matt had done the killing.
Was it unfair to kill the thing while it slept? Maybe, but we didnt care too much.
The monster had been a kind of chameleon-scaled bull, though it certainly had more horns than any bull ever reasonably should, spread all over its body. Marie was already collecting those, and probably planning to make arrowheads out of the horns and shafts from the bones.
I left her to it, instead beginning to inspect the basement. As Liam had said, it was almost undamaged - the hatch to access it blended into the floor rather well, and would have been too small for the bull to fit through anyways. Instead, itd just slept on top of it.
Now, we were reaping the rewards of that lack of destruction. The basement had food after all. Canned and pickled vegetables, some dried fruit and jams, and even a few loaves of somewhat stale bread.
Matt smacked my shoulder. Youre drooling.
Speak for yourself, I retorted. I am simply looking forward to a somewhat decent meal.
Mhm, he smirked. Sure, sure. Ill see if I can whip something up. You know, theres even spices here. He indicated a bag of salt.
Before I knew it I was already walking up to the bag, then quickly stopped myself under my friends watchful gaze. I- I started, paused, then turned away. I think I should explore the other parts.
Matt smirked. Sure, knock yourself out.
Dismissing the swordsman with a nod, he slowly went through the foods, while I moved on to other places. There were still more rooms to go - as I said, the basement was large. Emilia was raiding a room full of tools; saws, files, hammers, scrap metal, the works.
Liam was in the shadows, keeping a lookout, while Marie was up above, seeing which parts of the main workshop might still be useful. She was also dressing the corpse, with Chris help.
Which left Reya and Ann. I found them in the next room, which seemed a bit more personal, I suppose? Maybe cozy was the right word.
There were a few bookshelves stacked in the corners, though the books had been knocked out of them and strewn across the floor. It was all covered in dust from the ceiling shaking, but it had survived.
There was a somewhat comfortable looking cushioned bench in a corner, with a small table in front of it. Another part of the room housed a sewing machine, the kind with a mechanical foot pedal, as well as a few rolls of mostly beige cotton fabric, and some more generic needle-and-thread utensils.
Ann and Reya just kinda stood there, looking at it. While I paused in the entrance, the mute cleric kneeled down, and carefully picked up one of the books, brushing the dust off it. The title shimmered for a moment, before the letters rearranged themselves to something I understood as the translation kicked in.
Everlasting Grief. There were a stylized man and woman drawn on. It seemed like a romance story, maybe with some tragic elements.
Reya got up, and carefully placed it back on the bookshelf. Then she picked up a second book, placing it back. Then a third, fourth the fifth one seemed a bit different.
It was a childrens book.
We paused as Reya picked it up. It was a story about a caterpillar learning to spread its wings, and that becoming a butterfly wasnt all that scary. The cleric handed it to Ann, who placed it back on the shelf.
I started helping too, wordlessly.
You know, until then, it hadnt really kicked in. We were all too high-strung to think about it. But this had been a home, once. The upstairs was ruined, of course. There must have been a bedroom there, at some point, but it was broken.
Still, someone had lived here.
Theyd had taste in books. Theyd had hobbies and interests and jobs. And, apparently, theyd had a kid, too.
I bit my lip, carefully placing another book back on the shelf.
We were going through the stuff of dead people. They wouldnt mind, of course, they were dead, after all. Even if they werent, I doubted theyd want to come back here. But suddenly, it felt like we were intruding on a foreign space, and it was only right to be somewhat respectful.
None of us cared if it was silly. We dusted off the books, and placed them back on the shelves. After a few minutes of work, that part was restored. I then walked over to the sewing machine.
Slowly, I traced my fingers over the metal that made the machine. It was a little different from the ones back on Neamhan, but the purpose was unmistakable. I blew the dust away.
Reya stopped next to me, giving me a question look and forming some signs. I looked at the gestures, unable to tell much from them, but guessing from her expression.
Youve sewn before? I asked.
She nodded.
Are you asking if Id like to learn? I asked again.
The cleric smiled brightly, and nodded again.
I looked down at myself, the torn shirt and all, then back up to her, giving a crooked smile. You know, I think Id like that quite a bit.
Reya quickly nodded, then also gave a look at Ann. The mage didnt notice, though, scanning the spines of the books for their names, until our cleric snapped her fingers. Then she looked over.
Ah, sorry, Ann quickly said. Distracted. What do you need?
She gestured at me, making Ann look over, and I awkwardly pointed at the sewing machine, unsure what to say. She wrinkled her forehead for a moment, then smiled. Oh. Fio will sew?
With a big smile, Reya nodded.
And youre asking for me to give her my clothes to fix? Ann raised an eyebrow.
Reya let out a gurgling kind of snort, shaking her head, then pointing at me and the machine again.
Shell teach me, I supplied sheepishly.
Oh! Ann said. Right, then. Nice. Ill be going over some notes, I think. Theres a desk, and I think I saw some stoppered up ink. She made her way over. So I should be able to think on some research, maybe even do light testing.
Sounds good, I said with a smile. Then, once Ann was seated, I pulled out a damaged shirt from my inventory. It was reasonably clean, at least.
Reya took it from me, then gestured for me to come closer as she took a seat at the machine. She pulled some fabric to her, and grabbed a large pair of scissors to cut from it. The job didnt need to be super aesthetic or anything, so she just cut out a few patches.
And, always gesturing for me to look where it mattered most, the cleric began stitching up my clothes.
Id have the evening to learn. Luckily, Id been rather talented recently.
Chapter 98: Ann the Goddess
Learning to sew was honestly rather fun. There was quite a bit of practice involved, though, and seeing Reya try to teach me was amusing.
Since she couldnt exactly tell me what to do, there was a lot of gesturing involved, and keeping my eyes on both her and what I was actually working on proved rather challenging. She would sometimes gesture for me to slow down, or tap her feet at a certain speed to show me the rhythm for the pedal.
When I made an especially crooked stitch, she put her hands on top of mine to show me how to guide the fabric through the machine; which wasnt much at all. It felt more like I was holding it back as the machine pulled it in faster.
I didnt exactly get away unscathed either, nicking my fingers more than a few times, but since my skin was rather tough, it left barely any mark at all. That was the benefit of being high level, after all.
After a few dozen minutes of practice, Reya deemed me decent enough to let me go loose on our actual clothing. We cut the patched out together, hers turning out more beautiful than mine, of course. Most were squares, but we had some more specific shapes, too.
All of Matts robes were mended exclusively with flowers, for example. Ann got a few flame patches, and with the small amounts of light blue and pink fabric, we were able to stitch together a makeshift trans patch for Liam. The rogue was rather happy with his gift, and hugged Reya and me upon receiving it - this one was mostly made by the cleric, since I was not that good yet.
Honestly, seeing how doable this was, especially with the machine being reasonably quiet, I was tempted to throw the whole thing into my inventory. Storing rolls of fabric would be a lot easier to get in bulk and replace that full on shirts. Then again, patches would only do so much, eventually.
Worth a thought, anyway.
Eventually, we deemed it good for the night. The group got together to discuss over Matts meal. Emilia cried a little, happy to finally be eating good food again.
We presented our evenings spoils, with me showing off our stitched up clothing. Emilia had found some tools; hammers, nails, some wooden boards and such. Enough to reasonably reinforce this place if needed. Nothing that would outlast a powerful monster, but the metal scrap was useful for her.
Shed scraped together a bit of armor. By moulding the metal using her Qi, she made it fit her. It wouldnt be nearly as strong as something that was properly forged and tempered, but it would take her Qi and be reasonably defensive enough. A good spare set to have.
Liam scouted out the surroundings, picking off some remaining, smaller monster who may come nearby. He had also maintained all our weapons, sharpening them, and even lightly oiling the metal with some stuff Emilia found. The budding spirit in my spear seemed rather pleased with it, so I was pleased as well.
Marie and Chris had taken apart the bull and turned most of its bones and horns into arrows. The fletching were a bit cobbled together, but they would fly. The tendons had been turned into spare bowstrings. As for the muscles and hide none of us could do leatherwork, especially not this quickly, so we had simply stashed it away for now.
Ann had mostly been trying to get some runes that might work during the eclipse, but not found much luck yet. She did manage to alter them into a somewhat monster-repellant spell, though. It needed active concentration, and would only supply a weak, subconscious effect, but it might be enough to keep us safe for a few more hours at night,
All in all, the evening had been productive. I was rather pleased with it, honestly. Plus, Ann and I got our own room. There was a decent amount of space in the basement, especially after we cleaned up a bit, and so we could afford such a luxury.
Additionally, neither of us had to take the first watch for once. It was quiet. Calm, even.
Holding onto Ann, I ran my fingers through her hair, petting her head. She hummed slightly in response, hugging me tighter. This is nice, she murmured.
Youre nice, I replied with a wink she didnt even see.
She laughed, though. A quiet giggle. Youre nice, too. But I meant this place. Being able to sleep under a roof, yknow? It feels less she trailed off.
I ran my fingers through her hair once more. Less violent?
Yeah, she nodded up against me. I dont feel like Ill need to blow somethings head off in the next minute or two.
Youre plenty mindblowing already, dont worry, I teased, smiling.
Ann giggled again. Idiot.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Mhm, I hummed my agreement. Yours truly.
The mag let out a contented sigh, wrapping the blanket a little tighter. It wasnt particularly cold, and we didnt particularly need it, but blankets gave a feeling of normalcy in a world thatd been slightly upturned.
Ann murmured something.
What was that? I asked.
She shook her head slightly. Just talking to myself.
I rolled my eyes. Uh-huh. If that was you talking to myself then I must be into guys.
What?!
Yeah, rather unbelievable, I know, I smirked. So. You dont have to tell me whats up, but Im here to listen if youd like.
Anns somewhat shocked face softened at that. ... thanks, Fio, she said. I appreciate it. Really. I do.
I ran my fingers through her hair again, and Ann cuddled up to me once more. Always gonna be by your side, love. No matter what.
... No matter what?
Yeah, I assured her honestly. Then paused. Well, its a slight exaggeration. If you stab me to death I might not be thrilled, exactly, but you get what I mean.
Now it was Anns turn to roll her eyes; a duty she performed amicably. Uh-huh. You just had to ruin the moment.
I smiled. What does that make me?
An idiot.
Yours truly, I said, this time sticking out my tongue at Ann, at which she first laughed, then kissed me. It lasted for a while but was still far too short.
For another long moment we laid there silently, me patting her head and listening to Anns breathing. I enjoyed every second of it, letting my mind actually relax for once. I briefly considered the chance of anything interrupting us, but if it did well, they were in for a surprise.
Hey Fio? Ann eventually asked, her voice cutting through the darkness of our room.
Yes, love? I replied.
That thing I told you Id tell you about, do you remember? she asked, suddenly sounding unsure.
Yeah, I do, I nodded. What about it?
I think I might wanna tell you now, Ann said.
Taking a deep breath, I flashed a small smile. Okay, yeah, I said, patting her head a bit more. Whenever youre ready, love. Take your time.
She smiled at me. Thank you. I appreciate it, I really do. If its okay, can I ask you to just listen for a bit? No questions until Im done?
If it makes you more comfortable? Absolutely, I agreed.
Ann gave me a long, loving look, then took a deep breath to steady herself. Okay, so, she started.
Im kind of a goddess.
I blinked at her for a moment. On the one hand, I instantly had about a dozen questions. On the other hand, this was definitely something to turn into a flirty comment. Something about that made my brain short-circuit, so I just stared at her.
She smiled a little. Thanks for not flipping out.
Keeping all my flipping out on the inside, got it, I noted.
To elaborate. Eden once had seven divines, as you know by now. Two of those died. But its really rather hard for divines to properly die. One of them, after a close battle with an especially powerful usurper, losing all their avatars and a chunk of their temples, sacrificed themselves to gain enough resources for the other gods to make the whole Neamhan stuff happen. That one is never coming back, she explained.
However, that still leaves six gods. Out of whom, another one was killed. Specifically, killed in a fight. None of this self-sacrifice.
During the high point of an old eclipse, this goddess fought against an invading usurper god, out in the void. And she won, but was grievously injured and succumbed to her wounds. Before that though, that goddess of magic cast a little spell, to essentially reincarnate herself.
The child was born as normal, and grew up as normal, but had from the beginning inherited the goddess talent for magic. At her eighteenth birthday, this child received the memories of the dead god - a good chunk of them, at least, a little like a library in their head.
Now, that also means that this child was never from Neamhan. Ann paused, gulping a little. The divines love her, seeing an old friend in her, and willing to grant some favors, made her a body to visit her girlfriend on Neamhan. A girlfriend she met based on coincidence. Simply because the two seemed to like each other very much.
I looked at her, and the room was silent for a whole 5 minutes.
Uhm, Ann said, seemingly uncomfortable with the silence at some point. So, uh thats it what I wanted to tell you
I hugged her even tighter. Can I ask now? my voice was calm.
Y-Yeah, Ann said, then paused. Actually. Maybe a few minutes?
Sure, I nodded. However long you need, Ann.
I held her tight up against me, one arm petting her back, the other her head. She seemed so lost all of a sudden.
This was a bit of a shock, but it explained a lot of things, really. Why she knew all those monster names. Why she cared so much about the people in Eden. Why she never talked about her past on Neamhan. Why she had been late to the meeting. Why she had been so angry at Eric
Ann started crying slightly, and I focussed on her again. Im sorry, Fio. Im so sorry. You must hate me
Ann? I asked, calling her name as softly as I could. Do I sound very angry with you?
... No, I- no, y-you dont.
Yeah, I nodded. Its cuz Im not angry. Slowly, I placed my hand from her head onto her cheek, wiping away the stray few tears, though more were still coming. You mustve been scared, werent you?
I was I still am.
Yeah, I get that. Its okay, love. Im right here. With you. Not going anywhere. I held her.
... Okay, Ann said, speaking shakily into my chest.
I love you, Ann.
B-but I lied. I- I-!
Once more, I wiped away a tear with my thumb. I love you, I said.
Ann cried a bit harder. I think she murmured about loving me too, but I couldnt be sure. So I talked.
I get you were scared. I see why youd think I might be angry, but Im not. There was a rule there, that I was breaking. The second one. Love can eat you. I didnt care. I like you for you, Ann. Whether youre a goddess, or a mage, or a warrior, or a cleric, or a baker or a blacksmith or a computer programmer none of that matters. Youre still my Ann.
This isnt going to drive a wedge between us. Thank you for telling me. Thank you for trusting me. I love you just the same. Thank you for caring about me.
You sure? she asked, her voice a little less shaky.
Very sure. I pinched her nose slightly. I wanna support you. If you have secrets youd like to share, Ill listen. What you had to go through sounds so stressful, but I am glad you ended up by my side.
Me- me too. I promise there was no trickery there.
I believe you, love. I held Ann for the rest of the night.
Chapter 99: Strengthening the Gateway
Of course, one single evening couldnt exactly solve all the talking we needed to do. I wasnt unaffected by this news. It was surprising, and for a while, when Ann was already asleep, Id wondered whether it changed how I should think of her.
Eventually, I had decided that it shouldnt.
Shed trusted me with this. Because she thought I deserved to know. Despite being afraid.
Was it a bit of dishonesty? Well. I suppose she could have told me earlier. Then again, this was the kind of thing one would keep secret, no? I couldnt bring myself to hold it against her. She deserved kindness. Was I the first person shed ever told? I would not make it hard for her.
After everything, she was still the same Ann Id fallen in love with.
I took a deep breath. We spent much of the next morning quietly, with things feeling slightly awkward, though I made sure Ann knew I was not mad at her. I held her hand, and kissed her cheeks, giving her smiles. She nodded a little at me, but put a finger to her lips. She didnt wanna talk, and that was fine.
Acknowledging it with a nod, I let her take her time. We got ready for the day and stepped out of our room. Marie had prepared a simple breakfast and we ate together.
There was a coppery smell of blood in the air, coming from upstairs, but none of us commented on it. Something had died during the night - and it wasnt us, so it didnt matter.
Reya, Liam, Matt, Emilia, and Chris joined one after another, grabbing their own bits of food. We still had the ability to survey the area, and while eating, Cass and I shared senses. It was a calm morning, contrasting yesterday night. Ann and I sat shoulder to shoulder.
Today, wed begin hunting in the city.
We didnt have forever to clear it. The eclipse proper would start in just about two weeks, after all. So, maybe eight, nine days tops? A bit ago, that would have been impossible, but not anymore. The wellspring realm let us recover Qi much faster, and with Reya here to supply first aid, we could get back into fighting shape again pretty quickly.
So, after a rather quiet morning, I summoned my spear, listening to the growing hum inside it. Soon, that nascent spirit would awaken. Only a matter of time.
For now it was time to clean up.
- - -
Bleeding. I was bleeding again.
I hardly felt the pain as I reached for the monster, ripping out the gateway shard it held. The glass under my skin rippled, and the shard sunk into me.
[Gateway:
-
Strength: 18
-
Fragments: 23
-
Figments: 3]
Three fragments and two strength. Not bad for a first hunt.
Wed split into smaller groups to hunt down more monsters, always staying near enough to reinforce one another. Slowly, we were carving minor paths of destruction through the city. Marie and I had teamed up to take this monster down.
It was a chain wielding thing with too many limbs, turning the pieces of metal into a whirlwind. I had blocked one with my spear, but it bent around the shaft and slammed into my arm, flaying my arm open. Blood was pooling around me, and as the adrenaline wore off, I suppressed the pain with [Iron Will].
Good job, Marie called, jumping down from a nearby roof and landing next to me. Can you keep going?
Yeah, I said, through a mild grimace. Give me ten minutes and Ill be ready to go again.
With a nod, the archer jumped back onto the building, keeping a look on the area to make sure I could recover safely. I also saw her occasionally take potshots at the monsters the others were fighting. A hint of plum smell once found its way over, and I saw a blast of pink over the rooftops.
Flashy Rat, I whispered to myself, smirking a little. My Qi coursed through me, golden glass covering my wound and preventing me from leaking more blood as it slowly healed. New skin grew over the facsimile of flesh.
The skin wasnt perfect. I could only facilitate the growth of it after all, not make sure that there were no scars left behind. It would, however, stop me from bleeding, and make my arm fully mobile again. Which meant more hunting.
Five minutes passed, and there was a thin layer of pale, pink skin. Another ten minutes later, it didnt feel too raw anymore, looking more like a bad sunburn than the flesh wound it had been minutes before.
Took a bit longer than I thought, I called to Marie, But Im ready now! Lets head out?
It was me with her, since I could heal myself rather decently, and Marie could stay out of danger.
Emilia was with Reya, since the cleric could heal her up, Liam with Chris, both having decent self healing ability, and Matt was paired with Ann to burn the enemies down before either were hurt. Not exactly perfect, but they both had methods to avoid getting hurt, so it worked decently enough.
Ann had also revealed to me that she could perform the most minor of healing with the tiny bit of lingering divinity she held. It was a true source of it, meaning she could grow it, but it was still slumbering and tiny, so she could barely use it. Just rough to close a couple scrapes.
Amusingly, the healing was flawless, which was what contributed to her lacking any scars and having such smooth skin. I would have been jealous but I wore my scars proudly, so that was fine.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Alright! Moving out. Follow me. Enemy about fifteen buildings ahead. Looks like an agility type, Marie said.
Got it! Following!
Marie dashed over the rooftops, and I remained briefly behind her. Through her eyes, I saw the enemy in my mind. A creature too thin to be called lean, almost stick thin, but with vicious claws and dense muscle fibre that looked woven from shadowy lightning.
Marking, Marie told me, her voice a whisper on the wind, reaching only my ear. She drew an arrow and shot it at the same moment. It broke her hiding abilities, but landed true on the creature, giving it a faint glow and leaving a mental tracker on it.
Engaging! I called, grasping my spear tightly and dashing forward. It didnt hold a gateway fragment, so this should be doable.
- - -
Three minutes of intense battling later, I was on my back, panting for breath. The thing was unbelievably fast. It also had lightning and shadow affinities, stunning me whenever I stepped on one of the dark spots between buildings, until Marie lit up the area with brightly glowing arrows.
Eventually, we wore it down. The creature was blazingly fast, and unbelievably powerful, but its techniques drained a lot of energy it seemed. Which I had felt, too. One had clipped my leg and burned a lightning pattern right into it.
Should I call Reya? Marie asked.
I was still catching my breath, and took a bit to answer. No, I said, eventually. Its fine. The Qis gone. I can heal.
Got it. Scouting, she told me. I gave a short nod of affirmation, and she was gone to the rooftops again.
Slowly, as I coursed my Qi, the burn faded. My skin and muscles had become tougher, and my levels made my base form even more powerful. It was why armor was going to slowly become redundant, unless we got some kind of soulbound artefact. Something to consider spending contribution on.
Eventually, the pain was gone, and I could move my leg again. Healing smaller wounds like this was great practice for my technique. That gold-glass blending I had done for the wraith was becoming a little more natural, too. Improvements were so much easier, with all these talents.
Thanks again, Cass, I thought as I rose up from the ground.
[You are very welcome, Bell.] she assured me.
Taking a breath, I centered myself. Ready! I called to Marie.
The archer gave me a nod. Marking, she whisper-spoke to me, firing off an arrow.
And so, I fought again.
- - -
[Mirror Wellspring advanced to 4th Step.]
At the end of a very long day, I was breathing heavily, my clothes were sweat through, and frequently marked with holes and bloodstains. I dragged my feet back to the house, where the others sat. Liam took my spear, pulling out a whetstone. He and Emilia were on weapon maintenance.
I got handed a bundle of clothes. Ann soaked them in their magic, washing and drying them, before Reya and I repaired them. Matt and Marie were cooking, while Chris kept a lookout, this time.
Incidentally, they left their rock-hound body at base, while using their human shell to explore some of the nearby buildings around the monsters wed cleared out. Hopefully, there would be some usable things amidst the rubble.
We also chose them because well, Chris could stomach the bloodstains a lot better than most of us. Especially if there werent just stains.
I took a deep breath, taking my mind off those thoughts, and focussing solely on sewing. We were avenging the people, and that was all we could do. So, for now, what I needed to do, was make more patches for the others.
We ate dinner together, too, once Chris human shell was back. They ate with us, bringing some spoils from their inventory. More canned food, a couple pieces of usable fabric, spare blankets, soft paper, eating utensils It was all rather helpful.
After dinner, I looked at my gateway again.
[Gateway:
-
Strength: 29
-
Fragments: 27
-
Figments: 4]
It had grown a lot. So much so that I closed my eyes and mediated on it again, the outside world slowly fading. I stepped through the gateway inside me, like I had done so long ago, finding myself in the astral again.
Cass was there, with mirrors floating in the air all around her, letting her see through reflective surfaces back on Eden. Heya! I called out to the spirit.
She turned to face me. [Oh! Bell! Hey there. Checking your progress?]
I nodded. Just that.
[Well, let me say, today has been a good day hehe! See for yourself.] She quickly flew past me, pointing in the direction where the gateway was.
Then, I turned around and saw it.
Looking at my own gateway was still a surreal experience. It felt a little like seeing myself stand in a different place. It was, after all, so intrinsically connected to who I was. Really, it was a part of my soul.
Compared to last time, it had certainly changed. Most noticeably, the actual mirror surface itself was now spotless. No longer covered in little cracks that were still mending. It had a beautiful silver-gold frame, which looked to be covered in fingerprints.
My fingerprints, specifically. There were also four handprints at the top of the frame, shimmering with the same silver gold. Two seemed full of the liquid, while two were still refilling. Those must be my figments, then.
The fragments also still manifested around the mirror, though rather than showing in pieces attached to the actual mirror part, they now hovered around it, like a secondary frame made from shards of glass. It looked pretty.
I reached out and touched them, the sharp edges feeling harmless to my skin. It was part of my soul, after all. I smiled. It felt stronger. Reinforced by part of who I was. If this kept going, the keepers wouldnt be able to take it from me anymore.
Soon, Id be truly free again.
I took a deep breath, letting that sink in. Free. What an amazing thought.
[Beautiful, isnt it?]
Smiling, I nodded, then looked around the whole of the astral again. Where do I see its strength?
Cass floated next to me and put a hand to the back of her head. [Ah, thats a little more complicated, Bell. But youll notice it if you try to walk further away from the gateway.]
Hmmm, I hummed my agreement, then did as Cass asked me to. She, meanwhile, sat down weightlessly on my shoulders, letting her legs dangle. I didnt mind carrying her along.
The first dozen metres came easy, almost effortlessly. Really, it felt like I was floating, almost weightless. Then, for two dozen metres, I felt normal. Like my body was filled with Qi, and I could walk for ages.
After that, though, that strength faded, and I was left feeling mundane for a bit. Still fit, but not nearly as strong. The further out I went, the more that feeling of weakness crept in. After another dozen steps, I felt drained, as if Id just ran a mile.
Exhaustion was deep in my muscles, and as I moved further, my pace slowed down to a crawl. I felt the tether to my gateway, the way it sent me strength, but it was just ot enough. I couldnt move forward anymore.
Taking a single step back, I went from a borderline decrepit state to something somewhat manageable, and as I neared the gateway again, I began to feel as good as before. I took a minute for my breathing to settle again, then turned to Cass. I see. The strength determines how far out that tether reaches?
[Essentially,] my keeper nodded along. [It determines our territory, since it also works not only to strengthen you, but also suppress anyone who steps into here. So its essentially our strongest defense mechanism. Any foreign body that comes close to our gateway will feel just as weak as you did before.]
So, how much strength to stop the keepers from stealing it? I asked. If it was what decided the suppression, then it was probably one of the most important stats for that purpose.
[Over fourty, definitely. If you reach fifty, well be safe from almost anything, even if you use another gateway entirely.]
I nodded. That was the goal then. We were staying in the city for a little while, and the eclipse meant there probably wouldnt be a shortage of usurpers with gateway fragments anytime soon.
All I had to do was collect them.
Chapter 100: Altars
In a room that was not quite a room sat two people who could not be quite called people.
The creatures wore poor mimicry of human shapes, their skins of stained glass containing layers of horror. One was filled with eyes, the other with layers of material, like a nesting doll.
Failure, one of them stated. Matryoshka looked almost the same as before. The brown wrapping paper underneath the glass skin was thicker, as if stronger, but it still ripped, and it still frayed. It looked more wrinkled, too, distraught.
Matryoshka was thriving and suffering all at once.
The same was true for Eyes. Their frame seemed crammed with optical organs, each one squished up against their exterior, pupils darting about. It seemed that the thing did not want to respond, glaring at Matryoshka silently from a thousand angles.
Failure, the other keeper repeated, leaning forward towards eyes.
Betrayal, eyes ground out, voice like scraping glass.
So what?! Matryoshka roared, raising up from the chair.
Sit, Eyes commanded icily. The other keeper looked at the creature, standing perfectly still for a moment. Then, in an imperfect motion, Matryoshka returned to the chair.
You failed.
Eyes stared at the thing opposite it. We failed.
You.
We.
Your agents, Matryoshka insisted.
Eyes leaned back. The ones you picked? they asked, mockingly.
Blameshifter, the other one huffed angrily.
So it seems.
What now then? Matryoshka asked. Not easy prey.
Not easy, Eyes agreed. So we must be insidious.
The string of words was long and seemed almost counterintuitive, but it had a complex meaning. Martyoshka took a few moments to ponder what it meant. Then, they froze. We increase the pressure, they said.
Yes, Eyes answered sinisterly. We redirect resources.
Agreed, Matryoshka said.
- - -
As every day before I stood on the streets of the abandoned city, facing down a horrific creature. It has multiple heads, each one outfitted with razor sharp teeth, its body covered in glistening scales.
Come at me then, bastard, I taunted, and the usurper snarled.
One of the heads snapped at me in a display of aggression, and almost by itself, my spear snaked forward. The spirit in it was guiding my hand slightly, helping my alignment, and the blade dug into the gums of the creature slightly.
It was a shallow strike form far away, but the monster still howled, and instantly began charging at me. Of course, I bravely faced it down then turned around on my heel and started sprinting away.
A small, waist long cloak-thing fluttered behind me, one of the first bits of clothing Id made for myself, just to stuff it full of more pockets. Pockets were the spice of life, after all.
Ah, given the rapidly approaching footsteps behind me, maybe I should run faster, instead. I threw my spear forwards, then stepped through the reflection of the metal, appearing next to it and taking it back into my hand a couple dozen steps ahead, right as the hound behind me crashed into a building.
With my lead regained, I leapt over a barricade of hastily thrown together bits of wood in a narrow alley, where two piles of rubble laid close to one another.
Moments later, there was a crash, as the usurper smashed through the barrier - though its momentum did not carry it too far. Emilia was already controlling those piles of rubble, after all.
The second the first bit of wood splintered, the rocks turned into a liquid tide, cascading down onto the creature, and enveloping it like a burial-hug. Moments later, the others descended like a band of hawks, hacking at the thing with all kinds of elements.
Not too long later, I was left still panting for air, but the usurper was dead. Mirror shards? I asked between breaths. It was a bit harder to tell which creature had them around here, with so many in one spot, but usually I felt them when close, so when the answer came, I expected it. None. I just nodded.
It had been another two days in the city, and we had cleared a good chunk of the way. The thing we had just taken out was one of the last guardians of the temple to the divines, so we should be able to get access to that now.
Of course, it was important to be safe, rather than sorry. Any more things in the way? I asked our scouts.
Marie shook her head, and Liam followed suit. None, our leader said, and I nodded again.
Lets head in then, Matt said, leisurely holding his blade on his shoulder, as he nodded towards the temple and walked off. He had grown scarily accustomed to the surrounding monsters, seeming entirely unbothered, even if he was inches from any beast.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
His complete calm was almost scarier than the usual smiles he broke out into, but he was still the same Matt I knew. We all followed him into the temple.
The structure was mostly ruined, the ceiling having caved in, the floor covered in rubble and wood dust, beams and rafters having been smashed under masses of stone. This was a smaller city, and the temple was a single building dedicated to all the divines.
It didnt house what was once the gateway hall either - that place was now overrun by the rift. We were hoping to get there occasionally. I stepped in hesitantly, half expecting to get smited down with how my last chat had gone. Luckily, nothing happened.
[Seems our message went through!] Cass cheered.
I smiled slightly. Seems so. Or, maybe, the divines just didnt have enough power to send my way. That was a thought I did not want to consider.
Just in case, though, we would send Reya first. We had to go one by one, anyway, given what levelling up was like, so having the most devoted among us talk to the divines first was simply good practice.
So, with everyone else guarding, Reya walked up to the altar of Lurelia, a single teardrop shaped gemstone laid upon it. She lightly placed a hand on it. Then, for a few dozen seconds, which seemed endlessly long in the silent ruins, she took her hand off it and took a very, shaky step.
She stumbled a little, but caught herself on a pillar, then gave me a tired smile and a nod.
With that bit of confirmation, I stepped forward. I swiped my eyes over all the altars, then went to the most familiar one anyway. Lightly, I touched the tombstone upon Hirs altar.
There was a silence that spoke volumes after that. It seemed as if the divines didnt wanna speak first. It was like being on a phone call with the other person being quiet; I knew someone was there and choosing not to speak.
So, I started. Here we are.
More silence.
Are you expecting anything in particular from me? I asked. Because if youre unsure where to start, there are a couple paths for you to pick, Hir.
I know, Fio. Is it so surprising that an old creature like us would think for a while, though? the chorus asked me, their voices almost regretful.
Not really, I suppose, I said, shifting my weight to my other leg. How long do you expect me to wait then?
Hir let out a sigh. Not at all. I apologize for my last outburst. Despite you provoking it, I should not have reacted that way, they said.
Ehh, s all good, I waved them off. I was worried youd be holding a grudge.
A gentle chuckle followed. No, I do not believe so. Are you not at all curious about Annabelle though, now that you know the truth?
No, I thought without hesitation. She will tell me everything I need to know, whenever she is comfortable. I will not betray that trust.
We see. Well, then, Fiona. Is there anything else you wish from us?
Is Iryel alright? I asked.
Hir seemed amused at the question. Yes, quite alright. He is a powerful angel. He will not be brought down so quickly.
I gave a faint smile at that. Good. Is any archmage on the way here, to repair this mess?
The city? they asked. Not right now. The archmages move by themselves. One of them, Tiri, specializes in teleportation, and may appear here anytime, though I would not bet on any of the others coming here anytime soon.
I see. Thank you, Hir, I thought.
No trouble, Fio. I am glad you decided to stay. You have done a lot to keep the people of this world safe. Would you like to access the shop? they asked.
Yes, please, I replied. Cass? Look for something to help with general resource shortage.
[A crafting technique?] she asked.
Not quite. Something a bit different. I want it to help get magic items, but ones that are useful for everyday things.
[Got it. Ill browse.]
In the meantime, I allocated some of my contribution to regular level-ups. I had enough to take Spearwoman to ten and Gateway to nine and still have contribution to spare. I was pretty sure of those levels, but didnt lock them in yet, browsing through skills.
Cass was quite a bit faster than me, and could also often intuit more about the techniques given the vibes they gave off.
[I dont think you should keep your hopes up, Fio,] she said. [Stuff like that is rare, and you arent exactly a crafting build.]
Hmm, youre right. But I dont think I need to pick up a plain combat thing right now, I said.
Actually, Hir interrupted, I may be able to assist with this. The Gift comes from the divines, after all, and your network technique is rather close to a substantial change of it. We may be able to alter it into a new branch of your Gift, entirely.
... Oh? They had my attention now. How would that function?
You would lose the technique from your status, but maintain its function. Additionally, by temporarily linking anyone you kill - including usurpers - to this branch network, you would be able to influence them. Then, we could draw upon the gateway in you, to essentially offer an exchange to other worlds. You, and other members of your network, would give up a small part of your contributions, as well as parts of the bodies of killed monsters, and in exchange occasionally receive items.
I blinked.
So when we kill something, there is a chance for them to drop a magic item? I asked carefully.
Hir gave a small sigh. At the very basics, yes. By using your kills as currency, and outsourcing the crafting work to parallel worlds and different times.
Right. I want it.
You dont have enough contribution to pay for it, Hir noted drily. However, since this system graft would expand on the network of your ingrained gateway, and also apply to your party members, I suggest you mention it to them.
Right. Will do.
With that, I took my hands off the altar. And, of course, the levels I had temporarily marked came crashing into me.
My legs turned wobbly, searing itches and discomfort coursing through my body. It was being rebuilt, becoming yet more and more, but all I could do was stumble and barely catch my face from slamming into the floor. I grit my teeth, barely raising myself onto shaking legs.
I stood for a long moment, waiting for the feeling to abate, and eventually it did. Ugh, hate that, I grumbled.
You good? Ann asked, hugging me lightly.
Yes, I hadnt locked the levels in. Was gonna discuss something with you all, then they went through. Surprised me, is all. Not the focus right now. I have a small proposal.
Lets hear it, Marie said, sitting on the rubble of a pillar nearby. Whats the idea?
Well, you see
- - -
A short explanation later, Matt was drooling. Lets do it.
Are you sure? I raised an eyebrow. It could be costly.
I think we should, too, Ann said. The divines are by no means perfect, but they want us as strong as possible to protect Eden. Hir is suggesting this to help us.
Marie nodded her agreement. I am with you all. Getting item drops could be amazing. Plus, the way this sounds, feels like it would build in chance as we kill weaker enemies, and pay out more frequently against stronger ones.
Liam tilted his head. Howd you get that idea?
Well, it said it wouldnt drop always. So we would probably build up a balance, then have it spent on better items. Though, it would still be mostly random, though, Marie said.
I shrugged. One way to find out. Everyone ready to pay up for it, then?
A round of confirmation later, we all placed our hands on the altar, and confirmed the prompts.
[Gifted Fragment has changed.]
[Technique: Gifted Fragment (Low) removed.]
[Additional Gift options opened: Section Transference added.]
Yoooooo, it says trans! Liam noted.
And, indeed, it did.
Chapter 101: What is a Rift?
We hunted down more creatures within the city walls. One after another, sometimes many at a time, we killed more usurpers of stranger and stranger shapes and sizes. Hiveminds and swarms. Soldiers carved from stone. Creatures as tall as houses with more limbs than you could count.
But we could never fully clear the city. Not with the rift open. Every day, more usurpers poured in. Sometimes, I would feel it. Wake up in the middle of the night, a shiver running down my back as I felt a new, tainted fragment resonate with the gateway inside my soul.
It was wearing on me. The exhaustion and all. However, we did also receive a dropped item for the first time.
The items were also not quite normal. In the network section of the gift - a list of people currently connected via my network, which let me read some of their information, as well as listing the empty slots - there was a subcategory of Transference, which listed items and owners.
Since they were bonded with the system, it was a bit different from regular armor, or even bound weapons. I could summon my spear anytime, anywhere, near instantly. It also grew more powerful alongside me.
These didnt work quite that way. Summoning one took a bit, a handful of seconds to call it forth, as the magic essence would manifest. It was like liquid glass spilling from the air, then coalescing into the item, then gaining colour, in an altogether strange process.
Our first item was received by Ann. Which made sense, she killed a lot of creatures with her spells. I could read it in Transference.
[Treasure: Burden of Lordship
Owner: Annabelle Belleflamme
Description: To be a ruler is a heavy weight. To be a tyrant is easier. The previous owner of this item chose the easy path,and was crushed by his own choices - Make better decisions and your enemies will be crushed.]
That was all it said. Ann had summoned it, and the Treasure wove itself into existence on her forehead. It was a thin, regal looking diadem, a purple gem inset in the elegant, silver frame.
Its effect was similarly simple; when injected with mana, it would cause gravity to press downward heavily on whoever Ann deemed a target. She guessed there were more hidden conditions to the power, but that was the long and short of it. The Treasure was still useful, though, since she could keep it summoned permanently, and the effect initiated near-instantly.
We used it liberally to hunt down more creatures. It was also possible to trade them, however, that needed a half hour of focus and somewhat close physical proximity - no more than a couple metres apart.
When summoned by someone else, the Treasure also took a different shape. For Emilia, the crown was thicker and wider, as well as having the sides extend downward farther, almost turning it into a steely headband. When Matt wore it, on the other hand, it wove itself through his hair, making him look a little like an elven prince or something. Chris, strangely enough, could summon the item on any of their shells separately.
In the end, Ann got to keep it. Thered be more in the future, after all. It also looked incredibly pretty on her, so I wasnt complaining.
By then, a few days had passed, and my gateway had grown further. It felt powerful. I didnt quite know how to describe it; it wasnt like an engine the same way my cores felt, nor did it give me energy in the same way food did or anything. It just felt real. Like I belonged, no matter where I went.
It felt right, I guess.
I took a deep breath. My fingers clenched around the shaft of my spear, the nascent spirit in it chirping at me. It had grown so much, too, fed by the fighting and Qi pouring through it. I was confident it would awaken soon, and it was already showing its worth. The spear seemed to almost magnetically right itself in my hand.
Another deep breath of air filled my lungs.
You feeling ready? Marie asked.
I looked at the rift. It was tall and imposing. A gate into another world, but not at all like the gateways we used. It was less like a sealed doorway that opened and closed for anyone who stepped through. There was no decontamination in between.
It was a tear. One that allowed free flow of energy. Qi and Mana from here leached out of this world, and those from the other side flowed in. It was a troubling sight. Around the rift, things were more desolate.
Plants from here could not withstand the altered atmosphere. Different air, different blend of energies. They wilted, and crumbled to dust. That was a part of why the frontier had become so messy. The rifts bring together things, where neither were fundamentally wrong, but they were incompatible.
So they caused destruction.
I breathed, tearing my eyes from the alien world on the other side.
Looking at Marie, I nodded. Yeah. I think we should tackle this.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
She smiled. This had not been her idea, but we had decided we would do it. There were ways to close rifts, or at least prevent them from growing further. My master had burned one, once, so that worked.
They could be overwhelmed, but brute force was not the approach we should be taking. Instead, Ann would do it. She knew a ritual to close it, but it would require some time. She needed to draw the whole thing out, after all.
In the meantime, we would hold back the monsters. That much should be easily possible for us. We had been handling anything that crawled out of it well enough, after all.
Its the right thing to do, Marie agreed. Hopefully we should be able to do it.
The divines seem to think we can, I said. This one is weakened. The archmages just arent coming because the other cities are still facing the hordes. Some of those are from here. So, by closing it, well be relieving some pretty significant pressure.
I nodded again. Yeah.
Matt gave us a look. There was a faint smile playing on his lips. He breathed, too. Then, he swirled his hand through the air, playing with a thin stream of pink blossoms. How much longer?
No longer, Liam whispered. The way is clear. Lets go.
Not needing any more words than that, we all walked, towards the tear in reality that had doomed this city.
- - -
It was kind of surreal walking to the town after hunting in it this last while. It felt longer than it really had been. My hairs stood on end every time I turned a corner, expecting some kind of abomination to jump out of me. For Liam to have missed something, but it was quiet.
We had tinned the horde here, and now, the streets were walkable. Somewhat. Our path was winding, taking us along the edges of territories, and through contested bits as well as streets wed cleared. We avoided all the most powerful creatures, slowly making our way forward.
Steadily, the rift grew in our vision. It hurt a little to look at it, the alien shapes seemingly unfit for my mind. Like something about me was insufficient to witness it. So, instead, I focused on each step forward.
Seeing my feet move was so mundane it was calming. Placing one foot in front of the other was something I could do. Not worrying about the monsters quite yet.
The feel and smell of the air changed. Rather than the smell of dust and rubble that permeated most of the ruined city, here it also smelled of things she couldnt quite parse. Unpleasant.
It was like rot in its early stages, as well as the sharp smell of ethanol, mixed with that of sulfur. But even all that didnt do it justice. It made her head spin a little, like inhaling gasoline fumes.
There was Qi in the air still, which clearly also existed on the other side of the portal, but it felt the same way that the frontier felt in Eden. It was wild, and unsafe, downright dangerous. Rather than the milder effects though, this was aggressive.
Like liquid acid, it hummed through the air, the unmistakable buzz of power turned dangerous and sinister. I drew my cloak of Qi tighter, shutting it out and the feeling faded, reduced to a dull heaviness and thickness of the air.
All of it only got worse as the rift approached. It felt so clearly hostile that I wondered how the usurpers lived over on this side. They must either be supremely adaptable or specifically prepared for invasions.
Not that it mattered.
Once the feeling in the air grew even heavier, and there even seemed to be some kind of ethereal heat spilling from the other side, making my skin all itchy, Ann stopped us. Here. Ill have to start drawing the circle.
We all gave a short nod, and she pulled some chalk from her inventory. The skies were clear, so it wouldnt wash away. That was good.
Ann kneeled down, and drew the first line. Then another, and another. Only after a dozen swipes was there any response from the atmospheric mana. It began to gather towards the ritual.
Okay, she said. Clock is now ticking. I cant stop anymore. Ill also need to chant, so get ready to fight.
A moment later, we all nodded, and Ann spoke. The first word that left her mouth was one that I did not know, and one that the Gift did not bother translating for me. I felt it, though.
The word slammed into the air with such force I felt a shockwave and my hairs stood on end. Another word flowed forward, smoothly and instantly, and Ann chanted with cadence, melody, and incredible speed.
Id seen her practice, of course. Doing vocal drills and breathing exercises, but never liked this. Her hands one moved across the floor, drawing perfect lines of smooth, white chalk. The other one flicked from sigil to sigil, arcane symbols that seemed to burn into the air for a moment before settling.
Her voice rang out in tandem, and the atmospheric mana stirred. First it moved slowly, imperceptibly. Twitches and small shockwaves, but then it roused.
Like a sleeping dragon, it moved.
First, there was a pullback, then a push. It ebbed and flowed, higher and higher. Every word Ann spoke, every sigil, every line and shape pushed it a little further.
I now understood why the ritual did not need to be centered on the rift. It couldnt be centered on it. Because if it was, it would stir that hostile, horrible energy, and given the way Edens mana was already beginning to hiss against my skin, I bet that usurper-based mana would be intolerable by now.
Ann was gathering a tsunami of energy to burn out the rift.
And the rift noticed.
The energy swelled, reaching new heights every moment. Anns voice crashed into the mana like a song of thunderclaps, the ritual only speeding up. Thats when the howls pierced the air.
Screeches of usurpers came in, and Ann moved towards them, drawing more of the circle. Emilia moved in tandem with her, flattening the ground, pushing away rubble and debris as the cobblestones turned into a smooth sheet of grey. A canvas for magic.
I looked to Liam, and he nodded, indicating a direction. I turned towards it, and pulled back my throwing arm. The nascent spirit of my spear whispered to aim a little higher, and I adjusted, then waited.
The air was thick. With mana from Eden, the eroding power of the usurpers, the screeches of monsters, and Anns chants but for a moment, none of that mattered. I had the rift in my field of view, but the headache was pushed aside by my iron focus.
Little to the left, Liam whispered.
I adjusted.
Go.
At his command, every muscle in my body tensed. Qi coursed through me so fast it heated up. Sweat evaporated around me in the form of steam, the power so dense it almost turned visible.
I directed power through my legs, into the turn of my hips and rotation of my upper body, then forced my shoulder, elbow and wrist forward.
When the spear left my hands, another thunderous boom split the air. My spirit sang with raw emotions, soaring, like a bird spreading its wings for the first time. The golden Qi enveloping the metal turned even brighter, as if the air around it burnt.
The first creature came from in between the buildings, and was instantly smashed to bits by my throw, a hole carved through the middle of its body.
In the next moments, carnage began.
Chapter 102: Defenders of Eden.
How much blood do you think the average person sees in their life?
How many liters? Dozens, maybe? How much does a doctor see? A surgeon, stitching people back together all day everyday?
Was it enough to taint entire roads red?
Well, calling the blood I was seeing red may have been doing it a kindness. The usurpers didnt sport a uniform colour of bodily fluids, see. There was blue blood, green blood, black blood, yellow ichor All of it splattered across the buildings in a colourful, gruesome story.
Corpses were strewn about the flattened landscape. We had to carve channels that the blood could flow along into the floor so it didnt mess with Anns runework. The steady heartbeat her magic created in the air was now a familiar companion.
Her deafening voice still slammed into reality at every moment, every stroke of the chalk turning the energy dense. The Mana was powerful enough to see it twist with every manifestation of Qi. It showed in the warping of the air when I swung my spear, or the heat haze I saw when I enhanced my eyesight.
We had been fighting for close to two hours straight by now.
It doesnt sound like a lot, but it was. Trust me. Fighting for that long, without a single break was grueling. It was painful. Not that we were even doing normal fighting.
Every single movement had to be done at a superhuman speed, with superhuman precision. My body had been torn open and knitted back together more often than I could count. My wells had been emptied of their whole volume twice over, and still more Qi bubbled forth. By now, the steady stream of power barely spent any time contained anymore, flooding straight into my muscles and spear.
Golden Glass shifted under my skin. The nascent spirit in my spear directed my strikes to be more precise, waste less motion, and hit the most important target. I took a step forward, leaning slightly to the left and letting a barbed claw streak by me. Then, my weapon lashed out, the Qi-empowered metal cleaving through a chitinous leg, and spilling yet more ichor onto the street.
The yellow splatter mixed with the surrounding blood into a greyish, sticky mass. It clung to my boots and my clothes. The usurpers screech joined a chorus of similar howls. My spear lashed out again, taking its head.
There was no break. A moment later, I had taken another step to the side, grabbing a pair of horns with my free hand, then flexing every muscle in my body, empowering them until they sung with golden power, and tossed the freakish bull back into the horde.
Not that it did much. Seconds later, more monsters were crawling over the body, an endless flood of flesh and blades and bloodlust. A faint aroma of plum rifted by me, and Matt took another head. I stepped forward to cover for him as he retreated.
A wound on my thigh burnt. Reya was conserving her energy, and the wound was not significant enough to need her attention. She was, instead, busy healing one of Chris human shells cut tendons. They could barely walk one moment, then a couple seconds later, they plunged back into the battle with reckless abandon.
Chris cherished their shells. Seeing them plunge forward with such disregard for the integrity of their flesh was a bad sign. But there was no other choice.
The heartbeat of magic rang in my ears again. I could see Ann from a dozen angles, reflected in the blood all around me. The ritual circle was beginning to close around the rift. Maybe another half hour. That was all we needed to hold out for. Another little while
I grit my teeth stepping forward and back, engaging in a dance of death with dozens of inhuman monstrosities. Limbs that were too long and too numerous were cleaved from the bodies they were attached to. My skin brimmed with enough energy to have bones shatter when the creatures touched me.
Looking at myself from an outside perspective was an interesting perspective. I was like a whirlwind of golden steel. My spear lashed out, lengthening and shortening as it needed to. Brutally separating bits of bodies.
Some were more material and some less. My spear cared naught. A strange spirit of rotating ice met its end on my spear just the same as a living flame did. I overpowered their energy. When attacks struck, I reflected the brunt back.
A new monster attacked me from my shadow, only for Liam to descend on it like a dark deity, tearing the creature apart with claws of darkness before it had fully formed. An explosion rocked the world as Marie sent arrows imbued with power into the crowd.
I saw the earth open up to swallow great beasts, tossed into spontaneous ravines by Emilia. Divine light descended down onto the horde once, burning an especially vile thing to smithereens. Flashes of pink darted across the frontlines, a storm of petals that tore and shredded at anything in its path.
Then, there were the monsters on our side.
Roots blossomed wherever the Leshi stepped. Green flames consumed monsters. Spores paralyzed them. Mushrooms grew from their corpses, consuming the blood and infecting the living, eating them inside out.
The rock hound consumed debris, rotating boulders around itself and wielding them like giant, telekinetic sledgehammers. Monsters turned to pulp wherever it went. The earth shifted to accommodate it, and any creature that got too close was viciously mauled to death.
In comparison, Chris human form was almost tame, but that would have been inaccurate. They fought with such ferocity that calling it bestial would be underselling it. I watched through a reflection as their arm was torn off, only for them to stick a wooden construct thrown over by the forest-spirit-shell into the bleeding wound, then tearing an insectoid head off with the prosthetic.
My spirit hummed, and I shifted my body backwards. At the same time, I lunged forward, leaning low, the spear shooting at the attacker and digging a hole through its center of mass before I could even identify the creature.
Blood trickled from a new, shallow cut on my forehead, but I ignored it. The pain didnt matter. My mind focused on the perception of the reflections around me. I stepped through one, then slashed a usurper that was attempting to stab Matt in the back in half.
A moment later, I teleported again, to Emilias side. I fought harder, gritting my teeth, bearing the pain and exhaustion, as the warrior paused her fighting, turning her back to the horde. The ground around me turned liquid as I cut and stabbed through the horde of bodies, then the stones flattened.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Here, right next to Ann, the buzz of magic was deafening. The power was so great any mundane human could have seen it as a blue haze hanging in the air. The runes absorbed it like a sponge, glowing with magical fire. Anns hair billowed in the torrent of power, her eyes seemingly ablaze, and her voice thundering across the battlefield.
She drew another rune, the magic lighting up the air, the mana spiking into the sky like a beacon.
Five more minutes of fighting passed, my body growing weary and exhausted. [Mirror Mind] combined with the fragments of talents from the network and the effect of [Precipice] and my spearwork improved faster than it ever did before. My mind was clear, empty of any extraneous thoughts. There was only me and the horde.
I shifted an incoming claw. It slid along the length of my spears handle, digging into another monsters neck, while I thrust into the original attackers eye.
[Momentum Shift has reached (High)!]
Learning at prodigious speeds, my movements became even cleaner, more perfect, with less margin of error. I optimized every tiny adjustment, guided by my hard work, years of practice, the whispers of a nascent spirit, the movements of my old master, and the talents all my friends had gifted me.
My Qi shifted, my spear moved. I advanced.
[Spear Technique - Fundamentals has reached (Great)!]
The quality of my fighting changed again. Now, my technique was able to keep up with my physical power. Qi flooded my weapon as the days of hunting and fighting yielded epiphanies. My movements were near-flawless, my spear reaping life after life after life.
Minutes ticked by and I was unable to track them. There was nothing except the spray of blood across the flattened ground, the assistance my friends sometimes needed, and the movements of steel through flesh.
Air entered and left my lungs in great amounts, my chest heaving like bellows. Qi coursed through me like a raging river. It felt like I was holding my breath even though I fought with all my spirit. The world was clear-
Then it broke.
At some point, we had finished circling the rift. From up above, there was a great, flattened ring, full of runes and the glow of magic up above it. I could see it because one of Matts cuts sprayed blood high enough into the sky to give me a partial birds eye perspective.
As the droplet came crashing back down to the earth, so did my awareness. Suddenly, I was seeing the world through my own two eyes again. Sensations other than combat returned. The usurpers flood had stopped, finally, a wave of mana rushing out and holding them at bay.
The weaker ones were torn right apart by the magical energy. Ann chanted a final few words, her voice hoarse. Her hands flicked through a final two sigils. Then, she stood up, her legs shaking almost as much as the world around us.
She walked over to me.
She laid her hand on my cheek.
Hey, love? Ann croaked, eyes tired and voice strained, Ill take a nap now.
Then she collapsed into my arms like a puppet with its strings cut, leaving a single, smudged, pale handprint in the layer of caked blood covering my face.
The ritual, though, was another story.
Its power only swelled. The mana from the air trickled in more. It was a working of magic on an absolutely unprecedented scale. For a brief moment I had a thought. This must be what an archmages spell looked like, wasnt it?
More and more mana poured into the ritual. Like liquid sunshine, the magical energy coalesced from the sky, crashing down with a physical weight, and empowering the runes. It gathered, like the selling of an ocean before a tsunami. The mana grew so thick it was not longer a mist, but a collection of solid crystals hanging in the air above the runes like permanently suspended snowflakes.
Then, all at once, it stopped.
The everpresent humming of magic in the air grew silent. It was so quiet. No screeches from the monsters, no sounds of blood or battle of magic.
I heard my heart beat. Felt my blood rush through my ears. Heard a breath enter my lungs.
When I finished breathing in, the world turned black and white. All colour leeched from it. Matts pink hair turned a dull grey. The sky was no longer lilac but a dull white. My own golden glow was stifled down to a colourless smudge, too.
Ah, Ann murmured sleepily from in my arms. The spell is called Chromatic Aberration, by the by.
Another whole second ticked by after she spoke, before the world shifted again.
Like a torrential wave, magic spilled forth. It was in volumes great enough to be absolutely horrifying. It was a wave great enough to eclipse all other senses. For a brief moment, I was blind and deaf and tasted nothing but dry ash. I could faintly feel my feet leave the ground as I was tossed into the sky, my whole form wrapped tightly around Ann.
The world spun, and I could not tell where I was anymore. I was weightless, yet crushed from all directions by the sheer volume of magic. For a moment, it felt like my skin was heated up from friction, as though ropes of ethereal power dragged across it.
Then again, it turned into a frigid cold, as if my entire being was tossed into an icy bath.
The mana was so dense it seemed to ionize, losing cohesion and shape. It grew so chaotic, that some of it shifted its alignment into what seemed like almost pure power and poured into my golden well.
[Golden Wellspring Qi Purity increased to (Superior)!]
And the flood was over. It left me gasping for air. In two seconds, both my wells were refilled to about half full. The mana had finally passed me by, and I opened my eyes, finding myself a few dozens meters in the air. Quickly, I spun my body, summoning ethereal platforms of Qi under my feet. They wavered a little, the residual mana seeming to drag them along, but I managed to hold them in place and stand in the sky with the rest of my party.
In front of us, the mana slammed into the rift. It was like a blizzard, crystals of raw power digging into the shard of reality, overwhelming the corrupting influence it had on this realm. We watched as the other side, alien and strange, was twisted into something more akin to Eden.
Green trees and grass sprouted as the edges of the rift twisted, growing more narrow, the empty space filling in. Inch by inch, metre by metre, the dimensional gap was closing.
It went from towering, to the size of a building, then shrunk down until it was barely person sized. Then, it shrunk a little more, the storm of mana finally beginning to die down a little.
Until a hand poked through the gap.
It was small, like that of a human. It sported wickedly sharp black fingertips, attached to a three fingered red appendage, with an oversized, bulbous wrist. Through the rift, that was not only a little over a metre tall, stepped a figure.
The creature had to duck a little to pass through. It had four of those arms, each of its joints slightly bulbous, looking oversized for its thin appendages. Its head was spherical and almost frog-like, but somehow simultaneously sharp and spherical. Its eyes were large, protruding, and entirely black orbs, four of them. Its mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth.
On its alien, emaciated body, it wore a black suit. With a suit jacket, a waistcoat, even a tie and a folded up little napkin in the breast pocket. There was a watch attached to the collar with a golden chain. Its ticking was quiet, yet I heard it even from where I stood.
The thing took a deep breath from two thin slits on its sharp, frog-face. One of its hands was still stuck in the rift, that was now almost entirely closed. In fact, it was only a small circle around the usurpers wrist that remained.
It was small, somewhere around a rather small human adult. It was thin, like its muscles were underdeveloped. And yet somehow, looking at it gave me goosebumps. There was deep seated malice in that eternally smiling face.
Those pits of black that served as its eyes swerved around the battlefield, surmising the extent of the carnage. Meanwhile, it seemed to hum an almost peaceful, contemplative, and deeply disturbing tune.
Soon, the eyes landed on us. Ah, the creature spoke. Its voice was sharp, hissy. You up there. Hail, fighters. Are you the ones that closed this rift? It blinked, slowly. Ah, you must be. There is no one else around.
It looked behind itself. Oh. I should say. Almost closed. It wiggled the hand stuck in the dimensional gap, as if to show off. See? All open. No harm done. Now. How about you all simply behave and hand over all your energy until the rift is rebuilt? No harm no foul, that way.
The words from its mouth were polite but nonsensical. I blinked. While my eyes were closed, I noticed something. To my gateway perception, I felt a connection with this thing. Stronger than anything I had ever seen before. This thing held a gateway more powerful than the black-flame giant.
Cat got your tongue? it asked. Come on. Say something.
One of those hands extended forward, grasped the air, and pulled. A moment later, it held Emilia by the throat. Come on. Defenders of Eden, speak.
Chapter 103: Hopeless
There were a lot of thoughts running through my mind at that moment. Maybe a few more should have been dedicated to fear but that kind of blanked away when I saw Emilia hurt.
Marie moved faster than any of us. She was decisive, and before Id even made up my mind, she was already coming forward, nocking an arrow, and firing it.
The usurper swatted it out of the air with ease, one of those arms moving in a blur. Now, now. Cease the hostilities, or I snap this ones neck, it said calmly.
Emilias mouth was opening and closing like a fish on land. What do you want? Marie ground out.
I thought Id been clear? You will stay here, donate any energy you generate until the rift is bigger again, and then you will leave.
Marie looked back at us, then slowly shook her head. That is not really an option.
The usurper squeezed Emilias throat harder. I could hear her skin pull tighter through the absolute silence that reigned in the aftermath of the mana typhoon. Not an option, you say? Then I suppose Ill see about drawing out whatever I can from your corpses. Ill try to make it quick.
It spoke the words casually, with a hint of disappointment to it. Like it was talking to unruly children. I felt my blood go cold.
Once more, the creatures hand tightened, squeezing the life out of Emilia, her spine creaking. Then, there was a noise. A loud, horrible clang of metal. Matt stood next to the thing, having slammed down his sword.
Hed used a technique Id not seen him use before, his storm of flower petals coalescing around him like a shawl rather than flowing with his strikes. It seemed to make him far faster and stronger, while reducing the area of effect of his attacks.
What he ended up doing was breaking his sword.
I could spot it, Ann still in my hands. The metal struck the creatures arm, the blade breaking where he struck, about two thirds down the blade. The tip broke off entirely, deflecting off the frog-like face . The monster barely budged. It only left a thin scratch on its skin.
But it budged. The usurper wasnt tall, and Emilias feet touched the ground - which was made from rocky rubble. Instantly, I felt Qi pouring out from her wellspring, as a shell of stone manifested between her and the claw, shoving her backwards and leaving the usurper with only a lifeless mannequin to break.
Ah, it said. What a shame. It seems you will suffer after all.
Run! Marie commanded, and both Emilia and Matt instantly followed her command. There was nothing else to do. But the usurper simply reached out again, extending one of those four arms in an almost hopeless gesture.
Some kind of twisted energy began swirling inside its palm, and a vortex appeared in front of its hand. It glanced around us as if trying to settle on a piece of meat. Its eyes drifted over Matt, and it extended the grip.
Instantly, as if driven by some kind of additional instinct, the swordsman leapt, spending another sizeable chunk of Qi.
The place where hed been disappeared.
A crater as big as a house appeared where hed been just a moment before. Meanwhile, a pebble of darkness appeared in the creatures hand. Ah, it says. Like rabbits before wolves.
It chuckled darkly, as though about to play some demented game. One of its four arms was still in the rift, keeping the door between realms open, and the usurper, thankfully, locked in place. This left it with three arms.
Dark vortices appeared in front of them. It raised an arm. At me.
My mind finally caught up, and I stepped through a reflection, dragging Ann with me, somehow. It cost a significantly larger chunk of Qi, and I was thankful that she was entirely spent on mana. If shed had more, the transfer wouldve probably been even more expensive.
There was a scream, and when I looked over, Marie was missing an arm, from the elbow down.
Goosebumps raced across my skin. I felt dizzy for the first time. Fuck, that was so much blood. So much fucking blood.
As I watched, the usurper simply tossed the pebbles aside, holding one that seemed even darker in its hand for a moment. Crimson mist swirled from it, feeding the rift, making it slightly larger, but not enough to stabilize it. The thing sighed. Ah, shame. Ill need to feed all of you to it to get it to take, I think. Well, what can you do.
Its hands reached forward again, dragging Liam out of the shadows he was hiding in, only for the rogue to swiftly dissipate into thin air. The Leshi had stepped through a plant, and the rock hound through the ground.
Marie, letting out another grunt of pain, pulled out a red potion from her inventory, splashing it over the wound with shaky fingers. Some splattered onto the ground, but it would have to be fine.
Reya, too, fell to her knees, holding her head, eyes glowing with bright amber. Lurelia had picked now to communicate.
I needed to do something. Needed to help.
Undignified, I grabbed the tiara from Anns head, quickly placing it on my own. My mind raced, trying to come up with solutions, desperately, as I already channelled my Qi.
The creature was raising its hand, and I was left without many options, or much time at all. Rather than think, I simply followed instinct, engraved in me through training, the talents from the network, and the nascent spear spirit I held.
Stolen novel; please report.
My Qi flooded the weapon in droves, golden power thrumming through the steel. Even more energy flooded the tiara, building, ready to be applied. I leaned back, and threw.
It was a haphazard, imperfect throw, but the sheer amount of energy packed into it was enough to make it weighty. The usurper turned its head, curiously, and reached for my spear with a dark vortex.
There was a horrible screech as the golden aura surrounding it was peeled away like layers on an onion. The creature seemed a little surprised, catching the undamaged metal in its hand, though my spirit groaned in the connection. It had kept the metal intact.
Huh, the usurper muttered.
With all the force in the crown, I made the spear as heavy as I possibly could. Its weight doubled, then tripled, then increased more than tenfold, and the usurper staggered for a moment. It could easily lift the spear, of course, but it was off balance. Weight was, after all, hard to resist.
This pulled its fists off course, gouging pieces out of the clouds. Winds whipped up as the air was compressed and sucked in, but we lived. I tugged on my binding connection to the spear, recalling it into my hand-
The monster held onto it.
What a strange weapon, it mused, turning it in its hands. Perhaps it began holding it closer to the rift, and I heard the metal screech alongside the nascent spirit.
No! I screamed, reaching out and pulling as hard as I could. The spear remained right where it was. Until Emilia appeared from underground, slamming her mace into the usurpers arm.
The metal bent at the collision, but she had not been idle underground. Since the beginning of the fight, she mustve been channelling Qi into the weapon, because the strike was absolutely deafening. I saw a single scale crack, and a small trickle of black blood poured out.
A droplet impacted the floor, and hissed as it boiled into steam, dissolving some of the stone with it. The creatures pupils briefly contracted, and it swatted at Emilia as one might at a fly, but she was already a step back. Its short stature was getting in its way, given the need to keep a hand on the rift.
When it focused again, my spear was in my arms.
The metal had an imprint of its hand on it, glimmering an ashen white. It seemed as though the life had been sucked out of it, the Qi channels through the weapon feeling raw and eroded. Pitiful.
I heard the spirit squawk through our connection. It was alive. I was glad about that, at least.
Then, a hand gripped me from below, pulling me to the ground.
Behind me, the rubble of a building collapsed in on itself, into a tiny, dark bead. The usurper looked at me from behind an outstretched claw. Stop this charade. Just go on and die already!
Liams voice made me tune it out. Reya got a message from Lurelia. An archmage is on their way, he whispered.
Relief flooded me at that. We could live. We could stall, create distance
The others were ahead of me. Emilia and Matt were further out, and Reya nowhere to be seen. Liam mustve carried her out. I picked up Ann, threw my spear, throwing myself the opposite direction as that dark pull once again missed. Then I teleported to the glossy steel of the weapon.
We were-
There was a bloodcurdling scream.
Distance wasnt enough. Emilia laid about halfway between the edge of the standing buildings and the monster. Her left leg was torn off below the knee, the metal armor around the stump twisted and full of jagged edges.
Marie instantly dashed for her, picking her up, and dragging her.
The usurper snarled, pointing its hands at us, looking for opportunities. It was like staring down the barrel of a gun, literally. I hadnt felt this powerless since the last time I was held at gunpoint.
I stared at the dark vortex, and the world seemed to slow down. In a moment of thought, I grabbed a roll of fabric from my inventory, and tossed it. Instantly, it unfurled, hiding me from the monster.
A moment later, I heard a terrible noise from behind me and kept running. It had done its job, valiantly.
Around me, Matt was quickly releasing his petals in a storm, and the shadows grew darker, all in an attempt to obscure lines of sight. I had mirror powers. I could help here.
Violently coursing Qi through my abilities, to the point where the energy almost burned under my skin, I created [Reflections], not of attacks, but purely visual ones.
Suddenly, another Matt stood near the original, darting the opposite way. Another Emilia, carried by another Marie. They looked virtually the same to me, but without the ability to dodge half were torn apart by the next attack.
I was still running, holding Ann, desperately digging at the energy bubbling up from my wells, channelling it into any ability I could think of to help. What else was there, what else-
With the sound of glass shattering, all my illusions were broken. A storm of pink was surrounding the monster, but it blasted the nuisance away with raw magic. The shadows boiled, and it summoned a miniature sun to banish them.
Scorching light hit my back, and I could smell my clothes begin to smoke. Finally, though, I ducked behind cover - only to have the entire house behind me compressed into a tiny sphere within moments. My heart was racing, but I was drawing blanks. Another blood curdling scream. Hed targeted Emilia again, and Marie hadnt managed to get them both out of the way. It was unwinnable.
But then, finally, space twisted a different way, and two regal figures in robes stepped out. It was an old, blind man, someone I recognized because my master used to have tea with him. Erasmus the seer.
Next to him stood a lady dressed the same way. Her back was a little straighter, her hair a little more wavey, and her eyes more vibrant. The air hummed with a dull purple around her.
Worry not, kids, the geriatric cleanup crew is here, she said, smirking.
The usurper simply scoffed, extending a hand at the woman, that same dark vortex twisting forwards then stopping. It was locked in place.
Around the woman, even more dense mana radiated. Now, now. I just teleported us all the way here. It would at least be polite to let me refill my mana.
It sneered. You can feed it to the rift when youre done, grandma.
Oh? Let me see you talk shit when I send you to space, she replied, twirling an oversized staff carved from pure amethyst.
The old man appeared next to me. Are you alright, child? he asked, offering me a hand up. Come, come. I apologize for not having foreseen this sooner. We came as fast as we could.
I simply blinked, blankly taking the hand he offered. A moment later, we stepped through space. There was a small clearing with all our party.
Well, all might have been an overstatement.
Emilia was still missing her leg below the knee. But that was by far not the worst. Marie
Ahhhh, this really hurts, she muttered, even as Reyas healing enveloped her. Like, really, really hurts.
On the left side of her body, a huge chunk of it was carved out, from her leg all the way up to her waist. Blood was pooling on the ground beneath her. No amount of healing was going to close up those wounds.
I kneeled down next to her, red staining my clothing. She looked at me, eyes blurry. Oh, Fio. Hi there. I feel a lil woozy. I dun think the skys meant to spin like that She slipped back into her accent.
Gently, I put a hand on her shoulder. I smiled, even as tears formed in my eyes. Nah, its not, I said.
Marie smirked at me. She reached up with her stump, then frowned, and reached up with the hand that wasnt just torn out. Her smile returned. Youre so brave, girl. Dont let anyone tell ya otherwise. Ill she coughed blood, droplets of red smattering against me. Ill fuck em up!
You would, yeah.
Take care of em all for me, will ya? Marie asked, looking into the sky, smiling.
I will.
See ya on the other side, Marie said. Skys so pretty here. Lemme remember it.
I promise.
The others kneeled somberly in the pool of her blood, giving her some last smiles. Bye Marie, we all said. Her last sight mustve been all our faces against Edens lavender sky. Then, I activated [Gateway], sending her home.
Later, yall.
Chapter 104: A Person named Marie
Marie disappeared from Eden that day. She hadnt thought it would happen to her, but that was how life often went, wasnt it? Every danger felt so distant, so irrelevant, until it happens to you.
Shed felt about leaving Eden like this the same way she thought about car crashes. Of course she knew they happened. They were downright common. But despite that, when stepping into a car she never expected to have one.
The peaceful thoughts were interrupted when Marie was shunted back into Neamhan. Usually, the process was smooth, but not this time.
Unlike all the other times shed gone back and forth, she hadnt gone through a fixed gateway, simply taking a step and ending up in another world. Instead, she was moved by Fio, while missing an arm and a leg.
So, instead of gracefully stepping out of the mirror, Marie stumbled and fell, her face slamming against the wooden boards of the floor. She attempted to get up, but her damn leg wouldnt move.
Pins and needles wracked her once-injured body parts at the same time as the phantom pain set in. Marie drew in a sharp breath, feeling stifled and suffocated. It didnt help. Dozens of seconds went by as she laid on the floor, gasping like a fish on land, curled up in hopes that her body would stop aching.
Minutes ticked by, and eventually, the acute pain faded. She still felt numb. Slowly, she crawled across the floor, grabbed one of the pots of her bed, and pulled herself up. She sat down on it, managing to hold the position.
Then, she put her elbows on her thighs, and her face in her hands, and started crying. Fuck, she muttered. Fuck.
It had hurt. That pain was, easily, the most agonizing thing she had ever gone through. But the uncertainty was even worse. Were the others okay? Would they survive? There were archmages there now, sure, but that thing had been terrifying.
She hyperventilated again, then choked down a sob. Breathe, she thought to herself. Just breathe.
Another ten minutes passed before Marie stopped shaking. Her hands, finally, felt somewhat normal again, the strange numbness and pulling sensation fading into the background. Im safe, she muttered out loud, more for herself to hear.
Slowly, she lifted her face out of her hands, and faced the coming day. Theyd spent a long time in Eden. New years had passed. Winter was slowly fading away to spring. It was still chilly, but she could see the first stems of hardy grasses outside.
Marie took a moment to appreciate the view. Her home was unusual, to say the least. It had windows on all sides of the cabin atop the tower. Around her were forests. Some of the last that remained on Neamhan.
Hardy trees that had somehow been overlooked during all the deforestation. Shrubbery that had just started to recover. They werent doing amazingly, with all the pollution in the air, but they were alive.
She basked in a ray of sunlight. It fell onto the arm she remembered losing, and the dull, pulling pain reared its ugly head again. She drew in another sharp breath, but let it fade naturally.
The amount of synchronization between her bodies hadnt been this great before. Was it another facet of Fios ability? Then
No. She sighed, shaking her head. She didnt want to know, yet. Marie breathed, basking in the sunlight, staring out at the forest from her ranger cabin. She left that small flame of hope linger in her heart. The thought that she might be able to use Qi or Mana on Neamhan now. She let that flame burn, and shifted her focus.
In the corner of the cabin stood her mirror. It was taller than she was, hanging on a wooden frame that allowed it to spin. She walked up to it, tracing her fingers across the surface, leaving a faint trail.
Usually, it would ripple at her touch. Respond. But now, the glass was inert. It only showed her own reflection, that of an old, hardened woman, who had just spent minutes crying and shaking.
I look like shit, she said, scoffing slightly. She took a few steps over to the pantry, limping slightly, pulled it open, took out a can of tomato soup, and started devouring it. She was ravenous.
After half the can she started to feel sick, but still forced the rest down, then sat on her bed again.
She didnt do this as a job anymore. No one paid her to be out here. She didnt even have an obligation. She made enough from Eden. But the few people who mattered to her in this world were the other rangers.
Taking a deep breath, she walked to the radio. She wasnt supposed to have one of these; they were government issued. Only rangers could cue into them. But, with her old contacts, getting an old one and fixing it up hadnt been much trouble.
Once more, she breathed, reaching for the mic with a shaky hand. Sh pressed the button to turn the whole thing on, hearing the crackly static that calmed her nerves. Then, she activated her mic. This is Marie, she said. Back in tower three-O. Ill be here for the foreseeable future again. Looking forward to working with you. Andy, you here?
She let go of the button and waited, rapping her fingertips on the table. Fuck, she felt like shit.
Eventually, the radio crackled more. Yeah, here, this is Andy. Welcome back, Marie.
Andys voice was husky and rough, from a lifetime of smoking and breathing road air. He was in his early sixties, now, but still strong as a bear. Can you set me up my supply drops again? Marie asked.
Course, the man replied through the crackling. Earliest I can do is overmorrow. That fine?
Works perfectly. Thanks, Andy.
No prob. A long pause on the radio.
Then, there was another voice, younger. You sound like shit, Marie, they said with a bit of bite.
I feel even worse, she replied truthfully.
Hah! Jamie, the younger colleague, barked a laugh through the mic so loud that it peaked, sending a slight squeal through the ranger cabin. Catch some sleep, then. No hikers in the area anyway, far as we know. If you spot smoke, just let us know, but with the melting snow, things are wet anyway.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Will do. Talk to you later, Jamie. Andy.
Later.
The legs of the chair scraped across the wooden floor as Marie got up, almost stumbling. She slapped her leg a few times, trying to get the circulation going a bit more, but it felt dull and distant. She grimaced, then limped to her bed, and flopped down.
Draping an arm over her face, Marie sighed. Fuck, she repeated again.
There was a ball of emotions in her chest. Anger, sadness, worry, happiness, fulfillment shed done so much and yet it wasnt enough. It would never be enough.
Now the others were on their own. She hoped Marie choked back a sob. She really hoped none of them would forget her.
All she could do for now was remember them, the way shed seen them before her return to Neamhan. Smiling, for her. She already missed her friends.
- - -
I stared blankly at the spot where Marie had just been. Emilia was the first to leave the formation around her. She draped back against a tree, holding her stump in pain. Divines, she muttered. I think I might pass the fuck out.
Reya got up next, kneeling beside the warrior, and glowing with divinity. Her eyes were closed, her face a mask of silent mourning. She channelled it to try and help where she could. Ann still peacefully slept.
Liam cried. I saw tears streaking down his face. He shook. I placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. Chris had lost their human shell, but stood vigilantly with the bodies of the forest spirit and rock hound. Watching out. The wooden one turned to where the body had been and gestured.
I stared at them for a while. Oh, I said. You wanna build a marker?
They nodded. Yeah. I think that might be nice.
Nodding, they kneeled down, and began casting magic. I stared blankly, still.
The archmage, Erasmus, looked to us. A valiant sacrifice, he said. A brave woman who leaves this world in its service. You did a remarkable job closing the rift. Losing only one Defender-
Matt stood, and slammed his fist into a nearby tree, splintering the wood. His face was a mask of rage, tears streaming down his cheeks. Say one more fucking word, old man, he ground out through a sneer. One more fucking word and Ill skewer you, you bastard.
He was serious. Erasmus looked at him sadly. No, not quite. It was with pity. Then I will leave and we shall take care of the usurper. We will return to you afterwards.
Kill it, I told him. For her-
Erasmus gently shook his head. I dont suppose that will be possible. But we will drive it back to the other side of the rift. Then, he stepped through space, and was suddenly gone.
Matt slammed the tree again, with another resounding crack. Hed almost smashed the whole trunk by now. Fucking useless, he said staring at the sky. Theyre useless. Not even revenge. All we get is a petty good job and a pat on the fucking back. For what? For what?!
I slowly stood up, gently taking my hand off Liam. Matt? I asked.
He turned to me, barely suppressed rage in his eyes. Yes? he said, probably as politely as he could manage, his voice shaking.
Lets take a walk. I heard my own voice shake a little as well, but not from anger. I felt defeated.
Matt glared at me, those pale pink eyes alit with fury. Despite that, he took a long, hissing breath, and held it in. Okay, he ground out.
For a few more seconds, I stood, nodding slowly and holding onto his shoulder. I watched as Chris shell worked, the Leshi growing a tree where Marie had disappeared. It wasnt huge. More of a shrub, really. She wouldve loved it.
When the wooden giant stood and walked away again, I turned to Matt. He nodded curtly, and we headed out.
A few minutes passed in perfect silence.
The only noises we heard was the crunching of leaves under our boots, and the faint ringing of combat in the distance. I did also hear Matt grind his teeth, but I decided to ignore it. The afternoon was almost tranquil. The air felt so calm now, compared to the buzz of mana. I was almost out of Qi, only keeping a thin layer of it around myself to not attract any monsters.
I simply looked at the sky as we walked in tandem.
Eventually, Matt broke the silence. Why are we doing this? he asked.
As he asked, I turned to face him. I was crying, for sure. I let out a small sniffle as I looked at him, and I saw about half of that anger disappear in an instant, winking out. Cuz I need it, I told him. And I think- I think you do, too.
Matt didnt reply at first. I heard him draw in a long breath through his teeth, then breathe out again. He repeated the motion a few times. Then he walked another couple dozen steps simply staring at the ground, thinking.
It was almost funny. I knew him well, so much so that I could almost see the cogs in his head turning. He was working through it. He was grieving. In a way, we all were, even though Marie wasnt dead. Shed suffered for us. And she was gone, right now.
After some time, he opened his mouth, then closed it again, thinking some more. It took him a while to decide on what to say. Sorry, he said. For-
I decided to interrupt him, stopping our walk, as cathartic as it felt for voyage, and grabbed his shoulder. Matt, I said, getting his attention. You have nothing to apologize for.
But-
Nothing, I repeated, squeezing harder. I stared at him, downright boring into his eyes, not letting him look away. I think I was still crying, tears streaking down my cheek.
He looked. Then slowly, shakily nodded. Okay, he said, eventually. Okay. I- thank you. For walking with me.
Of course.
Marie was she he paused. Looked at me helplessly. He couldnt find the words.
I breathed in. She was your mom.
Matt blinked. What?
Not just yours, I shrugged, but more so than anyone elses. Matt, when was the last time your mother praised you?
He froze. There was another, longer silence. Oh, he eventually said.
Yeah, I answered, finally releasing his shoulder and letting my arm drop limply. I kicked a pebble aside, looking at the floor. So, Matt, please grieve. In whatever way you need to. Get angry, get frustrated, scream and yell. Were out here, now. You can do whatever. No ones gonna judge.
Matt pulled me into a hug. Im a bit selfish, huh? he asked, whispering.
I wrapped my arms around him. A little. But thats okay. I- All of us get it, Rabbit.
He breathed, then sobbed, and I felt my patchwork shirt get wetter. He held onto me like a buoy in a storm. I held him, too. The poor guy was so hurt. After his grandma, this was the second mom hed effectively lost.
She remembers us, you know? I whispered, when his sobs quieted a little.
I felt him nod. Yea, he said with a hiccup for air.
Well see her again.
Mhm, he nodded again.
But its still okay to be upset. Im upset. We all wish we couldve saved the others, but thats just not how it went. So well mope, I said.
Mhm. Matt hugged me silently for another few minutes. Eventually, he took a long breath, then pulled away.
He looked at me with eyes that were grateful, but remained silent. Hed cry again if he talked. I knew the feeling.
Instead, I saw his fingers slowly trail to his hip where his broken sword was sheathed. He pulled it out, slowly.
Now, it was only the length of a dagger, the ending of it jagged and rough. It would eventually heal with enough Qi, especially at wellspring rank, but it still fucking sucked. Maybe he would spend some contribution reforging it?
Matt, oblivious to my wandering thoughts, unsheathed the sword. He looked at his own reflection in the fractured metal. He choked out a pained laugh, running his free hand over his face and through his hair. He, obviously, looked like a fucking mess.
Gently, I turned the sword in his hand so that the broad side wasnt facing him anymore. No need to worry about his own reflection.
Slowly, looking more like a puppet on strings than a human, he swung. It was a simple overhead slice, executed at a speed more like flowing honey than anything else. After almost half a minute, the first slash was completed, and he transitioned into the next one.
I could see his worn down muscles working underneath his skin. A terribly faint smell of plum enveloped the forest. It seemed to quiet the wind around us, even as a raindrop fell from the sky.
The forest was wrapped in a deep silence as Matt moved. Step by agonizingly slow step, he moved through the forms of his swordsmanship. He gazed at me occasionally, as if looking for mockery, but after his first glance, I shook off my stupor.
With a faint, encouraging smile, I leaned against a tree, and pulled out my spear. It was worn down. The blade had chipped, the shaft, too, not to mention the imprint of where the usurper had grabbed it.
Despite that, I heard the faint chirping of the spirit in it. A buzzing sound that blended into the falling droplets of water.
In the silent forest, I began channelling my Qi through the spear. Repairing it, strengthening it, feeding the spirit. It felt hopeless, but those were the times when it mattered most.
In the silent forest, I lived on. Marie wouldnt have had it any other way.
Chapter 105: Tough B*tches
I dreamt of golden waters. Of calm seas, and endless horizons. Of reaching up and grabbing the sunlight in my hands.
Of beautiful, peaceful days. Breathing deep. Sprawling underwater coral reefs.
I woke up to a notification.
[Golden Wellspring advanced to 4th Step.]
Perhaps it shouldnt have come as that much of a surprise. Talents stacking atop each other was potent, and the enormous influx of power in the aftermath of Anns ritual was also quite helpful for cultivation. So was well, grieving, I suppose. It was part of any journey, too, after all.
Saying goodbye.
With a soft sigh, I pushed myself up in the meagre tent. Ann laid next to me, her lips faintly parted, a single strand of hair draped over her face, laying the bridge of her nose. I smiled, brushing it aside, and she leaned into my hand slightly.
For a few moments, I let myself enjoy that lingering sensation. The aftermath of a dream, and the presence of what I wanted to live for. Who I wanted the world to be for.
Then, letting my wistful smile fade away slowly, I focused on the presence. Where we were. Who was outside. What needed to be done.
I wrapped my Qi around myself like a mantle, braiding it with an almost casual ease. Some of it flowed through the connection with my spear, feeding the waking spirit. It was dormant still, barely so.
Another part siphoned off my mirror wellspring, feeding a specific technique, as a humanoid body wove itself from greyish magic. Cass avatar soon floated in the air next to me. I gently laid a finger on my lips, and she understood the symbol.
Before heading out, there was one thing I still needed to lay eyes on. My training recently had been intense, especially in terms of manipulating Qi. It was time to see the results.
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Spearwoman (10) / Gateway (9)
-
Techniques
-
Stats
-
General
-
Strength: Greater (Inferior)
-
Agility: Greater (Inferior)
-
Endurance: Greater (Intermediate)
-
Resilience: Greater (Lesser)
-
Manipulation: Greater (Basic)
-
Capacity: Greater (Lesser)
-
Absorption: Greater (Lesser)
-
Qi
-
Disposition
Current Status: Metamorphosing]
I only called up my general stats. I had seen all the updates to my Qi, and my disposition was still the same. Same with my techniques - save for [Gifted Fragment] having been subsumed into the new tab. [Weapon Resonance], [Spear Qi], and [Spear Spirit] all felt on the verge of a breakthrough, and I had the feeling that once the spirit awoke, it would take the other techniques up a notch with itself.
But for now, all I managed was a barely visible smile of content at the increases. All my stats were now in the greater realm. My strength crossed over, maybe from all the hauling. My endurance was stretched to its limits with the never ending wave of usurpers during the ritual.
My capacity and absorption, however, had leapt into the greater realm and, simultaneously, into the second step of those. Absorption was steadily growing more powerful as I used my Qi, being dedicated to the production of it. Capacity was simultaneously self explanatory.
Manipulation, too, had leapt two steps, which came from my steady practice and use of more esoteric abilities. Melding my two types of Qi together must have been a major step forward there, as well.
I could hardly be compared to myself from just a year ago, now. I could beat that Fio with both my cores near empty, myself blindfolded, on one leg and with an arm tied behind my back.
The comparison was unfair of course. I even improved faster than back then, the talents of my friend taking root and blossoming within the network. I could feel it - as time passed and I used them, they grew stronger. As my gateway grew, they grew, too.
A part of Marie was still with me; that uncanny ability to fully assimilate the building blocks of Skills faster. Silently, I thought a thank you to her.
Then I reopened my eyes, and pushed the tent flaps aside, stepping outside. The sun hung high in the lilac sky, and despite a good chunk of it being covered in darkness now, its rays warmed my face.
Ah, youre awake, the hoarse voice of an old lady greeted me.
I turned towards the archmage that was here with Erasmus. Lyria, a space mage. She also dabbled in time and gravity magic, but her greatest skill was in space. Which is why she often played taxi for other archmages - and worked with Erasmus to be at emergency sites as early as possible.
You didnt sleep, I noted.
Lyria gave me a hoarse laugh, then coughed, and cleared her throat. No. No, I did not, she said. I thought you could use it more.
Cant judge that without knowing how much you needed it, I said with a shrug, sitting down across from her over the embers of the campfire. I threw in a little more wood, preparing to make some breakfast. The others were still asleep, worn out and tired. My endurance was the highest among the group - courtesy of my habit of pushing myself.
Your friend in armor might not be fighting any more battles soon, the old woman remarked.
At that, I looked up from the fire I was poking around in, meeting her eyes. They were dark blue, almost black, her hair greying, full of silver streaks. Her skin, on the other hand, was full of wrinkles and lines that showed her age.
Then, I snorted. Pffffft. You would think that.
She blinked. What?You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Emilia, not fighting any battles? Yeah right. I chuckled again more softly this time.
Apologies, but she lost a limb, the archmage said, seemingly worried.
I shrugged. So she did. I dont see this conversation going anywhere, so lets just wait and see. Dont you have important mage business to attend to?
Lyria gave a long sigh at that. After taking Erasmus to the healers, I do not. His injuries will take a while to mend - a day or two. Less than would be expected facing an enemy of this caliber. Had the usurper not been chained to the rift, one of us would have died.
So it had been just that dangerous. I drew in a long breath. Then, until he is ready you will just what, sit here?
Recharge my mana, she said with a shrug. Space magic demands great volumes of it. I can hardly fold the world in half on an empty vessel. So I must meditate.
And you can chat next to that? I asked.
The corner of her lip quirked upwards. Why yes, she said easily. I can multitask quite well.
Howd you become an archmage? I then asked brazenly.
She tilted her head a little. Hmm? What are you getting at.
I dangled my feet at the edge of the seating, idly watching as the fire finally took hold of the branches Id added in. Not looking at her, I continued. There are seven archmages. Each one of you is a little different. Driven. What drives you?
Lyria blinked, then gave me a soft chuckle. Her hoarse voice grated out the sentences. Youre right. Do you know what drives all the archmages, Fio? she asked.
No, I shook my head.
The old woman hummed slightly, then smiled. Erasmus wants to know the future because he desires control. Maximum benefit for minimum cost. Its why he approved of saving you - because by all measures you did well.
Orvan wants the stars because this world isnt enough for him. His ambition is selfish, driving upwards because he cannot stand having anyone above him. Calio researches barriers to be left well alone, and they achieved the exact opposite.
Then there is Finnyr, who simply wants a life of convenience. Saif, who cannot bow her head, and Klein, who simply cannot stand to see others get hurt. Not that he cares about most people.
Finally, me. She smiled, showing me two rows of teeth. I learn space magic, because I love this world. Because I want to see every single corner of it. I want to meet people, see places, I want to do it all. People like you, Fio, she said with a smug, self-indulging grin, are why I want to keep this world alive. So I can have talks like these.
I nodded slowly. I see.
She smiled even wider. I dont think you do. Just like how I dont understand your friend, I dont think you understand me. And thats fine. People dont always need to understand each other. Suffice to say, I think this world is worthwhile the way it is right now, and I think itd be a real shame if someone tried to take it away from me.
Lyria took a deep breath, finally, gazing into the sky, pausing her rant. I saw as the ecstatic glint in her eyes faded to a more dull one, reminiscing rather than reaffirming her wants. Ive seen so much of it all. Waterfalls and dunes. Dark castles, sunsets by the ocean, people of different species. Creature big and small. Ive spent hours watching bugs, and seconds crushing titans. And Id spend hours more on it. So, suffice to say, I despise those that try to take this world from me.
Her eyes lingered on the lilac sky. Ill kill em, she said hoarsely under her breath. Then she looked at me again. Im not a war mage - not like Saif or Orvan. But Ill do anything in my power to keep this world as it is.
Lyria paused and clicked her tongue. Well, not as it is. Change is necessary, of course, she said, waving her hand. Rivers will erode mountains. People will change, move. Old fossils like me will die, and new people like you will rise to power. Some conventions will become unacceptable, and some will become more acceptable. That is how things are supposed to be.
Then, she shook her head. But I do not want a genocide to come from the outside, tear this world apart, and then change things. Replace our trees with theirs, our soil with theirs, our animals with theirs, our magic with theirs. Of course, if it went peacefully, and equally, that would be fine. But we are in a military conflict, and the usurpers have done this to other worlds before.
She breathed. Not this one, she croaked. Not this one.
I swallowed heavily, looking at her. Archmage Lyria had, in a way that seemed rather effortless, poured her heart out to me. Were all people with that kind of conviction so readily able to do that?
Given her eerily wide smile, I doubted that. No, this was some kind of special skill. I took a deep, long breath, then met her eyes again. Thank you for explaining.
Of course, Fio, she said. Her eyes flicked to Cass avatar in the air near me. I hope your keeper friend also has learned a little more about my motivations.
Cass nodded. I have, she said, her voice smooth and calm. Your drive is admirable.
Lyria nodded, leaning her face onto her open palm. How diplomatic of you. She opened her mouth as if to talk more, then pushed her lips close together, knitting her eyebrows. It accentuated the lines on her face, making her look like a rather angry statue. Ah, she said. It seems Ive been called on. Erasmus is in worse shape than expected, and needs better healers. Pleasure talking to you, young defender. Im sure well meet again in this war.
Before I could reply, the chatterbox of a woman flicked her wrist, and space tore open.
It wasnt a gracious portal, looking more like someone ripped a hole into a shirt. She stepped through without turning back once.
When space closed behind her, I felt a small shudder, the hair on my arms raising. The ambient mana was slowly increasing. I hadnt even noticed but with it being that low she must have drawn in mana for dozens, maybe hundreds of meters out.
Terrifying, I muttered.
Cass looked at me. She doesnt seem too bad.
I shook my head. Yeah, no, not too bad, I agreed. Just intense.
My keeper nodded. Definitely, she agreed. But was that unexpected? Cass teased with a smile.
It made me snort for a moment. I suppose not, no, I said. Then I sighed, stood, stretched, and grabbed a few rations from my inventory. We had enough food for a few days, but then wed need to see about getting more.
While pouring some preserved soup into a metal pot, I thought about the future. What, exactly, was next? Given what wed done, we probably had some contribution to turn in with the divines, but it wasnt an urgent priority.
I squeezed my fist, feeling the strength in it. The raw stats combined with my levels to make me genuinely strong. Despite that, I felt a little aimless. If we just hunted a few more usurpers with gateway fragments, we could just drop this all. Go home, come back another day.
But, having seen the destruction it didnt feel right. It-
My train of thought was interrupted when Liam sat down next to me. Hed replaced his mask, the old one having been soiled when Marie died, but he didnt even wear it. It was pulled down to under his chin, showing me his whole face.
He breathed slowly next to me, not saying a word. I listened to that, watching his slumped figure from the corner of my eyes. Slowly, as the seconds ticked by, he sat a little straighter, and his gaze focused on the food.
Whatre you making? he asked. It was entirely his own voice, no whispering.
Breakfast soup.
No normal person has tomato soup for breakfast.
Never claimed to be normal, I said with a shrug.
It coaxed at least a small smile from the rogue. I reached out hesitantly. Can I? I asked.
He nodded faintly.
I put a hand on his head, ruffling his hair slightly. He gave that same, faint smile again. Then I hugged him, and he returned the gesture.
The soups burning, he muttered up against me after a few moments. I smiled, taking the hint, and letting him go as I stirred.
Thanks, Fio, he said.
Anytime, Liam, I replied. Take it easy. Well figure out whats next when the others are here.
He looked up into the darkening sky, and nodded. Okay. Yeah. That seems doable.
We spent the rest of the morning in silence. I added some more spices and vegetables to the soup to make the meal less miserable, and slowly, the others trudged in. Matt and Reya. Chris two shells. Eventually, Emilia stumbled out of her tent, too.
I watched her plop down on a rock, her stump bandaged up and scabbed over. She was tough, and it was already healing over. Gingerly, I handed everyone bowls of soup.
Everyone ate silently.
Emilia finished first. She let out a long sigh. Could you give me a second portion? she asked. And stop staring like that, she added. Im okay.
Reya signed something that Liam tried to translate, falling back into the familiar whispering pattern. Shes asking if youre sure. And if you need anything. Ah, shes offering to help.
The warrior woman smiled and looked around. I refilled her bowl, as she took a deep breath. Then, without warning, she smashed her gloved fist into the rock she sat on, sending a crack through it.
Im fucking pissed, she said, still wearing that same smile. I get moping. I really do. I feel like shit, too. Im in pain, Im exhausted, and I feel like a giant fucking failure. She stopped, taking her bowl back, and putting a spoonful into her mouth, swallowing quickly. So, what Im going to do. Is eat well. Recover.
She clenched her fist in the rock, and the dull grey thing took on a life of its own, melting, reshaping, flowing into a new form. Im gonna get strong again. She pressed the shifting construct against her stump, and it slowly flowed into the shape of a prosthetic. And then Im gonna kill something.
The crack from the stone shattering must have woken Ann, because she walked out of the tent, bleary-eyed.
Because if Marie fought with us, then we gotta keep on fighting without her. Because thats what tough bitches do.
Chapter 106: True Beginnings
And so we fought.
We talked to Ann, who was, understandably, rather shocked. Marie was gone, Emilia had lost a leg, and Chris didnt have any shell to speak to us with anymore. The archmages were gone, but at the very least, the rift was closed.
Each one of us had contribution to spend, but with the increasing prices as we grew stronger, and the bitter taste in our mouth from the battle, no one felt like taking the long journey to a town to do so. The altars here had been blown apart as the archmages thought the usurper.
There were spoils for us to see, however, since my network included magic item drops.
Liam, for example, now wore a cloak, and one of his knives seemed to come attached to an almost invisible string. Emilia could manifest pauldrons on her shoulders, that seemed to twinkle like liquid crystal.
Reya wore a bracelet, having received it from one of us, and Matt had a flower woven into his hair. As a group, we also got some generally useful items, such as a piece of rather good flint that regrew over time, and a bottle that could hold incredible volumes of water.
For my own part Id received a belt.
[Treasure: Wanderers Key
Owner: Fiona Bellum
Description: Once there was an adventurer, who was always held up in her travels. So she asked the world to stop troubling her, and received an item in turn. This sash allows greater freedom of movement. See the world, wanderer, do not let your obstacles stop you. Walls are simply unopened doors.]
As always, the description was somewhat vague. But the item seemed to have three main effects. Firstly, it made all forms of movement more energy efficient.
I could more easily create platforms of Qi to stand on in the air, and also stick to them upside down or sideways without much trouble. Stepping through reflections was always cheaper, now, causing less trouble.
The second was a minor active warping effect. If I channelled energy into the sash, it would slightly condense the world when I stepped, increasing my speed, and letting me cover greater distances with a single movement.
Finally, there was the enchantment of why it was called a Key. With enough power, it could create what was essentially a tunnel, allowing me to step through walls. I could make these doors appear anywhere, though the closer to me, the easier it was.
It felt like that last ability still had some untapped potential, but its essence was to avoid trouble, so to speak, which meant obstacles, but it would most likely also warp projectiles and attacks around me, though it was rather expensive.
Still, it suited me. In general, the drops seemed a little more themed this time, their powers seeming a little dependent on the creatures that dropped them, as well as the people who did the killing. Since one of my paths was travelling, and the things I killed came from a rift, I got a warping-type ability.
Liam had gotten the silky string for his dagger from a spider-type monster, now easily able to twirl it around and retrieve it after throwing. Emilias pauldrons had come from a crystalline zurulen that shed smashed to bits, and since she had rock powers
I smiled. The ability wasnt entirely random, then. Of course, wed still need to do more testing, but having these items was rather useful.
We spent the rest of that day resting. It was necessary; all of us were exhausted, and we werent ready to fight again. Matts sword would need a while longer to fix itself, but wed head out again before that happened.
For now, though, I hugged Ann and patted her head. She was blaming herself for all the trouble, because of course she was. So I stayed there with her, whispering, and giving her the time she needed.
Eventually, she stopped crying and fell asleep again.
- - -
The next day, we awoke to darkness. The sun was rising, but almost all of it was covered by now. I looked around, and saw everyones faces set with grim determination. Tomorrow, the eclipse would start properly. Tomorrow.
Before then, though, we had things to do. With practiced motions, we packed up our gear, placing it into our inventories. I took some more time to stitch up the biggest damage in our clothes, too. Hopefully wed get some armor drops or something soon.
A few minutes passed until we were all ready. Chris wooden shell stalked ahead, Liam following it in the shadows, and when the path was declared clear-ish a few minutes later, we moved out.
For the rest of the day, we just trekked through the wilderness.
It was strange, really. The area was so calm. All the usurpers had been attracted by rifts and people that there were few critters about here. The frontier was shifting, and this land had been swiftly abandoned as the usurpers moved farther eastwards.
But they left their traces. I could feel it in the way the air hummed, in the way the world felt even more hostile than usual. Traces of that lingering energy.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
When I was weaker, I couldnt feel it, but with my rise in levels and stats, it was there. Like a pinprick at the back of my neck. A faint haze that told me that I was unwanted here. That this was no longer human- no longer Edenian territory.
It showed in how we didnt encounter any other people. In the way the air shifted and ate at the thin barriers on our skin. In how the world, ever so subtly, seemed out of colour.
The darkness of the eclipse highlighted it, too. Everything was cast almost in monochrome. Like an old movie. It felt like dull static hung in the air, the kind that crackled and popped quietly.
And, of course, it showed in how there were few usurpers here, not none.
Every so often, Liam and Chris would hack apart small troops, or take us along for slightly bigger ones. Often, when we came upon those, the air felt even more hostile, subtly different. It made me think - were there nests around here?
None that had gateway fragments, that much I knew. [Lost and Found] would have told me. So it would have to be, what, biological nests? That created more of whatever they spawned by eating Qi and nutrients, rather than relying on calling them over from another world?
The brix nest wed destroyed those months ago had owned a gateway fragment, though a small one, and had also still devoured bits of this world. As much of it as it could, even. Now, did these nests sustain themselves only from Eden?
I shook my head, stopping the speculation. We werent here for those. It would be important to reclaim this territory, yes. At some point. But not right now. Not when there were people actively being killed.
So, we marched through. Whenever there was trouble, we beat it down. The main front of the usurpers was further northeast, so that is where we headed. Kind of in the direction of the capital of the Edenians.
But wed cross that bridge when we got to it. For now, we simply kept marching.
- - -
We marched through the night, as well. With stats as high as ours, it was little trouble. I practiced moving my Qi more, channelling it into my spear, manifesting an aura of liquid gold on it, then having it change shape and disappear.
I felt a small push back on the exercise from my spirit. It felt as if wait. I chuckled to myself.
Seriously? I asked it in a low whisper, not receiving a reply for now. I shook my head. Alright, then
Changing my mindset, I focused a little more. I held my spear in my right hand, but that is not where I channelled my Qi. Instead, I focused on my left. There was no spear there, but ah, no it broke. Maybe I needed a little bit of help?
With a quick swipe of my weapon, a long wooden branch fell into my hand. I tossed it up once and caught it. There were leaves still attached, and it didnt have a sharp tip, but Eh, close enough, I thought, and focussed.
I convinced myself that in my left, I was holding a spear. I coursed Qi through myself, out of my wellspring, through the dense meridians in my body, then into the weapon, in the patterns Id do for a normal spear, and then
My Qi took hold. I opened my eyes, and the branch was encased in a golden shell, taking the form of a spear. Pffft.
Ann looked over at the noise I made, and saw me holding two weapons now. She cocked her head. Whats is that a branch?
Yeah, I nodded with a snicker. I tossed up the golden spear and twirled it. Well, yes and no. Its a spear, clearly.
And according to my spirit everything could be one.
I threw the branch casually and lightly, with enough force to pierce into a tree but not through it. The golden construct lodged into the wood then dissipated. I smiled, no longer holding anything in my left hand but that didnt matter, did it?
My Qi was all I needed.
Smiling, relying on the instincts I had from the spirit, my years of muscle memory, and the talent and practice Id put in, I [Single-Mindedly] focused, and
[Spear Qi has reached (Great)!]
A golden spear of solid crystal Qi manifested in my empty hand. I blinked.
I twirled it around, and it spun easily in my hand, mimicking the weight and balance of my core bonded spear. Huh, I said, grinning ear to ear. Then I looked over at Ann, who stared back with equal surprise.
Huh, she mimicked my expression. She flicked a finger against the tip of the weapon, and a clear, metallic ring came from it. Thats awesome, she smiled.
Slowly, a grin crept into my face. Hey, Matt? I asked.
Wazzup? the swordsman asked, turning to me. I tossed the spear at him with an almost casual motion.
Got my weapon Qi to great just now. Check this out. No longer even need a spear to be a spearwoman, I bragged.
He twirled it, raising his eyebrows. ... Huh. How?
Well, it feels a little like acknowledging that theres a weapon there, even though there is none, and then just having your Qi flow the same way it would when enhancing a weapon, I explained.
Hmmm, he hummed, stretching his arm forward, and focussing. Qi coalesced in the air, twirls of pink smoke and plum smell spilling forward. Hmmm. He kept humming, changing his Qi flow a few times per second.
No, he shook his head. Its not clicking. Yours he looked at the spear in his other hand, it clicked into place, didnt it?
I nodded. Yep.
Yeah, this isnt my kinda thing, it seems. But Ive got an idea. A faint smile bloomed on his lips, and he drew his sword. Let me just
Watching with curiosity, I took a good look at his Qi. It twirled in his body, spilling forth from his wellspring. His hair lifted up into the air faintly, the wind playing with the strands. A stronger plum smell came, now, and slowly but surely, those same petals that usually enveloped him in a storm of pink began appearing.
But they didnt rage or roar, instead the calmly twirled through the air, then landed on his sword. And stuck to it.
Petal after petal of razor sharp pink Qi landed on the broken jagged blade, and fused into it. Matts brows were furrowed in focus, but his eyes were bright and a smile played on his lips. A dozen seconds of wind passed, and then it slowly lowered in intensity, until the smell was almost imperceptible.
Huh, I said. Not quite like mine, but seems like itll work.
He shot me a wide grin. Oh yeah? I think so too. He tossed the sword and caught it again by the handle. The blade was now as long as it had been before, the shape the same, but it was made from a dozen pink blossoms. This gives me some ideas, too. Thanks, Fio.
I smiled. In fact, I also already had the bud of a new idea, looking at the way he manipulated his Qi. No prob.
The march went on.
Hour by hour ticked by in the darkness. And eventually, morning should have come, but only the faintest wisps of sunlight made it past the sun. It was being choked out now.
Another hour passed after dawn, and then one more. When the sun was finally approaching the center of the sky, I felt the shudder happen.
It hadnt gotten brighter as the sun rose, instead, the black disc covering it had only grown bigger, and the last rays of light finally disappeared.
When it happened, I felt a shudder pass through the world. Night descended, even though it was the middle of the day. My hair rose to stand on end, and a shiver crawled up my back.
The world was colder. More hostile, more fragile.
Like a delicate snowflake in the throes of winter wind. Ready to be broken apart.
And it did, a tiny tear appearing only a few hundred meters in front of us.
Chapter 107: Fragile World
It turns out not all rifts were made equal. In fact, the vast majority of rifts were small, tiny tears.
The danger was that they did not greatly enjoy staying small. Even as I watched the tiny tear in the air, it expanded. A hand reached through, and I felt my heart stop in my chest.
Before I had the chance to experience any more fear, Matt moved. Instantly, there was a storm of flowers. It lasted only a single moment, then it crashed into that hand - a bornins hand. Instantly, a red mist spilled forth, and Matts Qi crashed into the rift.
It closed under that assault of pink and plum smell. He sheathed his sword of interlocked flower petals, and slowly turned towards us. The motion was just gentle enough to hide the gritting of his teeth and look of absolute fury on his face. During it, his face slowly faded into a neutral mask, then he tilted it lightly, and gave a kind smile.
Ah, I kind of overdid it. Sorry, guys, he said, holding that same kind expression.
Slowly, second by second my hairs laid down on my skin again. The world it all felt so fragile. In fact
I put a hand to my chest, and felt my Qi in my cores. It was bubbling slightly. Ripples spread across the top of my golden sea, and my path through the skies of reflection seemed shaky. My footsteps were vibrating as though it was a set of hanging bridges.
And my heart quivered a little, too. It felt like Id taken too much caffeine. Everything felt raw, fragile, sharp. Ann squeezed my hand slightly and it made me feel as though my skin was paper thin and about to tear.
What a strange thing. It was almost like I could reach out and rip the world right apart. For a moment, I even extended my hand forward, fingers curling as if to pull at the air- then I stopped myself.
I turned to Ann. Thats dangerous.
She gave me a slow, controlled nod, as if any faster movement was too much. Yeah. It fades.
Following her lead, I took slow breaths, slow steps. The feeling of the air and my clothes felt so scratchy. I could feel each inch of my throat every time I took a breath. No wonder Matts battle lust had taken over so easily.
It was almost impossible to keep a calm head, but I forced all that down with iron discipline. My feelings settled slightly as I took hold of them. My skin less raw, the world less wound with stress.
We took a moment, acclimatising partially to this new world, each drawing our defenses a little tighter. It was important, now that even the wind felt hostile.
Eventually, Ann spoke again. Lets continue onwards, she suggested.
I nodded and took a step, the crunch of the forest path under my soles feeling far too loud and poignant. My mind seemed to wanna hold onto every single little detail, like a scared animal scurrying about at great speeds.
Not that it was easy to stay calm. There were rifts out there, opening and growing right now. And there would be more. A war would start between those trying to close them, and those opening them. How long would the eclipse proper last this time? How-
Ann grasped my hand again. Hey, she whispered. Close your eyes. Just focus on walking. I can take the rest.
Almost without thinking I listened. It was such routine, since I had a habit of cultivating while walking, this really was just like an invitation to do that. So, I closed my eyes, shutting out the outside world.
It didnt come as easy as it usually did this time. The world itself felt frigid on my skin, the wind like needles, and the ground like sandpaper against my feet. Hell, I could even still faintly feel light against my closed eyelids despite knowing it was perpetual night out there.
But I kept them closed, and, ever so slowly, those sensations faded away. Minutes of silent walking ticked by, not interrupted by anything. In fact, I think at some point, I unconsciously put up Qi barriers over my ears, and the world grew a little quieter.
Slowly, ever so faintly, it grew bearable. Until, eventually, I found a gentle brightness against my eyelids. I opened them, and found myself in the golden depths.
Honestly, opening my eyes to that familiar scene of dull sunshine and pretty coral was comforting. The feeling of floating weightlessness helped me forget about the way my skin had felt just minutes before. Like paper about to tear.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Now, I was simply floating in a soft, golden embrace. Weightless. Free.
I breathed, even though I was underwater, and dove deeper. Deeper and deeper and deeper. Until the sunlight winked out and I found myself in blissful darkness.
This was my realm. I felt safe, and knew I was. Out there, Ann was walking with me, and I trusted her with my life, much less preventing me from stumbling as some distant part of my mind moved my legs.
Luckily I was used to cultivating like this. I slowly converted the absorbed energy into golden Qi, which worked even for the influence from beyond the rifts. It would have been a little troublesome if that turned me into a usurper, but I was safe.
So, for a while, I simply swam deeper down, until all that was left was silence and darkness and weightlessness.
A long while passed like that.
- - -
When I opened my eyes again, it was still dark outside, as it would be for weeks, but I felt better.
My skin still felt strange, and so did the whole world, but after being given some respite, I was more prepared to handle it. Emilia took it in stride, always having been brave, and Ann seemed to deal with it almost routinely, but besides them, everyone was struggling at least a little bit.
Even Chris rocky wolf-like shell seemed to shiver occasionally, whenever I saw it weave in and out of the forest. But we bore with it, and marched.
When the time came, we slept. There was no longer any point of keeping track of morning and evening. We simply marched on through the darkness. And marched. And marched.
Occasionally, wed run into some minor fights, but by now the kind of monsters we found outside of the main hordes and the powerful rifts were easy. Well, that wasnt to say we couldnt get hurt.
Emilia sometimes stumbled, her footing not quite sure after losing a leg yet, as was expected. Reya had trouble controlling the stream of divinity, sometimes pumping out far more divine power than necessary, and sometimes only bringing a thin stream to bear. The barriers between realms fluctuated.
It made her dizzy, too. She threw up more than once when we received some lighter wounds, and the world shifting seemed to treat her pretty roughly generally.
The same went for Iryel, the angel, when he finally showed up.
He looked like shit. Even more than usual. His appearance could barely be called a landing. Rather than flying it was more like his wings made a clumsy parachute, making him slam into the ground rather than splat into a little more than a spear.
Rising from the impact, he coughed dirt and mud. His eyebags were even deeper now, and frankly, he looked like he hadnt slept in days. Tattered wings and robes, and hell, he was even covered in some minor injuries.
You look like shit, I greeted the angel.
Iryel shot me a look between astonishment, offense, and great humor, then laughed, then hacked out a cough. Hahahaha- ack!! He held his chest for a few seconds, then flashed me a slight smile. Lovely to see you again as well, Miss Bellum.
Reya, can you heal him a little? Matt asked out cleric, who nodded, and laid a pair of shaky hands on the ragged angel. His wounds mended a little, and we spoke as his treatment went on.
So, I asked, you here for any reason?
He gave me a somewhat rueful look. No good news, I fear.
Whens it ever, Emilia commented with a scoff. Just give it to us straight, holy man.
With a faint smirk, he leaned back. Not dealing with sycophants is lovely. So many nobles need a gentle delivery of their evacuation notice when Im dragging them away from their death. So averse to life.
Slowly, he drew a deeper breath, even taking the time to wipe some dirt off his face. Or at least smear it around. Youve grown into an elite team by now. Two events of note have happened. One is a one-handed swordswoman asking to meet with you, miss Fio. He held up his hands, stopping me from interrupting.
Surprisingly, to both of us I assume, she is doing so politely. In fact, she was determined to seek you out herself, until I asked her to stay put. She seemed amicable to help, in fact, so long as I delivered this request to you.
My face hardened a little. I will try to heed it.
Iryel nodded. I am glad to hear that, since she is currently placed in the same city the divines would have sent you to defend. Almost evacuated, just west of the capital, there is Inu. It will fall to the horde, but we must hold it until the innocents can run. We have archmage Orvan stationed there, too.
I tilted my head. He wont be able to hold it?
Mournfully, Iryel shook his head. Archmages have their limits. Numbers are one, exceptionally powerful foes another. Orvans spells cause massive amounts of destruction, too, so the fighting will take place further from the city walls. Otherwise, he might accidentally break the town before the usurpers can.
Ah, I said. Thats surprising. I turned to the others. What do you think?
Matts knuckles were white as he grabbed his sword handle tight. His face was a stony mask, and his words came out hard pressed. Yeah. Im ready for another fight.
What else would I do, Princess? Emilia asked with a smile. Let me beat em down. Its what I do best.
Liam gave a soft shrug, seemingly uncaring, while Reya just faintly nodded. As long as people were helped by this, they were fine with the idea. Chris, too, seemed to like it, ready to face more of the horde. And, perhaps, eager to pick up a new shell capable of speech.
Ann, for her part, laid a hand on my shoulder. Were ready, Fio. Whenever you are.
A series of nods later, I turned to Iryel. I smiled, a faint, fragile smile. Yeah. Whats one more fight, right?
The angel looked at me for a long, quiet moment. His wounds were better now, returning some of that calm, aloof presence. I held his gaze for the long, quiet moment.
All the way until he turned away.
Softly, he clicked his tongue. Alright, he admitted. I do not know what I expected, but I am sure you will do good things for the city. All of you. Regardless of what anyone else says, the divines are grateful for your help in these trying time.
I held out a hand to him, and he took it. I raised him from the ground, placing the unkempt man back on his own feet. He stood, if a little shakily. Once more, he met my eyes.
My words came out calmly. None of the shaking in my voice that I felt, not at all reflecting the knot in my throat. Apprehensively, I made perhaps the worst decision I would ever make. Lead the way, Iryel.
Chapter 108: Rousing Dragons
The march was fine. It wasnt easy or fun, but it was fine.
I hadnt lost my love for travelling at all. But part of what I enjoyed was seeing new sights at the destinations, and that was taken away. Most of the landscape we passed through was not in a pleasant state. Trees had been razed, broken apart. There were carcasses, still dissolving into ambient energy, laying around.
Blood soaked the ground in more areas. There were so many usurpers that infighting had apparently started. We saw them tear at each other occasionally. For what? Territory? Glory? I couldnt tell.
Honestly, I didnt care enough.
Without a thought wasted, I cut them down. It felt cruel. It felt callous. But at the same time, I was so wrung dry that I couldnt bring myself to care.
The usurpers, despite everything, were not all evil. No species was. Most of them were creatures that just didnt quite fit here and were predatory towards the Edians, like an invasive species.
Usually, I would have preferred to just place them back in their habitat, but that wasnt an option right now. So, we killed them. One by one, stroke after stroke of my spear. Like wielding a paintbrush, splattering red onto a dark background.
Blood soaked into the ground, where it hissed softly and evaporated into ambient energy. Then we marched, and marched, and marched.
Did we sleep? A little. Collectively, maybe two hours a day. With bodies this strong, we didnt need much more. I would have preferred three, but this was fine, too. Time was short, so we marched.
Really, for a good chunk of it, we ran. It made my cultivation slower since focussing while running was quite a bit harder than while walking with my eyes closed, but I could still do it. The fact that the trees would splinter and break if I ran through them also helped.
That was loud though and attracted monsters, so I tried to avoid it.
Generally, it was quiet. Almost peaceful. Liam and Chris picked off any stragglers. Vines and shadows broke bodies before we even saw them, leaving only parts behind. We hadnt seen any Edian or Reflector corpses yet, though they might have already dissolved, too.
For three days, I mostly focused on breathing. One foot in front of the other. Killing, cultivating, running, sleeping. That was all.
Until, eventually, the walls of Inu came into view.
The city was close to the capital, so it was a massive population centre. People considered it safe. Had considered it safe. The place was known for enchanters and smiths. Working with resources that could easily be moved from the frontier without decaying. Alchemy had been done further west.
Instead, these cities had towering walls and fortifications. Magical ballistae and disc launcher to slaughter hordes. Towers full of archers, solid, enchanted stone protecting them. Right now, volleys of magical arrows reigned down on a horde that ground against the walls.
I saw dozens of tiny rifts further back, slowly growing, then contracting as waves of power washed over them. Thousands- no, more than that. There were so many usurpers it was like an endless tide. A millstone grinding at those fortifications.
Theyd break. There was no way they wouldnt. After all, the usurpers had multiple worlds under their full control. It was a simple matter of resources.
Having that knowledge click in my head was depressing. The fact that, essentially, these people would flee westwards until the eclipse was over, and then we would go back to the frontier, pushing it back. Rebuilding. Until the next eclipse came.
Cycle after cycle, eroding the spirit of resistance.
I felt my grip tighten around the spear, as I coursed more magic through it. The horde was in sight, so we would do what we always did. I turned to Ann and she smiled. A calm, knowledgeable smile, like she knew exactly what I was gonna do.
My own smile was crooked in reply. It felt misplaced. The fatigue was set deep, weighing down my limbs like lead But my will was stronger, and my body powerful enough to move even if it was made from lead.
Within me, I roused my energy. Both my wells stirred, and it felt a little like two sleeping dragons awakening. The energy moved slowly at first, having been happy to rest, recover, and grow.
Out there, in the horde, there were creatures that wanted to kill me.
Gold leaked from my fingertips, forming a second spear in my left hand.
They were coming for this world.
I moved, left foot sliding backwards as I prepared to throw. I breathed out.
No way I would let them succeed.
With a roar of magical power and a deafening crack, I threw the golden facsimile of a weapon. A similar fake of my spirit flew with it, adjusting the course, and having it slam into the horde. A dozen bodies were broken apart before its blade, splattering.
A moment later, more power coursed through my magical belt, and the space between the horde and us vanished. Within moments, all of us were amidst the fray. Blood sprayed. Bodies broke.
My skin split open, defenses weakened by the eclipse. Every battle was waged as though on the edge of a knife. But whenever I was hurt, I felt a faint trickle of divinity pour into me, Reya having our back and Iryel flying into the sky, lancing the battlefield with bolts of power and healing.
Emilia, despite her unsure footing, was smiling. Power poured out of her in droves, reshaping the ground. Boulders smashed everything apart. She opened up holes to swallow usurpers in droves.
Matt moved in a whirlwind of violence. His sword killed with every stroke, blood tinging his pink petals a darker shade. Violence followed in his wake, and so did carnage.
As for Liam? I could barely even see him. He stuck to the shadows, but I saw the effects he had. Quickly and silently, he spread death. Monster after monster felled by their own shadows, the darkness writhing and boiling.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Fire and ice rained in front of me at Anns will, carving bloody furrows into the ground. Her magic was a torrent of noise and power, and it would have been awe inspiring if I took the time to look at it properly.
Finally, Chris moved across the battlefield with both their shells, breaking monsters with mixed magics. I saw them look around too, as if searching. Would they find a new shell to join the battle? I blinked. Perhaps they were taking note of other triz-adu? By now, the species all fought together.
Beastfolk warriors carved into the hordes by my side. There were people floating in the sky on wings. I saw the spirit people fight, too. Pale skinned sky spirits in the sky, or fire spirits, weaving through the battlefield in a blaze of glory.
Dozens of sights entered my mind in moments, until a long breath left my lungs.
I forced the ringing in my ears to be silent, until my breath was all that I could hear in the whole world. The time for violence had come once more. And so, I slaughtered.
- - -
An hour later, covered in blood, breathing heavily, I still fought. My body felt even heavier, but my wellsprings still poured out more power. Qi coursed through my body, making my skin shine with liquid gold.
From the outside, I must have looked like a cast metal statue of a warrior, breaking the hordes. I charged in far, and fought and killed. Monsters, large and small, fell before my spear. The spirit guided me, and with my affinity for mirrors, I had no blind spots. With my ability to make more spears, I was always armed. My skin itself was my armor.
So I fought, and battled, and carved through the monsters - until I was stopped.
It was a rather simple, innocuous encounter, really.
I cut down a zurulen, a giant made of stone, and then it stood there. A leyburn. A rhino-like creature with dark hide, humongous and silent. An oily sheen seemed to cover the air around it, and suddenly the world fell entirely silent.
Slowly, those eyes trailed towards me, and I saw recognition within them.
The creature looked at me, and let out a huff of hot air, as if challenging me. It was the same one that had crashed into us all those days ago in the black sands. The one that had nearly killed me. The one that had cracked the ground and sent me to the underground ruins where Id found my gateway fragment.
The one that had spared my life.
I gripped my spear tightly, shoving down the fear. This creature was not unintelligent. It knew who I was. It was eager to test itself against me once more - not as a target of slaughter, but as warriors. Somehow, it felt like it would get along well with Ru, the war god.
Fine then, I said, fighting to stop my arms from shaking as I gripped my spear with both hands. Come at me.
Slowly, almost gracefully despite its towering figure of flesh and muscle and stoney hide, the leyburn stepped forward. When its hoof impacted the ground, it vanished.
A moment later, the impact slammed into me hard enough to rock my entire world. It had slammed its horn right into the tip of my spear, targeting me head on, and I gritted my teeth hard enough to almost feel them shatter.
Every muscle in my body screamed with pain, but with a great deal of effort, willpower, and a lot of Qi, I kept them in place. My feet remained on the ground, locked in place by my Qi.
The clash lasted only a moment, but I let out a roar as I pushed against the creature. [Momentum Shift] layered atop [Golden Body] layered atop [Mirror Mind]. It combined with my strength and technique and my general ability to manipulate Qi. My stats, that I had worked so hard for, combined with all the levels I had gained, and with a great deal of effort, one that made it feel like my arms would break
I moved the creature.
With my own power, I shoved aside the living castle that was a leyburn, redirecting it and pushing it to the side.
For a brief moment, our eyes met again, mine open with surprise at what I had just done, the leyburns filled with was that pride? Something I could only identify as a warrior''s spirit seemed to glint from within it.
It was a brief moment, though, and a second later, I moved. My spear lashed forward, driven by years of training and muscle memory and honed by hundreds of fights to the death. Qi roared out from my core, resonating with the weapon and the spirit inside it. Reinforcing the edge, and slamming into the hide of the leyburn.
My attack landed cleanly on its side with all the force of a truck combined into a point as fine as a needle. It split open the grey hide, penetrated a few inches - and then stopped. Up against the hardened muscle of the creature, my weapon didnt pierce far enough.
So, I launched another attack. A brutal lance of Qi, extending out like a second stab from inside the creature.
Now that hurt it. A second impact slammed into the leyburn, and it roared, spun, and slammed into me before I could withdraw my spear. I let go, of course, grabbing its horn with both my arms to absorb the momentum, and I heard my bones creak.
A second later I was tossed backwards, slamming through some other creatures body, showering me in blood. While still flying, my spear appeared in my hand - I fucking love bound weapons - and my Qi anchored me in the air.
I launched myself back at the rhino, and we clashed again, and again, and again.
Each clash sent my muscles on protest. Each one sent my instinct reeling. Hell, I was fighting a monster the size of a small house. This thing could flip a tank on its side with barely a thought. And yet here I was.
Exchange after exchange, we found ourselves equal. Power roared out my cores, two roaring streams of Qi pulsing through me. The glass underneath my skin had shifted into liquid gold again, as all my talents worked in tandem. The world felt crystal clear. I was fighting a battle for once.
Not a desperate one to survive, or one I dominated, but one where I was winning by the skin of my teeth, giving each clash my all. And I learned. Thrived. Threw myself onto that precipice, practiced my motions again, and again, and again.
Horn slammed into metal, Metal into hide, and horn into golden skin. Step by step, my focus narrowed, honed in on more details. Whispers were in the back of my mind, something else rousing. Cass directed me on where to move to keep the fight uninterrupted.
I almost laughed inside. How unfair. This was me and the entire team I kept inside me versus just one creature. But that was okay. I saw that the leyburn knew, and that it didnt mind.
So we clashed. Over and over. Until my muscles were mangled from the impact, and its hide was covered in gashes. Id chipped its horn. How mad was that?! Id chipped its horn!
And eventually, we came together one more, and my Qi roared, two dragons toussling, braiding, flowing through my spear like a raging river, braiding glass and gold into liquid metal. Reflective, shining, and gloriously powerful.
And an invisible barrier inside broke. An eggshell cracked.
[Spear Spirit has reached (Intermediate)!]
It awoke. Within my spear, that nascent consciousness turned very real, rousing, awaking, and bringing with it a rush of power and instinct and companionship that coursed through my veins like fire. This was my spear. My spirit. It would be with me until we both died, and that was that.
[Weapon Resonance has reached (High)!]
Instantly, my Qi sent the metal of my spear ringing in high tunes. The weapon, the spirit inside it, practically sung as it cut through the air. I slammed it into the leyburn, and the great creature was knocked back.
A living castle, trailing great furrows into the ground, slick with blood. Its eyes widened, and a grin split my face.
Good morning, little one! I greeted. Come on. Lets win, and well find a name for you!
My golden, burning, gorgeous spirit sang in response. Our moves aligned, and we fought. Everything felt fluent and radiant.
I pierced through the oily sheen, through all defenses of the leyburn. I thrust my weapon forward, coated in a volume of Qi that could make people of lesser stages unconscious by sheer volume, and hit its horn straight on.
Burning with power, my spear crashed into the material that had once shattered all my defenses effortlessly and my spear cut through it.
Within a moment, I stopped the blow. The leyburn looked at me. Its eyes were full of awe. It dipped its head as if to congratulate me on a battle well fought.
The great beast took a step backwards, my skin sliding out of the small nick it had made in the horn before I stopped the blow.
And the living castle that had once made me despair gave me a huff of recognition, then turned around, and rampaged among the usurpers, tearing their ranks apart side by side with me.
Chapter 109: New Beginnings
With more force on our side, we were able to split the tide of enemies. Break the waves against us. My team was a spearhead, diving deep into the ranks of the usurpers, taking them down by the dozen.
At some point, the city mages began relaying messages to us through telepathy and voice projection, similarly to how Liam usually did it, and we began hunting down priority targets.
Matt and I fought against a humongous creature made from steel chains that whipped around, breaking it apart one slash at a time. Ann incinerated some kind of fast, small beast of ice, by enveloping that entire section of the battlefield in fire. Emilia and Reya wore down another monstrosity by brute force, and Liam assassinated some more priority targets by appearing and stabbing them in their weak points.
By now I was sure he had some kind of ability to target weak spots, because otherwise, with the variety of anatomy we encountered, pinpointing them was hard. But we fought anyway.
Tides of bodies wreathed around us, as usurpers fell by the thousands. Reflectors and Edians died too, though. Sometimes, the ground would shake with a more devastating attack, or the sky would light up in the distance, out where Orvan fought.
Iryel did his best to save the dying, while Chris found a new human body to occupy, mending the wounds on the corpse with a little fleshcrafting until it was presentable enough to walk up to me.
They now wore the skin of a woman with raven hair, the tips of it dyed a patchy blue. Her features were sharp, and her face had wrinkles set into it that indicated she frowned a lot. Which made it somewhat strange when Chris gave me a bright smile from her once-dead face.
Strangely, the paleness of the scar that carried from her right temple in a thick, jagged line down to her left cheek almost looked pretty in contrast to her dark eyes. But I shook off the thought a moment later, focusing on the person inside that body as they spoke to me.
Fio! Hello there. I appear to have found a new shell. This body is flexible and strong. I find it quite pleasant, though I will still need some more time to adjust to it. Please be so kind and have my back, they asked, then promptly turned around and fought.
It took me a moment to recognize them as Chris, but with that knowledge, the strangeness was dispelled. As the triz-adu moved, I saw the body they occupied shift occasionally, their shell-crafting taking effect to adjust it.
Arms grew slightly longer, nails a little sharper. The womans form became slightly bulkier, and when Chris dodged, the body would twist a little too far, then snap back into place. Their movements were somewhat clumsy, yet refined with mastery.
Every moment that passed, the form adjusted to them as they did to the new shell. It was strange to see, but I snapped out of that thought rather quickly when a bornin leapt at them from behind, threatening to stab their back.
I took the creature down with an effortless flick from my spear, the metal moving to meet my intent before I even finished the thought. My Qi flowed effortlessly, springing forth from my wells and turned instantly into boiling power.
For a little while, I tempered that power. Chris was managing well, and I simply provided a somewhat safe space for them to adjust, but as time went on, they wielded new abilities. Water and wind scythed forward from their thin fingertips, blades and thin spikes, near invisible, staking usurpers through the heart.
Were these the abilities of the shell they now inhabited? Did those mix with their own? I realized I knew little about the way triz-adu functioned. Did they mourn the loss of their last body? Would they have wanted to bury it? Had Maries return taken away their moment of grief?
Once more, I pushed the thoughts aside, [Single-Mindedly] focussing on the fight. Distractions faded away into nothing, and the world dissolved into swinging my spear, over and over.
Blasts of Qi eliminated dangers near me, my vision spread all around the battlefield. I warped space to save others, stepped through reflections to be where I was needed, and walked around like a grim reaper. Usurper after usurper fell in the army.
Minute after minute ticked by. Hour after hour. And eventually, my wells rang dry. All I was left with was the spring of energy that continued to pour out of them, only able to fuel my abilities with whatever Qi I regenerated.
Eventually, my arms became heavier. Impossible to lift. I could no longer reflect blows, and the world stopped warping with my steps as the belt I wore lost its power. And eventually, I was told to step back.
I did not want to. It felt like not enough. More monsters were coming in, just the same as before. Thousands of usurpers pouring at the walls, an endless tide, crawling out of rifts from other worlds. Devouring this one to spawn more of themselves.
Changing the ambient energies to suit them and be more hostile to the Edians.
Still, I moved back. Because otherwise, I was in the way. Other defenders came out. Powerful people of their own right who had the opportunity to rest while we fought instead. And now we would rest while those fought.
On and on, until the civilians were safe, and the city was lost. What a miserable display.
I gritted my teeth and retreated, the others following along. Chris new shell was right among my heels, carried forward by blasts of their chosen elements, as I pushed the Qi generated within myself to move through the world.
And eventually, we were back behind the walls.
- - -
The city communicated with us again through their mages, but Iryel mainly took charge of filling out the reports for us. We were offered a brief time to use the local temples, but declined. Not enough use yet.
Chris spoke again, following with three of their shells now. They seemed pleased with this one, already attached, and would feel loss when the body died again. But such was the life of the triz-adu, theyd said. Loss was simply part of it.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
We fell asleep in the barracks to the sound of war. The bed was soft, but despite that, the sleep was miserable.
- - -
Only two hours later, when my cores were almost full again, we were woken up. It was enough sleep to make me feel energized, but not enough to be well rested. Energized would have to do.
Some poor page was sent to get us and seemed to shiver in his boots as he spoke to me. A boy, barely older than fifteen, maybe. Maam your presence is asked for at the keep a swordswoman saw you and is requesting an audience. She waits for you there. With he swallowed heavily, the archmage Dreyfa.
I nodded, faintly. The rest of the team?
Required at the frontlines, he said again, shuffling slightly.
That one, I noted, was not as much of a request. They were needed. So was I, but apparently, this took precedence. Alright, thank you, I told the boy. Ill be at the keep soon. The others will fight soon, too.
Hastily nodding, the runner took off to bring that message back. I was unsure if that was necessary, because with me having Qi to burn, I could be at the keep before he was there, even with the head start. Lots of mirrors in a city, after all.
My gaze swept over the group. Iryel, who sat slumped against a wall, tired. Hed poured more healing into Emilia, letting her regrow a bit of her leg. It was slow, and horribly itchy she said, but it was progress. Emilia herself, with deep set eye bags from fatigue and pain.
Ann, barely awake, and already flickering through shapes of mana, hoping to find a little more mastery in the brief moments before she went to fight. Matt, with petals falling gently around him as he sat cross-legged, his eyes closed. Chris, crafting their shell a little more, hardening their skin and toughening up the muscles.
Reya and Liam, too, were relentlessly preparing. It was what war did. I breathed in deeply, slowly. The fact that I would be dealing with a mild amount of politics while they fought was annoying. But, then again, nothing to be done about it.
Once more, I took a breath, then kissed Ann on the head. Be safe, I said simply. She nodded, smiling.
You too, Fio. See you soon.
See you, I nodded.
With that, we both got up. She roused Matt from his meditation, and I took a step through the reflections. Then a second and a third, and then I was in the keep. I was gracious enough to appear out in front of it, the one single guard on duty there, rather than on the walls, looking surprised, since I used her armor as a teleportation node.
Good Morning, I said in the long night, Im Fiona Bellum. Asked to see the archmage.
Instantly, she put down her halberd, and gave me a quick nod. Right, she said, voice raspy. Just head on inside. Avoid the hallways with rubble and- oh, who am I kidding. Youll find your way. Thank you for your service.
I nodded at her thanks, then strode into the castle. With some Qi, my Wanderers Key let me walk through the walls, and quickly find the room I was meant to be in. The fact that I didnt walk in through the door seemed to somewhat surprise Olivia. She yelped as I stepped in front of her.
Orvan was in the room, too, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. His robes were in tatters, same as my clothes were. His hair was matted with blood, same as mine, and his face looked tired. But still, we were both here, ready to fight.
Before that, I talked to the one-handed swordswoman. Why am I here? I asked, curtly.
Olivia looked at me, her blond hair striking even though it was matted with dirt. Her eyes met mine, and there was a mix of emotions in there. Fear and hate and worry and determination and exhaustion and frustration and defiance all at once. And yet, respect, somehow, above all others.
I wanna learn from you, she said simply. Her voice still carried that bloodthirsty, uncaring attitude. Cuz I was thrown away like a broken tool. And that pisses me the fuck off.
At that, I shook my head. And why would I help you?
Because you hate Zinnic as much as I do, she replied.
So what? I asked. Theres an eclipse right now. If you want to get strong, get out there and fight. Save some people for a change.
She frowned. I have. Old man can vouch.
Orvan nodded as I looked over, the faintest motion. She has.
With a fiery expression, Olivia turned to me again. So. Let me learn from you. Youre strong. You fight like me. Were similar-
I have never killed a person, Olivia.
Are the usurpers people? she asked, a quiet hiss. Because I think saying theyre monsters is a pretty fucken petty excuse.
Anger crept into my veins as I stared at her. I felt the urge to break her legs again - and paused. I took a deep breath. Then I suffocated that anger, and looked at her, genuinely, for the first time.
She was doing good things. Otherwise, Orvan never would have called me here. Make your case, I said slowly, but try to not insult me too much, yeah?
With a huff, she nodded. Fine by me. I learnt a lot about this world recently. Foremost, that the people are real. I knew, before, but I didnt know. I still dont care a whit about them, same as on the other side, really, but at least I think they dont deserve to be killed.
I also think, she continued, that the usurpers are people. An invasive, conquering people, who deserve to be fought back here because they would genocide this world in a heartbeat, but still people. So you have killed, and you will kill again, and so will everyone in this damn eclipse.
A short look at Orvan and he nodded again. We were killing. It sucked, but Id already known that and made peace with it.
Olivia continued. I am not as strong as you. Not even close. But I have potential. I learn fast, and Zinnic recruited me for a reason. Ive killed enough of the usurpers to even get granted more power by the divines, entered a special contract and all that said they could relinquish what was given if I hurt an Edian again.
That was shocking. Gifts could never be taken back, but this was more like a loan. An individual condition. How interesting.
So Im gaining power again. Im advancing. But physical power can only take me so far. I need to learn how to use my Qi the right way. Teach me, so I can kill the usurpers better. So I can get back at Zinnic for how they discarded me. So I can prove to this world that I fucken matter! She was almost roaring by the end, eyes wild.
I looked at her, for a long moment. I wanna see your Disposition. In your status, your Gift, or your contract. Whatever you call it.
She frowned. Fine.
Then she pulled it up.
[Name: Olivia Tyrdin
Class: Swordswoman (9) - SHACKLED
-
Disposition
-
Covenant
-
Worth (Show the world you matter, and who matters to you)
-
Temperament
-
Ferocious (Your defiance burns quickly and brightly.)
-
Equilibrium (No life is worth more than another by default; worth must be proven.)
-
Turmoil (Your worldview was cracked and shaken. It is reforming. Guide it well.)
-
Disconnected (Physical matters matter little to you.)
-
Talent
-
Raging Passion (Your desire for growth is hard to match.)
-
Swift Learner (You pick up new skills quickly.)
-
Warmonger (In the heat of battle, you grow.)
-
Connections (Every single ability is connected. Your growth in one direction benefits your growth in others, too)
Current Status: Determined]
I read through it all, then looked at Olivia. She was an angry woman, who enjoyed vengeance, and would grow quickly as a fighter. I had earned her respect by crushing her in what she should have excelled at. Now here we were.
She had been wronged, discarded, taken for a fool. Zinnic had made a mockery of her [Burning Passion] and spit in the face of her [Worth]. I sighed. I saw where she was coming from.
And she was talented. Determined to follow me along. I glanced at Orvan again. Suddenly, I was a little curious about his status, but his eyes remained closed, his breathing flat.
Ill have a few conditions, I said to Olivia.
Of course, she agreed. I imagined.
No killing innocents. No harming my party. Follow my orders. Try your hardest, I said.
She frowned but nodded. Obviously.
I nodded, then extended my hand for her to shake. It went against my [Familiarity], but I needed allies, so I would deal with it. Fine then. Welcome to the team. She shook it.
Hesitantly, I bound her to one of the spots in my [Transference], grabbing access to her [Connections] talent.
Chapter 110: Stargazer, Startaker
Fio, Ann told me, holding her face in her hands. You have to stop recruiting people who tried to kill you.
You know, if I had nickel for each time you brought over an ex-assassin and asked if they could join the group, Matt said, Id have two nickels. Which isnt a lot, but its weird that it happened twice.
Ann had her arms crossed, while Matt raised his eyebrows.
I stood, with Olivia in tow. Emilia, for one, seemed excited to have someone else join the group. Now we have an uneven number of hands and legs, she said. Its only fair!
Which was a statement that made Liam spit out some water he was drinking, and Reya to break down with gurgling noises that were probably laughter.
Okay but to be fair. It turned out really well the first time! I defended myself. Olivia simply stood behind me with a slight smirk, seemingly a bit amused at the situation.
Reya signed something, which Liam then translated. Its also really funny, she says, he said.
I tried my best to hold back a blush. Look, archmage Orvan also supports this.
With a sigh, Ann gave a shrug. All Im saying is that this really, really shouldnt become a theme.
Dont worry, Emmilia teased with a grin. Im sure shell run out of assassins soon. How many more people have tried to kill you Fio? Ones we might technically still be able to recruit.
... Three.
Matt let out a low whistle. Dang, thats an impressive number. Doesnt sound like well be running out anytime soon.
Ann rolled her eyes. Fine then, its fine just this once. I really hope there wont be a next time.
I for one find this a quite interesting change, Chris said. I already feel the changes from the new talent. The connections between my shells feel different now. More vivid. Perhaps, itll let me use some powers between them? More testing needed.
Thats kinda creepy, Olivia said, speaking up for the first time. Your smile, too. Its all wrong on that face. I like it, she added at the end with a grin. I think well get along just fine.
Chris simply tilted their head in response, dark hair spilling to the side. The faint smile disappeared from their face, replaced by a blank, curious expression that made the corpse-pale face look almost doll-like. It does not sound like you were complimenting me. Is that ending statement sarcasm?
Not at all, Olivia said. I genuinely think well get along fine. Ive been told I have some creepy habits myself.
That seems like a strangely direct and unnecessary comment to make. Do humans often do this? Chris asked.
The swordswoman shrugged. I wouldnt say so. Just happened to be surrounded by particularly blunt people, I spose.
Hmmm, Chris hummed thoughtfully in reply. I see. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Watching the two of them engage in such a stilted bit of conversation, I shook my head and turned to face Orvan. He had found some time to visit the whole group, even in his feral look.
None of the pleasant, well-maintained wise aura of court wizards remained around him anymore. His beard was scraggly, his robes matted with splatters of dirt and blood, his hair was in a tangle. The man looked borderline feral.
And yet, he seemed entirely composed, though his eyes had a dangerous and manic glint in them. I still wanted to ask him about that. About what had him smiling, now. In the middle of an eclipse.
I shook off the question and focused on the present moment. There, I told him. Weve integrated her into the network and the group. Are you happy now, Orvan?
The old man looked at me for a long moment, steely eyes drilling into mine. Not quite, he said after a long moment. That [Transference] of yours, its called, right?
Sure, yeah.
I want in, he said plainly. I want those talents.
For a moment, I felt surprised at that. But it made sense. From everything I knew, one did not become an archmage without a good bit of ambition. I dont know if itll work on Edians, I said.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
One way to find out, the wizard shrugged. He swapped his staff from his right hand over to his left and extended out a hand to me. So? What say you?
I blinked at him. My slots were limited, but then again, was an archmage not worth one? What kind of talents did he have to become this strong. Hell, if I integrated all the archmages, how fast would we grow then?
Sure. Lets try it.
With that, I reached out, grabbed his hand, and saw my entire world change.
Curious, Orvan observed so calmly. It seems I am offered a choice of what talent to contribute. But the strongest one seems almost magnetized to your ability. As if seeking it out.
He smiled, noticing my stunned silence. Ah, pardon me. Perhaps I should have warned you? I think quite a large chunk of my talent was shared. Maybe there is some kind of magnification effect based on the strength of your gateway applied to that ability?
Another silence, as no one replied to him. Fio, he said, waving a hand before my face, which finally shook me from my stupor. Come on. At least read the description of the ability.
I did as asked.
[Stargazer: To reach the firmament, you have to see it first. Gaze into the stars, then ascend high enough to grab them from the sky.]
That was all it said, but it had, in fact, changed my entire perception of the world.
Suddenly, every member of my party was a constellation of stellar dust. Constellations swirled within every aspect of the world. The grass, the ground below, the stones of the very buildings we stood in, the tables and chairs and beds and the people.
Divines, the people.
Ann glowed as brightly as the sun in the sky. Thousands of tiny specks of power and potential swirled within her, around a cracked core of blinding, divine radiance. The fragment of godly power she still held.
The stardust swirling around it were her own powers. Physical, mental, magical, her talents, her attitude towards life, her willingness to work hard. She was beautiful. Utterly radiant.
Everyone else glowed, too. Matt swirled with pink stardust, ephemeral but powerful. Emilias was more subdued, but grounded, like a reliable rock in a river. Liams was dim, as if obscured, but then the darkness itself swirled and I learnt it was part of his power too.
Reyas was bright and divine, with a tether leading to the goddess, refilling the divinity she used to fuel her abilities. But that was not all. Within herself, there was a furnace of divinity, too. Some fragment of the stuff she absorbed was slowly changing herself, and her belief in herself was forging something in herself.
How curious.
Olivia had a strange network of interconnected tiny pinpricks of stars that, put together, created a weave of gorgeous light. And Chris was even more strange.
Their haze was a dim background glow, with some nodes attached to it. As if held in slots. Could they take over a certain amount of abilities from bodies they possessed or crafted? How strange. But theirs was changing.
Ah. With [Connections] from Olivia, [Stargazer] from Orvan, [Genius] and [Prodigy] from Ann and Matt to boost their understanding, and their own [Adaptable]... Chris was changing, fundamentally, who they were. Working these powers into themselves. I watched with fascination as their web spun and changed.
Fio, Orvans words called me from my stupor again, and my eyes landed on him, instantly giving me pause once more. He was A galaxy. No, a whole universe. What the fuck-
Fiona, he sighed. Focus. Come on.
I blinked, and finally, reclaimed my own mind enough to respond. Yes? I asked, somewhat dazedly.
Youre looking, but youre not reaching, he said, smirking. I made this talent myself. Crafted it from the ground up, with magic and wonder and desire. This is me. Youve gotta build on it, too.
Distantly, I nodded, already thinking about how to work it. Then he interrupted again.
But before that, he said solemnly. Look upwards.
It was strange, you know. The talent was called [Stargazed], but I hadnt taken the time to look at the star. And when I did, a shiver went through my body, and my hair stood on end.
The sky was no longer dark. It was bright. Five shining, radiant, blindingly bright constellations hung in the sky. A distant, dim, dead one sat over the horizon, too, forever sinking.
Those are the divines, Orvan said, looking upwards. He was still smiling.
Theyre enormous, I said.
Sure, Orvan nodded along. Theyre also the same as us. He placed a hand on my shoulder. That right there? Anyone can glow just as bright. Thats what I firmly believe.
It seemed impossible. Looking at the divines up in the sky, their suns, their stars were so vast and blinding it hurt my eyes to look at them, but I couldnt look away.
Do you remember what the talent says? he asked.
Reach for the stars, I whispered.
Orvan nodded. Thats right. Ive been getting closer. Every day in this damn eclipse. I fight, blast everything with mana until I run dry, and then I rip more from the air around me only to do it again. Its exhilarating.
He was just like Matt.
Your swordsman, he said. He gets it. Me and him? Were alike. Me and you, too. That talent of yours, [Precipice], right? He grinned. Coulda come from me. I want you to take that away from this. From your first look upwards.
No matter how distant the stars are. No matter how huge they may be. You can always, always reach out and pluck them from the sky.
I nodded. Gripping my spear tight enough to turn my knuckles white. I felt Cass within me, also entranced by the beauty, and so was the spirit in my spear. I held the weapon high, pointing it at the sky, and the blade was wide enough to cover the blazing brilliance of the divines.
A grin spread across my face. No matter how far, I whispered.
No matter how big, Orvan replied.
My spear vibrated with excitement in my hand as my hairs stood on end. It had decided on a name, then. Now, within my body, it was me, Cass, and Astraeus.
With that decision made, I looked at myself, the revolving sphere of power that was the constellation within me. Stars, blazing bright and powerfully, spreading light around me, two roaring, entangled constellations. It was gorgeous. I meditated, and grew it some more. The stars were within reach. I just needed to pluck them from the night sky.
Chapter 111: Rhythm
[Golden Wellspring advanced to 5th Step.]
[Mirror Wellspring advanced to 5th Step.]
It took little time more on the frontlines for my combined talents to begin truly shining. Seeing the stars resolve in the usurpers was strange. I could see theirs were different, colours that I could not describe and that made my eyeballs itch on the inside.
The feeling was miserable and disgusting, a power I was entirely incompatible with, yet, when they fell, that power, too, became just power. It was nothing that special. They were also simply people wielding what they were given, and suitable for.
If I twisted my own galaxy enough, could I make myself receptive to the power of the usurpers and invade their worlds in return? Would that be fair, at all?
The question mattered little, as I cut another one apart with my spear.
Next to me my companions fought through the hordes, putting their new talent to work. It affected each one of us differently, but we all grew more because of it. And Orvan grew, too.
He was an absolute monster, the archmage. Having gotten access to my [Precipice], he threw himself into the hordes over and over, emptying his mana until he was left punching monsters to death as a regular, fragile old man. But he survived, miraculously, summoning torrents of power and destruction wherever he went.
In the last few days of fighting, I had also gotten used to the leyburn showing up when I was on the battlefield sometimes. It seemed to have deemed me worthy, choosing to fight next to me whenever we were faced with the hordes.
Which made me curious. Was it originally from Eden? Was it a usurper? Its network of stars seemed to indicate a little bit of both. Perhaps it had evolved or simply learnt to use the strange, malformed Qi of the usurpers.
The final, truly strange thing that [Stargazer] revealed to me was about the enchanted gear module of [Transference]. Whenever I killed a usurper, parts of their energy, sometimes even their entire body would be siphoned away, and a magic item would appear sometimes in exchange.
And the items carried some of the same radiance from the monsters.
Within the magical metal, within the glowing runes and conduits of power forged by masters from other worlds, there were hints of the monsters wed killed. And hints of ourselves, crafted from lingering energies our attacks left on the corpses.
My sash, for example, carried mirror Qi. It used that to fold dimensions and let me move so fast. But there was also gravity mixed in, and a bunch of other magic that I could hardly discern.
It was beautiful to see. And it was something I could interact with.
Whenever I reached out to the stars, within myself and within others, I felt I could rearrange them. For myself, it was easiest, and still terribly hard. Then came inanimate objects, then magical items, then people whose permission I had, and finally, enemies.
Someone who did not want their constellation altered had it encased in an inviolable sanctuary. I could not simply rip out anothers talent. Even the faintest bit of resistance became an insurmountable wall.
But still. I could now learn to change my magic items. Perhaps even create new ones, by implanting sources of power in mundane items, and studying their constellations and-
Because of the thinking, an attack grazed my face, barely batted aside by Astraeus. The spirit chided me slightly, almost as if he were pouting within my spear, and it made me crack a faint smile.
Right, right, I consoled him. Ill focus up.
My habit of getting distracted throughout the battles was something that had recently popped up because of just how much information I was getting. With my mirror vision through [Reflection] I saw so much, and all of it counted as being seen by me for the purpose of revealing the constellations of [Stargazer].
Everything was a mess of light and sound and brightness and I was still adjusting to it. Cass was helping with it, of course, but she could not lift worlds, either. But we were mastering it. And once we were there, the talent would only be an even greater boon.
Already, we were learning so much faster, being able to consciously see what changes things made within me. I was able to speed up my cultivation even more, digesting everything Id seen and lived through now.
So, I fought, and fought, and fought some more, until my Qi ran more than dry, and my arms were endlessly tired, and I could not go on anymore. Then, finally, our shift was over, and we headed back to the dorms.
There, we slept for a few hours, then I kicked Olivia out of bed, and it was back to practicing.
Fighting against her in sparring matches, Olivia truly was talented. Worthy of being picked up by Zinnic. She adjusted stunningly quickly when taught something new, and hardly ever made the same mistake twice.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Ironic, then, that she tried to fight me twice before.
Youre smiling that smile again, Olivia said with a frown. Its like youre mocking me inside my head.
Id never, I said, letting the butt of my spear fly at her from the side. She barely brought up her rapier in time to parry. Astraeus gave me a few pointers to correct my form, and on the next strike, my fundamentals had advanced again.
My weapon hit Olivia with all the force of a gentle feather. With the spirit inside my spear and my high [Weapon Resonance] I could control every minor movement, dull the blade when needed, and even make my strikes nearly weightless, or weigh more than they ever reasonably should.
Since Astraeus had picked a name and truly awakened, my spear had felt even more a part of me - because to a significant degree, it was. Similarly to how Cass was tied to me and we would forever work together, Astraeus and I shared a similar bond.
Core bound, even. I smirked.
Sure you wouldnt, Olivia said between breaths, panting. What did I mess up this time?
Your feet, I said. You bent your knees inward to absorb the blow, but it made you too slow to sidestep my thrust.
Ah, she said. Makes sense. Again?
Gladly, I said.
Of course, for the spars, I restrained my physical supremacy over her to a reasonable level. In fact, often I would hold back my stats enough to be slower than her, working on minute mastery with Astraeus and Cass. Every strike, I saw my master executing the same one with [Mirror Mind] and learnt a little more from him.
And every spar, me and Olivia grew.
Matt eventually woke up. Stretched. Poured a bucket of water over himself, then joined us, that glint in his eyes. With casual ease, he laid Olivia out on the floor.
The woman grimaced, even at the soft impact. And what did I do wrong this time, master Matt?
Our swordsman cringed at the epitaph. Just Matt, dang it. And that was just cuz you were getting too cocky in your movements. Fio didnt have any openings, you just got lost in the sauce since you felt so fast.
Her grimace deepened, but he was right, so she just nodded, got up, and brushed off the earth. Well do alternating spars, as usual? I asked Matt and he nodded.
Sure, sounds good, he said. Should we two spar?
Watch closely, Olivia, I reminded our student. Then me and Matt went at it.
For him, I did not restrain my physical stats at all - his were at a similar level after all. My endurance was higher, on that Id bet money, but I was also sure he had better manipulation than me.
So, we learned from one another. He tried to overwhelm me with sheer force, attacks raining in from all sides, while I used the breaks between my attacks to slightly angle Astraeus and see attacks coming from behind me with Cass help.
It soon turned into a blazing exchange of metal on metal. Whenever someone got hurt, despite the dullness of our weapons, Reya and Iryel were there to patch us up. The cleric was now also aware about the forge of Divinity within herself, and had consciously begun trying to regenerate her supply of it on her own.
Which was always strange to see, since she would close her eyes, and suddenly that inner radiance stirred.
Chris took to the new talents quickest, and already showed results. They had managed to make it so that a portion of powers from all their shells would become part of their true self and carry over if they took on new bodies. Never again would they lose access to the wind and water powers their current human form had. It would be diminished, but they could grow them again, albeit slower.
Liam soon also joined, getting involved in the sparring, while Emilia watched and meditated. Her cultivation had been advancing at a breakneck pace, as she threw herself into the bloody battles happily.
It was amazing to see. Her raw physical prowess increased so much with each step upon her path it was genuinely inspiring. There was nothing quite like seeing your friends advance at breakneck speeds to make you wanna keep pace.
By now, it was pretty clear that more and more of the talents were seeping through [Transference], because I, too, was growing far faster than I should reasonably have any right too.
Especially now. With every clash, I could feel my own constellation changing, taking form, rearranging. Watching the stars move was mesmerizing, and showed me every improvement I made, as well as ones I had yet to make.
When my spear clashed against Matts sword, his grin widened. His own nebula was changing, too. Forming clumps of stardust in the shape of a great tree. Almost every exchange we learnt, improved, and came back a little stronger the next. The tiredness didnt matter.
Even when my hands ached from the vibrations through my spear as we clashed, I swung again. My footwork got better, and every twirl of my spear was a little faster than the last. My cultivation became faster, each step a building block, taking me a step further on my path.
And then, the battle ended. Matt and I came apart, panting heavily. The stars at our centers were churning, moving like leaves in a storm. Then, he turned to Olivia, still breathing heavily. You next, he proclaimed, leaving no room for arguments. Show me your swordsmanship.
Instead, I turned to Liam, who had placed down his whetstone soundlessly. I met his eyes, already trained on me, and saw them light up in mirth. He rose limberly, stretching a little, before flicking his hand and catching a knife in it.
I smiled at him, and gave a simple nod. Then, he vanished from my sight.
Without hesitation, I raised my spear, feeling the impact grind against its shaft, the stab coming for my throat twisted aside in the same motion that blocked his knife at my side. My eyes coursed through the air, and I couldnt see him, so I listened. No sound, either. No movement of energy.
It was like I was fighting the air itself.
Except a small disturbance, as he strengthened himself in anticipation for a blow. I slammed the butt of my spear forward, and felt the air shift around it as Liam twisted out of the way, so I slammed it into his direction.
Moving with inhuman flexibility, Liam sunk down further, bending his back until the spear sailed above him. But it gave me enough time to step back as he stabbed at me. But he let go of the knife, throwing it.
With some ability, he even hid the sound of it coursing through the air, but with Cass and Astraeus giving me instincts and vision beyond what a single human mind could handle, I felt the glint of metal and knew by instinct what had happened. Coating my hand in metal Qi, I snatched the weapon from the air.
Briefly, I stared stunned at myself, then the dagger was pulled back. No matter how strong I was, I could not resist Liams full strength when holding onto the weapon with one hand. A moment later, I was once again blocking a whirlwind of attacks I barely knew were coming.
But still, the cosmos at my center moved, thrived, grew.
Eventually, the training paused, as we were warned our shift was coming up. We took a few minutes to catch our breath, regenerate our Qi, and when we were ready, I took Anns hand, stepping into the air.
Once again, we stepped forward to battle.
Chapter 112: Joy of Freedom
I dont quite know how we survived those days, not to mention how we managed to keep morale generally high. Every day was a grind. We still hardly slept, though more than when just marching. Battle was tiring, after all.
Every day, I would empty out my wellspring multiple times over. In sparring, in fighting. Once, I awoke in the middle of the night, and found Astraeus floating besides me, enveloped in slowly coursing Qi. Enhancing the material he was made from even further.
Fighting, fighting, then more fighting. Those were my days. And the cosmos within me shifted, grew and pulsed. It was bizarre to see it.
My allies rampaged on the battlefield. Regular soldiers cheered when we approached. An Edian asked for my autograph, once.
That was a bizarre experience, but I cannot say I minded walking into battle alongside cheers. The leyburn would turn up, too, whenever I did, as if oathbound. The coordination among our group improved, as Olivia grew at a staggering speed - though she was far from catching up.
She fought with the fury of a rabid animal, though, and once even took a monstrous claw through the arm to protect someone. That was a day she spent quietly, and we left her to think.
It was impossible to keep track of time, watching the eternally dark skies now light up with fiery, divine radiance to my new sight. As the battles ticked by, though, I grew used to seeing the stars. They no longer distracted me, and I was able to focus.
And that was what I did. Focus, focus, focus. Hold the wall for just a day longer. Just another minute. Just another second, as Edians streamed out from the other side, retreating towards the capital. Inu, our city, would fall.
But I couldnt stop the desire to protect it.
So we fought. I talked with Ann at the end of the days, and hugged her and kissed her sometimes. Once, she proudly asked me to look, presenting me with a bright green flame upon her hand. Apparently, she really was going for rainbow fire; according to her it was an excellent way to practice different mana infusions for her flames.
It would help against barriers, or so she promised. I just smiled and nodded. She was incredible, as she always was.
One day, Chris talked to me, too. Fio? Do you have a moment? in that calm voice they always used.
Sure, whats up?
Please listen to this, they said, pulling up a part of their status. I have crafted a new talent, with the help of [Stargazer]. Let me read it to you. [Permanency]. You have embraced your nature as everchanging, and unforgetting. Whatever is part of you once, a little of it will stay forever. That is what is says.
I gave a small whistle. Thats rather amazing.
They smiled. The face had gained some amount of new wrinkles, so it no longer looked as bizarre - which, by itself, was a strange thought. I think so too. It is, amusingly, acting retroactively. I have regained some measure of power from my previously lost shells.
My eyes widened slightly. What? That was terrifying. A talent that reached through time? Monstrous. And how many shells have you lost?
At that question, their smile turned sad. Mournful. Half a dozen.
For a moment I almost commented that it was not that many, but then bit my tongue. To them, it was like losing family members. My condolences.
They brightened. Thank you. Sincerely. But I mainly broach this, because I wish to show you one of the talents I had crafted in a previous shell. It was related to weapons. I wished to gift it to the group. You deserve to see it first, since I believe all of you may approach it a little differently.
I tilted my head. That seems like a rather personal gift.
It is, Chris nodded diligently. But I believe you deserve it. For everything you have done for me. They bowed, deeply. I am grateful. The talents I have been given are nothing short of enlightening.
I blinked. Ah, you dont need to do that. Seriously.
Gently, they shook their head, still bowing. I believe I do. Annabelle has explained that humans take attempts upon their lives seriously. The fact that I was hired for one makes me untrustworthy, and yet you accepted me. I understand how much this gesture means, now. And for that, you have my gratitude.
Okay, okay. Uh, gratitude accepted. Please, raise your head. I flushed slightly at the gesture. But at the same time I was glad Id given Chris a chance.
Swallowing heavily as they rose, I quickly composed myself. Uhm, thank you as well. Could you maybe show me the weapon thing?
They smiled gently. Of course. Let me demonstrate.
A sword of ice formed from the air, using the capabilities from their current shell. They held the large crystalline formation, and closed their eyes. The trick is a little strange, so let me see if I can make it work for you. Its a little like the weapon is one of your limbs, yes? Now imagine you could detach that limb.
I blinked. Thats uh, a difficult mental image.
With a small smirk, they nodded. I imagined. Perhaps it makes more sense to you if I explain it as using your tie to the weapon more thoroughly. It is core bound to you. Who says that means you can just make it reappear in your hand?Stolen novel; please report.
Huh, I hummed. That was an interesting thought.
Watch, Chris said, throwing their sword upwards - where it stopped. Hovered beside them in the air. Without a single movement from them, the weapon began twirling, hovering around them slowly. You see, they explained, though their voice was heavy with strain, I can do this with a weapon made from Qi. That bond is enough. Yours is far stronger. Use it.
Astraeus almost vibrated with excitement in my hand, and I smirked at his enthusiasm. Okay, let me give it a try. With a somewhat awkward motion, I threw my spear upwards. Then, I felt for my connection with it. It was a little like using [Lost and Found]. That realization then was enhanced by Olivias [Connections] and suddenly, my tie to my spear felt more solid.
It froze in the air. For a brief moment, then suddenly disappeared and reappeared in my hand. What a strange feeling, I mused.
Chris smiled faintly. This is just a starting line. But, I suppose, what I mainly wanted to say is to trust in yourself. Explore your abilities. It feels as though it is in your nature not to care about limits, so dont impose them on yourself.
With another bow, they walked away, letting the surreal experience sink in. When I looked at myself, the stars within my chest had shifted again. I understood my spear even better now. What a strange feeling.
- - -
More battles past, coming in shorter bursts now. Time to rest grew even more sparse. No matter how many usurpers we killed, there were always more. Bodies dissolved into energy. Whenever we stepped out in front of the walls, the feeling of static in the air gnawed at my skin a little more, like a building wave.
Something was coming, we all knew.
But we fought anyway. Because it was only right. Because every second we bought was valuable.
Iryel felt it the most. The divines themselves felt nervous. In uproar. He complained about headaches, and the fact that they were bickering even more than usual. So, eventually, we went to the temple.
I placed my hand upon Hirs altar.
Ah, Fio. It is good to speak to you. I assume you have questions, the divine spoke, though I could feel they equally had things to ask of me.
Yes. What is happening? I asked.
Hirs chorus of voices sounded worried when they answered. More usurpers are pouring in than ever before. Powerful ones. It seems that they may have recently conquered another world. More forces are pouring in than they should.
I frowned. So?
So our resources are becoming even more strained. Especially because with the change of the energy balance we are under more sanctions. The keepers are asking for more payment in order to supply us more chances. We are considering opening a passage to a third world. Whose people may come here, like those from Neamhan.
What payment?
One of our lives, Hir replied. One of the divines.
Oh, shit.
Indeed, they spoke mournfully. We are forced to consider it. None of us, however, wish to perish.
Obviously, I thought. Do you have any message for me?
Hir hesitated. ... Yes. We wish for you to hold the city. Please. If we may ask, do not flee.
If they were asking that way, I knew there had to be a pretty darned good reason for me to consider fleeing. Not that I wanted to. Not until the Edians are evacuated.
We are grateful. Your contributions are great, but so is the price for more power, if you wish for it.
I nodded. Id need everything I could get if they were this worried. Yes.
By all means, then. Spend it.
And so I did. With that sickening feeling of information appearing in my brain, I selected to level up my gateway class to 10. The extra stats would be powerful. But that was not the true goal. I knew what I was about. Because of [Precipice].
When I was in danger, I grew. When I was free, I grew. When I made my mark on the world, I grew.
The divines couldnt upgrade my cultivation speed. That was a personal journey, after all, one I could only take by myself. But there were things I could get to help.
[Are you sure about this, Bell?] Cass asked me.
I nodded. I am, I told my keeper. It was Orvan who had told me to look for it, and there it was. Id like to buy a Class Ascension.
Hirs gaze felt a little heavier that moment. This will use up the remainder of your contribution to come even close. Are you sure? You will still have some way to go.
Once more, I nodded. Yes. I can get the rest of the way there. Im sure of it.
Fine then, the divine acquiesces. You may need it. I shall take your contribution and deliver your rewards then. May you survive to defend our world another day. You have our gratitude, Fio.
With that, Hirs presence disappeared, and the terrible feeling of the level up invaded my body, making it difficult to move. But, with iron determination, I remained standing, then walked out of the temple.
At the door, I saw Orvan enter, and he gave me a nod with a faint smile. What did an archmage buy, I wondered? With his contribution I shook my head slightly. Id just find out when I was strong enough. For now, it was back to practicing. Astraeus appeared floating besides me, twirling, moving, bending as I willed him to.
I breathed the fresh air, then stepped into it, platforms of golden Qi holding me afloat. A small smile bloomed on my lips, and I leapt through the sky. This was my path.
Occasionally, I would see a usurper get too close to the walls, and blast it with a spear of golden Qi from the sky, but that soon ended as I was back at the small base my guild was staying in.
Ann greeted me with a hug and a kiss, and I returned them. All done? she asked, and I nodded. Great! Practice with me. Ive been working on something.
Again? I asked with a chuckle.
Yes, again, Ann said, rolling her eyes a little. Something more physical. I want to see how it holds up in a fight.
I walked along, to an open spot. Fine then, I said with a smile. Hit me.
You asked for it, Ann replied, grinning.
For a moment, I considered if I should be worried, then the mana in the air suddenly grew so thick it gave me goosebumps. I didnt even have time to say Whatve I gotten myself into now before the ground came alive underneath me.
Spikes of earth from below. Thick spears of ice from above. And, to combine it all, Ann brought down incredible gravity on me, making every movement a dozen times harder. And as if that wasnt enough, her mana was so thick in the air that she could form tiny needles purely from the magic essence.
All of it was entirely solid, with full capacity of stabbing into me, though not through my reinforced skin. But it made for incredible training, and I doubt anyone without omnidirectional vision could have done nearly as well as I did.
Dodging between spikes, keeping my balance on shifting earth, deflecting attacks from above, below, and all sides simultaneously I would not have called it easy, but hearing Ann laugh through it all, even in her focus, made me laugh as well.
My spear buzzed through the air, deflecting attacks as I twisted. It felt so freeing to move. I leaned back to let an attack pass over me and saw the skies above. I reached a hand upwards, as if to pluck the stars from the sky, even if I only deflected one of Anns attacks.
Even with my body so heavy, it felt amazing to move. Even as I was attacked from everywhere I felt free. What a strange emotion.
Even with closed eyes, I could see it all. Even as I floated within the golden seas.
[Golden Wellspring advanced to 6th Step.]
I laughed with Ann, as we both celebrated the freedom of using our strengths and moving.
Chapter 113: At the Threshold
I felt like a shooting star.
Every day that passed, I could feel the constellation within me roar. I could feel my Qi scream. Feel the world buckle at my demand, feel reality itself become malleable to my power.
Every day that passed, more people survived. More usurpers fell. The walls held. They stood strong against any and all assault. We fought and we thrived.
It was stunning to see how the constant battle drove us to excellence. The exhaustion was wearing on us, but we still kept morale high - still somehow found time to spar on top of it. We were being pressured to become diamonds, and that bright shine was emerging.
So, as every other day before it in Inu, we made our way to the walls. We were welcomed by the guards, excited to finally get some rest. Some of them happily dropped their weapons and fell on their behinds as we approached, drenched in sweat and entirely exhausted.
Theyd barely slept, without the inhuman constitution our group had. We were, compared to all these people, monsters by now. People who had beaten insurmountable odds again and again. When we turned up, the battle turned in the peoples favour.
With a smile, I waved off the guards and reflectors whose shifts we were taking over. Go and rest, I told them as Iryel spread his wings. Weve got this.
Grateful smiles came our way as the angel lifted off the ground. The bags under his eyes had grown deeper, the exhaustion wearing on him more than us, but still he fought. His haggard face was set with a kind of acceptance.
Somehow, despite it all, Iryel was at peace with his duty. Time to head to work, he said, a monotone sigh in the roar of battle. Then, he took to the skies, and crashed down into the hordes with an explosion of divinity. Around him, shields bloomed, and wounds mended themselves.
Emilia crashed down, shredding apart a few monsters with explosions of stone. One beastblood warrior, who had been stuck on a usurpers horn, was freed, and her wounds promptly mended by Iryels divine radiance.
It was a sight to see each of my allies descend onto the battlefield.
Matt jumped into the fray in a violent storm, instantly carving dozens of creatures into smears of gore. Ann sent waves of elemental destruction over the field in front of the walls, her hands moving with blazing speed as magic coursed out in droves.
Liam silently appeared from a shadow, slicing down things before even being seen, while Reya applied widescale buffs, bringing others back up to health, and increasing their power. Chris shells each turned into bringers of destruction, occasionally cooperating with each other for even greater devastation.
And finally, there was me. When I entered the battle, the leyburn, a staunch companion these last few days, also entered the fray with me. The feeling was intoxicating. Descending to the cheers of people whose lives I was saving. Qi roared through me in droved, Astraeus reaping lives with every movement of my arm.
Cass directed me towards the greatest threats, making sure I was in the right place at the right time. Aware of everything I needed to know. Graced with supernatural strength, vision, instinct and mobility, I could appear anywhere, anytime. Stepping through reflections, or simply space itself with my sash. Throwing attacks back at those who tried to kill me.
We didnt just fight on this battlefield - we rampaged. There were opponents who tested us, yes, but one after another, they fell. Because we werent alone. We were a group, and we were coordinated. With projected speech and telepathy, we communicated, each appearing when another needed us most.
And step by step, we beat back the endless hordes of the usurpers. It was terrifying. My life was on the line each moment out there. And it was thrilling, because my life was on the line with each moment out there.
Seeing that the hordes were endlessly replenished was still a strange sight. Despite the explosion, despite the literal meteors Orvan was calling from the sky, they streamed forth endlessly. Nonstop.
Such was the power of having conquered dozens, if not hundreds of worlds. The usurpers were hungry and ever expanding. They had forces to expend, so they flooded us in raw numbers.
Yet they still broke against us. Explosion after explosion, the outpouring of power around us seemed to never stop. We were like stars in the sky, blazing brightly and streaking our way through the world. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Again, and again, and again I came out victorious. My spear crashed through hide and scales and stone and crystal, through elemental wisps and strange illusions, and rended apart the creatures casting them. Each one fell, just like the one before it.
Each one fell.
Then I felt the air change.
For a moment, I thought the time stood still, as a gentle shiver ran down my spine, crawling over each joint. Drops of sweat on my skin suddenly felt ice cold.
It was Mana. An ungodly amount of Mana that washed over us. An amount only seven people in this whole world possessed - Orvan was here. Which meant that he had retreated closer to the walls where we were, while stilling bringing the full power of his magic to bear.
Sure enough, moments later, the Archmage appeared in the sky, wrapped in blinding bright magic circles and star-like constellation spells. He zipped through the air with precision and blinding speed. But he was not further forward, not holding back the tide.
Then I saw why.
Like a horribly dark omen, it was there. On the horizon. A pair of antlers crested the sky. They were dark, almost invisible against the everlasting night of the eclipse, but I saw them - because they rose high enough to block my line of sight to the stars that were the divines.
Next came that horrid skull. Two pits, filled with darkness and fire and hatred. Limbs that dragged on the ground. Multi jointed arms that uprooted trees.
Somehow, the horrible giant had grown even larger since our last encounter. Its arms, too, now sported the flames, the blazing bow manifested in its hands seeming to almost suck in the air around it.
A wave of disgusting, misaligned energy washed over me. The kind that spilled over into this world from the rifts. I felt it eat at me. Like the giant was trying to pre-digest me. Turn me into a morsel before it even reached us. Before it even got to the wall.
I dragged burning hot energy from my wells.
Qi roared through me like never before, and the fear was torn asunder by the power blazing through me. I roared in the creatures face. Carved through the hordes, breaking usurpers at unprecedented speeds. I stormed through them, watching as a thousand tiny pinpricks of light appeared around Orvan.
Star after star connected, a beautiful dance of radiance, forming a thousand geometric shapes. Each one another magic circle.
The power stacked on each other, and the eclipse itself seemed to shudder. Pinpricks of sunlight hit the world for a moment, radiant beams of golden light. The giant raised its second arm to the bow, carrying an arrow of black flame.
I ran, as fast as I could, towards it. No more fear, no more waiting. Just murder.
With a horrible roar, the arrow of dark fire was drawn back. Then, moments later, Orvans spell completed, and a blazing star wove itself into existence.
Suddenly, the night turned to day.
A second sun blazed in the sky.
Massive amounts of mana and heat roiled off it, enough to set the fur of those who were too close on fire. The mana rolled through me, as Orvans constellations stirred. The man was lit up like a sea of sparkles.
Then, the air exploded. Noise like no other hit my ears. The arrow was released, the titanic bowstring crashing forward with a shockwave of dark radiance, sending my ears ringing. Darkness washed through the light, and the arrow slammed into the sun.
Almost instantly, the entirety of the dark fire was devoured - then the sun dimmed, and dimmed. Moments later, it was barely half its original size. The giant nocked another arrow.
I stepped through space, through reflections, through every eye I could see, and then I was suddenly in the forest.
It was dark. The light of Orvans second sun didnt reach here, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. It was quiet, too. The chittering of teeth and claws suddenly silent. They kept their distance from the giant, probably for fear of getting crushed.
Through the canopy, those stygian flames still blazed. An abyss that seemed hungry to draw me in. Now, so close, I felt that resonance. [Lost and Found] rang out with gateways - ones I hadnt felt approach before because the giant had hid that.
Another shiver ran down my spine. It was smart. Not at all mindless.
More crashes rung out in the sky, Iryel and Orvan battling the creature. Divine light and blazing fire roared against the darkness, each crash spreading enough Mana and malevolence to make the soldiers up on the walls throw up.
Silently, I stalked through the forest. Always closer to the giant. A moment passed, I blinked, and suddenly Liam was next to me. Then Matt came from above, and Emilia rose from the stones below. Even the leyburn, storming through the woods behind us.
We only nodded at each other, not speaking a word. Striding forward, faster and faster and faster yet. Towards that abyssal draw, towards those all-devouring flames, hungering for light.
It was our purpose here to fight, and fight we would.
Waves of power roiled over us, but it was truly only seconds until we reached the giant, the world warped by my sash to let us get there faster. I was terrified, ice coursing through my veins right alongside bright, hot power. But I wanted to, no, I needed to kill this thing.
There were still people in Inu. People who deserved to survive. People who relied on us to save their lives. I needed to do this.
Gritting my teeth, I took that last step, my companions with me. Divinity flowed through us, courtesy of Reya, and I already saw the glimmer of spells from Ann forming in the distance, even through the trees. We stepped past broken wood, and cracked earth, and finally, I was right in front of that giant.
For a fraction of a second, I looked upwards. The giant was, in all words I can say, titanic. It was bigger than anything I had ever fought before. Bigger than most people could reasonably imagine. It towered over buildings. Over city walls. Over ginormous trees. Calling it a force of nature would have been generous.
Yet, I did what I always did. I roused my Qi, coursing blazing gold and shiny glass through my veins. I gripped Astraeus tight, and heard Cass speak calmly in my head.
I would make my mark on this world.
[Mirror Wellspring advanced to 6th Step.]
No matter what.
Chapter 114: Dark Fire
Lets go.
As the words left my lips, I didnt even need to check whether or not my guildmates would be with me. I knew they were, from when I took the first step towards the giant. And they were still there as I took my first step into the air.
I stepped down hard on the Qi platform, using my enhanced manipulation to slingshot myself up into the air. As my foot landed I took a deep breath.
With an [Iron Will], I took hold of the raging energy. I drew from my wellsprings, a torrent of Qi that flooded my every muscle. I burnt with energy, golden and silver power rushing underneath my skin intensely enough to make me sparkle slightly. I coursed it through my body, becoming tougher, faster, stronger
Then I pushed.
With each fibre of my being I leapt into the air, Qi platforms being woven into the air with each step I took. My allies rose with me. The giant was still kept busy by Orvan, firing arrows of stygian flames that were extinguished by a prodigious amount of Mana.
Until we crashed into the battle of titans.
Rocketing into the air, I found footing on platforms created by myself. I drew power from then, pushing energy from the balls of my feet through my body, and releasing it as I explosively stabbed forward.
My spear slammed into the monsters tough skin, enhanced by my power, my Qi, my supernatural strength, and the weapon itself having grown beyond anything mortal smiths could make. It was a terrifying noise that it made, slamming into iron hide.
When it hit, my spear lodged itself a foot deep into the monster then stopped. Barely a scratch given its size. I grit my teeth, trying to drive my Qi into its body, but the energy was instantly ravaged and consumed by black fire spilling forth from the wound.
Acidic blood sprayed as I withdrew my spear, trees wilting and their leaves melted from the fetid liquid. I grimaced, quickly doing another slash to remove the corrosive from my weapon. Around me, more impacts hit the giant. Matt slammed his sword forward, Liam was there with a storm of daggers, Emilias Mace slammed into its ankle
We left surface wounds. Chris had the most success out of all of us, by targeting the ground rather than the giant. Shifting the earth underneath one of its enormous legs made it stumble for a moment, which allowed Ann and Orvan to land more attacks.
Projectiles of fire and earth and air and ice slammed into it, digging into the tough hide. But the giant didnt seem bothered. It simply took another step, regaining its footing, then its shoulder blurred.
I jumped back a step on instinct, as with a whip-crack the flaming arm passed by in front of me.
The air howled in its wake, the winds tearing down a few trees in the forest, as a wave of black flame swept forward, consuming part of the world. I had dodged but it hadnt even bothered to look at me.
How? We had grown so much? How was it still so far above us?
It made me furious. I saw it with my allies, too. They wanted to break this monster. Yet it felt hopeless.
I thrust my spear at it again, breaking skin and spilling a faint amount of blood. I stabbed it again, breaking muscle fibers, but then I heard a vibration in the air again. A moment later, Matt was sent flying through the forest.
Pink petals still swarmed around him, so he would be fine. Another attack by Orvan impacted the titan, slamming into its skin with waves of power that washed over me, blowing my hair back. But even then, wordlessly, soundlessly, the monster rose again.
Black flamed crackled, even as I stabbed it again. Fire gushed from the wound, singing my face with the heat as I dodged away. What we were inflicting were surface wounds at best. We needed more. Something - an opportunity for Orvan to blast it to bits.
Another horrible crack sent my ears ringing, the world shaking around me. Orvan countered the attack with blindingly bright starlight. We needed to act. To give us a chance. I couldnt do it on my own, though. But I didnt need to.
I locked eyes with the leyburn, and asked it for a favour, a moment granted.
Please, I mouthed at it, and it understood. The creature that had once left me broken, now turned to an ally, and retreated a few steps to gather momentum for a charge.
Despite being the size of a house, it was easily dwarved by the titanic monster we were facing now. But it wasnt an insurmountable wall, anymore. It wasnt unbreakable. I saw it, glimpsed it through its wounds.
Inside the thing there were stars, too. A whole damn firmament. And it made me wanna pluck it from the sky.
With a savage grin, I took a few steps back, too, allowing Orvan to hit the giant with a wave of exploding stars, each one louder than the last, making my ears ring even more. I felt blood trickle from my eyes faintly as the crashing waves of power sent me off balance.
Gritting my teeth I bore with it. We needed firepower. Everything we could get. Everything. I needed Ann, right here, with us. So, I charged my voice with Qi, and called for her, the magic carrying it all the way to the walls, all the way to her ears. Ann. I need you to blow it up.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Magically, the reply came within moments. I thought youd never ask. Be right there, love.
A smile wormed its way on my face at that. The leyburn was ready. I looked to Matt, his robes scorched, his hair singed, one of his arms terribly bruised. His sword made from broken fragment.
I looked at the savage light in his eyes and knew he was ready.
Emilia knew me, and retreated. Liam followed, and so did Chris, all of the shells. We gathered again, as another horrible crash split the sky in bright and dark fire. An agonizing second passed, and then another, until Ann appeared by our sides.
Divine radiance, a terrific blessing imparted by Reya, glowed within her. Her Mana was already gathering, torrent of power ready to spill out. We needed only a little bit of a chance. A destabilization.
Chris, Emilia. Make the ground under its feet falter. Liam, you and the Leyburn will knock it to the ground. Pull it with its shadow. Matt and I will help by attacking when its off balance. Ann, I need you to finish it off - use your crown. Crush it under its own weight.
Nods followed. If we were facing a mountain, wed just make it crumble.
We split. Again. Moments passed. The giant paid us no mind. As if we were insignificant. Less than bugs. Wed show it that we packed a pretty bad sting.
I viscerally felt the shift when our attack was ready. Go, I whispered, the word reaching everyones ears, and I channelled my energy.
The ground shifted. One foot of the giant suddenly crashed downward, the very earth splitting. It plunged in for half a dozen meters, its whole weight coming down enough to make the ground shake.
For a second, it looked almost startled, but I discounted the look as I charged more power. More and more golden energy poured into my spear, into my veins, into my body.
While the world still shook, I heard thunder. The leyburn was charging. With a rumbled, it approached, inky smears of oil streaking by at the sides of its body. Its motion left the air almost undisturbed, and despite its size it looked almost graceful. As if it was ice skating
Then it crashed into the giants still standing leg. With all the force of a siege tower, It slammed into the usurpers flesh, monstrous energies crashing into the monster. Its flesh ruptured, scattered, and there was a horrible snapping and cracking sound, followed by the hissing of its blood against the trees.
Its shadow stirred. A hundred chains, spiked with wicked barbs that caught on any imperfection lodged onto the monster. Hooked into crevices and pulled downwards, with Liam, himself clad in the embrace of darkness pulling with all he had.
For the first time, the giant buckled. It stirred, beginning to fall, and alarm bells rang in my head. My own voice called out to me. Go higher. Take Matt.
Thankfully, I did not hesitate. Within an instant, I had grabbed my friend, and ascended only a few steps higher, when black flames passed through where we had just been. One of my figments was extinguished, the essence scattered. Three left.
But with its wild flailing, the giant was even less stable. Slowly, it was beginning to crumble under the assault. I nodded at Matt.
With a burst of willpower, I pushed even more power into myself. A flood of Qi entered me, almost making me choke on the power. It leaked through my skin, golden and mirror energy dissipating into the air like a heat haze.
I smelled plums, and felt a brush of wind. Matt had turned into a tornado. We were ready.
Not even needing to speak, we charged, at the same time. The buckling giant saw us coming and stirred, but it was too slow. A moment before its other arm moved, we slammed into it.
Next to me, a torrent of pink slammed into the monster. The smell of plum was overbearing, and Matts sword pierced into its chest. Then he slammed his whole body weight into it, too, using himself like a cannonball and a storm all at once.
Astraeus, too, hit the giant full force, with my own golden body barrelling against it. I summoned more platforms behind my feet and pushed with every muscle in my body. And it moved.
Off balance, the giant finally got past the point of recovery. Its body tilted, it legs, one buried, the other cracked or broken it began falling. I quickly stepped back, Liam vanishing into the shadows, and Matt in a flurry of pink.
And then, a faint purple haze manifested around the usurper.
Ann floated in the air, her hair whipping about in the storm of mana she created. An amount Id only ever seen archmages match coursed through her, into the diadem, and then crushed into the monster. Its slow descent accelerated.
The giant, once standing tall as a mighty castle fell.
With crushing gravity and enormous power, reinforced by Reya and our own effort, Ann brought the monster to heel. Her magic coursed out in droves, to the point where her circlet started glowing hot from using the power. Her skin blistered faintly, but she didnt even seem to notice, increasing her output.
Purple gravity didnt just push the giant down, it slammed it into the ground, causing another violent shudder of the earth, and a faint crater to form around it. Then it sank deeper, and deeper again.
I felt a shudder run over my back, when I felt the Mana gathering in the air. Orvan, too, floated. His hands were enveloped by sigils, the stars within him stirring as the giants seemed to dim ever so faintly.
His voice coursed through the air, sending another shudder through me. Meteor.
Thats all he said - and like a promise with the magic, it came true. An enormous mass of stone appeared from high in the sky. A tiny pinprick soon turned enormous. It was as big as the giant, and made mostly from glowing hot metal. Denser even than pure rocks.
Ann faltered, her magic finally cutting out, but the deed was done. The giant laid on the ground, the burning sockets of its eyes staring at its impending doom.
When the meteor slammed down, my whole world went white. I saw nothing for a few moments. The noise was the loudest I had ever heard, and my eardrums only survived the shockwave because I reinforced them with a gross amount of Qi.
All the world knew was destruction.
This was the power of an archmage. Focused only on destruction, brought to bear in full force. Some of the city walls had shaken from the impact, bits of brick falling down. But it stood, because it was not the impact site, because a hundred mages had erected barriers, because it was defended.
Irrithuriel had shielded us, too, even from the fallout.
Eventually, colour returned to the world. I saw again, the blind spots in my eyes disappearing. I saw our handiwork. Our bloody spoils.
Broken laid the giant.
Its deer skull was cracked, black flames flickering out. Its chest was ravaged, an open cavity of broken bones and torn flesh. Its legs had been blown off entirely.
We won, I whispered.
Ah, but we cant have that, can we? someone asked.
The voice was familiar. I looked closer, and there it was. In the middle of the giants corpse, it stood. A tiny figure, demonic, with a frog-like head and red skin. It held a tiny piece of obsidian in its hands.
No, no. We cant have that at all, it said. Then it placed the piece of obsidian on the giants broken chest, and the flesh squirmed.
A moment later a torrent of fire washed over the figure, but it was already gone with a dark chuckle. See youse.
The giant stirred.
Chapter 115: Ruination
The fight had been over, the giant broken and dead, yet now it moved once more.
Flesh writhed, then dissolved as it was shedded. Black flames flickered forth from the corpse, surrounding a perfectly polished abyssal sphere. It called out to me, as if screaming for help - gateways. Corrupted and twisted, their fragments broken and melded together again, into this.
Back, my own voice whispered in my ear.
Stunned, I still obeyed, and my allies followed a moment later. As we should, because the giant exploded.
Its deer skull shattered into a million bone fragments. Shards that dug into my skin despite its enhanced toughness. Where we had just been was now consumed in a raging inferno of darkness.
A moment of silence passed, when the flames collapsed inwards, around the orb. The figure that stood was imposing, as tall as the leyburn, though smaller than the original giant. It was also entirely carved from black flame, contained within a thin layer of obsidian glass.
Almost confused, it looked at its own hands, moving them. They had five fingers each, almost human like. Then, the fire within its head spun and twisted. It took me a moment to get it, but then it clicked. The monster was smiling. A sinister, horrible smile.
It vanished.
Charged with what I could only assume was mountains of power from the demon, the usurper moved with blinding speed. It slammed into the leyburn, still nearby on the ground, and bashed it aside with contemptuous ease, sending the creatures body flying.
The crack of the sound barrier being broken reached my ears only after it had long since stopped.
Disgusting. It was disgustingly powerful. The demon that had brought it back why did it not just fight? Could it not stay longer?
The thought was beaten out of my head when the monster moved again. Irrithuriel, having just been next to me in the air, was suddenly swatted from the sky like a fly. One moment he was there, the next moment a dark figure of obsidian stood, and I saw his body crash into the ground.
Fear crept in. Terror. The creature turned to me, the flame twisting with sadistic glee. Wed killed it. Almost. So close. In fact, [Transference] had begun sending its body over yet here it was. Alive. Standing in front of me.
It took joy in that. The despair.
When it reached for me, my figments were silent, yet I saw death come. Was there no way to live? Was there-
Fio! Ann called.
Instantly, my eyes steeled. I refused to give up. Gripping Astraeus until my knuckles went white, I drove the spear forward. It slammed into the volcanic glass, chipping a piece of it.
And the usurper stopped. It placed its hands on the wound, the tiny chip in its exterior with surprise. Was it fragile?
My thoughts were blown aside by a burst of magic from Orvan. His attack had landed cleanly on the distracted monster, stardust and fire slamming into it, sending it sprawling away from me.
Get it together! The city cannot fall! Orvan called.
So, we made the decision to fight. Because it was the right thing to do, right? Yeah. The right thing.
The usurper faced Orvan. I saw its malice. Its contempt for us. For this world, so unsuited for them. The want to be more, to have more, to own. I clutched my spear, holding it out defensively.
And we clashed.
A single strike impacted me, and I barely turned Astraeus to block as Cass told me to. The obsidian hand impacted my spear, and I felt the shaft bend. My footing was torn off the platforms I stood on, the blow knocking the wind out of my lungs, and I crashed into the floor.
My world went white again with pain. Then I got the fuck back up.
I saw devastation. In the moment I had been gone, Liam had been knocked aside, and Matts storm of blossoms seemed to be burning, the plum petals melting into slag.
Then Liam got up. And Matt fanned his storm out wide until the fire was gone, before drawing it back in. They were determined.
Emilia stood. A blow impacted her, but she simply remained standing. I saw the stars in her chest coalesce and burn brightly, and a new one spawned. A talent? A technique? She had grown again.
Ann glowed with divine radiance, a crown of red hot metal on her head, leaving her skin untouched now. Rainbow fire flared to life on her skin. It shot forward in thin spikes, sending more cracks through the fragile monster.
A moment later, it blurred. Dozens of magical barriers in front of Ann shattered, and she was blown aside. Chris was next, all three of their shells attacking at once, only buying a moment each even as they moved in perfect synchronicity. Soon, they were blown aside, too.
But with each exchange it grew more violent. Faster, more brutal. The stars within that darkness shimmered, a night sky of flickering flame. It vanished again, and I heard my own voice whisper in my ear. Turn to the side.
I turned - and felt a brief touch of air at my side. Then, blood spurted from my arm, a horrendous set of gashes having carved into my biceps.
My golden skin was torn, and crimson streamed out of me, burning hot waves of pain wracking my body. A little later, and I would have lost the arm entirely. Now, it was just horribly mangled.
My eyes narrowed in pain at the wound, but then I shoved it aside and focused again. Fury ran ice cold in my veins. Murder. I wanted murder.
Apparently so did Orvan, because he cast spells again. And instead of his usual, charging, sluggish magic, the spells poured like rainfall. Drops of silver starlight that slammed into the creature like iron balls, constraining it. Dozens of tiny explosions fired off. The bright light formed into wispy strands when the raindrops dissipated, holding the thing down like chains.
It blurred again, and I felt no warning. Emilia received the blow, being sent skyward. Likewise, Matt was thrown to the side again. I felt warmth spread through me, as Irrithuriel and Reya channelled Divinity into my wounds.
We fought. Move, by move, we bought time as the city was evacuated. Qi, Mana and Divinity flowed in droves. Crater after crater appeared, wound after wound as we chipped away at the glass.
But the damn bastard just kept getting faster.
Exchange after exchange, we kept it at bay. Astraeus and Cass used my talents to guide me to move before it did. I predicted far enough ahead to where it felt like I almost saw the future. A tiny movement told me all I needed to know.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Still, it wasnt enough.
Orvan cast spell after spell, his hands blurring as the seconds ticked by, flashing through sigils. His lips remained chanting relentlessly, to the point where he hardly seemed to breathe at all.
A thousand chains of light entrapped the thing again, but this time, something finally changed. The bright starlight dug into the obsidian, cracking it, breaking off more shards. Dark fire frothed on the inside, burning with ever greater fury. Pressure building in an unstable container.
And then there was a crack.
A horrendous sound of glass splitting. The monster moved again, fire spilling in its wake now, leaving its insides.
But when it blurred the movement was too fast. That sound of shattering happened over and over again. Power rushed out of the usurper in droves, terrifying amounts of it, and the stars within began collapsing as supernovae.
Its night sky lit up with bright light, and crimson blood.
Oh, fuck me, Orvan whispered, looking at the hand, stuck through his stomach and exiting out his back. That shit hurts.
I blinked. The situation felt unreal.
Malice washed over the battlefield. Dark flames sprouted on Orvans robes and skin. Fire, consuming him, eating away at him. The usurper withdrew its hand, slashing it through the air, splattering Orvans blood on the ground.
Iryel gasped in horror. His reaction was the first. No! he screamed, rushing towards the old man.
Then, Orvan laughed. Blood stained his beard, streaming down his face from his mouth, his robes red and black with ash and blood. He was on fire. With a hole through his body, and he laughed.
For just a second, then he stopped. Mana appeared, and I saw Orvans stars move. They burnt up. His fading firmament lit up with bright light. Dont waste your breath, angel, he said, calmly, quietly. Let an old man make a last stand.
A moment later, his voice lost all that quiet. Instead, carried by mana, it boomed over the battlefield. My name is Orvan Dreyfa! Archmage of Eden. Starseeker. Bringer of Ruin. The greatest damned mage this world has ever seen! And I refuse to go out like a fucking chump!
He grinned. A manic smile on his face. Edians, Divines, Outworlders. Look closely. Witness Destruction. Witness my legacy.
My mind went blank, then. It was hard to think. My ears rang. All I could do was stare.
Reality twisted.
Orvan was finally, in his last moments, pouring out all the magic he had. An amount of mana that was stunning. A kingdoms worth, enough to make the whole world suffocating.
A firmament of blinding stars appeared in the sky. Nebulae and suns, thousands of glittering bits of dust, infinitely far and grand pinpricks. Orvan grinned. And suddenly, I felt safe.
It was a strange feeling. He was dying, his own galaxy within himself exploding, projected outward, and yet in that moment he was still birthing new stars. He had just figured out selective magic. And I knew his spells would leave me untouched.
See a dying mans fury!
The sky fell.
I do not know how else to describe it, but the sky fell down.
A thousand stars, suns, meteors, radiant blindness and astral spectacle came down. Colours I had never before seen seared themselves into my iris. It was beautiful.
Tears evaporated from my eyes.
A firmament came crashing down on the usurper. Glass shattered. Black flames broke. Scattered. Washed away in the tides of the night sky.
And then, all at once, the sky was empty. Every celestial body had fallen. Moons and meteors and stars and dust and everything in between. It had all crashed down, into an enormous crater. The city stood, entirely unharmed. But there was no more forest. It was all blown away into a dusty wasteland, an incomparable crater in the landscape.
Orvan coughed up blood, a single last star burning in his chest. A single bit of light still in his eyes. He fell from the sky, with that bit of light still in him, crashing onto the dusty ground he had just evaporated.
The impact was a dull, quiet thud.
Slowly, the dust settled. I could breathe again. When my vision cleared There was a broken shell of obsidian. Volcanic glass scattered and forever incomplete. Dark flames hovered around a thin, cracked sphere. It was this close to shattering, yet still held on.
Our nemesis, the giant, was now small. Smaller even than me. Yet, despite it all, despite the sky coming down on it, it stood.
Two people, destined to die in moments, yet still holding on just barely.
But then it looked at me. And I heard my own voice. Step back.
So I did. Mechanically, almost by myself, I took that step backwards, and the creature stood where I had just been. My companions stirred, many hurt and far away. Ann was the one who moved towards me. A barrier formed over my spear, letting me block the second hit more easily.
Still, it hurt. Bones in my arm cracked, from that single strike. A desperate last stand by the monster. How many more hits did I need to take?
A strike came from my left, and I moved Astraeus to block - my arms held, but a crack went through my spear, and I heard the spirit inside it howl.
Despair struck a chord in me. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Have my spirit die? No longer defend?
No, Astraeus deserved better. I placed him back into the unsummoned space. But I still felt him. I was a spearwoman. My eyes glowed. I grew. [Stargazer] and [Mirror Mind] burnt. I knew I could wield a spear. One from wood or metal or Qi who cared? So what if I wielded a spear of just my will? Wasnt that fucking something?!
A flicker of enlightenment blossomed into a flame in my mind.
[Spear Technique - Fundamentals has reached (Inevitability).]
I had mirrors. Reflections. I knew what I was about, I knew. Did I need a real spear? Fuck it.
[Class Ascension forcibly unlocked. Path: Unification. Combining [Spearwoman] with [Gateway]. Combining [Voyage through the Golden Depths] with [Imprint upon Infinite Self-Similarity]. Congratulations.]
[You have acquired the Class [Superimposed Paragon] at level 20.]
[You have acquired the Path [Stride beyond inflicted Skies] at Wellspring Realm, 7th Step.]
When the blow came, it stopped in the empty air between my arms. A formless spear. There was nothing there at all, yet Astraeus was within it anyway.
Another block, another parry and backstep, as the flames sputtered and died and then it blurred.
Ann was by my side. My lovely, too-kind, Ann. There to save me. She stood behind me, ready to cover my back- and then her blood splattered against me. I had been out of figments. Out of little glimpses of the future. Out of lives to save.
Ann looked at me. Glassy eyed. Hey, Fio? she asked, a whisper. Please, will you remember me? I reached out to touch her hand - then the usurper flung her back, out of reach, dead.
[Annabelle Belleflamme has been removed from your [Transference] network.]
My hand, that had been reaching for Ann, clenched around emptiness, around formlessness, and my spear slammed into the usurpers core, finally breaking it apart.
I remained standing, running to Ann, touching her, hoping to send her to Neamhan but no. She was dead. Cold. This body. Tears streamed down my face, but there was a whisper behind me.
Fio, Orvan croaked.
Fuck. He couldnt even die properly, couldnt let me grieve-
Fio, he called again. Come. Please. Grant a dying mans wish.
Mechanically, I stood up. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine.
My [Iron Will] clamped down on the sorrow. Another version of me [Superimposed] on me. I breathed in through my nose. Yes, Orvan.
I kneeled next to the old man as I spoke, blood trickling into the dry soil, staining it red. My companions were rising slowly, the ones still living, anyway. What was the point in that, though? I hoped they-
Orvan called my attention back to him when the last star within his chest wavered. I could already feel the hole Anns [Genius] left behind, though a flicker of it remained within me. A tiny spark. A reminder-
She has a body on Neamhan.
My eyes lit up. I whispered. Oh.
The old man placed a hand on the top of my head. Yes. I do not, Fio. These are my last moments. Are you willing to hear me out now? he chuckled, interrupted by red blood spilling onto his beard again.
Yes, I said numbly.
Ill make it quick. Youre like me. Wild. Strong. I want to place my trust in you, if youll have it? he asked, faintly.
Why me? I whispered.
Youve been dealt a shit lot and tried your best. Thats all. He shrugged, almost imperceptibly. Cmon. My manas leaking. Will you take my damn inheritance or not?
...
I didnt want to answer. I didnt but my mind moved. I needed power. Get back to Neamhan. Enough contributions to give Ann her memories back. Yes. I will.
A prick of mana touched my body, infinitely complex and magical. It was a solid crystal of it with a horrendous amount of density and inscriptions and-
Fio. You saw the stars, right? I did everything I could. Gave it my best shot. You you can be a little more selfish. His hand laid onto my cheek. You can look out for yourself a little more. Take a little more time. Stay bullheaded. Stay stubborn. Stay fair - but stay kind to yourself.
He smiled. And then, finally, his hand fell.
[Orvan Dreyfa has been removed from your [Transference] network.]
I closed his eyes. Then walked over, and did the same for Ann.
There, at the end of the world, I stood. With Matt, Emilia, Reya, Chris, and Liam. Olivia and Iryel, too, I suppose, though they stood next to Orvan rather than Ann.
No one spoke. We dug graves. Did what we needed to do, silently. Then went to the city wed saved. There. We could talk there.
Chapter 116: Heaviness
My hands were shaking for the entire duration of the journey. There were no more usurpers. The giant of black fire was dead. I had absorbed the shards of its gateway, and the rest of that fire had been absorbed by [Transference], and crafted into some kind of magic item.
But I ignored the pull of the Gift. I felt entirely too numb to interact with it. My heart thumped in my chest, beating on cruelly as Anns laid still.
Thoughts flowed slow as molasses and I could hardly think. It took all my effort to just keep my legs moving. I felt so damned heavy. Every movement was a chore. I wanted to simply lay down, but I stayed upright.
No one touched me. I was aware enough to see Matt think about it, about laying a hand on my shoulder and speaking, but he never went through with it. I was glad. I didnt wanna speak.
While my legs felt like cinder blocks, my tongue felt like a horrible piece of lead tied to the bottom of my mouth. I could barely breathe without choking. For most of the walk I held my breath. I only needed to draw in air every dozen minutes with my inhuman constitution, after all.
Eventually, we were upon the barrack building assigned to us. I didnt even have the strength to open the door. Emilia did so, and it took my best effort to walk inside, then sit on the side of the bed.
I let my face fall into my empty palms. Simply holding my head upright was taking more strength than I felt. Everything was so heavy. I held my breath again.
No one spoke. I heard some footsteps, some creaking, but it all was tuned out, melding into a background cacophony of noise that I only barely perceived. Minutes ticked by.
Eventually, I let out a shaky breath. My lungs felt so unsteady. I almost choked as I breathed back in, but I managed. Then I breathed back out again.
After a few more repetitions, I lifted my head. I clamped down on the despair with an iron will, looking up to see my friends. The people I cared about more than my family. Reya, next to Liam, each with an arm around each other. Liam wore a new mask, his previous one having been burnt away by fire. His hair was singed.
Matt, his sword sheathed by his side, and the scent of plums dull. His face was blank and expressionless. He turned to look at me, and simply nodded, in empathy. I felt numb, but I nodded back anyway. Hed get it.
Emilia sat across the room from me, a table between us. She was the most covered in blood. One of her arms was broken, but she didnt make a peep about it. Despite being so wounded, she seemed the most stable.
Her eyes blazed with that same stoney determination that I was used to from her. She was shaken, grieving, angry, but she was still somehow ready to fight. I wish I could have been like her.
Chris was inside with their human shell. Their face was flat like a soda, left open in the sun for too long. They were barely puppeteering the body right now, but they lived.
Olivia sat. I saw the stars move within her. I- I realized then that I still saw the stars. She seemed upset. Was that empathy blooming within her? Care? The thought almost brought a smile to my face, but the expression crumbled before it grew.
Finally, Iryel still had his eyes closed. He looked so tired. More like a husk than even Chris unmoving body. But still, he had not given up.
Had I given up?
The question buzzed around in my head for a few dozen seconds, until I silenced it. I took another breath, steading myself. I- my voice cracked, instantly. Breaking the moment I tried to speak.
No one batted an eye, just waited. I breathed again, steadying myself, focussing. It took all my effort to speak, even somewhat steadily. What do we do now?
We grieve, Iryel said. The loss of two incredible people. And then we fight again.
Olivia gripped the wood of her bedframe hard enough to splinter it. Yeah, alright, she ground out. I was looking to kill more.
It wasnt selfish or sadistic. She wanted to avenge Orvan, I knew that much. How strange. I looked at her for a long moment, and she returned the gaze, fiery as always. What? Do you not want revenge?!
No. The words surprised myself, coming out hoarse and raw. I killed it.
The eclipse is still happening, Matt said. Somehow, even in this situation, his voice sounded melodic. The rat. We should still fight.
Liam, absently carving lines into the wooden table with his daggers, spoke. The frog is still alive.
Distantly, somewhere within myself, a spark of anger flitted before being doused by apathy. Yeah, I said.
Emilia got up. With a single pull from her healthy arm, she ripped off the broken remains of her armor, crumpling the busted and torn metal in the process. She stomped over to me, heavily, her stone prosthesis scraping against the wooden floor. Then she pulled me into a hug.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
She squeezed hard, enough with just one arm. Wordlessly, slowly, I felt myself raise an arm as well. I dug into her shirt, gripping the fabric hard. My throat closed up again, and I choked on sorrow.
It fucking sucks, Emilia said. Her voice was so warm. It hurts. Worse than any wound. Fio, take as much time off from fighting as you need. No one will hold a grudge.
I wanted to answer, to say anything, but the words wouldnt come out. All I managed was a pathetic squeak and a ragged breath.
Emilia squeezed me again. Ann is out there, on Neamhan. I know you cant go.
Those words slammed into my body like a sledgehammer. It hurt to hear them, so very badly, but she was right. Despite it all, despite everything, despite killing the giant, there was still that abominable number.
[Gateway:
It had risen. Of course it had risen. But it wasnt enough, it still wasnt enough. Ann was out there, on Neamhan, all alone. With nothing but a few days of memories and a fucking lifetime of confusing emotions to her name.
And I couldnt go to her.
So well get her, Emilia said. Tears dripped down from her onto the top of my head. Well go, keep her safe, Fio. Its okay. Well take care of it. Well hunt down more of the gateway holders, bring the shards to you.
The words stunned me into silence.
Emilia didnt say any more, but Matt did. Yeah, he said. Ill stay in Eden. I- Finding Ann on Neamhan is not what Id be good at. But I can kill things for you. I can kill as many as it takes.
Wherever you need us, Liam said. Wherever Ann needs us.
At that, I finally started sobbing.
- - -
For the first time in forever I slept. Like, not just for a few hours, but really slept. I remember that at some point Id laid down and cried, and then stopped, and then spent an hour staring blankly at the ceiling, and eventually, I mustve fallen asleep.
It was a deep, dreamless kind of sleep. Chris sat next to my bedside when I awoke. They didnt instantly speak when I stirred, though. I could feel the open invite to just turn on my side, and sleep some more.
With a lot of willpower, I decided not to. How long have I been out? I asked, my voice raspy and dry.
Twenty hours, came the reply.
Oh, shit. Thats a while.
They shrugged. So is everything. What use is time if you cannot spend it on what you need?
I stared back at those deep, dark eyes, and sighed, deciding not to argue. I felt less bone-tired, but the exhaustion still weighed heavily on me. Sure, I agreed. I- what now?
Chris pulled me into a hug. Their skin, stolen and puppeteered, felt warm and soft. Now you wait. You be selfish. Maybe visit the altars eventually, but do not worry about it. The divines can wait.
... And Ann?
Emilia and Liam are back on the other side. Theyll find her.
How will we know? I asked. I moved, pushing myself out of the hug, instead sitting up and drawing my knees to my chest. Can they talk to us?
The triz-adu nodded faintly. Yes. Transference is stronger than ever. It affords them a tiny bit of Qi even over there. With it, they can send off short messages occasionally.
Oh, I said, blankly. I hadnt known that. I frankly hadnt explored my new abilities all that much, anyway.
[I can give you a short version if it helps,] Cass suggested.
Hearing her voice in my head was both strangely alien and comforting. Now that I focused, I heard Astraeus humming within my chest, too. While Cass voice seemed to come directly into my mind, his originated from my heart, vibrating through my bones before reaching my ears.
Knowing I had enough Qi to support it, I sent Cass a short invite to actually appear next to me. Almost instantly, her ghostly avatar wove itself from a thin thread of power, taking shape. Then she threw herself around my neck.
She weighed nothing, and her touch barely registered except a feeling of slight cold, but I still felt it, vividly. I remained stunned for a few moments.
Bell, Im so sorry, she said, voice cracking. Im so sorry I didnt- I should have- I-!
Gently, carefully, I placed a hand on her head. Hey, I whispered. Its not your fault.
She sobbed, convulsing quietly for a few moments, and it left me thinking. Was this fair? Cass shouldnt blame herself. Was it hypocritical of me to think that? Here I was, feeling like trash Ah, who cares. I still wanted to feel a little more like trash.
But she didnt deserve it.
We got unlucky, I told her, running my fingers over her head in something I hoped was a calming gesture. I got cocky and too comfortable risking our lives. Now we live with the consequences.
Orvans permanent death. Anns memories. I just hoped she was safe, hoped she found the others that she didnt-
I interrupted myself before finishing that thought. Drawing another shaky breath. Cass squeezed me tighter. Okay, she said, voice barely above a whisper. I Ill try. To be kind. To do better.
We all try. Its okay not to always succeed, Chris said. I looked at them, turning to see their usually blank face set with a heavy expression.
Once more, I was reminded that their reason for travelling with us, for finding power, was primarily one of loss. Another shell, another life, taken from them, unable to be laid to rest.
I breathed in deeply through my nose, and out through my mouth. It sometimes doesnt feel like it, I said. The weight of Orvans inheritance laid heavily in my chest. A revolving knot of magic. But what can we do, except try our best?
At that, Chris smiled. Sometimes, just trying is enough. You dont need to give your all. Sometimes, the amount you can give is small, and that is fine, too. They paused. To always try your hardest is to run yourself ragged.
Their words sounded hollow, but I forced myself to consider them honestly. They seemed to resonate with Cass, at least, assuaging her a little. Objectively, I could see how they were right. But personally It was so frustrating. I didnt want that to be the truth.
Breathing in through my nose, and out through my mouth, I decided to let the thoughts go. Okay. Lets take it from the top, then. Cass, what changed about my abilities?
She drew in a shaky breath, too, finally releasing me from a clingy hug, and I let my arms drop again as well, no longer holding her. They felt heavy again. But it didnt matter. I just needed to listen.
Yeah. Okay, Cass said, psyching herself up for the talk. It felt like she was trying to drop the guilt like a physical burden. So. You have changed class, fusing both of your previous ones. Now, you are a Superimposed Paragon.
Right, I nodded. Clear so far.
This means that some of your abilities will have fused into new ones. Your status will be shorter. This does not mean you lost any ability; they were simply unified into a single larger framework, giving you more freedom in how you use them. Pull up your status for me?
I smiled at the request being made so casually. Cass sounded a little like herself again. I hoped it was the last terrible moment she had to go through with me, fingers trailing through the air.
Casting off the shell of comfortable inaction, I accessed my Gift, and decided to see how the world would find me wanting.
Chapter 117: Real
[Name: Fiona Bellum
Class: Superimposed Paragon (20)
-
Techniques
-
Spear Techniques
-
Spear Technique - Fundamentals (Inevitability)
-
Swift Spear (Intermediate)
-
Momentum Shift (High)
-
Qi Techniques
-
General
-
Aura Suppression (Intermediate) (Keeping your Qi contained inside your body allows you to appear perfectly ordinary)
-
Aura Sense (Basic) (Perceive your surroundings by being in touch with the energies suffusing them)
-
Golden Glass
-
Spear Spirit (Intermediate) (Your weapon - Astraeus - has resonated and fought with you. Now, it actively cooperates)
-
Weapon Unification [New!] (evolved Weapon Resonance + Spear Qi) (Basic) (You and your weapon are one. You need not hold it to wield it.)
-
Inexplicable Reinforcement [New!] (evolved Golden Body + Reflection) (Intermediate) (Your Qi makes your body incredibly tough, flexible, and fast. When in peril, you superimpose yourself over it.)
-
True Mirror [New!] (evolved Gateway + Lost and Found + Keeper Manifestation) (High) (You and your Keeper work together. Manifest them and your gateway where your will reaches.)
-
Stats
-
General
-
Strength: Greater (Lesser)
-
Agility: Greater (Lesser)
-
Endurance: Greater (Greater)
-
Resilience: Greater (Basic)
-
Manipulation: Greater (Intermediate)
-
Capacity: Greater (Basic)
-
Absorption: Greater (Basic)
-
Qi
-
Golden Glass
-
Purity (Perfect)
-
Realm (Wellspring)
-
Stage (7th Step)
-
Path (Stride beyond inflicted Skies)
-
Disposition
-
Covenant
-
Familiarity (Kind to the known, distrustful to the new.)
-
Trust (Your care comes in layers, always possible to rise or fall.)
-
Temperament
-
Impatient (Time ticks and you wish to be ahead of it.) (Wavering!)
-
Disciplined (Your command over yourself is admirable.)
-
Iron Will (Your tenacity is incredible, even among the outstanding.)
-
Compassionate (You truly care. So you find joy, and you find suffering.)
-
Talent
-
Slight Edge (Average is below your standards. Go above, even by a little.)
-
Single-Minded (Your focus is your strength. Once your mind is set, nothing will shake you out of it.)
-
Superimposed Experience (evolved Mirror Mind) (You can place anothers experience onto yourself. See the world from new perspectives.)
-
Precipitous Wings (evolved Precipice) (Growth lies wherever risk does. Find it, sprout wings, and soar through the sky.)
-
Budding Nova (You saw the stars, right? Stay kind to yourself.)
Current Status: Agitated]
I took a long time to let my eyes trail over all the emboldened text.
My abilities had changed. My classes fused into one, and evolved. All their old functionality was still there, but new bits and pieces had been added to almost everything I could do. I felt them at the edge of my awareness, in the same way that new abilities usually came with a switch.
But my control over Qi was different now. I couldnt just feel the lever - I could interpret what it meant, and activate it manually. The training wheels that the Gift offered were not required in this instance.
I was surprised at the volume of change in my main powerset. I was shocked at the change to my covenant, but then it did make sense. Recently, new people had entered my life, and all of them had earned my trust rapidly. Chris, Orvan, Saif, Reya and even Eric. They had all become familiar fast. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
My experiences changed me. My impatience was wavering. Was I getting better at being patient? I smirked at the thought. But, perhaps, I had gotten a little better about giving people a chance.
Amusingly, this removed the whole family business out of my status fully. Familiarity had always reminded me of my parents. Now, it was trust. Bonds forged entirely based on peoples own merits. I kind of liked that.
Then, when I saw my talents, I cried a little again. My new talent, [Budding Nova], had Orvans last words in it. Damn.
It took me a little to finally read my current status, and when I did, I sniffled, scoffed and snorted with laughter all at the same time. Agitated? Yeah, I sure felt agitated. In just about every single way that word could mean.
Damn Gift. Daring to summarize my grief and change and my best attempts to keep myself going and my growth all at once It made me wanna punch it, almost. But I didnt.
Instead, I took a deep breath. Fine, then. This was the main window dealt with. I was changed. But not negatively. The world hadnt seen to cast me away.
There were stories of that. When a loss broke someone so utterly it whittled away their disposition. Their talents. And I was changed. I had learnt my lesson on hasty decisions, or so I hoped. Not quite, it seemed, given that [Impatient] still hung there.
But my grief was judged enough to make me [Compassionate]. Bastard. I sniffled again.
Slowly, I let out the held breath. My talents had grown. Despite it all, despite the loss and the grief, I could feel that. The power buzzing within my now singular wellspring. Both my capacities had combined into one, my Qi reserves increased, the glass beneath my skin having shifted to being golden.
I took a moment to feel it - genuinely feel it.
Taking a deep breath, the shakiness that filled my body abated briefly. The power coursing through me felt like a raging bonfire, hidden behind a thin gossamer curtain. I pulled the veil between me and my strength apart, and let it course through me for once.
The world changed. My perspective drifted. Lines blurred, stars blossomed, another reality superimposing it on the one I was in. I felt the connection to that reality. Trailed my hand through the air, saw it shift and morph as if I was seeing double, yet it clearly parsed in my mind.
Simply put, there were two realities now. I could almost pick and choose which one to interact with, and the one I superimposed onto the one I had been in until now was under my control, somewhat.
When I wanted the air to shift, it shifted. If I wanted to shift my hand only there, I could. And if I wanted to, I could displace myself into this new reality immediately.
Blinking, I controlled the ability. My other self, that ethereal copy of me that was so me and yet remained in my field of vision, got up. From the bed. Walked over to the table in the middle of the room, and stepped on top of it. Then, another step, onto a platform of Qi, standing in the middle of the air.
And then I let myself sync with her - with me?
There was a snapping, lurching sensation, and both worlds collapsed into one another. The table shifted slightly from where I had put my weight on it. And I stood in the air, having walked there and yet not taken a single step at all.
What the fuck.
Cass materialized her avatar on the bed, now carrying a thin metallic sheen on her skin. Trippy, she said.
I nodded, staring at my hands. Already, they were blurred again, a second reality at my fingertips if I so chose. Briefly, I wondered if there was another reality where I wasnt as fucking sad.
There was.
Faintly, resonating across that boundary, I felt a reality in which I was uncaring. Where what happened to Ann, what happened to Orvan hadnt touched me. For a moment, that other version of myself and me communicated, a song of loss.
Almost as if she had reached out, asking if there were some version of her that was sad.
I recoiled in surprise and a bit of disgust, and that version of myself disconnected, snapping away, lost. My stomach turned. The memories of carelessness mixed with the ones of grief in a dizzying cacophony.
Feeling my stomach churn, my concentration on my martial arts wavered, which made the Qi under my feet vanish. With the platform gone, I lost balance, stumbling through the air. I crashed against the small table, knocking it over, and then my bed slammed into the bedframe.
My skull left a dent in the wood.
Briefly, I started getting up, but then it all crashed back into me. The heaviness, the disdain for my inaction, the revolt at my uncaring self. I felt disgusting. My arms froze in the air, and dropped low like lead weights.
I let my head sink back into the end in the wood, slowly sliding until it fell into the floor. It didnt even hurt, my physical stats far too high. My skin was too tough to get a splinter, now. I kinda wished I got one,
Was that self harm?
Bell?
My eyes were closed, but I recognized Cass soft voice. I felt Astraeus hum within my wellspring as well, expressing comfort. The two of them cared so much. I wish they didnt.
Gathering my willpower, I cracked open my eyes. The world was slightly blurry, as if my eyes couldnt be bothered to put in the work to focus. I blinked the blur away. Cass stood over me, skin metallic and solid.
Her featureless face seemed scrunched up with concern for me. I reached out, almost mechanically, my hand reaching her cheek - and encountering resistance. I flinched back for a moment, not expecting the cool, smooth feel of her skin.
But then, her fingers came against mine. Her hand was smaller, almost fully spread while mine was barely open. I felt her fingertips. My eyes opened wide. Cass froze, shocked.
I wrapped my hand around her tiny one. Squeezing it. Cass, I said, breathless, sitting up. Cass! Youre- youre real! Youre physical! Oh, divines!
She stared at me, head slowly trailing back and forth from where I grasped her fingers, to my face, then to her hand again. Slowly, with a gentle force, she squeezed my hand back. Oh, she said. Her voice cracked. O-oh.
Suddenly, as if the spell broke, Cass leapt at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I felt her, like a weighty doll - different from a human in the way that her weight seemed to be distributed strangely. Her skin was more solid than most living things, taking significant force to bend-
A thousand thoughts ran through my head, but all I did was wrap my arms around her as well.
I can hug you, she said, voice cracking. She would have cried, had she had eyes. I- I can hug you. You have no idea how long Ive wanted to do that.
Squeezing back, the thinnest, smallest smile I could conceive crept onto my lips. Actually, I said, I think I have a pretty good idea.
Cass broke out into pearly laughter. She kept giggling on and on, as if I had told her the funniest joke I had ever told, resting her head against my shoulder. Bell. Thank you. So much. For giving me everything.
And that, finally, made me cry again, too. My arms dropped, slowly sliding down to my sides. I couldnt bear to hold her anymore. No, Cass, I said. I didnt do anything. I- I its my fault you didnt have anything in the first place.
What? she asked, aghast. No. Bell, please, no. Cmon. I- Without you, I wouldnt be alive. No mind to think. No body to live.
And you would have never been locked up! I cried.
At that, she stared at me aghast. One of her hands lifted from my back, and she touched my cheek, softly, with that cold, metallic skin of hers. Youre so fucking stupid sometimes, you know that? she said, angrily.
What?
Bell. Look at me. Look at me!! she demanded.
Bringing myself to do the effort, I opened my eyes again. I hadnt noticed that they closed. I saw Cass, my partner, my friend, my safekeeper, and she was furious with me. Shaking, literally. My breath hitched.
She brought her other hand to my other cheek, squeezing my face slightly. What does this look like to you, Bell? I have a body. I can do things. Everything is incredible right now! But its not new, you know why? Because of you. You showed me before. What its like to live.
Shaking her head she continued talking. Things are better now. I am happier with this. But being freer now doesnt mean I was locked up, you idiot. I have never once hated my way of living. Do I want more? Of course I do! But who doesnt, Bell?! Who doesnt want anymore?!
By now, she was eyelessly crying again. Im not always happy! I cant be! Happiness means improvement, its something to constantly work towards. So dont. Dont act as if I was trapped, dont act as if my life had just begun. Because it hasnt. Ive been with you for a while now, so dont you dare reduce all to that down to me suffering. Ive laughed. Ive cried. Ive fucking lived!!
She breathed. And I intend to do more of that, she added, quietly, breathlessly. So much more. So dont you dare blame yourself, or be angry. Im happy right now. Please, let yourself share in that, just a little.
For a long moment, I was quiet. Cass moved to hug me again, and I hugged her back.
Okay, I eventually squeezed out. Sorry.
Apology accepted. I love you, Bell. Youre like the crossover between a mom and a best friend.
A thin smile made its way onto my lips. I love you too, Cass.
Chapter 118: Resolution
Eventually, after an amount of time I didnt really keep track of, Cass let go of me. We split apart. I was left leaning against the bed frame, sitting on the floor.
There were more aspects of my growth to change, but as I looked at Cass, something in my vision sputtered. As I focused again, the [Budding Nova] of my talent reignited, and I saw it bloom within her.
A star.
I smiled faintly at that, too. Not that I needed to tell her, she could see it through my eyes. That was lovely, though. A future. Potential for growth, all on her own. With that, even just a single star, it meant Cass was her own person.
Perhaps, some day, she could dig her own wellspring, make her own body. Not need me anymore. Then shed have the freedom to choose to be with me. I had the responsibility to make sure she wanted to, then.
Letting that thought linger for a moment, I eventually let it fade. I took a long breath in, then out, and focused on the inheritance Orvan had left me.
Within my wellspring - however hed gotten it there - sat a small puck of mana, a little bigger than an average coin. It was absolutely packed with mana, runes and enchantments. A tiny little masterwork, documenting an entire lifetime of experience and practice and success.
Orvan had not left me magical items. He had not left me grand libraries, towers, or anything like that. What he had left me was techniques. Ideas and knowledge on how to forge oneself.
How to make new talents appear from nothing. The most effective ways to manipulate mana. Growing your wellspring faster, making it output more power. Turning it into a churning vortex to draw in more power, having it constantly course through you at all hours to get your meridians accustomed to vast power flowing through them.
A whole library of brutal shaping exercises to practice fine control and raw output. It was a treasure trove of insights and knowledge, and philosophy, too. A structured guide to ascending from the very bottom rungs of the ladder all the way to the top.
And finally, beneath all that knowledge was the compressed mana. A token made to assist in breakthroughs. I was on the seventh step of the wellspring realm. My next increase would take me to a higher realm, beyond wellspring. The fifth step on a seven step journey to ascension.
By now, I was genuinely unsure whether the divines were in the sixth or seventh realm. Orvan had been in the fifth, and I was rather sure that my master had been in that one, too. Well. Nothing to it but get there myself and find out, no?
Then I let out a long suffering sigh. I got up from the dent I left in someone elses bedframe, and dragged myself back to my own. I sat down. Hey, Cass. You ever felt what a bed is like?
Not with my own skin, no.
I smiled, and patted the coverings next to me. Well. This ones kinda crap, but Im not exactly using it right now, so
In an instant, she threw herself onto the sheets. She had to shuffle a little until Id pulled the blanket out from under her, and covered her with it. Cozy? I asked.
Yes, Bell.
Thats good, I nodded, smiling. Then there was a silence. I reached out, patting Cass head, fighting to keep the faint smile on my lips. It fought back just as hard.
Of course, it was a losing fight, and eventually, my smile faded, and my face sunk into neutrality. Despite that, I remained seated on the bed with Cass, letting my hand rest on her head. Her eyes were closed. That didnt exactly mean much, since she could see through my eyes still, but well. The gesture is what mattered.
Staring at the wooden ceiling I found myself with a simple thought. I kinda really wanted to go home. Really, really home.
Then the door to the barracks opened and Matt walked in. Covered in blood.
He was more filthy than I had ever seen him. Red stained his robes, his hair gummed up with it, too. He smelled of plums and iron. A few seconds passed before he turned to face me and for a second I shivered.
There was a brief moment when Matt had that look he had during a fight, but it was even more intense, even sharper now. His killing intent had been sharpened into a blade. There was a fire in his eyes that told of steel and flashes of metal and brutal butchery-
And like a fleeting springtime memory, all of that vanished. Matts eyes lightened and he threw me a smile. Heya Fio. Youre up again, Im glad to see that.
Matt, I nodded at him. Chris filled me in. Im glad youre around.
He grinned, more genuinely than his smile, and patted my shoulder. Wouldnt leave you alone. You need the company, and deserve it, too.
Whos all still on this side? I asked, quietly.
Well, Chris, of course. They cant exactly go to the other side, after all. Then, Reya. She considered going with Liam, but decided to stay here. In fact he paused and stepped aside to let the mute healer walk in from behind him.
She, too, was covered in blood. Despite the grizzly state she was in, she carelessly rolled her eyes at Matt, as if calling him out for having made her wait outside for so long. Chris, who had left to work on their shells while I was checking my Gift, was called in to use some water and rinse the blood off her.
Still dripping wet, she flopped onto her sheets, closing her eyes, and breathing slowly.
Finally, Matt continued. Me as well, of course. And you. Thats all.
I nodded, silently.
Marie is on the other side, he explained, more to keep talking so I had something to focus on. She should have gotten some texts about the whole situation and be on her way to help by now. Emilia and Liam, of course, who went back to deal with stuff. And then theres Eric. I think they told him by now. No way to really know.
He shrugged slightly, laying his sword on his shoulder. He hadnt sheathed or drawn it. I just hadnt noticed it in his hand until now. How strange.
Whats our next move? I asked, quietly.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Matt smirked. What? Im not your boss, Fio, he said, casually. I know what Ill do. Ill catch two hours or so of sleep then Ill go out there and fight some more. In fact, Im in quite a mind to go hunting for some gateway holders. Catch, he said.
A moment later, a sphere of white impacted me and sunk into my flesh, and I felt my fragments tick up by just one. It reminded me to check my system tab for my gateway, too.
[Gateway:
-
Strength: 46
-
Fragments: 50
-
Figments: 6]
Four points. Four measly points of strength, that was what separated me from Ann. I would take hold of them. My fragments had exceeded fifty with Matts latest gift, and I felt the change. A threshold being crossed.
Something about my gateway had changed profoundly, and it was simply no longer the same as before. It was more solidly established in the astral, with a stronger connection. I could now bring twenty-five people into my transference network, but I didnt even know where to get that many people from.
Perhaps Saith? Something to consider. I breathed out through my nose, enjoying the new sensation.
Then, I tried to feel how this power worked, and realized I saw an additional depth to reflective surfaces. Reaching out, I noticed I no longer would just step through reflections, but could now step into them.
I had lost the dependency on a physical body entirely, now being able to exist solely inside a mirror. And, if I walked in that other world, I could step back out through another mirror. A mirror dimension? Was that my new power?
How neat.
Still, I focused on that one number I still needed to increase. Four more, I said, looking up at my friends. At Reya, Chris and Matt. Four more bits of power, and Ill go to the other side again.
Matt nodded. Cool. Give me two hours to crash, and Ill get em for you.
Not if I do so first, Chris said, stretching their shell. I feel rather ready to take the field.
Damn staggered times, Matt frowned, but nodded anyway. Wheres Iryel, anyway?
Administrative work, Cass supplied, eyes still closed. An archmage died. A new one has to be decided to take his place, and there arent exactly any stellar candidates. This is also a large loss for the divines, so they are scrambling to anoint new champions.
Reyas hands flitted through a few half hearted sigils. None of us knew sign language-
Shes saying that the damn divines are making us clean up while theyre distracted again, Chris translated. I looked at the triz-adu. When did they have time to learn sign language?
Noticing my stare, they smiled that unsettling smile. Triz-adu are quite adept at picking up new things. It comes with the switching of shells.
Right, I nodded along. I felt the apathy slowly reach into my heart again and grimaced. Hey, Matt?
Yeah?
Wake me in two hours. I think I wanna fight, too.
My eyes were already closed but I swear I could see a wolfish grin on his face. Right, lets fuck them up, right? Wont even know what hit em.
Sure, yea. Lets lets do that.
- - - - - -
Annabelle Belleflamme stumbled out of a mirror, and instantly fell to her knees and threw up. Horrid bile burned its way up her throat and emptied itself all over the abandoned, cracked tiles. The mirror behind her promptly shattered, showering her in broken glass, and leaving a few tiny cuts.
Then she doubled over again, clutching at her heart. It was beating so fast it hurt. Everything hurt. Her heart burned, her chest burned, her lungs burned, she felt like her entire being was lit up. A thousand ants crawling over every inch of her skin.
It was like being stabbed and set of fire and having one''s heart broken all at once - and it took her a few minutes of steady breathing until her racing heart calmed down.
When she tried to, for the first time since waking up, take a deep breath, her lungs were filled with acrid, horrible air and she launched into a coughing fit. What the fuck was wrong with the air? It was barely breathable. Full of horrid smog, smelling of long burnt fires and soot.
Was the air always this horrible?
Ann looked at the floor she kneeled on. Cracked tile. The walls of the building she found herself in were old and chipped, run down and broken. She- she knew where she was. Shed been here before, when she
A splitting headache took root in her head, and she retched again, curling into a ball on the filthy floor. The hurt came crashing back in, waves upon waves of unfamiliar emotions. Broken bits of feeling, of hurt. She remembered, she forgot, she-
She forgot.
One breath, she remembered it all, and the next, all those memories were ripped out of her head, as if by a brutal hand. Now, they had been gone before. Who took them? Flashes of white passed in front of her eyes when she tried to recall that.
Who was she? Ann? That was- that was what they had called her. The ones she remembered.
There was so little. How had she lived like this?! Disgust rolled in her stomach as more feelings assaulted her.
Ann remembered just about three or four days of her life. Bright, vivid, gorgeous memories. Of stepping out of that mirror in this stinking, disgusting, broken down hovel. Of pulling a phone out of her pocket, fiddling with unfamiliar buttons. Of finding a message, from those people.
The people she remembered.
There were seven of them. Reya and Eric. Liam and Emilia. Matt and Marie. And then Fio.
She remembered them. For the four days of her life, those people had been her entire world.
She slammed her hand into the decaying tile, cracking it further, shards of glass digging painfully into her fists. Waves of emotions crashed into her again, unfamiliar, sourceless emotions flooded her.
Three days. That was how long she had apparently known these people, yet they were all so familiar. Like years spent with them, just out of reach, just at her fingertips - and when she went digging for it there was nothing. Blank space, white flashes in her eyes and searing pain in her head.
Ann curled up into a ball, next to shards of glass and stomach bile and sobbed. She sobbed and sobbed for hours. She remembered it all so clearly. The laugh, the smiles, the hugs, and the fear. She was afraid of her secret getting out and now she didnt even remember the secret!
Instead she was back, all alone, in this broken, disgusting hovel. She screamed in rage and pain and frustration and fear. With desperation as her whole world slipped away from her, sliding like sand through the gaps in her fingers. She screamed until her throat was hoarse from the smog.
No one heard.
The floor was cold and uncaring. The last vestiges of winter were long gone, but in a palace like this? The cold stuck around ruthlessly. It dug into her open wounds, red dripping onto the cold tile.
And eventually, Anns tears ran dry. She was drained of everything. All that was left was a horrid desire, a vast emptiness begging to be filled. She dug her fingernails into the floor, pushing herself up, mirror dust trickling from her clothes.
Behind her, the mirror had broken. The glass exploded away, leaving shards of it lodged in the frame, and a wooden backdrop. She touched her fingertips against that wood, ran it over the edges of the glass, cutting them and letting more crimson drizzle down the glass, covering her miserable visage.
Then she smashed a hole into the wood, too.
Ann screamed again. Of loss and misery and all the things she knew she loved that were now gone.
She screamed because she was alone, because she was lost and because she knew there was something she once had. Everything in the world she cared about suddenly gone except for those three days, so much care for these people she could hardly remember.
And Fio. Her girlfriend. She had come here to date her, come into this disgusting place of horrid stench and creeping cold to meet her beloved. She remembered their days together, her smell, her warmth, all the love she felt at her sight. The way she got lost in her eyes, how she loved playing with her hair, how she laughed, how she smiled-
Then, stinging white hot pain behind her eyelids.
Anns knees buckled and she fell to the floor again, scraping her jeans open on the glass. Misery. There should have been a hundred more memories, of kisses, of touch, and of love, and yet she was robbed of them. Who the fuck took them?
Her feeling roiled, fear and despair and rage all into one big ball of loss and hurt. She wanted more. She wanted it all back. Ann clawed at the wooden backside of the mirror until her fingertips began bleeding more. She smeared streaks of red against the wood.
Come on, she whispered. Come on. Please. Give it back. Give it back! Give it back!!
Feebly, she clawed at the wood, until eventually, surrounded by bile and dirt and broken dreams and shattered memories, she fell asleep. On an uncaring, cold floor.
It was, without a doubt, the worst day of her life. Ann held that thought brutally in her mind.
Because this one was the worst, tomorrow would be better.
Then, darkness replaced white pain, and the world faded briefly.
Chapter 119: Muscle - Memory
As every night before, Ann eventually woke up. She felt like absolute garbage. Each bone in her body ached from the hard floor, and somehow, that sensation felt strange. Like sleeping on a hard surface shouldnt bother her.
That, then, marked her first cohesive thought of the day, and it was instantly one dealing with her missing memories. Wrenching her tired eyes open, Ann pushed herself off the floor. She left behind some bloodstains from where the glass shards had cut her, but paid that no mind.
She took a deep breath - only to regret it instantly, coughing at the horrible air. She retched for a few moments, then shook her head, running her filthy hands through her hair. The red from the cuts wasnt as noticeable against the fiery red upon her head.
Summoning discipline she hardly knew she had, she forced herself to focus. Not on what she knew shed lost, not on the pieces that were missing from her as a person, but on what she still knew.
First, she knew this place was a shithole. That memory was there. Shed picked it because it was abandoned and saw no humans visiting it, after all. Why had she needed a place like that she didnt remember.
Biting her lips, Ann forced her mind back on track. Almost robotically, she turned towards the exit to the disgusting hovel, a wooden door covered in dust and grime that had opened exactly twice in the last decade.
She pushed on the rusty handle, and nothing happened. Frowning, she channelled some of that pent up rage at her own incompletion, and kicked the door.
That seemed to have an effect, sending the fragile wood swinging outwards with a crack and a groan. Shed probably damaged some of the hinges, but who gave a fuck at this point? Ann narrowed her eyes at the sky, expecting to see a sun and not finding it.
Only smog. A thick line of white and grey smoke and clouds blanketed the whole firmament, and rays of light only came down on the paved roads and towering buildings after filtering through the miasma.
Ann coughed again, feeling miserable. She still felt disoriented, and the horrendous air was not exactly improving that. Still, she focused, trying to remember. The streets were empty just as she remembered them being. She had walked on them twice before, each time with equal parts trepidation and excitement.
What had she kept so secret? Just what-
Blinding pain rushed through her head, forcing her to drop the thought. Ann grimaced at the agony, then shook herself. She had goosebumps all over her body, and felt like shit. What memories did she have? There had to be something of use in there.
Going through what she knew, even just those few days, proved harder than she thought. Her mind felt fuzzy, like the memories she did have werent properly rooted in there. She remembered having dropped off some of her stuff with some company, but she didnt remember where.
It was a fleeting moment, one done almost on autopilot. She had given them her suitcase, filled with all the clothes she had bought with Fio, as well as a plastic card that shed used as money and her phone.
How strange. She didnt think that was normal. Most people kept their phones with them at all times. Why had she returned that? Or her money for that matter?
But those memories, the reasons for her actions, never came. Whenever she did something for seemingly no reason, when she remembered feeling something for no reason, she only grasped at empty air. There was nothing there. Bits and pieces of herself that were gone.
Again, it made her angry and frustrated and hurt and miserable, but Ann still focused. She didnt want to just sit down and sob. Not without something at least moderately comfortable. So, she combed through what she did remember.
And found something.
The address, the place she had spent some of her happiest times at, the place where her apparent girlfriend had lived. That place she had felt at home, felt wanted and loved and the place she had gone to with such trepidation.
She remembered where it was.
Like a lifeline, Ann clung to that memory. She knew where to go now. Where Fio lived. Maybe she could shed more light on the situation?
- - - - - -
Before I went to fight again, I donned a mantle. It hadnt been there before, but now it was. It was translucent, and the fabric was soft but firm, like made from tiny strands of liquid glass. My last bit of growth from the fight against the giant, it had dropped an item.
[Treasure: Ephemeral Raiment
Owner: Fiona Bellum
Description: This cloak was woven by a man who disliked the order of the world. It was made with hatred for those who would suppress him. The Ephemeral Raiment bristles when struck with force, moving at its own pace only. The harder it is hit, the more it resists the blow. It twists light, capturing and mirroring it. Finally, deep within the cloak, power burns. The closer the wielder is to death, the more power it bestows upon them.]
I donned the treasure, and felt that it was made for me, laying itself onto my shoulders gently, the translucent fabric drifting lazily in the air. It was unbothered, but when Matt tried to poke it with his sword, the cape suddenly froze in mid air, not letting his sword through at all.
And, strangely, I didnt even feel any pressure from it. The force wasnt dispersed, it was simply resisted solely by itself, maybe shunted into another reality? The part of the cloak he stabbed glowed faintly with some strands of light, and I could feel it at my fingertips, ready to be turned into illusions or flashes of brightness to blind someone.
In short, the cloak suited me rather well.
Breathing deeply, I stretched out my hand and called Astraeus into it. The spear had mended, mostly, since Id pushed all the Qi my wellspring generated into it for a few hours now. I still reinforced the damaged area specifically, but he would hold.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The spirit inside hummed as I held onto the weapon, seemingly eager to see me back on my feet again. Missed you too, buddy, I said, and Astraeus chirped in response. I would fight, and then I would visit the divines, see about including more people into [Transference], and then Id head to Neamhan for Ann.
Reya offered me a hand, and I gratefully took it, pulling myself up from the bed I was still seated on. She smiled and I nodded back at her, then the two of us went outside.
Matt and Chris were already there, preparing their weapons. Even the leyburn laid there. It gave me a long look, then huffed as if to tell me it was about dang time I got up again. I held back a snort in reply, but the joy died down quickly.
Everything still felt so damn numb. It was the best I could do to just stand and hold my weapon. But I would do it anyway.
Matt laid a hand on my shoulder softly. Hey. You ready? he asked.
I shakily nodded, but he responded with a bright smile. Lets head out then.
This time, we werent headed for the walls. Instead, we would be listening to [True Mirror], the ability that [Lost and Found] had been subsumed into. It resonated faintly, telling me the locations of other shards more accurately than the other technique ever did - and letting Cass access it, too.
[Marking it for you. Visual modification in progress.]
With my new skills, and some testing, shed found out that she could alter what I saw a little. So, Cass had done me the favour of installing a minimap in the corner of my vision for when I tried to focus on it. Absolutely wild.
On that map, she now had a few dots show up, indicating the usurpers holding gateway fragments. They were much, much less plentiful now, with many of the other shard holders retreating to build nests or feed rifts.
The shards were necessary for those to some degree that was not quite fully transparent to me, but I didnt need to understand entirely. Luckily, the waves running against the city had finally abated a little.
It seemed as if the giant had been a rather substantial commander of the enemy force, so taking it out was a big blow and let the Edians evacuate much more freely. By now, the entire city was almost deserted, turned into an outpost for fighters with only the bare minimum manpower to sustain it.
A few people had stayed to prepare meals, and repair gear, but nothing much else. I discarded all of that, though, and stepped forward. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, we made our way through the winding streets.
They hadnt taken too much damage. That was what we had fought for, after all. I breathed in deep of the air, filled to the brim with energy. It all broke down and got absorbed into my own Qi.
My actions resonated with my path. Stride beyond inflicted Skies was about that, after all. Walking right at those who would try to keep you down, then smashing past them.
I clenched Astraeus, feeling nervous. Almost apprehensive. But I would fight, anyway, and soon we found our way to the city walls. At our arrival, we were celebrated as heroes. The ones who fought on par with the archmage, they called us. Despite the losses, the people felt like victory was at hand.
How strange it was, seeing their moods contrasted to mine.
There was one person upon that wall, though, who mourned just as heavily as me. Archmage Saif Zolycc sat in her wheelchair with a blanket over her legs, leaning back and watching the battles underneath unfold.
I walked up to her.
A long moment passed before she turned. Ah, Fio. She sounded older now, sadder. Mourning. Grieving. I am glad youre alive.
Her words rang true, despite it all. She did not blame us for the loss of her friend. It had been selfish of me to leave her like this for the last while, but I thought it was okay to be a little selfish. Orvan had even asked me to.
Im sorry for your loss, I told her.
Our loss, Fio, Saif told me with a sad smile. You may have not known him for as long, but you knew him well. In all his facets. When he was caring, when he was happy, when he was angry. You got to saw him die. How were those last moments?
If I remembered right, he said he refused to go out like a fucking chump, then cast the biggest meteor Id ever seen, and learned how to keep his spells entirely harmless to allies at the same time, I told her.
Saif laughed. Her head tilted back, she barked out laughter towards the skies. Bahahahaha! The fucking monster, she laughed. What after? Was that the last thing he said?
No, I shook my head. He survived for a little while longer. Until the threat was well and truly dealt with. He said- I choked, feeling wetness on my cheeks. He made me his inheritor. Told me I was like him. Told me to take my time, to stay headstrong, and to be kind to myself.
Yeah, Saif said. Thats like him, alright. She reached up to her cheeks, wiping away some tears with each of her right arms. Then she barked out a noise halfway between a laugh and a sob. Old fool. Thank you for telling me, Fio. I think he chose a good person to give his inheritance to.
I didnt know how to reply to that, so I just didnt.
For a few moments, the world was quiet, only a faint sound of wind accompanying us. Then, Saif raised both her right arms, pointing them at the crowd of usurpers below, and releasing an absolute torrent of mana, power, and wind.
Her storm magic crashed into the horde like a hurricane, sending bodies sprawling and breaking. The old archmage took a deep breath, then smiled at me. This has given me some closure. Ill grieve Orvan for years to come, and there wont ever be a mage quite like him again. But that is the nature of death, isnt it.
Yeah.
I heard what happened with Ann, she then said.
My world broke a little, all over again. There was another version of me, at my fingertips, on her knees, sobbing atop that wall at the reminder. I could be that me, with just a single use of my new shifting ability, but I remained standing, tears gathering in my eyes. So you did, I eventually got the words out.
Ann used to be my primary communication with the divines, you know that? Back when there were still seven of them. This is the second time Ive seen her die, now, she said, then sighed for a long moment. Fio. Have some faith in her. Shes strong. Fight for her, try to get her back, and know shell meet you halfway there.
Unable to get out a single word in response, I just nodded.
Saif gave me an empathetic smile, and rolled a little closer to me, just so she could lay her cool hands onto my arm. Take as long as you need, Fio. Fight when you feel ready. Ill watch over you.
Again I nodded. A long moment of silence elapsed, as I slowly worked through the thought and the numbness and the unending desire to just lay down and give up. Eventually, after a few minutes, the feelings abated somehow.
Thank you, Saif, I said, simply.
Go get em, Fio, she replied, still smiling.
Nodding, I jumped down into the horde of monsters. There was a ping close to the walls. My new essence roared through my veins as liquid gold, and feeding my sash, the Wanderers Key, with that power, I stepped forward.
Instantly, the world bent and warped around me. The ability of my item magnified by the inherent property of my Qi, made for twisting reality, and travelling between them. It was as though Id swapped with a version of myself that had started walking far earlier.
Matt, Reya, Chris and the leyburn were fighting, too, but I wanted to do this on my own. The usurper I faced in challenge for another bit of gateway strength was a twisted abomination standing twice as tall as me. It was made of a dozen razor sharp wings, connected by strands of crackling lightning.
I took a deep breath, grasping Astraeus tighter, and coursing my Qi through myself. I felt [Inexplicable Reinforcement] trigger in full force, power washing over me. The motions were familiar, and came easily, but I still tested myself.
Another version of me, after all, was currently applying different Qi shaping exercises to the Skill, courtesy of Orvans inheritance. And whenever that Fio made some improvements, so would I.
The usurper didnt even know what was coming for it.
Channelling all my built up fury and frustration, I appeared before it, already leaning back, my spear held in one hand, and then I launched it, with all the power in my body, I tossed the weapon. Instantly, it shattered two of the creatures wings, bolts of lightning crackling in horrid screeches.
Then, I took hold of the empty air, as Astraeus came coursing back around, and fought the creature with a flying spear by my side and an invisible one in my hands. I would break it, thoroughly.
Chapter 120: Memento
The monster, a blur of electricity and razor sharp metal wings, was lightning fast. Each of its strikes brought about a gale of wind and lashed out at me with a thundercrack. It was like a dance. My Wanderers Key warped the attacks faintly at a cost to my Qi, and I wove past them, avoiding the arcs of power by a tiny amount each time.
Whenever I dodged, Astraeus would fly forward and smash into a wing. If he didnt succeed or was parried, there would be an opening, too, and my mind spear would slam into it. I carved apart arcs of electricity with a weapon I was holding, dissecting the thing bit by bit.
Until it exploded.
Even that, though, I brushed aside. I pulled forward my Ephemeral Raiment, the cloak of liquid glass instantly absorbing all the electricity and fire. It gave off light, after all, so it was pulled into the glass, refracting a thousand times.
A moment later, I infused a little Qi into the cloak, and explosion was shot right back in a similar fashion to my [Reflection] ability. This was like an amplifier of that, though, and the blast that shot back out of my cloak was enough to take me off my feet, shattering dozens of metal wings.
Not that the blast bothered me. When my feet lived off the ground, I superimposed myself on the world. The parallel reality of me that had chosen to lunge at the monster after absorbing the blast swapped places with me, and suddenly I was right above the thing. I grabbed Astraeus out of the air, and brought both of my spears, the physical and the invisible ones, down on the monster.
More of its defenses faltered against me. Its limbs broke and shattered into useless scraps of metal and power. Dozens of wings twisted to meet me, but when they collided with my skin, [Inexplicable Reinforcement] shrugged off the blows.
The damage happened, but then I simply superimposed myself over it, forcing my flesh to become dozens of times tougher where it was struck. My body shone with liquid gold, and more Qi streamed out of me, my wellspring producing the torrents needed to sustain the effort.
With a scream, I charged all of it into Astraeus, wielding the weapon with both hands. The Qi passed through the spear, creating a blade that was much more physical than back when I used my golden core. Now, it transformed my spear into an enormous lance, which I brought down on the usurper.
Saying that it shattered wasnt enough. The creature was torn asunder right in front of me.
Each bold of thunder was absorbed by my Qi expenditure, each bit of metal just short of liquified.
The usurper fell apart into bits.
I landed on the ground, standing on my feet, panting. It hadnt been that exhausting, really, at all. I still had plenty of Qi left, this battle had only taken about a third of my capacity. But I still panted, because of the adrenaline and the way the power coursing through me felt.
My Qi had always been tame. Not exactly easy to manipulate, but it was like drawing from a well. Now, it felt like a raging river.
With the way I existed in multiple realities, my Qi almost felt as though it was anticipating what I wanted it to do. A single thought with a bit of intent, and it would rush forward, barely restrained, fuelling abilities to do what they were meant to do - push me far beyond human limits.
It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Like the power could drag me along if I wasnt careful. The feeling was both one of control and cooperation as it was one of eagerness. Of course, by relying on my manipulation I could reign it in again, but this feeling was just different from what I was used to.
Taking a few moments to compose myself, I kneeled down next to the mess of crackling slag and metal fragments, digging through it. The molten metal simply slid off my skin and I dug through it. The Qi inside it was mine, after all. It had trouble hurting me.
After some searching, and letting Astraeus take care of the few minor usurpers that tried to approach, I finally found the gateway fragment. I absorbed it, letting the power flow into me, and watched my gateway strength tick up again, increasing by one. It sat at 47, now. So very few points away from seeing Ann again.
I resumed the fight.
- - -
Two more minor fragment holders died at our hands. I absorbed both, receiving only a single point in strength. 48.
Another day, maybe two, and I would be one with this. But I still had more to do today. After a quick, hour long sleep, I forced myself up again.
Of course, by then the misery had set in again. Without the adrenaline and muscle memory to take over, each movement was a terrible chore. My legs felt like someone had tied cinderblocks to them, but I moved anyway.
It was a slow trudge through the city. By now, it was almost deserted. The few faces that saw me smiled and waved, thinking of me as a hero. I sure didnt feel like one. Pulling up the hood of my glass cloak, it turned opaque, refracting the light to appear an unassuming brown.
With that measure in place, even the few friendly waves I got ceased. It was a quiet walk, letting me wallow a little. And then, I was at the temple.
By now, so many people had fled that the queues were short. The people who were still here had mostly received the Gift, though, so there were a reasonable amount of priests, healers, and praying soldiers about. Some were injured, too. It was the background noise of a field hospital mixed with the serenity of a temple.
Slowly, ever so carefully, I walked up to the altar, and placed a hand on the tombstone that I knew represented Hir.
Fio, they said, greeting me. I am so sorry-
At that, I flinched. Save it, please, I managed to just about grind out. I dont- I cant right now. I do not have the capacity for that. Please.
The divine remained silent for a long moment. Of course, the answer eventually came. Their voice was a little more formal. Your achievements are commendable. Your class ascension has taken much of your contribution, though. Are you here to purchase anything?
Gently, I shook my head. No. I wish to make an offer.
Oh? Hir asked, their curiosity piqued. What kind?
If someone had told me I would be negotiating with the divines just a year ago, I would have laughed at them. Yet, here I was. I had something to offer they would want. And I had earned their respect. So, I made my offer.
[Transference] has open slots. I can afford to integrate all your archmages into it. Maybe a few more people afterwards, too, I said.
Stunned silence. A dozen seconds passed, and I guessed Hir was in heavy debates with the other divines. Maybe already sending out requests for the archmages to gather here as quickly as possible.
To clarify, the words eventually came, being part of your [Transference] means receiving a share of the talents of all other members, as well as the ability to get unique items made from the remains of monsters which are soulbound and can be traded?
I nodded. Thats about right. I dont know about any future benefits yet, but those are the current ones.
We will call the archmages over. How many people can your network accept? they asked.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
That question was a little more complicated. I had, until now, viewed it in terms of slots, but that wasnt quite true. Some people held more conceptual weight than others. So, I wasnt quite clear how many more people I would be able to hold after the archmages. After all, if it were purely based on slots, I could simply have the divines join the network.
And that was impossible. They would be far too conceptually heavy for me to share their talents. The archmages though? That was possible now. Maybe a few more people after the archmages No more than five others. Even that is a guess at best.
Hir gave me a hum of confirmation with their chorus of voices. Then another bit of silence. We have picked our candidates, they said eventually. Each of the divines will pick an angel for you to integrate. They are weaker than the archmages, so this should be possible, yes?
Sure, I shrugged, not really knowing. Itll probably work.
Good. My choice is Iryel. As he is the more near and has more than proven himself worthy of this boon. He will be here soon. So will the archmages. We ask that you stay in the temple until procedures are finished, they said.
I nodded, Alright.
With that, I removed my hand from the altar, strolled over to one of the benches in the temple and plonked down heavily. The weight was back, and it was crushing. I pulled Astraeus out of my inventory, running a finger along the side of the blade. I saw my own reflection in it.
The Fio in that reflection looked like a mess. I blinked, then gave a sad smile. Tapping into my new abilities, I manifested a second reality where I was currently taking a shower. By the time this was all done, I would be able to superimpose that Fio over me, and look a little less like Id been dragged through a sewer.
I let out a sigh, holding my face in my hands. My hold on the ability trembled as I wondered why I even bothered. But I held on, because that was all I could do.
Eventually, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up.
Iryel stood there, tired as usual, but there was a thin smile on his lips. Ive been told you have a gift for me, Ms. Fio.
Seeing a smirk on his sunken face, even with the circles under his eyes, I couldnt help but brighten up a tiny bit, too. Yeah, I do. Give me your hand. And a needle, I need some of your blood, I said.
... Okay?
Ah, and a bit of your hair. Ill need a handful, please, I told him, deadpan.
Iryel now looked somewhat worried. Uh, Ms. Fio, that sounds a little sinister
You can drop the honorifics, I told him. Weve been over this.
Right, right, Iryel nodded. Force of habit. But is this really necess-
Before he could finish the question, I snatched up his hand, and integrated him into the network. Instantly, I felt another talent blossom in that not-space, impacting my perspective on the world. [Diligence], it was called. It allowed you to excel at your duties, even when exhausted, and you would improve faster the more dedicated you were.
Iryels experience, on the other hand, was having the collective talents of everyone in the network flood into him. Everyone elses hard work. And, surprising me, a little bit of Orvans [Stargazer] seemed to flow into him, too.
The angels eyes widened. He stiffened for a moment, his pupils dilating. Then he stared at me, probably seeing the stars. He looked up, where the divines burnt like suns in the sky. A tear trickled down his cheek. Iryel smiled, and for a moment, all that tiredness seemed to vanish from his face.
What a delightful gift, he said, giving me the most genuine, sad smile I had ever seen on him. Thank you.
You were close with Orvan, werent you? I asked.
Iryel smiled. I am older than I look. Yes, we were close. For a while, we had a thing, but for most our lives, we were good friends. Losing him has been painful. This He looked at himself, placing a hand on his chest. What a wonderful memento.
I placed a hand on his shoulder. Sorry for your loss.
His smile turned even sadder at that. Ah, it was but a matter of time. Everyone will die someday. Orvan and I knew this day was coming. Hed actually asked I hold onto his inheritance when he died, until there was someone worthy. I suppose that wasnt needed in the end.
We let the silence hang in the air for a little while. After a bit, Iryel took a deep breath and wiped his cheeks. The thin streams of wetness vanished as though theyd never been there. For what it is worth, Im sorry for your loss, too. Ive been struggling to express that empathy, but its warranted.
Ill get her back, I told him, not believing the words.
Theres no doubt about that, Iryel said, much more sure than I was. I fear for anyone in your way.
Having nothing to answer, I just smiled and nodded. Iryel sat down on the bench next to me, not speaking either. He just sat there, quietly, patiently, and somehow, I appreciated his companionship.
Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, before the next person I should deal with appeared. In fact, it was multiple all at once.
A rift in space tore open, and ten people walked out. Six archmages of Eden. Four angels of the divines. I took a deep breath, bracing myself to face them.
- - - - - -
Ann made her way through the half-familiar streets. It was so strange. They were so dim, despite the sun in the sky. It was a gloomy, grey concrete jungle. Everywhere she looked, she saw more deserted buildings. Dozens of them stood empty, only a few of them having the lights on.
There was a constant humming in the background as what she remembered being air filters ran to clean the air in those houses. Occasionally, a car would drive by her. One, filled with boys, honked at her and slowed down, but she was quickly left alone when she dipped down a side alley. It took a few seconds of quiet before her fingers loosened around the brick shed been holding onto.
Ann found herself jumping at almost every noise. The lack of memories made her feel even more on edge. It felt like being so powerless was unfamiliar - but she also didnt understand how she could be stronger? She was just human, after all. Reasonably fit, sure.
White pain began building at the back of her head again, so Ann dropped the thought, focussing on placing one foot in front of the other as she walked down the streets. Only one more awkward moment followed, where she was almost run over when trying to cross the road at an intersection.
Then, after about an hour or two of walking, she found herself in front of the house she remembered.
Ann was cold. It was an early spring morning but the winter chill still hung in the air and her fingers were numb. She wore a thin shirt and a jeans jacket over it - not exactly clothing made for this.
Gently, she brought up her fingers and knocked on the door. No one answered. Of course no one did. Shaking her head, Ann turned to the doorbells. And she discovered that the symbols there were entirely unfamiliar.
That was strange. She distinctly remembered being able to read. Yet, here she was. And everything there was unintelligible.
Slowly, she raised her hand, and simply picked one at random. Waited a few seconds. Nothing.
Ann tried again. Nothing.
On her fifth ring of a doorbell, someone picked up. Hello? came the voice through the speaker.
Hello? Im here to visit a friend, Ann said, unsurely.
You musta gotten the wrong button, came the answer. I didnt exactly invite anyone over.
Ah! Im a foreigner, she said, and it felt true. I cant read.
The voice replied with a scoff. You speak mighty fine for being unable to read.
Ann clenched her fists. Please, she said. Please. Im I just need to see her.
This time the pause was a lot longer. Then, came a bit of dull yelling, and when the speaker sounded again, Ann heard an old woman. Sorry young Ms., my grandson is a bit of a donkey. Here, here, let me help you in.
Then came the telltale buzzing sound, and Ann pushed open the door. It clicked, and she gave a quick thank you to the old woman, who laughed her off. The door swung shut behind Ann.
She gave a quiet sigh, looking at the stairwell. It was both sterile and a little run down. Stark white, but the pain had chipped a little, tiny pieces of it crumbling onto the stairs themselves. Ann remembered it. Hesitantly, she set foot on the first stair.
Feelings she barely understood welled up within her. Hope, despair, fear, anxiety. The first time shed ascended that staircase was so vivid in her memories, and the second time was even worse.
Ann felt her heart clench. It thrummed in her chest like an engine. By the end of the first flight, she had sped up. By the end of the second one, Ann was desperately sprinting up the stairs. She was out of breath, hungry, and dehydrated, but she still felt like she needed to run. Needed to know what was at the top of that staircase.
More steps disappeared underneath her feet, flight by flight - until she stopped dead.
She recognized the door. It was no different than any of the others, but it had burned itself into her eye, because of who waited behind it. It was a little scuffed up, and had a little mat to clean your shoes in front of it, saying let me be very queer.
Yes, that was just like her Fio, Ann thought with a smile. Then her heart skipped a beat. Her Fio? She barely knew this woman. Biting her lip in conflict, Ann walked up to the door.
She hesitated. Her heart beat so intensely she thought she might suffocate. She took a deep breath, and brought her knuckles against the wood, tapping it loudly thrice.
Then she flinched, remembering that there was a doorbell. Holding her breath, she waited. For a few seconds there was silence. Then shuffling. Her heart lightened.
More clicks, and then the door was open, and Ann felt incredible elation. For a brief moment, she thought the person behind that door might be Fio. All the features were in place but things were wrong. Fio had shorter hair. Fewer wrinkles. Fio was taller, more fit. And her eyes werent green.
The person who was not Fio eyed Ann up and down with a frown, then clicked her tongue. She crossed her arms. Hello, who are you? Agatha asked.
Ann froze. The words were stuck in her throat. Uh is- this flat. It belongs to Fio- Fiona Bellum, right?
No-Fio tilted her head. You know my daughter, then?
The breath caught in Anns throat. Y-yes. I, uh. Im her girlfriend, I think?
Agatha eyed her suspiciously. You think, huh? Then she seemed to catch herself, drawing in a hissing breath of air. She muttered something about dragons to herself, then gave the most crooked smile Ann had ever seen. You uh seem like you had a rough time. Would you like to come in? Im sure I can get you some water. Maybe some food from somewhere.
And that is how Ann met her mother-in-law.
Chapter 121: Hope for Tomorrow
One after another, I looked at the archmages.
Saif Zolycc, war mage, a wind spirit in a wheelchair. Her hair floated behind her in the air, her eyes of radiant purple boring into me with kindness. She had two right arms, both her left ones missing. Her legs were covered by a blanket.
Erasmus Pulie, the seer, a human whose head was shaved bald and whose eyes were milky and dull. He wore plain white robes, but his old skin was dotted with pale scars.
Lyria Kiryel, space mage. Her clothing was purple and embroidered with gold and silver. Her hair was a dull black with threads of grey weaving into it, done up into long braids. She had piercing, intense eyes.
Finnyr Junpey, arcane mage, a triz-adu. Their shell that Fio would speak to was that of a beastblood, a tall, bat-like creature with long limbs and a small pair of wings folded around themselves. They wore simply, unadorned clothes, as though they had just thrown them over. Their eyes were a dull grey, scanning Fio already.
Klein, life mage, and true beastblood. He stood in the body of a bear, massive paws, steel armor. The man looked like a living bulwark. His eyes were a crimson red, yet his posture was faintly hunched, as if trying to appear small. He looked uncaring.
Calio Calico, barrier mage, and undead. She was a lich, the skin wrapped tightly around her skeleton, all muscles long since replaced by magic. Her body was a grafted one, shaped by herself, standing far taller than any of the others and floating faintly. Her eyes were a dim green and looked at me with curiosity.
I took a deep breath, letting their presences settle. They were heavy. I could almost smell what they were like. One was wild, another afraid excited, lazy, nervous, curious. The archmages. So unfathomably powerful, yet so human.
Within each of their chests blazed a galaxy. Not some paltry solar system, but dozens of radiant stars. Each of them had woven themselves a legend. Something to look up to, something that placed them close to the night sky.
Now, they were just an arms reach away.
Stop staring like that, girl, Calio spoke, without moving her jaw. Her voice was a long hum that remained in the air for a few seconds, like a chord on a harp. I got the distinct feeling that she was not actually upset.
Iryel stepped forward. Archmages, he said. This is Fio. Defender of Eden, gateway user, and inheritor of Archmage Orvan Dreyfa. She-
Yes, yes, Finnyr waved. Lovely. Can we get this over with? they had a melodic voice, calming and soft.
The other angels shot them a glare, but the archmage didnt even seem to notice. Thats when my gaze turned to the angels.
I smirked a little. They were just like the gods they embodied. Rus angel wore armor and wielded a bloody mace, with her long hair and the furs draped over her shoulder she looked like a viking. Archivas champion was a studious young man, wearing a pair of glasses and holding a book.
Lurelias angel was smaller, with kinder eyes. They had shoulder length hair, and seemed a little fidgety at the budding conflict. Argus angel was a man draped in flowers and vines, holding a watering can.
Now, now, Lurelias angel said with a squeaky voice. If you dont interrupt, itll go faster.
Finnyr clicked their tongue faintly, but didnt seem at all annoyed, really. They didnt need to move particularly much for a moment, which they seemed to enjoy, laying down in the air on a mattress they held afloat. Fine then, they waved their hand a little. Go on.
This time, rather than letting Iryel speak, I stepped forward myself. I have an ability that allows me to let people access each others talents to a degree. I will now include you in it, one by one. Who wants to go first?
Erasmus stepped forward, with no hesitation. The blind man looked at me and gave me a faint smile. Hed known me for longer than the others, having been a friend of my master. I shall begin, then, Fio.
With a quick nod, I grasped the old mans shoulder, and included him in [Transference].
Instantly, a new talent blossomed within my chest. This one seemed rather synergistic with my new abilities. It was called [Intuition], and generally let you predict what might happen a few seconds in the future based on data in your immediate vicinity. Could I use this with my parallel reality-
Before it even happened, I saw Saif roll forward. My eyes locked onto her, and she hesitated. Erasmus smiled. It worked well, then, he said, stepping back. Saif looked between us and then grinned.
Me next, Fio, she said, voice raspy. A few moments later, she, too, joined the network, and her talent fell unto me like a raging storm. [Unbroken], it said. Something to stop you from ever snapping, that made your willpower into a sword, that let you never back down or bow.
It was a demanding talent, and I felt a question of worthiness bud in between. But then, it was silenced. My [Iron Will] was more than enough.
Saif let out a wide grin and a laugh as she rolled back into line. Incredible. What a strange world we live in.
The next person to come to me was Calio, the lich. Her curiosity was apparent as she stared at me, eyes wide and unblinking. Go ahead, she said.
I included her in the network. [Researcher], her talent was called, and it allowed my perception to simulate experiments and analyze creatures. It was, in short, any scientists dream, and I got the feeling she truly did treat magic as science.
As she floated back, she waved her own hand in front of her face, staring at it. How strange, she muttered. How curious. Already a pen floated beside her, scribbling notes into a journal.
Finnyr came next, though they asked me to step up to the mattress. This one went quick, their talent settling like a pillow in a corner, soft and unnoticed. [Sloth], it was called, a talent to store power and increase growth rate when resting or sleeping.
After that, there were only Klein and Lyria left, whose talents were [Sympathy] and [Gridwork] respectively. The first was a healers dream, showing wounds and pains and aches whenever willed, and the second showed all the space in the world like a grid to be manipulated.
I smiled. These talents were powerful. An incredible edge to have even a single one of them, and although I could feel I wasnt getting their full effects, I didnt need to. Each of the archmages themselves seemed rather stunned at the effects, many of them smiling or investigating.
Checking my remaining space, the archmages had taken up quite a lot, but there should still be enough for the angles. Archivas provided [Archive], a talent to help catalogue, compare and codify information. Rus provided [Spirited], a talent that made passionate attacks faster and stronger.
Argus chosesn provided [Grace], letting one stride unobstructed by the terrain, and Lurelias angel shared [Teardrop], which increased effectiveness of healing if the healer cared about you.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Finnyr looked at the world with their new perspective, waving a hand again, and flapping their wings once. The lazy triz-adu sat up on the mattress. This was worth it, they said. So convenient. [Adaptable] makes the bed feel softer.
Lyria rolled her eyes at them. Come now. Back to fighting, she said.
Ill have you know I already am, they countered. My other bodies are still out there doing just that. Frankly, compared to you slackers, Im a far harder worker, they said with a shrug. Then, they flopped back down on the bed. Just kidding~
The lich, Calio, flicked their head with a thin finger. Intemperate child. Your words are to be kept inside.
Finnyr didnt even bother to reply, just showing her their middle finger. I blinked at that. How had they picked that up?
Klein let out a rumbling sigh at their antics. Come now. There are people suffering. Let us go about our duties again. He looked at Lyria and gave her a nod.
The sorceress shrugged, then raised her hands, and I felt the world twist in front of her. Nine portals opened up, one for each archmage and angel except Iryel and Saif. She gave me another look. Then she smiled. Thanks for the help, Fio. Fight well. Survive.
One after another, the most powerful defenders of Eden stepped back through the portals to go about their duties. Some reluctantly, some with more zeal. In the end, it was just me and Saif and Iryel still in the chamber.
Well, the older woman rasped. Guess Ill go kill some more things. She smiled a crooked smile at me and for once, her age showed, Really showed. The wrinkles, the scars, the exhaustion on her face And then it vanished, and in front of me was Saif Zolycc, archmage, unbroken and never bowing.
Slowly, she spun around, then gave me a wave, and a moment later her wheelchair was picked up by a gust of wind, and she was out. Leaving me and Hirs angel alone.
Iryel looked at me. For a long moment, he just looked. Then he laid a hand on my shoulder, and smiled. It was the most honest, saddest smile Id ever seen him give. Your guilds waiting out there for you, Fio. Go. Get those last shards. Make your way back to where you need to be.
I returned the expression, shakily. I felt heavy, and with [Transference] so nearly filled up, it was like another weight in my chest. My heart beat steadily, fighting against the rising tide of morose gloom stuck to it like webs.
Very slowly, I breathed in, then out. A long string of breath passed through my lips and out into the world, forever changed with the new talents. I stood, leaning on Astraeus and holding the weapon so tight my knuckles turned white. Still, I nodded.
Yeah. Time to put an end to this all.
And I strode out of the temple, under the dark sky. There were bits of glass I needed to collect.
- - - - - -
Ann sat in a familiar kitchen shed only once been in, at a familiar table shed only once really sat at. Her hands were wrapped around a glass of water, shaking faintly.
Across from her sat Agatha. A woman she felt like she so intimately understood. Ann knew she was rude. That she had no respect of boundaries, that she was often cold, a know-it-all, stubborn, and a dozen other traits.
This not-Fio in front of her felt so distant yet so familiar. She didnt know the woman. Yet she remembered all these details about her and none of the conversations those details came up in and if she tried to focus then there was the white hot pain and-
She took a deep breath. And a shaky sip of water. Physically, Ann felt like garbage. By now, the adrenaline had worn off, and the fact that she had slept on shards of broken glass was setting in. She had dozens of tiny cuts. Her hands ached from hitting the floor. All of her bones ached.
Each sensation was stranger than the last. They felt so normal, so common, yet the pain was also something she could just place aside. Isolate and shove to the brink of her mind. Yet, somehow, she felt like she shouldnt get hurt from it. Like she had never been hurt by sleeping on the floor before. Why were her bones so fragile?
Agatha sighed faintly and muttered a few words, too quiet for Ann to hear, for the umpteenth time. Then she rose. I will see about grabbing some bandages for you. And disinfectant. We can talk after.
Her words, as always, left no room for arguing, not that Ann particularly wanted to. In a second, Agatha was already up and out of the kitchen. Shed only sat with Ann for so long to make sure she wasnt a danger, either to herself or to anyone else.
So, Ann sat. Drinking water from a glass she carried in shaky hands, smelling the air of a place that was so familiar yet so distant. Full of emotions she could hardly parse or place. It was agony, a deep knot in her stomach that she couldnt ever touch.
Ann let her head rest against the wood of the table, giving a groan. She hated this, hated it all.
She heard footsteps approach the kitchen. Alright, give me your hand, Agatha commanded.
Lethargically, Ann complied. The older woman sprayed something onto her cuts that burnt faintly. Other one. Ill disinfect them now, then you can take a shower, then well disinfect them again, and Ill bandage you up. She paused for a moment, looking at the filthy clothes. Im guessing Fio wont mind if you borrow one of her shirts, either.
Ann nodded Morosely. One by one, she got the spray into her wounds. Then, Agatha showed her the bathroom. Ann had showered there before, of course. She remembered everything. Where Fio kept the shampoo, how to use the unfamiliar metal handles, all of that.
Agatha had pressed a bundle of clothing into her hands, too, taking care not to come into contact with the filth she was currently wearing. Ann laid those aside for when she was done, then undressed.
The hot water hit her skin and burnt. She turned it cooler, but only faintly, still feeling the sting. It hurt when it hit the cuts. It hurt when it hit her skin, but the warmth felt familiar in a way she could not describe.
When she felt that heat it made her feel a little more complete. Like the bit that had been carved out of her could somewhat be substituted by this external bit of fire. Fire? What was she thinking. Hot water is all it was.
Breathing slowly, Ann went about scrubbing off the dirt. It felt familiar, like she had been covered in dust often. What kind of job did she work as? Some kind of archeologist? That seemed off but not too off? Pain bloomed again and she dropped the thought.
She washed her hair, too. Clumps of blood and dirt sliding down the drain in a red-brown sleugh. It felt gross, but slowly, bit by bit, Ann felt better. The shower made it a little easier to think, the heat helped her clear her thoughts.
Eventually, when the hot water was running out, Ann sighed and left the shower. She dried herself off quickly, threw on Fios clothes - and for a moment, enjoyed that they smelled a little like her - and then stepped back outside.
Agatha quickly rushed over, and regarded Anns dripping hair with a scowl for a moment before wiping it off her face. Come, come, she said, waving her over. Lets get you bandaged. I dont wanna clean blood out of more clothes.
With a nod, Ann followed and they did just that. A good half hour was spent disinfecting, dressing, and bandaging her minor cuts. Most were on her palms and knuckles, but there were a few around her neck and forearms and ankles. She was a tattered mess, in more ways than one.
But, despite her snide remarks and snippy attitude, Agatha did bandage her up. Though there was more than one time Ann considered that just jumping out the window and sleeping on the street might be preferable to the comments.
In the end, it came down to one question. What happened to you? Agatha asked.
At that, Ann looked at her, and the dam broke. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her world turned blurry. She laughed a hoarse, hollow sob. Like the world wasnt already incomprehensible enough, now she couldnt even see it properly.
There were a long, endless few seconds where Ann just sobbed, holding her own face, wetness staining the clean clothes. Half a minute passed until Agatha finally moved and hugged her.
Its okay, she said. Ann knew she didnt mean it. Her voice was strained. Agatha hated this. Hated needing to help, needing to be there for someone, not being in the fucking center. And she didnt know how she knew all of that but she did and Ann hated that so much more than anything else.
Its okay, Fios mom repeated. Take your time.
Ann didnt feel like she had time. Felt like she was under pressure, like there was a weight suffocating her. What happened to her? She wished she knew!
She choked out another sob, burrowing her face in her hands. I dont- I dont know, she eventually got out, voice hoarse and throat dry. I dont remember. I just- I dont remember. Its all gone. All gone.
The young woman bit the inside of her lips hard enough to taste blood. It hurt, and she hated that, too, and she hated that she didnt understand anything. Fuck. It all hurt so bad.
Thats okay, Agatha said, her voice shaking faintly. She was so out of her element it made Ann wanna laugh, but it turned into a rueful choking sob again.
I- uh, the older woman paused, letting go of Ann. I made something to eat while you showered. You should- you should eat.
Fucking pathetic. Ann sobbed again, sniffling and wiping her face, only to have tears replaced by new ones. Agatha had cooked a chili. It was easy to make from canned food, after all. It tasted mediocre, and Anns tears fell into it as she kept crying, but she ate. And she drank more water.
And by the end of it, Ann was so tired that she just collapsed into Fios bed.
It still smelled like her. Like the girlfriend she remembered so little of. It smelled like love and like the best few days of her life and like loss and like fear and like secrets and like trust and like white hot pain blossoming in her chest and gripping her until she couldnt breathe anymore.
Ann screamed into the pillow. But she was so tired from crying that she still, even with all the grief and loathing and hurt fell asleep. She hoped, hoped so dearly, that she might wake up with her memories intact. That someone, anyone, would come and just give it all back. She hoped.
Chapter 122: Its finally over
I fought.
Yknow, its a strange thought now. Back then, everything had been so difficult. It had taken every ounce of willpower I could muster to even drag my tired body out there to fight at all. Yet, now? Looking back at it, it doesnt seem that hard.
In a way, it wasnt really. After all those talents from the archmages? My world had shifted again. No one in the wellspring realm was a match for me. Maybe Matt, who had similar benefits, but that was it.
After all of the fighting, after all the moments I almost died, I was so close. Through [Transference] Id established what was probably a group of the most talented individuals anyone had ever seen. Most people had one talent, maybe two. Someone like my brother, Ivan, had multiple.
Once in a century geniuses like Orvan or Matt often had very powerful talents, too. But in the end, their number was still a good indicator.
By now, Id amassed five. Just by myself. [Slight Edge], [Single-Minded], [Superimposed Experience], [Precipitous Wings], [Budding Nova].
Id acquired three of those through my own experiences, and two through lucky encounters and the grace of others. Still, five talents were enough to put me up there with the geniuses. The prodigies.
But I didnt just have five. With everyone in the network, I had over twenty. The six archmages, the five angels, and all the members of our party. Except Ann, and maybe Eric if he still counted.
Sure, they didnt work to their full efficacy. Being shared through [Transference] caused some losses, after all, but that was fine. I didnt need the full effects. Half of an archmages talent was still worth two regular ones, to be quite honest.
So. Purely based on those numbers, I had set myself up for success. My growth sped up enormously, and I came out of that bloodbath a different person than I went in.
The usurpers hadnt just broken against me, the tides hadn''t just been halted. Theyd downright shattered.
Thinking back on it, it was kinda terrifying. Astraeus guided my swings, and sometimes Id use that invisible spear made from my willpower. I had no blind spots. I could teleport if needed. Any attack that was unavoidable, Id just reflect right back where it came from, and if through all that something still landed, the attack was just erased by [Inexplicable Reinforcement].
And then, I still had items of terrifying power. I didnt even need to try. Whenever I swung, even with just casual effort, the raw force of my weapon, willpower and Qi would cleave anything in my path.
Eventually, I even got a little lazy about it. There were usurpers in between me and the next fragment holder? Id just extend my spear a dozenfold with Qi, liquid gold crystallizing into a solid, then carve through the masses.
Like a scythe through wheat.
With apathy, I cut through the usurpers. I was worn out, honestly. Short on compassion, now. So as ever more of the creatures crawled from the rifts, I cut them down.
Somewhere on the battlefields, my companions raged as well. Each member of our party had grown enormously, each one of them a force of nature in their own right. But I didnt look. Didnt need to.
Because it was easy for me, and so it was easy for them. Quite frankly, there was nothing on this battlefield that could have substantially hurt any of us anymore. Not that many of us were in Eden. Matt, Reya, Chris and me. That was all.
And we were all that was needed.
A day passed. Then another, and as I took the final shard, I heard the chime.
[Gateway:
-
Strength: 50
-
Fragments: 61
-
Figments: 7
-
Manifestations: 1]
My gateway strength had finally crossed that threshold, creeping over the fifty mark.
Not daring to hope too soon, I turned to Cass. Run the calculations one more time, could you?
[Running,] she said. And for a long, quiet moment, I waited for the answer. My Qi was heavy enough to crush any weakling usurpers who charged at me. I just stood there, and waited, eyes closed, feeling the wind on my skin, smelling the faint odor of iron.
[Confirmed. Fifty strength should keep up entirely intact while going back to Neamhan.]
I breathed out. A single tear streaked down my cheek. The wind tousled my hair.
The change had rippled through my entire being but I didnt dare listen to its whispers yet. A new tab had been added. Manifestations. I could tell, kind of, what they were, but I didnt care right now.
Im done, I whispered, turning my eyes towards the sky. And then, it happened.
A single ray of sunlight touched my cheek.
A faint, tiny hint of radiance and warmth against my closed eyelids.
I opened my eyes, looking, and it was true. The world lurched and shifted. The edges of the darkness receded. It felt a little more stable suddenly. A tiny ray of sunlight shone down.
Everything seemed to freeze. The world held its breath. I stared at it, silently, my mouth faintly open.
Its over, I whispered.
My spear fell out of my hands, and I dropped to my knees in the filth. I held out my hands as if to catch the sunlight. I cried, bawling, wet drops streaking down my cheeky. Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahaha! I laughed. Its over. Its over!
Behind me, distantly, on the wall, the soldiers erupted into cheers. The usurpers seemed skittish, many of the creatures sniffing the air and looking at the sky, squinting. It was still dark, still dreary, but the faintest hint of sunlight had finally entered the world again. Things were gonna be alright. Things were gonna be alright.
- - -
A long, long moment passed like that. Then the soldiers got up to what they did best: fighting.
For the first time in weeks, no, in months, Eden pushed back the tide of usurpers. We fought for a little while longer, but Saif soon floated down and clapped me on the shoulder.
Ill take it from here, she said. Youve done enough.
She did not have to tell me twice.
- - -
When I stood before the gateway, another version of me had showered. I was clean. I was ready. For the first time in days, I felt light. Ready.
Matt stood there, Reya and Chris right next to him. Olivia stood a little to the side, still eyeing me with some suspicion. I took a deep breath then faced all of them. Thank you, I said. I couldnt have done it without you.
Chris smiled, first. You have my gratitude, as well, the triz-adu said, giving me a deep bow. I may be unable to accompany you back, but I consider you a friend now. I look forward to your return to Eden. Then they smiled a somewhat sad yet confident expression. Until then, Ill have buried my past ghosts. Literally.
Good luck, friend, I replied.
Matt gave them a light pat on the back. Go get em, the swordsman encouraged, then turned to me. Im looking forward to seeing you on Neamhan, then, he said with a grin. Will take me a day or two to make it to your city, though. See if you cant spend a night with Ann until then. Ill book a hotel.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I snorted at that. He was being ridiculous. Still, I nodded. Right, Matt. Ill be seeing you. Thanks, for being my friend.
Of course, dummy. Always. He let the words linger for a moment, then turned around. Ill be going ahead, yeah? See you soon.
See you soon.
Reya turned to me next, signing. I recognized some of what she showed me. Was it something about her brother. Ah. She would want to visit Eric.
Shell try to convince her idiot coward brother to come visit, too, she says, Chris helpfully translated, and I gave a snort.
Right. Go ahead, Reya. See you on the other side.
In response, the mute girl gave me a smile, kissed her fingertip, and placed it on my cheek. Then she rushed off, soon catching up with Matt who was still strolling ahead. I smiled. She was rather sweet.
Finally, that left Olivia. I turned to the swordswoman, and she looked back at me, arms crossed. So, I said.
So, she said.
Whats next?
She looked at me for a long moment, then let out a long sigh. These last weeks have been the longest of my life. But also the most changing. Ill go back. Ill see about meeting you, but no guarantees. Well figure it out, somehow. Got a bit of communication in your network now, yeah?
Sure, I said. Whatll you do on Neamhan?
Get my worthless life back under grips, she said. It was a serious tone, like she genuinely meant it. I heard remorse and willingness to change. And bring those worthless Zinnic fucks down a peg, she added with a snarl.
That sounded about right. I smiled faintly. Alright, I said.
Alright? Thats it? she raised an eyebrow.
Yep, I said. I dont trust you, Olivia. I dont even think youre a good person. But youve been trying. With Orvan, now with us.
She flushed slightly, but then shrugged and looked away. Well. Just thought it was worthwhile. Orvan seemed worth it, and, frankly, so do you.
I knew that those words meant a lot, remembering her covenant. So I smiled, walked up to her, and hugged her. It was a brief motion, only lasting for a second, and she froze solid like a statue made from ice in my arms, but it was one I thought appropriate. I was a little overwhelmed at the time.
Cool, I told her, letting her go. See you around, Olivia.
Yeah. See you around.
Then, with a last wave to her and Chris, I stepped through the gateway.
- - - - - -
Ann woke up to a knock at the door. She felt like shit. Her throat was raw from screaming. Her skin felt raw from heat. Her bones still ached, her cuts had settled into that dull pain that only days-old wounds can ever inflict.
She groaned, then tossed, burying her head into the pillow, tuning the world out. It didnt matter. Not yet. It could all wait, just a little.
The dull hum of the air filter was interrupted by yet another knock at the door. It wasnt her door, not the bedroom, but that of the flat in general. Grimacing, Ann dragged herself up. She didnt know if Agatha was awake yet.
By the time she was in the middle of putting on more presentable clothes, there was a third, louder set of knocking, and footsteps down the hall. Agathas footsteps. They were very distinct, loud and quick and click-clacky.
When Ann was pulling her shirt over, she heard Agatha talk through the door. Then, she finally made her way into the hallway. The door to the flat was still closed, but there was a voice from behind it.
Hello. Is this Fiona Bellums flat? it asked.
The voice was deep and devoid of emotion. Unfamiliar to Ann.
No, it isnt, Agatha said, clicking her tongue. Go harass someone else.
Im afraid I cant do that, maam, the voice on the other end replied. The man spoke slow, measured words. Please open the door.
Do you have a warrant? Agatha asked.
A chuckle. Heh. No, were not with the police. Consider us an, eh, private firm, he said.
Leave, or Ill call emergency services, Agatha hissed.
Someone else said something, too quiet to hear through the door. Ann did recognize the distinctive clicking sound of a lighter, though. There was a long pause, then, and the faint smell of tobacco leaked through the door. Were they smoking?
I wouldnt do that if I were you, the man said, voice raspy. Please dont make this more troublesome than it needs to be.
Frustrated, Agatha pulled out her phone. Something within Ann tightened. She felt a blip of anxiety blossom in her heart. Something felt very wrong. Sinister.
While Fios mom was still in the middle of typing on the phone screen, there was a sigh from the other side. It was long and drawn out. Maam, Ill count to three. I recommend you either open the door or step away from it, the man said. One.
Im calling-
Two.
Agatha blinked. Ann grabbed her, pulling the older woman back on instinct. Something was wrong. Something was-
Three. Youve been warned.
Reflexively, Ann hunkered down on the floor, dragging Agatha beneath her and shielding the older woman with her body. A moment later, there was a horrible cracking and twisting sound, the door splintering and being torn off its hinges in a single moment.
Heavy pieces and sharp wooden shrapnel slammed against Ann knocking her sprawling onto the floor and making her draw in a hissing breath of pain. It knocked the wind out of her, but a moment later Ann was back on her feet.
Somehow, shed twisted into a sommersault. How did she know to move like that?? How-
The thought caused pain and she shoved them away. In front of her was a man in a dark suit, wearing a pair of sunglasses, taking a long, slow draw of his cigarette. His black hair was pulled back by gel and hair spray, giving him a sleek look, but the muscles were evident even beneath the suit.
He breathed out, blowing smoke into Anns face. Miss Belleflamme, am I assuming correctly? he asked.
Ann just looked at him. There was a feeling there. A wisp of familiarity. Something radiated off of this man, a hint of power that she was familiar with, something supernatural, something special, something she wanted- no, needed.
Yeah, she said. What about it?
Slowly, a smile spread across his lips. Im going to have to ask you to come with us.
No, Ann said. Im going to have to ask you to die in a fucking fire.
Someone from behind whistled. Feisty, the comment came.
Ann closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling the thin haze of power radiate off this man. Something within her stirred, almost awakening. She drew her left foot back, turning her body slightly and reached out to the left. There was a spear on the wall - in her hands, now.
Suddenly, the guy was no longer smiling as brightly. Maam. Put that down.
Viciously, Ann grinned. Her heart thumped. She felt alive. Behind her, Agatha slowly moved backwards, her phone screen cracked. No, Ann said. I dont think I will.
The guy frowned, then dropped the cigarette, stomping onto it, leaving a burn mark on the wooden floor. This will be a lot less fun than you expect, he said, warning clear in his tone. We- Aaaah!
Ann interrupted him by stabbing the spear forward. He dodged to the side, but it still gouged a chunk out of his leg. It felt like she was trying to cut a tree. What the fuck Ann muttered, shocked at the resistance human flesh should and shouldnt have posed. Her memories told her something different from her emotions, and she decided to trust the second.
There was a flicker of something in the air. Ann took a step back when she felt it fluctuate, and a lock of red hair slowly drifted to the ground. There was a faint cut on her nose, trickling red down her face. It burnt and stung.
Get her, the man said with a grimace, clutching his leg with one hand, the other on a knife. From his side, another guy shuffled by, this one even more burly and looking a little more unkempt with a scraggly beard. He wore brass knuckles.
Again, Ann stabbed the spear with an almost familiar motion, putting the chain of her body into it, rotating her hips to get proper leverage. The guy grabbed the tip of the spear, snatching it out of the air. It dug deep into his hands, but he quickly shoved it aside, pressing the tip against the wall with one palm.
It didnt budge when Ann pulled, and a moment later, his fist came flying at her. She barely ducked underneath, dropping to the floor, propping herself up with one hand and trying to swipe his legs out from under him.
Her shin hooked into his calf. The muscle fibres felt tough as steel, but even that didnt help when Ann slammed into them with the weight of her whole body. The guy toppled to the side, head slamming into the wall with a grunt of pain. Ann pulled the spear back into her hands, scrambling back on the floor as one of the guys tried to grab her ankle.
A moment later she scrambled to her legs, only to have one of the guys give a sharp slam against her chest with the tip of a long wooden staff. It knocked her stumbling backwards, spear almost slipping out of her grasp. How many of these fuckers were there?!
She felt alive, though. There was something in the air, a power so familiar. But it wasnt her type of power. What was hers-
White pain. She stumbled back some more before she could be cut again. Agatha had fled somewhere after seeing the knife. Ann used the chance to hide in the kitchen, grabbing a chair with her free hand, and hurling it at the first guy coming her way.
The wood splintered as he brought up a hand to defend himself. Ann jammed the spear into his abdomen. The muscle fibres were, tough, only partially splitting as she didnt get to put her whole weight into it, so he was just hurt, not spilling his guts on the floor.
In response, the guy gave a roar. Ann swung the spear again, but it went wide and he brushed it aside with his shoulder. Their suits were tough, too. Maybe made to be slash resistant? The thought lasted a moment before Ann dodged to the side, bringing up her knee and slamming it between the guys legs.
He let out a squal of pain, doubling over. Ann picked up a chair with both hands and slammed it onto his head until he sprawled to the floor.
Someone grabbed her hair. Funs over. The voice was feminine this time, the woman slamming her head against the wall. The plaster broke underneath her, blood splattering as something in her face cracked.
Ann screamed in pain, pulling at the arm. It ripped out some of her hair, but she spun and placed a kick in the other womans chest who stumbled back. Ann scrambled through the hallway into the living room. She didnt have the spear anymore, and the world swam.
Still, she got into position, fists out in front of her, body turned slightly. When the lanky guy whod smoked came in, she kicked at him but he stepped back, grabbing her leg as she was too slow.
He pulled, and the world spun, Anns head slamming into the floor. Everything spun.
A glint of silver. She scrambled backwards on the floor. The man had tried to slam the pommel of the knife into her temple, but now, the blade grazed her forehead instead. Blood pooled unto her eyebrow.
She scrambled to her feet. A drop of red fell into her eye, blinding her. The big guy with brass knuckles came at her next, and she dodged under his first swing, kicking him in the stomach, only for him to grunt, grab her, and toss her across the room.
Ann crashed into the TV, smashing it and knocking it off its stand. That hint of magic was in her nose, but it was overwhelmed by the scent of iron. The world swam. She tried to get up again, but a kick to her stomach sent her doubling in pain, and the small TV rack beneath her crumbled.
Blinded and in pain, Ann still kicked out. Then something heavy slammed into her head one more time, and she felt the world go dark.
Chapter 123: Rainbow Fire
I stepped into the mirror.
Glass filled my face. Liquid glass pushed against the air in my nostrils, pressed against my lips. But I kept my eyes open.
One moment I was in a temple made from cold stone, the next I was on an ethereal road in the midst of infinitely reflecting space. I took a step, towards the other world, towards where Ann would be waiting for me.
And then the pain set in.
I looked up. Four figures. Humanoid, yet carved from glass.
One was made of Perception. Eyes spawned and popped inside it, as it stared to my deepest bits, trying to rip them out because everything it saw should belong to it. Eyes.
One was made of Secrets. Layers upon layers, crickling and cracking, wrapping paper in a glass frame. Matryoshka.
The third was made from Decay. Festering, putrid flesh. Insects and degradation. Its insides were decomposing, turning into black sludge then dust then ever finer and finer. Swamp.
Finally, the last one was made of Manipulation. Fingers reaching out from within one another, grasping contract and items and souls that spawned within the palms of hands. Already, those hands reached for me. Possession.
Weight, horrible and soul rending descended on me. The greed and desire of four keepers, fully fledged and greedy, each one grasping at the gateway within me. Eyes saw it, it was theirs. Matryoshka wanted to peel away my layers. Swamp threatened to decompose my body to get at it, and Possession would simply tear my chest open and rip it out.
But rather than scream or fight, my lips twisted into a snarl. There was power within me. Power they wanted. Power that they couldnt have. Power that was mine.
Strength flooded my gateway, and the area I was in was designated as belonging to me. It slammed into the keepers like a truck, knocking them back a step. It was not absolute, but the closer to me they got the harder it would be.
A fractal barrier manifested. Pushing them aside. I felt anger, the way the insides of those glass dolls twisted and sped up. They coalesced, fusing their power, agreeing to split the spoils, but it was too late.
With a last middle finger, I reached the other side of that tunnel, and stepped through.
Glass filled my world and my vision again. For a moment, there was a lurching pull as if the mirror would never let me go, but then I was out.
Instantly, I noticed three things.
First, the world had changed. Not just my flat, but Neamhan. There was Qi in the air. There had never been any in the air before. The impact of that was terrifying, because I instantly felt more of my power available to me. My wellspring bubbled in my chest, sending puffs of power through my normal body.
Secondly, I had changed. Much more than the world. I was a gateway. Fully fused to it. And that was a curse, because of the people who wanted me dead, and a privilege, because it meant I was synced across worlds. I felt it, now. My other body, the one for Eden?
It was a fingers width away. Just a tiny push. A little like looking at myself through a window on the other side. The world had changed, letting me access maybe 5% of my strength on Eden but I had changed more.
The third thing was that my flat was trashed.
I came out of my bathroom mirror, spluttering a little, feeling my stomach twist - though less than it usually did. Holding myself together, I tried to grip at the sink - and there was none. It had been turned into smashed shards of ceramic on the floor.
Stumbling, I stopped myself with a hand against a wall. What the fuck?!
Ah, youre Ms. Fiona Bellum, then, I assume? someone asked me.
I turned, and sitting on one of my kitchen chairs, in the middle of my bathroom, was some tall asshat in a black suit. He had gelled back hair, and there was a cigarette in his mouth. A dozen extinguished buds laid on my dirty floor, and he took a puff from the one still in his mouth.
Weve been waiting since just before yesterday. I was about to get my shift changed.
His smug voice pissed me off. Who are you supposed to be? And what the fuck are you doing in my flat?
A thin smile spread across his lips, and he leaned his head on his free hand. Watch your tone. We have your little girlfriend.
My world broke.
All over, all at once, it fractured. Someone in my flat? Fine. Everything I worked for, fucked? Fine.
But now, very suddenly, I felt fury bubble up in me. Everything turned a little red. Cass said something, but I couldnt hear her over the blood rushing in my ears.
Your mother, too, the agent added with a smirk and a small laugh. More bastards in suits gathered at the bathroom exit. Slowly, lazily, he pulled a knife from his coat, then pointed the sharp end at me. So well have to ask you to come with us.
I looked at him, a long second passing. Where are they being held?
Employer doesnt want you to know, a taller, burlier man said, standing in the door. Brass knuckles on his hand. Bloodstained. We aint tellin you shit.
Slowly, faintly, my eyes shifted to him. Zinnic, yeah? I asked. The rage had turned to ice in my veins. My voice was steady, calm.
He grinned, viciously. Yep. Half a private army out there. You pull anything, and any of us call the boss.
You need to call them? On your phones? I asked.
A woman looked at me, long ponytail neatly tied behind her back. Maam, do not make this more difficult than it needs to be.
I shattered that thin veil of glass that separated me from my full power.
My fist swung out, crashing through my bathroom cabinets, smashing the smaller mirrors. The shards pinged harmlessly off my skin.
A wellspring of Golden Glass manifested in my chest. A spark of truest power, bringing every advancement I had made on that other world with me. I could last for seven minutes like this, I thought. Just as many as I had figments.
Instantly, Qi tore itself out of me, into the atmosphere. It manifested as golden, glowing hands.
Three heads brutally slammed into my floor. The cigarette fell out of the smug looking mans mouth, and I stomped on it. He gasped for air.
Hey, I said, kicking his stomach. He tensed in pain, but five hands held each of his limbs down. He turned to face me, fear and fury on his face. Answer. You need to phone your boss, yeah?
He motioned to spit at me, but before he could, I kicked his teeth in. It took me no effort. My hand reached to the side, and the space of the world cracked open. From my inventory, I drew Astraeus, the spear crackling with barely contained power.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
I pointed the blade at his forehead.
He tried to move back, but the hand liquified into a golden cocoon, shackling his entire body. I drew a bloody line across his skull.
That loosened him up, finally. Fuck! Yes, yes! We need to phone them!!
A moment later, golden glass spilled forth, grabbing every bit of electronics from them. Watches, phones. There were tiny chips in their suits, monitoring vitals. How inconvenient.
Distress beacon?
He gave me a defiant look. I pressed the spear forward until it scraped bone. A horrendous sound.
The suit shivered in pain. Yeah, he spat. Yes. Fuck. Yes! If any of them break, there will be a beacon to kill your girlfriend. If any of our vitals drop to zero, another distress beacon.
I nodded, slowly. Where are they being held?
This time, he was smart enough to answer quickly. Two locations, one for your mom, one for your girlfriend. You cant save them both, he said.
A vicious grin slowly found its way onto my face. Oh, cant I? Youd fucking love that, wouldnt you? I kicked him again. Watch, you piece of shit.
Without hesitation, I reached into myself, pulling on a new string that had been forged in my last moments on Eden. A manifestation.
Golden glass poured out of me. Into the air. It formed a body, then changed its colour. First, it grew reflective, then opaque, and finally, it settled on looking like skin. Then clothing. And then, finally, I opened my eyes.
A second Fio stood in this room. She looked at her hands. What? I just died.
Manifestation. Gateway ability when we reach fifty strength. Youre with me now. Zinnia is holding Ann and mom, I said.
She looked at me. Oh. Oh. I saw the rage pass through her. She stuck her hand out, withdrawing her own Astraeus from a portal, looking faintly different from mine. Ill get mom, she said. You get Ann?
I nodded. Ill get Ann. Both of us turned to the guy. Where?
Now, his ears were fully lit up with fear. Fuck, shit! The addresses are in our texts! What the fuck are you?!
Gently, I pressed the fingerprint sensor of the phone against his thumb, and it quickly sprung opened. A quick look through his texts revealed the locations. Nicely dotted with coordinates.
It took me only a minute to forward it to myself.
Manifestation-Fio didnt have a phone - but with all the talents from the archmages, our memory had increased by quite a bit, so she was able to memorize it instantly.
Dont kill anyone until were at the places, I told her.
Vital sign checkers?
Yep.
Got it, she nodded. Then, with a few swift motions, each of the agents was fully wrapped into golden cocoons. They would dissipate, eventually, but for now, they could breathe, but had no way of contacting superiors.
We didnt need to communicate anymore, and moved.
- - -
There were more Zinnic agents. In the stairwell, there was a half dozen, each one instantly wrapped up and incapacitated. It took us less than five seconds to make it out of the house.
In front of it, there was an army. Dozens of them. Each one equipped with sunglasses.
Each one wearing something reflective.
Phones, glasses, shiny metal surfaces each one became a weapon in our hands. It took not even ten seconds until thirty more agents were on the floor. Each one, pathetically writhing in the cars theyd come here with another ten seconds later.
I had the keys to my car, but I didnt take it. Instead, with three leaps into the air, we soared high up, into the grey clouds. Then, we moved.
Sticking barely below the sound barrier, me and my manifestation split up. I rushed south. Ann was waiting for me. I would not lose her. Would not disappoint her. No way.
My journey to the holding spot took two minutes. It was rather far. My manifestation had already reached the other. Through our connection, she confirmed, and so did I.
In a storm of violence, we descended onto where Zinnic was holding the people who really mattered.
- - -
A warehouse. It was huge, abandoned, and swarming with suits. Dozens of cars were parked in front of it. Hundreds of henchpeople inside. How disgusting.
Each millimetre of it was within my vision. There were windows. Metal sheets and walls. The agents wearing tech and metal. I stepped forward, and I appeared within the room where Ann was held, appearing from the wall.
There were yells, and guns leveraged at me. Guns leveraged at Ann.
My Ann. My beloved, amazing girlfriend. The woman I had spent years with, who I was ready to die for, and who had already died once for me.
She sat on a chair. Her hands tied behind it, wrists rough from movement. Blood stained her. Bruises and small cuts. Her hair was dirty and slick with crimson, staining the bright red darker.
Despite it all, she was okay.
A day had passed since she landed here. Maybe two. She had been fed and provided water, though was gagged and passed out now. I smiled, lovingly. She fought. The wounds on the idiots in my flat made sense now.
My beloved Ann would have given them one hell of a fight.
Some trigger happy, afraid idiot squeezed the trigger at me.
I looked at the bullet. I could see it flying towards my centre of mass. I tensed my abs.
The bullet ripped through my shirt, tearing the fabric effortlessly. It slammed into my skin. I felt the metal deform and heat up from the deformation. Then it stopped, and harmlessly pinged onto the ground.
It hadnt broken skin.
Then, the sound of the gunshot hit everyone. Dozens of people looked at me, shocked, surprised, horrified. Ann stirred awake from the noise. They looked at me. At the way I still stood, casually, unbothered.
Hands up! one of them had the gall to yell.
I scoffed. Anyone who still has their weapons out within three seconds dies.
With the words, Qi flooded from me. Enough to drive half these weak willed, pathetic creatures to their knees. The ones who had pointed at Ann were the cowardly ones, falling from the pressure.
More stood their ground, training their guns at me. One second passed until the first one fired. The bullet broke my shirt again, then pinged to the floor.
Another second passed. I counted to two, breathing deeply.
Half a dozen bullets pinged harmlessly off my skin.
And at three a bloodbath began.
I called my last fight in Eden easy, yes? Not truly needing physical effort. Like a scythe through wheat.
This wasnt that. I made sure to keep it personally. There were fourty five Zinnic employees in the room. I counted. It took me fifteen seconds to take down half of them.
A step forward, and I stood atop a mans gun. An invisible spear of willpower manifested in my empty hand and slammed through his throat, nailing him to the ground. Then I disappeared.
Javelins of gold appeared in the air around me, launching forward without being thrown, spearing two more through their chests. A third one received a kick on the head that made his skull cave.
That was the one that made me want to no longer kill them. The noise and feeling was horrible. I saw the terror set in, now. Deciding to be a little more gentle, I dulled the edge of my spear.
Two swings shattered ribs, leaving the owners barely breathing and sprawled on the floor. And one got away with a broken thigh, and two took dull javelins to their heads, receiving concussions and dropping to the floor.
The rest went similarly. With my gateway abilities, and the cloak and sash that now manifested, I was a whirlwind of devastation.
When the fifteen seconds were over, there were six dead. Id been too rough two more times. A dozen were severely injured, and another twenty-seven came away okay! The worst any of them had was broken legs. Something that might heal mostly properly, especially since all of them had some amount of Qi or Mana.
Each one of them that dared make a noise received a golden hand covering their mouth. They could breathe through their noses.
Ann was awake.
She looked at me, wide eyes. The gag covered her mouth. I smiled, covered in blood. Gently, slowly, I approached her.
The fear in her eyes hurt.
I cannot express how much it hurt, but for just a moment, it did. Then it vanished, and tears gathered in her eyes. She strained against the ropes, inching towards me.
Shhh, hey, I said, slowly stepping forward. Its okay. Im here.
Guards were gathering outside, but golden javelins slammed into them without me even looking, letting Cass handle most of that skill. Instead, my hand reached forward. I grasped the gag around Anns mouth, and the fabric was cut by a tiny spear I manifested in my palm.
Ever so gently, I pulled it off, taking care not to hurt Ann anymore. She looked at me.
Bloodstained, and having just killed six humans, then injured another thirty-nine. And she smiled. I feel like I should be more afraid, she said, then giggled. But it feels normal.
I smiled.
Ann babbled on. Its the first thing that feels normal. The power in the air. The crackle. The gold. How?? How did you do that- that should be impossible! I saw you vanish! You-
Slowly, so as to not upset her, I placed a finger on her lips. A teasing smile was on mine. I traced it down to her chin, then lifted it and cupped her hand in mine. The prompt appeared.
Ever so gently, I accepted. A tiny pinprick of mirror-power flowed out from me, and into Ann.
[Annabelle Belleflamme has been added to your [Transference] network.]
And her eyes lit up.
I saw it.
To this day, I think its magical. I saw the memories come back. I saw the tears gather in her eyes, as the broken pieces of her self started to mend. As months and months of time wed spent together entered her mind, as she remembered.
Tears gathered in mine too.
Ann didnt need my help to break the bonds. Her magic was restored. Her body on Eden may have been dead, but it didnt matter. My network remembered. Her divinity remembered.
A forge of golden radiance appeared in Anns chest, a star blossoming. But far outshining that was her magic. A core and four circles around it. A fourth circle mage. Mana coursed through her.
With me in this world, she, too, could access her full power for seven minutes. Mana flooded her, and the bonds burnt to cinders in rainbow flames.
I grinned. Thats so gay.
She jumped up from the chair, wrapping her arms around my neck. Yeah. Fio, I- Im so-
I placed my hand on her head, digging into her head, wrapping the other around her waist. She was so close. We both cried. Yeah. I know. Its okay.
A moment passed, quietly. Then Ann laughed. I love you. So much.
I love you, too.
And then she kissed me.
Chapter 124: “Eclipse” - Epilogue
My mother was safe, too.
Three days had passed since that event. Mom was slowly adjusting. She had been unconscious when I saved her, being a lot less hardy than Ann, so she simply woke up in my arms.
I had those memories now, too. The memories of that other me, of my manifestation. She - I? - had done exactly as expected. We crushed Zinnic.
Those were the only words I had for it. Within five total minutes, we took out over two hundred trained operatives. Fifteen of them were dead now. Many more severely injured.
Some part of me had empathy with them but that all faded when I ran my hand through Anns hair and she flinched and I felt the scabs on her head. But she was getting better.
On the day after the attack, the others finally made it over. Reya healed Ann, of course. Being part of [Transference] meant that they, too, could access more of their true power than anyone else on Neamhan.
And, of course, Marie was with them.
She hugged me so tightly. I hugged her back. [Transference] did its thing and she clicked into place, aligning with her body from the other side and gaining a larger chunk of her powers back.
How strange was that? Since shed almost died, and her body was in stasis within my gateway, she was closer to it than anyone else. So, her core blossomed faster, and the sanctions were lower on her.
We were back together.
That was what mattered.
Housing was a little complicated - well, not that complicated really. We bought a house. Put together, considering our contributions during the eclipse well, we had more than enough money.
Of course, that was what actually broke moms suspension of disbelief. She had been shocked by the agents, at being abducted. Shed believed me that Id somehow gotten her out of there, even the vague details. But a work bonus that was large enough to afford me a house? That was the end of it.
I laughed. What a mundane thing to worry about, right? Id been fighting monsters for so long my mom getting confused about money was just too funny. In the end, it was kinda funny. I just told her that it was a secret.
Of course, it took some convincing that it wasnt illegal, but having Ivan and Ann and everyone else to vouch for me certainly helped. Of course, she pushed, but we all remained silent as the grave.
Ivan my lovely brother. He also got a slot in [Transference]. His talents were rather amazing, after all. But other than a short meeting to introduce him to Ann, we hadnt done much.
Dad, on the other hand, was more complicated. Ivan had checked him into a clinic. Hed drank himself to unconsciousness. Again. Pulled some sort of dumb stunt at a party and broken his arm. So, he was on detox. With professional help.
Was it cheap? No. But my brother had apparently had a lot of success with a tech startup on air cleaning, and now here we were. Here we were.
Me and Dad on two sides of a glass pane.
This feels like when I was in prison, he said. His tone was joking, but his expression? Miserable.
I stared at him, through the glass. At least, youre getting help here.
Thats what they said there, too.
Right, I muttered. Already, I was asking myself why I even bothered. Why I even bothered to visit. Right.
Dad gave a long sigh at that. Bear. Im sorry. Im trying.
Youve been trying for a long while, I said.
Yeah, he said. I-... fuck, I need better friends when Im out of here.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Sure, I nodded. Thats a start.
He looked at me. And I need to apologize. To you, to Agatha-
Gently, I shook my head. Not yet, I said. I get that it sucks, but youre gonna do this. And then youre gonna ask for forgiveness. And then youre gonna see if anyone forgives you. If they dont - and I might not, dad - but if they dont, then thats that. You dont always get do-overs, I told him.
It was cold. He looked like a kicked puppy. Silence hang between us, thick as an inch of glass. He sniffed, then wiped a tear off his pale cheek with his big hand. I wanted to hug him, wanted to feel compassion, but I was tired of the back and forth. So all I did was sit there, and look at him.
He sniffled again. Yeah, he said, voice shaky but not cracking. I. Ill do this. No more hurt. No more pain.
I nodded. Sometimes, I liked to imagine what Eden would do to him. It had a weird effect on addictions. Your body was kept in stasis, but still healing. So, maybe some of those physical aspects of the addiction would fade?
With the rising Qi levels on Neamhan, maybe Id find out someday. What a little bit of cultivation or magic would do to him. That thought almost made me chuckle, but I stifled it.
So? Whyd you do it? I asked instead. Im asking because Im curious. This isnt an accusation. That was a little bit of a lie, but enough to make it more palatable for him. And I was curious.
He gave me a long, regretful look. High school class gathering. Everyone else was, and people offered, and I declined, and they pushed. Then I accepted. And then well, then my memory turns patchy.
For a moment, I considered barking out a laugh. My dad, always so brave and protective. Except, he just couldnt grow a spine. He ran a hand through his messy hair, waiting for my reaction. I see, I said instead. Sounds troublesome.
Dad sighed. We both know its on me. I fucked up. And I hope itll be the last time I fuck up this way.
At that, I smiled, just a little. Work hard, then, dad, I said.
Hah, he said. Haha. Yeah, alright. Ill work hard. I can do that.
It was a phrase hed liked to say to me. And he was a hard worker. The smile even lasted more than the paltry few seconds it usually did. I wanted to place my hand on the glass, but there was a no touching sticker on it. Cleaning staff got tired of dramatic farewells apparently.
Instead, I gave him a nod. We talked a little more about this and that until I got up. It was good seeing you, dad, I said. You dont got signal in here, do you?
He shook his head. Nah. But, you can swing by again? Maybe in a week?
I chuckled. Sure. Ill see what I can do. No promises, yeah? Focus on yourself.
Okay, he said. Yeah. Will do. See you, Bear.
See you, dad.
I walked outside. Ann waited by the car. I took her hand in mine briefly and she gave me a smile.
Life was slow. Zinnia wanted to kill me, of course. But they were also fucking terrified, so we really didnt end up being bothered too much.
Mom went on her cruise with Jared. The others and I looked after Butterfly in the meantime. She took a liking to Matt and Liam, because of course she did, and treated Emilia and Marie like aunts. It was fun, honestly.
Having a kid around for a few days was exhausting, of course, but she even picked up a little sign language from Reya. And with all of us - yes, even Eric - there to juggle her, it was doable.
Days on Neamhan turned into weeks. First one, then a second, then a month. Six weeks of peace and quiet. I visited dad. I fought with mom again. I went out to play with Beth. I kissed Ann.
Gosh, the memories with Ann. We watched so many movies together. Played video games. I ate popcorn for the first time with her. Showed her some of my favourite books. Matt smacked her with some practice swords. She threw a fireball at his face and ruined a shirt he hated anyway.
It was fun. Hilarious.
Marie told us a bit about the couple weeks she spent doing forest ranging. Shed spotted one wildfire and gone to extinguish it. Which was super cool, honestly. I admired that.
Most of us went back to visit our parents regularly, but honestly what was meant to be a kind of temporary measure to get Ann adjusted turned into a much more permanent arrangement. My flat was trashed, anyway. I paid a rather generous amount to the landlady for that, then moved on with my life.
Much of my decoration went up in the new house. It was big, since we could afford it. And so, everyone stayed. Marie and Emilia were there permanently, basically, with Matt, Liam, Eric and Reya coming and going. It felt a little incomplete without Chris, though.
But that was fine. They were doing their own thing. We would meet again, I was sure.
And I had time, now. I picked up drawing again, practiced my spearwork my old master, Rey, even got me to give calligraphy another shot. To his utter dismay, I was still terrible. Ingrid framed and hung up my drawing of a potted basil, though, which I found rather charming.
Of course, none of my pictures were ever good enough for my mom, but that was fine, too. She just didnt get to see very many of them. Ann loved each and every one, often modelling for me, too. It was nice.
For the first time, Neamhan felt like a home.
Spring came, and the world warmed up, bit by bit.
On a Spring day like any other, Ann and I were out for a walk. There was a warm wind in the concrete jungle. Not much greenery to see but that was fine. We would live.
Some guy tried to rob us. I added another knife to my collection, and he scampered off. Things were good.
We sat in a greying park, the grass and trees having died. The view from the hill was still nice, though. Then there was a sound, a faint tremor of the Qi behind me. We looked, and there it was.
Miniscule. Tiny, weak, and easily shut with just the barest application of effort, but it had appeared.
A rift.
And so began the story of how I saved my second world.