《Aspect of Survival [Progression, Isekai]》 Chapter 1 - Ripped Out The roar of the crowd was deafening, but John barely heard it. His focus was centered on the behemoth of a man standing across the arena, with muscles rippling beneath sweat-soaked clothes. "Ladies and gentlemen, we''re down to the final moments of this championship bout!" the announcer''s voice boomed. "John ''The Windwalker'' Tarvo faces off against Brandon ''The Bear'' Kraggs!" John''s grip tightened on his massive greatsword. Brandon charged, each footfall shaking the ground. ''If only you had a way to actually hit me, huh?'' John thought, smirking confidently. At the last second he thrust his palm forward. A blast of air erupted, propelling him backward just as Brandon''s massive axe cleaved the space where he''d stood. "He flies away with a burst at the last possible moment! The Windwalker lives up to his name, folks!" John''s feet barely touched the ground before he was moving again, propelled by another burst of wind. He shot forward, carried by another gust of wind. His opponent, still recovering from his missed swing, couldn''t react in time. The massive blade sliced through the air as John aimed for Brandon''s exposed side. But he wasn''t the reigning champion for nothing. He twisted, avoiding the slash narrowly after deflecting the sword slightly with his thick bracer. ¡®Damn, he avoided that?! Bastard!¡¯ "A narrow miss! But wait¡ª" Before Brandon could counterattack, John released his sword with one hand. A concentrated burst of air shot from his free palm, slamming into Brandon''s face. The giant staggered back, disoriented by the blast. John pressed his advantage, leaping high up into the air. He brought his sword down in a devastating arc. ¡®This is it!¡¯ Brandon''s axe came up to block, but John''s strike shattered the weapon''s handle. The crowd''s roar reached a fever pitch as Brandon stumbled, defenseless. In a fluid motion, John landed and swept his leg. Brandon crashed to the ground, and the impact resonated through the arena. The massive blade moved again, stopping by Brandon¡¯s neck and pinning him to the ground. ¡°I¡­ I surrender!¡± the old champion yelled, loud enough for everyone to hear. "It''s over! John Tarvo has done it!" The announcer''s voice cracked with excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, history has been made today! At just twenty-one years old, John ''The Windwalker'' Tarvo is now the youngest Royal Tournament champion in history!" The arena erupted in cheers. John stood, chest heaving, offering a hand to his fallen opponent. Brandon took it with a rueful smile, pulling himself up. "Well fought, lad," the giant rumbled. "You¡¯re easily the most annoying opponent I¡¯ve had the pleasure of fighting. You better be back next year, though; I¡¯m taking that title back!" John nodded, a grin spreading across his face as the reality of his victory sank in. He raised his massive sword high, basking in the adulation of the crowd. ¡®Finally I can go back home¡­ Hope Serah has cooled off a bit,¡¯ he thought, both nervous and excited for his return.
The roar faded, replaced by the gentle rustling of leaves and distant chirping of birds. John''s eyes fluttered open, briefly wakened by the afternoon sun. He was home, napping on the porch of his family''s house, the excitement of the tournament now a fading memory. After falling back into the realm of dreams, something else stirred him awake. As light and tender as a falling snowflake, a pair of lips touched his forehead. Instead of cold, it spread warmth, gently rousing him further from his drowsiness. ¡®The hell was that? I was having such a nice nap¡­¡¯ The sensation lingered, but with no one around, John dismissed it as a remnant of his dream. He felt at peace as he sat there on the porch of their house, looking out at the quaint village he grew up in. He wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything, even after experiencing the thrill of the big city. Only a few days had passed since the royal tournament in the capital of Aachen, but instead of celebrating his win with the rest of the city, he returned home as planned, joining a merchant on his carriage. He had a promise to fulfill. Even if he wasn¡¯t looking forward to it much. Or rather, he was nervous. A voice, husky and aged, called from inside the house, ¡°John, could you please help your old mother with the cooking?¡± John sighed, but there was a smile playing on his lips. His mother had made herself sound much older than she was on purpose, and he was well aware. She was barely in her forties, after all. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve only been gone for five years. You can ask for help without trying to make me feel bad, you know!¡± John got out of the chair with a spring, ready to head inside. But just as he was about to turn around, he spotted a familiar face, making his heart jump. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. She was walking down the dirt road through the village, carrying her basket of eggs like any other day. And, like any other day, she looked like the most beautiful person on the planet¡ªlike an angel without wings. Her blonde hair and her white summer dress only reinforced that impression. John felt his heart pounding in his chest as he took a deep breath and prepared himself. ¡®God, I hope she¡¯s in a good mood today.¡¯ After another deep breath, he started walking towards her. His nerves were much more intense than during the tournament''s final match, but he knew they would be. He had been thinking about this day during every training session and fight. Serah had spotted him and stared, first with wide eyes, then with narrowed ones. She stood rooted to the spot, waiting for John to approach, crossing her arms. Seeing her imposing posture filled John with an extra bit of dread. ¡®Calm down, my beating heart. We¡¯ve practiced this so many times. Stay with me.¡¯ Finally, he stood before her, making a gracious bow before speaking. ¡°Greetings, Serah! I don¡¯t know if you heard, but I won the royal tournament a few days ago.¡± He looked at her as he stood up, trying to show a confident smirk. ¡°As you probably remember, I promised to ask you out after winning. So¡­¡± She only kept staring at him with a cold expression, remaining silent. He took one last deep breath. ¡°Would you like to join me on a date tomorrow?¡± ¡®Not even a change of expression! She sure knows how to hold a grudge!¡¯ he thought, thinking back to the time he made that promise. She had been furious. In his mind it had been a romantic gesture, and one he had to work up a lot of courage for. He had no idea what made her so mad. But she was mad then, and obviously, little had changed. Her voice cut through the silence, but the words only made him more nervous. ¡°Why am I mad, John?¡± ¡°... Because¡­ I put a lot of pressure on you by making that promise?¡± he tried, hoping it was at least close to the real reason. Serah shook her head, continuing to stare at him. ¡°Uhh¡­ because I put myself in danger by joining the military and fighting?¡± Another shake, but less forceful this time. He might have gotten closer. He would have kept going, but his only remaining answer, the one he had thought of first, required a bit of bravery. ¡®Aw, let¡¯s take some chances!¡¯ ¡°Because¡­ you missed me?¡± he asked, trying to make a cute face. Serah''s expression softened slightly, and mixed emotions flickered across her face. "John, do you really think that''s why I''m upset?" John hesitated, suddenly unsure. "I... Well¡­" He had missed her, but this didn¡¯t seem like the time to tell her that. "Five years, John. Five years have passed us by." She paused, seeming to struggle with her words. "And for what? To prove something?" John''s brow furrowed. "I wanted to be worthy¡ª" "Worthy?" Serah shook her head with a sad smile on her lips. "You never needed to prove anything to me. You never needed to be a champion for me to¡ª" She stopped abruptly, looking away. John stood there, stunned by her words and the weight of what was left unsaid. ¡®I¡­ Why did I feel so sure about this promise back then?¡¯ Serah took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, her posture seemed to relax. "It doesn''t matter now. You''re back now, and that''s what''s important." John blinked, surprised by the sudden shift. "Really?" "Really," Serah nodded, her smile becoming a bit more genuine. "So, about that date you mentioned..." Elation and confusion mixed in John''s head. "Yeah? I mean¡ªyou''ll go?" "I''ll join you tomorrow," Serah confirmed. Her tone had turned a lot lighter, like her anger never existed in the first place. "It''ll be nice to catch up properly." She turned to leave, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "I should get going now, but... I''m glad you''re back, John." As she walked away, John couldn''t help but feel there was still something unspoken hanging in the air. But the prospect of their upcoming date filled him with hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could bridge the gap that five years had created between them. That he had created. With a confused smile, he turned back to his house, hoping they could go back to the way things had been before he left. They had known each other better than anyone. ¡®Well, maybe it was just her knowing me better than I did? Looking back, I feel like she got harder to read as we grew¡­¡¯ He walked up the three wooden steps to the balcony, almost reaching the door before a voice called out from inside, ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long, boy? Come help with the dinner!¡± John let out a light-hearted laugh. His mother¡¯s urgency seemed too trivial to faze him. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there, Mom. There was just something I had to say to someone first...¡± He opened the door, sensing the aroma of fresh cooking. His mother stood in the kitchen, stirring the cauldron with practiced motions. ¡°Oh, you finally asked Serah out? About damn time!¡± John stopped in his tracks. He had kept the cards close to his chest for years, or at least he thought he had. ¡°You knew about it?¡± ¡°Of course I knew; you¡¯ve been staring at her since you were half as tall. And I knew that ramble about leaving to get stronger was all bull from the moment you told me.¡± John felt his cheeks heating up. His mother was annoyingly observant, so it made sense she had noticed by now. She mumbled while stirring the stew, ¡°Ridiculous to make her wait so long, I say, but you never did have much between your ears. Just like your father. Now, come help me, will you?¡± Hiding a smile, John sighed and walked towards the kitchen as she had asked. ¡°You¡¯re mixing up experience with brains; I¡¯ve got plenty between my¡­¡± A sudden chill ran down his spine. ¡°... my¡­¡± Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him like a speeding caravan, sending him crashing to the floor. The last thing he heard was his mother¡¯s anxious voice calling his name before it slowly faded away.
The sobering smell of metal greeted him as he awoke. An intense headache followed closely behind, forcing a grimace onto his face. As his mind adjusted to consciousness, he realized nothing was as it should be. He was sitting in a large metal room, with bright lights shining from every direction¡ªannoyingly bright lights. ¡®What the hell is this? Aaah, damn headache! What is going on?¡¯ Chapter 2 - One Question John was desperately trying to understand the situation. But before he could even make any conjecture, he heard the sound of claws tapping on the floor. On the other side of the room, a black dog-like creature eyed him like a slab of meat. It bared its fangs and walked to the right, looking for an opening. Its skin was slick, bulging with muscles, and without a single strand of fur. ¡®A barg? What the hell, is this some prank? Who would try to make me fight these mutts?¡¯ John tried subtly activating his internal force to prepare for combat. But to his great horror, nothing happened. Not even a flicker of power could be felt in his core. ¡®W¡­ what?! Are they restraining my essence? How?!¡¯ His breath shortened as a chill ran down his back, urging him to be fully alert. The barg stopped circling him and lowered its stance, prepared to attack. John got on his feet in a combat-ready stance, but he disliked his chances of survival if he was forced to fight without his essence. He kept trying to conjure some of his strength, but still nothing happened. ¡®What is this?! Work, you damn core!¡¯ John held his arms around his neck to protect his most vulnerable spots, sensing the creature was about to approach. If nothing else, he still had his combat instincts. And he had fought these monsters in the past, so he knew how they moved. The only thing he needed now was a decent weapon. His feet could be dangerous, but a proper kick would require some luck. Grappling that thing without the power of his essence would be fruitless, but it might at least create a stalemate. The monster started sprinting, using all the space available to create momentum. John readied his stance, seeing this as being his only chance at a proper kick. His body pivoted, leg whipping around in a kick aimed at the beast''s head. But the lack of his usual power made him slower, causing the kick only to hit its side. Not nearly enough to do proper damage. ¡®Ahh, what the fuck?! I¡¯m too weak!¡¯ The Barg, barely slowed by the weak kick, twisted in mid-air. Slavering jaws gaped wide, promising a gruesome end. ''Shit!'' John threw himself sideways, using the momentum from his failed kick. He hit the ground hard, rolling awkwardly. The Barg''s teeth snapped shut, so close John felt the rush of displaced air. Scrambling to his feet, his mind raced. ¡®Aaah, fuck! This is bad! Do I have to choke it to death? Will I even have the strength to?¡¯ The Barg recovered quickly, locking its predatory gaze on John. It stalked forward, more cautious now but no less deadly. John backpedaled, his boots squeaking against the metal floor. His eyes darted around, seeking an advantage, an escape, anything. The barg pounced, slower this time, but much harder to avoid. It would be harder for it to adjust at high speeds, but now it could follow John wherever he planned to dodge. He moved left, but the jaws of steel followed. He was forced to risk his arms, pushing against its neck with all his strength, avoiding the fatal fangs by a hair. Any slower and a limb would have been lost. Or worse. ''No choice!'' With a roar born of desperation, John hurled himself at the Barg. He wrapped his arms around its thick neck, legs scrabbling to get a hold around its waist. The beast bucked wildly, doing everything in its power to shake him off. John clung on, every impact threatening to dislodge him. His arms burned with exertion, sweat stinging his eyes. If his body hadn¡¯t been in peak condition, his life would already be lost. "God damn fucking bitch dog!" John shouted, his voice raw with effort and fear. He knew he couldn''t last long like this. Without his essence, his muscles would give out long before the Barg tired. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. As if sensing his weakening grip, the Barg redoubled its efforts. It twisted and turned, each movement threatening to send John flying. He could feel his hold slipping as his palms turned sweaty. ''I can''t... I can''t die here!'' John''s mind screamed, even as his body teetered on the brink of failure. ''Not like this... not without seeing her again!'' Right then, a deep crack reverberated in his chest, bringing a sliver of the familiar essence. A sliver of hope. But this wasn¡¯t enough to win. It only allowed him to hold on for a while longer. ¡®More!¡¯ He shouted in his mind, begging whatever had granted him this sliver for more power. The desire for survival still burned in his mind, making him tense every muscle in his control. ¡®More!!¡¯ Another deep crack, louder than last time. The stream of power was now constant, but still nowhere close to his full power. ¡®Give me all you got, you fucking bastard!!!¡¯ A resounding crash could be heard in the depths of his body, breaking the entire dam of power and bringing with it the familiar sensation of immense strength he was so used to. The energy flowed through his body, reaching his muscles and organs, greatly enhancing their durability and strength. It rejuvenated his entire being, like jumping into a refreshing pool of water on a scorching summer day. The relief was immense as the fear of dying faded from his mind. Now, victory was all but certain. By simply grabbing the beast¡¯s paw with his left arm, he forced it to the ground. It scrambled to stand on its remaining legs but only managed to crawl slowly across the floor. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± The line was delivered with a calm voice, like a simple statement of fact. The barg didn¡¯t react much, only thrashing around on the floor beneath him. John raised his right arm and made a sharp point with his hand before forcibly jamming it through the monster¡¯s ribs from the side. The sickening crunch of bone giving way was followed by a wet, tearing sound as his hand punctured the lung. The barg''s aggressive barks transformed into pitiful, wheezing whines. John withdrew his hand, feeling the warm blood on his skin. He watched the creature''s labored breathing and felt a tinge of empathy. The monster had only followed its nature, after all. It didn''t deserve a slow, agonizing death. "Let''s end this quickly," he murmured, positioning his hands around the barg''s thick neck. With a controlled application of strength, he began to squeeze. The beast''s struggles weakened, its eyes gradually losing focus. Within moments, it fell still. John released his grip and stood, his chest heaving. With a slight smile, he honored the fight as he usually would after a spar or tournament battle, bowing lightly. ¡°Good fight¡­¡± As the adrenaline ebbed, John''s attention turned to his surroundings. The stark contrast between the primal battle he''d just fought and the clinical environment around him was jarring. Sleek metal walls enclosed him, their surfaces impossibly smooth and reflective. ¡®What is this place?¡¯ He could not make sense of it. No blacksmith could create something so smooth, and it certainly didn¡¯t look like something that formed naturally. He walked up to the closest wall and pressed against it, feeling the perfectly flat surface. ¡®Well, whatever. There are bigger questions right now. Who the hell brought me here? And why?¡¯ Even after being forced into an intense struggle for survival, John was surprised to realize he was more curious than angry. The reassuring feeling of his essence flowing through his body made him feel safe, no longer fearing for his own life. He prepared his fist to open a hole in the wall, focusing his essence internally to strengthen his arm. But just before he was about to punch, a deep voice could be heard from all around him. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, kid. Congrats on breaking through, but don¡¯t think this is over just yet.¡± John looked around him, searching for the source of the voice, but found nothing. If someone wanted him to do something, they better at least have the spheres to tell him in person. ¡°Kindly go break some bones, hidden man. Or better yet, come here so I can do it myself.¡± ¡°... Sure, I¡¯ll come down there. Give me a second.¡± John smiled, confident he could beat anyone who might show up in an honest fight. He would have preferred to have his greatsword ready, but he could beat most professional fighters even without it. ¡®If these bastards think I¡¯ll just play along with their games, I¡¯ll show them who they messed with!¡¯ He didn¡¯t have to wait long before a wall on the other side of the room somehow spread apart to reveal a large man. He was burly like a bear, with dark hair and a thick beard. But more so than his appearance, his presence made an impression on John. It was like meeting a great predator after only living among sheep all his life. John instinctively knew this man was dangerous. Very dangerous. John slowly backed up, preparing his battle stance. ¡°Oh, you realized the difference between us? Impressive,¡± the man said, looking at John like a trainer would a talented child. ¡°Or is it perhaps a remnant memory? Go claim the kill now, and I¡¯ll let you ask one question.¡± Chapter 3 - Answer The unfamiliar words made little sense to John, but he still tried to figure them out. ¡°Claim the kill? Explain.¡± The man pointed at the dead monster. ¡°Put your essence into the cadaver. You¡¯ll see what I mean.¡± John disliked following orders, especially from some stranger who probably kidnapped him. His last memories were from his home, which worried him greatly. ¡°Did you take anyone else? Did you hurt anyone?¡± he asked, desperate for some answers. The man shook his head, but he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I said you get one question after claiming the kill. Do as I tell you, kid.¡± Understanding the situation, John moved toward the black corpse, hiding his real intentions. ¡®If you wanted an obedient animal to fight for you, think again! I don¡¯t care how strong you are; one good hit should put you in the ground!¡¯ He moved his torso closer to the ground, pretending to do as he was told, but actually, it was to get a better starting point for his surprise attack. He kicked off from the ground at full force, speeding toward the man and preparing his hand for a piercing attack as he had used on the barg. The man did not react, but his eyes followed John the entire way. John felt his chance dwindle, but now he was too far in to stop. And too pissed to care. His fingers hit the man on the side of his neck, one of the most vulnerable spots on the body for piercing attacks. But instead of feeling the hand pierce flesh, John felt pain. It had been like punching a steel armor. ¡°Aah! Ah, my hand!¡± John screamed, sensing that at least one of his fingers had broken. He looked at the man in shock, unable to understand how he could have been that tough. ¡°Scales?¡± The spot on his neck where John had attacked was now covered in thick scales reminiscent of scale armor. But they seemed to blend in with his skin like it was a natural defense mechanism. ¡°Are you done?¡± the man asked, seemingly completely unbothered by John¡¯s attack. This made it clear that John didn¡¯t stand a chance in a fight, just as he had assumed. But was that a reason just to do as he was told? John sighed, holding his hand. The promise of answering a question was enticing, and it didn¡¯t seem like he had much choice. Throwing a tantrum was an option, but it didn¡¯t seem like a good one. He walked over to the carcass again and bent down to put his arm on it. It was still warm, giving him an unpleasant feeling. Closing his eyes, he focused on sending his essence into the barg, curious about what would happen. The essence flowed through, somehow activating the essence remaining inside the barg and bringing it back through his hand. A burst of energy followed, returning some of the essence he had used during the fight. His core somehow felt stronger now than it had before. ¡°This¡­ does this strengthen my core somehow?¡± ¡°Is that your question?¡± The man asked, kind enough to let John choose another one. ¡°No, no! I was just¡­ That¡¯s what it felt like. Uhm¡­¡± He considered the question, focusing on what would be most important right now. What question would give him the most important information right now? ¡°... Why am I here?¡± The man nodded, seemingly satisfied with his question. ¡°You¡¯re here to help fight in our war for survival. You¡¯re a soldier we¡¯ve been developing, and now it¡¯s time to start making use of you.¡± ¡°... Soldier you¡¯ve been developing? But I¡¯ve just been living my life; this is my first time seeing any of this. And what war? There shouldn¡¯t be any significant war going on right now.¡± The answer only gave him more questions, if he even bothered to believe it. It made no sense, but he trusted it was true for some reason. ¡°Those are other questions. I¡¯ve answered one. But I can send some more bargs if you¡¯d like more answers,¡± the man said, making it clear that information would have to be fought for. But John didn¡¯t mind. Now that his essence was back, he was confident he could take on up to three bargs at once. ¡°Then please send them out!¡± Suddenly, red lights lit up inside the room, followed by an alarming sound coming from every direction. It was like an attack on the senses, a warning of danger. A strange and emotionless female voice could be heard along with the alarm, ¡°All ECs, report at the nearest elevator immediately." The man looked pissed, yelling out, ¡°Fuck! This is NOT the time! You!¡± He pointed at John. ¡°Choose; come with me and fight more monsters, or get knocked out so we can finish this later.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. John could feel the seriousness of the situation, but he disliked both options. If coming along would let him see where he was, as well as allowing him to claim more kills, it was tempting. But he didn¡¯t like the thought of fighting for the people who had kidnapped him, no matter what the reason was. ¡°Out of here, to help you? Do I get more questions?¡± ¡°Yes! But choose quickly; I have to leave now!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll join you! But will I get a weapon, at least?¡± The man looked up at the ceiling and shouted, ¡°Vera, get this guy a weapon and show him the way to the nearest elevator! I¡¯ve got to go!¡± As he finished the sentence, he started running out of the room, faster than anything John had ever seen. The same neutral female voice responded, ¡°Affirmative, Captain Dirk. Searching weapon storage and illuminating lights to the elevator. Breaker John Tarvo, please follow the white lights out of the room.¡± The absurdity of the situation was keeping John bolted to the floor. ¡®They¡¯re really just going to let me walk around on my own? Well, fuck following orders! I¡¯m exploring!¡¯ John left the room, choosing to walk in the opposite direction of the white lights. He could see several indents in the metal wall on each side, looking very similar to the doorway he had come from. ¡°Breaker John, please follow the white lights,¡± the female voice insisted. He now understood it was someone called Vera. Her voice sounded so inhuman that John felt creeped out. Disregarding her command, he chose to try opening one of these doors. At first, he attempted pushing it gently, but seeing that nothing happened, he increased his strength. He felt confident that he could bend the door open if he really tried. ¡°Breaker John, you do not have access to pod-room 137, please follow the white lights to your designated weapon. If you have trouble finding the white lights, they are located to your right, in the direction you came from.¡± ¡®Pod-room? What¡¯s that?¡¯ John wondered, completely ignoring Vera. He stopped caring about damaging the doors and used more force, which ended up forcing the doors apart and revealing the room. It was completely dark, only illuminated by the lights from the hallway. It was a rather small room, and the only thing inside seemed to be some sort of large metal coffin. Tubes were descending from the ceiling and attached to the backside of the coffin, giving the entire thing a sense of importance. With a flick of his finger, John created a flame above his hand, using his essence as fuel. It was one of the simple spells most people learned once they were old enough, useful for giving light in the dark. He walked forward and studied the coffin, looking through a small glass window near the top. ¡®What the fuck?!¡¯ A sleeping face submerged in cloudy liquid could be seen through the window, softly illuminated by his flame. A male face, somewhere around John¡¯s age. It seemed vaguely familiar. ¡®Hold on, isn¡¯t that the guy I fought in the semi-final? They caught him too?!¡¯ The familiar face, submerged and unconscious, seemed both alien and terrifyingly real. His mind reeled, struggling to process the implications of what he was seeing. ¡°Detecting elevated pulse and adrenaline levels. Breaker John, please step away from the pod. Removing the candidate might cause serious damage to his mind,¡± Vera warned, somehow able to sense his pulse. Unable to handle his shock, John shouted, ¡°Vera, what the hell is this?! How many people have you guys taken here?!¡± ¡°Information level: Restricted. You do not have access to records, Breaker John. Please follow the white lights.¡± A loud thud could be heard as John stomped his foot hard into the ground, denting the metal floor. ¡°Fuck your lights! I will start breaking things if you don¡¯t give me some answers!¡± ¡°... Permission granted by admin. No one has been ¡®taken¡¯ here, but we currently have 247 candidates like the one you see before you.¡± Her voice sounded less strange now, and the tone was more human. The change was a bit unnerving. ¡°... What? And they¡­ they¡¯re all like me, taken here to fight in your war?¡± ¡°In a manner of speaking. Now, will you please follow the lights? I can make them flash any color you want.¡± John sighed, looking back at the man in the ¡®pod¡¯ behind him. ¡°Okay, but answer one more question for me. Is¡­ Is my mom here? Or Serah?¡± ¡°Your mother, Elaine Tarvo, is not a candidate, no. But Serah Dunsby is.¡± The words ignited a flame in his heart, threatening to spread out of his control. Every muscle in his arms tightened, and his jaw clenched. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple, and he realized his hands were shaking with a mix of fear and rage. ¡°John, please calm down! She¡¯s not in any more danger than she was the last time you saw her, I promise!¡± Her words did nothing to help and instead made him lash out in rage. ¡°Why should I believe you, huh? You just drag me here with no explanation, unconscious, and force me to fight a monster with my bare hands, and you expect me to believe what you say?! Fuck you!¡± ¡°John, I really do wish to help you! We need your help, just like you need ours! Now that you know who we are protecting here, won¡¯t you go out there and help us fight?¡± ¡°... Why don¡¯t you go fight? Why don¡¯t you even show yourself? You¡¯re just here to manipulate me, aren¡¯t you?!¡± John shouted, hating how his desire to protect Serah almost made him listen obediently. For all he knew, she wasn¡¯t even here. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not a real person, John. I don¡¯t have a body.¡± Her voice carrying a hint of what almost sounded like regret. John blinked, momentarily stunned by this revelation. ¡°What do you mean, you''re not real? How can you¡ª¡± He stopped, shaking his head. The absurdity of arguing with a disembodied voice about its existence suddenly struck him, adding another layer of surrealism to his already bizarre situation. Vera continued, ¡°And yes, I guess you could call it manipulation, but I¡¯m just trying to help you understand what you want to do. If you want to grow stronger, go fight. If you want to protect everyone you know, go fight. If you want to understand what the hell is going on, go fight! Follow the damn lights!¡± Vera sounded almost as frustrated as John felt, forcing him to consider her words. She did have a point, at least about growing stronger and figuring out what was happening. He figured the part about her not having a body was better to ignore for now. There was too much on his mind already. ¡°... Fine, I¡¯ll follow the damn lights.¡± Chapter 4 - Outside The white lights led John from the pod room and past the door where the monster still lay on the floor. It was a long corridor, but the lights only continued for another 20 meters, turning left. The omnipresent Vera still talked to him as he jogged along the corridor. ¡°My logs tell me you prefer using a greatsword. Is that correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Larger than most, I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± ¡°Then I think I have one perfectly suited for you. If you like it, you can use it as your core weapon. It¡¯s through this door,¡± she said as a door opened to John¡¯s right. He entered it to find a larger room filled with weapons. They all looked expertly crafted, but at the same time, their design lacked elegance and emotion. Like the blacksmith only cared about function. ¡°What do you mean, core weapon? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Right. All breakers can store equipment in their core, making them grow in strength alongside them. This equipment can be summoned at any time, can be repaired regardless of the level of damage, and can be reinforced by putting essence into them,¡± Vera explained quickly, trying to hurry things along. Even more questions were stacking up in John¡¯s brain, like why he had never been able to do so before, but he decided to focus on the present. ¡°And how do I make something into a core weapon?¡± ¡°You just insert your essence into it and try to drag it into your core. Once inside, it¡¯s yours forever. So you have to make sure it suits you.¡± John looked around, searching for the promised greatsword. None seemed to suit his tastes. ¡°Hey, where is it?¡± ¡°On your left, but I think you saw it. Is it too small?¡± Vera asked, sounding slightly nervous. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the biggest you have? I¡¯ll take it for now, but I¡¯m not using it as my core weapon.¡± He grabbed it by the shaft to take it from the wall. ¡°Hey, you''re sounding much more human now than you did earlier. Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I can explain in the elevator; just follow the lights now.¡± Understanding that time was precious, John did as he was asked, following the white lights ever forward. ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit curious about this elevator you keep mentioning. Does it elevate people?¡± ¡°... Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what it does. You¡¯re currently underground, so it will take you to the surface.¡± ¡°Underground?¡± John asked quietly, no longer feeling very shocked. It was a minor thing compared to the other things revealed to him so far. ¡°I thought it was metaphorical lifting, like mentally preparing us for combat.¡± A light chuckle could be heard from Vera, but she kept quiet. John continued following the lights, forced to backtrack slightly to reach the elevator. They stopped before another door, larger and more complicated than the others. It opened to reveal a tiny room, which John found confusing. ¡°In here?¡± he asked, wondering if Vera had made a mistake. ¡°Yes, the entire room will move once you close the doors.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s clever!¡± he replied, stepping inside. The doors closed behind him, and soon after, he felt himself being pressed against the floor. ¡°I sound more human now because I could focus more on you once the other people here had left to fight. I¡¯m responsible for this entire building, so I usually spend much less¡­ effort, on some orders.¡± The elevator was large enough that John could swing the sword around, so he did, testing the feel in his hands. ¡°Like multitasking? I¡¯m pretty bad at that myself.¡± ¡°Yes, something like that. Once you step out of the elevator, I won¡¯t be able to speak with you anymore, so just follow the road straight to the gate on the giant wall in front of you, okay? Someone will probably be there fighting already, so just speak to them.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± John replied, starting to feel the nerves. Vera had been very helpful so far, answering his questions, preventing him from going berserk, and letting him figure out what he should do. ¡°Well, then. Thank you for your help, Vera. I¡¯ll be back to bring Serah back home.¡± ¡°... Yeah, good luck, John.¡± The room slowed down, making him feel lighter than usual, before it stopped completely and opened the doors. The sight of the outside world left him speechless, forcing him to wonder how far away he was from his home. A smell of metal and broken rocks hit him hard, like something familiar but alien at the same time. The sky was red instead of blue, and there were no signs of the sun or the moon. A wall, at least 50 meters high, stood in front of him, blocking whatever was behind it from this side. The ground before him was black and grey, showing no signs of grass or dirt anywhere. Grey buildings, taller than he had ever seen, were systematically placed around the wall, filled with windows and glowing lights. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. John absentmindedly stepped out of the elevator, staring at the tall buildings. The more of them he could see, the smaller he felt. Several tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people, could live here. The flashing red lights outside indicated something was wrong. Nearly no people were in the streets between the buildings, so he assumed they had gone into hiding during the attack. ¡®So this is what these people are protecting? How big is this damn city? How much of it can I see?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Serah or those other 246 ¡®candidates¡¯; countless lives were at stake here. This made everything he had been told feel more real, and much more justified. A vague sense of seeing something like this before hovered around in his mind, but no memories could explain it. He figured he would have remembered something like this and dismissed it as a passing sense of deja vu. The grip on his sword got firmer as he walked, still staring at the buildings. He couldn¡¯t even imagine so many people living in one place. The technology needed to make something like this was far beyond his understanding, but it was obviously real. ¡®This is like a completely different planet¡­ So how the hell did I get here?!¡¯ The sound of jogging footsteps brought him back to reality. A man dressed in similar clothes to Captain Dirk approached him. John assumed it was standard clothing in the underground facility. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re EC? Head over to the gate, man!¡± ¡°EC? I¡­ I think so,¡± John replied, recalling how Vera had first said something about ECs. The man stared at him for a second, furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°What, are you fresh out of the sim, or what?¡± ¡°The sim? Is that the underground building?¡± ¡°Oh wow, you are! You¡¯ve had some terrible luck to run straight into this. Well, whatever, just go to the gate and fight! We need the help; a horror has expanded its territory, forcing lesser monsters toward the city.¡± He continued jogging past John, heading towards something reminiscent of a metal carriage. John didn¡¯t bother wasting more time and headed straight for the gate. As he approached, a few guards seemed to be waiting for him, starting to open the gate for him. Several large metal locks moved to the side, allowing the gate to open. ¡®That gate would hold back anything I¡¯ve ever faced before. What kind of monsters do they have here?¡¯ He was surprised to see nature on the other side of the gate. Grass and trees seemed almost unnatural in this place, but it was a refreshing sight. It likely meant that the outside of the gate was utterly untamed, forced to stay that way because of the dangers that lurked. Loud and rhythmic bangs and the sound of combat accompanied the opening, meaning the fighting had started without him. John stepped through, gripping his sword and preparing for battle, into another unknown. The rhythmic sound was a ranged weapon the people guarding the gate used. They were trying to keep the monsters away, assisting another person dressed in the uniform from the underground. A woman this time, fighting with a long spear, clearly well accustomed to combat. She was fighting three of the bargs at once, using the superior reach of the spear to attack from a safe distance. She looked at John briefly during her fight and smiled. ¡°Oh, good, I was starting to think Vera was lying. Come help me, newbie!¡± John noticed that the weapons from the guards had little to no effect on the monsters, only distracting them and pushing them back. The woman seemed to be in control, but it would be trouble if more of the bargs approached. ¡°Have any experience?¡± she asked, keeping her eyes on the enemies. ¡°Yeah, plenty. I should be able to take on at least four at a time.¡± He wasn¡¯t exactly trying to one-up her, but he felt confident he could beat her in a fight after watching her spear-handling. ¡°Oh, sure you can, tough guy! Well, take over these ones first; I need a short break.¡± She jumped away from the fight and ran over to the guards, nodding in the direction of the monsters while looking at John. The bargs ran after her, but John stepped forward and readied his sword, eager to fight. Even if it wasn¡¯t as wide as he wanted, it was still as long as he was tall. The sensation of the sword in his hands and the simple task ahead felt liberating in this chaotic new world. He had only himself, the blade, and the enemies to care about. With the sword near the ground behind him, he leaned forward, baiting the beasts to attack his seemingly open pose. All three approached him simultaneously, forcing him to sidestep while swinging the sword forward. He was aiming for the leftmost beast. While rolling away and easily avoiding the danger, his underhand slash hit the beast in the stomach. It cut through skin and ribs, severing several vital organs and leaving no doubt as to the beast¡¯s fate. Their charging speed was easy to take advantage of, just like the beast he had fought earlier. The slashed barg was neutralized, but the others split off, one going after John and the other attacking the spear-woman. ¡®Ahh, I can¡¯t let her get attacked after I spoke so confidently!¡¯ John thought, admonishing his earlier pride. He jumped at full speed towards the furthest barg and threw his sword, giving up his only weapon to keep his pride intact. It flew through the air, piercing the barg¡¯s side and pinning it to the ground behind it¡ªan instant kill. The final barg approached him from behind, overconfident now that his weapon was gone. That was a huge mistake, of course. As John landed, he turned around and used his momentum to kick the last barg in the side of the neck. A kick with full power, further reinforced by essence, was enough to cause massive damage. The impact produced a loud thud and crack, making it clear that a bone had broken. The force caused the barg to spin around several times before falling to the ground, unconscious and probably dying. The difference in John¡¯s combat ability with and without the essence coursing through him was immense, quickly taking out three enemies he couldn¡¯t manage to hurt without it. Feeling the rush of adrenaline again, John jumped on the spot. He felt terrific. There was a reason he had managed to become champion in the royal tournament. Well, several, probably. But the biggest one was his intense love for combat. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, newbie! Wargs approaching from the tree line; get your sword!¡± Chapter 5 - Wargs Looking toward the trees, John saw four much larger dog-like creatures approaching. They were nearly as tall as he was, with black skin and thick, powerful legs¡ªmonsters he had never seen before. ¡®Oh, this might be a challenge!¡¯ After quickly jumping toward his sword, he removed it from the corpse, swinging it widely to get rid of the blood. The familiar smell of their blackened blood made him grimace, reminding him of his first time killing these things. He felt that taking on two of these wargs alone would be fine, but the woman might have to take the last two, although he doubted she would manage. ¡°Can you take two of them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡± she replied, gathering flames between her hands. ¡°Go for the left ones!¡± ¡®Oh, she¡¯s a magic user as well? I might have underestimated her¡­¡¯ The monsters were approaching quickly, forcing John to take action. He did as she asked, approaching the two to the left and getting out of the way before she fired the spell. He darted towards the left warg with his sword raised, ready to swing down. It reacted quickly, baring its fangs towards his hands, but John changed directions slightly to hit it in the throat with the hilt. No damage was done, but he at least stopped the beast''s advance. ¡®Ough, tough bastard! These guys won¡¯t go down easily.¡¯ A flash of light to his right side caught John¡¯s attention as a ball of fire hit the rightmost warg in the chest. A powerful blast sounded out, sending it reeling back a few meters, but without doing any damage. ¡°You need more penetration!¡± John yelled. Her fireballs with a larger blast radius seemed suited to smaller targets, but these were sturdier and would be able to tank it. ¡°Fuck! I need a neutro here!¡± the woman shouted toward the gate, readying her spear. The failed spell seemed to have made her nervous, but she still stood her ground against the remaining two wargs. John had to dodge a ferocious paw swipe before yelling at her. ¡°You need to make the spell thinner, like an arrow!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; just take care of those two!¡± she replied, slowly backing away from the two monsters before her. Suddenly, a giant arrow fell from the sky on one of the wargs, penetrating the thick hide on its back and pinning it to the ground. It would not be a threat anymore. ¡®God, what kind of arrow was that? They have an archer?¡¯ The woman breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the last warg. ¡°I¡¯ll help you after taking this one out!¡± John smirked, doubting she would get the chance to help him. The two wargs were looking at him while trying to surround him, but he would show them why that was a bad idea. ¡°Let¡¯s have fun, eh?¡± he said, holding one arm up towards his left side and channeling his essence. John was proficient in many types of spells, but there was only one he had mastered. One that gave him an advantage over all other combatants in the royal tournament. ¡®Penetrating their skulls will be hard, but muscle or sinew should be fine. I¡¯ll go for their throats.¡¯ A blast of air appeared from his hand, pushing him straight toward the beast to his right at high speed. His sword was ready, but he could only make minor adjustments since it was harder to control with one arm. The sword was pointed straight toward the warg¡¯s head, but a slight tilt from John¡¯s hand turned it to aim for its neck. With the full force of his weight behind it, it penetrated the neck deep¡ªa mortal wound. The warg started choking on its own blood before falling on its side, dying rapidly. The remaining warg had been surprised by the blast of air hitting it, but soon after, it leapt after John, aiming for his back. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A wide swing came from John as he turned around, hoping to catch the beast off guard. But it was ready, using its claws to parry his slash, sending the sword''s tip to the ground. ¡®Shit! They¡¯re damn strong!¡¯ John thought, unprepared for such a counter. Unable to use the sword to defend himself, he let go, holding his hands ready to grab the warg¡¯s head. It approached, fangs ready, going for his neck. John knew his feet would be vulnerable if he simply held its head in place, so he jumped, grabbing the head and avoiding the fangs. This put him in a precarious position, with the large head nearly between his legs. He wrapped his feet around the neck, attempting to choke the beast while trying to get a grip on its back somehow. The torso was too large for him to grab around, and the hide too thick to penetrate with only his fists, so all he could do was squeeze his legs together and hope it would do enough damage. A penetrating spell would help him, but he would need focus to make one. The warg thrashed around forcefully, doing its best to shake John off its back. It was magnitudes stronger than a bull due to its essence, so it was a wild ride. But John stuck to it, determined to decide the fight this way. He was a bit stubborn. A spear suddenly pierced the beast''s side, making a sizeable wound. The spear woman had managed to beat one of the beasts on her own, making the fight a foregone conclusion. Another few strikes of the spear made the beast fall to the ground, letting John safely get off. It would still take a while before the beast died at this rate. ¡°Do you want me to finish it off?¡± John asked. The woman was panting heavily, but she was unhurt. ¡°Sure, be my guest. I¡¯ll claim the other two either way.¡± He readied his spell, making it long and sharp and putting a spin on it to increase the penetrative power, and fired at the underside of the head of the beast, killing it instantly. The silence that descended was overbearing, but hopefully, it meant most of the fighting had finished. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to make penetrative spells?¡± John asked, trying not to sound smug. Her first spell would have done serious damage if it had been done correctly, saving them a lot of trouble. Or an arrow, it seemed. She did not seem happy about his question but still replied, ¡°I¡¯m still learning magic. I was just taking advantage of the ranged situation before they approached.¡± John nodded, appreciating her honesty. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good with a spear, so it makes sense. Personally, I should have been more careful with my attacks. I¡¯m used to a much heavier sword, so I wasn¡¯t prepared for it to be slapped aside so easily.¡± A routine John had practiced for a long time was reviewing his mistakes after a fight. His trainer had told him several times that it was vital to his growth and made it less likely that he would repeat the same mistake. ¡°Was that all of the enemies, then?¡± he asked, not quite sure if he wanted there to be more or not. ¡°I think so; the wargs are usually the last to approach after a displacement. But I guess you don¡¯t know much about anything happening right now, do you?¡± Under all the exhaustion and skepticism, a hint of empathy was visible on her face. John laughed, not feeling entirely ready to go back to the questions he still had rustling about in his head. ¡°Oh, I have no idea! But I guess there¡¯s one question I should ask first: what¡¯s your name?¡± She sighed with a small smile, putting her hand out for a handshake. ¡°It¡¯s Karin.¡± John took her hand, giving her a firm shake. ¡°I¡¯m John, but maybe you already knew that.¡± ¡°No, no, Vera just said I would be fighting together with a completely fresh breaker. You took your sweet time, but I guess it¡¯s understandable.¡± The guilt slid off of the wall of logic in John¡¯s mind. He felt utterly justified in taking his time, so he just nodded. ¡°What was the arrow, though? Someone like us?¡± He glanced at the beast with the arrow still sticking out of its corpse. ¡°Oh, no, he¡¯s an aspecter. The tier above us.¡± ¡°... Tier?¡± She seemed hesitant to answer. ¡°Uhm, I think you should get back to the company before asking too many questions, sorry. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m allowed to tell you. Let¡¯s just claim these kills and get out of here.¡± John sighed, but he assumed Karin was similar to himself, one of the candidates brought here, so he believed she wasn¡¯t in a position to answer questions. He was excited about claiming the kills and feeling that sense of growing stronger again, though, so he did as she suggested. Hopefully, the size and power of the wargs meant he would get more essence out of them, so he put his hand on the closest one eagerly, infusing his essence. It loosened all the essence in the beast, bringing it back to his core and filling his spent essence to full. The increase in his maximum essence was more evident this time, strengthening his theory that this was how they grew stronger. Maybe he would be able to fight Captain Dirk someday soon. ¡®Well, I doubt that. He seemed far stronger than me, and this doesn¡¯t help all that much. I would need a lot of beasts. Thousands¡­¡¯ Feeling the essence settle inside, he walked over to the first corpse with the severed throat, repeating the process. But this time, something remarkable happened. A mote of bright golden light appeared in his core, slowly drifting around aimlessly. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and his core was an essential part of his soul. It made him feel anxious. ¡°Hey, Karin, what is this light floating around in my core?¡± ¡°What?! You got an enchantment?!¡± Chapter 6 - The Simulation The light floating around in his core gave John a sense of power, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°... What¡¯s an enchantment?¡± he asked, looking at Karin. She had gotten up from the ground where she claimed one of the wargs, looking at him with a frustrated expression. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got one on your second try! I¡¯ve killed over 50 monsters, and I only have one!¡± ¡°My condolences, but what are they?¡± John asked, too curious to feel bad for her. She sighed, looking back at the gates. ¡°I guess that should be fine to explain. They¡¯re like additional powers that attach to your equipment, giving you more power. You can get more strength, sharper blades, tougher armor, lighter armor, all kinds of things. The power it contains depends on the beast and the rarity, but I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s all white. Right?¡± John looked inside his core again, seeing nothing but a golden orange glow from the enchantment. ¡°... What other rarities are there?¡± She stared at him, confused. ¡°Uh, there is white, green, blue, and purple. I think there are more, but those are the ones I know. But yours is white, right?¡± she asked again, sharper this time. ¡®... What kind of incredible thing is yellow, then? Or is it gold?¡¯ John didn¡¯t want to expose whatever his luck had brought him, so he dismissed it as being a normal enchantment. ¡°Yeah, all white.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the weakest type. These monsters aren¡¯t of a high enough quality to give better enchantments, or at least it won¡¯t happen often. Also, at our level, as breakers, each piece of equipment can only hold one enchantment at a time. And you can¡¯t remove one once it¡¯s inserted without breaking it. It gives you some power, but that''s it.¡± ¡°... And the equipment has to be the one you keep in your core, I¡¯m guessing?¡± ¡°Yeah, obviously. You might think it would be a huge advantage to have many equipments at once, but you can only use four at a time. And each one makes it harder to grow your essence.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Does it just¡­ fly in? If I drag something into my core?¡± ¡°Yeah, so you should consider what you want to be enchanted before doing so. As long as there are no available slots, they just float around. You can get a sense of what each enchantment does, or so they¡¯ve told me, but I can¡¯t do that yet.¡± John nodded, gaining a grasp on the workings of these powers now. Now that Lady Luck seemed to have blessed him, he needed to know how to best use it. He was still lost as to how no one had discovered all this information where he came from, but there were too many things that were more important at the moment. ¡®Ahh, I already miss fighting¡­ There¡¯s only a few things I have to worry about during battle.¡¯ ¡°Thanks for explaining, Karin. I¡¯ll head back to the underground place now. Since I got the enchantment, you can take the bargs if you want.¡± She might have noticed his strange mood, letting him walk past her to the gate without a word. ¡°... I appreciate it, John. Hey, open the gate here!¡± The sounds of locks opening sounded from behind the door again before it opened slowly, letting him through. Not bothering with goodbyes, he headed straight for the elevator he had emerged from. He had been promised answers, and he planned to get them.
The doors closed behind him after he entered the elevator, and a familiar voice returned to him. ¡°Nice to see you again, John! Captain Dirk fought the horror deep in the woods and repelled it, so it should be fine for a while now.¡± ¡°... Yeah, that¡¯s good,¡± John responded, not in the mood to care. ¡°He promised me answers once I helped. Can I ask you, Vera?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve received access to normal breaker-level intelligence! I¡¯ll take you to your room now so you can rest while we talk.¡± John had to admit that sounded tempting after his day so far. A nice place to sit down, at the very least. ¡°Sure, do I follow the lights?¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s only for emergencies, unfortunately. You¡¯ll have to make do with my voice guiding you,¡± Vera responded, sounding almost suspiciously friendly. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The elevator stopped and opened to reveal another corridor, different than the one he had been in earlier. ¡°To the left here, then walk for about thirty meters. I¡¯ll open the door once you reach it, to your right.¡± John followed her instructions and soon found himself in a large white room reminiscent of a home of sorts. It had a square-looking couch, something that looked vaguely like a kitchen, and nicely lit windows showing a cozy medieval village. His village. The view was the exact same as the view from his childhood home. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that my village?!¡± John asked, running towards it to look through it. Everything was the same: the neighboring farm, the mill on the hillside, the dirt road stretching toward the other houses, all of it just like he knew it. ¡®What???¡¯ This level of confusion was far greater than the ones he had been through previously. He could not understand how this was even remotely possible. No spell, no mirror, nothing should be able to show him this view without him standing in his house. ¡°Calm down, John! God, I should have thought about this.¡± ¡°Calm down?! How do you explain this?¡± John yelled back. He was frustrated, most of all by his lack of understanding. His mind was unable to make any logical sense of his senses. ¡®Am I simply insane? Is this what it feels like?¡¯ ¡°It all has a logical explanation, John! Consider everything you¡¯ve seen here, the technology and advancements made. Please sit on the couch and try to calm down, at least a little bit.¡± John sat on the ground where he was standing instead of on the couch. He tried to slow down his rapid breath, inhaling deeply. The sword was clenched in his now sweaty palms, making him let go before wiping them on his pants. ¡°... Okay, try to explain it.¡± Vera¡¯s voice turned soft and warm as if trying to calm him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try to explain it in simple terms. The world you¡¯ve lived in before today all exists inside this building.¡± ¡°... Huh?¡± ¡°Yes, all of it. All the candidates here, their minds are sent to your world, where they live their lives and hopefully grow stronger. Your body has been here while your mind has been in your world.¡± John needed a moment to think, focusing on keeping his breath steady. ¡®My world¡­ isn¡¯t where I was born?¡¯ ¡°Okay, so that explains why you said Serah is as safe as ever¡­ But what about my mom? She only exists in my world?¡± ¡°Yes, she has only ever lived in that world. She¡¯s a lot like me, actually. We both have no real bodies.¡± ¡°Real? You¡¯re saying my world is fake?¡± Several pieces connected in his mind, starting with Captain Dirk''s answer. ¡°My entire life has been crafted by you guys for the sake of making a warrior?! I¡¯m just a pawn in your war?!¡± ¡°... John, the brutal truth is that humanity would be dead if we never did this. The magic you¡¯ve lived with doesn¡¯t exist in this world normally. We can only create breakers¡ªpeople breaking through the barrier¡ªby teaching you how to use the magic first. You need to think you can use it with all your heart, because only then will it respond enough to break the barrier all humans have.¡± John felt numb, looking at the floor. His fists were clenched, but his mind was elsewhere. ¡®Am I real? Are the people I know real? Does anything I¡¯ve done in my life matter? Can they make worlds like mine as often as they want? Can they change everything? Even minds?¡¯ ¡°... We can wait with all the explanations until you feel better. I know this is tough to wrap your head around.¡± John closed his eyes tightly, trying to clear his mind. ¡®Get a hold of yourself, John. This isn¡¯t the time to be spacing out.¡¯ ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. But¡­ what are you even fighting? Where do all the monsters come from?¡± ¡°Well, they come here through portals, opening in what we think are random locations. They are all connected to other planets, usually so far away that we¡¯re unable to figure out where in the universe they are.¡± ¡°... That sounds like a difficult war.¡± She laughed lightly at his attempt to lighten the mood. ¡°Heh, yes, we¡¯re not winning. But we¡¯re not being attacked very seriously. We might just not be worth the trouble yet. And our enemies aren¡¯t like you might imagine.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re not¡­ very clever. At least not the ones coming here. They¡¯re like monsters, both in appearance and intellect. It¡¯s nothing like a war you¡¯ve ever imagined. But something is sending them here through these portals in space.¡± ¡®This is a lot to process¡­¡¯ John thought, still feeling lost. ¡°Is this world similar to my own? In size and nature and stuff?¡± ¡°They¡¯re very similar in geography. Your world is modeled after ours, so you might recognize some parts. Not everything, though; our worlds are very different in other ways. The Holy Empire you lived in is now called Germany, and our city is called Berlin. After the monsters appeared 24 years ago, we gathered in cities for protection. Our weapons have little impact, so we need people with essence to fight for us.¡± ¡®... And, of course, we will fight because our worlds will also be destroyed if you lose. We¡¯re dragged from our peaceful world for the sake of your war, a war that decides the fate of all of humanity¡­ Thinking of it like that, it sounds kind of cool¡­¡¯ Chapter 7 - Back Home After a short break and figuring out how to splash water on his face in the kitchen sink, John sat on the couch, staring out at his hometown through the simulated window. The sunset gave it all a soft orange hue, tempting him to return. ¡°... So I can go back home whenever I want?¡± Vera responded with a careful voice, ¡°Yes, as long as you¡¯re in this facility. It will feel just like normal, but you won¡¯t have the extra powers you get out here. And if another attack happens, we will bring you out of it so you can help.¡± John sighed, keeping his eyes on the window. Thoughts of his mother, who must be worried sick right now, worried him greatly. And it wouldn¡¯t get much better in the future. ¡°... What about Serah? Can I bring her out here?¡± The prospect of having someone he knew out here, especially Serah, felt like it would make things a lot easier. She had been his reason for training so hard these last years. Having her by his side and fighting together sounded almost better than his original plan, no matter how bleak this world looked. ¡°... That would depend on her talent and abilities,¡± Vera responded, not sounding confident. ¡°What if I train her? What if she becomes powerful?¡± John asked, carrying a hint of desperation in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s possible. But do you really want her to risk her life in a war?¡± He paused, sensing that his wishes might differ from Serah¡¯s. ¡°... How dangerous is this war?¡± ¡°Well, on average, sixty percent of new initiates die during training on their first trip through the portals. As you might understand, there is a reason we pick only the strong and talented.¡± John felt himself deflate, realizing what he was trying to do. He sighed deeply. ¡°No, forget I said anything. Of course, she should live her life in peace¡­¡± Even the thought of her dying for some war she had never heard of made his stomach turn. But he was bitter. After finally reaching his goal and even getting a date, they would be separated by the cruel reality of their creators. ¡®This shitty day is getting better and better...¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s happening there while I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°Time moves on, but you¡¯re unconscious. You might have heard of the ¡°sudden exhaustion syndrome¡± disease in your world. We use it as a cover for anyone leaving for this world for longer periods.¡± John searched his mind for anyone he knew with that disease, but no one came to mind. ¡°That¡¯s clever, but I feel like my mom will be worried after I suddenly faint like that. Just¡­ send me back. I¡¯ll need some time to process all of this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. We¡¯ll start crafting the equipment you wanted while you¡¯re gone.¡± John nodded, at least having that to look forward to. ¡°How do I get to my world then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s through one of the doors in the room. I¡¯ll open it for you.¡± John looked around, spotting three doors on the opposite side of the entrance. The right one had just opened. ¡°That one in the middle is the bedroom, to the left is the bathroom, and to the right is the access point. There¡¯s a large metal bed you need to get into, and then you¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± "Is there any way I can prove to myself that my world is... created? When I''m back there, I mean." Vera''s tone became thoughtful. "Hmm, it''s challenging because your world is designed to be very similar to ours. We didn''t simulate the smallest or largest things in our world to conserve energy, but you won''t have the means to verify that. However, there is the command system." John waited for her to continue her explanation since it obviously was needed, but the silence dragged on. ¡°... And what is the command system?¡± "It''s a way for those with access to control certain aspects of the simulation. You can use it to exit the world, view recordings of past events, or test other candidates. To activate it, simply say ''system command.'' A window will appear with your available options. Remember, only you can see and interact with this system." John nodded slowly, processing the information. "That should be enough to convince me this is real, at least. But what is the testing?" he asked, still thinking of Serah. ¡°That¡¯s how we test candidates for potential. It stops them from being able to use essence, so when they try to use a spell, we can measure their response in this world. It happened to you once not too long ago.¡± He recalled a time during training he had been unable to use his wind blast, but he had thought it was just an error on his part. It had been unusual enough for him to remember it, though. ¡®Might as well return home and rest for a while, then. I¡¯ve got a lot to think about¡­ And every second is making me feel guilty for making Mom worry.¡¯ This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He got out of the couch and started heading towards the open door. Although the thought of having to explain things to his mother was unpleasant, he at least had to return to see her again. "John," Vera''s voice turned serious, "it''s crucial that you keep most of what you''ve learned here a secret. The knowledge of the simulation and the command system must not spread within your world. It could destabilize the entire system we''ve created." John sighed, understanding the logic but not liking it. "Fine. I''ll keep it to myself. Any other rules I should know about?" "Just be careful with the command system. Use it sparingly and discreetly. And remember, while you''re there, you won''t have access to the powers you''ve gained here. You''ll be as you were before." "Got it," John said, stepping towards the bed. "I guess I''ll see you again when I get back." "Good luck, John. I¡¯ll be here when you get back to answer any questions. Oh, and try to get some rest. You''ve had quite a day." With that, John lay down in the bed, feeling the familiar pull of consciousness shifting. A light started blinking in front of his eyes as he began to feel distant, eventually feeling himself drift off.
He woke up in his bedroom, feeling a bit dizzy. The room looked as it always had, with wooden closets, a desk, and some candles for light. The only unusual thing was his mother, sitting by his side with a worried expression. She looked at him as he opened his eyes and let out a yelp. ¡°John, you¡¯re awake! Thank god, I was so worried!¡± She hugged him tightly, surprising him a bit. It had been long since he last saw her so emotional and caring, but he didn¡¯t mind. It suited him perfectly right now. ¡°Sorry for making you worry, Mom. I¡­ I¡¯m not sure what happened.¡± She released the hug and looked at him. ¡°You just fainted on the floor out of nowhere! Was it the nerves from asking Serah out? Or were you that desperate to avoid helping me cook?¡± John tried keeping the mood light despite the chaos in his mind. ¡°Heh, of course, it was to get out of helping you. I didn¡¯t want to poison us after all. And your cooking is the best.¡± She looked at him with worry. ¡°... I think you¡¯re still a bit out of it, son. I should really get the doctor to take a look at you.¡± John realized his mistake. He rarely complimented her cooking, but right now, everything in this world seemed brighter. The smell of his room was nicer, the evening sun shining through the window was warmer, and his mother just seemed more lovable. ¡®... Something might really be wrong with me. Well, besides the obvious.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to bother the doctor¡­ I think I know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I might have sudden exhaustion syndrome.¡± His mother¡¯s face paled slightly as he mentioned that sickness. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t¡­ Surely it¡¯s not that serious.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Doesn¡¯t it just make me sleep sometimes?¡± ¡°Yes, and then you might never wake up again! People with that disease often stop waking again; it¡¯s a horrible disease!¡± ¡®Oh, right. Most people die during the first year of¡­ Man, this sucks¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, it might be something else. I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see; it might just be exhaustion.¡± ¡°Exactly, love is a struggle, after all! You should be more careful in the future, can¡¯t have you fainting on your date.¡± ¡®... God, I have no idea what to tell Serah¡­ ¡¯ Serah appeared in his mind like some divine revelation, as was expected when he thought of her. The thought of bringing her to the other world was hard to let go of, but he truly feared losing her. His mother got out of the chair, ready to leave the room. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some of that wonderful cooking then; it¡¯s still somewhat warm. You just get some rest for today.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± After she left the room, John sat up in bed, preparing to test the system command Vera had told him about. He hoped it had all been a dream, but it felt too real for any hope to form. ¡°System Command.¡± As soon as he said it, a window of light appeared in front of his eyes, showing him text boxes. It would have shocked him if not for everything he had seen in the other world, but instead, it felt more like the truth slapping him in the face. ¡®Ah, figures. I would be more surprised if it was all a dream at this point. Now let¡¯s see here; Exit Simulation, that¡¯s probably how I get back out. Recordings, that¡¯s¡­ the way to see the past? I¡¯d like to look at that at some point. Ah, then I can finally figure out who stole my damn magic-book! Administer test, right¡­ It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try it on her, would it? Just to see if she has potential? There¡¯s room for more options, but maybe I don¡¯t have access yet.¡¯ John quietly repeated the words to hide the window as his mother returned with a steaming bowl of stew. ¡°Here you go, boy, eat up now. I don¡¯t know what they feed you while you¡¯re training, but you won¡¯t faint anymore after eating this.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be sure to eat plenty. Tomorrow is a big day, after all.¡± ¡°Right, do you have a plan ready? It won¡¯t do just to bring her on a walk, you know. Girls need to be wooed!¡± She waved a fist energetically in the air, driving the point home. ¡°Well, I was thinking of a picnic somewhere. Is that enough?¡± She looked hesitant as she replied. ¡°I think that¡¯s fine, but¡­ will you be making the food then?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Maybe I could ask someone else? Someone who makes excellent food and lives nearby?¡± He looked straight at her and smiled. His mother smiled knowingly. ¡°Oh, you charmer, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine tomorrow regardless. I¡¯d be delighted to make the two of you some food.¡± ¡°Thanks again, Mom. I think I¡¯ll go to bed after finishing this, so could you close the door when you go?¡± ¡°Oh, of course. You take your time, boy. Have a good night.¡± She placed a hand on his forehead and smiled warmly, bringing John back to his younger days. ¡°Good night, Mom!¡± She closed the door behind her, leaving John to eat in peace. ¡®I really need to keep myself alive after leaving. I know bringing Serah is a bad idea, but if I just leave and never return, I¡¯m sure she would be¡­ Or, I hope she would be sad, at least. Especially if the date goes well.¡¯ John finished the stew with a satisfied burp and sat back to think of the future. There were a lot of thoughts and information to digest, and despite his feelings about it all now, he usually calmed down after a good night¡¯s sleep. Chapter 8 - The Old Tree The next day had been going surprisingly well so far. After waking up, John felt a bit calmer about his situation. But the highlight of the day was just coming up. John was dressed up and holding a basket of food in his hand, ready for the fateful date with Serah. ¡°You¡¯re looking sharp, boy. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯m me!¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°I raised you, boy. Fake bravado doesn¡¯t work on me. You better hope it works on Serah, although I think she¡¯s a clever one.¡± John smiled bitterly as he looked out the window, knowing she was right. Serah would be visible from there when she arrived. He had been debating internally since yesterday whether to use the test function on her to see if she was capable. If she wasn¡¯t, then that was the end of it; no need for him to worry about ifs and buts. But if she was, he would have to think some more. It was a selfish wish to take her with him out of this place and protect their world together, but maybe she would prefer it. Maybe. ¡®If I could just ask her what she would want¡­¡¯ A familiar figure came walking down the road, making his heart start pounding again. Serah wore a lovely blue summer dress and a sunhat, making her even more beautiful than usual. John steeled himself and waved goodbye to his mother before stepping out the door to meet her. ¡®Confidence, confidence, it works. You¡¯re fine, John, it¡¯s just a picnic. God, how can I be so nervous after everything that happened yesterday?¡¯ She smiled at him as he approached, and he grinned back. ¡°You look great, Serah!¡± It took some effort for him not to compliment her harder. His actual thoughts were that she looked divine, but telling her that felt like a bad idea. ¡°Is a nice picnic fine?¡± he asked, hoping she didn¡¯t find it boring. She nodded sharply, nearly tipping her hat off. ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love some food! Do you have a place in mind?¡± ¡°I was thinking of that old tree we used to play at, but I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡± Her face lit up at the idea. ¡°That¡¯s perfect! It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve been there. Let¡¯s go!¡± Her excitement at his suggestion made him understand that those memories were precious to her as well, making him smile a bit wider. He swallowed subtly and started walking, keeping the basket between them so he didn¡¯t have to wonder if he should hold her hand. It was a cowardly move, but he felt it was justified. ¡°I guess I can feel quite safe with someone capable of winning the royal tournament, huh?¡± she asked, looking at John with a light smile. ¡°Well, yeah. Most monsters should be pretty easy to handle, and either way, I¡¯ll be able to keep you safe.¡± As he mentioned monsters, a thought struck him: ¡®Did they put monsters into this world so we would know how to fight them?¡¯ She smiled brightly at his answer, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring! I don¡¯t know much about how you guys fight during the tournament. Is it just magic or a mix of both?¡± ¡°We use whatever we feel like, so the best strategy wins. I use a mix of melee and magic, but I prefer bashing people with my greatsword.¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± she asked nervously. ¡°All edged weapons are blunted, so there¡¯s no real danger of grave injuries¡ªat least as long as people keep some essence to reinforce their bodies.¡± ¡°Hmm, still, it sounds a bit too violent for my tastes. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re done with it all!¡± John looked at her curiously. ¡°Did I tell you I would quit fighting?¡± She looked a bit caught off guard by his question. ¡°Uhm, no, I just assumed you would. Since you reached your goal, you know. And I wouldn¡¯t mind if you keep going, even if this¡­ this date ends well.¡± A light blush spread across her face, forcing John to look away. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. A sudden wave of sadness washed over him at that moment as he thought about his future. He would rarely even be in this world, busy fighting monsters to keep those he cared for safe. Was getting into a relationship with Serah even morally okay? As Vera said, she was much safer than he would be. He might die at any time over the next year, while she would be worrying over his unconscious body. ¡®Test it is then. At least I¡¯ll know if there¡¯s a chance. If there isn¡¯t, I¡¯ll¡­ let this be our only date. It would be too cruel, forcing her into a doomed relationship.¡¯ Serah looked at him as they walked down the dirt road. ¡°It has been lonely in the village while you were gone, John. So that¡¯s why I was thinking you would stay¡­ But I really am fine if you want to keep fighting.¡± John realized he had been quiet too long, making her nervous. ¡°Oh, no, sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts for a bit. I¡­ haven¡¯t decided just yet. But I think I¡¯ll have my answer after today." He hadn¡¯t even thought much about his future before everything that happened yesterday. The royal tournament and the promise had been his goal, and anything after would have to be figured out then. But now it didn¡¯t matter. He glanced at her, still feeling some guilt about his long absence. ¡°Hey, uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry about leaving. It was¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided to enjoy the moment, John. Let¡¯s leave the past in the past, okay?¡± She smiled at him, but he could tell there was something hidden behind it. ¡°Sure. Water under the bridge. I got it.¡± It wasn¡¯t a long walk, being relatively close to the village, but it was well hidden behind bushes and trees. After taking off from the main road, John walked in front to clear the way. The bushes had grown since their last time here, but not enough to hinder them. Eventually, they reached the old tree, which was still perfect for climbing. The years had barely changed it. At a closer look, notches after them throwing knives and tracking their growth were still visible. John took a blanket from the basket and laid it on the ground while Serah looked at the tree, reliving memories of the old days. ¡°It¡¯s odd to be back here; it almost feels like my first time. But I clearly remember us climbing the tree many times.¡± She looked at John, who was preparing the boxes of food and drinks. ¡°You remember that time I fell down? You were so worried about my knee!¡± She laughed, holding her hand in front of her mouth. John thought back to it and smiled. ¡°Yeah, it was bleeding quite a bit. I thought the doctor would have to chop it off.¡± Serah sat down on the side of the blanket, looking at him fondly. ¡°And then you carried me all the way back while crying for my lost foot.¡± John denied that with a slight blush. ¡°I don¡¯t think I cried.¡± ¡°You definitely did; that¡¯s why I remember it so well. I was trying to comfort you, but you never stopped.¡± ¡°... Well, I was young. I¡¯ve stopped crying now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have,¡± she said, smiling knowingly. ¡°What did you bring? Ooh, even a candle? You¡¯re spoiling me.¡± ¡°Oh, you thought I didn¡¯t know how to do this? I¡¯ve got it all covered; there are sandwiches, a salad, strawberries, apples, and plenty of juice. Take your pick,¡± he said while pointing to each thing he mentioned. She clapped her hands together in excitement. ¡°Wow, and you prepared all this by yourself? That¡¯s impressive!¡± John wanted to take the credit, but he knew it would cause trouble in the long run. ¡°I definitely prepared some of it!¡± he said, without going into it further. The clever smile on her face told him she knew who did most of the work. Shaking his head to reset his thoughts, he looked at the candle with a glint in his eye. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s test this potential of yours.¡¯ The system command menu had been open for a while now, and finally, he pressed it, determined to at least take this step. Serah was now under testing and unable to use her essence. It was hard for most people to notice, but John had a plan ready. ¡°Have you trained your magic skills at all, Serah?¡± he asked, subtly guiding her into lighting the candles. She was pouring herself a cup of juice, but she put it down with an excited smile after hearing his question. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty decent even! Wanna see?¡± ¡°Sure, knock yourself out! Maybe try¨C¡± he pointed to the candle, but before he could react, she sent a roaring fireball into the sky, soaring at an impressive speed before fizzling out. ¡®What? Her essence was supposed to be blocked! Did the test not work?¡¯ As he looked up in the sky, John heard a soft thud before him. He looked down to see Serah lying unconscious on the blanket. ¡°Serah? Serah, are you okay!? Serah!¡± John panicked and went over to see if she was still breathing. Putting his ear over her lips, he heard steady breathing, so she seemed mostly fine. ¡®No, wait, is this¡­ Did she wake up in the other world? But how?¡¯ John laid her down in a stable position, thinking about the best course of action. He could carry her to someone in the village to get help, but he leaned more towards returning to the other world. ¡®If she¡¯s over there all alone... This is all my fault!¡¯ In the end, he pressed the ¡®Exit Simulation¡¯ button on the menu and felt his consciousness turn dark once again. Chapter 9 - Embrace John was greeted by the darkness of the metal bed he had entered the simulation in, and quickly swung the door open. There was no time to waste. ¡°Vera! Has anything happened to Serah?¡± he yelled, hoping she would say everything was fine. Vera sounded almost as panicked as John was as she responded, ¡°Yes, a fire alarm went off, triggering the opening of her pod! Follow the lights!¡± His fears had come true; something had happened during the testing. The fact that the lights could be used meant it was an emergency, so he ran out of his room at full speed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take the stairs two floors up through that door!¡± Vera told him, opening the door to the stairs at the end of the lights. Instead of running up the stairs, John jumped through the gap in the middle, climbing both floors instantly. The door to the hallway was open, so he continued through it, following the lights. An open door showed a room filled with people standing in a circle, all looking nervous. ¡°Please, miss, calm down!¡± One shouted, gesturing with both hands toward the middle of the room. John could see wisps of flames swirling aggressively in front of them, surrounding a naked blonde girl looking terrified. ¡°You bastards get the fuck away from her!¡± John yelled, pushing through them all and approaching Serah with his arms outstretched. Serah¡¯s face was one of shock as she looked at him, only letting out a silent, ¡°John?¡± He walked through the flames Serah sent towards him in fear, letting them sear his clothes and skin without care. Serah, still frozen in shock, stood there until he embraced her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe, Serah. I promise,¡± he told her confidently. He still had no idea what had happened, but his first priority was to make sure she felt safe. He could feel her shaking in his arms, still not moving. ¡°Is¡­ Is it really you, John?¡± she stuttered, sounding like she couldn¡¯t quite believe him. ¡°It¡¯s me, I swear. We were just on a picnic, and you showed me your magic. I¡¯ll keep you safe, I promise.¡± The people surrounding them stood still with nervous expressions, looking completely useless. None of them wore the clothes John had seen others like him wear, meaning they were likely normal humans working there. John covered Serah¡¯s ears before shouting in anger. ¡°Get the hell out of here, you useless bastards, and get her some clothes!¡± They all hurried to get out, not saying a word. John sighed and looked back at Serah, still seemingly in shock. He started talking to her as tenderly as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll explain whatever questions you have. It¡¯s probably my fault this happened, so feel free to blame me all you want.¡± She looked up at him for the first time, with tears still in her eyes. ¡°What the hell is happening, John?¡± John nodded, expecting that question. He could understand Vera¡¯s careful handling of information the day before now that he was in her spot. ¡°It might be better if you calm down first, Serah. You¡¯re already in shock, and it won¡¯t get better after I tell you.¡± Her eyes were filled with doubt. ¡°... What is my favorite color?¡± ¡°What? Serah, it¡¯s really¡­ It¡¯s aquamarine, right? It is me, I promise! Your favorite song is ¡®Swan in the lake,¡¯ your favorite food is lamb ribs with potatoes, you wanted to be a singer when you were young, and you were taller than me until we were 9.¡± The doubt seemed to clear, but she still seemed unsure. ¡°Then tell me the truth, John. You know who handles stress the best of us.¡± John knew how it had been in the past, at least, and had to admit defeat. ¡°... Okay, fine. We¡¯re in a different world, one outside of our own. The people here created our world and are using it to make people like us. People capable of using magic.¡± ¡°... What?¡± ¡°Yeah, it takes a while to sink in. I only came here yesterday, so I¡¯m quite new to this myself.¡± Serah looked down at his chest as if trying to digest what she had heard. She leaned in closer, embracing him back, perhaps finally trusting him to be who he said he was. John looked behind her into the room they were standing in. A broken pod with scorch marks on the roof above it stood in the middle. Steps were heard outside the door before stopping right outside. ¡°I had someone bring some clothes, John,¡± Vera told him through the speakers. John felt a slight relief from hearing her familiar voice. ¡°Just have them throw it in.¡± The door opened, followed by a soft thud on the floor before it closed again. John looked down at Serah. ¡°I¡¯ll close my eyes and let you get dressed, okay?¡± He felt extremely distracted by her leaning against him like this, but he managed to keep his cool. She hesitated a bit before finally giving him a nod and letting her arms fall from his back. Closing his eyes, he let her go, feeling her do the same and hearing her walk over to where the clothes lay. He swallowed as he heard her getting dressed but still kept his composure. The situation was too severe for such thoughts. ¡®How did this happen? Did she break the barrier so easily, even while unconscious here?¡¯ A whisper came from behind him after the rustling ended. ¡°I¡¯m dressed now.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He opened his eyes and turned around, seeing her in the same uniform everyone with essence was wearing. It suited her quite well. Still trying to figure out what to do now, John considered his options. The thought of taking her back to their world struck him, but perhaps a middle-ground would be better. ¡°Vera, can I bring her to my room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but could you tell me what happened first?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know that myself. When I went back, I ran the testing program on her, and then she fainted after using magic. Then I came out here to look for her.¡± Serah looked at him as he talked about the testing, but her expression carried no accusations. It looked completely neutral. ¡°Is that all? That makes no sense. Here, the only thing that happened was that the fire alarm went off¡­ Did she break through the barrier while unconscious somehow?¡± The last part sounded more like she was speaking to herself. John slowly approached Serah, trying his best not to scare her. ¡°Would you like to come to my room? You can see our village from there, and it¡¯s pretty nice.¡± Serah simply nodded, looking ready to follow him. John walked towards the door, which opened as soon as he neared it. Vera spoke again, trying to sound calming. ¡°You guys take your time for now. I won¡¯t disturb you unless you need any questions answered. I can help explain anything you want, but I think it¡¯s best to tell her what you know first, John.¡± John nodded, feeling appreciative of her gentle handling of the situation. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± John started returning to his room, keeping Serah in his side view. A gentle hand touched his, making him look down. Serah had stretched her arm out to hold his, still looking anxious. He took it gently. Even despite the situation, he couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. They reached the room and entered it quietly. The warmly lit windows showed their village from John¡¯s house, looking as peaceful as ever. Serah looked around the room at all the smooth and flat surfaces, but she stopped when she saw the window. Dragging John with her, she walked over to them and looked at the world she knew so well. ¡°I¡¯m so confused right now¡­ This is the village from your house. This is the window in your living room.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t know how they do it, but they did it to make me feel more at home here. Maybe it¡¯s like a portal to our world, but only we can see through it?¡± She looked thoughtful as she shook her head gently. ¡°I don¡¯t even¡­ The people of this world made our world, for the sake of creating us?¡± ¡°Yes. But we were here all along; it seems we just sent our minds to our world while our bodies grew here.¡± ¡°But¡­ why?¡± she asked, looking on the verge of tears. John sighed, hoping she wouldn¡¯t hate him too much after learning everything. He slowly explained everything he knew and how he had caused her to get involved due to his selfishness. They moved over to the couch and sat down on separate sides. Serah was still digesting everything and needed some time. ¡°You tested me to know if I could come with you. You would be fighting alone to keep our world safe, and you feel bad for wanting me to join you?¡± John still felt guilty, but her wording made it seem like he shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Well, yeah, I didn¡¯t know what you would want. So I just listened to my own voice¡­¡± She looked at him intensely. ¡°Of course I want to join you! Why did you hesitate, to keep me safe? That¡¯s so stupid!¡± John felt she was being a bit unfair, even if he was happy to hear what she was saying. ¡°Well, I thought you might have preferred living a peaceful and nice life instead of joining me to fight monsters. Is that so stupid?¡± ¡°Yes! If you fight to protect our world, what happens if you fail? Do we all just die? Just because I should live a peaceful life?¡± She looked at him like it was obvious. ¡°Over half of us die during training, Serah! Do you think I could make that choice for you so easily? It¡¯s not¡­ I want you to be safe, alright?¡± Her face showed no signs of being convinced, even if it seemed to lighten a bit at his last sentence. She sighed, looking at her hands. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you think, John¡­ But¡­¡± A shadow of sadness showed on her face for a moment before a wistful smile. ¡°Is it okay if I rest my head on your lap? There¡¯s just so much¡­ so much to think about.¡± Surprised by her daring question, John needed a moment before replying. ¡°Uh, sure. Go ahead.¡± He adjusted his position to make it more comfortable, putting his feet closer together. Serah lay down on the couch, resting her head on his lap and closing her eyes. Despite all her strength and courage, she seemed so fragile as she lay there, with her slender neck, light breathing, cute ears, and the contours of her resting face. The desire to protect her flared up in his chest, but John knew she would hate to be treated like a vulnerable little girl. He could only support her as best as he could. Lifting his hand slowly, he debated if he should try stroking her hair. But the nerves stopped him, leaving it hanging in the air. All of a sudden, he felt a gentle stroking on his knee as if Serah was telling him it was okay. ¡®Yeah, she definitely knows me better than myself¡­¡¯ John mused with a smile, reaching his hand forward and stroking her hair. Its silky smooth texture was just as he had imagined it. He thought back, not entirely willingly, to seeing her vulnerable and exposed after emerging from the pod. The thought of all the other men seeing her like that invoked a rage within him, but knowing how irrational it was, he tried to dampen it. ¡®It was an emergency; they only tried to help,¡¯ he convinced himself, hoping it would quell his emotions. But irrational emotions had a tendency to stay around. ¡°... Is something wrong?¡± Serah asked, somehow sensing his tumultuous mind. ¡°Nothing important,¡± John replied, hoping she wouldn¡¯t dig into it. Jealousy probably didn¡¯t suit him. Instead of replying, she just smiled, keeping her eyes closed. ¡°... Hey, who is Vera?¡± Feeling relieved, John was happy to answer, ¡°Oh, she¡¯s sort of an assistant, I guess. She controls most of the stuff around here, but she¡¯s not in charge of much. She has helped me a lot since I got here.¡± ¡°... She sounds very friendly. And yet you still came back for me, huh?¡± John furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He felt some sort of game was being played right now, but he didn¡¯t know the rules. ¡°... Are you trying to act jealous to show me that I can be as well?¡± She chuckled, turning her head to look at his face. ¡°It¡¯s not as fun when you spell it out. But I¡¯m not just acting¡­¡± ¡°Do you have direct access to my mind or something? How are you reading me without even looking?¡± He chose to ignore her last sentence for now, focusing instead on the superpowers she was seemingly born with. ¡°It was an educated guess, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t read minds, so you can go back to thinking about me in that room without fear,¡± she said, turning away from him again. ¡°...¡± John felt defeated. He wanted to defend himself, but he also felt that was what she wanted him to do. So, instead, he stopped playing, taking a step back from the situation. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re adjusting well, Serah.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, but a light blush seemed to spread on her cheeks. John smiled, feeling like he won a battle for once. But then his mind shifted back to everything else going on, putting a damper on his mood. ¡®I hope they find our bodies back home. And I hope Mom doesn¡¯t worry too much¡­¡¯ Chapter 10 - Talent The next day, both of them were brought to a testing facility. Serah had gotten her own room to sleep in, and while John was slightly disappointed, he didn¡¯t dare to show it. John didn¡¯t need much testing due to Karin¡¯s assessment of his abilities, but Serah hadn¡¯t even fought a single barg before, in either world. So, she needed to be tested before anything could be decided for the future. The room they were in was very similar to the one John had woken up in, but it had a few extra devices spread throughout. One wall was heavily reinforced to handle the spells they were slinging at the targets. Serah showed a surprising ability to cast spells, hitting stationary targets far better than John could. Unfortunately, she lacked training in anything else. "You''ve been practicing much more than you''ve let on, haven''t you?" John asked her, squinting his eyes. "Uhm... I''m not doing very well, though," Serah replied, looking frustrated. Her spells had plenty of force and focus behind them, but rarely hit anything that moved. "Of course not; you''ve only been using stationary targets! Combat is a lot more dynamic, and it takes experience to use your skills optimally. But that''s what we''re here to teach you!" She glared at him at first, but seemed to accept that she needed his help. It didn¡¯t stop her from letting out a sigh, though. ¡°How come you¡¯re the one in charge of my training? Don¡¯t they have anyone¡­ more suited?¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m not the best when it comes to spellcasting, but I¡¯ve got more experience than most when it comes to fighting, both monsters and people. Ideally, you would learn to dodge and defend before learning to attack, but since we will be fighting in groups at first, it should be fine for now.¡± Serah crossed her arms, but thankfully, she had a smile on her lips. Albeit a teasing one. ¡°And how should I get better at hitting the moving targets, oh mighty champion?¡± John didn¡¯t hate the teasing but sensed an urge to get her stronger quickly, so he chose to ignore it. ¡°Speed. Your spells are very powerful but move too slowly to hit anything reliably. You should also practice making them sharper so they can penetrate thick hides, but that can wait for now.¡± She seemed to sense his serious tone, simply nodding. ¡°Okay, got it. The easiest way is to reduce the size, right?¡± She held her arm out, conjuring a small ball of fire, before shooting it forward at the reinforced wall. It traveled much faster than before, but the impact was way less powerful. ¡°Okay, but doesn¡¯t the power go down too much like that?¡± she asked, looking back at John. The fact that she managed to adjust it so quickly was a bit shocking to him. ¡°Uh, yeah. I mean, the power can be increased by increasing the essence you pack into it. But you can also make it more like an arrow, decreasing the resistance. That¡¯s what the penetration comes down to.¡± ¡°Oh, so more like this?¡± Again she pointed at the wall, making a large needle of fire, and then launching it. It flew through the air at the same speed as before, but the wall lost the battle this time. A finger-sized hole remained when the blast had passed, where even her earlier spells had done little damage. ¡°... Are you messing with me?¡± John asked incredulously. He could not believe she could do something that complex on the first try. Serah looked at him with surprise. ¡°No? I would like to, but you¡¯re too serious right now.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve never done that before? You¡¯re telling me your control of essence is so fine you can adjust it on the fly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing as you tell me! What¡¯s with the questioning?!¡± Serah replied, frustrated. ¡°I¡¯m just imagining what you¡¯re saying; isn¡¯t that how spells work?¡± John still found it hard to believe. He had never seen such abilities even in the capital of their world. But he wasn¡¯t mad; if anything, it was a pleasant surprise. ¡°Okay, try adding a spin to the spell as well. That makes it harder to deflect and more accurate over long distances. And if that¡¯s not hard enough, make the center of it way denser than the outside, like an arrow within the arrow. That should make it penetrate even deeper.¡± ¡°Trying to challenge me now?¡± she said, still slightly frustrated, before turning back to the wall. She closed her eyes as she focused this time, and the spell started forming. It looked the same on the outside, but John could tell it was spinning. It flew forward, slightly slower this time, but the impact was nearly doubled in power. The sound was sharper, and the flames spread out once it hit. The hole had almost doubled in size, and John was sure it would also be much deeper. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Now he was speechless as he stared at her, jaw dropped. She smiled at him, seemingly basking in the moment. ¡°Next challenge, please.¡± ¡°... No, that¡¯s everything I know. That¡¯s already on the same level as the best mages I¡¯ve seen, except for the slight fall in speed. And they have practiced for decades!¡± Her expression changed from joy to light concern. ¡°Yeah, in our world. Where they want us to get stronger. You don¡¯t think they made us seem like geniuses on purpose?¡± John had to think before he responded. The thought had occurred to him before, but he knew the other candidates were in the same world. And he had still won the tournament where some of them had been included. ¡°Okay, that might be the case. But!¡± He pointed at himself. ¡°I¡¯ve also tried learning spellcasting. And even after five years, I can¡¯t do what you just did. But it makes sense, seeing as how you became a breaker by accident. You¡¯re talented. And maybe incredibly so.¡± ¡°... I guess we make a good team, then! Or did you become champion by pure effort?¡± John chuckled, thinking that wasn¡¯t entirely untrue. ¡°There was plenty of effort involved, for sure. But I can¡¯t deny there¡¯s some talent here as well.¡± He walked ahead, putting himself between Serah and the wall. ¡°Now that you have the power down, you need to practice hitting moving targets. Particularly living targets. Try hitting me with those small fireballs.¡± She looked at him like he was insane. ¡°Uh, no? What if I hit you?¡± John grinned as he stretched his legs, getting ready to move. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a big if! If you do, I¡¯ll let you ask any question you want, and I¡¯ll answer honestly. And don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hurt me more than a punch.¡± The reward seemed to perk her up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try. But are you really going to be standing that¨C¡± Before she finished her sentence, a small fireball flew from her hand, taking John completely by surprise. He didn¡¯t have time to dodge to either side, so he was forced to jump straight up. The spell nearly hit him between the legs, but luckily, he managed to avoid it. Another ball was flying at him as he floated in the air, but he had anticipated it and prepared a spell of his own. A blast of air shot from his right hand, propelling him to the left, letting him avoid the spell once again. Serah stomped her foot in frustration once he landed on the ground. ¡°Aww, I was so sure I¡¯d hit you! How did you move in the air like that?¡± John was too nervous that she would surprise him again to reply right away, but once he saw her put her arms behind her back, he relaxed. ¡°I should have known you¡¯d try something like that. It was an air blast; it¡¯s very useful for moving quickly in close combat. One of the reasons I won the tournament.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she replied, still looking disappointed. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve convinced me that hitting you will be hard, so I¡¯ll stop holding back, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good! It¡¯s a great way for both of us to train!¡± John replied, keeping a close eye on her hands. He wasn¡¯t about to be caught by surprise again. The training session lasted until Serah was out of essence, unable to cast any more spells. She had gotten clever with her casting, baiting John to dodge into consecutive fireballs and forcing him to use his air blast again, but she could not hit him. ¡°God, you¡¯re improving quickly!¡± John said, breathing heavily from the exercise. ¡°You need to be aware of your available essence in the future. Never spend it all! You never know when you might need it.¡± Serah seemed more frustrated than tired, standing there with her eyes closed. ¡°I was getting close! Once I started using both arms, you began to struggle!¡± John smiled, deciding to let her keep thinking she was close. He turned to the wall to look at the damage, but the small fireballs barely marked it. A sudden force hit him in the back, followed by loud cheering. ¡°I did it! you owe me an answer!¡± Serah cheered, jumping in joy. ¡®Ugh, she was just pretending to be out of essence? That¡¯s so cheap!¡¯ He stared at her in disbelief, in awe of her audacity. ¡°You really feel like you¡¯ve earned that? Where is your sense of sportsmanship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called strategy, my dear champion,¡± Serah said, wagging her finger at him. ¡°The one area I definitely have you beat in. The only rule was that I had to hit you, right?¡± John knew she was right, but he hated admitting it. Her acting was excellent. The frustration, which had seemed so clear on her face. She even closed her eyes to make him lower his guard further. ¡°Fine, give me your question then¡­¡± She grinned and shook her head. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m saving it! But I¡¯ll be sure to use it for what it¡¯s worth.¡± John sighed, sensing that this would be hanging over him for a while. But he would keep his word, of course. He held his promises in high regard. A familiar voice sounded out from the speakers in the room, ¡°John and Serah, your equipment has been prepared for assimilation. Please proceed to the storage room on the fourth floor.¡± John flinched, hearing the lifeless voice Vera sometimes used for simple tasks. ¡°Vera, can¡¯t you make your other voice a bit nicer?¡± ¡°I can, but I¡¯m busy! You try keeping track of 14 floors of complex company management at once! It¡¯s not easy!¡± ¡°... Sorry, I¡¯ll stop complaining in the future,¡± John replied, feeling a bit selfish. Vera sighed audibly. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, John. Sorry, there¡¯s just a lot of work right now. The briefing for your first trip to the portal will be ready after you pick up your equipment, then you¡¯ll have some time to do what you want.¡± John was very excited to see his equipment, especially his sword. He had tried to get some insight into what the golden enchantment in his core would do, but the only thing he could tell was that it had to do with odds. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to see when the time comes! I think I know what I should put it into.¡¯ ¡°Sounds good, Vera! We¡¯ll head right over!¡±
Chapter 11 - Larang The two of them walked to the armory after cleaning up the training room, both excited about their new equipment. Serah had only ordered standard equipment, so they were ready the next day. But John¡¯s sword was unusual in its size and needed special instructions. John still felt out of place in the clean and straight rooms here, feeling much more at home in the wilderness outside the walls. ¡®It¡¯s all too¡­ neat.¡¯ They reached the room soon enough, surprised to be greeted by a fellow breaker. John recognized her instantly. ¡°Welcome!¡± Karin said as they walked in, standing in front of a table containing a bunch of metal cases. ¡°They¡¯ve asked me to help the two of you get familiar with the process of fusing with the equipment, so here I am. Nice to see you again, John.¡± John felt a quick glance from Serah, but chose to ignore it for now. ¡°You too, Karin! I thought Vera would teach us, but she can¡¯t explain how it works, I guess.¡± ¡°Oh, she probably could. But in case there are problems, I¡¯m more suited to fix them,¡± Karin replied, looking towards Serah. ¡°Nice to meet you, Serah. I hear you¡¯re a sort of enigma. Luckily, that¡¯s exactly what we need here!¡± Serah bowed and smiled lightly. ¡°I hope to live up to your expectations. Is the equipment in those cases?¡± she asked, pointing to the table. There were four large and four small cases. Karin nodded. ¡°Exactly. The ones on the left are for you, while the right ones are for you, John. But remember that you have an enchantment ready, so choose your first equipment carefully.¡± John glanced at the boxes and felt his excitement building. ¡°I¡¯ve already decided where to put it, don¡¯t worry.¡± He walked to his stack, eager to start. The steel cases had a solid design, but opening them was pretty easy. John opened the clasps on the only small box on his side and opened the lid, revealing a thick shortsword crafted from dark metal, gleaming menacingly in the light. ¡°Ooh, this thing looks ominous,¡± John said, picking it up and feeling the weight. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the shortsword you asked for. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s for smaller enemies when the greatsword is too unwieldy?¡± Karin replied, looking curious. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s for emergencies. If I can take it out in a hurry, it¡¯s a perfect surprise weapon.¡± Serah also opened her first case to reveal a large one-handed hammer, which she had ordered to knock any close enemies away. As someone primarily using ranged attacks, it was a good choice, helped by John¡¯s expertise. ¡°It looks great!¡± she said, admiring it in her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s start absorbing them,¡± John suggested, holding his free hand on the blade. ¡°Do we just put our essence into them?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not as easy as claiming a kill. Inorganic material is less suited for essence, so you¡¯ll have to try forcing it in,¡± Karin replied. Looking at the blade in his hand, John tried pushing his essence into it. Just as she had said, it was much more challenging than with corpses of beasts. Serah also started focusing, closing her eyes with both hands on the hammer. After trying for a bit longer, John¡¯s essence finally surged through the shortsword. Suddenly, he could feel every detail on the sleek, dark blade. It felt sharp and dangerous, perfectly suiting his style. He quickly tried pulling it into his core and saw the blade disappear into his hand. It floated around in his core, where the enchantment suddenly flew towards it and melded into it. ¡®Now let¡¯s see what you actually do, you enigma!¡¯ Serah had just finished with her hammer and paused to feel the sensation. She tried summoning it in one hand and then in the other, seemingly enjoying the sensation. John was busy sensing his enchantment, feeling the information flow into his mind from his core. ¡®A supreme chance enchantment? Increasing the odds of getting enchantments and the odds of getting higher rarities by tenfold? That sounds¡­ super powerful!¡¯ John felt the excitement spread through his body, along with the urge to go out and hunt monsters again. This would increase his growth exponentially, at least until he had enchantments on every piece of equipment. ¡®It¡¯s a shame I¡¯ll have to deal the killing blow with this sword for the effect to work, though¡­ But at least I didn''t put a passive enchantment on my main weapon! Feels like a good choice!¡¯ Serah had already opened her next case, revealing a large white heater shield. It would be part of her defense, suited to block attacks she couldn¡¯t evade. John moved on to the large case on top, the first of three. He was only very excited about one case, but all of them would serve him well¡ªat least if he had understood the functions correctly. The large case opened to reveal a set of very tight-looking protective clothes, filled with protective strips along the immovable parts. It was super light armor that focused on mobility over protection. It would be worn under other clothes like a bodysuit, so the design wasn¡¯t all that important. But he still loved it. Its dark fabric and metal protection suited his shortsword well, even if fashion was a low priority. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Serah was busy absorbing her shield. Larger objects seemed to be more challenging to absorb because she spent more time than with the hammer. John started absorbing the armor, using the same process as before. He could sense all the details as his essence channeled through it, appreciating the precision needed to create something so flexible and robust. Looking to his side, he saw Serah finishing her shield. She seemed a bit taken aback by it. ¡°Uhh, do I need essence to summon them again? I can¡¯t do it anymore, and I spent nearly all of it during training.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, it takes a bit of essence to summon them, unfortunately. But you can absorb them with minimal essence, so you can at least do that,¡± Karin replied. John finished absorbing the armor and summoned it right away. It appeared like a second skin under his clothes, covering his entire body except his eyes. ¡®Ah, this is perfect! I can¡¯t wait to get it enchanted!¡¯ He felt his essence enter the armor like his own body, strengthening its defensive abilities. It was like an extra set of skin he could reinforce, just like his own. ¡°Ooh, this one looks gorgeous!¡± Serah exclaimed after opening the next case. John looked over to see her holding a small sphere, looking transparent and dark. He didn¡¯t quite agree that it was gorgeous, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to point that out. ¡°You don¡¯t like it!¡± Serah accused, seeing his expression. John instinctively denied it. ¡°What? No, I just looked at it closely! Looks great!¡± ¡°I can tell you don¡¯t like it!¡± She sharpened her eyes at him and pouted slightly. ¡°... Well, it¡¯s just a sphere! What¡¯s so gorgeous about it?¡± John exclaimed, feeling like her mood was unjustified. ¡°Appreciate the smoothness and roundness! Look at it, perfectly round!¡± She held it out for him to get a better look. John gently pushed her hands away from his face. ¡°Yeah, so are many things. But who cares? It¡¯s just to help you cast spells.¡± Serah looked displeased and turned sharply away from him with a pout. ¡®... Women,¡¯ John thought very silently, hoping she didn¡¯t sense his thoughts again. He was disturbed by her ability once again. This time, only his eyes had been visible. The second-to-last case John ordered contained a giant shield. It was unwieldy, but looked like it could block nearly anything. ¡°... You¡¯re gonna use that?¡± Karin asked, studying the shield. ¡°Of course! Since I can summon it at will, it will be perfect to block attacks! I¡¯ll just unsummon it if I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Karin seemed surprised by his plans, but she had a slight concern in her eyes. ¡°You know that will make it way slower for you to get stronger, right? Evolving something so large will take a lot of essence.¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯d rather take my time than take risks,¡± John replied, knowing he would earn extra essence through the enchantments he would get. He recalled that they turned to essence if he chose not to use them. Serah was absorbing the ugly ball while John focused on the shield. This time, due to the size, it took him quite a bit longer, but he had gotten the hang of it by this point. Once it was in his core, he summoned it in front of him. It stood steadily on the ground, not needing any support from him. ¡®Perfect for defending against big attacks! Or dropping from the sky on.¡¯ He put it away again, loving the feeling of building his arsenal. At this point, he felt he could easily beat the former champion. Now, they were both ready to open the two last cases. John felt his excitement building again, glad they had put the best case at the bottom. Serah only had her armor remaining and looked nearly as excited as John was. He started opening the last case with glee, revealing a mighty-looking greatsword. With a long handle and a thick blade, the entire thing was as tall as John was. It was made from the same dark metal as the shortsword and had a simple, thick handguard between the blade and the handle. John was amazed, imagining swinging the thing around and slashing monsters in half with ease. It had to be extremely heavy, but that¡¯s what he preferred. It wasn''t a proper greatsword if he didn¡¯t have to swing his entire body around to wield it. Serah also seemed happy with the armor she had gotten, looking at it with admiration. It was white and decorated with golden details. It looked much more solid than John¡¯s armor, mostly made of solid metal plates and scales. Serah didn¡¯t mind if her flexibility wasn¡¯t all that great, so she focused more on defenses. ¡°It¡¯s perfect¡­¡± she said, looking very happy with the design. She put her arm on it immediately, seeming eager to try it on. With her entire getup of hammer, shield, and thick armor, she looked very much like a paladin from their world. On the other hand, John would have looked more like a rogue if it hadn¡¯t been for the giant sword he would be swinging around in combat. He was already absorbing it, eager to see what would happen if he put essence inside. ¡°Come on, come on, come on! Let me wield you, Larang!¡± ¡°Larang? You have a name for it ready? That sounds¡­ okay,¡± Serah said wrongly, being dumb and stupid. John was mostly unbothered by her lack of awe at his awesome name and simply continued the process. His essence was coursing through the entirety of the sword now, making it ready to absorb. ¡®Come hither!¡¯ The sword disappeared from the casket and appeared in his core, where he could sense it perfectly. He took a moment to admire it as it floated around peacefully in his center, feeling his love for greatswords fill him with joy. With both hands held forward, he readied himself to receive it, putting one foot in front to handle the weight. It appeared suddenly, laying its hilt in both of his hands and pulling them down. John had to use some essence to keep hold of it due to the weight distribution, but he was holding it. ¡®Aaaaahhh¡­¡¯ It was intimidating, large, and beautiful. The edge reflected the room''s lights perfectly, showing the master craftsman''s attention to detail. Holding it straight forward, John took a deep breath, preparing himself for a strike. He was one with the sword, one with destruction and power. Seeing John''s intense focus, everyone in the room could feel the atmosphere changing. The chilling effect made both girls hold their breath subconsciously. He moved, bringing the whole room with him, and slashed the air with immense force. The sword approached the ground at great speed, but it disappeared back into John¡¯s core just before impact. Everyone breathed out simultaneously, seemingly relieved that the sword didn¡¯t destroy the floor. ¡°This is a damn good sword,¡± John said quietly, feeling at peace. The ability to summon a greatsword at will was like a dream come true. ¡®What enchantment will you get in the future, Larang?¡¯ Chapter 12 - Director Lee鈥檚 Briefing After John had demonstrated part of his ability with the greatsword, Serah stared at him with an unusual look. It seemed the greatness of the beautiful sword had taken hold of her. But John understood her well. Karin also looked surprised, brushing her hair from her face. ¡°... Where was that intensity when we were outside the gate?¡± John replied with a hint of derision, ¡°I didn¡¯t really mesh with that sword. Too thin and light.¡± Karin chuckled. ¡°Hah, gotcha. If you¡¯re both finished, we should go to the auditorium. The briefing about our mission will be starting soon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be going to the portal as well?¡± Serah asked her. John felt that she seemed a bit displeased about it, but he doubted the possible explanation that came to him. ¡®Surely she¡¯s not that jealous, right? Would I be?¡¯ He tried imagining how he would feel if the roles were reversed. If Serah had met a guy and seemed to get along with him, and they had fought together in life-and-death combat. ¡®Oh, wow. Yeah, I definitely would be¡­¡¯ The realization surprised him, but it also made him strangely happy. Perhaps they were more similar than he thought. Karin nodded to Serah¡¯s question, not noticing her mood. ¡°Yeah, I only got out of our world a few months ago. I come from the western part of the Holy Empire, so I doubt we ever met.¡± ¡°Oh, right! You come from the same world as us,¡± John replied, not having given it much thought earlier. ¡°Does it get less weird after a while?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It does get easier. But it''s still tough because I have a husband waiting for me back home,¡± Karin replied, looking lost in thought. ¡°I¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s tough...¡± Serah seemed moved by Karin¡¯s story and moved over to hug her. Karin looked surprised, but she didn¡¯t avoid it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you have to go through that, Karin! I can¡¯t even imagine being in that situation,¡± Serah told her, wrapping her arms around her neck. She seemed to get over her jealousy as soon as she heard about the husband. John also empathized, recognizing himself in her story. He thought it had to be worse for her since she was already married, but it was similar to his dilemma from yesterday. ¡°Your husband isn¡¯t a candidate, then?¡± he asked, guessing the answer. ¡°... Not everyone can be so lucky,¡± she replied, looking at John with a slight smile. She had clearly heard some things about their situation. ¡°But let¡¯s get going, we¡¯re probably holding up the briefing.¡± ¡°Right,¡± John replied, not minding the change of subject. ¡°Please lead the way.¡±
They all traveled down a floor and entered a room filled with seats facing a wall. Several people were already inside, including a professional-looking older man standing in front. His graying hair and short stature made it clear he was an authority figure instead of a fellow combatant. ¡°Welcome!¡± he said, watching them enter. ¡°These are our newest breakers, John and Serah, and Karin as well, which I¡¯m sure you all know by now.¡± John looked around the room, finding four other people in the same uniform as he was wearing. Three men and one woman, all looking back at him with acknowledging nods. ¡®So these are our fellow breakers? And likely fellow otherworlders. Is that a word?¡¯ John simply nodded back before finding a seat together with Serah. Karin sat down next to the other woman in the room, and they seemed like close friends. When they found their seats, the man in front started speaking, mostly directed at John and Serah, ¡°I am the director of this facility, but you can all call me Lee. This will be a briefing about your upcoming training inside the Paris portal. Since the two of you are very new, I hope you¡¯ll ask questions if anything is unclear.¡± John nodded, turning his attention to the white frame behind Lee. It was filled with bullet points that they would be going through. Beasts to watch out for, schedule, expedition coordination, and preparations. ¡°Before anything else, though; I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re more than capable in combat situations, John. And now that you¡¯ve trained with Serah, how would you rate her abilities?¡± Thinking back to his days in the military, John chose to stand up while replying. ¡°She is still quite inexperienced in actual combat, but if I had to rate her value in a team-based situation I¡¯d say she¡¯s close to my own. Her strategic thinking and ranged combat abilities are already beyond my own.¡± Lee looked at Serah with wonder. ¡°Hah, truly a talented individual! In that case, I will allow you both to join the training expedition. Do you have any questions you¡¯d like answered right away?¡± John glanced at Serah as he sat back down, but seeing her shrug her shoulders, he decided to ask a question instead. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about the different categories of monsters and breakers since I arrived, specifically the tiers. Could you explain those?¡± ¡°Very good! Breakers, like yourself, are of the lowest tier of ECs, or essence combatants. You¡¯re all newly ¡®awakened¡¯ and can only use the essence you absorb from the space around you to fight. Above you are the aspecters. They all get special abilities, called aspects, once they evolve. They can manifest as nearly anything. Some can grow scales at will, some can shoot bolts of metal at high speeds, and some can warp the space around them.¡± John immediately thought back to his meeting with Captain Dirk, who had grown scales to block his surprise attack. They had been extremely tough, blocking him with ease. ¡®That would be very useful, but I¡¯d rather have something offensive. Something to increase speed or attack power.¡¯ Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Lee continued his explanation, ¡°Then above those are the invokers, able to use chains of words that can temporarily alter reality around them. They are extremely powerful against people without them. For example, they can reduce gravity, block light, suppress essence, and have a bunch of other interesting uses. It¡¯s important to remember that each tier represents a complete transformation in terms of powers. Your essence gets more concentrated and efficient, and your equipment becomes able to hold an additional enchantment. One aspecter can usually take on an entire team of breakers on their own.¡± John could hardly wait for his own powers to grow. He was itching to get out there and fight more monsters so he could grow his strength, both with enchantments and essence. ¡°The next tier is called weaver, and that¡¯s the highest we have seen so far. Humanity only has seven of them, and they all represent the pinnacle of our powers. The only thing I know about them is that they get a second aspect and that they become rulers of some sort.¡± ¡®Seven of them? The strongest people in existence? They are the ones fighting at the frontlines of humanity, keeping us all safe?¡¯ John couldn¡¯t imagine the power of someone so far above him. But that was all the more reason to get there and see the horizon from the top. After winning the royal tournament, he had felt a certain emptiness, sitting at what he had thought was the peak. Hearing how far away the new peak was made him more excited than he could have expected. Lee continued, ¡°Beasts have the same system, but we have different names for them. It starts with monster, then demon, then horror, and lastly, tyrant. These are some of the beasts you might encounter, starting with horrors.¡± Images started appearing on the wall behind him, showing examples of horrors they might encounter. They all looked like giant monsters, easily dwarfing the wargs they had fought earlier. Some looked larger than the room they sat in, bursting with muscle and power. ¡°... Wouldn¡¯t those kill us immediately?¡± Serah asked with a hint of panic in her voice. ¡°Most likely. If you meet one, you should hide or flee immediately. They will be very rare, though, so you usually won¡¯t have to think about them. The second rank will be more of a problem; the Demon rank.¡± New images appeared, showing creatures smaller than the horror rank, but still a fair bit larger than the wargs John had fought. Some had scales, some had six legs, some had long fur and thick horns, and some had wings. ¡°They will attack you on occasion and will require the cooperation of an advanced breaker group to overcome. They will also possess aspects, so take extreme care in fighting them.¡± ¡®We¡¯ll have to steer clear of those early on then, I guess¡­¡¯ ¡°Is the only way to identify them their size?¡± John asked. Lee shook his head. ¡°No, they usually use their aspects constantly, so any floating objects or blackened body parts might be indicators as well. I''ve heard that you usually get an understanding of it after seeing your first one.¡± He turned back to the screen, which now started showing a bunch of crudely drawn people neatly organized in groups. ¡°In total, there are a hundred breakers going on this expedition. You¡¯ll be joined by one invoker and four aspecters who will be responsible for your safety. After arriving at the base inside the portal world, you¡¯ll be put in a 5-man squad, which will most likely be your squad for your entire stay. Squads usually live or die together, so you all need to take care of each other. The squads are constructed based on balance, with one half focusing on close combat and the other half on ranged combat. The rest will be explained once you all arrive at the outpost there.¡± John and Serah both looked at each other. He felt that they were both thinking the same thing; hoping they would stay together. One of the men in the room rather nervously raised his hand and asked, ¡°We still have some free time before leaving, right?¡± Lee nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll have free time for about 50 hours from now before the train leaves, so you can do whatever you¡¯d like. I would also advise you all to return to your families to get your affairs in order, so you can go right ahead.¡± Serah sounded nervous as she quietly asked, ¡°Get our affairs in order?¡± It sounded more like a shocked response than an actual question. Lee seemed to have heard the question and sighed before responding. ¡°Yes. I have a lot of faith in all of you, but history has shown that most of you likely won¡¯t return. So making peace with your family is strongly suggested, if only to give them some comfort.¡± Serah looked at John for help, but he could only give her a supportive nod in return. She turned back to Lee. ¡°... Can we tell them about what happened? Why we¡¯re sleeping?¡± Lee looked deep in thought for a moment before he started nodding slowly. ¡°You can tell them that you¡¯re going somewhere else in your dreams to fight for the sake of another world, but not the specifics of their world being a creation. That much should be fine.¡± John felt many questions gnawing at his curiosity, but he feared the answer he might get. ¡®Are the people we know in our world even real? Can they be considered real? How long can our world have existed if these portals only started appearing a few decades ago? Did Mom not actually have a childhood? Were her memories also created? Were mine?¡¯ Those were the questions he feared to ask, as the wrong answers might change him too much. So he kept ignoring them. He looked over at Serah, who seemed to be deep in thought. She looked back at him, still with the same melancholic expression. ¡°I guess we should take our time then. I¡¯ll have to explain quite a bit to my parents¡­¡± she whispered, trying not to disrupt the others. John nodded and whispered back. ¡°Yeah, I know Mom won¡¯t be convinced easily. Maybe we could cooperate a bit?¡± Serah seemed to agree. ¡°That might be for the best. But I¡¯ll try it on my own first... It feels like there¡¯s such a large barrier forming between us and them.¡± John understood what she meant; he could feel the same thing. ¡®At least you¡¯re on this side of that barrier,¡¯ he thought silently. But it seemed Serah had caught his thoughts again, smiling gently at him. Lee looked out at the breakers sitting in front of him with a heavy expression. ¡°Then this meeting is over. You can take your leave, and if I don¡¯t see you again, I wish you all a safe return!¡± He held his hand to his chest and bowed, before moving to leave the room. Serah sighed heavily as she leaned over the desk in front of them, resting her head on her arms. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hate seeing their faces as I tell them I¡¯ll be gone¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can say I might not return.¡± John put an arm on her shoulder, understanding how she felt. ¡°You won¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll keep you safe, I promise.¡± ¡°... Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep, John. You have no idea what¡¯s waiting for us in that portal.¡± He didn¡¯t expect her to dismiss him so quickly. ¡°... Maybe not, but I know that I¡¯ve kept all my promises so far. I¡¯ll make sure we are on the same squad, at the very least. And¡­ I won¡¯t let you die as long as I live.¡± A whistle could be heard from the two other women in the room, Karin and her friend. Karin seemed to be trying to restrain her friend, while she was looking at John with a teasing expression. ¡®Maybe we should talk more in private from now on¡­¡¯ With a sigh, he patted Serah on her shoulder and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We might as well get it over with.¡± Chapter 13 - Questions Once again, John woke up in his old bed, looking at the familiar ceiling. His mother wasn¡¯t sitting next to him this time, but that was to be expected. He had been gone for an entire day at this point. The familiar smells and sounds really made him feel at home again, soothing his soul. Even if he was trying to keep himself sane in that other world, it wasn¡¯t easy. And if it was hard for him, then it was probably worse for Serah. He was about to get out of bed when he noticed a note on his nightstand. It was from his mother, and it told him that the doctor had visited and that he should remain calm after waking. He noticed tearstains under the writing, gripping his heart tightly. ¡®... She¡¯ll be all alone again while I¡¯m gone¡­ She¡¯s tough, but everyone has a limit.¡¯ The thought of his mother silently crying next to his unconscious body made him feel horrible. But there really wasn¡¯t anything he could do, besides helping her understand the situation better. ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll feel a bit better when I tell her Serah is in the same situation, together with me.¡¯ He bounced out of bed and got dressed before leaving the room. He expected to find his mother in the kitchen or living room, but there was no one there. ¡°Mom?¡± A sudden avalanche of movement could be heard from her bedroom before the door slammed open, showing his mother in her nightgown with an immensely relieved expression. ¡°John!¡± She ran up to him and embraced him tightly, and John did the same. ¡°It¡¯s me, Mom. I¡¯ll be back for a day or two.¡± She was crying into his chest, but he noticed there weren¡¯t many tears falling. She might have cried too much already, and the thought tortured him. ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t be so sad. It¡¯s killing me to see you like this.¡± Still weeping, she replied. ¡°How can I not be sad, John? You¡¯re very sick! You were right; it is the damn exhaustion syndrome!¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s not¡­ what you think it is. Serah has the same thing, right?¡± She let him go and looked up at him before nodding slowly. ¡°She does¡­ We found you both under that tree you used to play under, unconscious.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured¡­ If you''re sure you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s really happening.¡± She seemed confused, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡± John took a deep breath before starting to explain. ¡°First of all, this is going to sound crazy, but please don¡¯t dismiss it outright. Me and Serah, we¡¯ve been sent to another world in our dreams.¡± Her expression slowly turned alarmed, but she didn¡¯t say anything yet. Instead, she seemed to try considering his words carefully, looking thoughtful. John continued. ¡°We have been recruited as warriors, to fight monsters that have invaded their planet. They need us because they aren¡¯t capable of using magic, so they summoned us there.¡± ¡°... John.¡± ¡°I know. I told you it sounds crazy. There¡¯s no good way to prove it, but I know exactly when I¡¯ll be losing consciousness again. Last time I did it to check up on Serah, who suddenly went there due to my mistake.¡± She put her palms together in front of her lips, trying to make sense of his words. ¡°... Okay... Okay, let¡¯s say this is all true. Why would you take that risk, and leave this world?¡± John sighed, replying in a gentle voice. ¡°Because our world is connected to theirs, and will likely be destroyed if they lose the war.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. You might think of them as gods, but they¡¯re not very different from us. And this is what has happened to everyone with sudden exhaustion syndrome; they call us to their world to help.¡± His mother was quiet for a long moment, searching his face. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "You''re really not joking, are you?" John shook his head. "I wish I was, Mom. I really do." ¡°But¡­ no, wait, so many of them die though! And even those that survive rarely wake back up!¡± John held her head in his hands and gently put his forehead against hers. ¡°I¡¯ll come back, Mom. You know I¡¯m strong. I¡¯ll come back as often as I can. But I¡¯ll be gone for a while after this time, so you should be prepared for that.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She looked heartbroken, closing her eyes tightly, but it seemed like she had started to believe his words. ¡°You better stay safe then. But more importantly, keep Serah safe. If it¡¯s your fault she¡¯s out there, I¡¯ll beat you eternally if you don¡¯t bring her back.¡± John smiled. ¡°I know you will. And you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­ I¡¯m glad you have her, at least.¡± A smile broke out on John¡¯s face. ¡°Me too.¡±
John and Serah were walking together in the cover of night on the road leading out of the village, having met up after their conversations with their parents. Serah had clearly cried earlier, but John knew better than to point it out. After a long period of walking in silence, Serah asked, ¡°So¡­ do you think this world is real?¡± John was only slightly surprised by her question, seeing as how he had the same one. She had always been the smarter one of the two, even though John refused to admit it openly. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It exists,¡± John replied, knowing that much at least. ¡°Yeah¡­ it does exist. But when did it start existing? Is it after we were born? Did our memories ever actually happen?¡± Her voice rose as she spoke, marked by anger and confusion. John didn¡¯t know how to answer. He did have theories, but nothing he could confirm without hearing it from the company. And they had refused to answer much, citing reasons of ¡®maintaining mental health¡¯ before their expedition. Even Vera had said it was best not to dwell too long on certain things. ¡°Maybe time moved faster in the past? Maybe our bodies outside this world were born way before this world started, so it had to catch up?¡± Serah seemed to think about that theory for a while, looking up at the moon that illuminated their path. ¡°What about the memories from before we entered this world then? Were they erased? Or did we stay unconscious from birth?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s more likely that we came here very young, isn¡¯t it?¡± Serah sighed, shaking her head. ¡°With all their technology, it¡¯s impossible to know what¡¯s possible and what¡¯s not. I understand why they¡¯ve done all this, but I can¡¯t help but resent them somewhat. And the fact that they refuse to tell us things is pointing in a bad direction.¡± John nodded. ¡°I know what you mean. It very much feels like it¡¯s not our fight to fight. But¡­ I also feel responsible, you know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Your situation was totally different. I¡¯ve already told you; I¡¯m happy you brought me along.¡± A smile peeked through her hard expression as she looked at him. John smiled back, looking at the moon''s reflections in her eyes. It saddened him that they didn¡¯t have the option to ignore it all and stay in this world. While he was excited about the expedition, he feared what he might lose. ¡°Regardless of our situation, I¡¯m pretty sure our parents don¡¯t have real memories. But then the question of ¡®what is real¡¯ comes up again, so I¡¯m not sure what to think,¡± Serah said. ¡°Yeah¡­ It might be that the world was sped up, or that their memories were created at the same time the world was.¡± Serah looked up at the clouds floating in the sky. ¡°There¡¯s actually nothing proving that we didn¡¯t just get created at this very moment, with every memory we have being manufactured. So¡­ I guess we should stop thinking about it.¡± John struggled a bit with wrapping his head around what she was saying, so he was fine with not thinking about it anymore. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get our answers anytime soon. I¡¯m fine with this place just existing as it is.¡± Serah sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the best way to think about it, I¡¯m pretty sure¡­ Let¡¯s start heading back, though. I¡¯m¡­ sure we¡¯ll have plenty of time together in the portal. I¡¯d like to spend this time with them.¡± ¡°Same here. Mom is making some stew as we speak, so I¡¯m really just here to waste some time.¡± He grinned at her. She just smiled back. ¡°I thought it was odd that you wanted to talk so suddenly; now it makes sense.¡± He glanced at her, hoping she understood it was a joke. She probably did, but maybe he should say something just in case. ¡°¡­ I guess it wasn¡¯t just to waste time.¡± Serah chuckled as she looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s rare to hear you speak so honestly, John.¡± John wasn¡¯t quite sure how to respond. ¡°I¡­ Well, you know me better than I do. So it feels unnecessary, sometimes.¡± ¡°... Even if I could read your mind, I would still want to hear you tell me how you feel, you know? I treasure the times you show that kind of courage.¡± John felt his throat tighten when he heard those words. ¡®At least one of us is confident¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, uhm¡­ I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then, before we leave for the portal.¡± She smiled again, batting her eyelashes. ¡°We might even meet before then, who knows?¡± ¡®Ah, damn it¡­ She¡¯s teasing me.¡¯ The sudden urge to pull her in and pretend to go for a kiss for payback was strong. But he lacked just a tiny bit of confidence. ¡®... But that¡¯s the kind of courage she¡¯s asking for, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ He moved before he had too much time to think, taking hold of her arm and holding her close to his chest, looking deep into her eyes. She seemed too shocked to react, staring back with widened eyes. ¡®Hah, where did that playful act disappear to?¡¯ But he didn¡¯t get to revel in the victory. The shock on her face turned into profound sadness in front of his eyes, like a dam finally bursting. With teary eyes, she let out a sob and turned away from him, hiding her face. Now it was John¡¯s turn to be shocked. He briefly wondered if it was just another part of their game, but he could tell it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Serah? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Through sobs and tears, she responded, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, John! It¡¯s nothing...¡± She stood there a second longer before starting to walk in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± John was left behind, feeling like a question mark. ¡®Did I go too far? Do I go after her? What made her react like that?¡¯ Chapter 14 - Lady of Fate The time before the expedition passed quickly. Serah returned to her usual self after that night, but they never spoke about what happened. Ever since, her smiling face had felt ever so slightly like an act, but John chose to let her keep her secrets¡ªfor now. They sat together on a train, leaving everything behind after saying their goodbyes. The day after he told her, John¡¯s mother seemed a bit more accepting of the reality of the situation. He could sense there was still some doubt, but that was only natural given the lack of proof and the absurd situation they found themselves in. ¡®She will still worry, of course. But I think she should know I¡¯ve got some agency in my fate.¡¯ The compound was located in Paris, another city in the European coalition, so they had to travel there first. The only way to do so without fighting was by using the underground transport system developed after the monsters invaded Earth. The transport system stretched between each major city still inhabiting Europe and was essential to their cooperation and survival. ¡°I¡¯m still amazed by all the technology they¡¯re using here. Trains have supposedly existed for a few hundred years already, but everything feels new to us. An entire millennium of innovations and inventions, it¡¯s no wonder we feel alien,¡± Serah noted, looking at the screen that showed their position on a map. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s too much to even try to understand. Even electricity is too complicated for me, and that¡¯s supposedly the base element of nearly all their inventions,¡± John replied, also staring at the screen. They were both sitting in comfortable seats as the train traveled soundlessly through the airless tunnel. The carriage they sat on was filled with breakers, over twenty in total, with most coming from different cities to the east of Berlin. ¡®I¡¯m guessing most of them will join us through the portal. Many look nervous, but some seem more seasoned.¡¯ Serah looked to be deep in thought again. ¡°How well do you think our world would have handled the monsters?¡± John had to consider that question for a bit. ¡°Hmm, it would depend on the numbers and suddenness of the attacks, but considering how many people train their magic, it might work out. We can¡¯t grow stronger in our world, but if we could, then I think we would be fine.¡± Serah nodded, but she didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced. ¡°Maybe. But if the company in Berlin has produced thousands of people like us, why does it still look this useless? Even with all their technology?¡± ¡°... Okay, I might have underestimated the monsters a bit. If there were demon- and horror-tiered beasts in the invasion, we would lose. And there are enemies like those in this world.¡± A voice sounded inside the train, similar to Vera¡¯s robotic voice, letting them know they would arrive in a minute. Due to the extreme speeds, the train had started decelerating a few minutes ago, so they knew they were getting close. John looked at Serah again, seeing some uncertainty in her eyes. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± he asked, hoping she might share some more this time. But it was her choice in the end. Serah looked at him with a hint of surprise, but smiled right after. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Nervous but fine. We¡¯ll likely stay in that portal for months, so I¡¯m just hoping everything will turn out alright.¡± John nodded. ¡°Unless we¡¯re extremely unlucky, I think we¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re going to get a lot stronger once we start fighting and claiming, so the normal mortality rate doesn¡¯t scare me much. I guess the only potential problem is the other members of our squad.¡± Serah nodded slowly, looking lost in thought. ¡°Yeah, extremely unlucky¡­¡± she mumbled. They were slowly rolling into the station, so they both got out of their seats and prepared to leave. Neither of them bothered to bring much besides a few changes of clothes since their most critical equipment was safely stored inside their cores. As the doors opened, a rather intense-looking lady stood there, studying all of them closely. ¡°All breakers headed for the Gamma portal, follow me,¡± she said firmly before turning around and walking off, forcing everyone to follow her right away. John looked around, feeling a sense of efficiency from the station''s design. Although they were still underground, he could see sunlight reaching down from some windows overhead, giving the area a warm tinge. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°I don¡¯t think Paris was very big in our world¡­ But I always wanted to visit West Francia,¡± Serah said, looking around as they exited the station. ¡°Well, I doubt it¡¯s anything like I¡¯ve heard rumors of in this world.¡± Once outside, John felt the city looked similar to Berlin, except for some changes in general design. The buildings were less dark and grey here, which made them feel more inviting. The giant wall surrounding the city looked the same, though. A man dressed in white appeared out of nowhere and walked over to the lady they were following, whispering something in her ear. She halted her steps and looked at him in surprise before turning back to their group. ¡°John Tarvo, please follow this man. Someone wants to see you,¡± she said, addressing the entire group since she didn¡¯t know any of their names. John was surprised, wondering who it could be, and why it was just him. He looked at Serah with a hint of worry, but she nodded back at him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± he told her, trying to be reassuring. ¡°Take your time, John. I doubt we¡¯ll be leaving without you. See you later!¡± John nodded and started walking towards the man dressed in white, greeting him with a bow as he got close. ¡®This guy seems strong¡­¡¯ he thought, feeling some pressure from the man. ¡°Follow me, sir,¡± the man said before walking towards a large white building nearby. It was the most magnificent building John had ever seen, at least a hundred meters tall and designed like a twisting waterfall captured in marble. ¡®... So they still have the liberty to make extravagant designs, then. Or is that from before the invasion?¡¯ The grand building made him even more curious about who wanted to see him, so he followed the man without a word.
They soon entered the building and walked through a large open lobby. It was all pearly white and clean, but there were almost no people, making John slightly uncomfortable. ¡®What sort of place is this? And who am I supposed to be meeting?¡¯ He cleared his throat to get the white man''s attention. ¡°Who exactly am I going to be meeting, sir? I¡¯ve never met anyone from Paris, so I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not someone I know.¡± ¡°Do you know the ranks of us essence-users, John Tarvo?¡± the man asked without turning, walking up a set of stairs that followed the wall around the lobby. ¡°Uh, I think so? Breaker, Aspecter, Invoker, and Weaver, right?¡± John asked, hoping he had gotten them right. ¡°Exactly. Weaver is the highest rank any human has reached, and only seven of them exist. You¡¯re about to meet one, the Lady of Fate.¡± John nearly missed a step and had to grab the railing so as not to fall over in his surprise. With the possible exception of Captain Dirk, he had never even seen an invoker before. Meeting a weaver was far beyond his understanding. This was one of the seven most influential people in the world, someone more important than even the king was in his world. ¡°W¨C why?¡± he stuttered, unable to express his thoughts clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might be a mere whim, or it might have some meaning. And you might leave more confused than you enter, so be prepared for that.¡± The man kept walking once they reached the top of the stairs, walking directly to the center of the building. ¡®A mere whim? Well, what else could it be? But why would she know of me in the first place? Is it tied to my youth? Or is there anything else about me she might find interesting?¡¯ John racked his brain trying to figure this out, but he ultimately gave up. He would just have to get through it. He could feel the nerves, but excitement was also building in his chest as he got closer. Meeting a weaver sounded like an incredible experience, if only to see what level of power he could reach someday. They reached a circular white door at the end of a hallway, where the man stopped and gestured for John to enter. John felt his heart beating faster, filled with expectations. He approached the door and watched it roll to the side, revealing an incredible scene. The floor was like still water, reflecting the scene in the room. If it could even be called a room. There were no visible walls, and it seemed to continue in infinity in every direction. ¡®Uhh, what? The building wasn¡¯t large enough to hold a room like this! Is it some other form of technology?¡¯ About twenty meters from the door was an elevated platform that also looked like it was made of water. A blonde lady dressed in a loose white dress was playing on a translucent piano. With every touch of the keys, a very faint tone rang out, making an ethereal sound unlike anything John had ever heard before. He was entranced by the scene, looking at the back of the lady swaying with the notes. The Lady stopped playing and slowly turned toward him, smiling. ¡°Welcome, John. Please come in; I¡¯d like to talk to you for a moment.¡± John found it hard to convince himself this woman was one of the strongest people in the world. She seemed more like a fragile princess, unable to lift as much as a sword. But there was something special about her, that was for sure. And she was pretty. Not Serah pretty, but still well above average. He approached her, walking through the doorway and onto the strange floor. The floor turned out to actually be covered with water, gently swaying back and forth. It parted as he entered, defying gravity and showing him a path forward to the platform. ¡®Oh, does she control water? Is that her aspect? Or is it just a simple spell?¡¯ As he walked, she turned around on the piano stool and crossed her legs, before leaning backward over the piano and closing a transparent lid. Her eyes were piercingly blue, staring straight at him. Chapter 15 - Gamma Portal As he stood before her, John considered what he should do. In his world, kneeling, or at least bowing, would be suitable. But here, he had no idea. He looked back to the door to see if the man who guided him had any advice, but the sight made him forget why he turned around in the first place. The door was simply floating in the air, while the wall was nowhere to be seen, just like on the other side of the room. This space seemed somehow disconnected from the rest of the world, stretching eternally in all directions. He turned back to her and noticed her smile had widened further. ¡°This is my personal domain, John. It is separated from the world, a place where I can exert my influence without care. All weavers can make one, but some choose to exert their influence directly on the world they reside in instead.¡± Many questions formed in John¡¯s mind, but he was unsure of what he could ask, or if he was even allowed to speak. Seeing his hesitant curiosity, the Lady chortled. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to speak, John. But we don¡¯t want to keep your group for too long, so I¡¯ll tell you why I asked you to come first.¡± ¡®Could you stop reading my face like that? Serah does that enough already¡­ Are my thoughts really that obvious?¡¯ She gestured to the strings inside the piano, glowing faintly. ¡°As you might have guessed from my title, I can influence fate. It¡¯s not very noticeable, but if I tilt a few things in our favor it could have great results. A letter getting lost, or a missing shoe, or a breeze of wind tilting an arrow ever so slightly¡­ With each note I play, I can cause small changes that might have massive effects on the world.¡± She looked back at John with narrowed eyes. ¡°But on some occasions, there are strings I cannot play. Strings that, for whatever reason, are impossible to change. And let me tell you, they make me feel very powerless.¡± John felt guilty for some reason, sensing that she was referring to his string. He pointed to himself with a questioning look. She smiled again but shook her head. ¡°No, not your string. Yours is still malleable, but it¡¯s getting harder to influence. And the reason is your girlfriend. Her string is immovable.¡± She held her hands up like she was holding an invisible thread. Then, from the air, a golden string appeared between her fingers. ¡°This is her fate, unbending and strong.¡± ¡®What? So Serah¡¯s fate is already decided?!¡¯ He looked at it in wonder but felt a certain anxiety wash over him. This made it clear she was special in some way, unlike himself. He couldn¡¯t help but fear there would be a chasm between them in the future¡ªone he could never cross with only effort. ¡°... Then what¡¯s the reason? Why is her fate unchangeable?¡± The Lady shook her head. ¡°I only have theories. One cause could be a stronger power than my own, influencing it somehow, but I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s possible. My powers are the strongest on earth, so it would have to be from somewhere else in that case. A second theory is that some fates simply cannot be changed, but I doubt that. Every string I play should have some form of influence on hers, simply by her being in contact with those people. But even trying to change your fate has had no effect on hers.¡± John felt his heart drop. Had she somehow influenced his fate? Was she the reason he even got close to Serah in the first place? ¡°What¡­ did you do?¡± he asked, trying to keep his anger hidden. ¡°Oh, nothing bad. I made sure Captain Dirk was responsible for your testing, and that you were sent out to fight in the attack that day. I¡¯m not sure why, but something changed quite drastically after I did that.¡± ¡®... Because of the golden enchantment? I never would have gotten it if things were slightly different? That¡¯s¡­ well, thank God she did. It might be what I need to keep Serah safe in the future.¡¯ ¡°But¡­ then how much can you see? In the future?¡± he asked, feeling like little more than a puppet at the moment. ¡°Almost nothing. Every time I play a note, I see a glimpse of the future. But it¡¯s never enough to make a sound judgment. It¡¯s¡­ extremely frustrating. Can you imagine knowing that a certain sequence of keys would give us the best possible future, without having any idea what it is?¡± She stared at the keys on the piano with an anguished look and sighed deeply. ¡°So I can only do my best with the glimpses I see. I don¡¯t know what Serah will become, but I know she might be very important. And that¡¯s why I wanted to speak with you.¡± She turned back to John, looking him straight in the eyes. John sensed she was about to say something important, so he bravely met her stare. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Prioritise her over everything else. Even in a situation where you get a choice between her and the rest of the expedition you¡¯re going with, choose her. Keep her safe, whatever might happen. That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you.¡± ¡®Ah, so she doesn¡¯t know everything about me, then. That¡¯s good.¡¯ John smiled and tapped his heart with his fist, staring back at her confidently. ¡°I¡¯m very selfish, My Lady. I was never going to prioritize other lives over those I care about. So you have nothing to worry about; that was my intention from the start.¡± She smiled down at him again and nodded. ¡°Then follow your heart, John. That¡¯s an order.¡± She turned back to the piano and opened the cover, getting ready to play the notes of fate again. ¡°I¡¯ve taken up enough of your precious time, so please find your way back to the expedition. And good luck! It¡¯s going to be a special one.¡± Unsure of how to interpret her words, John bowed deeply before walking back to the door hanging in the air. ¡®Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s a special one in a good way¡­¡¯ A short hour later, one hundred breakers stood in front of the head of the expedition, Invoker Hans, and his four assistant aspecters. Behind him was the portal, which stood in stark contrast to the tightly guarded surroundings. It was standing like a giant window into a different world, with unknown vegetation and geology John had never imagined. Some mountains in the distance seemed almost like claws standing up from the ground, and every tree he could see had giant green leaves stretching into the sky. A resounding roar brought his attention back to his side of the portal as Hans started his speech. ¡°Breakers! You¡¯re right to take a good look at that landscape because most of you will likely never come back from that portal!¡± John thought Hans looked fairly normal considering his status as an invoker, but there was a certain gravity to his presence. ¡®Scaring us before entering to keep us on our toes?¡¯ ¡°But those of you that do return will be much stronger, capable of helping humanity in our war against these bastards! I realize that most of you lack the ties to this Earth that might make the fight worth it, but know that the end of humanity means the end of all humanity, regardless of what world they live in.¡± John nodded silently, and he could see others doing the same. They all knew the gravity of losing this war, perhaps even more so than the people of this world. ¡°These missions are essential, and that is because we need more soldiers in this war. Each seed sown here today has the potential to grow into a massive tree, supporting humanity into the future. Is it you?¡± He pointed to one of the breakers in the front, who seemed to freeze up. ¡°Is it you?¡± he asked again, to someone else standing further back. John didn¡¯t see the response, but Hans kept pointing. ¡°Is it you?¡± he said as he pointed to John. ¡®Damn right it¡¯s me!¡¯ John smiled and nodded in response, making Hans nod slightly and stop his pointing. ¡°You all have potential, and it¡¯s up to us to make it shine. You¡¯ve all been briefed on the program: five-man squads in five-squad formations led by an aspecter, moving through the wilderness and signaling the aspecter if anything unexpected appears.¡± This had been said a few times by now, but it was important information, so John didn¡¯t mind the repetition. ¡®And the squads will be assigned after reaching the outpost, after which we will be leaving right away to start fighting¡­ Let¡¯s go already!¡¯ ¡°All of you should have received sufficient combat practice by now, but let me be clear; none of you are ready to face a demon at this point. Even in a squad, you will need to steer clear if you meet one. They are the number one cause of death in these missions, so never underestimate them.¡± John sort of really wanted to fight a demon, but his inexperience in dealing with any aspect they might have made him accept that they could prove too challenging for him at the moment. ¡°Everyone, do what you can to survive and grow stronger! Only then can you come back here, only then can you reach your goals, and only then can you help humanity survive! Let¡¯s get going!¡± ¡®Finally, we¡¯re starting!¡¯ John thought. He glanced over at a nervous-looking Serah, patted her on the shoulder, and was rewarded with a nervous smile. ¡®I¡¯ve been ordered to protect that smile. The Lady might as well have ordered me to breathe.¡¯ Hans had turned around and started walking into the portal together with the aspecters beside him. Nothing special seemed to happen as he walked through, other than the lighting changing gradually. All the breakers started following after him, some looking nervous, some looking excited, and some simply looking curious. As more and more of the sky came into view, John caught himself staring at everything around him. It was magical, walking into an entirely new world separated from Earth by billions of miles. ¡®Can you even call those trees? They look more like giant plants, completely green.¡¯ The portal opened up to a great view of the planet, with varied vegetation and geology everywhere. The area around the portal was obviously guarded, so no animals or monsters could be seen yet, but John could hear some roars in the distance. ¡®So this is our home for the near future¡­ I could get used to it.¡¯ The group kept walking on the road straight ahead of the portal, eventually escaping its forest-like surroundings. There was still a lot of tall grass on the ground, but they would be able to see any approaching enemies in this terrain. Out of nowhere, a resounding quake could be heard, stopping everyone in their tracks. It sounded like the planet was breaking apart, bringing sounds of destruction from its core. John looked around curiously, but he didn¡¯t see any obvious source of the loud noise. He looked over at Hans, hoping this was a normal occurrence here. But he could not be more wrong. Hans had his hands on his forehead, bent over and kneeling, as if in despair. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± he heard him shout. ¡®Uh oh¡­¡¯ Chapter 16 - Inverted John looked around again, desperately searching for any signs of danger. He knew that anything making an invoker despair would be the death of him, but he would at least fight. He glanced over at Serah again, who seemed surprisingly calm now. ¡°Serah, any idea what¡¯s happening?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not really. But it¡¯s something bad.¡± ¡®Yeah, no shit. Is this what the Lady was referencing?¡¯ Hans had gotten up on his feet again, but he was pale. Even the aspecters beside him were looking worriedly at him, so they might be just as clueless as John felt. ¡°Everyone, remember to do what you can to survive! This world now has a ruler, which means a tyrant has been born! Any second now, the world will change, and we will all be separated. I pray to see you again.¡± In shock, John looked at Serah, aiming to take her hand. But instead of the expected panic, he saw only sadness in her eyes. She took his hand and pulled it to her cheek, looking at him through tears. ¡°We¡¯re going to meet again, John. I promise!¡± Before he could ask, everything changed. Gravity seemed to change its mind about which direction to go, sending everything straight into the air. Serah was gone, and so were the earth and the sky. ¡®What the fuuuuck?!?¡¯ Floating around somewhere in the sky, John was witnessing something unbelievable on such a massive scale he could barely comprehend it. As he floated weightlessly in the air, he could see the entire world twisting and binding itself together in the wrong order. The world was inverting itself, which defied all logic and physics. John stared in awe as the world started closing around him, in every direction, thousands of kilometers away. The entire planet had inverted itself so that every part could be seen at once, no longer showing the sky. It was like floating inside a sphere, surrounded by ground and sea in every direction. ¡®???????¡¯ John couldn¡¯t even imagine the being capable of something like this. Was one creature really responsible for changing the world in such a drastic way? He looked around, still floating in the air, searching for others in the same situation but not finding any. Seconds passed as he floated there, making him wonder what was next. ¡®Will gravity keep me floating here forever? Or do I just need to travel in a direction for gravity to start affecting me? But what happens if it starts affecting me? Will I just splat into the ground eventually?¡¯ Once again, his surroundings warped, placing him back on solid ground. He was standing in the middle of a dense forest, filled with giant yellow and green trees in all directions. ¡®Aaaahaaa, so this is how I die. Stranded alone on an alien planet surrounded by monsters, demons, and probably even horrors at this point¡­ Fun.¡¯ His thoughts shifted to Serah, and he wished dearly that she was in a better position than him. Looking up at the sky, he could barely see the rest of the planet past the countless leaves. ¡®Did she know something was going to happen? She didn¡¯t seem very surprised by what was happening¡­ Is it related to her fate? Has she always known?¡¯ he wondered, still feeling the warmth of her cheek in his hand. ¡®Well, that¡¯s not important now. If I can get to high ground, I might be able to plot out a route to get back to wherever we started. The portal has to still be functioning, right?¡¯ His best bet was finding someone else in his situation who knew the planet better. Seeing something as tiny as a military base from the opposite side of a planet was wishful thinking. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®My first priority should be staying hidden and finding a source of food and water. Getting stronger and searching for others will have to come second.¡¯ He looked around, searching for any obvious sources of food or water. Since there was so much green vegetation, he assumed it had to rain on this planet, but the sudden and extreme change in geography might have unpredictable consequences. ¡®How is there still light if the sun is gone?¡¯ he wondered, thinking it should be dark inside a sphere of dirt and water. But questions would have to wait. A sudden roar alerted him to nearby beasts. He quietly ducked behind a tree, hoping his scent wouldn¡¯t attract any beasts to him. A young man¡¯s screams could suddenly be heard from the same direction, but they stopped as suddenly as they appeared. John felt beads of sweat start trickling down his temple as he imagined what might have happened to his fellow man. ¡®Damn, that was fast. Do I need to mask my scent? Would I be safer up in the trees?¡¯ If these massive trees could keep him safe from the beasts on the ground, it might be worth climbing them and jumping around for traversal. He made the decision and started climbing, gaining a grip simply by stabbing his hands into the tree''s softer surface. The trunks of the trees were truly massive, requiring ten men to reach around them. Climbing them would usually require special tools, but that also made them excellent refuges from beasts once he got up there. After climbing for about forty meters, John found a spot where he could stand reliably. The trunk was starting to branch, giving plenty of opportunity to climb around. ¡®This is perfect, but probably so perfect that other creatures also use these trees as traversal. Hopefully, they¡¯re at least weaker than those on the ground¡­¡¯ As he suspected, he could see signs of fur and claw marks after studying the branches closely. He would have to be careful not to run into large groups of enemies, but the size of the marks indicated that they were just beasts of the monster tier, at most. John considered keeping his greatsword out, but he figured it would appear fast enough if needed. The light armor was on, though, giving him some protection. ¡®These branches make it difficult to hide. If I meet any enemies, I might have to climb higher to hide in the leaves at the top.¡¯ He still couldn¡¯t see past the treetops, so he started climbing higher to get a better view. It was much easier now, allowing him to reach the top quickly. The view of the inverted planet was still unbelievable, but it gave him a good idea of what it looked like. It was much like Earth, filled with water and green ground, but there was no ice to be seen. His immediate surroundings only showed trees, and he could not see where the forest ended. He would have to ascend into the air for that. He didn¡¯t really feel like going any higher, though, due to the massive bird-like creature flying a few kilometers from his position. It was truly massive, definitely a horror-level beast, with a wingspan of over fifty meters. It was mostly black, and it also seemed to turn the trees below it black. Not through casting a shadow, but some other strange effect. ¡®Is that the invocation of the beast? Some strange effect turning its surroundings black?¡¯ Finding it best to steer clear of such a beast, John climbed back down to below the leaves, thinking it best to hide from flying monsters from now on. He did not want to experience that blackness, even though it might be completely harmless. ¡®Okay, my first priority should still be water and food, in that order. Making some sort of base here would probably be the best way to survive, but that would mean giving up on returning to the portal any time soon¡­¡¯ He considered carving a hole inside one of the trees to use as a base. It would be a great hiding spot, and if he took some time with it, he might even be comfortable. Carving holes in the tree might even get him a decent water supply if it started raining. As he was making plans, he spotted a large humanoid creature staring at him from a few trees away. It was standing completely still, with big black eyes and dark green fur, looking almost like a giant monkey. John froze as well, staring back at the creature, thinking of his next move. ¡®Can I beat that thing? I don¡¯t see anything looking like an aspect, and the size makes me think it¡¯s just monster-tier. It should be fine. But why isn¡¯t it attacking? Is it scouting me?¡¯ Just for the heck of it, John raised his arm in a casual greeting, curious to see the creature''s response. He knew monkeys were rather intelligent, but he wasn¡¯t quite sure if the same logic applied to beasts. The monkey stared for a while longer, but eventually, it raised its arm as well. After doing so, it turned its head slightly, like a curious gesture. ¡®What the hell? It¡¯s peaceful? Is it just curious about me? This world doesn¡¯t seem peaceful enough for any creature to be this calm around new things, though¡­ Does it think I¡¯m one of them?¡¯ He tried another gesture, putting his hands together and intertwining his fingers, like in a prayer. The monkey did the same, interlocking its three fingers and again looking curious. ¡®... it¡¯s a bit cute, isn¡¯t it? Do I try approaching it?¡¯ Chapter 17 - Monkey Business John slowly approached the monkey-looking creature, hoping it wouldn¡¯t attack as he approached. He felt confident in being able to defend himself, but he had a slight hope that he wouldn¡¯t have to. He tried carefully jumping to the closest tree in the direction of the mimicking monkey, checking its reaction as soon as he landed. It only reacted by tilting its head in the other direction, still staring back at him. John decided to jump again, landing on the tree closest to the monkey now. It finally reacted, turning around and jumping in the opposite direction. But it stopped after one jump and turned to look at John again. ¡®Is it trying to make me follow it? Should I?¡¯ John took a second to decide if following an unknown beast in a foreign world was a good idea, and he figured that it wasn¡¯t. Trusting anything in this unknown world could get him killed, and if the monkey was clever enough to make him follow, it was clever enough to make an ambush. Instead of following, John jumped back to the tree he had come from, keeping an eye on the monkey. The monkey reacted by quietly holding its face in its hands, looking frustrated. Then it started hitting the tree in a strange rhythm, rapidly knocking its knuckles on the surface. Almost like a woodpecker, the sound traveled between the trees, making John nervous. ¡®Was that a signal for his friends to come here? Damn, do I attack before I¡¯m outnumbered?¡¯ He felt his nerves tensing as he was forced to make a decision. The possibility of peaceful cooperation seemed to have disappeared, so he decided to act before it was too late. Without attracting any attention he put his hands behind his back, mentally planning how he would start the fight. He had to train his ability to summon weapons, trying to figure out how to use them efficiently. The wind rustling the large leaves paused as if the forest was holding its breath in anticipation. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s do this before it¡¯s too late!¡¯ With a double air burst from his hands, he shot forward, rapidly skipping the tree between them. His speed was hard to control since he was used to holding a heavy sword while using the air blast, but he made it work. ¡®I really hope the sword is summoned with the same momentum I have!¡¯ With a hum, the sword appeared in his hands, held to his right and trailing behind him. Thankfully it followed his trajectory and momentum as it appeared. By the time he was in front of it, the monkey had barely reacted. But it did react, using its hands to push itself backward as much as it could. ¡®Too late!¡¯ Larang was infused with essence and swirled through the air, singing as it pierced the wind. The blade caught the sparse sunlight filtering through the leaves, flashing brilliantly as it arced through the air. It slashed with all the force John was capable of unleashing, cutting through the fur and carving a deep gash in the creature''s stomach. Blue blood sprayed in a fine mist, dotting the nearby leaves and bark with alien color. John was relieved. The monkey had gotten further away than he expected, nearly escaping Larang''s range in the short time it had to react. The battle was already decided. Deep blue blood and guts were spilling out of the wound, but the monster still sat upright. It made strange noises with its throat as it twisted its face in pain, trying to call out. John sighed, wanting to end the battle right away, but took a moment to listen for any sounds approaching nearby before doing anything else. Nothing could be heard, so he assumed it was still okay. He looked at the creature in thought. ¡®I really want to use the shortsword to kill it so I can get a new enchantment, but I don¡¯t want to get too close. It¡¯s still able to attack. Maybe I can throw it?¡¯ This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He put Larang back in his core, thanking it for a job well done, and summoned the shortsword in his right hand. It had decent weight and should be fine to throw, but he wasn¡¯t sure how far away the sword could be from him. Perhaps it returned to his core if it was too far away. There was nothing to do but try. The monster seemed to be on the verge of death, looking back at John and weakly showing its teeth. ¡®Let¡¯s hope I can throw it well¡­¡¯ The blade flew, spinning through the air and hitting the monkey in the chest. Unfortunately, it was the handle that hit it, doing little to no damage. The monkey let out a weak sound of rage but didn¡¯t have the energy to retaliate. ¡®Ah, damn. I¡¯m gonna have to practice that. Can I shoot the sword using a spell? The air blast should work, right?¡¯ He tried returning the blade to his core, and it went smoothly, before returning it to his hand. This time he held it pointing against the beast, cupping his fingers around the handle. He infused it with essence before using his usual air blast. It sent the sword flying at a surprising speed, piercing straight into the face of the monster, killing it instantly. ¡®Yes!¡¯ He pumped his fist, happy to have found a new way to use the sword. The speed could probably be improved if he focused the blast more, but for a first try, it was excellent. ¡°... Good fight,¡± he said, looking at the dead beast. He approached it slowly, still listening for sounds, and summoned the sword back again. Blood seeped out of the monster¡¯s face once the wound was left open, giving it a grotesque look. ¡°Well, it wasn''t really a good fight, I guess. I really hope you were tricking me,¡± he whispered, putting his hand on the creature''s head. He could feel the essence inside it follow back into his own core, giving him back all of the essence he used in the fight. The monster hadn¡¯t been able to use it at all, so it was nice and full. His core also grew slightly. Less than against the wargs, but way more than the bargs. A bright green light also entered his core, making him cheer internally. ¡®Yes! This enchantment is fucking gold! Already a green enchantment on my first try!¡¯ But the celebration was cut short as knocking sounds could be heard all around him¡ªthe same sound the monkey had made earlier, knocking his fingers into the tree. The sound came from at least four different directions, immediately making him sweat. ¡®... Can I take on four of these creatures at once? In their home turf, without knowing where they are?¡¯ He had to decide between attacking one of the four directions right away or trying to escape. Since the monkeys were on their home turf he didn¡¯t dare to assume he would be able to lose them, but he didn¡¯t like the thought of fighting either. He decided to gamble, putting the new enchantment into his armor and hoping it would help him survive. He didn¡¯t have time to figure out what the enchantment did, but the armor at least could be used in any situation. ¡®Ah, fuck, I have to remove it first!¡¯ He quickly removed it, leaving only his outer clothes as protection, before sending the green enchantment inside it. The information rapidly entered his mind, telling him exactly what it did. ¡®It can remove forty percent of my weight at will? Okay, escaping should be much easier then, at least. And I can move faster in combat. Yeah, this is actually great! But it doesn¡¯t help me much in deciding.¡¯ Either way, he would be equipping his armor again, so he did that first. Instantly, he could feel his body turn much lighter, and he felt like he could jump twenty meters in the air with ease. The knocking stopped, and John moved. He went in the direction of the faintest knocking, hoping it would leave him more time to execute it before the others arrived. Instead of traveling on top of the tree branches, he jumped on their sides, bouncing from tree to tree with light feet. The monkey became visible very soon, hanging on a branch and about to swing to the next tree. To John''s eyes, it looked exactly the same as the last one, with thick green fur and large three-fingered hands. Wasting no time once it spotted him, John sprang into action from the tree¡¯s side. His speed surprised even him, so it was no wonder the monkey seemed startled. Still, it managed to ready its hand, ready to punch John once he was close enough. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s see if this works!¡¯ Once he was only two meters from the monkey, he summoned his greatshield. Since it appeared with the same speed as him, it was approaching the monkey with an incredible force. The monster was not prepared for a giant metal plate to suddenly come flying towards it through the air, but it still gave it a good punch. It barely budged the shield, though, before it crashed into its body, knocking it hard into the tree. John held the shield in his arms until it hit, stopping himself before hitting the monkey. Then he dismissed the shield, summoning the short blade instead. But the monkey was no longer around. It had lost its grip on the tree and was now dropping helplessly toward the distant ground. It tried its best to grasp anything, but the surface of the tree was too smooth, giving it no purchase. John stabbed the sword into the tree, getting a firm grip to watch. He didn¡¯t waste any time looking at the falling monkey and instead listened for the sound of other monkeys approaching. And sure enough, three sets of footsteps could be heard from the nearby trees, approaching rapidly. ¡®Let¡¯s hope you guys can wait for my blade to kill you instead of falling.¡¯ Chapter 18 - Bloody Demon Hanging on the side of the tree, John prepared himself to attack as soon as the first monkey came into view. ¡®Okay, let go of the sword, then airblast with my full weight, then lower weight to increase speed by¡­ about seventy percent¡­ Or is it thirty? Then summon Larang and use a piercing attack!¡¯ With the plan ready and his legs filled with essence, he waited for the right moment to pounce. The sounds of steps on the strangely soft trees were steadily approaching, sounding like a bunch of stampeding animals. They were moving fast. Then it appeared, and John pushed off, triggering the prepared spells and moving at his full speed. Then he decreased his weight, increasing his speed by another two-thirds. He could not believe his own pace. With not enough time to think, he held his hands forward and summoned Larang, ready to strike. Not even a second passed between the monkey''s appearance and the greatsword''s sinking into its chest, cleaving its torso in twain. It was dead before hitting the ground. But John had a problem. He was about to fly past the beast and continue flying through the air, unable to stop himself. ¡®Ah, fuck! Do I increase my weight again to fall faster? I can use the air burst again, but I need to navigate to a tree.¡¯ He could see the two remaining monkeys running along the branches. They both seemed consumed with rage as he flew past, waving their hands in the air. John dismissed Larang before increasing his weight and lowering his speed considerably again. Then he aimed for the closest tree and used his air burst spells to stop most of his movement. He landed safely on top of the tree. ¡®Phew, only two of these bastards left! They¡¯re not very tough, but I¡¯m scared of being grabbed by those large hands. Should I try a spell? Or¡­ I can try shooting the shortsword again.¡¯ The remaining monkeys were approaching him rapidly from the same direction, giving him little time to think. He summoned the dark shortsword, took aim, and fired it with an air blast. It pierced the air, heading straight for the head of the leftmost monkey. It seemed to be taken off guard, but still managed to twist its head enough to avoid a fatal blow. The sword cut deep into its face but hit nothing vital, continuing to fly past the beast. ¡®Shit! I should have waited for it to come closer!¡¯ John recalled the sword to his core before summoning Larang, holding it out to his side. He was hoping to deal a fatal blow to one of the beasts as soon as they clashed while also dodging their attacks. The beasts both jumped from the closest tree at the same time, readying their fists for a powerful punch. But John was ready, kicking off from the tree and swinging the massive sword straight for the beast to the right. Larang once again cut through the air, aiming for the beast''s lower torso. John dodged to the side at the same time, letting go of the sword and decreasing his weight once again. He jumped to the closest tree, not having time to check the damage he had inflicted just yet. Larang went back to his core as he turned around to look. The monkey with the wounded face was already jumping after him, but the other one seemed to have taken a lot of damage. Blue blood was clearly visible on the ground and on its hands. ¡®Okay, good! Now there¡¯s just one remaining!¡¯ John thought, dodging to a nearby tree again to give himself some time to think. ¡®I just need a good slash on this last one, and it¡¯s over!¡¯ Larang returned to his hands as he watched the last monkey again. Now that the weapon was back, it seemed more wary. Instead of attacking, it made threatening gestures toward John, baring its teeth. ¡®Why do they never yell out? Are they scared of bigger monsters around here? Is that why they used the knocking to communicate? The beast hit the tree with both its hands in frustration before looking back at its dying friend. To John¡¯s great surprise, it went back to look at its friend, ignoring him for now. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®... Why do you have to act so human? I¡¯m starting to feel bad about this¡­¡¯ The two monkeys seemed to communicate some things as the wounded one sat down on the ground. They both looked at the one John had nearly torn apart. The wounded one then lay down on the tree and pointed in another direction. The scarred monkey seemed frustrated, but eventually calmed down. It looked at John for a second, staring quietly. Then it took a deep breath and roared, unleashing all the anger it felt toward him. It echoed through the trees, sounding like it would attract every beast around to their position. And that might have been the intention because the monkey turned to run away as soon as it finished the roar. ¡®Ah, you fucking bastard¡­¡¯ John hurried over to the dying monkey and shot his shortsword towards it, impaling its head. Then he hurried to claim the kill, feeling his essence return to full once again. There was no enchantment, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so easy. ¡®Please don¡¯t bring any demons here before I finish!¡¯ He jumped to the other monkey with the shredded torso and did the same, feeling his core grow even bigger. The entire process since the shout had only taken ten seconds, but he felt it was too long already. He glanced down at the last corpse that fell from the tree and felt the sight send shivers down his spine. At the bottom of the tree stood a great beast in the middle of feasting on the fallen monkey. It had fiery red skin and looked like a nightmarish mix between a horse and a dog, with giant fangs dripping blue blood and a long, predatory snout. Despite the distance between them, John felt his heart beat faster, sensing that this beast was stronger than he was. He stood completely still by instinct, hoping it wouldn¡¯t notice him. Was this his first encounter with a demon? The beast paused its gory meal, slowly raising its massive head to lock eyes with John. Its gaze was cold, calculating, sizing him up like he was nothing more than the next morsel on its menu. The tail, which was the only thing on the beast that was black, suddenly grew as long as the body itself. With a casual flick, it whipped against the tree John was perched on. ¡®Oh fuck! I¡¯m getting out of here, that¡¯s definitely a demon! And its aspect looks strong!¡¯ The entire tree shook and started to tilt, showing that it had been cut in half by a single attack. John knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to do the same, even if he put every ounce of his strength into Larang. He was no match for that creature. It had seemed like such a casual attack. He lightened his weight and started running in a direction, hoping he would avoid any deadly encounters on the way. His speed was significantly higher than normal, but he still feared that demons would be faster. ¡®Please don¡¯t let them track my scent! If I meet that red horse head-on, I¡¯m toast. And I can¡¯t imagine other demons will be much easier to beat.¡¯ He felt it was unfair that the demon would attack him when he had offered it such a nice meal, but that was the way of the world. Hopefully, any other demons would be satisfied with the three corpses left in the trees. After running at full speed for about three minutes, he started to slow down to catch his breath. He didn¡¯t dare to stop, though, and kept jogging from tree to tree. ¡®Ah, this enchantment is a lifesaver! I might have to just stay in the area until I have all the enchantments I can fit into my equipment. Traveling through unfamiliar territory seems unwise without getting as strong as I can first.¡¯ And so his priority returned to finding water and food. He was sad that all the meat from the monkeys went to waste, but he wasn¡¯t sure about eating those things. They were a bit too human in behavior. He still would, but he would much rather prefer chicken. ¡®Okay, shelter first. Digging a hole into one of these trees should give me a nice, isolated room, right? But I want to travel a bit further first. I¡¯ll change the direction up a bit to confuse any possible followers.¡¯ His pattern of jumping trees suddenly shifted back, then to the left, then in a spiral, before he finally continued in the same direction he had been heading earlier. The distance between the treetops should make it hard to follow a scent either way, but he didn¡¯t want to take any chances. ¡®I can really feel the difference in my core now. It has increased in size by about ten percent since I broke through. Not too bad, considering I¡¯ve only claimed seven kills so far. I¡¯m not sure Serah will be able to do the same, though¡­¡¯ His thoughts drifted to her again, thinking back to her strange behavior before they were separated. She did not seem surprised when the world started changing, but rather sad, like she knew what would happen. ¡®But how could that be possible? Like me, she shouldn¡¯t have any powers beyond using essence. Looking into the future, not even the Lady of Fate could do that¡ªat least, not accurately. If she did know, when did she learn about it? Is that why she has seemed to be putting on a fake smile lately, and why she got so emotional that night?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure out what might have happened, but assumed it was related to her golden fate somehow. But more so than answers, he wanted to find her and keep her safe. He looked up at the rest of the planet surrounding him, trying to figure out how to navigate back to the portal. But since he had only just arrived in the world before the inversion, he had no information about its geography. ¡®... Finding you won¡¯t be easy. At least not alone. But you better stay safe while I¡¯m not around!¡¯ Chapter 19 - Full Blue One of the larger trees in the area was chosen as a temporary base. It had a small hole under one of the branches, partly hidden by leaves, that was just large enough for someone to crawl through. ¡®This will have to do for now¡­ ¡® It had taken some time to carve enough room for him to sit comfortably, but he did manage in the end, using the shortsword as his tool. Now he sat leaning against the wall, resting. All the fighting and running had left him tired, but also hungry. His thirst was taken care of during the escape. There were leaves that gathered rain, perfectly suited for a quick drink. In the long term, he would need a better solution in case there was a drought, but it was enough for now. ¡®There has to be a river or something around here, right? Or at least a small lake. The ground seems pretty flat, and due to all the trees, I can¡¯t see any hills or lakes nearby.¡¯ Watering holes would be prime locations for demons to hunt, so he was wary of looking for one. He sighed, leaning his head against the tree. ¡®Did I make any mistakes during the fight? The increase in speed when I lower my weight is incredibly useful, but I need to be careful as well. If that shield bash had hit the tree instead of the monkey I would have crashed into it and been hurt. The slash on the third monkey was dangerous. I was too fast, nearly causing an accident. Larang becomes harder to use when I lower my weight, so I need to keep that in mind. Swinging it with less counterweight just makes me swing around as well. Is it possible to stick to the ground somehow?¡¯ The essence remaining in his core was too low to be experimenting with, especially since he needed to hunt soon. Over half of it had been used during his escape, strengthening his feet for every jump. But the fight with the monkeys hadn¡¯t taken much, so he felt he had enough to take on another enemy. ¡®How will I hunt, though? That first monkey found me first, so I don¡¯t know how easy it will be. Do I just¡­ stay here? And wait for something to come to me?¡¯ He shook his head, realizing that fighting near his base would be a bad idea in case he needed to escape again. Taking a final deep breath, he got up and started crawling out of the hole in the tree. He hadn¡¯t heard any movement nearby, so he assumed the coast was clear. Once he was on top of the tree, he started looking around the area. Nothing but trees could be seen around him, at least in the nearest surrounding area. He could see large reaches of open plains in the far distance, but it was likely several thousand kilometers away. ¡®That¡¯s most likely where I¡¯ll have to go. That plain leads to that large continent there, while the other directions mostly just lead to the ocean. I really, really hope the portal isn¡¯t on one of those other continents¡­¡¯ The planet was split into three main continents. Luckily, it seemed that John was on the largest one¡ªunless it only looked that way because it was closer. Half the planet was currently dark, so the cycle of night and day was still functioning somehow. Those thoughts were irrelevant right now, though, so he put them in the back of his mind and started looking for signs of beasts instead. All the trees limited his sightline, and nothing stood out to him. But a sound from his right caught his attention. It sounded like something moving from tree to tree, trying to be quiet. ¡®Oh, is it another monkey? A lone one? If I manage to take it out before it signals any others, I should be safe.¡¯ He would start to make noise as soon as he moved, but trying to bait it to him seemed like a worse plan. So he lightened his weight again and started moving toward the sound, hoping it would be something he could handle. After jumping past three trees, he saw it¡ªanother of those green monkeys, stealthily jumping between trees while keeping a look out for prey or predators. It spotted John as soon as he came into view and quickly put its hands down on the tree. ¡®No you don¡¯t!¡¯ John shot his prepared shortsword toward the monkey, forcing it to use its hands to protect itself. The sword pierced through its right hand before stopping, saving it from the worst of the damage. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But John was already on his way, firing a blast of air from both hands to shoot toward it. Larang showed up when he was at his fastest, practically pulling him along through the air. A wide swing started from his right side, but he found it incredibly challenging to change its direction in mid-air when his weight was so low. ¡®Damn! Give me my weight back!¡¯ His weight returned and slowed him down, but Larang had the same speed as before, which made it spin in front of him, slinging him to the right as the greatsword swung to the left. ¡®Oh shit! This is perfect!¡¯ The unintentional swing landed awkwardly with the blade at an angle, but it still did massive damage to the beast''s left side, tearing through its shoulder and continuing down to the abdomen. Blue blood splattered on the tree as the healthy hand was chopped off. The beast was already on the ground from the force, and it would not get back up. Only the final blow remained to put it out of its misery. Its eyes stared at him as it lay there, but John could only see resignation reflected in them. No rage, no sadness, just acceptance. ¡®... I¡¯m really gonna hate eating you.¡¯ He retrieved his shortsword through his core and held it toward the beast''s forehead. It shot forward, piercing the head completely and stopping all movement. John sighed, feeling bothered by his own actions. He would obviously prioritize his own survival over that of others, but if given a choice, he would never kill another monkey again. ¡°Child.¡± A sudden voice surprised John, and he quickly scoured every direction around him. He could see no sign of anyone, even if the voice sounded very close. ''Another human? But where? Am I losing my mind already?¡¯ ¡°I am below you,¡± the voice said, still sounding like it came from right beside him. John looked down from the tree, shocked by the sight awaiting him. The giant red horse demon was back, but it wasn¡¯t alone. Riding on top of it was a man in shiny green armor, covered from head to toe. The design was unlike anything John had ever seen before, and it looked quite strong. ¡®Oh! It is a human! That has to be an aspecter, right?! Thank God!'' His relief was palpable. He felt his chances of getting back home increasing significantly. Someone capable of taming the demon as a mount would be a considerable force, even in this world. ¡°Ah, a human! How interesting!¡± the rider said, tilting his head to the side. John''s relief crumbled into confusion. The words didn''t make sense coming from someone who should be just as human as he was. He felt his muscles tense, unsure if he was facing a potential ally or a new threat. "What do you mean?" John asked, unable to control a tremor of uncertainty in his voice. ¡°Of course I''m human! Like you, right?" ¡°No, I am a researcher, traveling here from the halls of the Loreholders. You can call me Sage Full Blue.¡± He put his hands behind his neck and bent his head forward, as if in greeting. ¡°... You¡¯re not from the encampment here? So you¡¯re an alien?¡± ¡°Yes, from your point of view, I probably am. But this is not your home, is it?¡± John felt very confused by this situation. As far as he knew, humanity had never encountered any intelligent life from other planets. But there were a lot of things he didn¡¯t know, so it was entirely possible they had. ¡®But if this is a first meeting, won¡¯t it be a bad idea to tell him where we¡¯re from? Is he an enemy?¡¯ ¡°Is it your home?¡± John asked, wondering if this person was part of an indigenous people on this planet. The clues pointed to that not being the case, but anything else would be too incredible not to make sure. ¡°I am part of the Loreholders, so no. I was sent here once this planet awakened, but there seems to be something strange going on. Did you arrive by portal?¡± Still unsure about how much he should say, John kept silent. He feared angering the Sage since he obviously was far stronger than him, but he wanted to avoid making any disastrous mistakes. ¡°... Ah, are you scared of telling me? Is this your first meeting with someone from outside your civilization?¡± John remained silent, feeling sweat dripping down his back. An intense debate was going on in his mind. ¡®Would I sacrifice myself to keep earth safe? Unless Serah is safe as well, I don¡¯t think I would¡­ Am I really that selfish? Mom would die, but she would suffer horribly if I never returned, so how highly can I prioritize her life? The rest of humanity hasn¡¯t done much for me, but¡­ Ahh¡­¡¯ ¡°I admire your stance, child. You¡¯re more like the monkey you killed than I thought.¡± That caught John¡¯s attention. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Once it was close to death, it could have summoned its friends. But seeing your strength, it chose to die in silence instead of putting its companions in danger. Quite noble, don¡¯t you think? Much like yourself.¡± Hearing his words, John looked back at the monkey, feeling a sense of respect mixed with guilt. Now he understood the look in its eyes in its final moments. ¡°... If I tell you some things, can you help me get back home?¡± The sage leaned his head forward. ¡°I apologize. We of the Loreholders only deal in information. But I can offer your people some knowledge about essence. It would make it a lot easier for you to grow in strength, unless you already know about it, of course.¡± Chapter 20 - State of Matter John felt tempted to accept the deal, but he wanted to know if it was worth it before making a decision. ¡°Can you tell me the part about the essence first? If I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it, you can just kill me, right?¡± Sage Full Blue turned his head to the side again. ¡°I do not kill. But now I can tell you that the information will be worth it.¡± John furrowed his brows in confusion. ¡°You didn¡¯t know earlier; how come you can say for certain now?¡± ¡°... I can tell you if you share the name of the planet you come from,¡± he replied, turning his head to the other side. ¡®That much should be fine, right? He can¡¯t do anything with a name.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re from a planet called Earth.¡± The sage nodded his head forward again. ¡°I must apologize; that was deceptive of me. The reason I knew was that you said the name you have for ¡®essence.¡¯ A name contains information about your knowledge, and so I knew your understanding of essence was flawed.¡± John felt his mind reeling at the revelation, trying to remember what he had said so far. ¡®That means I just told him a bunch of things about Earth? What a sly devil!¡¯ The choice to reveal his knowledge had been made for him, but he didn¡¯t feel much guilt. Anyone would likely have revealed knowledge to the sage unknowingly, and he knew less than most about what Earth was truly like. Besides, he had little doubt the sage could find the portal and figure things out from there. ¡®Let¡¯s just hope this doesn¡¯t have major consequences¡­¡¯ The sage put a hand on his forehead in a sort of gesture. ¡°Ahh, Earth! That''s some valuable information! A newborn civilization, but surprisingly advanced in technology. You have been lucky!¡± ¡°... How so?¡± John asked, curious about his meaning. Full Blue put his hand back down and turned his head back to John. ¡°Would you rather know that or the information about essence?¡± John thought the situation felt weirdly familiar. Captain Dirk had also made him choose questions to reply to. ¡°No, let me know about essence,¡± he replied, feeling his excitement building. ¡°Alright, then. Listen carefully¡­ Essence!¡± The information hidden in the word spread out across John¡¯s mind like a bursting dam, letting him know exactly how ignorant he had been up to this point. Essence wasn''t just a form of energy; it was a fundamental building block of reality itself. It permeated everything, existing in various states and forms, each with its own properties and uses. The gaseous form he was familiar with was just the beginning. Essence could exist as a liquid, flowing and adaptable; as a solid, stable and enduring; and even as plasma, volatile and powerful. Each state had its own strengths and applications. But more than just existing in different states, essence could be transformed from one form to another. This transformation was key to unlocking greater power and control over the fundamental forces of the universe. Purity, too, played a crucial role. The purer the essence, the more potent its effects. John reeled at the implications¡ªcould he purify his own essence? How much stronger could he become? ¡®This is incredible! It changes so much! Does no one on Earth know about this? How far behind are we? And how much could this information help us in the war?¡¯ As the flood of information began to slow, John realized he''d only scratched the surface. There were still so many questions: What determined its purity? What were the limits of what essence could do? And what do the different states do, exactly? This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Learning so much with a simple word was incredible in itself, not to mention the content. It reminded him of the sensation he felt after the enchantments entered his equipment, instantly letting him understand how they function. He looked at Sage Full Blue with new eyes, wondering just how much more this being knew about the true nature of essence, not to mention the universe itself. There was a hunger in his heart for more knowledge, but at the same time, there was a limit to how much he could offer in return. ¡°... I¡¯m not getting any more information from you for free, am I?¡± John asked. He wanted to ask many questions, but only some of them related to essence. For example, he wondered how the sage knew English and what the world looked like outside of Earth¡¯s narrow scope. The fight for survival in the universe now seemed a lot more challenging¡ªat least without allies. ¡°The thirst for knowledge is always encouraged, young one. But we of the Loreholders have strict rules in terms of what we can reveal to young civilizations. If we did not follow those rules, we would no longer be seen as impartial.¡± ¡°But if we¡¯re a young civilization, why are there so few signs of technology in the universe? You seem like someone from our distant history!¡± The sage gave his demon mount a gentle pat, making it turn around. ¡°Everything has an explanation, child. I can only tell you that Earth is a rare case, judging by what I saw in your mind. I will be exploring this planet for a while longer, so we might meet again. But if not, goodbye, Earthling.¡± John watched him slowly ride off through the trees, still feeling his heart pounding in his chest. Relief and frustration both swirled around in his mind, along with a dash of confusion. But he was used to being confused by now. ¡®Damn¡­ This feels like it will have huge consequences for the future. But maybe we will be better equipped to meet it if I can get this knowledge back home.¡¯ The urge to test his newfound knowledge was strong, but he would need a quiet place to do it. And some nutrition, so he wouldn¡¯t starve. The monkey still lay there with the shortsword stuck in its head, blue blood dripping down its face. John put his hand on it to claim the kill, regaining all the essence he had spent. The essence was all gaseous, but that seemed to be the natural form it took. ¡®Gaseous essence is the weakest and hardest essence to store, but it is also the easiest to control and the fastest to activate¡­ So we¡¯ve been crippled by our ignorance all this time.¡¯ There was no enchantment this time either, but he didn¡¯t feel like he deserved it. It was a cowardly kill, and one he would rather not be reminded of. Standing up, he decided to throw the corpse down from the tree, keeping only the arm he had chopped off. It would be more than enough, and anything else would likely spoil before he could eat it. It was better to avoid attracting predators to the area. He watched it fall with a heavy heart. And he prayed that these monkeys were unique in their honorable nature, so he could hunt other beasts without too much worry. Looking at the arm, he summoned the shortsword and chopped off the hand. Then he started skinning it, removing all the thick green fur. The flesh was dark blue in color, far from tempting to eat. But he had little choice in the matter. ¡®Let¡¯s hope you at least taste good, honorable ape. And that your friends don¡¯t come here looking for you. I won¡¯t be merciful.¡¯ He returned to his base, holding the skinned arm as he crawled through the hole and putting it down on a makeshift shelf. He was worried about cooking it since it might attract beasts, but he could use essence to heat it once it was in his mouth, preventing any dangerous bacteria from attacking him. Using his shortsword, he cut a small piece off and studied it closely, dreading the next part. Other than the color, it just looked like normal meat to him. But the smell was odd, like a mix of fish and leather. ¡®Oh well, here goes nothing.¡¯ He put the piece in his mouth and started heating it immediately. The heat would normally hurt him, but using more essence he protected his tongue and mouth from any pain. The taste wasn¡¯t as bad as he had feared, but neither was it as good as he had hoped. ¡®It¡¯s just muscle, very little fat. Very chewy as well. Kind of tastes like pig, actually.¡¯ Feeling his stomach start to rumble for food, he swallowed it down. Despite not being a delicacy, it still felt great to get some food back in his stomach. As soon as the first one had landed, he went for another piece. ¡®I would have told him my life story for some salt and a cold beer¡­¡¯ Once he felt full, he put the remaining meat away. There was still a lot left since the entire arm was about twice the size of a human leg. ¡®Now I just hope it¡¯s not poisonous or anything. It was a decent meal, despite the taste of selflessness¡­¡¯ He leaned back on his crudely carved seat and closed his eyes, mentally entering his core. It was like a large circular chamber, with walls that stretched high above, bathed in the pulsating light emanating from the core in the center. Larang, his greatshield, and the shortsword floated serenely in the space around the core, reflecting the core''s light. They seemed to almost be drinking from the light that hit them. The core was like a large sphere of light floating in the middle of the room, humming a soft melodic sound that followed the pulsating light. The essence within the core was cloudy, as it always had been. But now, with his new knowledge, John understood that this cloudiness was merely the gaseous state of essence. ¡®Let¡¯s change that, shall we?¡¯ Chapter 21 - Water and Ice Ever so slowly, John started imagining his essence becoming colder and denser while circulating it in his chest. Since it could not be changed in the core itself, he had to hold it inside as it slowly transformed, forming small droplets of essence. Each time a drop formed, he put it back in his core, careful not to lose control of it. According to the sage, liquid essence was much harder to control, but it was also much more powerful. ¡®... This is taking longer than I had hoped. After five minutes, I¡¯ve barely transmuted ten percent. At this rate, it will take nearly an hour to change everything. Can I improve the rate somehow?¡¯ John tried changing the way he circulated the essence, changing the direction and shape. But the rate remained the same. ¡®Hmm¡­ What if I imagine rainclouds instead of cold temperatures?¡¯ He thought about the grey clouds on the rainiest day he could remember. He was back on the training grounds in Aachen, fighting through the dense downpour that fell from the sky. It had been a great day for fighting, with the rain washing away any sweat and keeping his body at a nice and cool temperature. He loved the rain. ¡®Ah! It¡¯s forming much faster!¡¯ His essence seemed to enjoy his memories as it drifted like a dark cloud in his chest. Drops of liquid essence fell in a constant downpour, making it challenging to collect it all. ¡®This is so much faster! That sage is a real greedy bastard, only telling me about the slowest method!¡¯ Only a few minutes later, he had transmuted half his essence. Back in his core, he could see the liquid gathering at the bottom of the sphere, swirling around on beat with the pulsing light. But the liquid had only taken up about ten percent of the core, leaving much room for the gaseous essence to float around in. ¡®The liquid essence takes up that little space? That¡¯s amazing! I can store much more essence this way, letting me fight for way longer. But I¡¯ll have to gather it all first, though¡­¡¯ The essence would usually fill up in about eight hours, but that was just the gaseous version. To fill the core with liquid essence would take nearly two whole days. Or perhaps it was even longer now that his core had grown. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to fight beasts then. Sage Full Blue didn¡¯t let me know anything about gathering essence from the air, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t improve it¡­¡¯ John tried to think about ways to increase the natural gathering speed, but couldn¡¯t think of any good plans at that time. Instead, he decided to test his new liquid essence, eager to see how much it would change his power. He stayed inside his base for now, deciding to start small. A simple body enchantment should be a nice test, as that was what he was most used to doing. Strengthening muscles and bones to swing faster was something he had trained millions of times at this point. The floating essence felt very compact as it moved to his hand, very different from the usual essence. It was challenging to make it move like he wanted, as it spread in an uneven pattern when he tried to apply it. ¡®Damn, this really is different¡­ but how¡¯s the power?¡¯ He took hold of the tree he was sitting inside, trying to crush it in his hand. He might have been able to do so with the normal essence as well, so it would be a nice test. His fingers crushed the tree like a ball of hay, with nearly no effort from John. He stared at the wooden pieces in his hand, feeling an extreme urge to fight something. ¡®It¡¯s that much stronger?! That¡¯s a matter of magnitudes! How would a spell work with this?¡¯ Quickly discarding the simple fire spell from his mind, he turned his hand toward the exit and prepared a good old air blast. It was his most used spell, so it was only natural he would try it first. The liquid essence gathered in his hand, slightly slower than he was used to, but it moved almost like he wanted it to. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The spell fired with a roar, sending him flying into the back of his little hole with incredible force. His back crashed hard into the wood, causing pain to shoot through him. ¡®Agh! Four times?! It¡¯s really four times stronger?! God damn that hurt!¡¯ His hands were on his back, trying to alleviate the pain, even though they couldn¡¯t do much. His back was still in one piece, at least, and the armor had taken some of the blow. ¡®Why would I test it with a wall at my back? My chances of surviving this shit would be a lot higher if I wasn¡¯t a damn idiot!¡¯ Even when using both of his hands, he would only get half of the force he felt now, using only one. It was an incredible difference in all aspects of his fighting power, as long as he managed to control it properly. ¡®I¡¯m glad, but there¡¯s so much new stuff in my fighting kit now! I need to train to get used to it, but I can¡¯t just go out and swing a giant sword around, can I?¡¯ The amount of essence used was exactly the same as that used by a spell normally. That probably broke some laws of physics, but that¡¯s what essence was supposed to do anyway. The laws of physics seemed more like suggestions when essence was involved, but that only made it more interesting, John thought. He sat in silence for a while, thinking of the different ways he could use this essence in combat. His bursts of speed would be way more abrupt and fast, but it would put more strain on his body. He would need to use more essence in his bones and muscles to prevent injuries, so the total usage would go up after all. But since his storage had increased so much, that wasn¡¯t a big issue. His swings with Larang would be way stronger, but that didn¡¯t matter much if he couldn¡¯t use the momentum properly. If he swung mid-air, the only thing that would happen was that he would turn, while the blade would just stay nearly still. Even on solid ground, he would have trouble swinging it with full force. The sudden sideways force would cause his feet to slip, regardless of what surface he was standing on. ¡®That¡¯s why I wanted a way for my feet to stick to the surface I stand on¡­ Can I do that with liquid essence? Or maybe solid?¡¯ In the past, he had considered the same issue, trying to put essence into the ground to gain traction. But with his new knowledge, it only made sense that gaseous essence wouldn¡¯t do much to help. Putting his hand on the surface of the tree, John tried gently leading the liquid essence into it, focusing on making it connect to his hand. As he tried to lift it, he felt a sticky sensation holding him back, as if honey had been poured out of it. ¡®Ah, this might work! It¡¯s not as much as I hoped, but this would be great for climbing or keeping hold of things. Let¡¯s try making some solid essence, then.¡¯ Encouraged by the results, he was eager to try the last type of essence he dared to make. The last type, plasma, was apparently very dangerous, so he would first try to increase his control with the other types. Sitting back down and closing his eyes, he slowly gathered the liquid essence in his chest. Instead of moving it around, he tried keeping it as still as possible so that the solid essence could form. Trying to help the process, he recalled watching ice slowly form on a lake in the winter. ¡®Hmm, the speed of that might not help much¡­ But I can¡¯t think of anything liquid going solid very fast¡­ No, wait! The metal poured from the forge would harden instantly on the ground.¡¯ As he changed the image in his mind, the essence formed into small chunks of solid essence, quickly shrinking the liquid in his chest. The solid form seemed to take up even less space than the liquid form, making it an even better way to store essence long-term. After about half the liquid was transmuted he stopped, wanting to keep most of his essence in familiar forms in case he needed it. All the essence was put back in his core, which now had small cloudy pebbles of light floating around in the liquid. ¡®Hmm, does the cloudiness have anything to do with the purity? Probably, right? If I had imagined crystals forming, would it work better?¡¯ He felt slightly hopeful that increasing purity would be that easy, but at the same time, he felt it would be more challenging than that. He opened his eyes again and focused on his hand, ready to test the solid essence. It traveled ever so slowly from his core, giving a sensation of solidity and immobility. Exactly what he wanted, even if the speed was disappointing. It was far easier to control than the liquid essence, but still not as simple as the gaseous one. It eventually settled in his hand, and he could feel it stiffen as it activated. It felt strange, like his hand was numb and unresponsive, but he felt confident it would increase the defensive capabilities way more than any other form of essence. ¡®It seems great for defense, but it won¡¯t be fast enough to respond to sudden attacks¡­ So it doesn¡¯t fit my combat style well. Let¡¯s see what it does with sticking to surfaces!¡¯ Laying his hand on the tree again, he tried leading the solid essence into it, imagining a metal rod attaching to his palm. ¡®Please work like I want you to. This would make me so much stronger!¡¯ Chapter 22 - Stalking the Hunter Looking intently at the hand and praying it would stay attached to the tree, John gently started lifting it. And, just as he had hoped, it stayed perfectly attached. Too attached, even. After using all his strength and lifting himself entirely by his arm, he still remained firmly in place. ¡®Yes! Now I can swing Larang as fast as I want as long as I stay on the ground! I¡¯ll be an easy target to hit, so I¡¯ll have to practice activating and deactivating it¡­ Along with a bunch of other stuff¡­¡¯ The road to mastery would be long, but since it was all to make him stronger, John didn¡¯t mind it one bit. Training for combat was one of his favorite pastimes! The fact that the wood didn¡¯t break under his weight must mean that the essence spread out like roots to get a better grip. If he had only been attached to the surface, he would have fallen off. Glue would never hold that much weight. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s see if it makes my armor stronger as well!¡¯ He retrieved the shortsword to test the armor¡¯s capabilities, choosing to cut into the thick fabric on his arm. First, he tried it without the essence infused, and it went through rather easily. Then, he used some of the gaseous essence like he normally would. The sword did manage to pierce through, but he had to use some force this time. Finally, it was time to test the solid essence. he infused it carefully into the armor, and could instantly feel the fabric stiffen and harden. It did make it harder to move, but not as much as infusing the essence directly into his body. This time, the sword stopped, no matter how much he tried to push it through. The result surprised him, even if he hadn¡¯t used any essence in his muscles. It was just a simple fabric, and it shouldn¡¯t be capable of such damage protection. ¡®... Do I force it through with essence? Nah, this is good enough.¡¯ He considered testing the solid essence for increasing strength as well, but he knew he would never use it due to the slow activation and stiffness in his body. But testing the infusion of liquid and solid essence in his weapons would have to be done. ¡®Ah, let¡¯s wait with that for tomorrow¡­ It¡¯s been a long day already.¡¯ The surroundings had started to darken, clearly showing signs of the night descending. John still had no idea how the light had managed to reach the surface, but it did. He just needed to think about survival, finding everything else to not be very important at the moment. ¡®Well, okay, I¡¯m still worried about Serah¡­ With some luck, we might be on the same continent, but¡­ It¡¯s not likely.¡¯ His last thoughts as the hard and uneven tree chair lulled him to sleep were of her. Some things just never changed. A week passed in the forest, and John was still in the same base. Now it was much larger, with nicely carved chairs and tables, and even a makeshift bed filled with large leaves and shredded bark. He had not fought much, but three of the monkeys had gotten too close during his training sessions, forcing him to take action. None of them gave him enchantments, but they did provide fresh meat and growth to his essence. They also provided enough essence to fill his core exactly how he wanted it: twenty percent each for gaseous and solid essence and sixty percent for liquid essence, which he had used the most during his training. At this point, he felt confident in his usage of the new forms of essence. He wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard and unable to use it, at least, which had been his initial fear. The control of liquid essence still caused some issues at times, but he had improved in all aspects. ¡®Now I think I¡¯m ready to find some other bastards to hunt. These monkeys are no longer a challenge. I might even be on par with some aspecters at this point¡­ Well, maybe that¡¯s optimistic. But the weight shifting and power increase should give me an advantage, so in an ambush, I might be able to win.¡¯ Even with all his training, John still feared the red demon he had seen on the ground. He might be able to chop a tree in half now, but it would take a lot of effort and essence. Doing it casually was out of the question. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®At least I¡¯ve got a good understanding of essence now. If I infuse liquid essence in Larang and imagine it spreading from the edge, it becomes a lot sharper. And if I use solid essence, it becomes much harder. That would work best with the shield.¡¯ It seemed that the different forms of essence had no clear effect on enchantments. He had tried changing his weight while infusing the armor with all the different types, but it always ended the same way. Once again, he crawled out of his hiding spot, ready to find new enemies. He was tired of fighting monkeys, to the point where he would rather just escape if they attacked him. He still wondered what would have happened if he had followed that first monkey. ¡®Surely it was an ambush! He summoned his friends so quickly when I refused to join him¡­¡¯ The forest was dense as ever, letting him see only twenty meters in any one direction. The leaves at his height didn¡¯t help, either, but it was a perfect spot to avoid the dangers of the ground. Looking at the view in the sky, he decided to travel toward the main part of the continent. If he stayed the course, it would be easier to remember the way back. He was not sure he could recognize the area otherwise. He jumped between the trees, keeping his weight light and using his liquid essence to sprint. If he ran like he normally would, he would overshoot his target, so he needed to be careful about the power he applied to his feet. ¡®I swear this forest has gotten denser, and the trees feel a lot taller. Every day that¡¯s passed, I¡¯ve sensed this gradual change. Is it related to what Sage Full Blue said about something strange going on?¡¯ After a few minutes of running, he stopped to listen to the forest. The leaves rustled gently in the wind, but there was no sound of anything living in the area. Nor any smells or tracks he could use. ¡®Do I have to go down to the ground? I feel confident in escaping, but¡­ Well, I guess it¡¯s fine.¡¯ Ever since he got here he had stayed in the treetops, too wary of the creatures living on the ground. But it made sense that only monkeys would live in the treetops. It wasn¡¯t the easiest place to reach¡ªespecially not for beasts on four legs. John summoned his trusty little sword before jumping down from the tree. Using the sword as a brake, he stabbed it into the tree to control his descent. He would be fine without slowing down as well, but the impact might waste some essence. His feet landed on the ground with a soft thud, creating marks in the soft soil. The more he descended, the darker his surroundings became, and the smells changed completely. Now, there was a slight scent of moss and wet dirt, with a hint of iron and soot. ¡®Okay, It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used my tracking skills. Let¡¯s hope they¡¯re not completely rusty.¡¯ He headed in the same direction he had been running in earlier, only slower and more on guard now. Dangers could be lurking around every corner on the ground, so he was very wary. ¡®Tracks! But they¡¯re too large; they¡¯ve got to belong to a demon!¡¯ He could see that they weren¡¯t fresh, but the sight still made him nervous. The tracks were much like those of the bargs, only way larger, with claws digging deep into the dirt. ¡®Could it be a demon barg? One that managed to gather enough essence to evolve? In that case, it should be one of the weaker demons, then¡­¡¯ The thought of hunting a demon filled him with both fear and excitement. It sounded extremely stupid, but if there was one demon he would be able to beat, it would have to be a barg. The thought of growing his core also tempted him, considering it would have way more essence than a monster barg. ¡®Fine, I¡¯m convinced¡­ Let¡¯s follow these nice tracks quietly.¡¯ Following the tracks was simple, but he might need to be quick if he wanted to catch up. The best scenario might be encountering it while it was resting, and in that case, his speed didn¡¯t matter much. ¡®Judging by the tracks, it seems to be moving slowly, so I think moving quietly is fine. I hope I don¡¯t smell. But there haven¡¯t been any opportunities for a bath¡­¡¯ The barg might be able to smell him approaching, and that would be a problem. He decided to stay alert around every corner in case it set up an ambush, even if he doubted it would be clever enough to do so. Five minutes of tracking later, the tracks started getting very fresh. And John started getting very nervous. The forest was a lot quieter down by the ground since the leaves were all up on the tops, so the wind had nothing to rustle. Taking a deep breath, he started preparing an air blast in his left arm, just in case. The forest started feeling warmer, and he could only assume it was due to a nearby beast. A loud sniffing noise was suddenly heard from his front, followed by the sound of something large starting to move. Slow growling and heavy feet hitting the ground let John know the fight was about to start. ¡®Bring it, mutt!¡¯ A massive shadow loomed through the trees, far larger than John had anticipated. This would certainly be his toughest challenge yet. Chapter 23 - Demon Barg With a deep growl, the demon barg appeared from behind the tree. Standing on all its legs, it was nearly twice the size of John. Its muscles were bulging through its barred skin, and its eyes were yellow and glowed faintly as it stared at John. ¡®Holy shit you¡¯re big! But it¡¯s definitely a barg, just evolved into a demon.¡¯ He could feel his body tensing under the beast''s stare, feeling an instinctual fear. But at the same time, he could feel his excitement building. With essence flowing through his entire body, he felt ready. Both of his arms already had an air blast prepared, but his weight remained as usual. During his training, he found that decreasing the weight after he started moving instead gave him a higher speed. The beast circled him slowly, sizing him up. It at least had the intelligence not to attack blindly when something was standing up to it. But then it stopped and lowered its head, going completely silent. ¡®Here we go¡­¡¯ It blasted off, kicking mud behind it as it sprang into action. The short distance between them would be gone in a second, but John was ready. He fired the air blast with the liquid essence, which sent him hurtling to his left, safely avoiding the attack. But he wasn¡¯t just going to dodge. He had aimed for a tree with the blast and landed on his feet while summoning the short sword in his right hand. Taking aim for the head of the beast, he fired the remaining blast, sending the sword hurtling through the air at an incredible velocity. It had four times the force behind it as the previous version, after all. Before looking to see how it went, John activated the solid essence in his feet, attaching himself to the tree he was standing on, defying gravity. The sword had a good direction and timed well with the barg turning to look at him. It hit it perfectly in the neck. But no damage was done whatsoever. ¡®What?! Is that¡­ metal skin? That¡¯s your fucking aspect?! A metallic sheen had appeared on the barg¡¯s neck before impact, deflecting the sword with ease. Even John¡¯s upgraded sword shot was unable to leave a single mark, and now he started to worry. The barg left him no time to think as it leapt after him with its jaws open, showing fangs that could bite him in half. Its speed was far greater than anything John had fought before, but so was he. Another burst of air while releasing his feet from the tree allowed him to safely dodge again, choosing to jump to another tree. ¡®If I can¡¯t damage him¡­ Well, a full-power attack should do it, but that forces me to jump right past him. It¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ The beast didn¡¯t mind his sudden dodge. It landed on the tree John had been standing on and pushed off with its claws and hind legs, following him to the next tree. The tree bent and shook under the massive force it exerted, catapulting it forward. ¡®Do I have to use its speed against it? Let¡¯s try this!¡¯ With little time to think, John decided to take a risk. He knew the beast wouldn¡¯t have any chance to dodge in mid-air, so he jumped at an angle toward it. He would be able to attack with Larang, but the barg wouldn¡¯t have enough reach to touch him. John leapt hard with the liquid essence, leaving cracks in the wood under his feet, and immediately lightened his weight. Then he summoned Larang in his left hand in front of the demon before lowering his speed again. The difference in momentum caused Larang to swing forward against the barg with incredible force, slashing through the wind. The barg twisted in mid-air to dodge, but it was unable to avoid it completely. Larang slashed into the side of its chest. A violent reverberation through the sword almost caused John to lose his grip, but he managed to hold on with the liquid essence coursing through him. The impact created a loud noise of metal clashing against metal, but it was interrupted as the blade penetrated the hide. The wound was disappointing, only digging about ten centimeters into the beast, but it at least showed that it was possible to wound it. It roared as it was hit before hitting the tree awkwardly and falling to the ground. John was in free fall after his attack, spinning slowly in the air from the force of the blow. ¡®Damn! Do I just escape? Killing this thing will be a damn challenge!¡¯ If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Once the beast was back on its feet, it ran below him, likely hoping to get an attack in after he fell. The wound didn¡¯t seem to have done much, but it was bleeding enough to eventually weaken it. Not willing to fall into the open jaws below him, John used the spinning motion to throw Larang down with all his might, aiming for the barg. The momentum caused him to continue flying forward, letting him land on another tree. Larang flew down with force aided by gravity, but the beast simply whacked it aside with its claws, avoiding the attack with ease. It looked at John again and suddenly swiped its paw in the air toward him. The claws seemed to send out some kind of wind-blades, which were now rapidly flying toward him, making high-pitched cutting sounds as they traveled through the air. ¡®What?! It¡¯s got ranged attacks too?! Fuck!¡¯ John was forced to summon his greatshield, hoping the blades weren¡¯t more dangerous than they looked. He reinforced it with liquid essence since he didn¡¯t have time for the soild type, but it would probably be good enough. Only three of the blades hit the shield, but the force was still great enough to push John into the tree behind his shield. He could hear the sound of shredded metal and feared the worst. ¡®Fuck, I¡¯ve got to get out of here first!¡¯ He dismissed the shield and used another airblast to push himself far up into the tree, hoping to take a breather. Once it got out of range, Larang returned to his core. With the added danger of such a powerful ranged attack, he no longer felt confident in his chances of survival. While looking down at the beast, he briefly looked into his core, checking the damage to the shield. Three deep grooves had appeared on its front, digging halfway through the metal like butter. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to use that to defend again¡­ How long will it take it to heal?¡¯ All equipment stored in the core would mend over time, so he wasn¡¯t scared of losing the shield. But he didn¡¯t like the lack of defensive equipment while going against such a formidable enemy. The barg growled up at him and started to jump from tree to tree, climbing its way up. John had to decide what to do. ¡®Hmm, I could probably do some real damage if I stood my ground and swung with full force, but that would make me an easy target. If I can get below it, I can do the strongest attack. And if it is jumping down against me at the same time, that has to be enough to inflict a mortal wound, right?¡¯ Once the barg was about fifty meters up, John jumped down from the top. He passed the giant dog and waved with a smile, hoping it would cause it to follow him down. The ground came closer very quickly, but an air blast gave him enough braking power to land safely. He looked up immediately, seeing the barg jump after him just as planned. And so he started to prepare. Liquid essence flowed into his hands and feet, preparing two airblasts and his most powerful jump at the same time. His weight was normal now, but once he decreased it mid-air, he would fly so quickly that the air would hurt his eyes. The barg was already merely twenty meters above him, but John was ready. He bent down quickly before putting all the force he could muster in his legs and jumping. Once he was off the ground, he fired both air blasts, increasing his speed by at least three times. He had no time to think at this speed, so he merely followed his plan, immediately decreasing his weight and summoning Larang to his side. He didn¡¯t bother holding it because he didn¡¯t want to be that close to the barg, so Larang could be summoned while pointing directly toward the beast. The wind alone was enough to blind John, so he could not see what was happening. He knew Larang was aiming directly at the demon, but he did not know what happened after that. The next thing he knew, he was flying high up in the air, punching through the leaves in the treetops and still flying way past them. Once he was able to see again, he was already way above the treetops, perhaps even two hundred meters above them. ¡®Holy shit! Shit! Holy shit!¡¯ At the peak of his height, John was panicking. He had a plan for what to do when falling from a great height, but it almost escaped him as he saw the view around him. The forest wasn¡¯t as large as he feared; in fact, he could see the end easily from there. The only problem was the fractured land he could see stretching past it. It seemed to have been torn in pieces, with its cracks leading to the black space below it, continuing in eternity. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, the giant black bird he had seen when he arrived was nearby as well, merely a couple of kilometers away. The shadow it cast on the ground was definitely unnatural, spreading out way past what should be possible, as if it consumed the ground below it. It was flying in a different direction, but it might still be able to see him. John dearly prayed that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®Fucking shit, please don¡¯t come over here, please! I¡¯m way too small to be a worthy meal, right? You¡¯d need at least an elephant to be full. I¡¯m really sorry about being this high up!¡¯ He breathed out slightly as the bird kept flying, not seeming to have seen him, or at least not bothered enough to hunt him. But then the wind started picking up, reminding him of his situation. ¡®Oh, right¡­ ground.¡¯ Chapter 24 - Feeling Blue John¡¯s plan to avoid splatting into the ground was rather simple; it relied on taking advantage of his equipment system. As he bent down, he summoned the greatshield below his feet and jumped off it, sending it hurtling down to the ground while stopping a lot of his own momentum. The shield returned to his core as soon as it was about thirty meters away, letting him repeat the process again. It did take some essence and skill to keep everything steady, but it seemed to be working just fine. He reached the treetops before long, keeping his speed manageable, and decided to use a final jump to reach one of the trees. Feeling the solid ground below his feet felt nice, but he knew there was still potential danger below him. Larang had returned to his core during the flight, and it had received a slight bend to the blade. He wasn¡¯t sure what that might mean, but it at least meant it had hit the demon somehow. He looked below and could clearly see the beast. It was lying on the ground, writhing in pain and bleeding heavily. John breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Thank God, it seems mortally wounded now. Can I kill it with the shortsword? If I take it by surprise, it shouldn¡¯t be able to harden its skin, right?¡¯ While keeping a watchful eye on the beast, John walked down the treeside using his solid essence, staying as quiet as possible. He wanted to get close enough to ensure a good hit before stopping, but the beast was getting sluggish, so he had to be quick. Twenty meters away, he summoned the shortsword in his hand and took aim at the beast''s skull. He waited for it to stop its movement for a second, holding his breath. ¡®I really, really want an enchantment from you, beast. Be nice, and let me end your suffering.¡¯ The moment arrived, and John fired the sword, aiming perfectly at the back of its skull. It pierced easily this time, avoiding detection and preventing the steel defenses from activating. The barg twitched one final time as it pierced its neck before finally falling silent. Feeling certain the fight was over, John jumped down to the ground with a thud, eager to see what demon essence was like. He couldn''t help but smile, feeling ecstatic about felling a demon beast on his own as a mere breaker. He knew he had many advantages over others, but it still felt like a great achievement. Larang had left a deep gash in the side of the barg, cutting through ribs and intestines in its way. The skin looked like it was ripped apart around the wound, but it had still managed to stop the sword before it pierced all the way through, bending it in the process. ¡°Thanks for the fight,¡± he said as he put his hand on the large black head. The battle had taken more essence than John had expected, but he still had about half remaining. His training had really paid off since he managed to completely avoid using the gaseous essence, which still remained as a crutch. His essence poured into the demon, and he could feel the power that was contained in the barg¡¯s essence. Not only much larger than his own, it was also more potent. More dense. ¡®Is this what Sage Full Blue meant by purity? It does feel stronger, but it seems very similar to my own¡­ ¡® The essence flowed back to his own core, overflowing with gaseous essence. John decided to convert it on the spot so he would be back at full strength, taking his time with the absorption. ¡®The rainiest of days¡­ Pouring down like a flood from the sky¡­ I wish I knew a way to speed this up!¡¯ He had already improved the method, but it still took him five minutes to fill his core. Standing there on the ground, he felt vulnerable. But nothing appeared in the end. The rest of the essence went to reinforcing his core, increasing its size by about fifteen percent. Since it had only grown by slightly over ten so far, this was a great increase¡ªworthy of a demon. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. And the gifts didn¡¯t end there. A blue light was dancing around in his core as well. John jumped in joy, feeling that the fight was more than worth it. ¡®Yes! A blue one, even! Now I only need one more to be fully decked out, and I doubt any breaker will have as strong enchantments as me! Demons, watch out!¡¯ He immediately started trying to figure out what the enchantment did, just in case it wouldn¡¯t suit Larang. That¡¯s where it would likely go since only Larang and the shield lacked enchantments now, and the weight enchantment was super useful. And no way would he destroy the golden enchantment. The golden goose. ¡®... Gravity? How would I use that? Does it increase gravity? Does it change gravity? On just the equipment or on me as well? Will I be able to fly? Well, not that I want to¡­¡¯ The thought of meeting blackie again frightened him, so he would not be using it to fly over the treetops in any case. He considered if there were any possible uses for gravity manipulation with the shield, but came to the conclusion that Larang probably could use it more. ''Larang it is, then. Don¡¯t disappoint me, now!¡¯ He let the blue light drift towards Larang, which was still slightly bent from the impact. It entered like a drop on a watery surface, creating ripples through the greatsword. The information appeared in John¡¯s mind once again, telling him exactly what the enchantment was capable of. Local gravity manipulation, only applying to Larang, but still extremely useful, he thought. He could change the direction of gravity affecting Larang, and also the force applied to it by up to three times. ¡®This means I could increase the force of my swing by¡­ well, quite a lot. That¡¯s some hard math. Let¡¯s see: gravity is about ten meters per second squared¡­ Then, three times that, while holding one side¡­ No, let¡¯s just conclude with four times gravity at the tip. And a whole one-eighty arc would be about¡­ Wait, ten meters? Really?¡¯ He struggled with math due to the years he had spent without school, only focusing on combat. A different approach would likely suit him better. ¡®How come there¡¯s so much math in fighting, suddenly? Serah should have been here¡­ Well, or I could smash it into a tree and see how deep it goes!¡¯ His elegant solution definitely had merit, as it would let him get a sense of the power as well as skip the boring stuff. He wasn¡¯t in any danger after all. Larang was summoned into his hands, already looking better than it had earlier, but still slightly bent. John could feel the ability to change the gravity as he held it, giving him a new sense of power. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s just try an overhead swing first. That should be the easiest.¡¯ He held it over his head with both hands and stood in front of a tree, prepared to slash down. The sword''s gravity suddenly shifted forward at three times the usual force, lifting John from the ground and sending him along the sword toward the tree. ¡®Ah, shit! The centripetal force brings me along, of course! Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought.¡¯ But his joy didn¡¯t diminish much because Larang had sunk deeply into the tree without using any of his own muscles to support the swing. This clearly showed the power behind this new ability despite the challenges it brought. He changed the direction of gravity again to help pull it out, and it came along easily. Then he tried turning the gravity straight up, only using the normal amount of force this time. It made him feel a lot lighter, but it wasn¡¯t quite enough to make him float. From that, he estimated the weight of the sword to be around eighty kilograms. ¡®This will definitely let me fly, and at pretty good speeds as well. The acceleration would be about twenty meters per second per second, only stopped by the wind resistance. But I need to figure out the slashing first.¡¯ Deciding to go for a sideways slash instead, he held it out to his side, planting his feet firmly in the dirt. He wouldn¡¯t be lifted from the ground this time, at least. And instead of using the full force, he decided to go with a single g, making it easier to understand the forces used without risking injury. It started flying forward, and John still felt himself being dragged along with it. It made him lose balance once again, going against all his combat instincts, which he had been training for over five years. ''God damn, this isn¡¯t easy. I need to understand how the blade is dragging me along, but it feels so unintuitive to hold it back while I¡¯m swinging! Can I¡­ Is it possible to only affect one part of the sword? If I could only apply gravity to the tip, it would be way easier.¡¯ He stood ready with Larang in his hands again, but his eyes were closed in concentration. Trying to sense if it would be possible, he gently applied the ability he felt so clearly to just one side of the sword. But then, all of a sudden, his eyes stopped working. Or rather, he couldn¡¯t see a thing, like the world had lost all its light in a split second. The red of his eyelids was no longer there, and nothing changed between keeping them open and closed. But his ears still worked fine. He could hear a massive pair of wings moving in the air high above him as if going in for a landing. The sudden blast of wind blowing up around him threatened to push him off his feet. ¡®Oh¡­ I¡¯m dead.¡¯ Chapter 25 - Darkness of the Abyss John¡¯s mind went into overdrive as he tried to figure out how to survive this. He was certain this blackness was caused by the black horror of the skies. ¡®Jump up?! Fly? I can¡¯t run fast enough through the trees, have to go up!¡¯ He put Larang back in his core as fast as he could and pushed the limits of how much essence he could put in his feet, bending down to the ground. The pure essence from the barg would get to show its worth right away. He pushed with his entire body, feeling the ground disappear from under him, and then he unleashed the most powerful air blast he could muster from both hands. His bones ached from the sheer force, but he had no choice if he wanted a chance at surviving. Once his speed was at its highest point, he reduced his weight, adding another seventy percent of velocity. The greatshield was summoned above him, and Larang below his feet, pushing him upwards with its reversed gravity. On his way up, he felt the branches of the trees hit the shield, but it didn¡¯t reduce his speed by much. Thinking it best to reduce his weight, he put the shield away again, only relying on Larang to carry him away now. ¡®Fuck! Please don¡¯t let me hit that horror! Tell me it¡¯s not directly above me!¡¯ He prepared another air blast in his hands, not caring about what would happen to his arms, and fired in an angled direction, away from the spot he had been in. Larang fell from his feet, but a quick resummoning put it back below him, pushing perfectly against his own force of gravity. The wind was strong enough to force his eyes shut, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything either way. His only hope was to get out of the pitch-black area without the blackbird following him. ¡®My luck is so god damn bad! Why would it care about me?!¡¯ Larang kept lifting him ever further away, using its tripled reverse gravity, but it had stopped accelerating now. The wind resistance was as high as their upward drift, braking as much as Larang was boosting. John begged all the powers that might be to let him live, and let the horror remain behind, uninterested in his scrawny little body. His inner armor was drenched in cold sweat despite the cooling wind. Then, miraculously, his eyes could sense the light again. He was out of the blackout zone, meaning he at least was escaping faster than the bird was chasing him. He refused to slow down, but he wanted to look behind him to see what was going on. Turning awkwardly on top of Larang, he tried to open his eyes to see. ¡®Ahh, of course¡­¡¯ The bird was sitting on the treetops, lifting the black corpse of the barg in the air with some kind of wind magic and preparing to chomp down. The thing that caught its interest was food, not some tiny morsel entering its domain unbidden. John felt almost all the tension lift from his body, nearly knocking him off the sword. Now he could stop panicking and lower his speed, but he was still in a hurry to get below the treeline. Tempting fate was generally a bad idea, after all. ¡®Holy shit, that scared the crap out of me! Is that what an invoker is capable of? How would I ever be able to counter that?!¡¯ As he approached the leaves below him, he made Larang slow down, countering the momentum by gently pulling in the opposite direction. It worked surprisingly well as a flying tool, letting him travel faster than a free fall. ¡®This would take me about five kilometers in a minute, I think. That¡¯s amazing, especially for not taking any essence¡­ How does that work?¡¯ The inner workings of energy appearing from seemingly nowhere escaped him, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care very much. His first priority was getting back on solid ground and then staying there for a while. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The base he had created for himself was now nearly impossible to find again. He estimated it to be about a kilometer in a different direction, but he was more likely to be wrong than right. ¡®Eh, I¡¯m more interested in leaving the forest anyway. Those fractured pieces of land looked very strange, but that¡¯s most likely where I¡¯ll have to go. And I think I¡¯m capable of fighting demons now, or at least capable of escaping.¡¯ Hovering lightly above a treetop, he dismissed Larang and landed on his feet. They were shaking from the adrenaline in his body, as it hadn¡¯t even been a minute since he thought he would die. The only thing saving him was the disinterest of the black bird. After checking his surroundings and not finding anything, he sat down on the ground and exhaled deeply. ¡®This is what I get for overestimating myself. I should have escaped after seeing the defenses of that barg, and even more so after I barely survived its ranged attack¡­ What even was that? It didn¡¯t seem like any spell I¡¯ve ever heard about. Was it¡­ an enchantment?¡¯ It made sense to him that beasts also could gain enchantments, but he couldn¡¯t figure out how they applied them. They didn¡¯t have the brains to use equipment, but maybe there was a way to use body parts as equipment? The attack had come from its claws, after all. ¡®Well, it could just be a spell they learn by instinct¡­ Ah, fuck, my shoulder!¡¯ A sudden ache from his shoulder interrupted his thoughts as he tried to lift his arm. The air blasts he had used to escape were stronger than his body could handle, and now he would suffer the consequences. Circulating essence in wounded body parts luckily had a healing effect, but it still took a while with large wounds. And they didn¡¯t always go back to how they were. It was more like it activated the natural healing of the body, increasing the speed considerably. The liquid essence started flowing through his entire body, making him feel like he was submerged in a refreshing pool of water. It relieved the aches and bruises, and he took a deep, grateful breath. ¡®Ahhh¡­ The effect seems to be even better with liquid essence. Or maybe it has more to do with the quality? Probably a bit of both¡­¡¯ He lay down on his back, taking a moment to enjoy the calm and quiet forest. The constant sense of danger he had felt up to this point suddenly felt a lot more muted after he managed to beat a demon, even if they were still a threat. Now he knew he could escape most situations as long as they didn¡¯t involve horror-level beasts. ¡®Did I make any mistakes during the fight?... The only thing I can think of is that I wasn¡¯t prepared for that ranged attack. I should keep an air blast ready at all times, just in case. Other than that¡­ I did well.¡¯ As he closed his eyes, his thoughts drifted to Earth. The fact that there were horrors there as well would make it just as dangerous as this planet, if not more so. And since humanity had seven weavers on its side, it only made sense that there would be tyrants on Earth as well. Otherwise, they should have been able to defeat the beasts by now. ¡®I guess there¡¯s a lot I still don¡¯t know¡­ Oh, maybe the weavers are all guarding portals? That would make sense, seeing as how the Lady of Fate was right next to the portal in Paris. She didn¡¯t seem strong, but now I know that was just an illusion.¡¯ The difference between a horror and a demon made it obvious that a weaver, the fourth tier, would tower above anything John had seen before. The purity of the essence alone would make them way stronger than him, and that¡¯s on top of all the enchantments and abilities they would have as well. But they likely didn¡¯t know about the different forms of essence, which made John an extremely important person. His return could turn the war singlehandedly. ¡®Well, I¡¯d better start getting back, then. There''s no point in staying here. There are people I have to save, after all.¡¯ Despite knowing what he would choose if he had to, he started wondering who was more important to save now: him or Serah. ¡®Easy answer, I just tell her everything about the essence! But then I have to find you first¡­¡¯ He could so clearly envision her standing in front of him, smiling sadly as she held his arm to her cheek. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but nothing mattered more than making sure she was safe. ¡®... Wait, why is it getting dark?¡¯ A gradual fading of the light around him suddenly made him open his eyes again. He knew it wasn¡¯t the bird flying above him because then he wouldn¡¯t see any light, but something was happening. ¡®What?! How?!¡¯ His eyes widened, nearly falling out of their sockets as he stared into the air. Surrounding him on all sides, several kilometers apart, the forest rose into the air. The edges of dirt and trees rose into the air, ever so slowly drifting toward the center of the planet. ¡®No, wait! They¡¯re not drifting up, I¡¯m drifting down!!!¡¯ An entire chunk of the forest was falling into the abyss below, breaking apart from the rest of the planet. And on that chunk, feeling himself getting lighter and lighter, John was drifting ever downward into space. Chapter 26 - Brittle and Hollow Sensing the danger of the situation, John shot up from his resting position and jumped into the air. Larang was summoned under his feet and started lifting him upwards, but the wind was pushing down with unusual force. ¡®Damn! Is the air falling down into space with the rest of this forest? Won¡¯t that mean that the planet will lose all its air soon?¡¯ Despite the grim outlook he predicted, he had more pressing concerns. Larang was pushing with its full force, slowly but surely letting him climb out of the hole in the planet¡¯s crust. But the air was getting thinner the higher he reached. Soon, it would even be hard for him to breathe. ¡®Fucking hell, this planet is out to get me! But my speed is increasing as the air is getting thinner, so it should be fine! I¡¯m getting closer to firm ground!¡¯ His speed increased dramatically as he climbed, surpassing the speed he had during his escape from the bird. But now he had to hold his breath, unable to get the oxygen needed from the surrounding air. ¡®Just a bit more now! Ah, my lungs are already burning! There¡¯s no oxygen in this air! Will there even be enough air when I reach the surface?¡¯ His thoughts were approaching desperation, but he knew the air of the entire planet would take a long time to leak out if that was what was happening. Only a hundred meters remained between the edge and him. And that didn¡¯t even take him a second. He hurtled through the air above the treeline of the solid ground and hit a wall of air, knocking him off Larang in an instant. ¡®What the hell?! The air here is unchanged?! Not even a breeze?!¡¯ The immediate kickback from the air resistance caused him to brake harshly, blinding him with air. He needed to get his bearings back before landing on anything hard. Larang was already back in his core after continuing to fly past him, nearly unaffected by the air resistance due to its shape. But John summoned the shield instead, planning to shield his eyes from the air so he could see again. Right away, the suffocating wind disappeared from his face, allowing him to take a proper breath again, and to see what was going on. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m still way up in the air. Well, this is fine unless Mister Bird is somewhere nearby.¡¯ His velocity was still significant, but summoning Larang allowed him to slow down to a more reasonable speed. The gravity enchantment had already saved his life twice by now, and it was more than welcome to continue that trend. After a quick glance around to look for the black bird, John went down to the trees again. This time he refused to be disturbed by anything life-threatening. He just wanted to rest in peace, and not in a permanent way. ¡®The tyrant of this planet is getting a stern talking to once I find it! Can¡¯t have the place fall apart like this! Nothing will remain if it keeps this up.¡¯ With his legs back on the ground¡ªor, rather, tree¡ªhe sat down to take a breather. He assumed the cracks in the planes he had seen outside the forest were just as present inside it, only hidden by the trees. That would mean that any part of the planet was in danger of suddenly falling into space. As John looked up at the rest of the planet, he had a sinking feeling that he had been part of the first fall. No other obvious holes could be seen, and he assumed they would be visible even from this distance. ¡®I¡¯ve got the most incredible luck in the world, don¡¯t I? Is the Lady of Fate fucking with me?... Wait, could she actually be?¡¯ This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. At first, the thought seemed like a mere joke, but the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She had the ability to influence chance, and he had already been on the wrong side of it several times so far. But he had also had some incredible strokes of luck, particularly the meeting with the sage. If she was influencing his fate for the sake of the world, it made perfect sense for him to meet the sage. But if that was the case, she must have more control than she had let him know. ¡®... No use worrying about that now, I guess¡­ It¡¯s getting dark soon, so maybe I should dig into this tree and go to sleep for the night. Or maybe¨C¡¯ A sudden knock on the tree beside him interrupted his thoughts, scaring him out of his wits. He hadn¡¯t heard anything approaching, and he was sure there had been nothing there before. With three rapid knocks in a row, the knock also sounded very human¡ªor very monkey-ish. But neither was completely correct. As he looked over, he saw a girl sitting on her knees, completely naked. But the most surprising thing was the antlers sticking out of her head, seemingly growing right out of it. The addition of the dark brown hair and brown eyes gave her a deer-like appearance. She looked at him curiously, completely unbothered by her own lack of clothes. But John was bothered, in several ways. ¡®What? Are those an aspect of some kind? Why is she naked? Did she come from the base we were heading to? How is she so young if she has an aspect? I¡¯m among the youngest breakers, right?¡¯ ¡°Uhm, hello?¡± he tried, hoping to get some answers. But the girl only looked at him, tilting her head slightly. It almost seemed like she didn¡¯t understand him. Or even cared to. Her expression was strangely neutral, given the situation. ¡°Ehh, are you deaf? Do you have bad ears?¡± He tried gesturing to his own ears to make her understand, but her reaction remained very muted. Instead, she started pointing in a direction up to the sky while still keeping her eyes on him. John followed her finger, unsure of what he might find. But nothing in that direction stood out to him, except that it was part of the same continent they were standing on right now. ¡°... Is that where the portal is? Do you know the way back home?¡± She blinked at him before looking up at the sky herself, letting her arm fall down. Then she leaned back and lay her back on the tree, closing her eyes. John was getting annoyed at the challenge of trying to communicate with this girl, as well as her lack of clothes. He tried not to stare, but it was constantly gnawing at his attention. ¡®Fine, guess you can have my outer clothes then¡­ I have the armor, after all.¡¯ Without speaking, he started removing the dirty uniform he still wore and tossed it over to her. He let his shirt remain since she wouldn¡¯t be able to wear it over her antlers, but his jacket and pants were thrown over to her, landing beside her feet. ¡®What the hell is with those antlers anyway? Should I be more wary of her? I¡¯m not sure she¡¯s human, but I doubt there are any beasts capable of shapeshifting that would skip the antlers. Also, she¡¯s completely calm around me¡ªweirdly so, even.¡¯ ¡°Hey, put the clothes on, will you? They''re probably too big, but you can rip the pants to make a makeshift belt. The jacket¡­ Yeah, can¡¯t help you there. Just put it on, please. You¡¯re distracting.¡± She looked over at the clothes as he spoke, but she didn¡¯t seem eager to wear them, or even to understand what they were. Her gaze drifted to him, looking curious again. ¡°Ugh, do you really need me to help you? Did you lose your memory or something? Can you at least let me know you¡¯re human?¡± Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked closer at the clothes, moving to pick them up. She brought them to her face and sniffed before looking back at John, still furrowing her brows. ¡°Yeah, I know they smell, alright? I¡¯ve been out here for a week already, and there is no nearby water source. I just want you to cover up, at least if you want to come with me.¡± There was no way he was leaving her behind now that he had finally met another human, but he would absolutely have preferred to meet someone else. This girl seemed as knowledgeable as the monkeys he had fought¡ªand they were somehow easier to read. Still looking skeptical, the girl looked down at the jacket again. She tried opening it, and turned it from side to side, seemingly trying to understand it. ¡®... Wait, is there a beast that can eat memories around here? That would explain a lot of her behavior, but not the antlers. And I can¡¯t sense any power coming from her, so I don¡¯t think they are an aspect¡­¡¯ Seeing her struggle with the jacket, he extended his arm to her, hoping she would give it back so he could show her how it was done. But once she saw him, she pulled the jacket into her chest and glared at him, as if it were now precious to her. ¡°... Oh, right, you¡¯re a woman. No wonder I can¡¯t understand you. You guys are more alien than anything on this planet, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Chapter 27 - Rain in the Sky An hour later, the two of them were lying in a hole that John had carved out of a tree, ready for the night. He had been forced to help her get dressed, but now it should be fine in the future. The lair was a lot less intricate than the last one, but it was only made to cover them from the rain and the view of most beasts. John planned to start his travel through the plains the day after. ¡®I can¡¯t believe the first human I meet is this enigma of a girl¡­ I had to carry her down here, so I don¡¯t think she has any essence. But how could that be? How would she get to that tree in the first place, then? And what¡¯s with the antlers?!¡¯ He looked over at her as she lay there beside him, closing her eyes. Her head was resting on the antlers, making it impossible to lean it all the way back. It looked uncomfortable, but he figured she was used to it. Judging by her appearance, she couldn¡¯t be much more than eighteen years old. And short, at that. A tear quietly fell from her eye while he watched, and her face turned to one of sadness. John was surprised by the sudden show of emotion. ¡®So you¡¯re not as composed as you seem, then? Well, it does make you seem more human, at least.¡¯ She opened her eyes, somehow sensing his stare, and looked back at him with her normal, emotionless expression. If it hadn¡¯t been for the wet line going down her cheek, he might have thought he had been imagining things. Due to the antlers, she could not turn her head much, but the meaning of her expression was clear: what? ¡°No, it was nothing. I¡¯m just trying to figure out what you are¡­ You should get some rest; tomorrow will probably be a long day.¡± She kept looking at him without giving any indication that she understood him, so he leaned back and closed his eyes again. He had no idea how to explain his words without language. ¡®Unless¡­ Sage Full Blue could send information through words. Or rather, words that normally contain less information. Does that only work if the other part knows the language already? It seems like it should work either way¡­¡¯ He thought back to the mysterious sage, riding the demon like it was a pet. It pained him that he didn¡¯t have more valuable information to trade, but he was still very satisfied with what he had learned. ¡®Oh, was the strange thing he spoke about that was happening to the planet related to the forest suddenly falling into space? That seems unusual, for sure. And¨C wait¡­ How did he recognize me as human before I told him about Earth¡­?¡¯ The sudden realization made him inhale sharply. He searched his memories to make sure he was recalling them correctly. But there was no mistake; the sage¡¯s first words were about John being human. ¡®... What does that mean? Are humans common in the universe? I feel like they would have told me if we had explored space in the past¡­¡¯ He covered his face with his hands, exhausted by all the mysteries. There were too many to even keep track of. ¡®What did Serah know about what was going to happen? Why does she have a golden fate-string? Why did the planet decide to change as soon as we entered the portal? What is the sage doing here, and who are the Loreholders? And on top of it all, who am I? Are my memories real? Is my world real? And what¡¯s up with this deer-girl?!¡¯ After another deep sigh, he started imagining himself being back home, lying in his childhood bedroom. There were so few things to worry about back then. Only stuff like homework and feeding chickens. And Serah. And then he drifted to sleep.
The next day started well. John felt better after a night of sleep and was looking forward to starting his journey through the plains. But there were some issues. ¡°How do you want to be carried? On my back? In my hands? Over my shoulder?¡± He gestured hopefully as he asked, but the girl did not react, only staring at him. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. He wanted to use Larang to fly instead of traveling by foot, but he would need to carry the girl somehow. She would not be strong enough to hold on to it on her own. ¡°I really need to find a name for you. Deer-girl is kind of¡­ not right,¡± John said, looking at her bored expression. ¡°How about¡­ Rain?¡± She didn¡¯t seem very excited about it, but neither did she seem to mind. And John didn¡¯t care much about how she felt, since he would be the only one using it either way. He pointed at her, prompting her to study his finger. ¡°Rain.¡± Then he pointed at himself, to drive the point home. ¡°John. You Rain, me John. Understand?¡± Still no reaction, but she was looking at him at least. John sighed, sensing the frustration build in his head. Now, despite not being confident he could make it on his own, he would have to worry about keeping her safe as well during their journey. At this point, he was responsible for her, and he would feel terrible if she was hurt¡ªdespite her completely careless attitude. He approached her, turned around, and crouched down, gesturing for her to get on his back. It was the easiest way to carry her without making her too uncomfortable¡ªor at least he hoped. Seeing her still standing in place angered him a bit. He stood back up, walked over to her, and took hold of her arms, pulling them around his neck while turning his back to her. A light sound of surprise escaped her throat. ¡°Oh, so you do have vocal cords! Try using them once in a while, will you?¡± John leaned forward, lifting her off the ground with his height, and took hold of her feet, securing her to his back. She wasn¡¯t as developed in certain areas as most girls, so he didn¡¯t feel too distracted. But whether that was due to her age or simply genetics, he didn¡¯t know. He walked out of the tree and onto Larang, using his solid essence to attach himself to the sword before flying up. As they ascended, John felt Rain''s grip tighten slightly. In the corner of his eyes, he could see her looking around as they passed the leaves, giving them a good view of the surrounding area. John¡¯s first priority was checking for the black bird, but it was nowhere to be seen. The giant crater where he had fallen down was very visible, only showing a dark void. A mere kilometer in the other direction, the forest shifted to vast open plains, with cracks splitting it into smaller chunks of land. ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re headed, Rain. The same direction you pointed, right?¡± She responded by leaning her face against his left ear, causing him to twitch a bit at first. But it was a normal position to be in while on a piggyback, he thought, so it was no big deal. If anything, it just meant she was getting closer to him, and that was a good thing. She would need to trust him if they were going to cooperate. John kept the speed at a reasonable pace, using most of the reverse gravity to hold the two of them in the air. With added weight, the max speed would be lower either way, but she would have to be twice his weight to make it impossible to fly¡ªand she was barely half. ¡®In case of an attack, I¡¯ll have to land somewhere quickly. I haven¡¯t gotten to train in using the gravity enchantment in combat yet, so Larang might be better used as a transport vessel right now¡­ The plains don¡¯t leave much room for quick maneuvering like the trees, so it might be a big advantage.¡¯ Below them, the fractured plains stretched out like a broken mirror. The cracks between land masses were deep and dark, occasionally releasing puffs of steam or dust. The strange purplish-green grass swayed in patterns that didn''t quite match the wind John felt. ¡®This place better be less bothersome than the forest. But how could it not be? There are nearly no places to hide here, especially for big beasts like demons.¡¯ As they flew, John couldn''t help but question his decision to bring Rain along. ''Am I being reckless? I can barely keep myself alive out here, let alone protect someone else. But leaving her behind... that wasn''t an option either¡­¡¯ He looked back at her, seeing her disinterested eyes looking back at him as she tilted her head. He got the feeling that she would have been fine without him, but he couldn¡¯t make any sense of why he felt that way. Unless she was hiding something. If he had to choose between them, he would definitely save himself. He would feel terrible, though, and would do what he could to prevent it. ¡°Hey, Rain? Could you promise me that I won¡¯t regret bringing you along if I keep you safe? I think that¡¯s a reasonable request.¡± With the continuing lack of reaction, it felt like he was talking to himself, but he felt slightly better after speaking to her anyway. If he was being honest, he had been rather lonely in the forest. The hand holding his neck suddenly pointed to the crack in the earth in front of them. John slowed down, trusting that it had some meaning he just wasn¡¯t understanding. ¡°What is it, Rain? Do you want to look at it? Or is ther¨C¡± Before his sentence finished, a giant brown centipede appeared from the crack, heading straight for the two of them floating in the sky. It was easily twenty meters long and had two thin and agile arms at the end. ¡°Fffuck!¡± John yelled, trying to evade the incoming attack. ¡®That¡¯s definitely another demon!¡¯ Chapter 28 - Legs for Days With only a short window to dodge the attack, John decided to turn Larang¡¯s gravity downward at full force, holding Rain¡¯s legs firmly in place. With their weights all dragging in the same direction, they would fall faster than any other method. Rain made a sound of surprise as they dived, tightening her grip on John¡¯s neck. The centipede passed over them with a wide swing of its body, giving them time to get to the ground. John was focusing on keeping Rain safe first and foremost, and so he had to make sure the stop before hitting the ground wasn¡¯t too sudden. Once they neared the ground, Larang lifted with its full force, making John struggle to keep Rain in his hands without gripping her too hard. The gravitational pull only doubled, but he could feel her losing her grip. ¡®Damn this babysitting job! I should have asked for double the pay!¡¯ John jumped sideways off of the sword, trying to turn some of the momentum horizontally to mitigate the impact. He managed somewhat and let Rain fall to the ground, not having time to check on her. The centipede was turning back toward them, whipping its body around to create surprisingly fast movements. The long arms were clearly its most dangerous weapons, but no part of it seemed harmless. John sent Larang flying in a circle around their location, trying to build its speed before attempting a hidden attack. Meanwhile, he lightened his weight and ran toward the creature in an attempt to bait it and to figure out its aspect. Not knowing could be the difference between life and death. ¡°Here, you ugly piece of shit! Attack me!¡± John shouted, trying to make sure it focused on him first. He would be in deep trouble if the demon went after Rain from the start¡ªthen he would have to stop the attacks instead of dodging them. The centipede swung down toward him at an incredible speed, making it challenging to even dodge with his air blast in time. But he did, suddenly approaching the centipede¡¯s body instead of flying away. The sharp arms dug deep into the ground as he escaped, followed by the impact of its body crashing into the dirt. He would have thought that such an impact would hurt it, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡®Shit, how hardy is this thing? I¡¯m not sure I can hit it as hard as that!¡¯ His approach, too, was a distraction, keeping the beast focused on him instead of Larang, which was now heading straight for the centipede at over fifty meters per second. He would have trouble hitting if the centipede moved around too much, but the base should be an easy target. ¡®What¡¯s your damn aspect?! Is it as simple as being the arms you¡¯re using to attack?¡¯ Larang hit the middle of the centipede head-on, creating a resounding and sharp sound, but it only cracked the carapace before bouncing off. ¡®Damn, that¡¯s annoying! Can I hit that same spot twice? Probably not, right? What do I do?¡¯ Escaping was an option, but he wasn¡¯t confident he could bring Rain along and still be fast enough to get away. It would be a last resort. Another air blast let him dodge the long arms again, but this time the centipede turned to follow him along the ground. One of the arms was swinging after him, forcing him to summon the shield. The arm sliced against it harmlessly, protecting John for now. But with such a speed, it was only a matter of time before he was hit. ¡®Fucking, do I really have to wrestle?! I will, but neither of us is going to enjoy it!¡¯ He swung the shield down to the ground while using another air blast, heading straight for the centipede¡¯s head. It seemed too surprised to react, letting him get a hold of the base of its rigid right arm, and swing himself onto its back. His other hand grabbed the left arm while his feet attached themselves to the carapace using solid essence, and then he started to pull. The liquid essence in his core flowed out to his arms, legs, and back, giving his muscles an incredible boost in power. The centipede started thrashing its head back and forth in the air while a thin scream escaped its mouth, clearly in a lot of pain. Its arms were now bent backward in John¡¯s grip, threatening to tear off. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± John shouted, forcing his muscles to their absolute limits. A sudden snapping sound was heard as his torso shot back, bringing with him the two arms now ripped out of their sockets. The centipede now writhed on the ground, circling and curling itself together in pain. John was forced to jump off to avoid being bashed into the ground, but his job was mostly done. Now he had destroyed the centipede¡¯s most dangerous weapon, or at least he hoped he had. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®Okay, I enjoyed that more than expected, honestly. But I still don¡¯t know how to finish you off¡­¡¯ Larang was on its way back again after building up speed, but it would be challenging to hit the demon as it was right now. But he gave it a shot. It flew right past, only chopping off a few feet on its way, further angering the centipede. John decided to return Larang to his core as the centipede returned its focus to him. It didn¡¯t waste any time, going straight for an attack with its full weight. ¡®If Larang can¡¯t penetrate at that speed, it has to be because of the lack of essence. If I can¡¯t put essence through it, it is mostly just a normal sword. So a swing with my full power should be enough!¡¯ John stood his ground, planting his feet down with the solid essence and pouring the liquid essence through everything else. Larang was held above his head, ready to strike, filled with essence flowing through its blade. The entire atmosphere around John changed at that moment, as if the air itself was waiting in anticipation. The head of the centipede approached as if in slow motion, and its bug eyes stared straight at Larang. Even Rain, sitting in the grass behind him, looked at John with wide eyes. The gravity in Larang changed the instant John started swinging, pointing straight toward the incoming centipede and aiding the slash. John felt his body straining under the force he was exerting, as the downward force on Larang would have pulled him from the ground without the solid essence. Larang sang as it pierced the air, gleefully anticipating the impact. The blade penetrated the thick carapace with ease, digging deeply into the head of the centipede and destroying whatever it used as a brain. It didn¡¯t stand a chance. So big was the difference with a wielded blade. John felt the impact reverberating throughout his body, letting him know how tattered his muscles were. They had surpassed their limit twice in short succession, tearing several muscle fibers. The cut spread out from Larang, continuing on into the body and wreaking further havoc before stopping. It was almost like an extension of the blade continuing forward. But even if the centipede was dead, the slash didn¡¯t stop its momentum. It crashed into John, breaking his connection to the ground and sending him flying back. The breath escaped his lungs, making him gasp for air. His reduced weight mitigated the impact, but the force was still significant. He landed hard after flying nearly ten meters and slid on the grass for another five. His lungs and body hurt, and he coughed in short bursts as he tried to breathe. Rain ran over to him from behind, standing over him with an anxious expression. Even a tear could be seen in her eye. ¡°... Cough¡­ I got him! Don¡¯t worry!¡± John said, showing her a thumbs-up from the ground. She knelt beside him and looked over his body quickly before turning back to his face. Then she opened her mouth to speak, ¡°Aaava, aamamuyy!¡± It didn¡¯t sound like any language John had ever heard, and he assumed she was just making random sounds. But it at least showed she was willing to communicate with him now. He grinned as he responded, ¡°Nice to talk to you, Rain! We¡¯re gonna have to teach you some usable words, though¡­ That¡¯s gonna take a while.¡± She looked at him with a mix of frustration and worry, moving her hand to his hair and gently stroking it. John looked back at her with confusion, not expecting such a caring gesture. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m just gonna lay here for a moment, okay? I need to circulate my essence before moving much; everything hurts.¡± He closed his eyes and started focusing on circulating the essence remaining through his body, while still feeling Rain¡¯s hand on his head. ¡®Did she appreciate me keeping her safe that much? I mean, I get it, but I didn¡¯t expect it from her¡­ Feels nice.¡¯ The fight replayed in his mind as he lay there, giving him some insights into what worked and what didn¡¯t. Using Larang as a flying weapon was a good idea, but it lessened its power considerably as long as he didn¡¯t infuse it with essence. And there was no way to do that while it was flying, at least that he knew of. ¡®And what was that attack at the end? It seemed like the slash kept traveling past the blade somehow¡­ Was it due to the essence inside Larang?¡¯ He would have to make time for some more practice to figure things out. After ten minutes or so, he felt ready to move again, twisting his body and stretching some muscles to check on them. Rain stopped her gentle movement and pulled her hand back as he got up from the ground. He looked at her with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see if that ugly centipede left us something good, shall we?¡± Rain simply replied with a confused noise and stepped behind his back. It seemed like she misunderstood and thought he wanted her to ride on his back again. ¡°Heh, no. Going over there,¡± he said, pointing at the corpse before starting to move toward it. Rain followed right behind him, a bit closer than he expected. As he stood before the beast, he studied it more closely. The brown carapace had a nice shine to it and was clearly very strong. ¡®I wonder how tough it would be if I infused it with solid essence¡­ Probably way stronger than my shield, right? Would that work?¡¯ He dismissed the idea, instead putting his hand on the beast and starting to absorb the essence remaining. It was more than enough to fill his own essence back up and increase his core¡¯s size by another ten percent after that again. But there was no enchantment this time. ¡®Well, it makes sense. I didn¡¯t even summon the shortsword¡­ Oh well, I¡¯m just slightly disappointed.¡¯ From his side, Rain pointed down into the rift the centipede had appeared from, looking at him with eager eyes. John, curious, stepped over to the edge to look down. ¡°What the hell?! Is that¡­ from us?¡± About ten meters under the surface a hole had opened on the side of the rift, revealing a long and dark metal corridor. It reminded John of the corridors back in Berlin, a clear sign of unnatural architecture. ¡®Is this¡­ the base?¡¯ Chapter 29 - Djan and Laen Looking down at the metal hallway, John felt an urge to explore it. It was the first sign of intelligent life he had encountered on the planet, except for Sage Full Blue. Rain didn¡¯t really count, he thought to himself silently. Looking over at her, he wondered how she knew about the structure. She was staring at it with a curious expression, so it didn¡¯t seem like she knew what it was either. ¡®Wait, is that what she was pointing at while we were flying? Was it just a coincidence that the centipede attacked?¡¯ ¡°Uwahha?¡± Rain asked, looking at John. Or at least it sounded like a question, judging by her intonation. ¡°Yeah, probably. Let¡¯s go down and look, shall we?¡± He turned his back to her and crouched, hoping she would understand. And she did, putting her arms around his neck and jumping up when he stood up. Larang was summoned by his feet, so he stepped onto it and flew down. As he got closer, he could see the corridor get longer. It was deeper than he had thought, going on for at least a hundred meters. It was also a lot shorter than he thought. He barely managed to walk upright once he landed and had to set Rain down so her antlers didn¡¯t hit the edge. She was just short enough as well, with her antlers making her slightly taller than John was. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m taller than you,¡± John said as he turned to look deeper into the corridor, only now considering their heights. Rain simply replied with a confused expression and a ¡°Wahum,¡± before following after him. ¡®I¡¯ll take that as an agreement¡­ Why is this place so weirdly designed?¡¯ Other than the roof being so low, several things stood out to him as strange. The walls all had what seemed to be golden tubes running through them horizontally, covered by glass and steel frames. And it smelled like oxidized metal. ¡°... Is that actual gold? This place¡­ doesn¡¯t seem quite human.¡± ¡°Ahua.¡± ¡°Probably. Let¡¯s explore a bit deeper,¡± John responded, hoping she was picking up some parts of his language. Because of the darkness, John used his trusty torch spell, keeping a flame ignited above his hand and lighting the way. Due to the liquid essence, it was way brighter than usual at first, so he had to reduce the output. They both journeyed deeper into the corridor, looking for anything that seemed interesting. Nothing stood out immediately, no visible doors or anything that looked intractable. ¡®It¡¯s almost definitely not something we¡¯ve built. It seems¡­ deserted. And for way longer than a week. Did another alien race get here before us?¡¯ That explanation made sense. If portals could open up to Earth, the same could probably happen to other planets as well. And he knew they weren¡¯t the only intelligent race in the universe. ¡®... But what happened to them? Did they lose in the end? Did they even figure out how to use essence?¡¯ Eventually, they could see the end of the corridor clearly, and it seemed to have some sort of door they could walk through. It was even lower than the ceiling, though, so they would have to bow their heads. Rain might even have to go in sideways due to her antlers. She slowed down a bit as he got close to the door, positioning herself behind him and looking at the door cautiously. ¡°Ahwaaha?¡± John smiled, happy to see her rely on him like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you safe. Rain.¡± She looked up at him as he said her name, giving him hope that she had understood what it meant. He pointed at her and repeated it, ¡°Rain.¡± Slowly, she pointed a finger at herself with a questioning look. ¡°Laen.¡± John nodded, happy to have gotten this far. Then he pointed at himself. ¡°John.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°... Djan,¡± she repeated, close enough to count. John nodded again, smiling as he turned back to the door. It didn¡¯t seem like it had any handles, but there was a split in the middle that he probably could force open. And if not, he didn¡¯t care much about breaking it. His hands didn¡¯t get much of a grip, so he used the solid essence to attach them instead. With only a bit of force, the doors opened, revealing a larger circular area split over two floors. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± The first thing that caught his attention was the ten corpses lying in a ring in the middle of the room. They all had strange metallic suits on, covering most of their bodies, but their heads were completely dried and ravaged by time. The room seemed more like a research room than anything else John could think of. Bottles of strange fluids were inserted in large machines, and large boards filled with unrecognizable symbols, seemingly written by hand, were spread around the room. John entered the room slowly, taking in the surroundings. The room smelled of dust and old paper for some reason. ¡°This¡­ Those aren¡¯t humans, at least. But what are they?¡± Rain followed him in, looking less nervous now. Her expression hardened as she lay eyes on the circle of corpses. ¡°Aasveda.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good name. The Aasveda must have come here through a portal just like us, but they don¡¯t seem to have found much success. They seem to have been very technologically advanced, although I¡¯m not the right person to make that judgment.¡± Walking closer to the circle of dead Aasvedans, John noticed they all had holes in their heads. A very clear sign that they had lost hope, a ritual suicide. He sighed, imagining how their last moments must have been. ¡®Were they trying to research essence? Were they stranded here after the portal to their home closed? Did their home planet get destroyed? Or¡­ could this be their home planet?¡¯ The last thought also made some sense to him. He hadn¡¯t seen any signs of civilization other than this place, but the planet was large. If beasts had started showing up here and they never unlocked essence, this would be a realistic conclusion. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we¡¯re not heading in that direction¡­¡± A large piece of cloth on a table caught his attention. It was a map of the world they were in, but it was rather crudely made. John had no use for it since he could look up at the sky and have a much better idea of what the planet looked like. ¡®Okay, they¡¯re most likely not from here, then. They would have a better map if so.¡¯ Rain also searched the room, but she made sure to stay near him, just in case. There was no guarantee that there weren¡¯t any beasts here, after all. She looked very interested in the suits the Aasvedans wore and seemingly had no problems with them being dead. The second floor of the room was just a floor jutting out of the wall around the room, barely higher than John¡¯s head. It seemed more like an observation spot than anything else. ¡°Oh, there was one more?¡± A final Aasvedan corpse was sitting on the second floor, clutching something in its hands as if in a prayer. John was about to jump up to that floor but froze as the corpse suddenly moved its head. Two black sockets on its face seemed to stare right at him, while the head shook strangely from side to side. Its hands reached out toward him and slowly opened, seeming to offer the thing in its hands to him. ¡®What the fuck?!¡¯ The body was dead beyond any doubt, but it was still moving with purpose. It freaked him out, way more than anything else he had seen so far on this planet. Perhaps with the exception of the inversion. Rain screamed in fear as she looked at it, running to the farthest corner of the room. She looked absolutely terrified and curled up into a ball on the floor. John couldn¡¯t blame her; his own heart was threatening to beat out of his chest. It was like something from a horror story he had been told as a child. A whispery voice reached out to him, entering his mind directly. ¡°Take this last vestige of our kind, granted by the Lord of Death for our sacrifice, the last vestige of our world and our everything. Weep for us, and survive the doom upon you, child of the creator¡­¡± As soon as the voice slipped away, the corpse fell apart, letting the small object in its hands roll across the floor straight toward John. It was a silvery necklace centered around a small, perfectly black sphere. The room was completely silent now except for Rain¡¯s silent whimpering. John was still in shock, trying to process the events that just happened. ¡®What the hell was that? Lord of Death? Child of the Creator? Survive the doom upon me? What does any of that mean? And¡­ should I really take this thing?¡¯ He looked down at the necklace that had fallen from the second floor and somehow landed right by his feet. It might as well have screamed, ¡®I am a cursed object!¡¯ at him. But he was very tempted. ¡®If nothing else, they seemed to know a lot of stuff that I don¡¯t. And it would be rude to deny them after all that.¡¯ After bending down, his hand hovered over the necklace, trembling slightly. A mix of fear and curiosity warred within him. The rational part of his mind screamed that touching an unknown object from a long-dead alien race was a terrible idea. Yet, a deeper part of him longed for the knowledge it could contain. In a burst of decisiveness, his hand moved that final little distance, touching the necklace. Then he lost consciousness and fell into a deep slumber. Chapter 30 - Aasvedan A thousand years flashed by in an instant. From the early revolution of magnets and electricity to the marvels of fusion power, the Aasvedan planet lived through a millennium of peace and prosperity. No wars or diseases ever plagued their lands, no natural disasters or asteroids ever threatened them before they had the power to avoid them. Filled with great minds and leaders who pioneered incredible social structures and avoided catastrophic inventions. Their understanding of the universe was near perfect, but a single final theory always eluded them¡ªsomething to unite everything into one theory, a complete whole. Then one day, that final piece came to visit them. Portals filled with beasts that all contained that final piece started appearing, ravaging the ever-peaceful planet. But even if it was staring them in the face, essence remained a mystery to the Aasvedans. Faced with the threat of extinction, they tried to fight, but with such a long history of peace, it simply wasn¡¯t part of their nature. They were a species of knowledge and kindness, unable to handle the invasion of brutal beasts. But they never lost hope in understanding the final piece, hoping it would save them. So they sent their greatest leaders, minds, and explorers, equipped with all the tools they should need, through the portals. If the mysterious essence were to be understood, it would be on the planets it came from, after all. But alas, their eventual understanding arrived too late. As if it was taunting them, the nature of essence was opposed to technology and electricity. The very thing that pushed them forward and gave them the utopia they spent so long creating ended up being their downfall. Even if they had been able to take advantage of it, it was too late. The connection to their home planet was severed, but not because the portal had closed. The planet was simply no longer inhabited. The great history of the Aasvedans was reduced to dust. Every trace of their inventors, every great leader, every paragon of virtue, were all lost, never to be known by another living being again. And so, the ones still inside the portal did what their species hadn¡¯t done for centuries. They prayed. And something answered. Something that had existed since the first life was born. But its true nature seemed erased from the memories. All that could be seen was an endless darkness, covering the memories in black. The few Aasvedans accepted a deal, consumed by grief and rage. And so the memories ended.
¡°... Djan¡­ Djan!... Djan!¡± John opened his eyes ever so slowly, revealing Rain sitting over him with tears streaming down her face. He could feel himself crying as well, sensing the grief of the Aasvedans deep in his core. ¡°Ah¡­ Rain? How long¡­¡± He tried to hide the pain by simply ignoring it, but he was unable to get over the visions he saw. Arms covered his eyes to hide his weakness from Rain. ¡®Fucking¡­ damn it. All that history, erased by cruel irony. All those¡­ beautiful people.¡¯ The lives of the Aasvedans had really made an impression on him, beyond everything else he had seen. Even in his own constructed world, there was no idyllic society like that. But that was also why humanity was able to fight. Their trials and disagreements had trained them for desperate survival, not to mention the harsh environment of some places on Earth. Kill or be killed had been part of their reality since men first walked. ¡®... Wait, what¡¯s that?¡¯ A deep and relentless hatred lay dormant in a corner of his mind. Instead of willfully consuming him, it was waiting, making itself available should he find a need for it. Black tendrils were slowly circling it, grasping the space around it harmlessly. It was the rage, grief, and torment of an entire civilization. The lust for revenge would have been all-consuming if it had wanted to devour John, but instead, it bided its time. ¡®That¡¯s the last vestige? So they did learn hatred in the end¡­ Only, too late.¡¯ The necklace had somehow ended up on his chest, giving off a faint black glow. He could feel that it was some kind of essence making itself available to him, but it seemed extremely hard to manipulate. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®Black essence? So there were more than four types? I¡¯ll have to test that once we get out of here¡­¡¯ ¡°Djan!¡± Rain cried once more, shaking his shoulder in desperation. ¡°... Yeah, I¡¯m okay, Rain. Just¡­¡± He removed his hands, revealing his tear-stained face. They had stopped falling at this point, but the feeling of melancholy was still going strong. ¡°Just give me a moment, okay?¡± Rain went quiet, still staring at him anxiously. Her eyes quickly glanced at the necklace before turning back to him. ¡®Is she still scared after what just happened? Or, did it happen a while ago? I might have been out for a while¡­¡® He pushed himself up from the ground, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Aasvedans are good people. Even after death, they wouldn¡¯t harm us.¡± ¡®If she wasn¡¯t here, I would probably be stuck crying for a while¡­¡¯ The circle of corpses in the middle of the room had an entirely different meaning now. He knew all their names and personalities, and how much they had suffered before the end. It was like a dagger in his heart. ¡®... They never did bury bodies, so I guess it¡¯s fine to leave them¡­ The last Aasvedans¡­¡¯ The room itself felt different now, as it was the place where the final piece of a civilization had died. John even felt a reverence, scared to destroy or misplace anything. ¡°... Let¡¯s get out of here, Rain. I doubt there¡¯s anything left for us to find.¡± He turned and started walking to the corridor again, rather eager to leave this place. ¡°Ahm¡­¡± Rain replied, following after him quietly. Once they left the room, the atmosphere felt lighter, as if a weight had fallen off his shoulders. The light at the end of the corridor felt strangely bright as if it was the first daylight he had seen for centuries. ¡®... So technology is bad for essence? Then how come we can get it on Earth? We¡¯re not as advanced as they were, but still¡­ Is it because of the simulation? But that¡¯s created with technology, how would that help?¡¯ Ever more questions seemed to pop up as he explored this new world, while only a few were answered. This knowledge gave him another reason to get back to earth, along with everything else he learned. ¡®Wait, Sage Full Blue said we were surprisingly advanced in technology! And that we had been lucky. That must be what he meant!¡¯ It fit perfectly with what he already knew. The sage had offered that knowledge instead of knowledge about essence, so it might be equally important. ¡®But what will Earth do once they know? Stop advancing? Or does it no longer matter since we already have essence unlocked?¡¯ He shook his head, pushing the questions to the back of his mind and instead focusing on getting closer to home. They now stood by the crater again, so John gestured for Rain to get on his back. With a light smile, she nodded and climbed up, wrapping her arms around his neck. And like that, they ascended back to the surface.
Not much had changed; the centipede still lay there, unmoving, and the semicircle of light on the rest of the planet indicating the time of day had only moved slightly closer. ¡°Hah, I guess time slows down when you experience the history of an entire civilization. That felt like ages to me,¡± John noted, enjoying the breeze on his face. ¡°Abuwah, Djon,¡± Rain replied, calling his name for some reason. ¡°Jam jam jam.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you hungry? I don¡¯t know if centipede is the best¡­ Well, I haven¡¯t really tried, either.¡± The plains appeared a lot less populated than the forest, so eating when they had the chance seemed like a smart thing to do. John flew up in the air some more to scout the area, but he found no signs of enemies. He felt it would be fine to cook some of the meat properly, so Rain didn¡¯t have to eat it raw. Once back on the ground, he used the shortsword to cut a piece off of the centipede from where Larang had cut it open. It didn¡¯t have much smell, but it was pale yellow¡ªquite unappetizing. ¡°Mmh, I don¡¯t feel very hungry honestly¡­ You can have it all to yourself, Rain.¡± ¡°Mmidafee?¡± Rain tried, doing her best. John looked at her in slight surprise. ¡°Yeah! ¡®Hmm, I don¡¯t feel¡¯, correct! Just need a bit more pronunciation!¡± She smiled and repeated herself, more confidently this time; ¡°Mmidafee.¡± ¡°... It doesn¡¯t really mean much, but it¡¯s a good start! Here, let me cook this thing for you!¡± John used his essence to create a wide and flat flame over his hand, holding the meat over it with the shortsword. It would be repaired in his core whatever he did to it, so he didn¡¯t mind using it as a skewer. ¡®Larang is different, though. Even using it to fly is hurting me¡­¡¯ He pointed at the skewer while looking at Rain and said, ¡°Cooking.¡± ¡°... Kooki?¡± she asked, seeming to get the hang of the basics of the language. Even the intonation of a question seemed to be clear to her, ending with a high note. John smiled and nodded, making his movements very clear. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Jes!¡± she repeated again, nodding along with a smile. John laughed, finding her actions to be very cute. Feeling that the meat should be finished, he handed it over to her on the shortsword, making it easier to eat. She didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately started eating, and looked to be enjoying it. Table manners didn¡¯t seem like something she remembered, though; her face was soon covered in fat and grease. John smiled again, but then he looked down at the necklace on his chest, feeling the curiosity overwhelm him. ¡®Time to test this new essence, then? Can I even control it?¡¯ Chapter 31 - Black Necklace While Rain was enjoying her seemingly tasty meal, John stood up and summoned Larang. It weighed heavily in his arms, softly reflecting the light in its blade. ¡®So¡­ How do I use this black essence? It¡¯s not in my core¡­ Do I have to pull it from the necklace? Will I be able to make it myself eventually?¡¯ The necklace rested quietly against his chest, but there was an obvious darkness around it that couldn¡¯t be explained, like something was stopping the light from getting too close. ¡®I¡¯m a bit nervous about the Lord of Death being connected to this, though. What would it be capable of if this essence is some kind of death-essence? Is it even remotely safe to test it?¡¯ Deciding to stay vigilant, he put Larang against the necklace and tried to move the black essence over to it. That way, he could avoid making it flow through his body. Sensing the essence, he tried moving it to the blade without luck. It merely shifted in the right direction, nearly unaffected. ¡®Oh, come on! Are you telling me I¡¯m too weak? Too alive?¡¯ His efforts redoubled, and he focused intently on making the small black sphere move. Finally, it touched the edge of the blade. Right away, it started slowly spreading out across the blade, coating it in pitch black. ¡°Djan,¡± Rain said, trying to get his attention. John was too occupied to reply, continuing to watch the darkness spreading across his blade. It covered the tip and started to flow down the hilt, intent on covering the entire blade in its blackness. A violent shove caused John to lose his grip, pushing the air out of his lungs and sending him flying far away. Larang fell to the ground just before the black coating had completed, but it continued falling as if the dirt and grass were mere illusions. The corrosive power of the black essence seemed capable of destroying anything in its wake, likely including the hand holding the blade. Rain stood beside the hole, looking at John like he was mad. She shook her head violently as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡®W¨C what? Rain pushed me that hard?! She has essence?!¡¯ The black essence turned out to be much more dangerous than he had thought, but right now, he was most surprised by Rain¡¯s ability to use essence. She had clearly done it to save him, so he couldn¡¯t complain about the push. But the secrecy was different. But just as he was about to get up and have a serious discussion, he felt a deep rumble below his feet. His weight started to decrease, and the wind increased in intensity. ¡®... Oh, fuck!¡¯ His gaze turned to their surroundings, letting him clearly see that the piece of land they were standing on was falling, just like the forest had done earlier. ¡®Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!¡¯ Larang returned to his core after falling out of range, while what remained of the black essence returned to the necklace. His breath was still messed up by Rain¡¯s push, but he didn¡¯t have time to consider it. Looking at Rain, he hesitated for a second, wondering if he should bring her or if she was capable of leaving on her own. But seeing her worried expression, he stopped hesitating. He coughed while stepping onto Larang, flying over to her in a hurry and bending down for her to get on. Her expression was clearly relieved after seeing him approach. She jumped on quickly, letting John take off at full speed. The last time a piece of the planet fell, he spent a lot of time with his eyes closed, which made it way more challenging to get out. But this time, he carried more weight, slowing his speed. ¡®I hope we¡¯re closer to the edge this time! The acceleration is so much slower!¡¯ The wind''s downward pull started picking up, making it harder and harder for him to stay afloat. He considered using air bursts to increase his speed, but if Rain didn¡¯t have essence ready, she might fall off due to the sudden force. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Could I create a maintained air flow instead of a burst? That should make it less abrupt while still giving plenty of extra push¡­¡¯ Releasing one hand from Rain¡¯s thigh, he held his hand in the opposite direction of where they were flying and focused. Spells had always been his weakness, but even he should be able to do something as easy as this. Gathering some gaseous essence in his hand, which was easier to use, he tried pushing it out slowly, unlike his normal usage. A slight force was acting on his hand, but it was far from enough to help. ¡®Damn, I need more output! Do I try liquid essence? Or just increasing the force?¡¯ First, he tried using more gaseous essence and felt himself gaining extra speed. But he wasn¡¯t sure it would be enough at this rate. The edge of the falling platform was visible, but still quite far away. After spending the essence remaining in his hand, he swapped it for liquid essence instead. He was nervous about the effect being too great but didn¡¯t have the liberty to choose. The air was also getting thinner, which at least increased their speed, but it made breathing harder. ¡®Come on. Carefully. Slowly.¡¯ The essence reacted, sending out a sudden strong gust of wind from his hand, propelling them forward at nearly double the previous speed. The landscape below became a blur of muted purples and greens, stretching out like a vast, undulating sea. The wind whistled past their ears, carrying the faint scent of ozone and unfamiliar flora. ¡°Aaaahh!¡± Rain screamed, slowly losing her grip on John¡¯s neck. With only one leg held firmly in place, it was much harder for her to hold on. John had to stop the spell to give her a chance to grab hold again, holding her up with both arms. ¡°Sorry, Rain! I¡¯ve got you!¡± Instead of doing the same again, he leaned forward, making it easier for her to hold on by supporting her weight on his back. Then, he stuck his hand between his legs and started the spell again, knowing they needed it. He hadn¡¯t been able to control the output of the liquid essence yet, but it went better this time. Their speed increased, filling him with a sense of relief. Only a few kilometers remained between them and the edge, so he was confident in making it. ¡®Thank god! But what the hell is making these pieces fall apart like this? I don¡¯t see any other parts of the planet suddenly disappear.¡¯ The air was getting thinner as the wind pushed them down, forcing him to hold his breath again. This time, he knew to slow down before reaching the edge since the air over the remaining ground was somehow unaffected by the fall. The boundary between falling land and stable ground was marked by a shimmering distortion in the air, like a heat haze on a scorching day. He gently clapped Rain¡¯s thigh, trying to let her know they would be fine, before starting to slow down. And twenty seconds later, they were back in the normal atmosphere again. The sudden rush of dense air felt like plunging into water, with the world around them snapping back into vivid focus as they crossed the invisible threshold. John breathed out calmly, hearing Rain do the same, and enjoyed the fresh air in his lungs. He turned to look at the piece of ground still falling into space, wondering where it would end up. It was a surreal sight, but nothing exceeding his past experiences. After scouting the nearby area, they landed on solid ground again, enjoying the sensation. John let Rain fall from his back and took a deep breath before turning to look at her. She seemed nervous as she looked back at him, so his expression might have been rather stern. ¡°Rain. Why can you use essence?¡± he asked, well aware that she wouldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°... Djan?¡± she replied, looking unsure about how to respond. She pointed at his necklace before looking back at him and shaking her head. ¡°No. No, Djan.¡± He looked at her briefly before nodding, understanding that the black essence was dangerous. But that wasn¡¯t what he was wondering about. He held his hand out and made a small flame. ¡°Essence.¡± Then he changed it into a wind burst, sending it into the sky, before repeating, ¡°Essence.¡± Rain still didn¡¯t seem to understand his meaning, so he jumped high into the air, called his shield out, flung it to the side, summoned it back to his core, and landed in front of her again, repeating the word, ¡°Essence.¡± That seemed to have gotten through to her as she nodded slightly, still looking at him nervously. John pointed at her, calmly saying, ¡°Rain, essence.¡± Rain shook her head, slowly at first, but then with increasing intensity as he kept pointing at her. ¡°Wain no essums! Wain¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I know you used essence to push me!¡± John interrupted sternly, taking care not to shout at her. He was frustrated, but she had used it to save him, so he couldn¡¯t be too mad. Especially with the language barrier making it harder for her to understand his anger, which could make it much worse. ¡°No, wain¡­ essums¡­¡± She looked down, then pointed at the crater they just escaped from. ¡°... What? Yes, I know where you did it¡­¡± He sighed and put his hand on his forehead, wishing he had some kind of translator available. Or at least that Rain could talk in the same way Sage Full Blue had done. ¡®But you probably need essence for that, right? Damn it¡­ Still that was a close call with the black essence. I need to be more careful in the future¡­¡¯ His hand fell as he looked at her, seeing her nervous eyes looking back at him. ¡°Well, whatever¡­ Let¡¯s keep going. It¡¯s a long way left before we cross these planes.¡± John started walking away from the crater, but he didn¡¯t hear any footsteps behind him, so he turned again. Rain looked at him nervously, seeming unsure if she could follow him. After another sigh, John spoke to her, pointing at his side, ¡°Rain, here.¡± A hope seemed to ignite in her eyes as she took a few steps forward, but then she stopped again. John nodded and pointed again, which made her break out into a smile and start following him properly. She hummed quietly behind him as he walked, which made John smile as well. ¡®At least the journey won¡¯t be lonely¡­ But I¡¯ll figure out your secrets before this is over!¡¯ Chapter 32 - Red Mountains Another week passed while they traveled along the plains, keeping their speed at a decent level. John estimated they had traveled about 1500 kilometers. Rain was a great hindrance in terms of speed, needing frequent breaks from clinging to his back and being unable to handle the higher speeds for long periods. But the thought of leaving her never crossed his mind. The environment hadn¡¯t changed much, although the occasional forest stood in their way. Not even the view of the planet had changed notably. But their progress was quite visible once they looked back to the craters they left behind. The forest he had first landed in was relatively easy to see now, spreading out much farther than he had thought. He was lucky to have landed on the edge of it; otherwise, the journey would have taken much longer. They had encountered very few demons, and those they had met, they deftly avoided. There was too much risk involved in those fights as long as Rain was nearby, and it simply wasn¡¯t worth it if they could prevent it. Unless they needed the food. They had encountered a few furry monsters on the trip, so food had never been much of an issue. Finding shelter was a bit more problematic, but in the worst case, John had simply dug a hole in the ground. Due to the hunts, his core had grown another fifteen percent, bringing it up to about fifty percent growth so far. They were resting by a small river, taking some time to prepare for the next part of their journey. They would have to cross a desert for the next part of their trip, and so they needed to bring water along somehow. The desert wasn¡¯t like the ones he had heard about on Earth. It was densely populated by thin red mountains with an average height of a few hundred meters. That made visibility a lot worse, so they would have to be wary of ambushes. It was possible to see a few hundred meters through the mountains, but that was only in certain directions. Once they went inside, the closer mountains would obstruct most of the view. John wouldn¡¯t mind flying above it all, but since they wouldn¡¯t have any place to land, it would make them very vulnerable if they encountered a beast. He was busy at work making a large piece of wood into a usable container, planning to fill it with water and have it hang from Larang¡¯s shaft as they flew. There was also the matter of sunburns, but the light didn¡¯t seem to have the properties of sunlight on this planet. John assumed it was due to the lack of a sun. Where the light was actually coming from was still a mystery, though. It was like the light of a cloudy day, spread evenly across the lands. ¡°John! Good water!¡± Rain yelled at him from the river, completely unashamed. She was taking a bath and washing the clothes John had given her, and had very little care about her own nudity. John cared, though, and was turned the other way while working. ¡°Very good! Be sure to enjoy it; it might be a while before your next bath,¡± he yelled back. ¡°... Slower? Not understand,¡± Rain replied, still trying to learn the language. She had improved massively during the last week, but she still had trouble following his words if he spoke like normal. ¡°Enjoy water. Long time before next water. Probably.¡± ¡°Ah, understand! Rain enjoy!¡± He could hear her splashing around again and returned to his task. It was a delicate task, carving the wood thin enough to be light, but not so thin that it would break easily. Each time he neared a wall, he had to get a proper feel for the position of the shortsword to avoid making a hole. ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing a desert, so I¡¯m kinda excited about exploring it. But I¡¯m very wary about beasts¡­ I imagine we¡¯ll have more issues with fights going forward. The plains have been easy compared to the forest, but this might be the worst terrain so far.¡¯ He purposefully avoided thinking about Serah these days, finding it too stressful once he considered her chances of survival. It was easier to trust her words that they would meet again and leave it at that. But he dearly hoped Rain was pointing him in the right direction, at least. She didn¡¯t seem to want to say what she was pointing at, despite his attempts at explaining the function and appearance of a portal. It wasn¡¯t an easy concept to explain. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Well, even if she¡¯s pointing at something random, she¡¯s been good at finding important stuff in the past. She¡¯s got some power guiding her, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯ A sudden stirring in the earth caught his attention, making him look at the spiky mountains. It seemed to be growing louder, but it wasn¡¯t anything rhythmical like footsteps, so he assumed it was caused by something else. But then he saw it. Or at least its shadow. Something gigantic, at least fifty meters tall, was moving between the red mountains. It traveled steadily and without any noticeable movement, but that only made it scarier for John. After noticing it, he and Rain went silent, staying very quiet while it passed them by. Neither of them wanted to attract the attention of a horror because that would be the end for both of them. ¡®Fucking damn it! Another horror, and right in our way¡­ But what the hell is that thing? It doesn¡¯t resemble anything I¡¯ve seen before, except for maybe the centipede.¡¯ Something with a thousand legs would move slowly like that, so it made sense. But it could also be that its invocation had a strange effect like that, pushing it forward at a steady pace. After a few minutes, the rumbling stopped, and they both let out a relieved sigh. John could hear Rain getting out of the water, probably not in the mood to bathe anymore. ¡°John, beast! Scary!¡± she said, standing behind him. The sound of drops hitting the grass as she shook her body to get dry distracted him from his task. ¡°Yeah, a horror beast. Too strong,¡± He replied, focusing on his carving. The wood was nearly done by now, but he also needed to make a good plug to make it sealable. ¡°... We go¡­ uhm¡­ not soon?¡± He nodded, understanding what she meant. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll go later. And we go slow.¡± She sat down behind him, sounding relieved when she replied, ¡°Good. But slow.¡± ¡°Yes, it will take a long time. But it¡¯s important to be careful.¡± He could hear her lying down in the grass and taking a deep breath, enjoying the nice temperature and cooling wind. ¡°Clothes?¡± ¡°Wet.¡± ¡°... Take them here, and I¡¯ll dry them.¡± ¡°... Soon. Good wind.¡± John sighed lightly, but he smiled and let her rest for a while longer. It might be the last opportunity for a while.
With the water barrel safely hanging on his stomach and Rain sitting on his back, John carefully maneuvered the new terrain. Their top speed had lowered even further due to the water, but he wasn¡¯t interested in using half of it. Rain had received a harness of sorts, made from tree bark and wines, to help her stay on his back. It made her a lot less tired on long trips, letting her rest instead of hanging on to his neck. Since they flew fairly close to the ground, it would be easy to land in case of danger. But the speed at which they could escape had lowered quite a bit, so confrontations would be harder to avoid. The vista of red spires around them would have been an incredible sight if they didn¡¯t all carry the threat of ambushes behind them. The sand below them was also quite red, forming large wave-like structures on the ground. Already at this point, John could feel the air start to dry up around him. His eyes needed to blink more often to stay moistened. ¡°How are you doing, Rain?¡± he asked quietly, hoping not to alert any beasts nearby. ¡°Good! Pretty rocks!¡± she replied, slightly too loud for his comfort. ¡°Yeah, enjoy the sights. But try to be quiet, alright?¡± ¡°Quiet, Rain quiet,¡± she whispered with a light laugh, seeming proud to have understood his words. John smiled and patted her knee a couple of times, which had turned into a quiet acknowledgment during their flights. As they turned the next pillar, John saw a large furred creature walking away from them. His instincts told him it was a demon, but he didn¡¯t notice any obvious aspects, so it might be a monster as well. It reminded him a lot of the monkeys from the forest, but if it was, it was definitely a demon. It was at least three times their size and had grey fur instead of green. ¡®... It hasn¡¯t noticed us, luckily. Probably because we¡¯re quiet. But what is a beast with such thick fur doing here? And¡­ why does it seem to be acting strange?¡¯ As it walked, it seemed to be carrying something in its hands, tucked into its chest. From the angle they were floating, it wasn¡¯t possible to see what it was, but John was very curious. ¡°Beast, Rain. Let¡¯s observe it for a bit, okay?¡± ¡°... Not understand, but okay.¡± John stopped their speed and prepared himself for landing in case things turned sour. He considered making a noise just to see it turn around, but it seemed like a bad idea. The beast stopped walking and seemed to look around cautiously. John thought it had probably noticed the horror from earlier, and therefore stayed vigilant. Then, it turned all the way around while scouting the area, revealing what was in its arms. ¡®A human?!¡¯ Chapter 33 - Aspect of Servitude What John saw in the beast''s hands was a human¡ªor at least a person¡ªin thick white armor, sitting comfortably in its grasp. They moved in sync with the beast, moving their head to the right and left at the same time. ¡®What the hell? Is that another sage? Or is it a human riding the beast willingly? Are they just very good friends, somehow? The monkeys seemed very smart, so perhaps the evolved version is even smarter?¡¯ He considered revealing himself more to see their reaction, but they seemed to have spotted him before he could make the choice. Both the beast and the person seemed startled at first, but then they waved excitedly towards him. ¡®... I guess they¡¯re friendly? If they know what waving is, they should be from Earth, right?¡¯ John cautiously waved back, with Rain waving from behind his back as well. The beast seemed overjoyed by their response and started walking toward them, but still making sure to stay silent. John decided to wait for them but planned to make them stop before getting too close. ¡°Rain, I¡¯ll talk to them. They seem good,¡± he said, trying to keep her calm. Rain nodded and patted his shoulder in confirmation. Once the approaching duo was about twenty meters away, John raised an arm, signaling them to stop. The armored person and beast both obeyed, still seeming very in sync with each other. A male voice muffled by the helmet he wore sounded from the man. ¡°Oh, thank god I¡¯m not the only one here! I haven¡¯t seen another person in weeks!¡± ¡°Yeah, same here, except for this one,¡± John responded, pointing at Rain. ¡°Are you human?¡± The man tilted his head. ¡°Uhh, what else would I be? Here, let me remove the helmet.¡± His hands loosened some clasp on the sides of his head, letting him remove the armored mask covering his face. John breathed lightly in relief when he saw the human face. The man was pale and had sunken eyes, but he still looked rather handsome. His untrimmed beard made him seem quite a bit older than John was. ¡°Perfectly human, as you can see. I¡¯m Dennis, an aspecter from Paris. You two?¡± ¡®Oh, an aspecter! This is great! Is his aspect related to the beast?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m John, A breaker from Berlin. And this is Rain¡­ She¡¯s¡­ a mystery. I¡¯ve been protecting her since I found her about a week ago. She might have lost her memories after the world changed. You can come close now.¡± Rain didn¡¯t seem to understand everything he said, but she still waved at Dennis once John mentioned her name. Dennis seemed surprised, continuing to talk while the beast carried him closer to them. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve survived alone for this long as a breaker? That¡¯s impressive! But seeing your flying sword, I can imagine how you¡¯ve survived. Seems like a great enchantment!¡± John smiled and nodded. ¡°There have been some very close calls! But what¡¯s with the beast?¡± he asked, unable to ignore it any longer. Dennis seemed to realize he had forgotten something, putting a hand on his forehead. ¡°Of course, my apologies! This is part of my aspect! I can take control of a beast as long as the conditions are right. This current one I¡¯m calling Kerchak.¡± ¡°Ahh, as I suspected! That must be very useful, being able to fight alongside a beast.¡± ¡°Oh, well, honestly, I don¡¯t fight much on my own. Which is probably why I got this aspect¡­ It¡¯s hard to control my aspect while fighting, so I mostly just stay out of sight if I can.¡± He put a hand behind his head while saying that, looking embarrassed. ¡° But I¡¯m handy in a fight under the right conditions!¡± John assumed he had been teased for his aspect in the past, but he could see its advantages. ¡°I believe it! Can you even use the aspect of the beast you control?¡± ¡°... If I focus, yeah. But it¡¯s hard to control because it feels so foreign. That¡¯s also why this guy is perfect since he¡¯s a humanoid.¡± He clapped Kerchak on the chest as he said that. John looked up at the great beast''s neutral expression, noticing a clear resemblance to the monkeys he had hunted in the past. This made him slightly uncomfortable, considering how clever they seemed. ¡°Were you headed in a specific direction?¡± John asked, hoping they could join forces. It was hard to say if Dennis would trust Rain''s directions enough to follow them, though. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Oh, yeah, I was looking for some plains! I think I¡¯m headed in the right direction. Have you been there?¡± John nodded and pointed to where they came from. ¡°It¡¯s just a few hundred meters from here. Is there any specific reason you¡¯re going there?¡± Dennis seemed excited by the news. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great! No specific reason; I just want to get out of this place! I have no idea where our base is on this planet, but I know it¡¯s not in a desert.¡± John sighed, realizing it might be a challenge to bring him along. Since Dennis didn¡¯t know where the base was, John decided to continue following Rain, with or without the aspecter. ¡°We¡¯re going in the opposite direction, further up the continent. I have a slight reason to believe the portal is there.¡± He pointed up at the sky, trying to pinpoint where Rain usually pointed. ¡°Oh, really? That would suck because I¡¯ve been going in the exact opposite direction¡­ Why do you think so?¡± Dennis asked, looking to where John was pointing. ¡°... Uh, Rain is pointing to that spot sometimes. And she¡¯s got a special ability, I guess,¡± John replied, feeling a bit embarrassed by his own words. It sounded strange to trust the words of a memoryless girl blindly. Dennis looked at Rain again, studying her more closely. ¡°... Are those antlers? You just met this girl during your travels?¡± ¡°Yeah, in a forest about 1500 kilometers in that direction. You¡¯ve never seen her before, then? I¡¯m assuming you were at the base before this all happened.¡± Dennis shook his head immediately. ¡°No, even if she didn¡¯t have horns, I would have remembered her. She would be the youngest of us by far.¡± Rain squirmed a bit under his gaze, looking embarrassed. She squeezed John¡¯s arm while trying to hide behind him. ¡°Rain good.¡± Dennis looked to be pondering something, but he didn¡¯t seem to arrive at a conclusion. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re saying she¡¯s got an ability to point in a good direction¡­ I guess we don¡¯t have anything else to go by. And if you¡¯re going in that direction either way, I¡¯d rather join you than go alone.¡± John breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Dennis seemed to be an easygoing guy. ¡°That¡¯s great! We would be much better off together, I¡¯m sure! Then I can also teach you something fundamental related to essence!¡± That seemed to catch Dennis¡¯ attention. ¡°Oh? Like what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain briefly, but I can say I¡¯ve beaten two demons using what I learned. It made me a lot stronger!¡± Dennis furrowed his brows. ¡°That seems¡­ too good to be true. But you¡¯ll get the chance to convince me, I guess.¡± John smiled and nodded, finding his reaction to be more than reasonable. ¡°I learned it from an alien, if that makes it any easier to believe.¡± Dennis laughed at first, but then he tilted his head and looked into the air. ¡°I guess that¡¯s¡­ not as improbable as I thought... Okay, do you guys want to hop on so we can talk more while traveling? I¡¯m guessing that sword isn¡¯t all that comfortable in the long run.¡± John considered the offer, figuring he could be a scout by riding Larang while they traveled. It would also make it easier to keep Rain safe if Dennis preferred hiding during combat. But she would have to spend more time with Dennis than with him, and she didn¡¯t seem very eager to do that. ¡®... She¡¯ll have to get used to him. We¡¯re barely even a quarter of the way to our target, so we¡¯ll have plenty of time to get familiar with each other.¡¯ ¡°That would be great! I can work as a scout if you can handle Rain and the water barrel.¡± Dennis got a desperate look on his face after hearing the last words. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s water? You lucky¡­ Can I have some? I¡¯ve been drinking blood and mud water for days now!¡± John gestured toward the barrel with a smile. ¡°Feel free! There should be plenty for the three of us, but if your beast has to drink, it won¡¯t hold us for long.¡± He floated over to Dennis and the beast, hovering gently over its giant arms. It would be large enough for all three of them to sit and seemed way more comfortable than standing on a sword all day with two weights pulling him down. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down here, Rain,¡± John said as he walked off Larang and stepped on the arm. He removed the water from his neck after seeing Dennis¡¯ eager eyes and handed it to him with a smile. Rain kept quiet, seeming nervous, but she got down from his back and sat on the rightmost corner of the large hands. She looked up at John, clearly not comfortable with the development. ¡®Hmm, she didn¡¯t talk to me either before we got close¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get used to him.¡¯ Dennis was quenching his thirst eagerly, but he was careful not to spill anything. ¡°Ahh! That¡¯s some good water! Thank you, John!¡± After putting the cork back in, he handed it back to John, already looking more refreshed. ¡°No worries, I made it large enough to hold us for a while.¡± He put the water down on the arms and stepped back on Larang. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of doing some quick scouting before we start walking. Is that fine?¡± Dennis raised his brows and looked down at Larang. ¡°Yeah, please do! That¡¯s gonna be very useful. I¡¯ll hold the fort here.¡± John nodded and turned to Rain. ¡°Hey, Rain, I¡¯ll leave to look for beasts, okay? I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She nodded after hesitating slightly, glancing at Dennis before leaning back against the big monkey. John sighed and turned back to Dennis. ¡°She¡¯s shy and doesn¡¯t understand English very well¡­ So be cautious, I guess. I¡¯m off.¡± Before they were out of sight, John saw Dennis nodding in understanding. Then, he was high up in the air, looking around for any threats. ¡®Hmm, this was a nice surprise! Getting an aspecter on our side will increase our chances of surviving, at least.¡¯ He scouted the surrounding area, seeing nothing particularly interesting. Something resembling a flock of small elephants was running away from them in one direction. He flew even higher, over the tops of the mountain spikes, getting an even better view. Then he dropped as fast as he could. ¡®Fucking shit, that thing is headed straight for us!¡¯ Chapter 34 - Desert Horror John fell as fast as he could, using Larang¡¯s power to drop twice as fast as a stone. He desperately needed to tell the others to start running. ¡®God, what is this damned luck? Am I being punished for the good luck I get sometimes?¡¯ What he had spotted as he flew above the mountain tops was a colossal shadow. It was heading straight for them at high speed. It seemed the horror they noticed earlier had changed its mind and turned back. No longer caring about alerting nearby beasts, John shouted down at Dennis and Rain, ¡°Run! As fast as you can! Horror approaching!¡± He could see Dennis looking up at him before starting to search his surroundings, unable to determine a direction. ¡°Straight ahead! Run straight!¡± Soon after, Kerchak started moving, holding his hands close to his chest. He jumped from one mountain to the next with incredible strength and agility. But his speed was too slow to outrun the approaching horror. ¡®... Fuck! What do we do?!¡¯ John considered his options carefully, prioritizing himself and Rain first. But he couldn¡¯t think of a reliable way for both of them to escape, so he made a decision, stopping his dive and turning back toward the horror. ¡®This is so stupid! So damn stupid!¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long before John saw the beast approaching him. The sight sent shivers down his spine, nearly convincing him to escape alone. A mountain of bones. That¡¯s what was chasing them, constantly rolling forward and bringing the bones with it like an endless tsunami. ¡®What the fuck is that?! Is the horror inside of it?!¡¯ His reckless plan of attacking the thing with the black essence suddenly seemed much less feasible. If a beast were hiding inside that mess, hitting it accurately would be a big challenge, even if the black essence could hurt it. His only realistic option for everyone to live was acting as bait, turning the horror¡¯s attention away from the rest of the group. John did not like the idea, but he started gathering his liquid essence in his hands, preparing for air blasts. ¡®You better take good care of Rain, Dennis!¡¯ ¡°Over here, you ugly sack of shit! If that¡¯s what you¡¯re hiding your face behind, please don¡¯t show yourself!¡± John did his best to catch the beast''s attention, and he certainly did. Right as he finished speaking, a wave of pressure assaulted his senses, making him feel like he was buried under tons of sand. His entire body buckled, and even Larang seemed to fall lower in the air. The horror had turned to face him directly, still moving at the same pace. Whether it was because it understood his provocations or there was another reason John didn¡¯t know. Either way, he did not feel happy to have succeeded. ¡®I can¡¯t move¡­ What?¡¯ The essence in his core barely responded to him, acting sluggish and unfamiliar. Only by making a massive effort to spread more liquid essence throughout his body did he manage to move properly again. He pointed his hands toward the beast and fired the air blasts. The sudden increase in speed was incredible, and it only further increased once he dropped his weight. Like his final attack against the demon barg, he flew faster than ever. Larang didn¡¯t keep up with his burst, so he resummoned it into his hands. The blade pointed forward while John lay in the air behind it, decreasing his wind resistance as much as possible while using the gravity enchantment to keep accelerating. He had no intention of ever getting close to that horror again. ¡®... I need to make sure it¡¯s following, though. Fuck, this planet can eat my entire ass!¡¯ A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. His home in the village seemed so wonderfully dull to him these days, and he longed to get back. But he could only grit his teeth and keep moving, no matter what he had to face. His head bowed toward the ground, shielding his eyes from the wind while allowing him to look behind himself. The horror followed eagerly despite his sudden burst of speed, even speeding up to catch up. But it didn¡¯t seem to manage to keep up as long as John kept using Larang to speed up. Bones were flying in all directions, unable to keep up with the mass in the body''s center. The wind was nearly unbearable as John flew through the air at almost a hundred meters per second. He could not look ahead to see if he was about to hit anything, but he believed his altitude was significant enough to avoid danger. ¡®You better not be getting any lighter to keep up with me, you shit!¡¯ But that¡¯s precisely what happened. As more and more bones were flying off and bashing against the red mountains, the monster grew faster. More than half of the initial mass was now gone, leaving only the smaller bones near the center. A slimy pink color was starting to appear near the core of the horror, indicating its true form. It was still quite sizeable, but less so than the black bird had been. Still, John did not doubt that this was a horror-tiered beast. ¡®... If you get any faster, I will have to make a dangerous decision for both of us. And you don¡¯t want that, do you?¡¯ Despite his incredible speed, he could not shake the horror off of his tail. It even seemed to be catching up, forcing John to consider his options. ¡®I can¡¯t make Larang fly higher either; that would reduce my speed too much right now! Besides, I don¡¯t know how its range works! If it¡¯s like the black bird, I would be doomed!¡¯ John clenched his teeth, letting go of Larang with one hand and summoning the shortsword into it. Then he held it against his chest and started focusing on the black sphere on the necklace. The tendrils of blackness extended more willingly this time, touching the shortsword and slowly spreading out. The black essence was undoubtedly his most dangerous weapon. But even then, could it harm a horror? The true form of the horror had revealed itself now, and it looked completely alien. Six short limbs extended from a thick, elliptical body, and a head without a neck poked out of the front. Two long bones, like spines, were growing from its head and dangling behind it like soft antennas. Pink goo covered its entire body, spreading out to its surroundings like part of its body. It moved by sliding on the pink goo, not using its short limbs for anything but stability. Its eyes seemed to follow John closely, tilting its head as if taunting him. ¡®The fucker really is ugly! I¡¯m only getting one attempt at this¡­ Better make it count!¡¯ Fifty meters still separated them, but John didn¡¯t dare get any closer. He was terrified of being subjected to the suffocating sensation he had felt earlier, as it would almost certainly end in his death. He extended his arm toward the mass of rapidly shrinking bones, trying to aim while resisting the strong wind. An air blast charged in his hand and released, sending the sword hurtling toward the pink horror. From John¡¯s point of view, the sword shot off at high speed, but to any onlooker, it would merely fall in place. The sword''s blade started falling straight down, but it would still hit the horror if it didn¡¯t change directions. ¡®Aaah! Fucking¡­ physics! I could have used Larang, but that would have forced me into range again!¡¯ The beast swung two of its legs, sending some of the pink goo to brush the sword aside before reaching it. But the sword was now completely covered in the black essence and remained unmoved by the goo, vaporizing it the instant it touched it. The pink beast seemed to panic, understanding what danger the blade possessed, and did its best to turn away from it. A massive wave of pink goo erupted from its left side, tilting its body sharply to the right and twisting it away from the sword. As it evaded, it was sent straight into a mountain, crashing hard and turning the base of the mountain to rubble, completely stopping its momentum. A loud and deep roar sounded behind him, but John kept flying, hoping to cover as much ground as possible before it could build up speed again. The sword had returned to his core, but the black essence was left behind. ¡®... This stuff is stronger than I thought¡­ Thank god Rain saved me from it!¡¯ He kept flying for a while longer, only looking back to see if the beast followed him. He was sure the impact had done little to harm it and refused to let up on the gas. But no sign of the horror could be seen. Eventually, he slowed down, relaxing his muscles and taking a deep breath. Sweat was dripping from every part that he shielded from the wind, and a slight tremor remained in his hands. ¡®... Okay, it seems to be safe now¡­ But how am I going to find Rain again?¡¯ There was nothing but red spikes in sight everywhere, blocking everything but the vast landscape of the planet surrounding him. He knew his direction compared to the continent, but finding someone would be challenging, even if he headed in the right direction. The chase had taken him many kilometers from the starting spot, and his continued escape had brought him even further. But he didn¡¯t for a second think about leaving them behind. ¡®... I guess searching from up high is the best option¡­ Agh, this is frustrating as hell! Look at this place, Larang! It¡¯s endless! ¡­ At least Rain is with an aspecter. He should be able to keep her safe. He better.¡¯ Chapter 35 - Seek and Ye Shall Mine Towering far above the red mountain tops, John searched for any traces of the giant grey monkey. He had tried to return to their point of separation by following the bones lying in the sand, and that let him find the river and plains he and Rain had rested by earlier. ¡®Damn, they should have run that way, right? But there are no tracks left after that wind earlier¡­ And if they¡¯re being careful not to be found¡­ ¡® Thousands of mountains stretched out everywhere around him, and each one could be hiding a giant monkey behind it. His only choice was to fly high enough to view each mountain from above, letting him see all sides simultaneously. He lay on top of Larang with his head leaning against the handle, looking down. His black armor was filled with solid essence, preventing him from being cut by the blade. His thoughts drifted as he looked down at the ground, scanning the endless dunes of sand with his eyes. ¡®Hmm¡­ hmmmmm¡­ It¡¯s lonely without Rain here. I guess I¡¯ve gotten more used to her than I expected¡­ I should probably name my shortsword as well. It¡¯s getting a lot of use. But it has to be less cool than Larang, of course.¡¯ He kept drifting through the air, circling the area he believed they would be in. But not even a sign could be seen. Some other beasts were visible, moving through the red spikes, but they mostly walked in groups. A sudden attack from the sand caused one of the beasts on the ground to get eaten, confirming John¡¯s suspicion that beasts could hide in the sand. He raised his eyebrows but remained unmoving otherwise. ¡®... They probably only attack when they hear small steps above them. Unless they have some other sense¡­ How about Lucy? It¡¯s a lucky blade, and that¡¯s definitely not as cool as Larang¡­ Or maybe I should try sticking with unique names¡­ Clover? Nah¡­¡¯ Time passed while he searched, and John felt a sense of urgency growing in his mind. The chances of finding them were diminishing with each passing moment. The day was nearing its end, forcing him to consider how to spend the night. ¡®I could carve a hole in one of the mountaintops to sleep in. That¡¯s probably much safer than staying near the ground, especially if I hide it well.¡¯ He decided to do just that, heading for the tallest mountain nearby. While infusing Larang with some essence, he stabbed it into the side to get a proper foothold and summoned the yet unnamed shortsword. Liquid essence swirled out from his core and onto the sword, and he started carving a small circle, just big enough for him to fit. The hole became deeper and deeper as he kept digging, letting all the rocks fall to the ground hundreds of meters below him. ¡®This should keep me safe from most beasts. I hope. It¡¯s similar to my strategy in the forest, and it worked well there despite the monkeys living in the same space.¡¯ Eventually, he considered the hole deep enough and crawled in, admiring the uneven surface. Carving wood had been much easier, but it would do for one night. The light of day turned to darkness outside, letting him know it was time to sleep. He lay his back on the uncomfortable surface and looked at the red ceiling half a meter above him. ¡®If I get strong enough, I swear I¡¯m gonna kill that pink bastard. I even lost some of the black essence because of him¡­ How much is left?¡¯ Even if it wasn¡¯t part of his core, he could still feel the black orb of essence in the necklace. It had shrunk slightly, but more than ninety percent still remained. ¡®It¡¯s still a mystery to me what exactly this thing is, but it¡¯s extremely valuable, that¡¯s for sure. If it can take out horrors while I¡¯m just a breaker¡­ I really wish I knew how to make more. And what is the black ball of rage, exactly?¡¯ His focus moved to the ball of hatred in his mind, and he wondered what it could be used for. It scared him in many ways, as he feared it might take control of him if he gave it a chance. But he also felt a deep compassion for the Aasvedans, so he considered it friendly. ¡®Are they connected somehow? That would make a lot of sense, right? Is hatred needed to produce more of the black essence?¡¯ As he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts and theories gradually became more abstract and nonsensical. His final thought was about a giant Serah dancing on the spot Rain had pointed to in the sky. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Ah, so she really is there¡­ That¡¯s good¡­¡¯ A rhythmical noise of rocks crushing roused John from his sleep, along with a voice he had heard before. ¡°...amn stubborn girl and her damn pointing¡­ Why would he be up here? It¡¯s just a big¨C¡± The voice briefly stopped as it neared the hole. ¡°... Hey, John? Are you in there? Surely not, right?¡± John was now fully awake, wondering how Dennis could have possibly found him in such a location. He could see the light of day coming through the hole, so it seemed he had slept well. ¡°Uhh, yeah, I¡¯m in here! Are you guys alright?¡± ¡°Really? How the hell¡­¡± ¡°Is Rain alright?¡± John asked, a bit sharper this time. ¡°Yeah, yeah! She¡¯s the one who pointed me to you, insisted that I climb this damn rock. Nice place you got there!¡± A sigh of relief escaped John¡¯s lips before his eyebrows lifted. He trusted that Rain had some unique ability to locate things, but he never expected it to be this good. ¡°That¡¯s good. Thanks for taking care of her,¡± John replied, moving out of his hole. Dennis laughed. ¡°Hah, I owe you my life, so it¡¯s the least I could do! I¡¯d keep her safe anyway, but still, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± John smiled. He started to like Dennis, despite his cowardly fighting style. ¡°Let me just crawl out of here, and then I can bring you down.¡± Instead of fighting to escape the cave, he summoned Larang into his hand and let the gravity pull him straight out. Then he controlled it to leave him hanging in the air while the blade pointed straight up. Dennis was stuck to the mountainside by a pair of puny daggers, having used them to climb over three hundred meters. John reached a hand out to him and offered a ride down. ¡°Let go of those flimsy daggers, and let me take us to the ground.¡± Dennis looked insulted. ¡°What do you mean flimsy? They¡¯re nearly too large to be called daggers!¡± ¡°Daggers are flimsy by definition. Come now. If we meet any demons, I¡¯ll let you see how real weapons work.¡± Dennis furrowed his brows, still not convinced John could do what he said. But he reached over and clasped his hand, releasing his grip on the wall. John increased Larang''s upward pull to adjust for the sudden drop, and then they both fell at a reasonable pace. He could see the giant grey monkey standing underneath them, as well as a tiny black and red dot in its arms. The relief in his heart grew even greater as John saw Rain looking up at him, waving her arms in joy. ¡°She¡¯s been bugging me to go find you since last night, but I never thought she could find you like this¡­ How did you escape, by the way? Flying up into the air?¡± Dennis asked, looking up at John from below. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t have time for that. The shitty beast chased me for several kilometers and just kept speeding up. It was way more dangerous than I thought, but I managed to shake it by tricking it to crash into a mountain.¡± Dennis took a deep breath as John told the tale. ¡°You really are the most incredible Breaker I¡¯ve met, without a doubt. I¡¯m really curious about what you were going to tell me now.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get to that,¡± John replied, slowing down as they reached Kerchak. He dropped off Dennis first before landing next to Rain and dismissing Larang. Rain nearly ran toward him with tears in her eyes, forcing him into a big hug. John didn¡¯t reciprocate as much as he wanted, but he still gently embraced her. He had missed her in the short time they were apart. ¡°John! Stupid!¡± Rain said firmly into his chest, holding back the shake in her voice as well as she could. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, Rain. I didn¡¯t mean to make you worry. But I had no choice.¡± ¡°Had choice,¡± she replied, less firmly this time. ¡°Stupid.¡± John searched his mind for anything he could have done better during the chase, but failed to think of anything. Other than leaving the other two to die, there was nothing he could think of. Rain¡¯s voice was hushed as she whispered the following words, seemingly trying not to let Dennis hear. ¡°Could Kerchak behind, escape.¡± ¡®Ah¡­ Fuck, that probably would have worked! Damn¡­¡¯ John recalled the black bird and how it had only been after the dead barg during his encounter. It made sense that the horror was only chasing them for food, and in that case it was obvious what it would chase. ¡°... Okay, sorry. I was stupid, you¡¯re right.¡± Rain nodded and let go of him, looking at his eyes and smiling. ¡°But good now¡­ Dennis stupid!¡± ¡°Hey, just because you point in a direction and say John repeatedly doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m stupid for not going there!¡± Dennis retorted, speaking way too quickly for Rain to understand. But Rain just repeated, ¡°Dennis stupid!¡± unbothered by her lack of understanding. They seemed to be getting along fine, John thought with a smile. ¡®At least she¡¯s not scared of him anymore. Perhaps this was for the best?¡¯ Dennis sighed in annoyance, turning to John. ¡°Right, John. I hesitated to look for you because we found something during the chase yesterday.¡± ¡°... What did you find?¡± John asked, wondering what could have been more important. ¡°A portal.¡± Chapter 36 - Sharing the Burden John was shocked by the sudden revelation. He had not expected to find a portal that easily, not to mention by pure luck. ¡°A portal?! But¡­ not to Earth, right?¡± He felt like he already knew the answer. The surroundings here were not even remotely similar to where they had arrived after entering the portal in Paris. But there was a slight chance it could take them to another place on Earth. Dennis shook his head quite firmly. ¡°No, that¡¯s definitely not earth. It¡¯s all overgrown by purple and yellow plants, and there¡¯s a giant red moon in the sky. It seemed to be another planet like this one, and I¡¯m not planning to explore it.¡± John nodded, understanding his logic. Their priority was returning to Earth, and entering an unknown portal would not get them closer to that goal. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s good to know¨C¡± A burst of memories flashed through John¡¯s mind, back from his time on the Aasvedan planet. Their vegetation wasn¡¯t mainly purple or yellow, but there was a giant red moon in the sky, never moving from its spot. The black mass of negative emotions in the corner of his mind started shifting as if rearing its head. It nearly seemed conscious, but John was reasonably sure it just reacted to his own emotions. ¡®So that¡¯s where they came from¡­ Vegetation and beasts now rule their planet? Growing over the ruins of paradise, a utopia of peace and prosperity¡­ I¡¯m not letting that happen to Earth!¡¯ ¡°... John?¡± Dennis asked, seeing him frozen in place. John looked back at him, returning from his reverie. He sighed heavily before responding. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just¡­ remembered something. But yeah, we already have a direction to follow. I assume you trust Rain¡¯s ability to find what we¡¯re looking for now.¡± Dennis smiled and nodded. ¡°Oh yeah, after this, I can¡¯t really deny it. I¡¯m with you all the way!¡± He gave John a thumbs up and a wink, looking like a reliable guy. Rain seemed to feel left out of the conversation, pulling John¡¯s arm lightly from behind. ¡°John, good?¡± John turned to her and put his hand on her head, lightly ruffling her hair. ¡°I¡¯m good, Rain. Thank you for finding me.¡± Rain smiled brightly, looking proud of her work. ¡°Worries!¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s ¡®no worries¡¯ Rain. But good. Let¡¯s keep going, okay?¡± ¡°Mhm! No worries!¡± Rain responded as John removed his hand. ¡®... Is this what it¡¯s like to have a little sister? She¡¯s so cute! Sure, she can be annoying, but that¡¯s how siblings should be. Or so I¡¯ve heard.¡¯ John turned back to Dennis before summoning Larang. ¡°I should scout a bit before we start traveling, right?¡± Dennis seemed to consider it before replying. ¡°No, before that, please tell me that stuff about essence you mentioned earlier! It sounds incredibly useful, not to mention important!¡± ¡°Oh, right! Let me try something first, okay?¡± Dennis simply nodded in response. ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can do this thing. I expect it to be way more challenging than it seemed, but I want to try.¡¯ He cleared his throat and looked out into the air, preparing his mind and focusing on the meaning behind his words. Then, he spoke in a firm and clear voice. ¡°Essence!¡± Dennis looked at him for a moment and furrowed his brows. ¡°... Yeah? And the rest?¡± ¡°... It can be separated into four different states!¡± John continued, too embarrassed to explain what he was trying to do. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. His goal had been to do what Sage Full Blue had done, transferring the meaning of a word together with the word itself. It seemed to be more complicated than it seemed after all. Dennis actually seemed intrigued now. ¡°Really? Which ones? And do I have to haul every sentence out of you?¡± ¡°No, no, I was just being dramatic¡­ Uhm, there are four primary states of matter: Solid, liquid, gaseous, and plasma. We usually use the gaseous form, which is easy to use and fast to activate. But it¡¯s also the weakest one, and it¡¯s very inefficient to store. I can store ten times as much essence in my core by turning it into its solid form!¡± Dennis¡¯ face gradually filled with disbelief as John continued his explanation, remaining silent once it was over. ¡°... Uh¡­ How would one change it from gaseous to any other version, then?¡± ¡°It depends on the person what method is the best, but I gather a lot of essence in my chest and imagine it as heavy rain clouds that shower me with raindrops. That makes the gaseous essence turn into liquid essence, which is the type I use the most.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Dennis sat down in Kerchak¡¯s embrace and closed his eyes, focusing on his core and essence. His eyebrows furrowed more as time passed, but then they suddenly raised in surprise. ¡°Hey! This actually works! What the hell, how has nobody discovered this before?¡± John smiled, but he had to issue a warning. ¡°Be careful with the liquid essence, though. It¡¯s much harder to control than you¡¯re used to and about five times as powerful.¡± Dennis opened his eyes and looked at his hand as he clenched it shut. ¡°This¡­ What? How is it this strong? It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯ve been fighting demons!¡± His ability to sense the power without using it surprised John, but he assumed it was related to being an aspecter. ¡°So now you¡¯ll be able to fight as well?¡± Dennis looked up at John, unable to hide his hesitation. ¡°Oh¡­ Well, I¡¯m more suited to using my aspect, so that¡¯s¡­ I think I¡¯ll stick to that. Oh! Maybe I can transform Kerchak¡¯s essence as well?¡± As Dennis sat back down to focus, John wondered why his aversion to fighting was so strong. ¡®Is it some kind of trauma? I¡¯m sure he could fight if he tried, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be on the table¡­ Oh well, a giant monkey with liquid essence should be a true force to be reckoned with!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll go scout a bit, then. You can start moving once you feel ready. Oh, and there are beasts hiding under the sand here, but I¡¯m sure you know about them already.¡± ¡°Mmh, yeah, those are nasty bastards¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ gonna test this first,¡± Dennis replied, clearly distracted. John turned to Rain and waved. ¡°Back soon, okay?¡± Rain nodded and waved back, watching as John stepped onto Larang and ascended into the air. ¡®If this works out, we should be able to travel without much worry. With Kerchak and me fighting, no single demon should be a threat. Hopefully.¡¯
The next few hours passed in a blur of red spikes and shifting sands. John alternated between scouting from high above and descending to guide the group through safer paths. The monotony of the landscape was broken only by the occasional need to detour around particularly dangerous areas or clusters of smaller beasts. As the day wore on, John found himself appreciating the vastness of this alien world, even as he remained vigilant for threats. ¡®It¡¯s great that we¡¯re making progress, but I want to grow stronger as well¡­ Avoiding every fight will just leave me as I am, never getting to the realm of aspecters. I really want to know what my aspect will be!¡¯ Several hours into their journey, as John surveyed the terrain from his aerial vantage point, he spotted another large enemy in the sand, hidden behind some mountains. It looked like some sort of flightless brown bird with a big body and a long neck. Before going down to warn the others, John scouted the area more to ensure the beast was alone. There were no visible beasts anywhere nearby, so he felt it would be acceptable to ask if they could fight this demon. ¡®We need food either way, right? Why not a bird?¡¯ He descended near the big grey monkey walking through the sand and stopped near the chest. ¡°Hey, Dennis! I spotted a demon nearby, who seemed to be all alone. Do you mind if we fight it?¡± Dennis put a hand on his cheek, looking skeptical. ¡°A demon? Is that a good idea?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with demons alone in the past, so I¡¯m sure we can take one with the two of us! We need food, and I¡¯d like to grow stronger while we travel. Maybe you can test the new essence?¡± Dennis still seemed hesitant, but he relented in the end. ¡°Oh, fine! I made some liquid essence for Kerchak before we started, so let¡¯s see how it works.¡± Rain looked nervous, probably having caught parts of their conversation. ¡°Fight?¡± she asked, staring at John. He nodded back, keeping a confident look on his face. ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry. Easy fight.¡± Then he looked back at Dennis. ¡°You¡¯ll take care of Rain while Kerchak and I fight?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll be focusing on the fight, but if anything happens, I¡¯ll be ready!¡± John nodded and watched while the large hands put Rain and Dennis on the ground. They walked over to the nearest mountain with Dennis leading Rain along, while John and Kerchak headed in the other direction. ¡®I might be able to take it out by just sending Larang flying, but I should let Dennis test the liquid essence first. If he can use it efficiently, we might have a chance against¡­ No, I don¡¯t think that will give us any advantage against a horror¡­¡¯ Chapter 37 - Light Work As he approached the beast, John realized it was taller than Kerchak, at about twelve meters in height. Its massive lower body was supported by two long legs with webbing between each toe. The long neck was the main reason it was so tall. In terms of weight, it would likely be close to Kerchak. But even though the neck was long, it didn¡¯t seem fragile. It was more like a giant chicken without the tail. Instead of a beak, it had large teeth constantly exposed due to its lack of lips. ¡®Alright, Kerchak is approaching it now¡­ I¡¯ll stay up here and watch first. See if I can figure out its aspect before engaging.¡¯ Kerchak stopped walking before getting close to the beast and put his hands together. His right hand seemed to grip something in his left, and then he started pulling on it. A white blade appeared from his hand, growing directly from his forearm. ¡®What?! He can manipulate his own bones? That¡¯s such a cool aspect!¡¯ A long curved blade of bone now remained in Kerchak¡¯s hand, about four meters long. John had his eyes glued to the massive sword, entranced by its beauty. The only drawback was that Kerchak was so large he made it look like a normal saber with some extra width. Next, Kerchak started twisting his neck and shaking his head¡ªa helmet of bones formed around his head, giving him extra protection against the most dangerous attacks. ¡®I want it! I want my aspect! Kill the bird!¡¯ John wondered if Kerchak would keep creating armor, but he seemed to be done now, steadily approaching the brown bird. He started picking up speed right before the bird noticed him, running with his saber lifted to his side. The bird didn¡¯t seem bothered and simply turned to Kerchak, lowering its stance slightly. John was somewhat scared by the bird''s lack of reaction, but he assumed Dennis knew what he was doing. John noticed he had clenched his teeth from anticipation. He had never seen two beasts fight before, let alone demons. Only ten meters remained between them now, mere seconds before the clash. Kerchak jumped into the air, swinging the blade toward the long neck in a decisive attack. But the bird was no longer there. It suddenly appeared five meters to the left of where it stood, moving in an instant. ¡®What?! It can teleport? Damn, that¡¯s going to be trouble!¡¯ Kerchak turned in mid-air to see what happened, but he could not stop his momentum before landing again. The bird stayed passive, still not taking any significant action to fight back. Figuring that staying out of the fight might lead to problems, John descended to the ground and jumped off Larang. Then, he controlled the greatsword to fly behind him, building speed to do a flying attack. He remembered the centipede having no issues blocking it in the past, but this bird seemed much less protected, so he wanted to give it a shot. Meanwhile, Kerchak had landed in the sand again and kicked off with as much power as possible. The soft sand made it hard for him to get much traction, but he still built a decent speed before rechallenging the bird, sword at the ready. Instead of jumping past it, he merely swung at its neck again, hoping to be better able to respond to another teleportation. But instead of teleporting, the bird dodged the blade by swinging its neck with surprising speed. Then, it attacked Kerchak¡¯s hand with its jaws, tearing parts of flesh from the forearm and making the blade fall to the ground. ¡®How does it move so fast? That neck is a menace!¡¯ Fearing the teleportation ability of the bird, John kept an air blast ready in one of his arms. He did not want to be left unprepared if it suddenly appeared over him. Larang just passed above him after building speed, about to hit the bird with as much momentum as it could create in the available space. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Can you dodge this?¡¯ Kerchak roared in response to the attack and swung his other fist toward the bird''s burly torso. His movements were fast, but they didn¡¯t seem to be powered by liquid essence yet. The bird teleported again, moving about five meters away from the fist. Luckily for John, it didn¡¯t move much compared to Larang¡¯s course, letting him keep pushing it forward without altering the direction. ¡®Okay, it can only shift about five meters, it seems. Good to know!¡¯ The bird roared back at Kerchak, but it was interrupted by Larang suddenly piercing its side and collapsing its lung. The blade had hit the target perfectly undetected and sank down to the handle, dealing massive damage. ¡®Yes! It does work! It''s just a shame I can¡¯t finish it off with¡­ the shortsword. Or can I?¡¯ John approached the fight without much thought, hoping to deal a finishing blow with his lucky sword. He still lacked an enchantment for his shield, after all. Kerchak had noticed the sword stabbing the bird and was heading for the finishing blow. The bird had fallen to its knees, swinging its neck like a drunkard. It seemed to understand that it was as good as dead. The monkey''s giant fists took hold of its head and seemed to be attempting to squeeze it apart. Blood was still spilling from his forearm, but it didn¡¯t seem to make a massive difference in his gripping strength. ¡°Dennis, hold on! Can you just hold it still for me? I¡¯ll explain later!¡± John yelled, hoping his words could reach Dennis through Kerchak¡¯s mind. He kept a distance of fifteen meters between them just to be safe. Kerchak looked at him briefly before nodding, keeping his hands and the bird¡¯s head in place. John couldn¡¯t have asked for a better opportunity to get a new enchantment and prepared the shortsword for launch, summoning it into his right hand and preparing another air burst. The bird looked John in the eyes moments before he was about to shoot and seemed to tense its body, using its last remaining strength. Then it was gone. The light above John suddenly dimmed, and he immediately understood what had happened. The bird hadn¡¯t been using its maximum range during the teleporting. Whether that was on purpose to fool them or simply because of luck, it was a perfect counterattack. ¡®Fuuck!¡¯ As quickly as he could, John activated the air blast in his free hand, suddenly shifting his position and narrowly avoiding the crushing attack from the bird''s neck. It hit the sand with extreme force, sending tremors even through the soft surface. The sudden burst sent John off balance and flying through the air, but instead of preparing for a hard landing, he aimed at the bird¡¯s head. ¡°Dodge this, fucker!¡± The blade flew through the air at an incredible speed, while the force from the blast sent John flying even faster in the other direction. The bird didn¡¯t have time to recover after the attack and was still reeling from its injuries. The blade hit it perfectly right above the eye, piercing the skull and rambling what little it had for a brain. It fell straight to the ground, dead on the spot. ¡®Yes! Oh shit!¡¯ After confirming the kill, John summoned the greatshield by his back to absorb the impact from his fall. He barely made it in time, feeling the shield press against his back and slowing him down right after it materialized. A long, wide track remained in the sand after his landing, but John was fine. Kerchak ran toward him but stopped once he saw John landing safely. With a roar and a thumbs up, he asked if John was okay. Or at least that¡¯s what John assumed. ¡°Oof! Yeah, I¡¯m fine. You guys can come here now so we can have a nice meal. At least I hope this guy tastes nice¡­¡± Kerchak nodded and started running to where Rain and Dennis were hiding. The wound on his arm had stopped bleeding, but it would take a while before it healed completely. John looked at the dead bird, hoping the killing blow had left him a good surprise. He stood up and recalled his equipment before walking over to it, putting his hand on the thick neck. ¡®Please give me an enchantment? It¡¯s been so long!¡¯ The plentiful essence inside the beast quickly refilled the little John expended in the fight before it started growing his core. It grew by another twelve percent, bringing him over sixty percent more than the original size. ¡®... Does it stop at a hundred? I kind of assumed it did, but I never asked. And then what?¡¯ His thoughts were redirected to his core, where a new light floated around. It was blue this time as well, meaning his luck was as good as ever. ¡®... Nice! Very nice! It feels like it has something to do with¡­ light? How does that¡­ Should I put that on a shield?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem to make much sense to put a light enchantment on defensive equipment, but he couldn¡¯t think of any better things to put it on. ¡®Ah, well, if it doesn¡¯t fit, I can just put another one in later. Now let¡¯s see what you do!¡¯ Chapter 38 - Fully Equipped The mote of light started moving toward the greatshield at John¡¯s will, spreading the blue light like a ripple across its surface before falling still. The information streamed into his mind, letting him know what the new enchantment could do. ¡®Hmm, okay¡­ I guess that could be useful?¡¯ The enchantment made the shield capable of teleporting anywhere within John¡¯s sphere of influence, which he knew had a radius of fifty meters. It could use the power once every five seconds. But John couldn¡¯t think of any great uses for it. It was already capable of traveling back to his core in an instant. ¡®... I guess I could use it to protect someone else if I have to. You never know when that might come in handy. Oh, and I might be able to trip an enemy with it! Or even blind them momentarily!¡¯ Once he thought some more about it, the opportunities revealed themselves. Putting a thick and heavy shield in front of a foot could do wonders in a battle or a chase. He nodded to himself and turned back to the giant bird. The purple blood seeping from its wounds didn¡¯t make it seem particularly appetizing, but that had become the norm already. ¡®If just one of you beasts could have red meat, I¡¯d hunt you to extinction. Hmm, maybe someone did before me?¡¯ Heavy steps approached from behind him, making him turn to look at Kerchak, who was bringing Rain and Dennis to the battle site. They both looked happy to see the results, even if Dennis had already seen them through Kerchak. ¡°That sword of yours is amazing, John! Straight through its chest from out of nowhere! I didn¡¯t even notice it before it landed,¡± Dennis yelled as they got close. Rain also seemed satisfied after seeing the corpse, waving her arms at him. ¡°John, good job!¡± John waved back, smiling. ¡°Of course Larang is amazing! You should see me wield it properly!¡± Kerchak sat them both down on the ground in front of John before sitting down himself, creating a heavy thump in the sand. Rain walked over to John and patted him on his head, but she struggled to reach up. John didn¡¯t mind much, so he bent his head down to make it easier for her. He looked at Dennis with his head down. ¡°We should bring some meat with us, shouldn¡¯t we? It should hold for a day or two when it¡¯s this fresh.¡± Dennis looked at the bird in wonder. ¡°Huh, so it was this big? It looked so much smaller through Kerchak¡­ Yeah, we should probably bring some along with us. But first, let¡¯s have a nice meal right here!¡± Rain looked at John curiously. ¡°Food now?¡± John nodded and summoned Larang before stabbing it into the sand. Then he sat down and used the blade as a backrest. He also summoned the greatshield beside him for Rain to lean on, and she promptly sat down as well. ¡°Heh, you¡¯ve done that before, I see,¡± Dennis said while looking at them. John smirked as he looked at Rain, who was studying the dead bird. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been together for a week by now. Some understanding can only be expected, right?¡± ¡°Sure, but you honestly seem closer than that in my eyes. Like siblings.¡± Dennis summoned one of his daggers and started carving some meat off the bird, avoiding the intestines or guts. ¡°... I guess? I don¡¯t have any siblings, so I don¡¯t really know how it is. But I can see why you¡¯d say so.¡± ¡°Well, of course, most of us ECs don¡¯t have siblings¡ªthat we know of, at least. I¡¯ve only seen one pair that went in together,¡± Dennis said calmly as he carved. ¡°... I don¡¯t know much about all that. I only had a week or so before coming here.¡± Dennis stopped carving and looked at him with raised eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re that fresh? But¡­ you¡¯re so good at fighting!¡± John sighed and nodded. ¡°Yeah, they thought I was good enough, probably. I won a national tournament before getting pulled out, so I have plenty of experience. And natural talent, I guess.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Oh, wow. I was just part of the military back home. What company did you come from?¡± ¡°Uuh, Project Red, I think it was called.¡± Dennis nodded, seeming to realize something. ¡°Oh right, Rain¡¯s uniform was yours, of course. I¡¯m from IO, but that probably doesn¡¯t mean anything to you.¡± John shrugged, having no idea what companies even meant. ¡°But back to what you said about going in together, I grew up with a girl who was also a candidate. She wouldn¡¯t be my sister, would she?¡± It was a small worry, but one he had to figure out just to be safe. ¡°Not unless you were also siblings in that world. They wouldn¡¯t do that¡­ It¡¯s odd that they put you together, though.¡± John released the breath he had been holding subconsciously. But he also wondered why they had to put the two of them together. Dennis had finished carving and handed John two lovely pieces of purple meat. As far as colors went, it was far better than green or yellow meat, but it still made him pause slightly. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re not having any?¡± John asked, seeing Dennis¡¯ empty hands. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll just keep watch with Kerchak. I don¡¯t often eat unless there¡¯s something delicious on the menu.¡± ¡°... You don¡¯t need food?¡± Dennis raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t even know that? Even you should need less food than a normal human, right? Well, aspecters don¡¯t need nourishment. We do need water and air, but not food.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s very useful! But of the three, it¡¯s the least useful one, I guess,¡± John replied, surprised by this info. He was heating the meat in his hands using essence, spreading a pleasant aroma. Dennis nodded while taking a deep whiff of air. ¡°We use essence to replace the energy we usually get through eating. Our bodies also become more efficient, removing the need for most nutrients. Which also makes us age slower.¡± ¡°Really? Is that why the Lady of Fate looked so young?¡± John thought out loud, not considering whether he should reveal his meeting with her. ¡°You met her? Wow, I guess you really are special, then¡­¡± ¡°Ehm, not really. I¡­ Well, it¡¯s probably not something I should be revealing. But I do have a role to play, it seems.¡± He handed one of the pieces of meat to Rain, who happily accepted it and started devouring. ¡°Very good!¡± she said in between mouthfuls. It was the first time John heard her say something was ¡®very good,¡¯ so he assumed it was the best meat yet. He took a bite of his own piece and was surprised by the rich taste and texture. ¡°You should really try this, Dennis. It¡¯s delicious!¡± Dennis smiled a crooked smile while shaking his head. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m good¡­ It¡¯s very understandable that you have a role to play, considering the knowledge you acquired about essence. And possibly, it has something to do with the person sitting near the big metal plate.¡± He stared at Rain with a hint of suspicion before averting his eyes. ¡®Oh, trying to talk about her without her understanding it, huh? Well, fine.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s possible. I have certainly found more incredible stuff than I expected on this journey. But what can I do about it?¡± John tried to mix in more complicated words in his speech to make sure, but he felt bad about hiding anything from Rain intentionally. Dennis took a deep breath and stared directly at him. ¡°What if some people aren¡¯t even human? What if someone is making a mistake by bringing something somewhere, and they do a lot of damage? What if something is¨C¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± John felt his heart beating faster with each word Dennis spoke, bringing up all the fears he had buried deep in his soul. He knew Rain was more suspicious than anyone else he had met, and he knew it was unlikely that she had merely lost her memories. She had used essence to save him once, and she had antlers. Not to mention, she could point to things she should be completely unable to locate. John knew all that but couldn¡¯t bring himself to distrust her. ¡°John?¡± Rain asked from his side, sensing the sudden halt in the conversation. She looked between them curiously, not understanding what they spoke about. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rain. All good,¡± John replied while staring at Dennis and taking another bite of his meat. ¡°You have the choice to keep traveling with us, Dennis. But don¡¯t make me choose between you.¡± Dennis sighed again, even deeper this time. ¡°No, I apologize. I just needed to air some suspicions. Humanity can¡¯t afford to make grave errors¡­ anymore.¡± He stared down at his dagger, deep in thought. John studied his expression, sensing a heavy history behind it. ¡°... Anymore?¡± ¡°... Did you know that equipment can be passed on?¡± Dennis asked before flipping the dagger in his hand. Its blade started glowing in a deep red color, radiating heat that could be felt all the way from where John was sitting. ¡®A heat enchantment? That seems useful.¡¯ ¡°No, that¡¯s news to me. But you can only have four, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, that¡¯s how many you can take out of your core at one time¡­ Anyways, these daggers once belonged to¡­ someone important.¡± John sighed, sensing the hesitation in Dennis¡¯ voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine with not knowing. It sounds personal.¡± Dennis shook his head slowly. ¡°No, I¡­ I don¡¯t mind. You see, this is actually the second time an expedition has experienced the creation of a tyrant.¡± Chapter 39 - Shields Rock Listening to Dennis¡¯ words, John nodded. He already knew something similar had happened in the past. How else would Invoker Hans understand what was happening when the ground started to shake? ¡°Okay, and what happened the first time?¡± he asked, wondering about the connection to what Dennis had said earlier. Dennis looked melancholic, keeping his eyes on the red-hot dagger. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there when it happened¡­ It was a portal in India that changed, and¡­ my wife, Marlene, was part of the expedition.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, but that¡¯s just a small part of the story. I was just a breaker then, but I volunteered to join the rescue mission. But when we arrived¡­ the planet was a mess, much like this one. A complete maze, literally. The surface was ripped apart, creating kilometer-wide pathways in all directions. The expedition members could be anywhere. We didn¡¯t know they would be sent to random locations at the time, so we spread out in groups to search. And¡­ Long story very short, my group found her together with some other members. We were on our way back¡­¡± Dennis dismissed the dagger and touched his forehead, hiding most of his face. ¡°Then the tyrant¡­ Uhm¡­ We barely even heard it before half the group was gone. Marlene pushed me out of the way, and then¡­ she was gone.¡± He started shaking silently, taking sharp, unsteady breaths, trying to keep his emotions in check. John stayed quiet, understanding some of the pain he must have felt. Rain looked at Dennis with worry. She got up from the sand and walked over to him, gently embracing him from behind. Dennis turned his head to look at her, but then he turned back, not seeming to mind. They all stayed like that for a while, silently grieving and supporting. Dennis eventually stopped his shaking, never letting a single sob out. But despite that, it seemed to have helped him. Rain released her embrace and stood back up. ¡°Dennis not stupid,¡± she said quietly before walking back to sit beside John again. John thought he saw the shadows of a smile on Dennis¡¯ face once he looked up from his hands, nodding his head lightly. Dennis sighed again, but there was a clear look of relief on his face. ¡°Thank you, Rain. I needed that¡­ Uh, the daggers were lying on the ground, so I picked them up. Then they entered my core, just like that.¡± John nodded, not entirely sure what to say. ¡°Thank you for sharing that, Dennis. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°Yeah, no¡­ Thanks for listening¡­ Uh, the reason I called it a mistake was that we lost four invokers on that expedition. Two of them were in my group, and they all died to the tyrant. We rescued nearly twenty people, but we lost over fifty. It was a major blow to Earth¡¯s forces. For little gain.¡± John breathed deeply, getting a bad premonition from his words. ¡°So you think a rescue mission is unlikely to happen, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on it unless they send some of the weavers here. But I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d spare them for our sake.¡± ¡°... Not even the Lady of Fate?¡± John asked, recalling the meeting with her. He had no idea how powerful she was in a fight, but as a weaver, she should be more than capable of defeating horrors. Dennis shook his head. ¡°She might even be the most important of the weavers, depending on who you ask. But perhaps she can help in other ways? You''ve been quite lucky, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Well, it¡¯s been a good mix, I¡¯d say. And she doesn¡¯t have as much control as you might think, according to herself.¡± ¡°Hm, we¡¯ll see. I have a feeling my chances of getting out of here increased greatly when I met you two,¡± Dennis said with a smile. His eyes were still blank from earlier tears, making him look even kinder than usual. John chuckled, hoping he was right. ¡°No guarantees there, but I¡¯ll do my best. I should warn you, though; my primary goal isn¡¯t the portal.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Yeah¡­ The girl I grew up with¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± John was about to continue, but Dennis cut him off with a halting hand. ¡°Who could understand you better than me, then? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± John smiled again, feeling much closer to the aspecter before him. ¡°Thanks.¡± A sudden look of alarm crossed Dennis¡¯ face, making him get up. ¡°Kerchak has encountered a demon on its way here! Can you go help, John?¡± The sudden turn of events surprised him, but John was still ready for a fight. ¡°Of course! You two should get away from here; they¡¯re probably smelling the meat from this stupid bird.¡± Rain looked up at him with worry, asking without words. ¡°Yes, fight. Don¡¯t worry!¡± John said to her as he jumped on top of Larang. He recalled the shield as well, getting completely ready for combat. Dennis looked focused, looking down at the ground. ¡°It¡¯s a tough bastard, but it¡¯s not very fast. Kerchak is wounded, though, so please hurry!¡± John took off without responding, merely waving back at Rain as she lifted her hand nervously. ¡®Ah, a good fight after a heart-to-heart! The perfect palette cleanser!¡¯
Kerchak was in the middle of the fight when John spotted him, flying about fifty meters from the fight. The bone saber had broken, leaving only a sharp stump in his hand. The helmet was still intact, and no other wounds could be seen on him. ¡®Okay, made it before anything decisive happened. But what is that demon?¡¯ A black, lizard-like creature protected by a thick layer of red rocks stood on its hind legs, swiping at Kerchak with its claws. It had a long, gator-like mouth filled with sharp teeth that looked like it could easily bite through flesh. ¡®How do I attack that thing? I assume it''s protecting itself by using its aspect to pack rocks onto itself, but unless they¡¯re enhanced by essence, I should be able to get through them.¡¯ For the first time in a long time, John prepared an attack spell. Liquid essence gathered in his hands, forming a spear of fire in front of his hands. He couldn¡¯t make it spin like Serah, but it should be fine either way. Hopefully, the extra power behind the liquid essence would compensate for his relatively low skill. The speed and the power should increase significantly, more than doubling compared to using gaseous essence. Kerchak struggled to hold the creature''s jaws away from his weak spots, so John had to act soon. ¡®Let¡¯s see how well that rock protects you from piercing attacks!¡¯ The spear of fire flew forward, crossing the distance in barely a second. It cast a fiery light on the ground as it traveled, but barely made a sound. The spell hit the demon in the chest, sending pieces of rocks bursting from the impact. The lizard fell backward from the force, but spun to land on its feet, looking relatively unhurt. ¡®Damn, okay¡­ I can understand why the saber broke now. I¡¯ll just have to get close, then.¡¯ Larang carried him to the fight as John reduced his weight, preparing to make swift maneuvers if necessary. Air bursts were charging in both his hands, giving him plenty of ways to escape danger. Kerchak nearly lost his balance as the lizard swiped its tail at his feet, but the monkey managed to grab the tail and climbed on the ground to hold the beast in place. It was dangerous, risking getting bitten by the jaws, but he barely dodged the fangs safely each time. ¡®Oh! Maybe I can¡­¡¯ John summoned the shield and tried to aim for the exact spot he had in mind. In the next instant, the shield was gone from his hand and was instead lodged between the lizard''s jaws. It could not bite down, effectively stopping its most dangerous weapon completely. It could only flail in Kerchak¡¯s grip, held tightly between his arms and legs. Its claws were still dangerous, but they were unable to scratch him. ¡®Hah, let me give that armor of yours a proper test, then!¡¯ John was right next to the two giants, about to jump down to prepare for an attack. But the lizard had one more trick up its sleeve. The rocky armor came loose from its skin, falling to the ground like harmless rubble. Kerchak¡¯s grip was lost, and it managed to slither out of his hold, starting to dig into the ground to escape. ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± John yelled, using both his bursts to push himself toward the back of the lizard. The speed was higher than he expected, making it hard to see throught the wind, but he knew where he was. He quickly resummoned Larang into his hands above his head and infused it with essence, preparing for his attack. ¡®Let¡¯s hope this attack still works!¡¯ Right before reaching the lizard''s back, he increased his weight to normal, making Larang swing forward. Aided by his strength and the tripled gravity pointing straight down, It sank into the flesh and buried deep, carrying the force of John¡¯s air blasts to make an extended cut along its back. A six-meter-long laceration remained in his path, braking John¡¯s momentum and forcing him to a stop. He stood right next to the head of the lizard, holding Larang¡¯s shaft, looking into its eyes as the light started fading. In a fluid motion, he summoned the shortsword and tried to stab it in its eye to get the final blow. ¡®Will I make it?¡¯ It pierced quickly, reaching the brain and ending whatever remained of its life. Chapter 40 - Even Stronger Standing on the dead lizard''s neck, John felt a rush of adrenaline. The attack with Larang had been way more effective than he could have imagined, cleaving the back of the demon entirely in half. ¡®This is the power of greatswords! But did I make it in time?¡¯ Before he could check, he turned to Kerchak and saw him clapping and nodding approvingly as he sat in the sand. John smiled and bowed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without you. But we should get out of here before any more beasts show up to feed.¡± Kerchak nodded and stood up, returning for the others. His upper body was covered in lacerations, but nothing too serious. The bleeding had already stopped for the most part. ¡®It¡¯s weirdly reassuring to have a demon on our side. I wonder if we could train them, even without using aspects to control them¡­¡¯ John pushed that thought to the back of his head and returned his attention to the lizard. He put his hand on its nack and started to absorb the essence. Once again, he barely used any essence, but he decided to refill the liquid essence, converting it from its gaseous form. His core grew as well, bringing him to about seventy percent. And once again, a light floated gently in his core. ¡®Yes! Well, it¡¯s just green, but now I can figure out how much it helps me grow!¡¯ John could hear steps behind him and turned to look, seeing Kerchak carrying Dennis and Rain in his hands. Dennis was carrying the water barrel on his back and a large piece of meat wrapped in leather under his left hand. Rain waved at him energetically, not seeming to mind the blue blood in Kerchak¡¯s fur. ¡°John strong!¡± she yelled. Dennis smiled down at him, seemingly having gained some respect for John during the two fights. ¡°Time to go, John?¡± ¡°Yeah, just¡­ Uhm, I got an enchantment. But I don¡¯t want it. What do I do then?¡± ¡°Oh, really? Lucky you! I would consider putting it on a piece of equipment either way, just to see what it does. You never know; it might come in handy later.¡± John paused, unsure if he should share the secret of his golden enchantment. Even if he didn¡¯t, it would still be very suspicious if he said he had filled all his slots. ¡°Mmh, maybe. But what do I do if I ever get into that situation?¡± ¡°... Well, you just send it into your central core. Then, it converts to essence, which you can use to grow your core or equipment.¡± ¡°What? How do I grow my equipment?¡± John asked, sensing that a vital piece of information had slipped from his preparatory course. Dennis looked at him worriedly. ¡°Did your company not teach you anything? Surely they mentioned that equipment grows along with the user?¡± John could vaguely recall Vera mentioning that, but he had never gotten an explanation past that. ¡°Somewhat¡­ But what does that do? Do they grow stronger?¡± ¡°Yeah, they can store more essence within them, and you can alter them slightly to suit you better. They must also be grown completely before ascending to an aspecter.¡± John started to wonder about the lack of information he had been given. ¡®Well, most of it could have been explained once we got to the base, I guess. Our training was still ongoing when this all happened.¡¯ ¡°Right, that¡¯s why having more equipment makes it harder to grow¡­ How do I know when it¡¯s completed?¡± ¡°They get a sort of glow when they¡¯re in your core. But¡­ now I¡¯m starting to wonder if the type of essence you put into them makes a difference.¡± Dennis put a hand on his chin, stroking his beard in thought. ¡°... That might be the case. But if that makes a big difference in power¡­ That would be horrible news for everyone who has passed breaker level, right?¡± John asked, both excited and nervous about the possible increase in his powers. Dennis nodded with a grave expression. ¡°That¡¯s true. But it only strengthens humanity in the end, so it would still be good. Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Yeah, sure. I just need to consider what type I want to use for each item. The shield should undoubtedly use solid essence, so I guess I can do that first.¡± Dennis seemed to have remembered something, looking at John standing on top of the dead lizard. ¡°Uhh, maybe we should leave first? This is hardly the time to test new stuff.¡± ¡°Right, of course!¡± John replied, having forgotten about the situation. Beasts would soon flock to this place, just like the lizard did. ¡°I¡¯ll scout again, then.¡± He briefly dismissed Larang before summoning it again, removing blood and guts stuck to the blade. Then he ascended, ready to search the surroundings for any approaching beasts.
¡®I think I did everything well during that fight. Kerchak might disagree, but I¡¯d rather have him get hurt than myself. The spell didn¡¯t work as well as I had hoped, but it let me know how tough the rocks were. Serah would probably have managed to penetrate it¡­¡¯ While flying high up in the air, John considered what he should do with the enchantment. It only told him that it had to do with ¡®cold,¡¯ but he couldn¡¯t see any suitable spot for it. ¡®I should get better at understanding enchantments before using them. This will only get harder in the future.¡¯ In the end, he decided he would push it into his core and use it for extra essence. All his current enchantments had their uses, and two were nearly indispensable. He would likely never remove his golden enchantment, and the gravity enchantment in Larang was also incredibly useful. It had saved his life more than once and made traveling a breeze. Considering another slot would become available once he became an aspecter, he might keep it forever. ¡®I am so damn excited about becoming an aspecter! But I guess it¡¯s further away than I expected, depending on how much essence the equipment will require¡­ I¡¯ll have to think about it later; now, we need to make some progress on this damn desert.¡¯
The rest of the day passed without any issues. Like before, John scouted and warned of any potential dangers, steering clear of the potential fights. He had gotten enough fights in for the day. ¡®About time to find a spot to rest, I¡¯d say. I want to test this essence infusion with my full focus, so I can¡¯t be flying like this.¡¯ He descended toward the others, seeing them both lying on their backs in the giant arms and resting. Dennis could command Kerchak to follow John without any input, so he could rest his eyes during the day and keep watch at night. And Rain simply felt bored, by the looks of it. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we stop for the day. What do you think?¡± John asked, floating a few meters above them. Rain opened her eyes drowsily and looked at the darkening light surrounding them. ¡°Sleep now?¡± John smiled at her. ¡°Rain already sleep. Why more?¡± She pouted at him but didn¡¯t respond. Dennis also got up, stretching his back. ¡°Yeah, that sounds good. I don¡¯t need much sleep, so I¡¯ll be fine keeping watch throughout the night. Kerchak will need some rest, though.¡± ¡°Rain fly?¡± she asked, looking up at John hopefully. It seemed like she was bored by getting carried by Kerchak, finding it more fun to fly, understandably. ¡®Or perhaps she wants to be next to me instead¡­ They seem to get along well enough, though.¡¯ ¡°I need sleep, Rain. But we can fly tomorrow,¡± he responded, hoping it would appease her. She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Good! Rain fly tomorrow!¡± ¡°I think we can just rest here, John. It¡¯s plenty open, so I can give a heads-up if anything comes near us,¡± Dennis noted, looking around where they were standing. Kerchak bent down and put Rain down on the sand, then lay beside her, preparing himself for sleep. Dennis remained on his stomach and sat down, choosing the high point as a watchpoint. John landed next to Rain and patted her head before looking up at Dennis. ¡°Does Kerchak move at all during his sleep?¡± he asked, wondering if they could sleep safely next to him. ¡°Not at all. He¡¯s also completely silent, so you won¡¯t have to worry about snoring. One of the best partners I¡¯ve had, honestly.¡± ¡°I can see why. You must have been lucky to encounter him.¡± ¡°Oh, he wasn¡¯t very nice back then. I had to fight him together with a centipede-like demon to be able to subdue him. But well worth it, I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°I can see why. His aspect also looks very good!¡± John noted, recalling the helmet and saber of bone Kerchak had made before fighting. ¡°... You should have seen it when he controlled it himself¡ªa complete set of armor and dual-wielding great axes of bone. I can barely make use of it. But still, it¡¯s great for preparing for a fight in advance.¡± John nodded, wondering how he would have used it. It seemed less useful for humans since they already had access to weapons and armor. Then again, the same might be said for Captain Dirk and his scaled aspect. And he seemed more than strong enough. ¡°Well, have a good night, Dennis.¡± ¡°You too, John!¡± After positioning himself closer to Kerchak, John lay down and closed his eyes, focusing on his core. The green enchantment, Larang, the lucky sword, and the greatshield all floated around in there, waiting for his commands. ¡®Okay then¡­ Let¡¯s test this thing. Greatshield, hope you don¡¯t mind being the test subject. With this, I might get even stronger!¡¯ Chapter 41 - Mental Strain John glanced at his core, filled with solid, liquid, and gaseous essence in a twenty-seventy-ten split. He rarely used gaseous anymore, but he still feared getting caught off guard and being unable to act on anything but instincts. ¡®If I sent the enchantment in now, it might go to waste expanding my core. I think the enchantment will give me more essence than I can fit, so I should use most of it first.¡¯ He moved the shield closer to the core to make the process easier. Then, he gently guided the solid essence toward it, waiting in anticipation to see the results. The solid clumps of cloudy essence touched the shield¡¯s surface and molded with it, infusing it with essence. John didn¡¯t see any way to do this without first filling the shield with essence, hoping it would expand once he reached the maximum amount. The shield eventually stopped accepting more essence, now filled to the brim. But John continued trying, focusing on receiving and infusing the essence simultaneously. The shield was part of him, so he also needed to let the essence do as it wanted. ¡®This is not as easy as it sounds¡­ But now I¡¯m wondering if I can infuse Larang or the lucky sword before summoning them. That would make it easier to use them in a hurry¡­¡¯ Shaking off the distracting thoughts, he renewed his focus, clearly seeing the shield accepting the essence in his mind''s eye. Finally, it started. The marbles of essence began spreading across the shield, melding with it and giving off a faint glow. The process wasn¡¯t swift, but it would only take a minute for John to empty his storage of solid essence. John felt the shield become malleable in his mind, letting him alter its shape if he wanted. But he couldn¡¯t think of any particularly useful improvements at the moment. ¡®Wait! If the shield retains its velocity while teleporting¡­ Then, I could attack anything within a fifty-meter radius if I fly at high speeds! But¡­ that feels almost like cheating. Can it really be that useful?¡¯ He was afraid of testing it right now, fearing he would lose his opportunity to mold the shield like he wanted. So, to be safe, he tried envisioning the shield¡¯s upper edge becoming sharper, sacrificing a bit of defense for the chance to attack more efficiently. It molded to his exact vision, but he felt the power of alteration waning in his mind. He would likely need more essence to continue changing it. The final bit of solid essence was spent now, so he had to take a break. And that was the perfect excuse to test the shield properly. But once his attention turned to the outside, he felt his hand gently held in Rain''s hands. She had crawled up next to him and pulled his hand to her stomach, lying on her side. And now she was sleeping peacefully, looking ever so content. ¡®... Mmh, I guess¡­ I can postpone the testing till tomorrow. It¡¯s the first time we both get to rest during the night since Dennis is keeping watch. But I still want to finish this infusing process, though.¡¯ Deciding to take the risk that the teleporting would not work as he hoped, John continued the process. First, he had to transmute the liquid essence into solid, leaving him dangerously low on essence. The process took another couple of minutes, but soon, he had thirty percent solid essence in his core. He chose to leave ten percent of liquid, just in case. ¡®I didn¡¯t feel close to reaching a limit during the infusion¡­ This might take more effort than I thought. But the shield is also my largest piece of equipment, both in weight and size. The others should be quicker.¡¯ He started the process again, watching the shield greedily consume the small marbles of essence around it. The sense of malleability returned, and he used it to sharpen the upper edge. He also tried making it slightly taller in the middle so it would pierce objects more easily. Ever so slowly, he also felt that the shield started to seem more robust in his mind. The weight of it seemed to increase, even if the size remained the same. ¡®... Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s actually increasing in weight due to the solid essence? Well, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a bad thing, but still. I really shouldn¡¯t be doing this without testing it at all.¡¯ Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Soon, the essence was exhausted again, without any noticeable glow to signal it was completed. But John didn¡¯t see it as a bad thing. That only meant the opportunity to alter his equipment was more significant than he thought. ¡®Okay, time to see what happens once the enchantment is destroyed. I might have to convert it to liquid essence quickly to avoid wasting any on my core growing.¡¯ The green ball of light sank into the translucent sphere in the middle of the space in his mind. It seemed to fade slowly, expanding in all directions, slowly filling the core with glowing white essence. The essence seemed to be of a higher quality than what he had used earlier, but it was hard to tell since it gradually degraded once it stayed in his core. John could not keep it pure, which he assumed was due to his breaker status. He immediately converted it to liquid essence, bringing it out of his core and imagining the heavy rain clouds from his training sessions. The stream of new essence was high, but he managed to keep up with it without any essence going to waste. However, his core quickly seemed to fill, while the enchantment showed no sign of stopping. ¡®Damn, this thing has more essence than I thought. But I guess it makes sense, given the fact that a demon can fill my essence with ease. I¡¯ll have to convert it to solid as well, and then try to send it to the shield while it¡¯s converting¡­¡¯ Unbeknownst to him, a sigh escaped his lips as he converted the essence again. Instead of stopping the first process, he simply let the liquid essence stay in his chest and tried to solidify it while the gaseous essence was converting to liquid essence. The challenge of keeping the image of heavy rain and molten metal turning solid in his mind at once was nearly impossible, but he managed to keep up with the enchantment¡¯s release, if just barely. Sensing that the core was filling with the solid essence he was creating, John tried to send it to the shield without spending any brainpower. He managed, but he had no time to alter its shape any further. ¡®Whatever, I don¡¯t care! God damn, this is straining!¡¯ Sweat had started dripping from his temples due to the focus required, but he managed to keep up the pace. The shield kept getting more robust as he strived to continue the process. Then, finally, the enchantment stopped, losing its final spark of light and disintegrating into nothing. Relieved, John could stop the tedious process and only focus on turning the gaseous essence into liquid. He kept sending some solid essence to the shield, trying to reduce the amount in his core to twenty percent again. But then his shield stopped accepting any more essence and instead gained a soft glow. Like a final puzzle piece, the essence had utterly transformed it, not in shape or appearance, but in some other way that John couldn¡¯t quite explain. ¡®It finished! Great! Then I can go to sleep!¡¯ Even with his superhuman body, John felt his mind longing for sleep. The process had been way more draining on his mental stamina than expected. Opening his eyes, he again saw Rain at his side, in the same position as before. Her antlers forced her face to be half-buried in the sand, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. His arm was still held between her hands, tucked against her stomach like a teddy bear. Seeing her like that, John felt he had to confront something he had tried to avoid so far. He hoped it wasn¡¯t the case, but the possibility was clearly there. ¡®... Does she have romantic feelings for me? It doesn¡¯t seem like it, but I can¡¯t really say I know how it would look if she did¡­ Nah, she feels more like a very close friend, right? And she doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s normal, given her lack of knowledge. This is just her being close to me.¡¯ He felt confident, having seen how people in love look at their object of desire. Rain had shown no such signs, even when he had taken baths. Thinking further about their time together, John eventually fell asleep, dreaming of his shield working exactly as he hoped it would.
The morning was as mild as ever, slowly illuminating their surroundings without any sharp sunlight to disturb their sleep. John felt well-rested as his eyes opened, looking at the rest of the planet hovering above him. Their goal was still farther away than he liked to think about, but they were making steady progress. John also had a slight hope that they could speed up once he became an aspecter, with him bringing Rain on Larang again. Rain had gotten up already, sitting next to Dennis, who was preparing a meal for her from the remaining bird meat. She seemed more eager than usual, which John understood well. The bird was delicious. ¡°Morning,¡± John said, sitting up from the sand and tussling the back of his head. Rain turned to him and waved. ¡°Good morning!¡± Dennis also looked over at him and greeted him with a nod. ¡°Morning, John. No demons came close to us tonight, but I had to chase a few monsters off. Sleep well?¡± ¡°Yeah, like a rock. Thanks for keeping watch!¡± ¡°Any time! You want some bird as well?¡± Dennis asked, holding up a piece of the purple meat. ¡°Of course!¡± John replied, getting up and heading over to the others. It promised to be another day of travel and fighting, and John was more than excited. Chapter 42 - Drive By John flew through the air with purpose, searching for his first target on which to test the new shield attack. He had already taken it out once to get a feel for the changes it had undergone, and he was very pleased with the results. Not only had the weight nearly doubled, but it had also become incredibly tough and sharp. This made him consider whether he should use the same solid essence on Larang when he reached that point. ¡°John, too fast!¡± Rain complained from the back. John had tried to fly off without her to test the shield, but she refused to stay behind. So, he had no choice but to bring her along and reduce the speed somewhat. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll slow down a little bit. But you¡¯re the one who wanted to join!¡± ¡°Look for monsters, not fly crazy!¡± she responded, which he assumed meant she simply expected him to fly like he had done the day before. ¡°I am looking! Just very fast looking!¡± ¡°Look slow!¡± John grumbled silently to himself, regretting his promise from the day before. He made a mental note not to make promises before knowing the consequences. But he did slow down, letting Rain get her bearings again. It was understandable that flying at speeds over thirty meters per second would be tough on an average person, even if Rain fit that description poorly. Finally, John spotted a demon walking the dunes below them, giving him an opportunity to test his new strategy. It was another of the lizards he had fought the day before, but this one had a different aspect. It was covered in large bony spikes, making it look like a different creature entirely. ¡®That seems weak, but it might work excellently against physical attacks. I should be careful in case it can shoot those things, though.¡¯ He wanted to dive down at full speed, but alas. ¡°Rain, can I speed up a little bit now? I want to test something real quick.¡± ¡°... Only little.¡± ¡°Sure, only little! But straight down!¡± ¡°Down¡­ down? No! Nooooo!¡± Rain screamed in his ears as he started diving. She would probably remember what down meant after today, John thought with a smile. They descended, but John refrained from making Larang increase their speed. Which meant they were just in free fall, four hundred meters up in the sky. ¡°Joooohn! Stuuuupid!¡± Rain kept yelling, hitting him softly in the back. ¡°Yeah, sure am! I¡¯ll start moving us sideways soon, so hold on!¡± As they approached the ground, he had to turn their momentum to prevent splashing into the sand. Soon, they were flying horizontally again, heading straight for the spiked lizard. ¡®Fifty meters! Only a bit more! I¡¯ll aim for the stomach!¡¯ Rain was now laughing nervously behind him, like the butterflies in her stomach were too intense to avoid it. John was slightly nervous about the demon hearing them approach, but he couldn¡¯t bear to silence her. The demon turned its attention to them, rapidly turning its head. But John was already close enough to test his attack. He summoned the shield with the sharp side facing forward and immediately teleported it in front of the lizard¡¯s face. Without any time to react, the demon¡¯s face split down the middle, completely cleaved in half by the giant slab of steel materializing in front of it. Its brain turned to mush on the spot, seeping out of the split cranium. It fell to the ground, completely still. As soon as the attack succeeded, the spikes on its back seemed to wilt, no longer in the beast''s control. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yes! It worked! Rain, it worked!¡± John cheered, nearly overjoyed by this new weapon in his arsenal. With this, he could hunt demons like they were cattle, waiting for him to drink their delicious essence. ¡°Okay!¡± Rain replied, not as excited. John noticed her hands had dug deeper into his neck than usual, but he could hardly blame her. He had sped up past what he thought was sensible, looking back. ¡°Sorry, Rain. I got too excited,¡± he said remorsefully. Rain sighed behind his back, and then she tussled his hair. ¡°Is fine, John. Just careful, okay?¡± They stopped next to the demon to make sure they got there before any other beasts showed up again. John started absorbing the essence left in the beast and turning it into liquid essence. Then he started infusing the lucky blade with the liquid essence, figuring it was the best equipment to test it. He also wanted to test what would happen if he mixed two types of essence in one piece of equipment, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was a good idea. ¡®Mmmh, maybe I should test it to ensure I¡¯m not making a mistake later? Eighty percent liquid, twenty percent solid sounds like a good plan.¡¯ The dark steel blade in his core absorbed the liquid essence flowing from his core, drinking it greedily. John made sure to send some of his solid essence to it as well, just to ensure he didn¡¯t fill it before being able to do his testing. Slowly, the blade started to seem more flexible and sharp. It reflected the faint light of the essence more clearly than before, gaining a clear and shiny surface. ¡®... If I¡¯m going to keep using this sword the way I am, I should probably change its shape somewhat. The handguard gets in the way when piercing targets and slows it down during flight.¡¯ Large footsteps from behind him let John know that Dennis and Kerchak were arriving at the scene, having followed his trajectory through the air. ¡°Holy hells, John! The new strategy worked well, then?¡± Dennis asked, looking at the corpse John was laying his hand on. Rain put a finger in front of her lips as she looked at Dennis. ¡°Costrating, Dennis! Shh.¡± John smiled at her attempt to handle longer words but still felt grateful for her care. Still keeping his hand on the corpse, he turned to Dennis. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Rain. I have a question for Dennis, anyways.¡± ¡°Shoot!¡± Dennis yelled, jumping down from Kerchak¡¯s hands and landing lightly in the sand. ¡°The infusion of other types of essence is working, but I¡¯d like to know how the changes feel when you use gaseous essence. How does the equipment grow when you infuse them normally?¡± Dennis seemed deep in thought for a moment before attempting to answer. ¡°Uhm¡­ Lighter and more¡­ ethereal, I guess? It¡¯s hard to explain, but they feel faster in every sense of the word, like they¡¯re losing matter just to become easier to handle.¡± ¡°... That sounds terrible!¡± John replied, glad to have figured out these issues before evolving his weapons on his own. ¡°You all just have floaty weapons and equipment, then?¡± Dennis sighed and scratched the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s not like they become weaker, you know. They are way easier to handle, sharper, and don¡¯t lose toughness.¡± ¡°Okay, but that sounds bad for armor, right? I get that it¡¯s easier to move, but you¡¯ve already got super strength! What¡¯s the point?¡± John argued, frustrated with the entirety of humanity for just accepting this as truth for so long. Dennis held his hands up before him and smiled, trying to diffuse John¡¯s emotions. ¡°Hey, I get how you feel. Let¡¯s just take it as a positive that we know for the future instead of crying over spilled milk, huh? You should finish your gathering before anything shows up.¡± John turned his attention back to the lizard, knowing Dennis was right. By his calculations, there shouldn¡¯t be much of the essence in the corpse remaining. ¡®I¡¯ll make the guard shrink as much as possible and make the blade more suited for stabbing. That should make it much more suited for shooting with the air blast while keeping the handle intact in case I need it.¡¯ The final bit of essence flowed from the corpse and turned to liquid in his core, prompting him to end the infusion of the sword. He felt confident in fighting demons now, but he still wanted to have his core filled with essence just in case something happened. ¡°Okay, that was the last bit. I think the sword should be close to filled already due to the size, but it¡¯s not done quite yet.¡± ¡°Great! Then let¡¯s get out of here! Rain, do you want to keep flying with John?¡± Dennis asked. Rain nodded, which was no easy task, with the antlers weighing her head down. ¡°Rain fly more! Please?¡± she added after turning to John. John looked at her with more than a bit of resignation. ¡°Rain, are you sure? If I see beasts, I will probably continue hunting them and fly like I did before.¡± He knew it was likely a losing battle, but he had to try. Not having to worry about keeping her safe while flying was considerably more manageable if he was going to hunt demons, and that¡¯s what he intended to do. Instead of continuing to plead, Rain looked at John with her big doe-eyes. ¡°... Fine, Rain stay ground¡­¡± John sighed deeply, unable to continue persuading her despite knowing she was manipulating him. ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± He summoned Larang under his feet and nodded helplessly to Dennis, who nodded back with a grin, before turning to Rain again. ¡°Come here, then.¡± Rain was happy to comply, jumping on his back while John slipped the harness around his shoulders. But just as he was about to take off, he could feel a rumbling under his feet. It reminded him of when they arrived in the red desert, right before they were separated. John turned to Dennis, who had the same fear in his eyes as him. ¡®That fucking horror again!¡¯ Chapter 43 - Bone and Sand John yelled out orders in a hurry, pointing at Dennis. ¡°Leave Kerchak behind and run! We need to give it a reason to stay here!¡± Dennis seemed hesitant, but he knew it was a matter of life and death, so he nodded and started running. ¡°See you guys later, I hope!¡± John took off, hoping the meat left behind would be enough to stop the bony horror from pursuing them. He lightened his weight to make Larang as fast as possible, not having the liberty to think about Rain''s comfort. The rumbling got louder, coming from the spiky mountains surrounding them. John looked behind him to see Kerchak lightly running after Dennis, leaving plenty of room between them. If the lizard''s corpse stopped the horror, they might still be able to keep Kerchak alive. But John didn¡¯t dare be optimistic. He had a slight fear that it would keep following him regardless of the food left behind. ¡®Please don¡¯t come after me again, please, please, please! You didn¡¯t understand my insults, so why would you?¡¯ Rain clung to his back as they sped up, going above the mountains before evening out horizontally. While flying like this, their top speed was approximately eighty meters per second, which would be too fast for Rain. And not fast enough to escape. ¡°Rain, can you look behind? Do you see the bones?¡± He felt Rain turning her head, unintentionally hitting him with her antlers. ¡°White, many white, following!¡± ¡°Not stopping with the demon?¡± John asked, praying she had omitted that part. ¡°Demon gone, still following!¡± she replied, confirming John¡¯s fears and sending a chill down his back. ¡®Fucking shit! Fuck! What do I do?¡¯ He considered flying as high as he could manage, but he had no confidence that it would save them. ¡°Rain, any ideas?!¡± he asked, recalling how she had a better solution the last time they met the horror. ¡°... Black shield.¡± John understood what she meant and immediately thought of combining the teleporting shield and the black essence in his necklace. It would be a sure kill as long as he aimed it correctly. Or, at least, he hoped it would. ¡°Good plan, but dangerous! No way to escape?¡± Rain paused first, but then she shook her head. ¡°Not both. Only John.¡± ¡°Not happening! We try black shield!¡± There was one significant issue with the shield, though. It was heavier than what Larang could carry, meaning they would be forced into a free fall as soon as he retrieved it. So John ascended, no longer bothering with moving horizontally. ¡®This is such a gamble¡­ There¡¯s no way I can stop our fall only fifty meters from the ground unless I use air blasts. But that would very likely hurt Rain a lot. I will have to use the method I used last time the planet broke apart.¡¯ ¡°Bones under us soon! Be¨C¡± Rain was forced to stop talking as the wave of pressure caught up with them both. Once again, John felt himself being unable to move, like he was buried deeply under the dunes below them. He filled his body to the limit with liquid essence, forcing himself to move, and then he withdrew the shield from his core before willingly falling off of Larang¡¯s blade. They fell straight down. John could finally see the giant wave of bones below them, although it was considerably smaller than last time. A pink area in the middle was clearly visible, indicating the approximate location of the horror itself. It had stopped moving and seemed to be waiting for John to fall into its clutches, rearing its ugly pink head from the pile of bones surrounding it. Over half the distance was behind them now, and the speed was still increasing. The shield was pressed against John¡¯s chest, next to the necklace, ready to be infused with the black essence. He had to time it correctly so it didn¡¯t cause issues while he held it. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®You think you¡¯ll win this easily, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll show you what happens when you underestimate us humans!¡¯ Focusing intensely on the necklace, John reached out toward the shield, letting a tendril of the black essence spread onto it. He held the shield by the edges before him, watching the darkness slowly embrace it. The pink beast was now staring John in the eyes, letting out a fierce roar and spreading its feet. The pink goo surrounding it started moving, sending a thin glob moving up toward the two falling figures. ¡®Ahh, fuck you¡­¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t be able to send the shield forward if he was dead, and he assumed the goo had some powerful corrosive properties, considering the bones it left behind. So he summoned Larang and the shortsword, sending them both toward the beast to distract it. Larang moved quickly once the gravity started working, but the lucky sword trailed well behind. It worked like a charm, though. After the last time, the beast seemed afraid of anything John sent toward it. It dodged to the side, losing control of the goo shooting up toward them, and had to dodge again once Larang changed directions. But then it was ready again, turning its focus back to John and Rain. ¡®Too late! Bitch!¡¯ The shield fell alongside John now, speeding up due to its weight and lack of air resistance. It was covered entirely in the black essence, and then it was gone. Straight above the pink horror, it appeared, falling at an incredible speed. And barely a thousandth of a second later, it embedded itself in its back. But unlike what John had expected, it didn¡¯t pierce through the flesh like it had done with everything else it touched. Instead, it stopped in place while the black essence shot forward into its body. And then the horror was dead. John didn¡¯t have time to admire the result, though. He was still falling toward the ground, no more than fifty meters above it at this point. The heavy pressure disappeared once the beast died, but John still needed to pull out all his tricks to make this landing survivable for them both. Larang was back under John¡¯s feet, pushing them upward with full force while his hands blasted wind below them. The sudden braking force caused Rain to squeeze against his back, and he could hear her losing her breath as her lungs compressed. ¡®Hold on, Rain! This won¡¯t last long!¡¯ The force needed to stop them in such a short distance greatly strained John¡¯s essence. Nearly five times the standard pull of gravity was working on their bodies, and John felt the harness holding Rain digging deeply into his shoulders. They were about to hit the ground only a few seconds later, but nearly all the momentum had disappeared. The impact and air spells sent a small sand cloud into the air, but John considered it a safe landing. ¡°Rain, are you okay?¡± He turned his head and tried to look at her. Her head was leaning on his shoulder as she let out an airless groan. Then she released a series of short, empty coughs. She clearly wasn¡¯t in a good shape. But there were no serious injuries as far as he could tell. He released the harness from his shoulders, letting her slip down from his back. She leaned forward with her hands on her thighs, still breathing roughly. ¡°Haaah, Rain¡­ Rain no fly,¡± she managed to say before releasing the contents of her stomach onto the sand. John couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit before walking over to hold her forehead up. That had always helped him when he vomited, giving him a sense of safety and care. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Rain. We won.¡± He looked over at the still corpse of the pink horror, with its six legs and rotund body. The way the black essence had acted let him know that Rain had done more than save his hands back then. She had saved his life. The adrenaline was still pumping through his veins, but John felt surprisingly calm about the situation, like he hadn¡¯t just been in a harrowing life-and-death struggle at all. Finished with her artwork, Rain leaned back and lay down on the sand, looking pale and exhausted. John shoved some sand over it, and then he sat down next to her. ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°... Small better.¡± Her voice was still shallow and hoarse, but it was improving rapidly. ¡°That was a great idea, using the shield. You saved us¡­ But don¡¯t say I should go alone again. I won¡¯t leave you, okay?¡± Rain had a mix of contentment and frustration on her face as she replied. ¡°Okay¡­ I like John.¡± ¡°I like you too, Rain. Like a sister.¡± ¡°What sister?¡± ¡°Mmh, it¡¯s like family. Like¡­ someone you grow up with, and someone who supports you. Hopefully.¡± Rain looked up at the sky in confusion. ¡°Family sound nice. Rain, no family.¡± John looked over at her, feeling both pity and surprise. She had never revealed anything about her past before. ¡°... We can be family. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Rain looked back at him with a hopeful look. ¡°Rain and John, family?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She leaned back, regaining some of the color in her face. ¡°John¡­ Family is nice.¡± Chapter 44 - Aspecters Might As Rain calmed down and regained her spirit after the harrowing fight, John looked back at the giant corpse of the horror. He was looking at it like a juicy slab of meat. ¡®A horror should have some enchantment regardless of what weapon I use, right? It would be too unfair otherwise. I¡¯m sure most beasts have escaped this place by now, so we should have the area to ourselves.¡¯ John looked forward to consuming the beast''s essence, confident it would allow him to complete most of his equipment. The purity of the essence alone would likely give him a significant boost. A distant and short shout sounded from the direction they flew from. ¡°Wha¨C?!¡± John turned, seeing Kerchak and Dennis both staring at the corpse in shock. He waved with his free hand, surprised to see them so soon. ¡°Hey! Do you have the water?!¡± Dennis seemed to need more time to comprehend what he saw, but then he approached them, still standing in Kerchak¡¯s arms. ¡°What in the absolute¡­? You slayed a horror? How?!¡± John smiled as he stood up, brushing some sand from his clothes. ¡°Oh, no big deal. I just gambled it all on a single attack, using all my strongest weapons. Horrors aren¡¯t a big deal, really.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not expecting me to believe that! Your ¡®strongest attack¡¯ barely hurt him! I see the shield in his back!¡± ¡°... Well, I have a weapon I haven¡¯t told you about. This.¡± John held the necklace up, showing Dennis the black sphere. ¡°It¡¯s some sort of essence, extremely dangerous. I coated the shield in it, and it had no way to dodge.¡± Dennis jumped down from Kerchak and studied the necklace from a distance, shock and confusion still clear on his face. ¡°Okay¡­ Yeah, that makes more sense. A breaker can¡¯t possibly defeat a horror without some sort of miracle.¡± He looked over at the corpse again while burying his hands in his hair. ¡°But still, what the fuck?! You need like ten aspecters to confidently fight a horror, and even then, it¡¯s sure to be a costly fight!¡± John was too busy looking at the necklace to listen too closely to Dennis. He noticed that the black essence had halved after that attack, and it had never refilled itself during the time he had carried it. ¡®I might have spent a precious limited resource on that fight, but it was well worth it. This means I need to be careful in the future as well, though. Horrors are best left the hell alone.¡± Dennis turned to look at Rain, finally noticing she wasn¡¯t looking great. ¡°Is she alright? What happened?¡± ¡°Rain good. No fly,¡± she responded, understanding his words well enough. ¡°Thirsty.¡± ¡°Oh, right, sorry!¡± Dennis turned back to Kerchak and made him hand the water barrel down to him, which he then handed to Rain. ¡°Kerchak held on to it while I ran. I was surprised by the beast following the two of you, though! Any idea why?¡± John nodded, helping Rain hold the heavy barrel for her to drink. ¡°I think it remembered me from last time and wanted to settle the score. It seemed¡­ gleeful, almost, when we fell toward it. I¡¯m guessing horrors are more intelligent than demons and monsters, huh?¡± Dennis nodded, looking down at the sand in thought. ¡°Yeah, they¡­ they get smarter the higher their tier is. Tyrants are capable of hunting us with almost human intelligence. Which only makes them more dangerous.¡± Rain had quenched her thirst well, getting rid of the likely terrible taste in her mouth. ¡°Water is best! And meat!¡± John chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re hungry already? I guess we can try some horror to see if there¡¯s a difference in taste. I won¡¯t mind eating this bastard, at least¡­ But I want to absorb its essence first.¡± Rain laid back down in the sand, staring up at the sky. ¡°Rain wait.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Dennis looked at John with an exasperated smile. ¡°A breaker claiming a horror¡­ It might not be the first time, but it¡¯s a rare sight, that¡¯s for sure. I imagine that should bring you close to breaking through to an aspecter. If not all the way.¡± John nodded, having the same thoughts. ¡°How do I know when I reach that point? I¡¯ve been tracking the growth of my core, and it¡¯s about seventy percent larger by now. Is it done when it reaches a hundred?¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right. I didn¡¯t check it very closely when I broke through. One thing you should keep in mind, though: since no one we know has had other types of essence in their bodies during breaking through, it might have a big effect on your body.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°When we break through, our bodies are infused with the essence, like our equipment, and grow stronger. Since we¡¯re all used to using gaseous, it might affect you differently.¡± John considered his words, feeling excitement building again. He wouldn¡¯t mind any of the advantages he could get. ¡°That¡¯s very interesting! I¡¯ll, uhh¡­ I¡¯ll sit on the other side while absorbing it. I¡¯ll have to remove the armor to infuse it with essence.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Well, good luck!¡± In the inner world of his core, John looked at the light armor and Larang floating aimlessly in circles. He had already finished the infusion, choosing to split the ratios differently for each. The armor was infused with solid, liquid, and gas at a seventy-ten-twenty split, giving it plenty of defense while also reducing some of the weight and stiffness. Inspired by Dennis, John gave it a mask he could remove at will. The lack of facial defenses had irked him in the past, but now it would no longer be a problem. Larang was infused with only solid and liquid essence at a sixty-forty split. The solid essence considerably increased its weight, while the liquid essence gave it extra sharpness and flexibility. The shape was already close to perfect, but John had removed the tiny handguard, making it way more aerodynamic. ¡®It feels strange that all my weapons must consider air resistance in flight. I guess that might change once the other enchantments are inserted¡­ Now, for the main course.¡¯ The pure essence of the horror turned out to be way more than he needed to infuse them, with over half remaining. He figured it would be more than enough to fill his core to the brim. After a deep breath, he continued absorbing the pure essence, pushing the limits of his already full core even further than before. After thinking about the breakthrough and the effect the essence might have on him, he figured his usual split would suit him fine. Solid, twenty percent. Liquid, seventy percent. Gaseous, ten percent. He didn''t know whether it would have an effect, but he knew he wanted to be prepared in case it did. ¡®Eighty¡­ Eighty-five¡­ Ninety¡­ Ninety-five¡­ And¡­ One hundred!¡¯ The moment was so clear in his mind, like a limit had been there all along. But now it was breaking, with cracks spreading across the entire core. The essence flowed out of it like a burst dam, spreading through his entire body and filling him with an intensely refreshing sensation. He felt incredible, like jumping into a pool of refreshing milk after a sunburn, reaching the surface after a long dive, and diving over the finish line after a grueling marathon. All aches and pains were gone in an instant, replaced with boundless contentment. ¡®Oh, god! This is¡­ divine!¡¯ But along with the incredible sensation, he could feel change. A thorough cleansing of his entire being, from head to toe, reconstructing and rebuilding every part into better versions. John could feel his muscles fill with power he had never felt before, far beyond what he had been capable of until now, even with the liquid essence. His bones felt sturdier, his lungs more extensive, and his hearing seemed sharper. Then, the essence receded to his core, forming a perfect hollow sphere. It slowly solidified into the familiar core he always had, but this one was nearly five times as large. It was almost empty, save for some remnants of the essence that had coursed through his body. ¡®Hwoah, it feels¡­ complete. The essence in my core is as pure as the essence I¡¯m used to seeing in demons, so I guess I¡¯m an aspecter now¡­ That didn¡¯t take nearly as long as I feared!¡¯ Returning from his inner world, he opened his eyes, seeing the world in precise detail. His eyes had also improved, letting him see with great clarity things he could only guess at before. He looked down at his body, sensing his muscles and organs responding with increased precision and power. His entire being was now a weapon, polished to perfection. ¡®... And this is only the second tier of power¡­ What is it like becoming an invoker, then? Or a weaver?¡¯ The thought distracted him momentarily before he put his armor back on and drained the final bit of essence from the horror. It filled his core to the brim, but it was only gaseous essence he would have to refine later. ¡®Ahh, no enchantment, then¡­ Oh well! For now, I should try to understand this aspect of mine!¡¯ Chapter 45 - Black Sphere Holding his palm up, John activated his aspect for the first time. A black sphere appeared above it, floating in place. ¡°... Balls¡­ My aspect is¡­ balls. Really?¡± The ability appeared like a muscle he could strain at will, but there was no information on how to use it beyond that. So, he would have to figure it out on his own. The sphere was perfectly round with a matte black surface, and cost him absolutely no essence to conjure. But he didn¡¯t see any obvious use for it. ¡®... It feels so¡­ anticlimactic. Well, let¡¯s see what it does before getting too bummed out.¡¯ He tried touching the sphere with his hand, which caused it to float away from him, unbound by gravity. It floated until it hit the corpse of the horror, and then it stopped, still floating harmlessly. ¡®... Okay. Are they tough?¡¯ Another one appeared in front of him in an instant. Summoning and adjusting their size was easy enough, and he felt he could make a bunch at once if he wanted to. But taking it slow seemed to be the best strategy for now. He took the new sphere between his hands like a melon, feeling the weightless and nearly massless ball move from the lightest touch. Then he tried squeezing it, finding it tougher than he expected. ¡®Ooh, maybe it could be used¡­ somehow. It¡¯s not flexible at all. I could use them to¡­ blind enemies?¡¯ After he pushed it a bit more, it made a light popping sound and disappeared. It wasn¡¯t weak, but not tough enough to withstand any attacks, either¡ªlike an empty ball of nothingness. ¡°What the hell? I can¡¯t use them for protection, I can¡¯t use them to attack, I can¡¯t use them for maneuvering¡­ Is it just a visual aspect? Hide myself in balls?¡± A worried voice sounded from the other side of the corpse, calling out to him. ¡°Uhh, John? You okay, buddy?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ mostly. I¡¯m an aspecter, at least,¡± John replied, getting up from his spot in the sand and jumping on top of the dead horror. ¡°It feels amazing, but my aspect seems weird.¡± Dennis looked up at him with a knowing look. ¡°Ah, I understand. Most people find their aspects to be strange at first. It¡¯s a new sensation, unlike anything you¡¯ve ever felt before, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the weird part. Look here.¡± John conjured a few spheres in front of him to demonstrate the new ability. Rain seemed awed by it, but Dennis tilted his head to the side, looking confused. ¡°That¡¯s your aspect? What do they do?¡± John touched two of them, sending them flying gently toward Dennis¡¯ direction. ¡°They float. And they¡­ can withstand a bit of force. Amazing, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, it looks pretty unusual. I¡¯ve never heard of any aspects like that before. But if you punch them, they might carry that force when they fly, maybe? That could be some sort of attack.¡± John furrowed his brows, not liking the idea very much. But he tried sending a light punch toward one of the spheres to test it out. The result was unexpected. The sphere somehow absorbed the entire force of the punch, making his fist stop in place. Then, it flew forward at a much higher speed than before, hitting the ground next to where Dennis stood. It popped, pushing sand into the air and leaving a small dent in the ground as if a punch had landed on it. John looked at his fist, still feeling the odd sensation of having his punch stolen by the sphere. ¡°... Oh! This might be useful after all! Let me try again!¡± He prepared himself for another punch, this time with much more strength. Then he sent it flying into the next sphere, expecting the same result. But this time, the sphere popped instead of stealing the force, making John stumble forward. ¡°Whuh? It can only handle small forces?¡± he asked, unable to keep the worry out of his voice. The slight glimpse of hope for his aspect had turned dark again, putting him back near square one. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Oh, you might need to put some essence into it. That¡¯s what I do when I need to control Kerchak¡¯s aspect,¡± Dennis suggested helpfully. John considered his suggestion, thinking it made sense for the essence to enchant his aspect somehow. So he tried summoning another sphere before him, infusing it with the gaseous essence in his new core. Another punch, using the same force as before, hit the new sphere. This time, it absorbed all the force from John¡¯s fist and flew forward way faster than before. It flew past Dennis¡¯ face before he had time to react, landing in the sand behind him. A heavy thud shook the ground and sent sand flying in every direction. ¡°... Okay, that seems to have worked. Could you maybe try sending them in a different direction?!¡± Dennis asked him firmly, almost shouting at him near the end. ¡°Sorry, sorry! I expected it to pop again. But wow, this could actually be really useful! It¡¯s like a ranged punch!¡± John grinned, feeling the excitement spreading through his body. The sphere wasn¡¯t destroyed after the impact either, meaning it still had some juice left. ¡°Let me test one more thing!¡± Another sphere appeared, infused to the brim with gaseous essence, floating to his side this time. The Larang was summoned from his core, for the first time since it evolved. John knew it was heavier than before, but due to his increased strength, he didn''t notice a difference. If anything, it felt lighter. ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can send a slash flying with these spheres!¡¯ Using the tiny bit of solid essence left in his core, John attached himself firmly to the corpse and drew the sword behind his back. Then, along with the gravity and the gaseous essence in his muscles, he swung Larang with all his might, hitting the sphere with as much force as he could muster. The force was lost, and the sphere was gone. Or rather, it flew so fast it seemed to have disappeared. Only the red mountain two hundred meters away left any trace of the sphere ever existing. A cloud of dust covered the impact, but the fact that the mountain started tilting left no doubt about how powerful that swing was. Or how dangerous these black spheres could make John in a fight. ¡°Ho-lee shit! I chopped a mountain in half!¡± John cheered, putting Larang away and jumping down from the corpse. Rain clapped at him excitedly. ¡°John great! John strong!¡± ¡°Yes, John strong! Demons should fear me from now on! Well, they already should have, but even more now!¡± ¡°Yay! Rain hungry!¡± she responded, reminding him that he had made her wait while he absorbed the essence. It had probably taken quite a while, even if the time passed quickly for John. ¡°Uh, right. I¡¯ll chop some meat off for you. I guess I don¡¯t need food anymore¡­¡± It was strange to think he did not need to feed himself anymore. He had eaten food every day of his life; it was a basic survival instinct. ¡°I think you should try some either way,¡± Dennis said, looking at him with a knowing smile. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you get to try horror meat. And this guy has caused you plenty of issues.¡± John nodded as he retrieved the shortsword and started carving the meat from one of the legs. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. You still refraining?¡± Dennis scratched the back of his head, looking hesitant. ¡°Ehh, I haven¡¯t really eaten any meat since I got my aspect, actually. It¡¯s like a block in my head that¡¯s stopping me... But since I don¡¯t need it, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°... Like, the aspect is making your mind change a bit?¡± John searched his mind for changes, but he didn¡¯t sense anything different. ¡°Maybe a bit? But like I said, it¡¯s no big deal. You guys enjoy the meal.¡± ¡°Will do! This should be enough for a growing girl, don¡¯t you think Rain?¡± John held up a large slice of pink meat about the size of his torso. Rain¡¯s eyes were nearly sparkling as she looked at the pink meat, raising her arms toward it. ¡°Good for Rain! Gimme!¡± ¡°Heh, let me just cook it first. Can¡¯t risk any alien diseases getting to you, you know?¡± Slicing off a small piece, John started roasting it in his hand. ¡°Best cooked!¡± Rain replied, looking on in anticipation. The meat smelled delicious, reminding John of the Christmas dinners from his youth. His mother would make the most fantastic crispy and savory pork belly for the three of them. ¡®... For the three of us¡­ Herself, me and¡­ Dad¡­¡¯ The memories sent him far away from the red desert, but an urging voice brought him back to the present. ¡°John, done! Much done!¡± Once he returned from his reverie, the smell of meat on the edge of burning greeted him, prompting him to stop the heating. He swapped the flame with air, blowing the worst heat away from the outer layers and preventing the meat from worsening. ¡°Sorry, Rain. You want a new piece?¡± ¡°No, hungry! Gimme!¡± Her arms reached out to the meat, urging him to hand it to her. John smiled and handed her the finished meal. ¡°Enjoy.¡± Dennis looked at him with a hint of worry. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, just some memories. That may or may not be fake¡­¡± Dennis nodded slowly in understanding. ¡°I see¡­ Yeah, I can imagine that¡¯s not easy. But I can tell you what I know about it if you want.¡± John stared back at him, unsure if he wanted to know. It might be best left for when they returned to Earth, but he was very curious. ¡°Okay, how much do you know?¡± Chapter 46 - Past the Simulation Dennis sat down on the sand, leaning on one of his knees. ¡°It¡¯s probably different for each company, but in my case¡­ I was sent into the simulation when I was eight. I don¡¯t have any memories from Earth before that.¡± John took a moment to absorb the information, slightly surprised by the high age Dennis had been put inside the simulation. ¡°So¡­ all your childhood memories are fake, then?¡± Dennis nodded, but then he hesitated slightly. ¡°There might be parts from Earth, but those memories are very unclear. It''s like they¡¯ve been overwritten.¡± John searched his memories, feeling like they were all quite clear. Even his first memories, running from the hen in the coop, seemed perfectly clear, possibly to an unrealistic degree. ¡°Is it possible I just got put in as a baby? I don¡¯t¡­ That¡¯s what I hope happened, honestly.¡± Rain seemed to notice John¡¯s mood was worsening, staring at him as she finished the final piece of her meal. Judging by her reaction to it, it was merely passable compared to the bird meat. Dennis sighed, looking directly at John. ¡°At your age, I¡¯d say that¡¯s very unlikely. The earliest simulations started about twenty-five years ago, but it took a long time before we started pushing the production of breakers. The first breaker appeared before the portals did, but not by much. Now people think that was the trigger for the portals appearing, so he¡¯s quite a hated character by many.¡± John had several questions he wanted answered, but he needed time to think about the repercussions of his knowledge. ¡°... Okay, I guess I¡¯ll worry about my situation later. How did that first guy break through? By accident?¡± ¡°He was very entrenched in simulation games, spending most of his life in them. One game specifically gave him some power that acted quite similarly to essence. Then he was in a life-or-death situation outside the simulation, and pop! The first breaker was born.¡± ¡°... And then others started doing the same?¡± ¡°Well, he became a celebrity! The company making the game became gigantic since everyone wanted to do the same, but it took a long time before the next breaker appeared. An important factor seems to be that you need conviction and complete faith that the essence will work. So memories of Earth caused people to fail.¡± John nodded, starting to understand how the simulations began. ¡°And once the portals appeared, the effort increased substantially? By that time, it was life and death, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. Morals and conviction went out the door once survival became the goal. Memory erasing, eugenics, gene manipulation¡­ Everything was on the table. The rules have become stricter, but they¡¯re still fairly open. For example, simulated personalities are required to have untouched minds and personalities.¡± Once John heard that, a burst of emotions hit him, and he hoped it meant what he thought it did. ¡°Uhh, like¡­ the people in my world?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all protected by law. They can¡¯t alter their memories or personalities, ever¡ªat least after their creation.¡± John let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. He thought back to his home, his mother, and every other person he could think of. The fact that there were rules for people like them, living only in the simulations, put his mind at peace. ¡®That¡¯s such a relief! Even if she¡¯s not born in this world, Mom is her own person¡­ Vera is probably the same, right? That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ ¡°John, okay?¡± Rain asked, leaning over and putting a hand on his shoulder. The worry in her eyes warmed his heart. He pulled her under his shoulder and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rain. Just thinking about home.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Home?¡± she asked, not recognizing the word. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡­¡± John didn¡¯t quite know how to describe the concept of a home without also explaining other words. ¡°It¡¯s where I¡­ woke up the first time. Where I grew tall. And where my¡­ where some of my family lives.¡± Understanding seemed to dawn on her, although she still seemed confused. ¡°Home nice for John?¡± ¡°... Yeah, my home is nice. Very nice.¡± Instead of replying, Rain looked down at the sand wistfully. John got the impression that her home wasn¡¯t as cozy and warm as his, or at least it didn¡¯t bring many good memories. John looked at her, feeling like he should say something, or at least ask. But instead he turned back to Dennis. ¡°I¡¯m not sure the portals appeared due to the first breaker appearing,¡± John noted, recalling his memories from the Aasvedan planet. In their case, the portals simply appeared one day without any apparent reason. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a theory. We would be very lucky if it was a coincidence, though.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Oh, the alien said Earth was lucky, actually. I think that might have to do with our technology, though.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dennis looked at John with narrowed eyes. ¡°... You think you could tell me more about that? Where do all your secrets come from, anyway?¡± John smiled, realizing he had only told Dennis some parts of his journey so far. ¡°I guess I should go into more detail, yeah.¡± He told him everything, from the meeting with Sage Full Blue to the mysterious experience with the remnants of the Aasvedans. The only part he left out was the time Rain had used essence, fearing it would make Dennis more suspicious of her. ¡°... What the hell, John? I¡¯ve just been wandering this fucking desert while you had the most insane¡­ Well, okay.¡± He got up and pointed at John firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no way the Lady of Fate isn¡¯t pulling strings for you! And I don¡¯t envy you one bit. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea to follow you, but I don¡¯t think I have much choice either¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re free to do as you please. I have no idea what¡¯s in store for us, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be boring.¡± Dennis laughed and looked up at the sky toward their destination. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s a bit of risk? I¡¯m not very important in the grand scheme of things, so¡­ I think I should follow you.¡± ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± John responded, sensing the exhaustion in Dennis¡¯ voice. Dennis looked back at him with a light smile. ¡°No, I just think¡­ there¡¯s a reason you¡¯re here. And there¡¯s a purpose for where you¡¯re going. So if I can help you get there, that¡¯s the obvious choice. For humanity.¡± ¡°... Fine. But no ¡®giving your life to save me¡¯ type of shit, okay?¡± John reached a hand out for a handshake, hoping it would make a difference if such a situation were to occur. Dennis took it with a smile, sealing the deal. ¡°I doubt I would be fast enough, either way. But I will prioritize you first, just so you know.¡± John sighed, letting go of the handshake. He knew what Dennis was insinuating, and didn¡¯t like it much. But if he were honest, he would likely be the worst loss for humanity if he died. ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t force your hand. Kerchak is on the bottom, though.¡± ¡°Hah! Yeah, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Dennis replied, looking at the giant monkey behind him. ¡°Well, I guess we should get going soon.¡± ¡°Hang on; I want to try using different types of essence with my spheres before we go. They might have different reactions to solid and liquid essence.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you go ahead.¡± ¡°... Why don¡¯t you try the same? I haven¡¯t seen you experimenting much with the new forms yet.¡± ¡°Ah, sure. It might help Kerchak, at least. Maybe I can strengthen his armor if I use that solid stuff¡­¡± He went over to Kerchak, got up in his arms, and sat down to focus. Rain lay her back on the sand, taking a short rest while John would transmute his essence. She seemed to understand more and more of their conversations, learning the language at a frightening speed. John closed his eyes and started transmuting his gaseous essence with his image of rain. The process had sped up after he became an aspecter, but compared to his storage, it was about the same speed. ¡®I wonder if I can find some image to speed it up even more¡­ But this will have to do for now.¡¯ The liquid essence was purer than before, only containing a quarter of the cloudiness it used to have. John could feel the difference, even as it floated in his core. After transmuting most of his essence into liquid, he made some of it solid, aiming to test both types in one go. ¡®I¡¯d be satisfied if it only gives a stronger version of the same effect, but let¡¯s see!¡¯ Chapter 47 - Solid and Liquid Spheres Transmuting the gaseous essence in his core didn¡¯t take long. Already a few minutes later, John stood on top of a dune away from the others, ready to start the testing. ¡®Let¡¯s look at solid first. It has the least potential of causing any unwanted damage.¡¯ Out of nothing, a black sphere appeared before him, thoroughly filled with the solid essence he had cultivated earlier. Filling a sphere didn¡¯t take too much essence, but his core was far from full. He would only have the solid essence for about ten more. The visuals of the sphere remained the same as before, but John could feel a certain firmness from it that he hadn¡¯t sensed before. He poked it with his finger, curious to see what would happen. The sphere didn¡¯t react at all. It only pushed back against his finger, staying firmly in place. ¡®Oooh! This could also be very useful!¡¯ John eagerly applied more force to his hand, pushing the sphere in various directions, but it remained steadfast. So he tried lifting himself by it, finding himself floating in the air. Rain was watching him from afar, seeming amazed by his performance. She had promised not to get any closer, so she could only cheer him on from a distance. ¡°Good, John! Good!¡± He could only smile at her eager cheering and decided to put on a small show. He put his hands on the sides of the sphere and lifted his body over it, keeping his feet straight in the air. After adjusting the position of his hands, he lifted one of them and waved back at her, standing upside down. But then the sphere popped, causing him to fall into the sand face first. A rolling laughter pierced the silence that followed. John could see Rain fall to the ground, laughing hysterically at him. ¡°Ahahahaa! John silly!¡± she yelled through tears. John felt pretty embarrassed while he wiped the sand from his face, but he didn¡¯t want to show it, so he smiled back. ¡°You liked that, huh?¡± Rain kept laughing at him, unable to stop herself and pointing in his direction. Slapstick seemed to be her favorite form of comedy. ¡®... I¡¯ve never heard her laugh this much before. It¡¯s nice to see.¡¯ Choosing to leave her to it, John got back to testing. He wanted to see if the solid spheres could be used to change directions mid-air, which could help him significantly in a fight. He missed the trees of the forest during some of his fights, where he could jump between them to out-maneuver his enemies. He summoned a solid sphere ten meters before him and ran towards it. Then he jumped feet first toward the sphere, landed on it, and pushed away, instantly changing directions. He landed back where he started running, looking back at the sphere with a smile. ¡®Damn! This aspect is starting to look extremely useful! It doesn¡¯t give me any additional attacks, but it enhances all my existing abilities, bringing out more of my full power. Let¡¯s see what liquid essence does, then!¡¯ With a simple thought John summoned another sphere in front of him, this time using the liquid essence. But it didn¡¯t stay obediently in place. Instead, it flew forward at high speed, away from John. Once it hit a dune after traveling about fifty meters, it burst, spending all the essence it was filled with and sending sand flying in all directions. The sound was like a giant rock hitting a water surface, deep and satisfying. ¡®Oookay? That one is more like an attack? But what¡¯s the difference between that and a spell?¡¯ The power seemed promising, but he failed to see any real reason to use it. So, not entirely happy with the results, John tried again. This time, he focused on the sensations of the sphere, trying to figure out if he could manipulate any other aspect of it. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Once the next sphere appeared, John felt a small tug in his core, like a connection had been established. The sphere still flew forward, but this time, he could feel it clearly in his mind. He tried willing it to change directions, and it did, turning instantly. ¡®Oh! I can control it! And it can change directions in an instant! That¡¯s amazing! Can I speed it up?¡¯ After sending the sphere upward, he tried increasing the speed. It started moving faster and faster as John controlled its direction, making it turn several times in the air. But then it popped, leaving nothing behind. No sound or burst of power could be heard this time either. ¡®Ahh, does it spend essence to change directions and speed? So, does it grow weaker with every change I make? Well, that¡¯s still fine.¡¯ He could think of many uses for something like that as well. Distractions and surprise attacks would be easy to pull off with this ability. ¡°John, again!¡± Rain yelled from behind him, looking at him with a wide grin. John furrowed his brows as he turned to her. ¡°Uhh, falling on my face? No?¡± ¡°... Only one time?¡± John could see the puppy eyes clearly now, even from that distance. It made it hard to deny her. He gazed at Dennis, who still sat in Kerchak¡¯s arms, focused on his transmutation with his eyes closed. ¡°... Fine, one time.¡± Like last time, another solid sphere was conjured in front of him. And once again, he pulled himself up by his hands and made a handstand on top of it. He knew it would take a while before the sphere would pop, so he started doing push-ups. ¡®Whew, this body strengthening really did a good job! I could do this for hours, even without essence¡­ I should compare myself to Dennis to see if the different types of essence made a difference.¡¯ The sphere popped, and John fell comically to the ground, doing his best to prevent his reflexes from saving him. He ate sand. Rain found it just as funny as the first time, crying with laughter as soon as he landed. John couldn¡¯t help but laugh with her as he brushed sand out of his hair. ¡°That was the last one. But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re having fun.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± she replied while staring straight up, putting her fist in the air from where she was lying and giving him a thumbs up. ¡°Very good!¡± John got up from the sand and bowed lightly in her direction. ¡°I aim to please.¡± Then he stared up at the rest of the planet, wondering what awaited them. He had yet to spot any signs of human life, but his vision had greatly improved since his last gaze, so perhaps there was a chance. ¡®... No signs of any portals, but I doubt I would be able to spot one from here. For some reason, there aren¡¯t any more holes in the planet, so I was lucky enough to encounter the only ones¡­ I¡¯ll certainly have some words with the lady of fate when I return. Weaver status be damned.¡¯ Looking more closely at the next part of the continent they were traveling to, John shuddered. The land in that direction was covered with thick mist, making it nearly impossible to see any ground. It was hard to tell if it was a naturally occurring phenomenon or part of the same effects the rest of the planet was suffering from, but they would find out when they got there. For now, they had to keep threading the desert. ¡®Well, no use in standing around here anymore. Let¡¯s get started. There¡¯s little to fear anymore at this point besides horrors. So perhaps we can speed up?¡¯
Another week passed during their travels through the red desert before they finally reached the end. Ever so gradually, the terrain shifted from sand to arid dirt and then to grass-strewn plains. But along with the familiar purple grass, an impenetrable wall of mist blocked their way. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to getting lost in there, you two. Less flying from now on, eh, John?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll stick together. I could maybe fly over this thing with Rain, but I feel like that might be a bit rude. Unless you insist.¡± Dennis chuckled and looked at John with narrowed eyes. ¡°Oh no, I would hate to corrupt your morals like that. I¡¯ll have to hold you back for the sake of your peace of mind.¡± ¡°We leave Dennis? Okay,¡± Rain added, acting like she didn¡¯t care. But the clever smile pointed toward Dennis made it clear she was trying to bother him. ¡°No, sounds like we¡¯re stuck with him. Sorry, Rain,¡± John replied, patting her head. They were all sitting on Kerchak¡¯s chest, using his bone aspect to make chairs and a comfortable platform under his head, leaving his arms free for other stuff. Dennis had made significant progress on his essence manipulation, which also made it easier to control Kerchak¡¯s aspect. John had learned to control the spheres better and was now eager to test them against a worthy foe. His only problem was that the only worthy foes were horrors, and they were highly dangerous. ¡°Well, then! Let¡¯s head inside, shall we?¡± Chapter 48 - Dense Fog The three of them, carried by Kerchak, entered the foggy area with their senses sharpened. Other than the fog, it simply looked like any plain old plain. There were no monsters to be seen, not even any tracks, which John took to mean they stayed far away from this place. That didn¡¯t calm his nerves much at all. ¡®This is gonna be such a pain if we have to keep our eyes peeled all the time. We can¡¯t travel quickly in dense fog like this.¡¯ The deeper they traveled, the denser the fog became, like they were sinking deeper into an ocean. The range of their vision went from a hundred meters to fifty, to thirty, to ten. In the end, they could barely see the ground below them. ¡°Hmm, this is an issue, isn¡¯t it? Kerchak can barely see the ground below his feet,¡± Dennis said, looking up at the giant head of the monkey. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m trying to think of a solution¡­ I could make Larang fly in front of us to see if anything big is up ahead, but that¡­ Oh, maybe I can use my spheres?¡± In an instant, thirty black spheres appeared around Kerchak, each flying away from John¡¯s position. They spread out in a large circle, quickly moving out of sight. John sat down in his chair again and closed his eyes, needing the focus available to him. The spheres were all summoned with liquid essence, giving him control of their movement. But handling thirty individual spheres at once was far beyond his current capabilities. The only thing saving him was that they all moved in the same way, letting him command them all simultaneously. Once they were nearly a hundred meters away from them, he stopped them all relative to his own position. And there they stayed. ¡°Hah, now I can sense if anything huge is approaching us, at least. This lets me know if anything touches any of the spheres. I might add more later.¡± ¡°John, that¡¯s great!¡± Rain said, giving him two thumbs up. She had really taken to that gesture, using it anytime John did something impressive. Dennis had received far less of them. None that John could remember, at least. John smiled at Dennis once he realized. But the man didn¡¯t seem to mind it. ¡°I think you can speed up now. I¡¯ll let you know the instant I sense anything.¡± ¡°Mmm, fine. I¡¯ll just pretend the ground is perfectly flat, then. But don¡¯t blame me if Kerchak falls,¡± Dennis replied, looking reasonably unhappy with the circumstances. ¡°Rain, can you point to our destination again?¡± Rain furrowed her brows for a moment, looking confused. Then she turned in the opposite direction they were facing and pointed back to where they came from. ¡°There¡­¡± ¡°... Good one, Rain. But we have to keep track of our direction in here, so please point in the right direction.¡± ¡°No, that¡­ that is forward. We walk back now,¡± she replied, looking completely serious. John had never seen her point in the wrong direction unless she pointed to something nearby, so he thought she might be telling the truth. Perhaps her power could only be perfect. Then Rain started gradually pointing to the side, changing her direction even though they were walking straight ahead. ¡°Rain¡­ How trustworthy is your power?¡± John asked, starting to doubt his own senses. It wasn¡¯t impossible that the fog was messing with their sense of direction, but the only explanation he could think of was too scary to think too loudly. ¡®Is¡­ the tyrant here? Is this its realm, like the Lady of Fate had?¡¯ ¡°Full trust! Never wrong!¡± she replied tersely, like she was insulted by his question. ¡°Okay¡­ Dennis, is Kerchak terrible at walking straight?¡± ¡°...Uhm, no? Even if he can¡¯t see the ground, we can. And it¡¯s looking good.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was afraid of that¡­ I¡¯m starting to wonder if we should go back and journey by sea, around this fog. What do you think?¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Dennis asked, not understanding the potential danger they might be in. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. John sighed, trying to calm himself and think about the situation rationally. ¡°... The only ability I¡¯ve seen that might be similar to this, creating a blanket of fog several hundred kilometers wide, and making it confuse anyone who enters¡­ Is when I met the Lady of Fate.¡± Dennis raised his eyebrows all the way to the top as he looked back at John. ¡°... The tyrant? Here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only explanation I have. But¡­ I¡¯ve never met a tyrant before.¡± John tried to avoid ripping up Dennis¡¯ trauma, but he could hardly avoid it this time. He had met a tyrant once, and he would never forget it. ¡°... I¡­ don¡¯t know. Back then, the only effect we could see was the maze covering the planet. It might have had a large domain of sorts as well, but nothing like this.¡± ¡°Okay, nothing definitive, then¡­ I suggest we turn back, but if you two want to continue¡­ I¡¯ll keep going.¡± Rain turned to him with furrowed brows, letting her hand fall. ¡°Rain follow John.¡± Dennis chuckled and folded his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll agree, then. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± John breathed a sigh of relief. He had some confidence about escaping from horrors at this time, but a tyrant was out of the question. ¡°Good! Then we just need to continue walking forward, right? Rain, you might have to keep your hand up.¡± Rain did as she was asked, pointing to their left now. Dennis adjusted their direction accordingly, turning Kerchak to the right. John kept his spheres in the back of his mind, constantly checking for movement. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have the perfect squad for this, huh?¡± John asked, looking at the two others. Dennis didn¡¯t seem to agree. ¡°I¡¯m just helping with walking, though. And I think Kerchak deserves more credit than me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re our wise man, Dennis! There''s no need to sell yourself short; experience is invaluable in situations like this,¡± John countered, glad to have thought of something so quickly. Those were his actual thoughts, but he hadn¡¯t considered them before now. The raised eyebrows on Dennis¡¯ face seemed to indicate that he agreed, having the same realization. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t argue against that, honestly.¡± They kept walking, keeping Rain pointing behind them at all times. Kerchak was forced to turn several times, even though John could swear he was walking straight. ¡®Something is definitely confusing our minds here. And we should have been out of the fog by now. We¡¯ve spent more time walking out than we did walking in¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey, Rain, you¡¯re sure about the direction, right?¡± She scowled at him, giving her answer wordlessly. ¡°... I think we might not get out of here with this strategy. Since Rain is perfectly sure she¡¯s pointing in the right direction, this should work, but¡­¡± Dennis turned to him and nodded. ¡°Indeed, we should have been out by now. I could speed up since this place seems perfectly flat, but I doubt it will help.¡± Rain sighed lightly before turning to them. ¡°Guidance perhaps only work one way. It is special power.¡± ¡°... You don¡¯t think you should have told us that earlier?¡± John asked, with more than a hint of frustration. Rain shrugged. ¡°Was not sure. Also not bad to try.¡± John rubbed a hand against his forehead, feeling less and less confident about escaping this fog alive. ¡°What¡­ do we do, then? Keep going? Or turn toward where Rain is pointing?¡± ¡°We have spent three times as much time walking out as we did while walking in. I think our only choice is following Rain,¡± Dennis said, sitting down in his chair with a sigh. John nodded, sighing along with him. ¡°Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. No complaints, Rain?¡± She shook her head and smiled. ¡°None! Rain likes guiding better.¡± ¡°You heard the guide; turn this cart around!¡± Kerchak turned on the spot and headed deeper into the fog, following Rain¡¯s finger without question.
Another four hours passed by without any incidents. There was no single dent in the ground or movement in any of the spheres. There was nothing. ¡°This is going to get incredibly boring, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dennis asked, having lost his fourth word game in a row. He had initially suggested playing ¡®I spy¡¯ but quickly realized the problem. ¡°The misty area seemed pretty big from the outside. And it might be bigger on the inside for all we know.¡± John was also frustrated. He hadn¡¯t filled any of his new slots for enchantments yet, either because he was too eager to test his black spheres instead of his lucky sword or because of dumb luck. And the way things were going, he wouldn¡¯t get the chance in the fog either. ¡°Rain tired,¡± Rain said tiredly, having been pointing ahead of them for hours already. Dennis had made her something like a shoulder cast of bone to support her arm, but it still took its toll. ¡°And hungry.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s take a break here. We surely can¡¯t be moving in the wrong direction if we stand still, right?¡± Dennis asked, peeking at the ground below them. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine,¡± John replied, grabbing hold of their meat storage to prepare some food for Rain. ¡°Either way, we might¨C¡± A sudden sensation made John turn to his right, looking deeply into the fog. Dennis looked at him with a mix of excitement and wariness. ¡°Did you feel something? Is it a demon?¡± ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s¡­ Someone knocked politely on my sphere.¡± Chapter 49 - Aspect of Onyx The atmosphere turned tense at John¡¯s words. Dennis stopped Kerchak¡¯s movement, leaving only silence around them. ¡°... Knocked? Is it a person?¡± he asked. John had no way of knowing, but he doubted that a monster could create such a rhythmical and light knocking like that. ¡°I think that¡¯s most likely, but¡­ the chances still seem pretty low, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Well, what else could it be? The tyrant playing with us? The wind?¡± ¡°Could be many things. Maybe the fog is playing tricks on us¡­ But I can bring the sphere here to see if anything follows it,¡± John suggested, not feeling nearly as brave as he appeared. ¡°Rain is nervous,¡± Rain said nervously. ¡°And still hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got your priorities in order, then. That¡¯s good.¡± John smiled despite the circumstances. ¡°I¡¯ll pull it in, then. Se if anything appears.¡± He focused on the sphere and pulled it slowly toward himself, wishing dearly that no tyrant would follow it. Dennis swallowed nervously, staring in the same direction as John. Kerchak bent down to get them lower to the ground, prepared for a potential fight. Heavy rhythmical steps started to sound out as they waited for the sphere to appear. Something with four legs, fairly large, was approaching them. ¡®A demon, then? It doesn¡¯t sound large enough to be a horror or a tyrant. But why would it knock, then?¡¯ John summoned Larang into his hands and prepared a gas sphere, just in case he was forced to attack. The sphere appeared through the fog, and the steps followed closely behind. Then, a red snout appeared, followed by a horse-like head. It seemed strangely familiar, taking John back three weeks in time to when he escaped from the same monster. On its back, a person in shiny green armor was surrounded by seemingly unconscious people who were being carried along with him. Unconscious, or dead. John breathed a sigh of relief at first, glad to see a familiar sight instead of the alternative. ¡°Sage Full Blue! What are you doing here?¡± The sage looked up at him and tilted his head. ¡°... Ah! The earthling! I did not recognize you in your new form. Congratulations.¡± He leaned his head backward, like a reverse bow. ¡°And greetings to your companions.¡± John smiled and turned to the others. ¡°This is the Sage I told you about. I¡¯m surprised to see him here, though.¡± Dennis nodded, looking surprised. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief! Greetings to you too, Sage!¡± He bowed in greeting. Rain was less animated, only looking at the sage with suspicious eyes. John turned back to the sage. ¡°Do you mean becoming an aspecter when you say ¡®new form¡¯?¡± ¡°Indeed. I am not good with human faces.¡± ¡°... I guess that¡¯s understandable. Who are the people you have with you? Are they¡­?¡± The sage looked at the bodies surrounding him and nodded. ¡°These are victims of the evermist forest, I¡¯m afraid. Lost for days or even weeks, they died of some sort of deficiency¡­ Water, I think you humans need, right?¡± John¡¯s heart sank, seeing all the bodies. Six of them, it seemed. Lost to the same mist they found themselves in right now. ¡°Dennis, do you recognize¡­ Wait.¡± John could recognize one of the bodies himself. But just barely. ¡®That¡¯s Karin¡¯s friend, right? The one who teased me and Serah after the briefing¡­ I figured people would die, but¡­ Hmm.¡¯ It left more of an impression on him than he expected, seeing the lifeless body of someone he just knew in passing. ¡°No! God damn it, that¡¯s Captain Gabriella!¡± Dennis exclaimed, seeing a familiar body. ¡°... Another invoker lost, fucking hell¡­ One of the good ones, as well.¡± Another sigh escaped John¡¯s lips. The fog was far more dangerous than he had imagined, even taking out an invoker without as much as a fight. ¡°... Why are you bringing them with you, Sage?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Ah, the first reason is to prevent the forest from spreading. It feeds on the nutrition of the creatures that die here, draining the soil to grow stronger. I¡¯m surprised there is one of this size on this planet. The second reason is that, as I recall, your knowledge of the word ''Earth'' gave me the impression that you bury your bodies in the ground after death. I wanted to help these bodies fulfill their traditional rites.¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah, that''s true. I appreciate your consideration for these people, sage.¡± John also bowed to him in thanks. ¡°Last time we met, you said there was something strange about this planet. Have you figured something out?¡± ¡°Yes! Quite recently, in fact. I am planning to leave after I finish my burial plans.¡± John knew he would have difficulty getting much for free from the sage, so he tried tempting him first. ¡°I have gained knowledge of another planet with intelligent life. Are you willing to trade?¡± The sage hit his hands on his legs. ¡°I am impressed! You must have been quite lucky on your travels. Your knowledge is most likely already known, but I must admit I am curious! What would you like to know?¡± ¡°... What was the strange thing you wanted to investigate?¡± ¡°Ah, that I cannot tell you. However, by telling you that, I have already told you something. Grasping the knowledge between my words will not be easy, but it will earn you the right to know what is there. Is there anything else?¡± John stored the words in his memory for now. Afraid to ask for the wrong thing, he tried a more novel approach. ¡°... What do you think I would like to know of the things that you can tell me?¡± The sage thought for a moment. ¡°Hmm, that is a tricky question. I assume you know a way out of here, so I won¡¯t give you that. And there are few things I can say that would let us stay neutral¡­¡± John glanced at Rain, seeing her eyeing the sage nervously. He wanted to ask about her, but since she didn¡¯t want to share it herself, he was hesitant. The trust and bond between them were more important to him than knowing. ¡°... What about some way to make me stronger? I¡¯ll accept that.¡± ¡°Hmm, a way to make you stronger. And without further giving knowledge to earth¡­¡± The sage seemed to struggle, but he eventually had an idea. ¡°How about some aid for your aspect? It looked quite interesting.¡± John nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll accept that. Do you want me to say its name or something? So you can do that mind-reading thing again?¡± ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s called Aspect of Onyx. For now. I¡¯ll find something better eventually.¡± ¡°I see! Fascinating interactions between the different types of essence,¡± Sage Full Blue said while folding his arms. He seemed to ponder the information, pausing his movement. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re wasting a lot of essence in your liquid spheres. Now, they just send their energy in every direction when they impact something. If you move the essence inside from one side to the spot you¡¯re attacking, you should see a much better result.¡± John nodded, understanding the logic behind it. But he wasn¡¯t quite satisfied. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Mmm, you should figure out what happens when a sphere of one type impacts another, or even two of the same kind. The gaseous essence might carry over into another, increasing the power. And the liquid one might transfer its power to the gaseous one. Also, the gaseous spheres can be used in many creative ways! Perhaps most helpful to know is that it can dampen a fall perfectly.¡± John hadn¡¯t thought about using the spheres like that before, and found it to be an acceptable answer. ¡°... I guess that¡¯s fine. I have some questions related to the planet I learned of. Could I ask you about that after I tell you?¡± ¡°Depending on the value of the information, sure. But if it¡¯s a known civilization¡­ Well, I will at least listen to your questions.¡± ¡°Okay, here is the name I gave them: Aasvedan.¡± The sage shuddered once John said the name, staring back at him through the mask. ¡°Such intense rage and grief! How¡­?¡± Sage Full Blue stared into the palm of his hand, as if he could read something from it. Then he turned back to John. ¡°You¡¯re carrying a remnant of the will of these Aasvedans, are you?¡± ¡°I think so. I don¡¯t understand it, though. It just stays in a corner of my mind, mostly unmoving.¡± ¡°And such a planet! A true utopia of peace and prosperity, consumed by the accursed¨CNo¡­¡± The sage seemed to catch himself before correcting his words. ¡°...by the portals. But what let them hold on for so long? Unless¡­¡± ¡°They prayed,¡± John told him. ¡°And something answered. Something ancient.¡± ¡°... And what was it you wanted to ask me?¡± the sage asked, fidgeting slightly. For the first time, he seemed nervous. ¡°Several things, honestly. But I can ask them all at once, and then you can decide if you can answer any of them.¡± ¡°... Okay, ask your questions.¡± ¡°First, who is the Lord of Death?¡± The sage seemed to crumble already at his first question, but he remained silent. ¡°Second, who is the creator?¡± Something that sounded like laughter came from the sage¡¯s mouth as he nodded. ¡°... And last, what is this?¡± John asked, taking out the necklace hidden under his armor. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re making this very difficult, young one. Your two first questions are impossible to answer, but I can help you slightly with the necklace. And the remnant.¡± Chapter 50 - Search for Knowledge John let go of the necklace, eager to hear what the sage had to say. He was disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t get an answer to the first two questions, but he wasn¡¯t surprised. That information was probably worth way more. The sage studies the necklace from afar, deep in thought. ¡°... Its origins are unknown to me. I¡¯m not entirely sure about the functions of the necklace, but the black sphere is a special type of essence, only produced by intense emotions. I would advise you never to put it in your core, unless you are at the end of the road.¡± ¡°... So you¡¯re saying more can be produced?¡± John asked, wondering if he might be able to. The talk of intense emotions made it sound unpleasant, though. But he might be able to use the remnant. ¡°Well, anything can be produced. But the means to do so are very unique, and not at all pleasant. Only one being can do so at will, and that¡¯s all I will say about that¡­ The necklace, though, can be understood better if you make it into your equipment.¡± ¡°I can do that? But wouldn¡¯t that bring the black essence into my core?¡± ¡°No, the necklace keeps it well contained. It seems like retrieving it would be challenging, but perhaps your bond to the Aasvedans and the remnant helped you. The necklace seems quite special, but considering who it¡¯s tied to, I¡¯m not surprised.¡± ¡°You¡¯re teasing me with hints, Sage. I know the Lord of Death was involved. He answered the prayer of the final Aasvedans, and they performed a ritual. The vestige, a message, and this necklace was all that remained¡­¡± ¡°A message?¡± the sage asked, once again having his curiosity piqued. ¡°Could you tell me what it contained?¡± John narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°What would you offer in return?¡± The sage seemed hesitant, looking up into the sky, almost like he could see through the fog. ¡°... Haaah, how about letting you join the Loreholders? You seem to have a sense for finding mysterious knowledge.¡± John was taken aback by the offer. He never would have expected something like that to be on the table. ¡°Are you serious? What would that mean for me?¡± ¡°Ah, the eternal search for truth and knowledge! Commitment to finding the traces of lost history, of the greatest secrets of the universe!¡± Sage Full Blue gestured energetically as he sat on the demon¡¯s back. ¡°But more immediately, I would take you away from here and start teaching you our ways. You would be free to return to Earth occasionally, but you will be restricted from fighting or acting on their behalf.¡± John only needed a moment to consider the offer. He couldn¡¯t leave Dennis and Rain alone here, and he wanted to fight for the sake of humanity in the future. He was a fighter, not a truth-seeker. ¡°I¡¯ll have to turn you down, Sage. But I appreciate the offer.¡± The sage seemed disappointed but not surprised. ¡°I understand. Are there any other questions I could help you with, then?¡± John turned to look at Rain again, and she looked back. Her eyes reflected a hint of fear, but it was well hidden under a layer of skepticism. She shook her head slightly as if understanding his silent question. ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll let you tell me on your own terms¡­¡¯ He turned back to the sage. ¡°The last time we spoke, you knew I was a human before knowing about Earth. How is that possible?¡± ¡°I cannot say. But the obvious is obvious. Anything else?¡± ¡®The obvious is obvious¡­ So, there are other humans in the universe. Taken from Earth? Or were humans sent to Earth long ago?¡¯ ¡°Okay¡­ How can you understand my language? Does it have to do with the meaning hidden inside words?¡± ¡°Exactly! Understanding your language is easy enough if you let the meaning spill through your words. It¡¯s a special ability, though. You don¡¯t have it yet.¡± ¡°... Then how can you speak English?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I merely send you the meaning of my thoughts, and then you hear them in English. I don¡¯t even have a mouth!¡± The sage put his hands in front of his helmet where the mouth would usually be, and nothing changed in his voice. ¡°Is that enough for you?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. John considered it, finding the knowledge of universal translation very interesting and handy. But he wanted to ask one more question: ¡°Is Earth in danger?¡± ¡°Of course. Everything is.¡± The sage put his hands forward, mimicking a scale. ¡°There is only balance and imbalance. Imbalance is dangerous. However, one only needs a small push to make the balanced even more so. We seek to keep the scales even and informed, preventing the mistakes of the past¡­ And it is no easy task.¡± ¡®The forces of the universe sound like a lot of trouble¡­ Let¡¯s not get involved, fellow Earthlings.¡¯ The sage¡¯s hands fell to his sides, making him look tired. ¡°I am nearing my limit, young one. Please tell me what you heard.¡± ¡°Right¡­ The message was: Take this last vestige of our kind, granted by the Lord of Death for our sacrifice, the last vestige of our world and our everything. Weep for us, and survive the doom upon you, child of the creator¡­¡± Once she heard the message, Rain made a noise, prompting John to look at her. She seemed genuinely scared now, but she looked at John like he was the one in danger. ¡°Rain, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, not understanding her reaction. She hadn¡¯t understood the language well enough to know what the message had said back then, so he suspected that it contained bad news for him somehow. She shook her head and turned around, leaving him to stare at her back. ¡®What spooked her so bad? The part about surviving the doom upon me? But that¡¯s what I do, surviving doom.¡¯ ¡°He granted them for their sacrifice? Very interesting¡­ You¡¯re in trouble, young one.¡± John turned back to him, hoping for an explanation. He had thought the message meant he would be safe if he wept for the Aasvednas, and he had wept once he woke from the visions of their past. ¡°Why am I in more trouble now than before?¡± ¡°The word ¡®doom¡¯ has some meaning behind it, but that¡¯s all I can say. At least it seems you have a chance to survive.¡± ¡°... Well, I¡¯ll just keep doing that, then.¡± ¡°An excellent idea! If there was nothing else, I really should get going now. Could you tell me your name, young one?¡± John hesitated, knowing what power names could have. ¡°Is there any chance I¡¯ll regret it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly just for recordkeeping, so not a significant one. But I will also keep it in mind for the future, in case you pop up again.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s John Tarvo.¡± ¡°Good! I will record it, making you the source for both Earth and Aasvedan. We might see each other again, but not on this planet.¡± The sage bowed his head to them and clapped the back of the red demon, making it turn around. ¡°Farewell!.¡± ¡°Safe travels¡­¡± John responded, waving him off with a half-smile. He had learned enough to be happy about the encounter, even if much of it would have to be pondered more later. ¡®That doom thing will be future John¡¯s problem. Strength should help me in any case. And the necklace might bring more power than I expect.¡¯ After watching the sage disappear out of sight, carrying the corpses of their comrades, John felt grateful to have met the sage again. Even if he couldn¡¯t answer most of his questions, there was plenty of information he could put to good use. ¡°Nice guy, huh?¡± he asked, turning to the others. Dennis chuckled nervously. ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m glad you took the lead. Sorry, I was a bit out of it during that whole thing.¡± ¡°... The captain?¡± John asked, guessing what had caused him to stay quiet. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ that was a surprise. She was one of the two invokers on our expedition base, so I knew her well. Everyone did. Tough lady, but¡­¡± He sighed heavily, looking out at the fog. ¡°... not immortal.¡± ¡°My condolences, Dennis. I¡¯m guessing most of the other bodies were from our fresh group, then.¡± ¡°No, I recognized two more. One of our scouts and a spell specialist. Both aspecters.¡± John nodded, putting a supporting hand on his shoulder. ¡°... I¡¯m not sure what to say.¡± Dennis smiled and put his hand on top of John¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s enough, John. Thanks.¡± A moment of silence passed as they looked each other in the eyes. Dennis let his hand fall, ending the silence as John moved on to Rain. ¡°You alright, Rain? What was that about earlier?¡± She was turned towards him, but her eyes were on the ground. ¡°Rain not know before. Message of doom.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all? I¡¯ve survived plenty of stuff already; what¡¯s a doom or two? Come here.¡± He pulled her into a hug, holding around her shoulders gently. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Rain. Don¡¯t worry, alright?¡± She nodded slowly, poking him on the forehead with her antlers. ¡°Rain won¡¯t worry. John strong.¡± ¡°Correct! Now, what do you say you point us out of here, huh? We¡¯ve got some water, but it won¡¯t last us for weeks.¡± He let go of her, but she stuck to him, wanting the hug to last longer. ¡°Rain won¡¯t worry...¡± Her voice was muffled by his chest, but it was clear she was on the verge of tears. And not long after, she was sobbing into his chest. ¡®... Rain. This reaction makes it seem like you know what ¡®doom¡¯ means, you know. And it¡¯s not making me feel great about my chances¡­¡¯ He put his arms around her again, letting her release her sorrows. Whether they were for him or something else, she needed support. ¡®... I¡¯m not in any hurry to know your secrets yet, but it would be nice if I knew how to help... It can wait until we¡¯re out of the fog, at least. Then we¡¯ll be close to our target.¡¯ Chapter 51 - Broken Bonds The second day in the mist was much like the first: tiresome and mentally draining. John sat in his chair and played with his balls, testing the different interactions. A gaseous sphere hitting another gaseous sphere would transfer its stored energy and speed to the next one. But the portion that would be transferred depended on the angle; when hitting perfectly center, all of it would transfer, while an imperfect hit would split the power based on the angle. It was like the physics of traditional spheres hitting each other, making it easier to understand. ¡®At least one type is easy to understand¡­¡¯ When the liquid spheres hit each other, they merely explode, blowing all the energy inside in every direction. And the solid spheres couldn¡¯t collide since they only stayed in place. ¡®But what decides what ¡®in place¡¯ means? The planet is just an arbitrary point of reference. If a piece of it fell again, would the sphere follow it, or would it stay floating in the air above it? Is it based on my perception of space?¡¯ John had practiced the focused blast the sage had mentioned, but it was more challenging than it sounded. The essence within the spheres could be controlled, but controlling the speed, direction, and essence simultaneously required a lot of focus. ¡°Rain wins!¡± Rain exclaimed, winning. She and Dennis were playing with dice he had crudely carved out of bones out of boredom. Several of them had clear preferences in what number to show, but it was better than nothing, according to him. ¡°How are you getting so many sixes? Rain, you¡¯re cheating!¡± Dennis declared, pointing a finger at her. ¡°Dennis made dice. How Rain cheat?¡± she asked back, all innocent-looking. ¡°Your special powers are doing something! I¡¯m sure!¡± John smiled as he watched them, debating whether or not he should reveal her trick. Rain had been throwing the dice in the exact same way every time, learning how each one tended to move and increasing her chances of getting good results. ¡°As the judge, I¡¯ll deny your accusations, Dennis. You only have your own skills to blame,¡± John said, choosing only to give him a vague hint. Dennis scowled back at him. ¡°The sacred game of dice should never rely on skill! It is a game of luck and bravery!¡± ¡°I guess Rain is luckier and braver than you, then,¡± John replied smugly. ¡°Yeah, all luck! Rain very lucky!¡± she agreed, smiling widely. Rain had been quiet for a long time after the meeting the day before, so it was nice to see her act lively again, like her usual self. Her hand was still supported by the bone cast, meaning she only had one hand free to throw. ¡°Ahh, whatever. I¡¯ll pretend that losing eleven games in a row can happen by pure luck, then,¡± Dennis mumbled grumpily. He looked at John¡¯s chest. ¡°Are you going to fuse with that necklace soon?¡± ¡°... I¡¯d like to wait until we¡¯re out of this fog. It¡¯s nice and peaceful here, but I¡¯d like to be out in the open in case anything happens. And I¡¯m pretty confident something will happen.¡± Dennis looked disappointed. John was sure he just wanted something interesting to happen to stave off the boredom, but he wouldn¡¯t risk anything just for that reason. ¡°Haaah, I¡¯ll try making a flute, then. Carving is pretty fun, actually.¡± ¡°Feel free,¡± John replied, secretly praying he would fail. Even he might snap if he had to listen to someone practicing on a shoddily carved flute for hours. He looked over at Rain, who was watching Dennis prepare his dagger and a piece of bone. ¡°Hey, Rain, you¡¯ve been pointing straight ahead for a while now, haven¡¯t you?¡± Rain looked up in realization, staring straight ahead of their path. ¡°Is more light¡­¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. John looked around, also feeling that the fog had brightened a bit. But he stayed cautious. ¡®I won¡¯t celebrate before we¡¯re out of here. It seems impossible that we¡¯ve already reached the other side; it would usually have taken us a week at this speed.¡¯ But sure enough, as Kerchak kept walking ahead, the fog turned lighter. Eventually, they could see a dense jungle before them, marking the end of the evermist forest. Rain and Dennis both cheered. ¡°Finally! Thank god, I don¡¯t think I could have managed many more days in there!¡± Dennis exclaimed, throwing the barely carved bone in the air. Rain immediately started removing the bone cast holding her arm in the air, and bent her elbow in joy once it was free. John also breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to have escaped the fog but started feeling nervous. At this point, they could no longer see where Rain was pointing due to the trees in front of them, meaning they were getting very close. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break before heading into the woods, guys. We should prepare ourselves before heading inside. The jungle won¡¯t be as peaceful as the mist.¡± ¡°Or as boring, luckily!¡± Dennis said, looking excited. He had yet to enter a jungle on this planet, so John would have to give him some tips. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to scout the jungle as well as we did in the desert, so we must stay on guard constantly. But there shouldn¡¯t be any room for a horror inside there, so at least we might be free of those.¡± Dennis nodded. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s hope. I¡¯ll set us down over there,¡± he said, pointing to a clearing in front of the trees.
The three of them sat in a small circle next to the dense jungle they were headed into. Distant sounds of monsters or demons could be heard from time to time, but nothing came close to the fog. The trees were nearly as tall as the ones John had gotten used to in the past, but they were way more curved and bendy. Large leaves covered every surface that could see the sky, casting shadows over the dark jungle floor. ¡°How easy do you think it will be for Kerchak to get through that jungle, Dennis?¡± Dennis looked at the dense trees skeptically. ¡°... Well, not easy. But there¡¯s gotta be other demons in there, right? So there has to be some way to get through, even for larger beasts.¡± John was silent momentarily, finding it hard to broach the subject. ¡°How¡­ how attached are you to Kerchak at this point? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve changed beasts in the past, right?¡± A long and heavy sight escaped Dennis. He turned to look at the giant grey beast that had carried them this far. ¡°I would have liked to keep him with me when we leave here, honestly. But¡­ I understand that lives may be at stake, and that any increase in speed would help us a lot¡­ So, I¡¯m okay with leaving him behind.¡± John nodded, hoping he wasn¡¯t pushing too hard on this. He wanted to travel efficiently, and it would be challenging if they had to find more accessible roads for Kerchak to travel through. ¡°I appreciate that, Dennis. Really.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. And as you say, I¡¯ve changed beasts several times in the past. Before the inversion, I had a beautiful wolf-like demon named Blanca with me. But then the connection was severed during the jump.¡± ¡°We leave Kerchak?¡± Rain asked, looking anxious. ¡°Too big?¡± ¡°Yeah, big and slow... Uhm, we might have to fly again, Rain.¡± Rain looked at Kerchak sadly, not reacting much to the thought of flying again. ¡°We release him?¡± John looked over at Dennis, not sure what they would do with the monkey once the aspect was released. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t mind using my lucky sword on him, but that sounds too heartless, right?¡¯ ¡°Uh, I haven¡¯t really tried that before. They usually die before I find a new one¡­ I don¡¯t want him to attack us, so maybe I should have him run back into the fog? He shouldn¡¯t be able to get out by himself, right?¡± ¡°... That seems a bit cruel, though,¡± John countered, trying to steer the conversation to his advantage. He felt a bit cruel, but it did seem like the best option. ¡°I¡­ could make it quick, if you¡¯d like. Perhaps you could even get an enchantment.¡± Dennis looked at John with mixed emotions. ¡°I appreciate that, John. But I don¡¯t think I can absorb his essence like that. He¡¯s not like a pet, exactly, but he¡¯s still a part of me in a way¡­ But if you could¡­¡± John nodded slowly, understanding, before getting up and walking to Kerchak. He had gotten to know the demon quite well over the previous week, even fighting together on several occasions. Jumping up on his shoulders, he prepared the sword in his hand. He was ready to fire it with all the force he could muster, hoping to end it in an instant. The tall monkey reminded him of the ones he fought in the forest, what felt like an eternity ago. They had left quite an impression on him, highly intelligent and selfless. ¡®This¡­ No, I can¡¯t. He looked back at the others, seeing them both with their backs turned to him. ¡°Sorry, Dennis. I can¡¯t do it after all. Not like this.¡± Dennis turned to him with a surprised look. ¡°I understand, John! I¡¯ll have him walk into the fog, then.¡± John shook his head. ¡°No, I would rather you release him right here. If he wants to fight, I¡¯ll take care of it. But if he wants to leave, we should let him.¡± ¡®He deserves to choose for himself at the very end. And if I understand these monkeys as well as I hope, we might even avoid the fight.¡¯ Chapter 52 - Black Tether Dennis looked up at John standing on Kerchak¡¯s shoulder as if he were speaking Greek. ¡°You¡­ want me to let the connection break right here? What if he hurts us?¡± ¡°Well, we should probably move further away first. But if you think I¡¯m losing to a lone demon at this point¡­¡± ¡°... Okay, that¡¯s fair¡­ It does sound better than just ending it. I have no idea what¡¯s going to happen, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Whatever happens, we¡¯ll be prepared. Bring us over there,¡± John said, pointing to a spot between the mist and the jungle about a hundred meters away. Dennis nodded and commanded Kerchak to walk. They would be his final steps under his command. ¡°Kerchak, no fight!¡± Rain yelled after them, hoping the monkey would leave on his own. She seemed anxious, but she accepted the circumstances for what they were. After reaching the spot, Kerchak stopped and turned around while John jumped on the ground before him. He stood between the demon and the others, making it easier to protect them if he had to. Kerchak put his hand up, fingers outstretched, and started counting down. Dennis probably didn¡¯t want to yell too loudly next to the jungle. ¡®Clever!¡¯ John thought, summoning Larang from his core. He did so more to seem intimidating than to get ready, hoping Kerchak would decide against a fight. ¡®If he has any memories from our journey, he will probably avoid a fight, right?¡¯ The final finger fell, and then the arms followed. Kerchak¡¯s eyes suddenly seemed to come to life again, and he looked at his surroundings in confusion. Then he looked at John, and his eyebrows lowered. ¡®What will you choose, big boy?¡¯ A deep growling came from Kerchak¡¯s throat, repeating with each breath he took. Then he turned away from John and started walking towards the jungle, shaking the ground with heavy steps. John breathed out in relief. He preferred this outcome, having come to appreciate the race of monkeys on this planet. Unlike nearly every other beast they faced, they seemed reasonably intelligent. A dense armor of bones rapidly formed on Kerchak¡¯s body, covering him completely. It was night and day from when Dennis had tried to control it, showing the importance of the intuitive understanding that came with one''s own aspect. ¡°See you later, I guess,¡± John said, too quietly to be heard. He put Larang back in his core and returned to the others as he watched Karchak disappear into the jungle. He seemed to struggle with the trees in his way, bending them to the sides as he walked through. ¡°Kerchak left!¡± Rain cheered, doing a little dance in joy. She seemed to have been more invested in his fate than she let on. Dennis also looked happy, smiling at John as he returned. ¡°Thanks, John.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± John replied, waving a hand in the air. ¡°He might end up causing us trouble in the future, but probably not too much.¡± Rain ran over to hug John once he was close. ¡°Now fly?¡± she asked, looking up at him. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s time for me to fuse with this necklace,¡± John replied, looking down at his chest. It was hanging harmlessly from his neck, hiding the deadly power within. Rain released her hug and suddenly tried to skewer John with her antlers. With her meager strength, it was akin to a pounce from a tiny kitten, but it still surprised him. He pinched two of the points on her horns between his fingers. ¡°You don¡¯t approve?¡± ¡°... Rain don¡¯t like black essence. Dangerous.¡± She was still leaning against him, not letting up her harmless attack. ¡°The sage said it was fine, though. You don¡¯t think it was true?¡± ¡°No good comes from black essence. Only dead. And kill.¡± ¡°But I need to kill sometimes, Rain. We¡¯re fighting beasts of all sorts, protecting our home.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. She sighed and leaned back, letting John release her antlers. Without looking at him, she gently said, ¡°John do what John want to do.¡± Then she sat down on the ground next to him. John looked at her, suddenly unsure about his plan to fuse with the necklace. She had saved his life from it once, so it was understandable that she was against it. But she also might know more about it than he did. ¡®... Can I afford not to take advantage of the tools I get? I feel like Sage Full Blue is trustworthy, but he didn¡¯t know what function it would have¡­ Hmm¡­¡¯ He looked down at the necklace, weighing his options. He had considered it a gift from the Aasvedans, for him to carry their will forward, even if only a vestige. And from what he had seen in their memories, they wouldn¡¯t mean him any harm. ¡°I¡¯m doing it,¡± he decided, looking down at Rain. She turned her head away from him and sighed, not responding beyond that. But it was enough to show she didn¡¯t approve. Dennis didn¡¯t side with either of them and stayed out of the argument, looking out at the jungle. Or perhaps he was looking after Kerchak. John sat down and removed the necklace from his neck, holding it in his hand. By now, he was well-versed in the process of fusing with equipment. But there was a final piece of hesitation left. ¡®... No, let¡¯s do it. I can still choose not to use it.¡¯ His essence flowed into the silvery necklace, starting the process of fusion. Unlike in previous fusions, this time the essence almost felt like it was drained into it. No force was necessary at all. The process finished in seconds, letting John pull it into his core. Immediately, the information was revealed to him. The necklace contained a pitch-black enchantment called tether, which chained his soul to his body as long as it still contained black essence. ¡®... What? Does that make me immortal for a while, then? It doesn¡¯t say anything about healing wounds, but I guess I can do that with my usual essence. So it¡¯s¡­ temporary undeath? How long will the essence last? And how rare is a black enchantment?¡¯ Additionally, it told him about a process of producing the black essence, but he wanted to avoid that for as long as possible. ¡®That sounds like actual hell. Using the vestige to relive the most painful moments of the Aasvedans¡¯ lives, making me feel enough rage and grief to turn my essence black¡­ That would make me go insane before long. There has to be other ways.¡¯ Rain turned back to him again with cautious eyes. ¡°... John good?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. The necklace can keep me alive if I get badly wounded, but it doesn¡¯t have any offensive functions. So I don¡¯t see any downsides to it,¡± he added, trying to convince her it was a good idea to fuse it. But her reaction didn¡¯t change. ¡°More reckless. More jump to danger. Less caution. All bad.¡± He didn¡¯t have much of a counter for that. He had indeed planned to take more risks in the future if it meant saving those he cared for. Now, he had an excuse¡ªa way to justify following his heart. ¡°... I promise to take care of myself, okay? But if the choice is between leaving you behind to save myself or staying behind to let you escape¡­¡± He let the implication speak for itself, ending his sentence. The hazel-brown eyes stared at him silently, conveying a frustrated "I told you so", but John felt justified in his stance. The question of self-sacrifice would never be fully resolved, so he was happy to have a winning argument. Rain looked away in the end, staring into the jungle instead. ¡°... Fly now?¡± John understood the conversation was finished without either of them reaching an agreement. ¡°Sure, now we can fly. With Larang¡¯s new weight, we could probably all fly on it, but balance would be an issue,¡± John said, looking at Dennis. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll run after you. I can be quick¡ªprobably even more so with the new essence. But I will need breaks.¡± John nodded, looking into the jungle. It would be simple enough to traverse on foot, but there were endless spots for beasts to hide in an ambush. Dennis would be in more danger than the two of them. ¡°I should be able to block attacks with the shield as long as you stay in my radius, so make sure to stick close enough. And if we meet anything big, I¡¯ll leave Rain with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find us a nice hiding spot, don¡¯t worry. But demons shouldn¡¯t take you long, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I can still be caught off guard by special aspects or hidden enemies. Don¡¯t underestimate the jungle, either.¡± John summoned Larang under his feet and gestured for Rain to get on. They hadn¡¯t traveled like this since the fight with the desert horror, but Rain didn¡¯t seem bothered at all. She had seemed quite insistent on never flying again at the time. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get going!¡±
John and Rain flew between the trees, weaving their way straight ahead. Their speed was lower than what they were used to, but the turning made it uncomfortable for Rain to travel faster. Dennis was also right behind them, jumping from tree to tree. John was surprised by the agility he showcased, and suspected it had something to do with his breakthrough to aspecter only having used gaseous essence. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t I be less agile than almost everyone else? My muscles should be much stronger, but I guess my weight increased slightly¡­¡¯ Rain leaned forward near John¡¯s ear and pointed past him. ¡°Something.¡± John paused, surprised by the sudden action. Rain hadn¡¯t pointed at anything other than their goal since they found the remains of the Aasvedans, at least during her travels with John. ¡°What thing, Rain?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, but something. Big.¡± Chapter 53 - Be Like You John slowed down, carefully studying the direction Rain was pointing to. Through the trees, he could barely see what looked like a solid wall of rock that looked man-made. ¡®... Ruins of a civilization that once lived here? It seems very primitive.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Dennis asked from behind them, standing in a tree. He seemed entirely fine compared to how much he had been running, barely even winded. John turned to him and pointed ahead. ¡°Uh, something that looks like ruins ahead. I¡¯ll check it out.¡± ¡°Rain also,¡± Rain added, leaving no room for negotiation. ¡°... Yeah. Just stay here for now, Dennis.¡± ¡°Sure thing! But don¡¯t leave me here, alright?¡± ¡°No promises,¡± John replied with a wink, turning back toward the rock wall. The two of them traveled closer to the wall, seeing more of it with each tree they passed. It was massive, even going higher than the trees. And there was no end in sight in either direction John looked. ¡°What the hell? This almost seems like the walls around the cities on Earth. How did they build these? And how are they still standing?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Rain said, joining his loud thinking. ¡°When did you learn that word?¡± ¡°Rain pick up things.¡± ¡°Verily,¡± John responded, certain he hadn¡¯t used it around her before. He didn¡¯t want her to think she was fluent. ¡°Verily,¡± she repeated, accidentally using it correctly. ¡°... Should we fly up and look over the wall?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± John sighed, but he did as he asked and started ascending. The wall wasn¡¯t finely cut or topped with a rampart, so it was impressive that they even managed to stack it so high. The rocks were huge, though, weighing at least a few tons each. ¡®This¡­ almost feels like it was made by giants¡­¡¯ They reached the tops of the trees, ascended the final part of the wall, and saw an incredible sight. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a ruin after all¡­¡¯ An entire city stretched out before them, built from rocks and dirt. And it was filled with monkeys, both big and small. Thousands of monsters, hundreds of demons, and two giant horrors overseeing everything from their thrones in the middle of the city. ¡®What the fuck?! They¡¯re¡­ there¡¯s an entire civilization?¡¯ He moved closer to the wall as he looked at the horrors in the middle, scared of being spotted and hunted by them. With the black essence, he might have been able to deal with one horror, but two would be near impossible. ¡®We should just fly past these guys, right? No reason to stay here.¡¯ ¡°John, look!¡± Rain whispered, pointing to the side of the city. There was an opening in the wall, seemingly the only one in the town. Many demon monkeys guarded it, protecting the city from the beasts outside. But what Rain had asked him to look at was the demon monkey that just entered. The only white monkey in the city, covered in bone armor, walking toward the town''s center. ¡°Kerchak?¡± ¡®How did he get here so soon? Is this his home? Don¡¯t tell me he¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about this, Rain,¡± he said, wondering if they should leave immediately. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°... Kerchak is home. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like it. But he might want to go after us, bringing some of his friends.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Maybe.¡± They kept watching as Kerchak walked before the two giants in the middle, looking like a small child in comparison. One of the horrors, with dark blue fur, leaned forward and picked Kerchak up in a loving embrace. ¡®Oh no, are those his parents? Did we mind-control a prince?¡¯ The other horror, with orange fur, also looked happy to see Kerchak return. They seemed to communicate with each other through gestures, almost like sign language. Animated gesticulations followed, during which both the horrors became increasingly agitated. Kerchak seemed to try calming them down, but then he pointed in the direction of the mist¡ªexactly at John and Rain¡¯s position. ¡®Oh! Fuck!¡¯ John dived away from the wall ledge, weaving through the trees and returning to Dennis. His mind was racing to think of a solution to this situation, but he had no idea what to do if the horrors chose to follow them. Rain let out a small scream as they fell, clinging tightly to John''s back. It likely wasn¡¯t loud enough for any of the monkeys to hear, but with over a hundred demons, there could easily be some with aspects that enhanced hearing. ¡®What the fuck do I do? I don¡¯t hear anything behind us, so maybe they didn¡¯t leave immediately. Yeah, that sounds more likely.¡¯ ¡°Kerchak not friend anymore!¡± Rain yelled sadly in his ear before looking behind. ¡°Rain not see monkeys!¡± ¡°Good! Let¡¯s hope it stays that way! We need to find Dennis and get the hell out of here!¡± It didn¡¯t take them long to return to where they left him, spotting him standing on a tree with a dagger in his hand. ¡°Dennis, we flee! Follow!¡± John yelled while flying past him, not giving any time for explanations. Dennis understood something had happened and followed without a word, jumping after them at full speed. John focused on weaving through the trees as fast as he could without putting too much strain on Rain. He was planning what he would do if the horrors started catching up to them, realizing their only choice was for him to fight alone. And that¡¯s precisely what he planned to do. Just like Rain had predicted. ¡°Rain, any suggestions for all of us surviving?¡± he asked, hoping her strategic mind had something in store. ¡°... Won¡¯t reach fog. Can¡¯t escape together. Split up means someone dies. Fly up will not escape power, but maybe not get noticed?¡± John nodded, understanding each of her reasonings. If they took to the sky, they might all survive. But the ascent would be slow, and the invocation of the horrors would reach them just like the desert horrors had done. ¡°But if I fight alone?¡± he suggested, knowing what her reaction would be. Sure enough, Rain immediately started shouting in his ears. ¡°John super stupid! Already same day?!¡± ¡°Hey, I know, okay? You were right. But what choice do we have?¡± From far behind them, a massive impact resounded, shaking the ground and making the trees quiver like a giant boulder had fallen from the sky. ¡®What the hell was that? Well, I can guess who it was, but what did they do?¡¯ Rain looked behind again, but she stayed quiet, not seeing anything of note. ¡°Much sound!¡± ¡°I heard! But what could it be?¡± Dennis shouted from behind them, still following closely. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything! What are we escaping from, exactly? A horror?¡± ¡°A city of monkeys! Ruled by two horrors!¡± John replied, still finding it hard to believe. ¡°What?! They saw you?!¡± Rain turned around again, replying in John¡¯s place. ¡°Kerchak was there, pointed at Rain and John. Then we flee.¡± ¡°... God damn, he really had a plan to get back on us, then. Fuck¡­¡± Before anyone could react, another impact was heard ahead of them, much closer and louder than last time. Every tree shook violently, causing Dennis to lose his balance and stab a dagger into the wood to avoid falling. John stopped flying, knowing there was no longer any point in going that way. His adrenaline started pumping as he felt a fight approaching. John removed the harness holding Rain on his back and flew over to Dennis. ¡°Take Rain and escape into the fog if you can! I¡¯ll stall this ugly orange bastard for as long as it takes!¡± The horror was barely visible ahead of him, searching through the trees. It didn¡¯t seem to know where they were yet, but John suspected that wouldn¡¯t last long. Either way, an army of demons was probably approaching from the city as well. Dennis was tense, staring at John with a mix of shock and respect. He took Rain in his hands, carrying her like a princess, and ran off without a word. ¡°John, survive! Survive!" Rain yelled, unable to do anything but look at him and cheer. Tears were streaming down her face, but she looked more angry than sad. John nodded and gave a quick wave after them before turning to the horror in front of him. He stepped onto a tree and summoned six black spheres, choosing to attack with Larang before using it to fly. After another few seconds, the giant monkey turned to John and locked its eyes on him. It was nearly fifty meters tall and could reach above the trees with its hands. After seeing John standing in place, ready to fight, it looked to the sky and roared. It was deafening, making John¡¯s entire body shake from the sheer vibrations¡ªa declaration of war. ¡®Come over here then. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t want to talk it over like adults.¡¯ Chapter 54 - Head On With practiced movements, John prepared himself for a massive swing of Larang, twisting his body and holding the gigantic sword behind his back. Solid essence bolted him to the ground, while liquid essence permeated every part of his body, increasing his strength way beyond the human limit. The blade was also infused with liquid essence, giving it the peerless cutting power it had demonstrated many times before. The attack that cleaved a mountain only had a fraction of this power, having merely used gaseous essence. ¡®I refuse to believe this won¡¯t scare you, pops! Feel free to underestimate it!¡¯ John swung, rotating Larang in a perfect semi-circle around his core. The blade nearly vibrated with power as it cut through the air, hitting the black sphere in the exact center. It stole the entire force of the attack and rocketed forward, heading straight for the orange ape. After its roar, the orange monkey started approaching John, crushing the trees in its way. It was still a few hundred meters from him, but approaching rapidly. The black sphere didn¡¯t seem to bother it, only worthy of a glance. But then it suddenly reacted to it and tried to move out of the way. The giant body made it impossible to dodge completely, but it still moved enough for the sphere to hit its shoulder instead of its heart. The sphere exploded, creating a mist of green blood. Once it cleared, a meter-deep cut stretched around the entire shoulder¡ªa massive wound. Or at least it would be if the horror wasn¡¯t standing fifty meters tall. It might weaken its shoulder, but the attack was far from enough to kill it. ¡®Fucking hell, you¡¯re tough! But at least I can hurt you!¡¯ The monkey was still moving to dodge the attack, but once it had the balance, it started running toward him again. It didn¡¯t seem to care about the wound at all. Despite all the danger he was facing, John couldn¡¯t help a wide grin from appearing on his face. He was intensely excited to have a proper life-and-death fight again, having been bored by the immediate victories in recent battles. Not since his first fight with a demon, the barg, had he felt so eager, so thirsty. ¡®Please don¡¯t let anyone interfere with this!¡¯ John knew that tens of demons were most likely pursuing him from the city, but he hoped they would respect the duel. He swung again, firing his second sphere with as much force as the first. The monkey had less time to dodge this time, but now that it knew how dangerous the spheres were, it countered it in another way. On its way toward John, it took hold of a tree, bringing it along to block the sphere. The impact shattered the wood into pieces, but the force of the attack was nearly completely neutralized. Only a weak cut appeared on the monkey¡¯s chest, not even piercing the skin. ¡®Figures¡­ It¡¯s time for the range of the invocation to hit me. Let¡¯s see what you have in store!¡¯ But even when the monkey got closer, nothing happened. No effect like the pitch black of the bird or the crushing pressure of the desert horror, at least not that John could notice. ¡®... Okay, that¡¯s almost worse. Are you saving it for the right time?¡¯ His arms were charged and ready to blast away after he put Larang away. Once again, he would use the weight reduction to increase his speed. He hadn¡¯t tried that after becoming an aspecter, so he expected the speed to be unbelievable. The monkey was now less than a hundred meters away, almost near enough to reach out and touch him. John had one more trick he wanted to use before escaping, though. Instead of using the air burst to flee, he pointed them behind himself, aiming for the giant before him. The blasts were incomparable to those he could use as an aspecter, nearly dislocating his enhanced bones. And the speed was equally impressive. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Ho, that¡¯s speed! Quickly now!¡¯ John didn¡¯t have time to think, performing each step of his plan in rapid succession. First, he reduced his weight, increasing his speed by another seventy percent. Then he summoned the greatshield into his hand, pointing the sharp side forward. The shield was infused with essence while sitting in his core, something he had learned while he evolved his weapons. ¡®Try dodging this!¡¯ The shield disappeared from his hands and appeared right in front of the monkey¡¯s face. Or at least it would have if it hadn¡¯t dodged the attack before it happened. The shield harmlessly flew past its face, missing entirely. ¡®What? How did it know?¡¯ John didn¡¯t have time to think about it. His next attack was already underway, with Larang appearing in his hands. He held it behind his head and threw it like a spear. Larang flew true, using its gravity to increase the speed even further. ¡®This has to hit, right?¡¯ The monkey started dodging the attack again before it appeared, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough this time. Larang changed directions slightly during the flight, homing in on the giant body. An arm appeared before it, and Larang pierced it deeply, coming out of the other side. But it had lost some of its speed, stopping before reaching the handle after hitting the monkey¡¯s chest. ¡®How are you anticipating my attacks? Is that your invocation? Future sight?¡¯ John wasn¡¯t satisfied despite the partly successful attack, knowing that was his best opportunity while his kit was still unknown. Now it knew what he could do while he was still nearly in the dark. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s a she. If she can predict my attacks, I¡¯ll have a tough time. I only pray she can¡¯t predict my dodging.¡¯ John was still hurtling toward the enemy, but he knew how to stop himself. A black sphere appeared in front of him, filled with gaseous essence. He collided with it, sending all the force of his flight into it and stopping himself completely. The sphere flew forward in a weak attack while John summoned a solid sphere for his escape, jumping off it and heading straight up into the air. He retrieved Larang into his hand and used it to help the ascent, hanging by its handle. ¡®Damn, I haven¡¯t even stalled it for half a minute! Let¡¯s conserve some essence, maybe?¡¯ His storage had already been depleted by twenty percent, but it was no wonder with the number of attacks he had been making. The orange monkey swept the black sphere away with her one good arm, knowing it didn¡¯t have much power. Then she looked up at John and roared. ¡®Yes, I know, cowardly move. But, Lady, you are predicting my moves! I need to come up with a plan.¡¯ The teleporting shield missing was far beyond his expectations. It had never missed before, primarily because of its unpredictable nature. He would have to make a plan if he wanted to use the shield with the black essence again. But that was his last option. He did not want to empty the necklace completely. A plan started forming in his head, but it would require a lot of essence to work, and there was no guarantee of making a killing blow. ¡®If she can predict my attacks, I can make dozens of attacks at once, forcing her to move in a particular direction. But I would have to spend a lot of liquid essence. And they probably won¡¯t do much damage on their own.¡¯ He was now high up in the air, looking down at the orange giant. He would have to decide before she did, fearing she would jump up to him or follow the others instead. And so he turned, clutching Larang as it accelerated toward the ground. ¡®Even my strongest attacks won¡¯t kill unless I hit a vital spot, but if I can use her foresight to my advantage¡­¡¯ Ten black spheres appeared around him as he fell, each filled to the brim with liquid essence. Each one took about one percent of his essence, but he had no choice. He dismissed Larang once the speed had built enough, and then he used a double air burst again, sending him hurtling toward the ground. Even with his strengthened eyes, the wind made it hard for him to see. ¡®Aaand go!¡¯ The ten spheres flew off in a cone shape around the spot where the monkey stood, gradually expanding in radius. They traveled faster than John, seemingly unbothered by the massive air resistance, reaching the trees in mere moments. The monkey looked around at the spheres cautiously, having already felt what power they could contain on her body. It was a great distraction as long as she didn¡¯t know the difference between the different types of spheres. As John approached, the spheres started constricting around her, coming from every direction after making sudden turns between the trees. ¡®Jump already! You know what those things can do, don¡¯t you?¡¯ He planned to force her to jump in the air toward him, making it nearly impossible to dodge his attacks. But many things could go wrong, so he could only pray it worked. Sure enough, she sensed the danger, bending her knees and putting her hands on the ground. After Larang hit her, she showed how weak she was against homing projectiles, which made John more sure she would try to avoid them. Then she jumped, sending shockwaves through the ground beneath her. She was much faster than John had predicted, nearly matching his own speed while falling. John barely had a second to act before they would collide, which would crush him to pieces. Chapter 55 - Linked With his shield appearing in his left hand and Larang in his other, John prepared himself for the final part of his plan. It was surprisingly simple at this point: just chuck everything he had straight at the giant monkey¡¯s face. With the full strength of his upper body, he chucked them both forward, lessening his own speed considerably. Then he summoned a sphere before him and halted his speed completely. ¡®These things are insanely useful! Try and dodge this!¡¯ Unable to change her direction mid-air, the horror could only protect her vitals with her arms. She saw the attack coming but was unable to dodge. The shield disappeared from view and appeared again right in front of her eye, but seeing the attack coming, she managed to turn her head, causing the shield to crash into her temple instead. It crashed into the skull, fracturing the compact bone and leaving a long laceration on the side of her face. The attack didn¡¯t hit anything vital, but it managed to distract and maybe even daze the horror, increasing the chances of the next part of John¡¯s plan working. Larang was picking up speed on its way to her face, which was still protected by two massive arms. Because they were flying towards each other, Larang¡¯s impact would have nearly twice the force as last time. Despite that, John doubted it could pierce her hands and face simultaneously¡ªnot alone. With her head turned to the side and one eye closed, the monkey looked at John with rage. She had likely never expected such a small creature to be able to push her so far. But there was still confidence there, a certainty of victory. ¡®Oh, still not worried, are you? Let¡¯s see if you can predict what you can¡¯t see!¡¯ Seemingly out of nowhere, a massive force hit the giant monkey in the back, causing her to arch backward unwillingly. The ten spheres filled with liquid essence had followed her from the ground, and now caught up at the exact right time. They had lost a lot of power due to the change in direction, but ten spheres were still hitting simultaneously, with the improved focus John had been practicing after meeting the sage. Her arms opened a small gap as her shoulders arched back, letting Larang fly through them unobstructed. Her eyes opened wide in fear as she realized what was happening, finally understanding the severity of the situation. John cheered internally as his plan came to fruition exactly as he had hoped. ¡®Hit! Pierce through!¡¯ Larang had been heading for her face earlier, but due to the hit in her back, her face tilted backward, causing it to head for her throat instead. It penetrated completely, severing several vital functions before hitting her spine with a sickening thud. ''Yes! Take that, you overgrown¨C¡¯ John''s elation was cut short as the horror''s eyes locked onto him, filled with pain and fury. Despite the grievous wound, she was still moving, still coming for him. ''I knew that wouldn¡¯t kill you right away! But I¡¯m not planning to stick around so you can take me down with you.'' Since he had stopped himself earlier by using the sphere, he managed to escape the collision by using his air blasts. But once he looked at the horror again, he saw something that made his blood run cold. Her arms began to stretch, extending far beyond their natural length. ''Stretchable limbs?! That¡¯s the aspect you¡¯ve been hiding?!'' In a desperate move, John summoned his lucky sword and hurled it with all his might toward her face, hoping it would distract her enough to stop her predictions. But the horror didn¡¯t care about the tiny sword. Her life was already forfeit, so she prioritized taking him with her, letting the sword penetrate her left eye without a care. It didn¡¯t penetrate deep enough to damage anything but the eye itself. John tried to dodge, reducing his weight and firing another air blast. But the horror could see his moves before he made them. Her massive hand adjusted its trajectory mid-swing. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ''No, no, no¨C'' Without enough time to send solid essence through his body, John had to make do with what was already there and reinforce it with all his might. He summoned the necklace as his final act before bracing for impact. The impact was devastating. John felt bones crack and organs compress as the horror''s palm engulfed him. The world spun, pain exploded through every nerve, and darkness crept in at the edges of his vision. As consciousness slipped away, John''s last thought was of the necklace, hoping the black essence would be enough to keep him tethered to life. Then, everything went black.
Rain''s breath came in short, ragged gasps as she lay in Dennis''s hands, clinging to his chest. The dense foliage whipped past them, a blur of green and brown. Her antlers caught on low-hanging branches, but she barely noticed the sharp tugs against her scalp. Her mind was focused solely on the diminishing sounds of the clash behind them, listening to the shattering trees and thunderous footsteps of the horror as it approached John. ¡®I knew he would do that! Curse that necklace of death!¡¯ Rain had felt the chase of a hundred demons from the city, but they all stopped as the fight began. The realization that they weren''t being followed anymore should have brought relief, but instead, it only intensified her worry. ¡®Why have they stopped? Are they observing the fight instead of chasing us? Or was it that roar earlier that stopped them?¡¯ A chill ran down her spine as a terrifying thought occurred to her. What if they''d stopped because they only cared about taking down one of them? ¡®John doesn¡¯t stand a chance against that many demons! Even a single horror will be near impossible unless he comes up with a brilliant strategy, and they had two! He could try using the essence of death again, but¡­ I don¡¯t see how he would be able to win. And he won¡¯t flee as long as we¡¯re still in danger.¡¯ As she desperately tried to find a way to reassure herself, another massive impact shook the ground, coming from the fight behind them. And then she felt it. The ethereal thread that had connected her to John since the moment they had met suddenly snapped. The absence hit her like a physical blow, leaving her gasping and disoriented. ¡®N¨C no! There¡¯s still a chance! The necklace might¡­¡¯ "Dennis," she managed to choke out in a trembling voice. "Stop. Please." Dennis slowed his speed and looked down at her worriedly. "What is it? Are you hurt?" Rain shook her head, trying to find the words to express the hollowness she felt without revealing too much. Her limited vocabulary made it more difficult than it could have been. Dennis gently lowered Rain to the ground while his eyes scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger. His breath was already labored, but likely more due to panic than exertion. Rain could feel her eyes filling with tears as her fears trickled to the surface. "John," she whispered. "Something very wrong." His face didn¡¯t change much, only nodding lightly as if understanding her worry. "Rain, I''m sure he''s fine. John''s tough, remember? He''s probably just..." He trailed off, noticing the silence behind them. Rain barely heard him. Her mind was racing, grappling with possibilities and consequences. She thought of Earth, of the struggles John had described, of the people waiting for his return. A question formed in her mind, one she had to know the answer to before she could act. "Dennis." Her voice was steadier now, more focused. "Can John save many lives? If alive?" The question seemed to catch Dennis off guard. He blinked, studying Rain''s face with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. After a moment''s hesitation, he nodded. "Yeah, I think he could. He¡¯s by far the strongest aspecter I¡¯ve seen, and someone that could grow into a vital part of our war." Rain absorbed this information, weighing it against the turmoil in her heart. ¡®Can I be so selfish? Just this once? But we¡¯re so close to the goal! Is it too great of a risk to take?¡¯ The forest seemed to hold its breath as Rain stood frozen in indecision. Should she use her power to potentially save John or hold back and pray that the Lord of Death would stay his hand? ¡®... I¡­ I should¨C¡¯ Just as she felt she might buckle under the pressure of the decision, something shifted. The emptiness where her connection to John had been suddenly flickered, like a candle sputtering back to life. Relief washed over her, so intense it made her knees weak. Dennis noticed the sudden shift in her mood. "Rain? What''s happening?" A smile spread across her face. "John okay," she said, unable to adequately express the depth of her relief. "John alive!" Dennis''s shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank god," he muttered. "But how do you know?" Rain didn''t answer. Instead, she closed her eyes, focusing on John''s faint but unmistakable presence in her mind. When she opened them again, she pointed confidently into the dense jungle. "We go there." Dennis looked skeptical. "Are you sure? That''s awfully close to where we came from." Rain nodded firmly. "John there. We go." As they set off in the direction Rain indicated, she wondered what her choice would have been if she hadn¡¯t been interrupted. ¡®I would have hated myself either way¡­ But the danger isn¡¯t over yet! John, please don¡¯t be surrounded by demons.¡¯ Chapter 56 - White Knight ¡®... Hmmm¡­ Getting the soul smashed out of your body feels surprisingly painful. What do I do now? My heart isn¡¯t beating, and I¡¯m flying through the air. Thank god for this tether.¡¯ John looked down at himself, seeing nothing but a translucent light. A black thread connected him to the body he usually inhabited, which was hurtling through the air alongside him. And a bit further away flew the giant dead body of the orange monkey. They would land close to where they had fought, much to John¡¯s dismay. He knew there would likely be monkeys surrounding him the moment they landed. ¡®The landing won¡¯t do too much damage, will it? Terminal velocity, reinforced body¡­ Oh, I can still control my essence! Nice!¡¯ He hurried to spread as much solid essence throughout his body as possible, readying for impact with the ground. Of course, it was already dead, but he assumed returning to it would be more challenging depending on its condition. He was surprised by the calm and focused state he was in considering the circumstances; he was closer to death than any living thing should be. ¡®Death is rather peaceful, I guess. And there¡¯s no adrenaline or other stupid brain stuff to disturb me¡­ Hmm, can I control my enchantments as well? It would be nice to reduce my speed before landing.¡¯ Once only a hundred meters remained, he gave it a shot, feeling the familiar sensation of suddenly decreasing his speed. The weight increase didn¡¯t affect his current weightless state, though. ¡®Ah, I should have tried using Larang to fly instead¡­¡¯ he realized as he braced himself for the impact. Another earth-shattering impact resounded throughout the jungle as the monkey landed, overshadowing John¡¯s impact completely. He was relieved to see his body looking mostly unharmed, but now he was in a hurry. He wanted to escape somehow before the monkeys arrived. But then he noticed the army standing over him, already surrounding the area. They were all demons, now silently looking at the two bodies that hit the ground. ¡®Ah, of course¡­ Suddenly, I¡¯m grateful to be dead. They won¡¯t wreck my body in rage, surely?¡¯ The orange monkey garnered by far the most attention, though. The demons were quiet, but many of them made gestures with their hands and kneeled on the ground around her. That was their way of communicating, after all. ¡®... Now you¡¯re making me feel bad¡­ But no, we released Kerchak and let him live. It can¡¯t be blamed on us that you retaliated the way you did.¡¯ While the monkeys grieved their matriarch, John attempted to return to his body. He knew his time was limited and didn¡¯t want to waste any more black essence than he had to. Floating into the body didn¡¯t have much of an effect, so instead, he tried to focus on the connection between them. The black essence didn¡¯t do much to heal his body, but he couldn¡¯t complain. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to use the liquid essence to heal. But that¡¯s going to take at least a few days. The black essence won¡¯t last that long¡­ Can I at least start my heart again? Maybe if I use essence to move it?¡¯ Using the essence remaining in his core, John started rhythmically compressing his heart. He tried to be careful so the demons didn¡¯t notice anything, fearing they would know he wasn¡¯t completely dead. A sudden burst of heavy footfalls and trees being crushed could be heard approaching them from the city before the other giant monkey appeared, clearly emotional. It moved a hand against its partner¡¯s head and stroked it gently. Then, it fell to its knees and let out a heartwrenching cry, alarming every creature in the jungle. Even in his spirit form, John felt the pain in its voice. Even the vestige of the Aasvedans seemed to react to the grief, perhaps feeling a bit of camaraderie. It had been making itself available to John since the necklace was activated. ¡®No thanks, I¡¯ll stick to my sanity for a bit longer. But if the necklace starts to run out, I know where to find you.¡¯ If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The vestige didn¡¯t respond, or at least not in any way he could understand. John could feel his connection to his body improving with every compression, feeling like he was on the right track. He also started circulating his essence throughout his body to help the healing process along. ¡®Please just leave after grieving a bit. I¡¯ll let you have her essence if you want it; just don¡¯t bury me underground or anything like that.¡¯ The blue monkey''s eyes landed on him, prickling him with fury. John froze all his movements, praying it hadn¡¯t noticed his heartbeat. And that it didn¡¯t have any interest in desecrating his beautiful corpse. The brief silence was interrupted by the monkey''s heavy breathing, gradually increasing in frequency. It was angry, ready to lash out in its rage. ¡®I get you¡¯re upset, but just think rationally, okay?! Violence only begets more violence! And this time, that¡¯s a bad thing!¡¯ The monkey moved its hands up in the air, and John prepared himself for the worst. But then, a sudden knocking could be heard from a nearby tree, halting all movement. A white monkey stood next to the tree, dressed head to toe in armor. It walked between John and the blue monkey, staring back at the horror. ¡®Kerchak? What are you doing?¡¯ Tension could be felt in the air. Kerchak started gesturing to the blue monkey, who responded with large movements, sending wind flying in all directions. It seemed to be an argument, but John had no idea what either of them were communicating. All the demons surrounding them merely stood there, watching the two argue. It seemed clear that Kerchak was special somehow. ¡®How, though? He seemed completely ordinary while we traveled with him. Is it a birthright thing? It could just be father and son arguing, I guess¡­¡¯ The blue monkey gradually calmed down, eventually turning silent. Then he turned to the city and started walking back, bringing all the demon monkeys with him. Kerchak remained for a moment longer, looking down at John. A large hand touched his chest, checking for any signs of life. Finding nothing, he released a low growl, almost like a snort of derision, before walking after the others and returning to the city. ¡®Oh my god, that could not have gone any better! Now I just need to stop being not alive!¡¯ John continued the heart compressions, again feeling his connection strengthening. He might have been able to move without it as well, but he didn¡¯t want the necklace to suddenly run out. After another minute of compressions and circulating his essence, John felt his incorporeal form get dragged into his body. He had no way to escape, but neither did he want to, letting the pull lead him back to where he belonged. And then everything went black. Again.
¡°...ohn¡­ John¡­ John!¡± A familiar voice pulled him back to consciousness. He felt his head lying on something soft and opened his eyes, staring up at Dennis. His head was lying on his thighs. ¡°... Dude¡­¡± he whispered, barely getting the word out. ¡°Sorry, John. I know the pain must be horrible, but just stay awake so the essence can do its work, okay? When we found you, none of your limbs pointed in the right direction.¡± John stared back at him, wondering why Rain hadn¡¯t taken on that task. But as his body started waking, he did indeed feel a terrible amount of pain shooting through him. Even breathing felt horrible. ¡°Rain?¡± Dennis pointed ahead. ¡°She¡¯s right there, by the horror. I can¡¯t believe you actually beat that thing, man.¡± ¡°... Bring me,¡± John asked, trying to communicate his thoughts with as few words as possible. ¡°To the horror? Do you need essence?¡± John tried to nod, but again, his body protested. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt. But I guess it should help your recovery. We also want to get out of here soon, so anything you can do to speed up the process would be good.¡± Instead of replying, John summoned Larang on the ground next to him, hoping Dennis would understand his intention. If he could fly on top of it, they would be able to travel. Even if it would be horribly uncomfortable. Dennis nodded and gently moved from under John¡¯s head before shifting him over to Larang. John wanted to clench his jaw to help with the pain, but that would only make it worse since it was broken. All the bones of some size in his body were broken, barely having started to mend. ¡®Holy shitting fuck, that hurts! Aah, I¡¯m not fighting a horror again any time soon, I swear!¡± Eventually, he managed to support his weight on the giant sword, floating carefully over to the corpse. In the corner of his eye, he could see Rain sitting balled up with her head buried in her elbows. She seemed to be crying. ¡°... Sorry.¡± Rain shook her head without looking up. She didn¡¯t seem very happy about how things had gone, and John understood why. But at the same time, he couldn¡¯t understand what he could have done differently. It wasn¡¯t a situation with many solutions. And overall, he was happy with the result. ¡®Is there even a solution to this? I¡¯m the strongest and most durable; of course I should stay behind to protect you. Unless you show me a reason not to, that won¡¯t change.¡¯ Chapter 57 - Despite It All John carefully positioned himself over the giant orange corpse, letting his hanging arm touch its surface. The essence was still inside, waiting for someone to retrieve it. And John didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡®I spent so much essence on that fight¡­ I don¡¯t have the leisure to convert it right now, so I¡¯ll just fill my core with gaseous essence and let the rest reinforce my core.¡¯ He focused on remaining still despite the pain constantly shooting through him, knowing any movement would only make it worse. The essence obediently followed his arm back into his core, filling it rapidly. Then it continued to flow, forcing his core to expand and using the excess essence to rebuild its surface. John estimated another ten percent of growth. ¡®That brings me up to, what, seventeen? Not a bad pace, honestly. But it¡¯s way easier to kill ten demons than one horror, so I might stick to that in the future. Oh, what¡¯s this?¡¯ John wasn¡¯t sure if the final hit in the horror¡¯s eye would trigger the enchantment of the lucky sword, but judging by what floated in his core, it seemed to be enough. The first purple enchantment he had seen drifted peacefully inside his center, awaiting his command. It was enough to make him forget about the pain momentarily as the excitement started building. ¡®Oooh! Purple! That¡¯s the stage over blue! And it has to do with¡­ ¡® He tried sensing what the enchantment might give him in terms of power, but he was confused by what it told him. ¡®¡­ Twice? What the hell does that mean? Double? Double what? Where would double be useful?¡¯ He decided to leave it for now, focusing instead on leaving this place before anything else wanted to pop up. He found it hard to believe the monkeys would simply let the body of their matriarch stay out here, unless it was part of their rules for some reason. ¡°... Let¡¯s leave,¡± John whispered, barely loud enough for Rain to hear him. She didn¡¯t show any reaction at first, but then she rubbed her eyes into her elbows and got up from where she sat. She stared at him silently, but her reddened eyes conveyed her emotions well enough. Before John could say anything, she walked off in the other direction. ¡°Rain find cave.¡± ¡®... She¡¯s reacting stronger than I expected. Is it really just what I did, or is there something else as well?¡¯ Dennis came closer to him, sensing the awkward atmosphere. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright, John, don¡¯t worry. She seemed to know what was happening with you while we were running, and she suddenly seemed horrified at one point. Did that necklace trigger?¡¯ ¡°Yeah,¡± John replied, thinking it was obvious. He was curious how Rain knew what happened to him, though. Dennis nodded. ¡°That makes sense. But that means there must be some kind of connection between you two, right?¡± ¡°... Maybe?¡± ¡°Right, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know either. Well, let¡¯s find somewhere for you to rest for now. We¡¯re currently very low on combat power, so we need to be careful.¡± John blinked in response and started floating after Rain. It was much more challenging to navigate Larang while lying down, but he managed it well enough by looking to his side. ¡®... A connection? Is that how she finds me when we separate? Does that mean she¡¯s guiding us to someone?¡¯
After searching for a while, they were forced to make their own shelter under the roots of a large winding tree. Dennis did most of the work, shoveling dirt using John¡¯s shield. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It didn¡¯t take long. Even if he wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, Dennis was an aspecter. And with the added strength of the liquid essence he had cultivated, digging through dirt was a simple job. John lay on the ground, circling his essence throughout his body. He could feel certain parts mending in real time, but he would need more essence than he had available to finish the process. So, he would likely have to wait for his core to fill naturally. Being forced to lie still and wait to heal reminded him of an incident in his childhood. He fell from a roof and broke several bones. The doctor put braces on every limb to prevent him from moving. John hated it. ¡®But Serah came to visit often, so it wasn¡¯t all bad. Even if she¡¯s the one who got me up on the roof in the first place¡­ Kids sure are dumb.¡¯ He shifted his focus to the necklace that now floated in his core, studying the remaining storage of black essence. It had halved again, bringing it down to less than a quarter of its full state. ¡®That¡¯s not bad, actually. I was tethered for quite a while. But if my body had been in a worse state¡­ It could have taken days. And that¡¯s not possible even if it¡¯s filled to the brim.¡¯ Rain and Dennis sat nearby, watching over him during the process. She had remained quiet since they met, but she seemed to be opening up again¡ªslowly. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re ready to talk, because I¡¯m extremely curious about how you managed to take down a horror on your own! It was obviously not without its costs, but still,¡± Dennis said, looking at John with reverence. ¡°...Soon,¡± John replied. His voice was still nothing more than a whisper, but the pain had lessened. ¡°Yeah, take your time. You were straight up dead for a while, so I can¡¯t blame you. And I also feel responsible for what happened¡­¡± ¡°... I let him go,¡± John responded, not accepting that Dennis wanted to take the full blame. They could at least share it. ¡°Well¡­ I was happy that you did. Either way, thanks for saving my life again.¡± Dennis bowed in front of him, looking ill at ease. ¡°I can¡¯t really do the same for you, but if there¡¯s anything I can do, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. Anything.¡± John could tell he was serious, and while he only did what he thought was right, he appreciated the gesture. ¡°... Will do.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll hold you to it!¡± Dennis said, giving a thumbs-up. ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯ll keep traveling toward our destination once you get back on your feet. If you need the essence, I can probably hunt some monsters for you.¡± John hadn¡¯t thought about that. Even if they didn¡¯t have much essence, it was way better than waiting for his core to fill on its own. ¡°... Go hunt¡­ No monkeys.¡± Dennis smirked and stood back up, turning toward the entrance. ¡°I¡¯m not that dumb. I¡¯ll let the two of you rest since It¡¯s getting dark. I¡¯ll be on guard for the night. And if anything comes, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Dennis, careful!¡± Rain said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have some confidence at least. Not wanting to fight isn¡¯t the same as not knowing how to fight.¡± He summoned his daggers as he said that, looking unusually cool. ¡°Rest well, you two.¡± Rain stared at Dennis as he left, not responding to him. Then she looked at John, and her brows furrowed in worry. ¡°... Stupid.¡± ¡°... Now?¡± John asked, wondering why she wanted to start the argument again now that he was nearly unable to argue against her. It felt like a dirty trick. But Rain shook her head, looking down at the ground. ¡°Not John. Rain stupid.¡± ¡°... How?¡± ¡°Rain can¡¯t say. Many reason. Rain¡­ Rain bad sister.¡± ¡°No.¡± She nodded stubbornly. ¡°... John don¡¯t know yet. Much secret.¡± John hated that he couldn¡¯t speak well, but he made a serious effort. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ You can¡­ keep secrets¡­ but still¡­ family.¡± His voice was quiet, but it carried a lot of weight regardless. Every word was filled with intention, and Rain could clearly feel it. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she looked at him. ¡°Rain not even¡­ Rain is¡­¡± She stopped herself every time, clearly wanting to say something but holding herself back. ¡°Keep your¡­ secrets¡­ Always¡­ family.¡± She burst into tears, unable to resist the emotions any longer. John was intensely curious, but he had decided she should tell him on her own terms. And this clearly wasn¡¯t willingly. She moved closer to him, looking like she wanted to hug him. But she seemed scared to hurt him, so instead, she simply lay down next to him. ''At least it wasn''t all about my stupidity this time... You¡¯ve been through so much, Rain, and there''s still so much I don''t understand about you. But that doesn''t matter. You¡¯ve been there for me, guided us, saved us. Whatever your secrets are, they don''t change who you are to me.'' He closed his eyes, feeling the day''s exhaustion lulling him into a deep sleep. Rain kept silently weeping next to him, looking at him from the side. "Rain and John both stupid... But family." John smiled faintly at her words. The warmth of their bond was way more important than his curiosity about her mysteries. Whatever Rain was hiding, he trusted that she had her reasons. For now, being family was enough. Chapter 58 - One Plus One Three days later, John finally felt like his body had healed. His organs were healed, his bones were all set, his ligaments and tendons were all set, and his muscles and skin were all healed, starting from the core and healing each layer. Dennis had worked hard to hunt monsters, letting John replenish his essence whenever he slowed down. Most of his time was spent keeping them all safe or cooking for Rain whenever she got hungry. Which was often. The most common monsters were snake-like creatures, which could be quite dangerous if they managed to ambush someone. They had no limbs, but their heads were quite different than snakes from Earth, much more robust. John stretched his entire body, feeling the strength that had returned to him coursing through every muscle. He felt better than ever. ¡°Thanks again, Dennis! There¡¯s no telling what would have happened without you here.¡± Dennis dismissed his gratitude with a wave of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do, man. You got hurt saving us, so don¡¯t go thinking I¡¯ve repaid my debt with just this.¡± John shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t we just call each other friends and forget about debts? Keeping track of who owes who all the time will get tedious.¡± ¡°Well, if you want to think of it that way, that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t like leaving a debt unpaid, though.¡± ¡°Tsk. Stubborn,¡± John replied half-jokingly. He mostly just wanted Dennis to stop bringing up his indebtedness all the time. It was getting tiresome. ¡°Hah! I¡¯m far from being the most stubborn one in this dirt-hole. You both know it.¡± John looked at Rain, who looked back at him and nodded. It was hard to say who she thought was the most stubborn of the two, but John assumed she meant it was him. He sighed. ¡°Fine, but just pay it however you want and stop bringing it up. I trust that you won¡¯t forget about it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That I can do,¡± Dennis replied, seemingly understanding John¡¯s perspective. ¡°Will we be heading out again now?¡± ¡°Not quite yet. I need to use the enchantment I got after the fight. I¡¯ve decided what to use it on.¡± ¡°Ooh, nice! I¡¯ve been curious about that! It will be my first time seeing a purple enchantment! What did you end up choosing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Larang in the end. All the possible effects I can think of would work nicely on a weapon. If it doubles the size at will or makes an attack happen twice, or anything like that, Larang is the best choice.¡± Dennis nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s your most important equipment, so it makes sense. Either way, you can swap it if it doesn¡¯t fit.¡± ¡°Exactly. It would be a shame to waste a purple enchantment, though, so let¡¯s hope it¡¯s a good fit.¡± John closed his eyes, focusing on his core. The purple light was still floating aimlessly, waiting on orders. A simple command was all it took, and then it headed straight for the greatsword. The purple light burst from the impact, sending tiny sparks in every direction as the color enveloped the sword entirely. Then, it faded back to normal, leaving no trace of what had just happened. ¡®Oh¡­ That sounds¡­ powerful!¡¯ As the information appeared in his head, John felt like he had worried over nothing. The enchantment promised to double any essence he put into it, effectively multiplying his attack power. Every attack he made with Larang consisted of several parts, but perhaps most notable was the severing effect of the liquid essence he put into the sword itself. That was what had allowed him to cleave the mountain in half, and also what made his flying attacks so weak in comparison. ¡®Hooh, this is perfect! I was worried I¡¯d have to think of how to best utilize it again, like the teleportation and the gravity. This is just purely an increase in attack power. Good!¡¯ Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! He had worried about his offensive capabilities during his last fight, barely able to scratch the giant monkey with anything but his full power. Even the most powerful attack he could imagine didn¡¯t manage to penetrate the bone of the horror, stopping before piercing the neck completely. ¡°Strong, John?¡± Rain asked, probably noticing his smile. ¡°Oh yeah, this will be useful! It doubles any essence I put into Larang, meaning I can hit twice as hard now. It also doesn¡¯t get any weaker even if I become an invoker, so this one might stay for a long time.¡± Rain pumped her fists, looking excited. ¡°That¡¯s great! Larang much stronger now! And ball!¡± ¡°Heh, yes, the spheres will also grow in power. Although, I will have to increase the gaseous essence I use to make them so they don¡¯t break. That¡¯s a bit of a pain¡­¡± Gaseous essence was still the worst type to store, currently taking up nearly half of his core. But they were a vital part of his combat kit now, so he didn¡¯t have much choice. ¡®Maybe I should revisit plasma essence? Or is it still too early? I wonder what kind of powers it hides. And it can¡¯t be any more dangerous than the black essence¡­ Mmh, I think I¡¯ll leave it for now. We¡¯re getting close to our goal.¡¯ He looked out at the jungle wilderness, wondering what they might find at their destination. The city of monkeys had been enough of a surprise for him not to know what he should expect. But if it were the portal to Earth, or Serah, he would be more than satisfied. ¡°Let¡¯s head out, you two. We¡¯ve still got a fair bit of ground to cover. Right, Rain?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Rain don¡¯t know long, but know where. That way.¡± She pointed again, nearly parallel to the ground. It meant they were close, but the exact distance was hard to judge. ¡°And what do we find there?¡± John added, not having any hopes for an answer. She stared at him in silence for a moment. ¡°... Fate.¡± John furrowed his brows, not sure how to interpret that answer. He was surprised he got one, but it was vague enough not to count properly. It did make him think of Serah¡¯s golden string of fate, though. That counted for something. ¡°I guess that¡¯s good enough¡­ Dennis, you¡¯re fine to run after us again?¡± ¡°Of course! I love running!¡± Dennis replied, a bit too eagerly. ¡°... Good. Then let¡¯s go!¡±
They traveled through the jungle with less caution than before, assuming that the horrors of this place all lived in the monkey city and that they would not bother them. Demons would be simple enough at this point. John still had to adjust his speed for Rain and take breaks for Dennis to catch his breath, but they traveled faster than they had when riding Kerchak. Larang hadn¡¯t changed when it came to flying, but it made sense since it didn¡¯t use any essence. John had briefly tested the new enchantment, finding it to work exactly as expected. It didn¡¯t double the essence put into it, but the effect of the essence was twice as great. ¡®That''s simpler to explain, so I think it¡¯s nice. Doubling the essence would require Larang¡¯s capacity to double as well, but that¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m surprised the knowledge I got was off, though.¡¯ His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shout from Dennis. ¡°Whoa! Demon here, John! Snake!¡± John turned, spotting the giant limbless creature wrapping around one of the trees behind them. Luckily, the size made it much harder for it to ambush Dennis, but it still seemed like a real threat. It lunged after Dennis while staying attached to the tree, making it swing back and forth with its considerable weight. ¡°You good with dropping down, Rain?¡± John asked, planning his attack. ¡°... Not long,¡± Rain responded meekly, probably recalling the last time John had done so. She would likely never forget that experience. John simply nodded and started falling, letting Larang stay under his feet to shield them from the wind. ¡®This should be enough, right? It has plenty of vulnerable spots.¡¯ He was preparing his shield inside his core, filling it with liquid essence. Then he summoned it into his hands, letting it build speed alongside them as they fell. After waiting for a few seconds, making sure to have plenty of space to halt their fall, he hurled the shield downward and teleported it to the point where the snake was attached to the tree. It easily pierced the thick body, continuing through the next section after severing the first, making three perfect cuts and splitting the snake into five pieces. The increased purity of his essence made the surprise attack stronger than before his breakthrough. John immediately started slowing their descent, but he was careful so that Rain wouldn¡¯t get mad. She let out a sound of discomfort, gripping his shoulders tightly. But then they were fine. Seeing Dennis cheer after the attack, John shouted a warning. ¡°Keep your distance, Dennis! It can thrash around even if it¡¯s chopped into pieces!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with dozens of these already, John! Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± ¡°Those ones didn¡¯t have aspects! Be cautious!¡± The front part of the snake, the longest piece, still had several meters remaining. It was bleeding rapidly and would be dead soon, but some life remained. In a strange move, it bit the tree it was hanging on and started slinging its body around, sending purple blood everywhere. John noticed too late that the greatshield had been damaged as if it had been bathed in acid for hours. But when he did, he shouted, ¡°Watch out for the blood! Dennis!¡± Chapter 59 - The Hand Moves The scene was chaotic, with purple blood flying in every direction. The demon seemed determined to wound the attackers before its death at least, using all of its remaining life to retaliate. Dennis realized the danger and tried to back away, but he was too late. Several large drops landed on his armor and immediately started working its way through it. Dennis let out a panicked scream, trying to brush the blood away with his daggers. He fell to the ground, partially hidden by the purple smoke that rose from the blood. ¡°Don¡¯t remove your armor!¡± John yelled, trying to think of a way to save him. Removing the acidic blood would be hard without any liquid. ¡®What do I do? Do we just hope it doesn¡¯t fall on him if he removes the armor?¡¯ ¡°John, flame!¡± Rain yelled from behind, trying to help. John paused, wondering if that would work. It might get rid of the acid, but Dennis would be fried if he overdid it. And besides the air blast, he hadn''t practiced spells much lately. ¡°... Dennis, fill your armor and body with solid essence for now! I need to stop the snake first; hang tight!¡± The snake was still whipping around, barely slowing down. Its large, hatred-filled eyes stared at John as he approached. John summoned two liquid spheres and sent them to attack the beast''s head, hoping to either force it to let go of the tree and drop to the ground or hurt it enough to kill it. They rocketed through the air, barely needing any time to reach it, and created heavy blasts of force on impact. Both its eyes were destroyed, but it still didn¡¯t give in. ¡®Fuck! I need to hurry!¡¯ He summoned the lucky sword and blasted it forward, aiming straight for the brain through one of the fresh wounds. It hit its mark perfectly, ending all movement for good. The snake''s body swung lifelessly below it, still attached to the tree. John hurried to get close to Dennis, sitting still on top of the giant branch. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get rid of it! And shout if you need me to stop!¡± ¡°W¨Cwhat are you going to do?!¡± ¡°Burn it off!¡± ¡°Wha¨C¡± Dennis didn¡¯t finish his question before a stream of fire enveloped him completely. The force was so great that he started sliding back on the tree. John stopped the fire spell, surprised by the intensity of the flame. He hadn¡¯t used any flame spell since before learning about the other types of essence, and now he was even an aspecter on top of that. ¡®Shit, was that too much?¡¯ ¡°Hey, are you okay, Dennis?¡± He asked, waiting for the smoke to clear. All he could see was a vague outline of the armor sitting entirely still. "... I think so¡ª" Dennis started, but was cut off by a violent coughing fit. "...I think I''m okay." The smoke cleared, showing a blackened and badly damaged suit of armor. But there were no holes, and the purple blood seemed to have disappeared with the flame. John breathed a sigh of relief. "That''s good. The flame was a bit stronger than I expected, so sorry about that.¡± Dennis slowly got up, checking his body for any wounds. ¡°No, I should have listened when you told me to get back. It¡¯s my bad¡­ And thanks for saving me again.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. John pointed at Rain sitting on his back. ¡°The flame was her idea. I had no idea what I should do. I considered trying to fill your armor with tiny black spheres, but I don¡¯t know how well that would have gone.¡± Rain waved at Dennis proudly. ¡°Rain smart! And John skilled!¡± Dennis chuckled but was interrupted by another coughing fit. ¡°Haaah, you sure are. Well, just goes to show that demons are still a significant threat. I¡¯ll have to keep my armor in my core for a while, but that just means I¡¯ll be faster when following you two.¡± He removed his armor, revealing a black set of slim combat clothes. They looked way cleaner than Rain¡¯s clothes, but a clear miasma of sweat was coming off them. John backed up slightly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more careful without your armor, though. Try to keep some essence to reinforce your body constantly, just in case.¡± ¡°Hey now, I don¡¯t have infinite essence, you know. If I have to run between trees and keep myself protected, I¡¯ll be using way more than I generate.¡± ¡°Well, suit yourself,¡± John said with a shrug. He walked over to the demon''s corpse, suddenly wondering if there would also be some essence in the other body parts. ¡®I guess it all depends on where the core is¡­ And where is that, exactly? The head, right? Or the heart? I should know since I spent some time outside my body, but I can¡¯t say where my essence came from¡­ It couldn¡¯t have been my soul since essence remains in the body after death.¡¯ Dismissing his frankly unnecessary thoughts, he put his hand on the smooth surface of the snake. He took some time to refill the spent essence before starting to reinforce his core, adding another measly percent. ¡®How the hell does it make sense for everyone to beat a hundred beasts to rise in tiers? There¡¯s a math equation that just doesn¡¯t add up there. One horror is worth ten thousand monsters?¡­ Okay, looking at it like that, it makes sense¡­¡¯ He could easily see a horror defeating any number of monsters if it had to. But a hundred demons would likely be challenging, depending on its invocation. The premonition of the monkey wouldn¡¯t help too much, but the intense pressure of the desert horror would make it simple. ¡®Oh! Oh¡­¡¯ A sudden excitement rose in his chest as a light appeared in his core, but it dimmed after seeing the color. It was a measly green enchantment. Barely worth looking at. ¡®Oh well, I guess I can put you somewhere for now. You¡¯ve got something to do with¡­ air? Huh, might be useful after all.¡¯ In his home capital, he was still known as ¡®The Windwalker,¡¯ a title he carried proudly. Although his strength had increased several times since then, the title showed he was the greatest among his peers, before all the complicated stuff was added. Quickly considering where to put the enchantment, the lucky sword seemed like the best option. It was often used with his air blasts and could use the extra attack power. The shield was definitely not well-suited, but putting it in his armor might make him more agile. ¡®Hmm, now that I think about it¡­ Does the enchantment change to suit the equipment? The lucky enchantment wouldn¡¯t have worked if I put it in my armor, and the weight reduction probably wouldn¡¯t include my body if it was placed on the shield¡­¡¯ It made sense if he based it on his enchantments so far, even if many of them could also function decently in other equipment. He decided on the sword in the end, thinking it would improve his chances of getting more enchantments in the future. It entered with a light burst and settled, streaming the information to John¡¯s mind. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s good! It coats the blade with air and makes it cut better! That doesn¡¯t help the air blast, but as I thought, it will make getting killing blows easier.¡¯ ¡°Uhm, John?¡± Rain asked from his back. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Goal is moving,¡± she said, pointing her finger to the side and showing him the change. Her hand moved slowly to the side, meaning their goal had to be close. And that it was capable of moving. ¡°Wha¡­ So it¡¯s not a portal, then! That must be a person! Or a small object! Dennis!¡± ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m ready to go!¡± Dennis replied, saluting him. He still looked a bit sweaty, and seeing him without armor was strange, but John trusted he knew his condition. ¡°Good! Because we¡¯re going!¡± John said, getting back up on Larang and starting his ascent. He felt nerves and excitement blending in his stomach, almost afraid to learn what they had been traveling towards for the better part of a month. ¡°Rain, willing to give any more info?¡± ¡°Not indeed!¡± she replied, clearly stating she had no intention of spoiling the surprise. Or at least as clear as her mastery of the language allowed. ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Rain!¡± John said, giving a quick lesson in sarcasm. He felt slightly worried that it wasn¡¯t the portal to Earth they were traveling to, which only left Serah as his personal goal. But how would Rain lead him to her? Was there another fateful encounter on the planet he needed to go through? Was the goal for his sake at all? ¡®Well, at least the answers are about to reveal themselves! Considering how fast Rain''s hand moved, it couldn¡¯t be more than a few kilometers away¡­ Will you finally be ready to reveal some of your secrets, Rain?¡¯ Chapter 60 - The Goal The group hurriedly traveled toward their destination, fearing that the point Rain pointed to would leave them behind. It was impossible to say which of them were traveling faster, but John feared it was whatever they were chasing. ¡®Mmh, as long as it¡¯s staying in the area, it should be fine, right? God, my nerves are tense!¡¯ He could feel his heart pounding faster than usual, but it was no wonder. They had been chasing this hope for weeks, praying Rain was leading them to something meaningful. Her finger pointed slightly to John¡¯s left, so he changed directions slightly while ensuring Dennis followed. Not long after, they finally heard a sound in front of them, rhythmically traveling from tree to tree like Dennis. John felt he could hear a voice, but the sound was so tender and soft that he could have been mistaken. ¡®Do I shout out? Surely they are human, right?¡¯ The sounds of traveling stopped. A spear of fire shot out of the trees ahead, aiming directly for John. ¡®What the¨C¡¯ Forced to act fast, he summoned his shield, pointing it at an angle so it would deflect the spell instead of blocking it directly. The spear hit the shield and sent sparks flying in all directions, but it was forced to change directions, flying past John and Rain and hitting a tree behind them. ¡®That spell had power! And technique! And speed!¡¯ A spark of hope ignited in his heart. He knew someone capable of sending some incredible spells. They were far stronger than she had been capable of, but she would have grown since they separated. Perhaps even into an aspecter. ¡°Hold your fire! We¡¯re human!¡± John yelled, hoping they wouldn¡¯t have to dodge anything. Rain wouldn¡¯t like that sudden burst of speed. A faint voice responded to his call, ¡°What? Humans? Wait¡­¡± John was stunned, staring ahead of him in disbelief. It was a voice he would recognize anywhere. ¡®Is it really¡­?¡¯ The sounds of two people jumping between trees approached them, eventually revealing a man and a woman, both in heavy armor. The man had thick steel armor, while the woman had the same armor that she wore when John last saw her. ¡°John?! Is that really you?!¡± She removed her helmet, letting her long blonde hair fall. The sapphire blue eyes stared at John joyfully, but then they dimmed slightly when looking behind him. ¡°... Serah?¡± He could hardly believe it. The person he wanted to see the most was the person Rain had led him to. It was perfect. Larang descended, moving toward Serah slowly. She looked at John with so many emotions, unable to settle on one. He understood her well. There were many questions that needed to be addressed. But right now, he only wanted to embrace her. Landing on the branch in front of her, he spread his arms. Serah¡¯s expression landed on a tearful smile, and she embraced him, realigning the world. There was no warmth or soft sensation, and Serah would be face to face with Rain during the hug. But it was still the most fantastic embrace John had ever felt. Details be damned. ¡°You knew¡­¡± John whispered, recalling their last words. ¡°You promised we would meet again.¡± Serah nodded, responding with a moved voice. ¡°I knew you would find me, John. What could ever stop you?¡± John didn¡¯t respond, accepting her words for now. He could save his questioning for later. ¡°John?¡± ¡°...I didn¡¯t know,¡± he started, feeling a tear coming. ¡°I had no way of knowing if you were alright, Serah. I was terrified!¡± She drew a sharp breath, unable to hide her reaction. ¡°... Let¡¯s¡­ talk somewhere else, John. There¡¯s too much right now.¡± She ended the embrace but seemed reluctant to let him go, holding his hands in hers. ¡°I¡­ really missed you.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. John felt the truth in her words and took them to heart. ¡°... Uhm, where do you want to go?¡± ¡°We have a base nearby, so just follow us there.¡± She turned away, but her eyes remained on him as long as they could. Then she blinked rapidly and nodded to the armored man. They both started jumping again, expecting John to follow. John took a deep breath to gather himself, still unable to believe what just happened. He had tried to stop himself from hoping to meet Serah here, afraid of getting his hopes crushed. But his relentless dreams showed him little else than this exact scene. ¡®And here we are¡­ Ahh, I didn¡¯t think it would affect me this much. Thank god!¡¯ As he stepped back, Larang waited for him, and they ascended. With intense relief, he followed Serah and the probably ugly man. Dennis had remained silent during the whole exchange, understanding what was happening. He simply followed silently. Rain had remained unusually silent during the meeting, causing John to wonder what she was doing. ¡°Rain, you awake?¡± ¡°... Serah¡­ Is Serah important to John?¡± she asked quietly. Her words felt hollow in a way that John couldn¡¯t quite explain. ¡°Yes. More than anything,¡± he replied honestly. But realizing his mistake, he added, ¡°...Uhm, but so are you, Rain.¡± It was a cop-out answer. However, it wasn¡¯t entirely untrue. He would risk his life for both of them any day of the week. His feelings for them were very different, but that didn¡¯t matter. Rain remained silent. ¡°... I can¡¯t thank you enough, Rain. I never would have found her without you.¡± Rain still remained silent. ¡®... What¡¯s up with her? It¡¯s not¡­ jealousy, is it?¡¯ He decided to leave it for now and continued to follow Serah and the weak man through the jungle. Dennis was right behind, having no issues with keeping up. It didn¡¯t take them long to reach their destination¡ªan old tree, wider than any they had seen so far, standing right by a small river. There were obvious signs of life around it, like a small fireplace, fishing rods by the river, and downtrodden dirt. Serah landed lightly on the ground and turned to John with a smile. Then she turned to the armored man. ¡°You go check up on the others, alright? I¡¯ll talk to these guys.¡± The man nodded and removed his helmet, revealing an average-looking face, likely helped by his short beard. There was little notable about him, if anything at all. He walked toward the other side of the tree and disappeared from sight. Dennis landed next to John with a labored breath. He waved at Serah in greeting. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Dennis! John, is this the girl?¡± he asked, looking at John in wonder. After hearing that, Serah sent John a questioning stare, but she didn¡¯t ask. But then she looked alarmed. ¡°John, you should put Rain down. Now.¡± Dennis also seemed to notice something, muttering a quiet ¡°Oh, shit¡± under his breath. Confused, John turned to look at Rain sitting on his back. Her face was completely pale, filled with beads of sweat, and she was staring a hole in his back, utterly unresponsive to her surroundings. ¡°Rain? Rain, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± He removed the harness from his shoulders, feeling her slip off him and fall on her knees. Something was clearly wrong with her; it couldn¡¯t just be jealousy. He leaned down and grabbed her shoulders, trying to make eye contact. But she was lost. ¡°Rain! What¡¯s going on with you?!¡± he asked, gently shaking her. Rain seemed to start responding, but not in a good way. Her breath turned rapid and shallow as she studied her surroundings confusedly. Then she looked at John. ¡°... John¡­ No.¡± He felt lost, unsure of what to do. It seemed like a panic attack, but nothing he could think of would trigger that, so he wondered if some disease had grabbed hold of her. If so, they would need to find their portal immediately. Serah sat down next to them and put a hand on Rain¡¯s back, making their eyes meet. ¡°I think Rain and I should have a girl-to-girl talk. Right?¡± Rain looked at her with wide eyes, and then she nodded weakly. Her breathing calmed ever so slightly. ¡°Good! John, you guys can go inside for now and meet the others. I¡¯ll bring Rain back soon. And spying will be punished severely, okay?¡± John could only obey, feeling way out of his depth. If talking could help Rain, then it would have to be a shock that caused her condition. He just couldn¡¯t understand what. Again, Serah seemed to know things she shouldn¡¯t be able to. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ take good care of her. She¡¯s very vulnerable.¡± He got up, looking down at the both of them with worry, before turning to head inside the tree. Dennis followed him after some hesitation, also looking worried. Once they were out of hearing range, he asked, ¡°Hey, John. What the hell is going on?¡± John looked at him and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought it might be jealousy or something, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, does it? She was completely out of it.¡± ¡°... No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. Rain never looked at you like that, I think. But then what?¡± ¡°We know she has secrets. We know she led us here¡­ but¡­¡± John strained his mind, trying to put pieces together. But nothing came to him. ¡®Did she expect to find something else here? Or did she react to Serah somehow? Is that¡­ is Serah the tyrant that caused this planet to change?... No, that¡¯s impossible. I know she¡¯s human, more certainly than anyone else. And becoming a weaver doesn¡¯t have the same effect, does it?¡¯ Standing outside a hole in the tree covered by a curtain, he took a deep breath. He felt like he would have some time to think things through soon. For now, he was curious about this other group that had survived this planet. Chapter 61 - Treehouse After pushing the curtain aside, John and Dennis entered the hole in the tree. A winding staircase awaited them, only wide enough for one. ¡®... They¡¯ve probably done this for extra security. Very few beasts would be able to get through here. But a demon would destroy the tree if it knew people were inside.¡¯ He had decided to put the questions away for now, waiting for the two girls to return instead. The sight of a pale Rain still gnawed at him, though. They walked up the stairs, eventually opening up to reveal a wide-open room in the middle of the tree. It was lit by strange spheres of light hanging in the ceiling, and looked to be the gathering hub for the group living here. Judging by the detailed and homely feel of the room, they had been living here for a while already. Three people were sitting inside it, looking back at the two of them: the man from before, another man with a missing arm, and a woman with long black hair. John and Dennis bowed in greeting, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m John, and this is Dennis. We¡¯re both aspecters, and we have traveled far to get here.¡± Their reactions were a mix of surprise, joy, and a hint of waryness. But it made sense to be wary of people just arriving, despite their goals likely being in alignment. The man in armor stood up and bowed back. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am Carver, and this is Ralf and Isabella. We have made this place our base of operations and have decided to wait for someone to rescue us.¡± John nodded, but he put on a slight frown. ¡°It¡¯s understandable, given the situation. But we have reason to believe they won¡¯t send anyone after us. Our group has been traveling for thousands of kilometers in hopes of finding¡­ Well, partly for finding the portal.¡± Carver frowned and looked at the other two before responding. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to travel very fast, and these two are quite vulnerable as they are both breakers. What grounds do you have to say they won¡¯t send anyone?¡± John looked at Dennis, who replied in his stead. ¡°I was once part of a different rescue mission for a similar situation, and we lost far more than we gained. Four aspecters on the rescue team died.¡± His words came as a blow to the two breakers, making them look panicked. Isabelle shook her head, biting her lip. ¡°But¡­ we just arrived! How can¨Chow many have died already?!¡± Dennis sighed, probably thinking of the same thing John was: the meeting with the sage. ¡°Too many. But without finding the portal back home, there will only be more. And let me tell you¨C¡± He pointed at John excitedly. ¡°¨Cthis guy can make it happen! He¡¯s beaten a horror single-handedly, and he was still a breaker when he came here!¡± A wave of disbelief traveled through the room. John felt embarrassed, but he couldn¡¯t deny his words. It was all true. But then something occurred to him. ¡°Hey, since you said these two are breakers, does that mean Serah is an aspecter already?¡± Carver smiled. ¡°She sure is. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as talented before. Not only does she control her essence like no other, but she¡¯s a genius of strategy as well!¡± Dennis seemed slightly offended on John¡¯s behalf, but John simply nodded. ¡°Heh, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s that obvious to others as well. She has me beat in both of those areas. But when it comes to fighting instinct¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m the best!¡¯ Carver looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°... So you¡¯re the one she¡¯s been waiting for, then? I can¡¯t believe she ended up being right. Childhood friend, right?¡± John stared at Carver for a second. ¡°... I¡¯d say we¡¯re a bit closer than that.¡± The trio looked at each other and chuckled. Carver turned back to John with a smirk. ¡°She said the same thing about you. You don¡¯t have to worry; no one else is in her heart. But you will have to be patient, I think. Just a tip, man to man.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks¡­¡± John could feel himself blushing slightly, looking around the room for something else to discuss. ¡°Right, shouldn¡¯t you guys know each other?¡± he asked, pointing at Dennis. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize any of them, so they must all be from your group. Right?¡± He turned to the trio and asked. Carver nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m one of the aspecters that joined the expedition. I didn¡¯t wear the armor back then, so that might be why you don¡¯t remember me, John. We all came from there by some strange twist of fate.¡± John searched his mind, unable to recall seeing Carver before. However, he had arrived later than the others due to his meeting with the Lady of Fate. He recalled Invoker Hans, but that was primarily due to his speech. It made him feel some respect for Carver, understanding that he had taken care of three breakers on his own before Serah broke through. It would have been no easy task. ¡°You¡¯ve done well to stay safe here for as long as you have. The monkeys never bothered you, then?¡± ¡°Monkeys?¡± Carver asked, searching his mind. ¡°Oh, you mean the Kokos? No, they¡¯ve been quite reasonable, honestly. We stay out of their business, and they stay out of ours. Why, have you had problems with them?¡± John and Dennis exchanged nervous glances. ¡°Uhm, we had a bit of a fight. And¡­ I probably killed one of their leaders¡­¡± ¡°What?! You were serious about killing a horror?¡± Carver exclaimed, looking at John like a madman. ¡°Is that why they were so aggressive? Well, no wonder!¡± John shrunk, fearing that he might have caused the group problems. ¡°It was just a series of unfortunate events. We couldn¡¯t have known what would happen. But I apologize if it has caused you any trouble.¡± Carver sighed, but he brushed the apology away. ¡°Never mind, they haven¡¯t attacked us or anything like that. Haaah, that¡¯s¡­ We believe they are the original inhabitants of this planet. And that¡¯s probably why they didn¡¯t get spread around like we did during the inversion.¡± That made sense to John as well. He had never seen any beasts in groups as large as the monkeys were, which seemed to imply they were together through the planet reshaping itself. ¡°Yeah. Their city seemed to be made by them as well, so I¡¯m not surprised,¡± John replied, thinking back to the sight of an alien but primitive civilization living their daily lives. It had come as quite a shock to both of them. ¡®... I hope Rain is okay. But Serah seemed to know what to do. I¡¯ll count on her.¡¯ ¡°A city? They have an entire city?¡± Carver asked, surprised by the revelation. ¡°Well, since we never went closer to them¡­ And that¡¯s how you ended up fighting, I reckon?¡± Dennis scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s a long story. But it¡¯s not that simple, no¡­ Do you guys have any idea where the portal is?¡± he asked, changing the subject for now. ¡°None. I had hoped you might know since you come from the outpost. We don¡¯t even know what continent it is on¡­ How would we ever reach an entirely different continent?¡± Carver asked heavily, making it clear he had little hope in such a trip. John shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes¡­ But we might have a way to figure out where the portal is. There¡¯s a reason we were able to find you guys.¡± His words lit the room, igniting a spark of hope in the three of them. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a coincidence, then? How?¡± ¡°That girl with the antlers, Rain. She pointed us here, starting all the way back near the bottom of the continent. Or top, depending on how you look at it. If you¡¯ve seen the holes in the planet, that¡¯s where she and I met.¡± ¡°Pointed you? Is it some sort of aspect?¡± Carver asked, confused. John and Dennis shared a look of helplessness. ¡°Uhh, we don¡¯t know. She seems like an average human without essence if you don¡¯t consider the antlers or the pointing thing. But I¡¯ll take care of her if we have to travel anywhere, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s not really what worries me, John. She sounds suspicious, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Carver asked carefully, measuring John¡¯s reaction. John scoffed slightly, failing to see the problem. ¡°If you knew her, you wouldn¡¯t say that. She¡¯s as human as everyone I¨C¡± ¡°John,¡± Dennis interrupted, looking at him hesitantly. ¡°You can¡¯t deny that there¡¯s too much we don¡¯t know about her, can you? I agree that she¡¯s kind and nice to have around, of course! But¡­¡± The tension in the room heated up as everyone turned silent, waiting for John¡¯s response. ¡®... Even Dennis, huh? I know there are reasons to suspect her, but¡­¡¯ ¡°Okay, you may be right. But what would she have to gain by deceiving us? What would be her goal? And how well could she possibly act when she barely knows the language?¡± Dennis bit his lips, carefully molding his response before replying. ¡°That¡¯s what we want to ask her, John. Has she said anything about what she wants to do? Would she react so strongly to getting here unless something extremely important to her was affected? I think¡­ I think we need to question her when they return.¡± John swallowed, feeling his heartbeat turn heavy. His entire heart told him Rain was a good person, but a tiny part of his mind knew Dennis was right to be suspicious of her intentions. But how could that small part win over the heart? ¡°You can ask your questions. But don¡¯t expect me to stay on your side,¡± John replied tersely, turning to leave the room. Dennis spoke after him, trying to reason. ¡°John, don¡¯t make this an us versus you thing. We all want to return to Earth safely!¡± John kept walking down the stairs, choosing not to respond. He needed to clear his head, and the tree was filled with stale air and unpleasant people. ¡®Questions, he says¡­ I hope you¡¯re ready to answer, Rain.¡¯ But on his way down, the curtain to the outside opened, and the two girls entered. Chapter 62 - Remains of the Bonfire As he met the two girls in the entryway of the treehouse, John couldn¡¯t help but notice the stark difference between them. Rain was still pale, and she looked down at the floor once her eyes met his. It was clear she hadn¡¯t fully recovered from whatever bothered her. Serah, on the other hand, looked great. Standing there in her white armor, she smiled brightly at John. But he could sense a sliver of sadness, deeply hidden, behind her eyes. ¡°John! She¡¯s doing better now, but she¡¯ll probably have to rest for a while alone. Did you meet the others?¡± John nodded, but he couldn¡¯t help but make a grimace. ¡°Yeah, we did. Uh, can I ask¡­?¡± He pointed at Rain, hoping he could help somehow. Serah shook her head firmly. ¡°Nope, girl business! But don¡¯t worry too much. She¡¯ll be better in a few days or so.¡± ¡®Girl business? Is it¡­ that monthly thing? Can it be that bad?¡¯ John furrowed his brows, but he didn¡¯t dare to pry. At least he knew Serah had it under control. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Uh, the others wanted to question her about some stuff.¡± Rain looked at him in alarm. She wasn¡¯t ready to meet tough questions, and John was about to turn around and refuse the others. ¡°What?! Who do they think they are?¡± Serah nearly yelled, walking up the stairs with authority. She seemed outraged by the notion that someone wanted to question Rain, and John couldn¡¯t quite understand why. The two met in the narrow stairway, forcing them to face each other so Serah could squeeze past. As she brushed past him, John wished the white armor wasn¡¯t as solid and pointy as it was. But the look they shared as she passed was enough to compensate for it. He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to clear his head of everything. But then Serah turned and looked at him strangely. The realization struck him. ¡°... Oh, no! That wasn¡¯t¨CI mean, you smell nice, but I didn¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Serah smiled, gesturing for him to calm down. Then she turned and continued up the stairs with an extra pep in her steps. He released the breath he had been holding before turning back to Rain. With a tender voice, he asked her, ¡°... You feeling okay, Rain?¡± She nodded, still not meeting his eyes. ¡°Rain is fine. Just need rest.¡± ¡°Yeah, I understand. Want me to carry you up to one of the beds?¡± Rain almost seemed to get worse with each word he spoke to her. ¡°No, Rain will¡­ walk.¡± ¡°... Yeah, good call. It¡¯s probably too narrow, anyway. Take your time, Rain.¡± John turned to follow Serah, hearing some discussion in the main room. Serah¡¯s voice was clear and firm, while others sounded less certain. ¡°... on¡¯t care what secrets she¡¯s hiding! If you have a problem with her, take it up with me first! And then John, ''cause he¡¯ll be right behind me.¡± He entered to find everyone looking subdued under Serah¡¯s firm stance. It was hard to believe Serah was taking a firmer stance than him, but she was pushing where he had given ground. He didn¡¯t understand it, but he definitely loved it. ¡®She has toughened up since the last time I saw her¡­ Well, she was always firm, but not to this level. Have I changed since coming here?¡¯ The four inquisitors turned to look at John as he entered. It felt like they were accusing him of getting Serah to fight for him, but he had only told her what happened. Her stance was her own; it just happened to align with his. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Carver, the only one who seemed more frustrated than placated, replied, ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll give her time to rest. What we do after that will be decided later.¡± Serah nodded, turning to John with a smug smile. Then she looked behind him, spotting Rain slowly walking up the stairs. ¡°Come here, Rain. I¡¯ll get you a bed and some silence.¡± She reached her hand out to her with a warm smile. Rain looked at the others in the room one by one, except for John, before taking Serah¡¯s hand and following her up another set of stairs. She remained silent the entire way. John was pained from seeing her like that, missing the cheery smile she would wear so often. The doubt in his heart melted away, reaffirming his initial stance. ¡®... If her burden is lessened by staying silent, I won¡¯t let anyone force her to answer¡­ Well, Serah might have convinced me. But she¡¯s on my side, thank god.¡¯ The atmosphere in the room turned awkward as the two girls left. John wanted to leave, but he also wanted to speak to Serah once she returned. Preferably alone. He was nervous about leaving Rain in the tree with the others, but he chose to believe they would keep their word. At least he knew Dennis was a good person. He sighed and turned to leave again. ¡°Can you ask Serah to come out once she returns? I need some air.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Dennis responded, taking a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s hope Rain points us to the portal next, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, that would be nice¡­¡±
John sat on a log near the bonfire outside, staring into the black coal. While the others had questions for Rain, he had questions for Serah. They came second to the relief of seeing her again. However, the possible answers worried him way more than Rain¡¯s did. ¡®How did she know we would meet again? Why did it seem like she knew what would happen before the inversion? Why did Rain lead us to her? Why is her fate string golden? She might not know the last two, but there¡¯s no way to be sure without asking.¡¯ Footsteps were approaching him from behind, treading on the compact dirt. He turned to see Serah approaching, pushing a hand through her hair. ¡°Hey there.¡± ¡°Hello... Will Rain be alright with the others?¡± She sat beside him despite having three other logs to choose from. ¡°They¡¯re fine now. Carver is a lot nicer than he seems, but he likes to argue to have different viewpoints on everything. Seeing Rain looking the way she did should have convinced him already.¡± John nodded, looking back at the soot with a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. So, can we talk now?¡± She sighed, leaning back on her seat. ¡°I would love it if talk means just talking and not asking questions about stuff I can¡¯t answer. Because just talking is what I want to do the most right now.¡± ¡°So you admit there are secrets¡­ When can I ask?¡± ¡°Whenever you want. But I can¡¯t answer.¡± John¡¯s knee started jumping, showing his frustration. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. ¡°... When can you?¡± A sudden thud shook the log they sat on, causing John to jump. He saw Serah¡¯s fist stuck halfway through the wood and a clear look of frustration on her face. Her jaw was clenched, but it relaxed as she looked into the sky. ¡°... I need you to trust me, John. When I can speak, you¡¯ll be the first to know. I promise.¡± His frustration was overshadowed by empathy, seeing how Serah was feeling. He wasn¡¯t the only one frustrated. But he had to know one thing if she wanted him to trust her blindly. ¡°... Then what is it that¡¯s motivating you? What¡¯s your goal?¡± ¡°You know what my goal is,¡± she said as if it was obvious. John shook his head. ¡°No, I thought I did. But every secret makes me less sure if I even know you! I was gone for a long time, and you¡¯ve been hiding something since I returned. So how can I know?¡± Serah went silent. But then she put her hand over John¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the most important person to me.¡± John turned to her, thinking her voice sounded strange. ¡°...Why did you put your helmet on?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± ¡°... You can¡¯t even look me in the eyes while saying it?¡± ¡°Shut up! Just say it back, will you?!¡± John knew he was delaying. He understood why she had put the helmet on, because he wished he had one himself. But more than nervous, he felt overjoyed hearing her say that. ¡®... Am I really saying this now? Is it the right moment? We¡¯ve come far enough, haven¡¯t we? I don¡¯t want to regret¡­ moving too slowly. And we both know. We¡¯ve always known.¡¯ His eyes searched for hers throught the holes in the helmet, feeling his heart beating rapidly. ¡°Can you¡­ remove your helmet?¡± She stared at him for a moment, and then her entire armor disappeared, revealing the uniform she wore when they entered the portal. Her scent hit him like a wave, almost making him dizzy. With a red face and wide eyes, she stared at him expectantly. Her body language was timid and vulnerable, with lowered shoulders and arms close to her body. After a final breath, he spoke, ¡°I love you, Serah. Completely and utterly.¡± Chapter 63 - On the Other Side Serah stared at him and gasped slowly, seeming unable to process what he said. Then her armor appeared again, completely hiding her face. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± John exclaimed, tempted to call her a coward. He could feel himself smiling from relief, glad to finally have his feelings heard. ¡°John, you can¡¯t just¡­¡± She pointed at him firmly, but with a shaking hand. ¡°You! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°The symbolism! The line we¡¯ve never crossed before! You just¡­¡± ¡°Okay. I take it back,¡± he replied smugly, crossing his arms, knowing that wasn¡¯t how it worked. She didn¡¯t laugh, but he imagined her smiling under the helmet. ¡°Hah, no¡­ I guess it¡¯s time to see what¡¯s on the other side of it.¡± ¡°Nice! So it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Didn¡¯t you say it was the same thing?¡± ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t. And speaking of symbolism, you¡¯ve got to say it back.¡± His grin widened, finding great enjoyment in using her words against her. Serah let out a deep sigh, her breath audibly filtering through the helmet¡¯s mask. ¡°...I lo¨C¡± ¡°Without the armor.¡± She breathed deeply through her nose as if trying to find some patience. Then her armor disappeared again, showing her deeply reddened face. She had trouble looking into his eyes, but not for lack of trying. Then their eyes locked, and she straightened her back. ¡°I love you, John. Utterly and completely.¡± Almost before she ended her sentence, the armor was back on. But she didn¡¯t turn away this time. John couldn¡¯t describe the feelings in his chest, but they made him want to dance¡ªa first for him because he had never danced before. The heavy knot of worry he had carried for so long unraveled in his chest, and only his concern for Rain kept him from complete bliss. Giving up on making her leave the armor off, he tried a different approach. ¡°Does that visor open up at all? I only need the lower part of your face.¡± ¡°Why would¡­ No!¡± She leaned away from him and looked in a different direction. ¡°I am not ready for that! Not yet.¡± John laughed, feeling such relief and joy. He was fine with taking it slow. At least now, they had crossed that elusive line, finally speaking openly about their emotions. And it let him trust that whatever she was hiding was for their common goal, or at least for his sake. ¡°Take your time, Serah. I¡¯ll try to be ready when you are.¡± He recalled Carver¡¯s earlier words about being patient, but he already knew. For all her bravado, Serah had a tender heart. It might have been different if he hadn¡¯t caught her occasional glances at his tightly fitted armor, though. ¡®Maybe I should change it to be a bit thicker and looser in the future. It¡¯s not meant to show off, but it is essentially a skinsuit with metal parts¡­¡¯ Feeling like the moment had calmed, he asked, ¡°You want to head back to the others? We talked about some stuff while you weren¡¯t there.¡± Serah seemed hesitant, still only glancing at him. ¡°... I¡¯d rather stay here. Anything important I should know?¡± John smiled, not minding at all. ¡°Uhh, we spoke about us two knowing each other, where everyone came from, how to find the portal back home, and how I defeated a horror and pissed off the monkeys.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What?!¡± She stared at him in disbelief. Probably. The helmet was making it hard to judge. ¡°You defeated a horror? Alone?¡± ¡°Yeah, but could you remove the helmet now? I want to see your face.¡± She covered her face further with her hands, exasperated. ¡°Not if you talk like that! Casual talk, okay?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, understanding why she enjoyed teasing him so much in the past. It was exhilarating. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep it casual.¡± After taking another moment to calm herself, she removed the helmet with her hands and put it on the ground. ¡°Now can you tell me?¡± ¡°Sure! It was an incredible fight, but it was also over in less than a minute. We all found a city filled with the monkeys you guys call Kokos. And because we had been using one of them as transport, they chased us. I had to remain behind to let the others escape.¡± ¡°... You did that for them? No wonder¡­¡± She looked thoughtful, staring ahead. ¡°But you couldn¡¯t have been confident, right?¡± John shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Well, no. I had a vague plan, but most of my attacks did nearly nothing.¡± He paused, glancing at the ground. ¡°I had to gamble it on one attack if I was going to win. I flew up on Larang, as you saw earlier, and sent my aspect down to surround it.¡± ¡°Ah! You have to show me your aspect! I¡¯ve been so curious about it!¡± she exclaimed, turning to him with a burning curiosity in her eyes. ¡°Oh, sure!¡± John grinned, feeling a little prideful, and stretched his hands out in front of him. Ten black spheres appeared in a perfect circle around them, hovering in the air like silent sentinels. ¡°I call it Aspect of Onyx. For now.¡± She looked around at them with a strange, amused smile. ¡°You¡¯re telling me your aspect is¡­ black spheres?¡± ¡°... Yeah?¡± Serah''s entire body seemed to tremble before she suddenly bent over, clutching her stomach as laughter burst from her. ¡°Ahahah, I really appreciate the smo¨Choho¨Cothness and roundness!¡± Her voice was breathless, broken up by the intensity of her giggles. John stared at her, thoroughly confused. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± She could hardly catch her breath as she pointed at one of them. ¡°Look at them, perfectly round!¡± Then she continued to laugh while John remained clueless. Only when she summoned her magical focus, a small black sphere, into her hand did it dawn on him. ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± His voice dropped, recalling the moment when he had mockingly said, ¡®It¡¯s just a sphere¡¯ after seeing her focus for the first time. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°It¡¯s not that funny.¡± Serah wiped a tear from her eye as she straightened, still chuckling under her breath. ¡°Ahh, you crack me up, John¡­ So, how does it work?¡± The urge to say something less casual to get back at her burned in his chest, but he managed to keep it under control. ¡°... If I push or attack them, they can store that power and fly forward to release the attack later. These are weaker versions, but if I fill them with gaseous essence, they can¨C¡± ¡°Gaseous essence?¡± Serah asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ah, right¡­ Right! I met an alien!¡± Her entire face scrunched up a bit, like she was looking at an insane person. ¡°Right. This is gonna take a while, I assume. You want to see my aspect before you tell me about your adventures?¡± ¡°Heh, it is going to take a while, yes. And I would love to! It¡¯s not Larang, is it?¡± Since he had mocked her sphere and she had mocked Larang¡¯s name, it would be a perfect twist of fate if they both swapped like that. And to John¡¯s surprise, Serah started smiling nervously. ¡°Uhh, it¡¯s funny you should ask, actually¡­¡± She held her hand up, and a large sword, seemingly made out of pure light, started manifesting in the sky. John¡¯s jaw dropped as he recognized the unmistakable form of Larang¡¯s original shape. ¡°¡­ What? Really?¡± She chuckled. ¡°No, I can make it any shape I want. But I have been making this shape often because it¡¯s useful.¡± She waved her hand, and the sword shimmered before dissolving back into pure light. ¡°Ah, okay. Yeah! It¡¯s the perfect shape!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not calling it Larang, though,¡± she added, smiling. ¡°Of course not! Only Larang is worthy of the title!¡± he declared, summoning the greatsword in his raised hand. The guard-less version had grown on him after the fight with the horror. ¡°So what, you create shapes?¡± Serah nodded, glancing up at the sky where the sword had been. ¡°It¡¯s more like converting light into solid shapes. Once they¡¯re created, I can do whatever I want with them, like sending them hurtling through the air. But they break if there isn¡¯t enough light stored.¡± ¡°That sounds awesome! How many can you control?¡± ¡°About forty if I focus. But it¡¯s closer to a hundred if I don¡¯t have to control them individually.¡± John stared at her in shock and envy, feeling his jaw drop. ¡°You can control forty individual greatswords and send them flying through the air? That¡¯s¡­ the coolest thing I¡¯ve ever imagined! Can you show me?!¡± Serah laughed softly, shaking her head. ¡°Eh, it takes up a lot of essence, though. But the two of us could head out to hunt later once everyone has settled?¡± ¡°Yes! Please!¡± John responded with childlike enthusiasm. He could feel his heart pounding with excitement at the thought of seeing her full power in action. Chapter 64 - Heaven and Earth After returning to the treehouse, everyone talked about their experiences so far. It turned out that Serah had decided to set up base in the tree, and Carver and the others agreed to stay behind after meeting her. Rain was still resting in a room upstairs, and Serah didn¡¯t allow anyone to see her. Not even John. And while he wanted to protest, he knew Serah wouldn¡¯t deny him if it weren¡¯t necessary. John and Dennis told them about their journey, but they avoided discussing his golden enchantment and the secrets of the black necklace. They explained how they met, how their aspects worked, how they had traveled, and everything about Sage Full Blue, including the different types of essence. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Really? An alien researcher?¡± Carver asked, finding the words hard to believe. ¡°And there are different types of essence? How did no one figure that out?¡± They were all sitting in a circle near the center of the tree, where a hole had been carved into the ground, letting everyone lean back and discuss. Serah had decided to be pretty open about her closeness to John, sitting beside him, closer than anyone else. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± John replied honestly. He didn¡¯t think the method was so illusive that no one should have figured it out so far. ¡°The fact that you have to circulate it in your body while imagining it changing might be enough of a hurdle?¡± Dennis nodded. ¡°I certainly never thought of trying it before. And I¡¯ve been an EC for a while.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ surely someone must be researching it, right? I find it hard to believe that no scientist or engineer has thought about it before. And that worries me!¡± Carver replied, folding his arms. John could only say what he knew was right. ¡°Well, whatever the reason, we know it works! I would never have defeated a horror without the added power and versatility of the other forms.¡± Serah chimed in from his side, ¡°Then it makes sense that you managed to become an aspecter already¡­ I was so sure I would be ahead of you.¡± ¡°Right, how did you get there so early? I thought I was setting records,¡± John asked, unsure how to feel. He was happy that she had the talent and growth to rival his own, but at the same time, he wanted to be the protector. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s probably easier to hunt while staying at the same place. And I have my trusty focus!¡± She summoned it in her hand, watching as the lights she had created in the roof reflected on its shiny surface. ¡°... You wanna explain why that helps so much?¡± ¡°It lets me make the spells stronger and bigger. That way, I can stay far away while using them, giving unassuming beasts no time to respond.¡± Carver and Ralf both scoffed at her explanation, clearly not agreeing fully. ¡°You make it sound like you were just picking off beasts from far away. Remind me how you defeated all the twenty serpent monsters again.¡± Serah scowled at them both for some reason, like she was trying to hide her abilities. ¡°Well, I just sent a few spells at them. They happened to be weak to getting sliced in half, so it was easier than other fights.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, unlike every other beast, the snakes do have that one weakness¡­¡± Carver replied sarcastically. John chuckled, looking over at Serah, who had a scowl on her face. ¡°What spell are you using to slice them?¡± he asked, unable to think of any spells like that. Still scowling, she looked at him and sighed. ¡°... Since you can rotate those fire arrows you taught me, I thought, ¡®Why can¡¯t we rotate spells in other ways as well?¡¯ And so I came up with these discs.¡± She held her hand up and conjured a fiery disc with razor-sharp edges. It seemed to be floating without moving, but a light buzzing sound told John it was rotating incredibly fast. He had a feeling that it would cut through him like butter if he let it. ¡°... That¡¯s so cool! But don''t you need a ton of energy to keep it from dissipating to the sides?¡± ¡°Not too much, actually. It¡¯s very flat, so there isn¡¯t much mass to it. But I had to try and fail for a while before getting to this stage. Also, it¡¯s annoying since it keeps turning mid-flight, which means I can¡¯t use it over long distances.¡± She stopped the spell and returned all the essence to her core while smiling at him. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. John thought briefly, finding it strange that air friction would affect the spell. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it would turn like that, but... What if you flipped it on its side and reduced the spin a bit? Wouldn¡¯t it keep itself floating as it traveled?¡± ¡°Yeah, I tried that, but the speed was so low that it wasn¡¯t worth the decrease in power. Over long ranges, your spell is still the best. Or rather, the one you taught me.¡± John was about to respond, but then he noticed everyone smiling at the two of them. ¡°... What?¡± Carver and Isabelle exchanged glances with a hint of playfulness before she responded, ¡°It¡¯s just lovely to see Serah look so happy. And the two of you together. It¡¯s a good fit!¡± She put both her arms on her chest, smiling warmly. John didn¡¯t quite know how to respond, feeling embarrassed that it was so obvious. Searching for something else to discuss, he noticed Dennis wasn¡¯t smiling like the others. His was one of reminiscence, seeing something he recognized in the two of them. It was a smile of genuine happiness, but a shade of grief was clear in his eyes. Serah looked torn between annoyance and gratitude as she stared back at Isabelle, but her cheeks had a clear, rosy tint. ¡°... Since we didn¡¯t catch anything earlier, John and I will go out for another hunt soon. Can I trust you all to hold down the fort?¡± John suspected she was asking about more than just ¡®holding down the fort,¡¯ seeing the serious faces on the others. It was also a question of whether she could trust them to stay away from Rain. ¡®Does she not trust them as much as she said earlier? I guess it¡¯s better to make sure since we might be gone for a while¡­¡¯ He wanted to see Rain to make sure she was okay. But it wasn¡¯t just Serah holding him back; it was also how Rain had seemed worse after talking to him in the stairway, almost like he was the reason for her troubles. ¡°We will hold it down,¡± Carver responded firmly. This was a clever response since it could refer to both Serah¡¯s request and their desire to ask questions. Dennis suddenly poked John from the side and leaned over, speaking quietly. ¡°Didn¡¯t we kill a snake right nearby? Why hunt?¡± If he was honest, it was just to see Serah¡¯s abilities and maybe to spend more time together. But he had already considered his question. ¡°... Do you want a taste of the snake with blood that melts through armor? If you volunteer as a test-subject, I won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s a very good point,¡± Dennis replied, leaning back with a smile. Everyone had been paying attention to their quiet conversation, but once John had replied, no one saw a reason to speak. Serah smiled and got up, holding her armored hand out for John to take. ¡°You ready to go?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± He took the hand and hauled himself up, but Serah didn¡¯t let go of him. Instead, she started walking, dragging him along. John turned to look at the others, all chuckling at them, and considered whether he should pull his hand back. But he didn¡¯t mind too much. Instead, he was happy Serah was being so honest with her actions. They walked down the stairs and through the curtain before Serah finally let go, looking happy with her decisiveness. However, she seemed to have trouble meeting his gaze, looking around at nothing in particular. ¡°... Do you have any hunting grounds in mind?¡± John asked, still looking forward to seeing her in action. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± she replied. She seemed to be building up the courage to say something, so John waited in anticipation. ¡°Could we¡­ fly?¡± she finally asked. And then John understood her hesitation. ¡°Oh, like me and Rain? Sure!¡± He smiled while summoning Larang on the ground and standing on top of it. ¡°Oh, you will have to remove your armor, though. Larang can only lift three times its weight, so we won¡¯t get much speed like this.¡± That wasn¡¯t entirely true, but who would ever check? Since Larang had gotten heavier after its evolution, it would be no problem to carry them both and fly fast¡ªespecially if John used his weight reduction enchantment. Serah looked like she was about to cry after hearing his words. It seemed her courage in asking relied on her armor staying on during the flight. ¡°Uh, well, it¡¯s probably fine,¡± John admitted, suddenly feeling mean. They wouldn¡¯t be able to turn as sharply or fly as fast, but he would enjoy it either way. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who was nervous about it. ¡°... No, it¡¯s¡­ I can do it!¡± Her words seemed to be just as much for herself as they were for John. The armor disappeared, leaving her with only the soft uniform. She walked behind him, repeatedly pulling the front of her uniform out to cool herself down. ¡°...Do I just¡­?¡± ¡°We have done this a billion times already,¡± he responded, enjoying her nervous expression. ¡°That¡¯s eight years ago!¡± she protested, admittedly having a point. ¡°Just jump up, I¡¯ll catch you.¡± He held his arms out behind and leaned forward, making getting on as easy as possible. ¡°... Fine.¡± After taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up, putting their bodies together. John silently cursed his thin armor for being as tough as it was, dampening all the sensations coming through it. But then he reconsidered. The warmth streaming through and the scent hitting his nose was enough to take away his bravery. He swallowed, trying to act unfazed. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Serah whispered a soft ¡°Yeah¡± right next to his ear, making him freeze momentarily. His body was heating up, making the armor feel hot and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, he had nothing underneath. And he was far from that brave. ¡®The difference between this and having Rain on my back is like heaven and earth!¡¯ The thought of Rain sobered him up a bit, finally making him ready to take off. Then they lifted and flew into the jungle. Chapter 65 - Aspect of Light John and Serah flew through the jungle, weaving between the trees and searching for prey. At their level, nothing short of a horror would be a challenge, so they didn¡¯t feel threatened at all. At least not by beasts. Serah¡¯s grip grew tighter the higher they flew, and John could feel her eyes only looking down instead of at the surroundings. ¡°Hey, I enjoy breathing,¡± he rasped out, hoping he wouldn¡¯t need to put essence into his neck. ¡°Oh! Sorry!¡± She released her grip enough for him to breathe again. ¡°Ah, thanks. You¡¯re scared of heights?¡± ¡°... Not usually. I think it¡¯s just the lack of control freaking me out. I trust you, of course! But my instinct is telling me to jump off. Find firm ground.¡± ¡°Ah, no fun flying, then?¡± he asked, feeling a hint of disappointment. ¡°After carrying Rain all this time, I kind of wanted to show what I can do.¡± Serah hesitated, cowering slightly while they flew closely under a branch. ¡°I¡­ Maybe on the way back? Just let me get used to it first.¡± ¡°Sure! Do you have any way to stop yourself from falling?¡± he asked, thinking that would help her fears. She nodded into his neck. ¡°Wind or water spells can stop the momentum, but I¡¯m not entirely confident I could use them while falling. Terminal velocity wouldn¡¯t kill me unless I fell on a spike, though, so I guess it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, once you get used to using solid essence and putting it into your armor, you probably won¡¯t feel much. It happened to me, but even with this armor, I was relatively okay. Most of my limbs were broken, but that wasn¡¯t because of the fall.¡± ¡°What?! What happened? When?¡± ¡°Oh, it was during the fight with the horror. After I gave the final blow, it kept coming after me, and then it used its aspect and invocation to hit me perfectly. I would be dead without this necklace.¡± ¡°... You didn¡¯t mention that one during the talk earlier. Sounds like something best kept secret, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t like me keeping secrets?¡± he asked smugly, knowing she didn¡¯t have much of an argument. She sighed lightly into his ear. ¡°... You¡¯re right; it¡¯s not fun being left in the dark.¡± John felt like there should have been a follow-up, but she remained silent. And so did he. ¡®At least you know. But I guess that only makes your reason to stay quiet stronger¡­¡¯ He looked around at the surroundings, not seeing any sign of demons. ¡°Is there a particular spot we¡¯re heading to? And any particular beast?¡± ¡°Not really, we¡¯re just looking for food. But if I¡¯m going to demonstrate my power fully, it should be a demon.¡± John figured they had already hunted this area thoroughly, considering they hadn¡¯t seen a single beast. Not even a monster. ¡°Then would it be better if we went far away? I can travel really fast in a straight line.¡± She didn¡¯t consider his suggestion for long before replying. ¡°We need to be able to find our way back, you know. Let¡¯s just stay in the area.¡± It was hard to say whether she said that to avoid the rapid flight or not, but she definitely had a point. Without Rain, John had no idea how to get back, or if she would be able to point them to the tree. ¡°... How far would¨C Oh! Over there!¡± John exclaimed, pointing at a large snake demon tucked snugly against a tree. It looked exactly like the one they had killed earlier, except the scales were much larger and had a metallic sheen. Serah looked over and cheered once she saw it. ¡°Great! Okay, could you take me over the trees for a while? I¡¯m going to try fighting from your back.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Why over the trees? To get more light?¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s a significant weakness of my aspect; I need light to use it. I can create light with a spell, of course, but it wouldn¡¯t be anything like the sun. And I can¡¯t tell you how much I¡¯m looking forward to having a sun again so I can see how much it helps¡­¡± She sounded almost melancholic near the end, so it seemed to be something she really looked forward to. John smiled, understanding her well. ¡°I also can¡¯t wait to get back. I just hope we find the portal sooner than later.¡± He started lifting them over the treetops, giving Serah as much light as possible on this planet. ¡°Yep. Now look closely!¡± She let go of his neck and spread her arms out, and John could see dozens of golden copies of Larang start to take shape around them. He would have loved to see it at a distance, but being in the center had to be even better. ¡°... It¡¯s so cool!¡± John exclaimed, feeling the little kid inside him having the time of his life. He could not stop smiling, and the swords hadn¡¯t even started moving yet. Her arms moved together again, leading all the swords to line up in front of them, almost looking like the golden wings of an angel. ¡°Do you need me to get closer?¡± John asked, feeling like the distance was a bit large. He could barely see the snake throught the leaves. ¡°Shhh, just watch,¡± she said, and her hands fell forcefully. The swords listened obediently, flying off in a curved path toward the middle. It was a scene of destruction. Tree branches were cut into pieces, entire trees fell to the ground, and the snake barely had time to react before it fell with them. Although John saw some swords hitting it, it had no visible wounds, and sparks were flying. It seemed to have an aspect related to defense. But the swords didn¡¯t give up. Now, every sword was focused on the yellow giant, aiming for its head in particular. The snake tried biting after them as they whirred around it, but then two swords stuck themselves in its mouth. ¡®Ah, of course!¡¯ Five other swords went in front of the snake''s head and pointed in a cone toward it, while every remaining sword pressed against it to keep it in place. And then the cone flew into its mouth, continuing as long as they could. The snake stopped moving moments after, dead from its internal carnage. Only then did John notice his mouth hanging open. He had never seen such a demonstration of power before. And Serah had used nothing but her aspect for the whole fight, not even close to the battle itself. ¡°... That really was the coolest thing I¡¯ve ever seen! Holy shit!¡± John yelled while heading over to the corpse. Serah hummed with satisfaction while returning the swords and dissipating them into nothing. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it! So, do you think I could take on a horror?¡± ¡°Oh. No. Not with just that,¡± John replied matter-of-factly. He was impressed, but none of the attacks seemed capable of wounding a horror. It was much more suited to fighting multiple enemies at once. ¡°How about with that?¡± Serah asked, using her thumb to point behind them. John turned Larang around and saw the most gigantic sword he had ever seen. It was easily twenty meters tall and shimmered gently in the light. But it did not look solid; it was more like a translucent shadow of a sword. ¡°You¡¯re trying to impress me, huh? Well, you did! But I know that one isn¡¯t solid.¡± Serah chuckled sweetly, putting her arms tighter around his neck. ¡°I figured you would notice. But what happens when I have enough essence for that? I imagine solid essence will be perfect for my aspect.¡± He imagined the same thing, and started feeling slightly sour about his own aspect. The Aspect of Onyx fit him much better, and it was more versatile, but Serah¡¯s aspect seemed to be on another level entirely. He turned his head toward hers, getting dangerously close. ¡°If anyone¨C¡± ¡°Hyoh!¡± she yelped, leaning her head away from him. ¡°Warn me first, will you?¡± ¡°Heh, sorry,¡± he chuckled, turning back to the sword. ¡°What I was trying to say was, if anyone is going to have such an incredible ability, I¡¯m very glad it¡¯s you. And yeah, if that sword has the weight and momentum behind it that the smaller swords have, you should be able to defeat a horror. But don¡¯t ever underestimate them!¡± The sword dissipated into fragments of light as Serah leaned closer to him again. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice sounded unmistakably sad as she replied, making John wonder if he said anything wrong. ¡°... You wanna head down to the snake now?¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ can you turn around one more time?¡± she asked, pointing behind them again. John did as she asked, wondering if she had made something else out of light. And she had. A small heart of light was rotating right before his eyes, leaving him speechless. It was a beautiful gesture. Serah was a romantic, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold. ¡°Take it,¡± she whispered into his ear. ¡°It will last for as long as we¡¯re near each other. Keep it close to your heart.¡± John could feel her heart beating through his armor, and he knew she would stop him if he tried to look at her. But his own heart was beating just as hard, so he couldn¡¯t make fun of her. He reached out and grabbed the heart, feeling it drop into his hand. It was heavier than he expected and felt completely solid. And warm. ¡°... Then let¡¯s make sure we always stay near each other. Thank you, Serah.¡± Instead of replying, she simply squeezed him tighter. It was a gesture of a thousand words. Chapter 66 - Sunlight The trip back to the treehouse didn¡¯t end up being as exciting as John had hoped, mainly because the snake meat made it impossible to fly very fast. But he didn¡¯t mind. The hunting trip had given him everything he could have wanted, so asking for anything else would be greedy. Only one thing was bothering him, and that was Rain. He saw no way of figuring out what was bothering her, and none of his theories made much sense. Serah was wrapped around his back and leaning her head against his. She had gotten even braver. But she wasn¡¯t talking much. ¡°Hey, Serah?¡± John asked carefully. ¡°Mmh?¡± ¡°... Can you promise me Rain will be okay? It¡¯s really weighing on me.¡± Serah remained silent, but John let it linger, hoping it would convince her to talk. He disliked that she didn¡¯t reply right away. Eventually, she sighed in resignation. ¡°... I can promise you she will survive. Is that good enough?¡± ¡°Of course not! What I¡¯m worried about is her mental state, not her survivability.¡± ¡°... Okay. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but there¡¯s nothing you can do to help right now. Does that help?¡± ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t. How long does ¡®right now¡¯ last?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m not sure. I hope it¡¯s not too long. You¡¯ll have a chance to help her in the future, but it won¡¯t be easy.¡± John had resigned himself to not knowing certain things, but her words were driving him crazy. ¡®How could you know so much? Are you from the future? But then, why would it be so goddamn important to keep things secret?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re not making this easy on me,¡± he said in a low tone. ¡°Don¡¯t use promises against me, then. You know where my heart lies. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°... You know where mine is as well, but there are others I care about. I¡¯m not joking when I say Rain feels like a sister to me.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡± They were nearing the tree now and could see a lit bonfire in the distance. Judging by the light, they seemed to have made it more prominent than usual. ¡°Heh, they never doubted us, it seems.¡± But Serah was quiet. Then she lurched forward and dropped all the meat they were carryng, staring at the fire ahead. ¡°It¡¯s not a bonfire! John, hurry!¡± There was a desperation in her voice he had never heard before, and she didn¡¯t have to ask twice. Larang used all its speed to send them forward, narrowly dodging the winding trees. A rumbling sound surrounded them from below, reminding John of some horrible close calls in his past. It sounded like the ground was falling. ¡®What the fuck is going on?!¡¯ ¡°Please no, please no, please no,¡± he heard Serah mumbling, praying desperately for something not to pass. Soon, it became clear that the treehouse itself was on fire, sending plumes of flames toward the sky. And soon after that, they arrived. Unlike what John had expected, there was no destruction or signs of combat. But there were lifeless bodies lying on the ground. Dennis, Carver, Ralf, and Isabelle. Lifeless, but with no signs of injury. The only one standing was a girl with antlers, with her face buried in her hands. Serah let out a heartwrenching scream, throwing herself off John¡¯s back and landing on the ground with a stumble. ¡°No! Rain, already?! You promised!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Through the palms of her hands, Rain whimpered, ¡°Rain wasn¡¯t strong enough to wait! Rain tried! But every moment¡­¡± Serah stared at the tree on fire, then at John. Tears were falling from her eyes, and every emotion she had suppressed seemed to come to the surface. ¡°I w¨C I wish we had more time, John! I don¡¯t know anymore¡­ Please¡­ Please come find me!¡± John was in shock. Larang was no longer carrying him through the air, and he was kneeling on the ground. ¡°... What? You¡¯re right there.¡± The scene was simply incomprehensible to him. Rain couldn¡¯t have done this, right? She wouldn¡¯t, even if she could, which she couldn¡¯t. His senses were simply malfunctioning. Only when Serah started shaking him did he regain some of his faculties. He stared at her, waiting for her to explain everything. But Serah seemed almost as out of it as he was. So many emotions colored her face at once: fear, grief, concern, and love. Probably many more he simply couldn¡¯t see. ¡°John! You will be fine! You will get past this! So, please! Please find me again!¡± She embraced him tightly, and then he did the same. His grip slowly increased in strength. ¡°I¡¯ve already found you. You¡¯re right here. And you won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± But Serah shook her head, replying with a strained voice. ¡°... Nothing can stop her.¡± Hearing her say that, John looked at Rain. She was still covering her face, but her hair started acting strange, like it was gently swirling in water. Then, her antlers began glowing brighter and brighter until they were completely white. The rumbling of the ground intensified, and even the dim light of the fake sun started reacting, slowly fading away. John realized something he could have pieced together long ago if his emotions hadn¡¯t blinded him. ¡°... You¡¯re the tyrant¡­¡± His grip on Serah loosened, letting her plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. He looked at her, understanding that he could not keep her close if Rain wanted to take her away. She moved away from him, smiling through the tears. ¡°Goodbye, John. I¡¯ll wait forever if I have to.¡± As he watched her walk toward Rain, something clicked in John¡¯s mind. He might never see Serah again if he let her go now. ¡°Rain, what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?! This is why you brought us here?! This entire trip was¡­ You were just using me to find her?! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Rain didn¡¯t respond. She turned away from him, and then both girls started floating upward with the burning tree in the background. She hadn¡¯t even spared him a glance, like she didn¡¯t care at all. The sense of betrayal was overwhelming. ¡°RAAAAIN!! LOOK AT ME!!¡± John roared, feeling rage start to consume his rationality. But he saw no use for being rational right now. What he needed was the rage to carry out his plan. When she still didn¡¯t respond, that was all he needed. A hundred black spheres appeared out of thin air, blocking the space between them. Another three sets of five spheres flying in a pentagonal shape appeard on the sides, with a single sphere in the center of each. Larang was already in John¡¯s hand, mid-swing, about to hit a gaseous sphere he had created next to him. It rocketed off with the doubled essence and the full force John could muster, hitting another sphere in the wall perfectly center, transferring all the energy, and sending it straight toward Rain. But that one was just a distraction. Without looking at the result, John made the liquid spheres flying in a circle turn toward the middle and hit the center sphere perfectly in sync¡ªlike a black flower. The combined energy of all the spheres were transferred to the sphere in the middle, sending it forward with more power than the first one. And all three circles did this simultaneously, making it a triple attack. More than half of his essence was already spent. But this was still just a distraction. The force of the combined attacks created a shockwave, strong enough to destroy all the empty spheres John had made and revealing the scene again. Rain was still facing the other way while Serah was floating below her, wrapped in some sort of forcefield. She looked away from them like she didn¡¯t want to see what would happen. John, on the other hand, was swinging Larang overhead and into the black shield stuck in the dirt in front of him. Everything else had been a smokescreen, allowing him to make this attack. He didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡®I have seen you terrified exactly once, Rain. When I first found this black essence. The essence of death.¡¯ The instant the shield was hit, it teleported right above Rain¡¯s head, heading downward fast. But before it could touch her, it disintegrated, like it had never existed in the first place. Rain turned around sharply, making her hair hide parts of her face. But what could be seen was mortifying. Shock, betrayal, sadness, pain, and confusion, all turned up to ten. Bloodshot eyes that were wide open, a thousand tears that shimmered in the flames, and teeth stained with blood from her lips. It painted a picture of suffering so vividly that John nearly lost track of his goal¡ªbut just nearly. ¡°WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO LOOK SO SAD!?! FUCK Y¨C!!¡± With a single wave of a finger, John stopped completely. Despite all the essence floating through him, he could not move a single muscle. But he was screaming internally. Rain¡¯s gaze lingered on him before she turned away forcefully. Then she extended a hand to Serah, letting her float up next to her. Sunlight somehow fell on them both at that moment, causing them all to look up. The planet was collapsing around them. Entire countries'' worth of land was crumbling away from the inverted sphere and spilling out into space, allowing the light from the planet''s original sun to shine through. The planet wouldn¡¯t last much longer. Chapter 67 - Cut Rain and Serah didn¡¯t seem to care about the planet falling to pieces. Instead, they looked at each other. Serah gave Rain a nod, bowing her head forward. Rain''s hand started glowing in a golden color, then she moved it to Serah''s forehead, looking like she was plucking a hair from it. John''s mind raced. ¡®No! Don''t touch her!¡¯ His muscles strained against the invisible force holding him, but to no avail. He could feel his heart pounding, each beat a painful reminder of his helplessness. The hand slowly pulled it away, and what followed out of Serah''s forehead was a golden string¡ªa string John had seen once before. Still completely unable to move, John could only beg for his will to have some effect. Seeing the golden string of fate, the one the Lady of Fate had told him to protect over everyone else, filled him with panic. What are you doing?! Serah, why are you letting this happen?! Why won''t you tell me anything?!¡¯ His vision blurred with unshed tears of frustration and rage. The world seemed to narrow down to that golden thread while everything else faded into insignificance. The rage and the grief in his heart beckoned for power. And finally, John could no longer resist it. The vestige. The remains of billions of souls, their anger and grief, hiding untold power. All he had to do was reach out willingly. And now, left with no other choice, he did. The black tendrils connected to his mind, releasing a burst of rage and power unlike anything he had ever felt. There was no essence, nothing that should have affected his power, but the emotions themselves pushed him past his limits. His vision changed, focusing on the center of his view while dampening everything else. His skin turned dark, releasing steam from every pore. It was like he was no longer human, turned into an animal fueled by rage. But even with that, could he do anything against a tyrant? He was forced to keep watching as Rain pulled the golden string tight. In her other hand, a golden knife appeared, surrounded by a glowing white smoke. It was like a physical manifestation of essence. And with a simple swipe of her hand, the golden string was cut. It lost its color instantly, and then it smoldered into ash all the way to Serah¡¯s forehead. Another wave of rage crashed into John, threatening to consume his sanity¡ªor what little was left of it. Finally, he managed to move, commanding Larang to attack Rain with no plan. ¡°John¡­¡± Rain begged quietly. ¡°Please stop.¡± Without her lifting a finger, Larang burst apart and was broken in two, from tip to pommel. Each piece hurtled into the burning tree, embedding themselves so deep that John would have to dismiss it to get them out. John wasn¡¯t in the mood to stop. With desperate effort, he managed to point his arms between his legs. Two air blasts filled to the brim with power wrecked the earth below him, sending him flying at Rain at unprecedented speed. His body could finally move again, and he wasn¡¯t about to let go of this chance. Summoning his final weapon, the lucky sword, into his hands, he prepared for a mighty overhead stab. ¡°STOP!!¡± Rain screamed, raw and vulnerable. And John had no choice but to listen. He was stuck mid-air right before Rain, holding the sword he was trying to pierce her heart with. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Her sorrowful eyes were like knives stabbing into John¡¯s empathy. But every time that happened, he silently asked who was to blame for all this. And it sure as hell wasn¡¯t him. ¡®You¡¯re the one forcing my hand. You knew me well enough to know what I would do. What right do you have to blame me? What fucking right do you have to act sad?!¡¯ Serah kept her eyes closed, not wanting to watch the painful confrontation. She cared, but she didn¡¯t act. Why? Rain raised the golden knife high and slashed it forcefully. A line appeared in the air in the distance, like she had cut the very space itself. Her other hand stretched toward it, grabbing hold of something invisible, and then she turned it slowly. It looked like a momentous task even for her, causing her arm to tremble. The space around the cut started twisting, revealing an opening in the middle. Gradually, a white vista of trees and grand buildings came into view, connecting to a different world. ¡°... I¡¯m sending you ahead, Serah,¡± Rain said, waving Serah away. She drifted toward the new portal, opening her eyes to take a final look at John. With a wave, she conjured letters of light in the air and turned them to him. ¡®Forever¡¯ John didn¡¯t want to read that. He didn¡¯t want to see her goodbye. He didn¡¯t want her to leave. But Serah disappeared through the rift no matter what he wanted, and the letters faded into nothing, losing their connection. ¡°John,¡± Rain mumbled, looking completely drained. ¡°I will hand you my life as soon as my goal has been achieved. Until then¡­¡± She reached up to her right antler, touching one of the points. The light inside the antlers focused on that point, making it shine brighter and brighter. Then she grabbed it and clenched her teeth. Her arm started shaking, and then her face turned red from exertion. Then, with a light sound, the point broke off, sending her head backward as her arm came down. She held it out to John. ¡°... Until then, take this. It will guide you like I have done, pointing you to whatever is most important. As the last of my kind¡­¡± She looked back at the burning tree, briefly lost in memories. ¡°... I hand you my power of guidance.¡± John felt her sorrow in those words. He was now connected to the grief of the vestige as well, feeling new power coming to him. But nothing seemed to help. Rain approached him and pulled on the neck of his armor, putting the white horn inside it. ¡°Don¡¯t lose it¡­ I can''t let you speak now that I have my essence back. I can feel the emotions in your voice¡­ And hearing you say my name like that¡­ with so much hate¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± She turned away from him, unable to even face his frozen stare. ¡°I never intended to hurt you, John. I am only here to bring Serah back. And this planet is too weak to handle my authority, so I had to seal it away. Then you arrived, and I¡­ I figured I could use you to find her. But you were so sweet¡­ So protective, so caring, so kind¡­ It reminded me of memories I thought were lost. My powers guided you to Serah, but I thought it was because she would be the most important person to all humans due to her fate. But I never imagined you¡­¡± Her voice disappeared, choked by emotion. She had to take a break before continuing, ¡°I couldn¡¯t handle it¡­ Ripping away the person you¡¯ve been looking for all this time¡­ Then she asked me to give you a day together, to make it less painful, in exchange for her cooperation. And I had to try. I had to¡­¡± John remembered the piece of the planet that fell once Rain used some of her essence to save him. Looking back, it was obvious. He found her right after the first piece fell as well. Then he remembered what Rain had asked before going into shock. She had asked if Serah was important to him. And he replied, ¡®More than anything.¡¯ ¡®So you¡¯re feeling bad for doing this, is that what you¡¯re saying?! Stabbing me in the back feels unpleasant?! You should have told me your plans sooner, because then I would have left you to rot!¡¯ He wanted to shout at her until his voice broke, to curse her name and fight against whatever goal she had that was so damn important. Beyond even her own life, and those she supposedly cared about. But he was locked in place, helpless to even whisper. ¡°... I am not a mere tyrant, John. A tyrant wouldn¡¯t have broken this world. So stop fighting my restraints.¡± She looked over at the rift in space, seeing it start to move. ¡°I will forever remember the time we spent together, John. And if you ever find me again, as I¡¯m sure you will¡­ Let it be a quick death¡­ I will be waiting.¡± Grabbing the air below her, the four bodies started lifting into the air, floating next to John. ¡°I told Dennis to take care of you before knocking him unconscious, but I doubt he will listen to me. So take care of yourself, John.¡± Rain took a deep breath, turning to look at John one final time. It was the face of a broken girl, pushed past her limits by some unknown goal. Her arms were lowered with palms facing up, like she was about to fling them all into the sky. ¡°Goodbye, John. It was nice, being your sister.¡± Then her arms rose, and everything disappeared. Chapter 68 - Survival What little remained of the inverted planet was quickly disappearing, crumbling from within. John, flying through the air with the others, watched the sunlight streaming through the massive holes. If he were in a different state of mind, he would have found the sight strangely beautiful. ¡®How many lives are you ending right now, Rain? And for what? For fucking WHAT?!¡¯ He regained some mobility, but the force sending him flying was unbreakable. And even if he could move, he wasn¡¯t sure if Larang could carry him, split in two as it was. The greatshield was scattered across his core and would take a long time to repair itself. Looking at the direction they were facing, he had another realization. They were flying to the other side of the forest he had first landed in, next to the black bird¡¯s territory. Something was keeping the area intact, which John assumed was Rain¡¯s doing. ¡®... I was that close to the portal from the start? A final twist of the knife, Rain?!¡¯ Looking at the parts of the planet closest to him, he could see the path they had journeyed from above. The jungle, where he had rested and healed after beating a horror. The evermist forest, where they met the sage carrying the bodies of their fellow earthlings. The red desert, where they met Dennis and survived the bone horror. And where John had become an aspecter. The purple plains, where he had discovered the remains of an advanced civilization, the Aasvedans. Where Rain saved his life so he could keep being useful. And finally, the forest, where it all began. Where he met Rain. They continued past the forest, which stretched over a large area until they arrived at a large field filled with tall grass. It felt sort of familiar, but the same terrain could be seen in many places on the planet. Then he saw another much smaller forest, a portal guarded by machine guns and barricades, and the other side of the portal¡ªthe room where Invoker Hans had given his speech, igniting their spirits. And now, three of those one hundred and five people that set off returned alive. They landed softly on the metal floor, four of them still unconscious while John sat on his knees, staring at nothing. The vestige had let go of his mind, no longer offering any power. Likely because he no longer desired it. ¡°Quickly, get the medical personnel over here!¡± a female voice shouted. ¡°Is Hans still inside the portal?!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve sent a signal for him to return!¡± another person said, standing by a control panel. The female voice shouted again, sounding strangely familiar. ¡°John! John, can you hear me?¡± The familiarity penetrated his shock, making him turn to look at her. ¡°... Oh, Karin¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive. Sorry about your friend, though¡­¡± She knelt down next to him, putting an arm around his shoulder. ¡°My friend? Are you feeling okay, John? You seem to be in shock.¡± She used a flashlight to look at his eyes, studying them closely. ¡°Mmm, no signs of damage¡­ You¡¯re safe, John. You¡¯re back on Earth.¡± He nodded absentmindedly, staring at the ground again. ¡°You should check on the others. I¡¯m not sure what she did to them.¡± ¡°She did to them? Who is ¡®she¡¯?¡± A thousand images flashed through his mind as he was asked to explain who Rain was, making it very hard to respond. There was no simple answer. Karin kept staring at him, but seeing that no answer was coming, she got back up. ¡°Take your time, John. There¡¯s no rush. I¡¯ll go help the others now, but call out if you need me.¡± Then she was off, leaving John to his thoughts. ¡®... These memories are unpleasant. Extremely so.¡¯ Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He lost his mother to the demons, watching the security system be completely unable to protect them. Then his bother was killed, pierced by the giant claws of the beast. And then he died in the exact same way, cursing the portals that had invaded their planet. His two daughters were eaten by a pink horror, turned into nothing but bones. His only source of joy was that he was only seconds behind them, relieving him of the torturous grief in seconds. His people were dying in droves, and now his caste was one of the few places remaining. They broke through the walls like they were made of paper, killing his guards the moment they met. Finally, they found the room where he was hiding away with his family, praying for their final moments to be swift. And they were. ¡®... God damn vestige. It¡¯s not just lending me rage and grief; it¡¯s handing it over for free, making me drink from its source¡­ But I¡¯m almost glad. It puts my own suffering into perspective.¡¯ He sat there quietly while the others were brought away on stretchers. Dennis seemed to be conscious when he looked over, but just barely. It was a relief to see they were still alive. He had feared the worst once he arrived at the tree. Thinking back to the joyous hunting mission right before it all went up in smoke, he touched the spot on his chest where the heart of light was stored. It wasn¡¯t there anymore, of course. And Serah knew that would happen. But his hand did touch something. Something small and flat. ¡®... What?¡¯ He took it out, curious as to what it could be. A small, flat piece of wood appeared in his hand. And on it, small letters seared into the surface. ¡°This is all I could think of to give you. My future is fateless, but yours still has a purpose. Please make me a part of it. Until then, take care. When you see me again, tell me everything. When I see you again, I won¡¯t have to. Forever and ever, Serah.¡± A small heart was scribbled next to her name. John read it several times, looking for some logic to the words. Some parts were clear, but others were vague and indecipherable. ¡®... More cryptic shit, huh? Of course you¡¯ll be part of my future, if it¡¯s the last thing I do. But if you think you won¡¯t have to explain a ton of stuff when we meet¡­ Are you stupid? I have a billion questions for you!¡¯ He stared at it for a moment longer before putting it back next to his heart. Then he sighed at the momentous task in front of him. How would he even find her? And if she is guarded by Rain, how much stronger would he have to become? ¡®I guess it all comes down to¡­ lack of guidance¡­ Is that what you thought I would say, Rain? You think I¡¯m going to trust this shit you gave me? Guide me to what¡¯s most important? Why would you?¡¯ Convinced it was another of her tricks, he didn¡¯t even take the small antler point out to study it. It would be disposed of as soon as he had the chance to, thrown at some heap of trash, buried deep. ¡°Hans!¡± one of the guards in the room shouted while looking at the portal. John turned, curious to see the invoker who had survived. He had a good impression of the man after he seemed so torn by what would happen to them all, and it became even better now. Hans came through the portal carrying three people, all unconscious or dead. And behind him, the planet was collapsing completely. It was no longer recognizable, only showing a scattered belt of floating dirt. It was a wonder he had even managed to return. ¡°Ahh! We made it in time! Did anyone else return while I was gone?!¡± he asked worriedly. Then his eyes landed on John, and a smile broke out. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re part of the rookie group! You did an incredible job staying alive!¡± John nodded somberly. He was grateful for his words, but had a hard time thinking he had done an incredible job. The planet would still be whole if he hadn¡¯t brought Rain to Serah. Hans handed the unconscious people over to another team of medics, and it seemed they were all alive. John got the impression Hans had been venturing into the portal as many times as he could to find people to bring back. And if so, he was a true hero. The invoker walked over to John, getting down on one knee and grabbing his shoulder. ¡°You feeling okay? I know it must have been hard.¡± John chuckled lightly, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt worse, honestly. I don¡¯t¡­¡± A lump in his throat suddenly made it hard for him to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± He fought hard to stop the tears from falling, surprised by his sudden vulnerability. Maybe the respect he felt for the man in front of him made him sense a desire to ask for help. Or perhaps it was all just too much to take. Either way, Hans looked at him with deep concern. ¡°You survive, kid! You get back up, and you fight again! That¡¯s how you grow, and that¡¯s how we will win this war! The desire for survival, as long as it burns brighter than our suffering, we will keep fighting!¡± John clenched his jaw, feeling his lips tighten. He had a lot to fight for. And he would have to survive to find Serah again. It was such a vague goal, but he knew Hans was right. Nothing would matter without surviving. And humanity would get far stronger once his knowledge was shared. If they had been fighting on the backfoot all this time, now was the time for a frontal assault! John inhaled sharply through his nose and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Invoker Hans! I have a lot I need to do now, so please excuse me.¡± Hans smiled and let go of his shoulder. ¡°I think you¡¯ll make an excellent tree, kid. To support humanity into the future. Good luck!¡± John smiled, recalling the speech before they traveled through the portal. ¡°I will do what I can, sir.¡± Then he walked off, planning to visit his good friend. He had a lot of questions for that good friend, but nothing she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer. He had a feeling her ability to know the future was grossly underreported. Chapter 69 - Turning the Tide John walked unopposed out of the military facility surrounding the portal, heading for the extravagant white building near the city''s center. ¡®She should be willing to see me, right? After everything she¡¯s done to influence my fate¡­ She might even know the importance of my knowledge right now.¡¯ Seeing the city look exactly like it had when he left made everything seem unreal, like the portal was just a bad dream. The few people walking around in the streets like it was just another day, the cars that drove past, the pigeons resting on the statues¡­ Earth was unmoved. John could tell he wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to be meeting such an important figure, but that didn¡¯t halt his steps. He was determined, planning to use his knowledge as leverage to get answers. ¡®Maybe she can even point me in the direction of Serah¡­ The fact that she doesn¡¯t have a fate might make it problematic, though.¡¯ He needed something to give him a hint. The moment he got one, he would pursue it with all the determination that was building in his chest. Relentlessly, forever, until they were reunited. The entrance came into view, guarded by two men dressed in white. Whether they were ECs or just normal guards was hard to tell, but John assumed he would be able to get past either way. They wouldn¡¯t be invokers, he was almost certain. Taking a deep breath, John approached the two, ready to introduce himself. But before he could speak, one of them looked at him and asked, ¡°Are you here to see the Lady?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. Is she available?¡± John asked, sensing they knew of his arrival before it happened. It wouldn¡¯t surprise him too much, but he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Yes, sir. Just head on inside. If you know the way, you can walk straight to her. Otherwise, ask at the desk.¡± They both started opening a side of the large split door, revealing the empty lobby. Unable to help himself, John asked, ¡°... Did you¡­ know I was arriving?¡± ¡°Not you specifically, sir. But we were told to let anyone looking for the Lady inside today... It happens occasionally,¡± the guard added, seemingly used to John¡¯s reaction. ¡°I see. Well, see you later, then!¡± John said, walking through the door. The guards chuckled at his words before closing the door behind him, shutting out the sunlight. John wasted no time looking around and started walking toward the set of stairs that followed the round wall of the lobby. He saw only one person in the large room, a woman standing by the counter near the entrance. She had an incredibly warm smile as he walked past, but seemed to understand that he didn¡¯t need help. ¡®Professional service workers are something else, huh?... This is going better than I expected. I guess there are some perks to seeing part of the future.¡¯ When he arrived at the second floor and started walking to the end of the hallway, he saw a familiar face standing by one of the doors. The man who had led him here the first time, an invoker, was guarding a fancy-looking room. He looked at John with surprise. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you? Well, head on inside.¡± He shifted to the side, allowing John room to enter. ¡°... Does it get annoying after a while? How she tells you what to expect?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Absolutely. But she has the best of intentions. Now head inside, it¡¯s urgent!¡± John wasn¡¯t ready to be hurried inside, feeling like things had developed out of his control. A large part of him even wanted to turn around and leave. But she probably already knew he wouldn¡¯t. With a deep sigh, John opened the door and entered. The room was not what he expected. It looked more like an extravagant meeting room, filled with people¡ªseven, to be exact¡ªall looking very grave. John froze. He understood just by looking at them that these were likely the seven weavers of humanity. The Lady of Fate stood closest to him, gesturing like she was presenting him to the other people in the room. Then she looked at him, somehow managing to look surprised. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the one?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. All eyes were on John, but he managed to stay relatively calm due to her unexpected question. ¡°You didn¡¯t know who would arrive?¡± She shook her head before looking at the others in the room. ¡°John here should have something we can use, but I don¡¯t know how significant... John.¡± She turned back to him. ¡°Humanity is currently in dire need of help. Do you have anything, knowledge, artifact, or special power that might be useful?¡± Feeling very put on the spot, John could only nod. Everyone in the room seemed to release a breath at that. Somehow, John got the sense that everyone but the Lady of Fate was just a mirage of sorts, all looking slightly translucent. But it would make sense that they couldn¡¯t meet in one place. They all had territories to protect, far away from here. John prepared himself for his following words, knowing they would be unpopular. ¡°...But I need your help first, My Lady.¡± She stared at him and smiled a smile that reminded him a bit too much of Serah. ¡°My help? You¡¯ve got it! You''ll have my full attention as soon as this meeting ends!¡± ¡°The kid knows to take hold of the opportunities given to him! I like him!¡± a large, eastern European man said with a hearty guffaw. Most people in the room wore armor, but he only wore leather pants and shoes. Even the Lady was more covered with her light and somewhat revealing white dress. He seemed to be the only one who enjoyed John¡¯s demand, though. Everyone else was either scowling or uncaring. ¡®There are people from all sides of the Earth here¡­ Two of them look quite Eastern, three look European, and then one from Arabia, and¡­ Oh, maybe that other continent. Amiraca, was it?¡¯ ¡°... Okay, I¡¯ll trust you to keep that promise. I learned a lot during my most recent trip through a portal. And¡­ I met an alien.¡± The reactions ranged from light disbelief to headshakes, while only the Lady seemed to consider his words seriously. ¡°An alien, like, intelligent life? Someone capable of communicating?¡± ¡°Yeah. He called himself Sage Full Blue, and he said he was a researcher from a group called the Loreholders. And in exchange for telling him about Earth, he taught me something important about essence. Something that made me way stronger, capable of beating demons while I was still a breaker.¡± Another member of the group, a woman with tan skin, stepped forward with a grim face. ¡°Assuming all of this is true, you¡¯re saying you gave away info about Earth without any thoughts of the consequences?¡± But the Lady of Fate halted her with a gesture. ¡°Calm yourself, Yadira. If what he says is true, it could let us live long enough to learn the consequences of his mistakes. If not¡­¡± John stared at her in shock, confused about what could have happened for humanity to be on the brink of extinction. ¡°What¡­ what threat are we facing right now?¡± ¡°I will explain it to you later, John. But know that it is as serious as I say. Can you tell us what this Sage told you?¡± Understanding that time was of the essence, John nodded, considering how best to demonstrate the differing types of essence. It wasn¡¯t something visible, only traveling internally or inside his core. He held his palm up and used the familiar flame spell to make light. The flame flickered into existence, weaving playfully in the air, reaching about twelve centimeters in height. ¡°This is a spell created using the normal essence we all know, also called gaseous essence. It¡¯s easy to use, fast to activate, but weak and hard to store.¡± Then the flame blazed to life, reaching almost a meter in height and sending heat across the room. ¡°Now I¡¯m using liquid essence. It¡¯s about five times stronger than the gaseous type, and you can store about five times as much of it. So you effectively get twenty-five times as much energy in your core if you fill it completely.¡± This revelation made the weavers pay close attention, and whispers of amazement traveled through the room. The Lady of Fate seemed the most surprised, perhaps because she had the most faith that John was telling the truth. The flame shifted again, down to about twenty centimeters, but this time it was completely stable, like a large candlelight. ¡°And this is solid essence. It¡¯s quite slow to activate, but it can store twice what the liquid can and is a bit stronger than the gaseous version. It¡¯s very useful for defense and to stick to surfaces.¡± Now, even more of them looked convinced, with some staring at each other in amazement. John let the flame fade, dropping his hand. ¡°There¡¯s also the plasma essence, but I haven¡¯t touched that one yet. It¡¯s supposed to be very strong, but also very unstable. So be careful if you try it.¡± ¡°John, how does someone obtain these types of essence?¡± the Lady asked eagerly. She seemed relieved by the magnitude of his knowledge, giving them hope of overcoming whatever problem they were facing. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s surprisingly easy. You bring the essence to your chest and start circulating it, and then you just imagine it turning from one form to another. I¡¯ve found that the best method is imagining the gaseous essence as clouds that make a heavy rainfall work best, and then liquid metal that hardens into a solid for the last step.¡± The Lady stared at him in disbelief now. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve been trying so many methods to experiment with essence before! I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve attempted something similar!¡± One of the eastern-looking men in the room spoke up. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s similar to breaking through the limits; you have to believe it can be done for it to work.¡± ¡°... That certainly is a possibility. But it is extremely frustrating!¡± the Lady responded, turning to the man. ¡°You should tell your master about this as soon as possible, Lang. And everyone else, try this for yourselves. Then we¡¯ll have another meeting in an hour. Dismissed!¡± Everyone already looked deep in thought as the meeting ended, but they all bowed to the Lady before ending the meeting. All of them faded into thin air like they had never been there in the first place. ¡®... More technology,¡¯ John thought, ending his spell and turning to the Lady. ¡°Now you¡¯ll help me?¡± Chapter 70 - Great Gathering The Lady of Fate smiled at John as she waved a hand. The metal room they stood in was erased, giving way to the infinite white vista John had seen the last time he visited. Now, the only thing inside it was the two of them. He didn¡¯t even see a door like last time. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help you, John. After that, you¡¯re more than deserving. But I¡¯m curious about what happened inside the portal. Did you just get out?¡± John exhaled slowly, preparing to open the sheer bandage over his still-bleeding wound. He could feel his heartbeat quicken merely by thinking of looking back. ¡°We¡­ yeah, I just got out. The planet collapsed, and a group of us were sent flying through the portal by¡­ someone very powerful.¡± She looked at him worriedly for a moment before raising her hands and conjuring a couple of chairs from the water. They looked like solid water, much like the piano she had been playing on during his last visit. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down. I feel like you¡¯ve had a rough time of it,¡± she said caringly while sitting in one of the chairs. ¡°But what about Serah? Was she part of your group?¡± John felt his jaw clench at her question, trying to control himself. He had half a mind to yell at her, accusing her of manipulating everything that happened to him during the journey. But beyond the fantastical things that happened to him, he had no proof. He sat down in the other chair, sensing a cooling and soft sensation embrace him. It was surprisingly comfortable and even a bit sobering. ¡°Well¡­ Serah was taken away by that powerful being. I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± He cleared his throat, trying to mask the emotions in his voice. ¡°I was too weak to stop it.¡± ¡°Taken away? To where? And are you thinking of the tyrant when you say powerful being?¡± John shook his head and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping you¡¯d help me with, actually. I need to know where to look for her. But I don¡¯t have any idea where to even start¡­ And no, it wasn¡¯t a tyrant. She was way stronger.¡± The Lady stared at him with furrowed brows. ¡°... Well, if the planet collapsed, I can¡¯t dismiss your claims of her power.¡± She leaned back in her chair, pondering. ¡°So Serah¡¯s fate is to be taken away from Earth? That¡¯s unexpected.¡± ¡°No, actually¡­ When she was taken, the¡­ being¡­ it pulled the golden string from her and cut it, making it fade to ashes. I don¡¯t think her fate exists anymore.¡± ¡°Ahhh! That can be done?!¡± John shrugged, looking down at his hands. ¡°Apparently. But why it happened, or why she¡­ I don¡¯t know any motives.¡± Every time his thoughts returned to Rain, something stopped him from thinking too much about it, like his brain was protecting him from his emotions. It probably wasn¡¯t healthy, but he needed it to get through the rest of the day. ¡°But then¡­ there¡¯s no way for me to know where she went, John. Without a fate, she would be invisible to my powers. Even if we are¡­¡± She seemed to forget herself momentarily and quickly brushed over her words. ¡°Who is this being you keep referring to? It seems to be a sore subject.¡± ¡°Everything happened less than an hour ago, so I think I¡¯m still in shock. I can¡¯t think about it without¡­¡± He shook his head, letting his eyes drift to the side. ¡°We¡­ No, I can¡¯t do it.¡± She stared tenderly at him and nodded. ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll stop asking about that¡­ Did you learn anything else of significant importance?¡± she asked, changing the subject for his sake. John released a breath and felt himself relaxing before thinking through what else he had learned. ¡°Right, technology is a hindrance for essence. For some reason.¡± ¡°... What do you mean?¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Uhh, I learned about a different civilization while I was gone. They all died after the portals started appearing on their planet, and they discovered that their advanced technology hindered them from breaking through. They never had a single breaker.¡± The Lady seemed to ponder that information deeply, changing expressions and nodding quietly. ¡°Is that why we need the simulations? Because we have too much technology? I had thought about this earlier, wondering how the beasts break through when they don¡¯t have the simulations¡­¡± John realized that the Lady had thought a lot about essence in the past through experiments and deeper pondering. But it was little wonder. After all, it was all that kept humanity from extinction. ¡°My Lady, could you¨C¡± ¡°You can just call me Rania, John,¡± she told him, letting the rules of superiority and seniority fall to the side. She was being surprisingly cordial, he thought, putting their chairs on equal grounds and acting like they were almost equals. It had felt quite different during his first visit, but that might have been mostly in his head. ¡°... Rania, could you tell me how much you influenced my journey inside the portal? I feel confident that no one had a more eventful time in that portal than me, and I can¡¯t help but feel like you had a hand in that.¡± She smiled a knowing smile at him, leaning forward in her chair. ¡°Not at all! As I said before you left, your string was becoming more and more challenging to play. And on the day you entered the portal, none of the strings of your group were playable anymore. Later, I figured out that it happened at the same time that the planet obtained a ruler, so I assumed it had powers greater than my own. At least in that world.¡± John thought back, finding it hard to believe. He was sure something had tampered with his fate, even if it wasn¡¯t Rania. ¡®And, of course, there¡¯s exactly one potential candidate. But I thought her essence was sealed? Did she do something before we met, when the forest fell? Or was it part of her guiding power¡­?¡¯ Shaking the thoughts away, John chose to focus on current matters instead. If humanity was in trouble, he had to know what was causing it. ¡°Could you tell me what the emergency is now?¡± Now it was Rania¡¯s turn to take a deep breath. ¡°How much do you know about the current situation of our defenses?¡± John thought back to the briefings they had received before traveling to the portal, but there had been very few specifics. At least that he remembered. ¡°I think all weavers have portals they¡¯re responsible for guarding to prevent beasts from spilling through. Humanity has been shrunk to less than twenty percent of what it was at its peak, now all living in major fortified cities. The planet is overrun by beats, but I don¡¯t know how strong they are or what their numbers are.¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s pretty accurate. Us weavers have been spread around to major cities or population centers in the world, and we all have portals to guard. Mine is on the weaker side, but now I guess I no longer have one¡­¡± She made a slightly sour face, as if worrying that she might have to move. ¡°Well, yes, we all guard portals, but some prefer to enter them to eradicate the threats within. The problem, though, is that there are many portals we have never discovered. And currently, over twenty terrors are roaming the planet.¡± A rush of chills spread down John¡¯s back hearing that. He had never imagined they would be so outnumbered on their own planet. ¡°That many?! But how are we surviving?¡± ¡°They all kept to themselves most of the time. And when they didn¡¯t, two weavers would eventually show up to fight them back, hopefully killing them. Terrors are smart, so they know what happens if they attack us. But now¡­¡± She waved at the water, conjuring a sphere resembling Earth. It even had names for each country. Seven points of blue light, each representing a weaver, were placed around the globe. There was one in France, representing Rania; one in Russia, which John assumed was the lightly dressed man in the meeting; one in Arabia; one in India; one in China; one in North America; and one in South America. But then twenty points of red light appeared, spread around the globe. Most seemed to reside in the ocean, but three were in Africa, two in Asia, one in Australia, and two in South America. All the land surrounding them was dark, without any dim light points that John assumed represented cities. It painted a grim picture, but it seemed that the tyrants stayed away from civilization now, happy with the territory they had available. That wouldn¡¯t count as an emergency, though. ¡°These are the tyrants we know of and their usual territories. They seem very invested in holding territories, making sure to stay clear of each other. And I think I understand why¡­¡± She gestured to the space around them. ¡°As I told you last time we met, this is my personal domain. Instead of influencing Earth, I contain my power here. But I have a theory that having a territory would help my powers grow somehow. It might be part of the key to get to the next level¡­¡± She seemed deep in thought again, but quickly caught herself. ¡°Oh, right. The current situation¡­¡± She waved a hand, causing all the red lights to shift in a particular direction. Straight to China. ¡°All tyrants are heading toward a new portal that recently opened in China. We don¡¯t know why, but there is little doubt that it will have grave consequences. If they have learned to cooperate¡­ we won¡¯t be able to stop them, whatever they plan to do.¡± Chapter 71 - Future Steps A chill ran down John¡¯s back as he heard of the recent development. All tyrants heading for the same country at once could only cause a disaster. He swallowed nervously, turning back to Rania. ¡°B¨C but with the new forms of essence, we should be able to fight them, right?¡± Rania pursed her lips, seemingly doubting John¡¯s optimism. ¡°... If the liquid essence is as powerful as you say, which I believe it is, then it would allow each of us to beat a tyrant. But we are outnumbered more than three to one. If they plan to eradicate us so that they can share Earth between themselves, I think they¡¯ll fight together.¡± ¡°... So we should attack them before they organize?¡± ¡°No, they all travel by sea or by air, where they have a considerable advantage. Only one weaver might be able to fight them there, and she¡¯s not well-suited for combat. She prefers playing her strings of fate,¡± she said, smiling cleverly. John searched his mind for anything that could help, but nothing seemed to jump out. ¡°And there¡¯s also the danger of letting the other portals remain unguarded while you fight, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. If the tyrants in the portals come through while we¡¯re gone¡­ I can¡¯t imagine we¡¯d survive.¡± She waved her hand again, making small black holes appear on the globe. Some were small, some were large, but one in China dwarfed all others. ¡°These are the portals we know of. The small ones are like the Paris portal you went through, without tyrants. The larger ones are portals with at least one tyrant, and the big one is like the Paris portal leveled up. It has as many tyrants as that world had horrors.¡± John studied the placement closely. He saw no portals underwater, but that didn¡¯t mean there were none. ¡°How¡­ how are we able to guard that last one? That¡¯s the one they¡¯re all heading for, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where they¡¯re going. We can pray that they plan to leave, but I suspect that¡¯s not true. The strings are too¡­ arbitrary. But as for how we¡¯re guarding it,¡± she said, as if announcing something. ¡°We have Thrasher!¡± John furrowed his brows, not following. ¡°Thrasher?¡± ¡°He¡¯s strong. This might be true for all of us weavers, but we would have been eradicated by now without him.¡± ¡°... And he¡¯s guarding that portal by himself? Was he in the meeting earlier?¡± ¡°No, his follower, Lang, was there in his stead. Thrasher isn¡¯t just guarding the portal; he¡¯s in there right now.¡± ¡°What?! He¡¯s going on the offensive in a world like that?¡± John asked, thinking it sounded mad. He would have done the same, of course, but he had the other forms of essence to help him easily fight off beasts of the same tier. ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t stop him, so that¡¯s where he is. Once that portal appeared, he jumped right in. I think he wants to get to the next tier.¡± ¡°... It would be great if he got there. Do we have a name for it?¡± John asked, wondering if that¡¯s the tier Rain was at. The mere thought of her name made him grimace slightly, but he was fine. He was fine. ¡°Well, it will depend on what powers that will appear. But for now, I think Awakened is the generally agreed-upon name.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ Yeah, that makes sense,¡± he replied, staring at the globe, at nowhere in particular. ¡°John, are you feeling okay?¡± He looked at her, seeing her stare at him worriedly. ¡°... This is all very important stuff, but¡­ It feels so separated from me. I have no idea what I can do. I know my goal, but the road to get there is so¡­ so infinitely hard to find.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The chair John sat on suddenly started gliding toward Rania, allowing her to put her hand on his. ¡°The first thing you should do is rest, John. Go home, heal your mind, then come back stronger. Wherever your goal is, strength will help you get there, right?¡± The thought of his cozy village and being back in his mother''s arms filled him with warmth. But he was afraid. Serah wouldn¡¯t be there, and he would have to explain why. How he failed to protect her despite all his promises. Not to mention, he was the one who brought her out of that life. ¡°They¡¯ll hate me¡­¡± ¡°... Why would they?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Because I¡¯m the reason Serah is gone, I was responsible for protecting her, and¡­ Why do you care so much?!¡± He pulled his hand from under hers, feeling frustration rising to the surface. ¡°You¡¯re a weaver, and the world is in danger! Go do something important instead of caring about me!¡± John was entirely unprepared for the look of sadness that appeared on her face. It dazed him completely. ¡°... I¡¯m¡­¡± She collected herself, clearing her throat and blinking rapidly. ¡°...You¡¯re right, John. You don¡¯t know me, after all. I¡¯ll let you leave now, but if there¡¯s anything you need, just ask. You deserve a reward for your contribution, after all.¡± ¡®... ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡± Does that mean she knows me? From¡­ before the simulation?¡¯ He stared at her, not daring to ask. He knew there was a life he knew nothing about outside of the simulation. But if they had been close, how should he react? The person she might have known was basically dead now. ¡®What a cruel thing it is to erase someone¡¯s memories. Not for me, but for the people I no longer remember¡­ Is that why she invited me the first time?¡¯ The thoughts gnawed at his conscience, making him regret his words. He got out of his chair, watching her do the same. ¡°If¡­ you ever want to talk, I¡¯ll be available. I¡¯m sorry for reacting like that.¡± She smiled sadly back at him. ¡°I appreciate that, John. I¡¯ll be in touch¡­ I still think you should go home, though. If they care for you, they¡¯ll understand that you¡¯re the one suffering the most.¡± ¡°... Maybe you¡¯re right. Good luck with the end of the world.¡± He reached his arm out for a handshake, which made her smile uncontrollably for some reason. But then she calmed, taking his hand and shaking it gently. ¡°See you later,¡± John said. ¡°Of course!¡± she replied, like she was confident they would. John wasn¡¯t sure he should trust that, but if anyone would know the future, it would be her. And Serah. He turned and started walking, hoping she would open a door in front of him. Sure enough, the circular white door appeared and was pushed to the side, revealing the hallway he had been in before. He stepped through without looking back. All he wanted to do now was to find a bed and sleep. And then he would return home. He wasn¡¯t sure it would help, but he could feel himself crumbling inside. Something had to be done.
She stared at the circle long after the door closed, deep in thought. Then she turned to the side and let herself fall, landing in a soft and comfortable chair of water. ¡°Haaahh, he¡¯s still so damn cute! If he hadn¡¯t reminded me, I would have hugged and comforted him, tucked him to sleep, and sung him songs! I have no idea how you managed to restrain yourself, Elle.¡± A different voice sounded from a side of the room, ¡°I was biting a pillow the entire time! He was so distraught! But I swore I would never approach him first¡­¡± A silvery veil of water fell down, revealing the woman who had stood by the counter in the lobby. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. ¡°He¡¯s growing up to look a lot like his father¡­¡± Rania smiled sadly at Elle¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of you in there as well, I can tell¡­ But¡­ what do we do about Serah?¡± Elle looked angry as she replied. ¡°Oh, now you care? That¡¯s a first!¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think cutting fate like that was possible! I was sure she would be fine. But maybe it¡¯s not all that important.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your daughter!¡± Elle yelled angrily. Rania covered her face with her hands, still lying in the chair. ¡°Not this again. She¡¯s whatever resulted from my ¡®donation of genetic material,¡¯ not my daughter. I know we were desperate, but I still regret that decision.¡± ¡°... Whatever she is, she deserves a loving mother.¡± ¡°I gave her two loving parents! They¡¯re much better than I could ever be! Don¡¯t talk about it again, okay? I need to try this essence thing before the next meeting.¡± Elle looked both frustrated and sad as she turned to walk away. ¡°You know John will search everywhere for her. Even random portals, if he gets desperate.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? The entire point was to use his incredible talents; now he has the drive to get stronger.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s so dangerous, even with your help, which you can barely offer anymore. You were supposed to keep him safe through this all.¡± Rania paused, then she replied in a tender voice, ¡°You know I¡¯m doing everything I can, Elle.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s the reason we¡¯re still friends, Ran.¡± Chapter 72 - Regrouping John made his way back out of the building, down the stairs, and out the large white doors. He noticed the woman by the counter had disappeared somewhere, assuming it had something to do with the current emergency. The guards outside greeted him as he left, but John merely nodded back, feeling a severe lack of energy threatening to put him on the ground. ¡®I¡¯ll return to the military facility; some beds should be available. Maybe the medical facility has a spot for me next to the others?¡¯ Walking through the dim streets of Paris, looking at the unflattering tall buildings on every side, he again got the feeling of alienation. This world was so foreign to him, who had spent more time in the inverted world than Earth¡ª that he knew of, at least. It didn¡¯t take him long to get back to the still-busy military base. The after-effects of the portal world collapsing could still be felt. John entered without any issues, and after asking for the medical facility, a helpsome soldier escorted him. They walked through another cold and dreary hallway, making John wonder why they were so obsessed with making things ugly. ¡®I understand that things needed to be built quickly when the portals appeared, but damn. Not a speck of artistry.¡¯ ¡°All survivors of the portal should be in here, Sir,¡± the soldier said as he gestured to a metal door. ¡°Or, at least those needing medical assistance.¡± ¡°Thank you, soldier. I¡¯ll be fine from here.¡± When he entered the door, he was surprised to see a large area of beds and couches. Dennis, Carver, Ralf, and Isabella were lying in separate beds, still unconscious. John felt slightly worried, thinking they should have woken up by now. About ten other people were also in the room, most of them unfamiliar to John. He noticed Hans sitting on a couch and sleeping, and Karin sitting by some other breakers, speaking quietly. She noticed John as he entered and waved while signaling for him to be quiet. John walked over and stood by one of the couches, confident he would fall asleep if he sat down. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± he whispered, looking at the people in the beds. Now he noticed the three people Hans had saved in the beds, looking quite battered. ¡°Seems like it,¡± Karin whispered back. ¡°All vital signs are fine, so they should just need rest. How about you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I also need rest. Do I just take one of the beds?¡± ¡°Yeah, take your pick. We¡¯ll all talk tomorrow, I guess.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± John nodded, heading over to one of the beds. He was sure to fall into unconsciousness as soon as he hit the pillow.
Sure enough, the next thing he knew, twelve hours had passed¡ªor two minutes. The analog clock on the wall made it hard to tell. He sat up, looking around for familiar faces, and found only one. ¡°Morning, Karin.¡± ¡°Morning, John. The others said you¡¯d probably need the rest. Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°... Less tired, but not less terrible. As soon as my thoughts drift back to the portal, it¡­ hits me. Hard¡­ How many survived?¡± ¡°Sixteen people. Hans, me, your group, and nine others that Hans rescued. Dennis and the others are very curious about what happened, although they can guess parts of it.¡± John shook his head, now also having to deal with his mistake in protecting Rain. He was wrong. They were right. It probably wouldn¡¯t have ended any better if they did question her, though. It might even have made everything happen the day before instead. He sighed, hoping his morning breath wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°I should see them¡­ tell them everything, if I can¡­ Then I¡¯ll go back home and rest. What are you going to do?¡± Karin sat on the edge of the bed next to his. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m following you, of course. I also need to go back home, see my husband, and then¡­ then I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°... We lost so many people¡­ At least invoker Hans survived by some stroke of luck.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Yeah, he and I were fortunate to land close to the portal.¡­ I thought everyone would die.¡± John got out of the bed, still in his armor. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she gets what she deserves. And then I¡¯ll bring Serah back.¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive?¡± Karina asked, surprised. ¡°I thought¡­ Well, the planet is gone.¡± John nodded, still struggling to put words on it. ¡°She was taken somewhere else by¡­ someone.¡± Karin bit her lips, looking out into the room. ¡°So it really was as they said? You were traveling together with a tyrant?¡± ¡°... Pretty much.¡± ¡°And you grew atta¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it. Not yet.¡± ¡°... I understand. Let me take you to the others.¡± Karin got up and walked through the doors to the long hallway, with John close behind. Looking at her, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had grown at all. She seemed to be the same as the last time they met. ¡°You didn¡¯t get much training during all this, did you?¡± ¡°None at all. I killed two monsters on my way back, but for the most part, I just ran. I didn¡¯t even get to claim one of them.¡± ¡°... Are you going to keep training?¡± ¡°Mmmh, I don¡¯t know yet. This was an unusual situation, but there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll survive the next round either way. I might just¡­ put my spear on the shelf.¡± ¡°Yeah, I might have done the same... But now, I will never stop.¡± Karin glanced back at him with furrowed brows. ¡°I almost envy you that resolve. The choice would be much easier if everyone I cared for didn¡¯t live back home¡­ Do you think I could do it?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Become an aspecter, grow strong enough to make a difference¡­ Save people¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already saved people, haven¡¯t you? I don¡¯t want to convince you to keep going, though. If you end up dying, I¡¯ll feel awful.¡± She looked down, nodding slightly before responding. ¡°You¡¯re right. Whatever I choose, it¡¯s my own choice... This is it,¡± she said, gesturing to a door to their right. They both stopped, allowing John to take a breath before entering. He wanted to avoid confronting what had happened, still feeling himself freeze whenever he neared the subject, but he needed to talk to them. The door opened to a small lounge where the group sat, resting. Dennis stared at the ceiling, looking morose, while the others sat together, discussing something. They all looked at John as he entered, staying quiet. John was glad to see them all looking okay, although part of him was irked by the memories. He had no memories with Dennis that weren¡¯t related to Rain. ¡°Hey, everyone. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all okay. And¡­¡± He bowed to them, biting his lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong about her.¡± Carver spoke up first, smiling politely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, John. There wasn¡¯t much we could do either way. Rain was beyond all of us.¡± Ralf and Isabella both nodded, but Dennis remained still. Karin entered behind him, bumping John¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You should tell them that Serah is alive, dummy.¡± The room changed immediately, with everyone standing up and staring wide-eyed at John. ¡°Is that true?!¡± Carver asked urgently. ¡°Yes,¡± John replied. ¡°She took her away through a portal before sending us here. And I¡¯m going to find her.¡± ¡°Through a portal?¡± Isabella asked. ¡°But how would we ever¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way,¡± John said, trying to sound confident. ¡°Serah asked me to find her again, so that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Maybe you should have stopped Rain from taking her instead,¡± Dennis remarked, looking at John with more than a little bit of judgment. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t think I tried?!¡± John yelled back, louder than intended. ¡°I used everything I had! My aspect, the black essence, the vestige, everything!¡± He summoned the mess of metal pieces that was the greatshield in front of them, letting it spread out on the floor. ¡°But I was powerless! I couldn¡¯t even move! I just had to watch.¡± His voice disappeared, turning into a whisper by the end. The feeling of helplessness, despite all his rage and effort, brought him to his knees. ¡°And Serah did nothing to stop her¡­ She went willingly, knowing it would happen.¡± Dennis seemed slightly less judgemental now, staring at John with some empathy. ¡°I guess you¡¯re simply stupid, then.¡± ¡°... Yeah, I guess I am.¡± ¡°... I thought she might have influenced your mind. She seemed connected to you somehow, knowing whether you were dead or alive. And she always knew exactly where you were.¡± John thought back, trying to find any hints that Rain had influenced him. But with her essence sealed, there shouldn¡¯t have been much she could have done. She was his only companion for a while, someone he felt he needed to protect and who saved his life at one point. Her gradual mastery of English and charming behavior seemed so natural that he struggled to believe she was acting. She had simply lured her way close to his heart by acting like herself. Which only made everything so much more confusing. ¡®What¡­ is there anything that could justify her actions? If she spoke honestly about giving me her life, it had to be something way more important, right? For someone that strong to waste a month in a weakened state just to get Serah back¡­ Is she fighting fate itself?¡¯ ¡°John?¡± Dennis asked, making John realize he had been silent for a while. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± he replied, trying to clear his head. ¡°No, I think our bond was natural. I just don¡¯t understand why¡­ why she did what she did.¡± Dennis shook his head. ¡°Why would you try to find excuses for her?¡± ¡°... I guess I¡¯d feel better if I knew. The feeling of betrayal won¡¯t go away, but I would love to be less confused about it.¡± ¡®... She looked so heartbroken when I tried to use the black essence on her.¡® Chapter 73 - Heading East The room stayed silent for a while as everyone sat back down again, leaving John kneeling on the ground and Karin standing behind him. Carver rubbed his face, looking like he was trying to clear his head. ¡°At least Serah¡¯s still alive. Do you have any idea where you¡¯re going to look for her, John?¡± ¡°None,¡± John replied, sighing deeply. But then he reconsidered. ¡°Well, there is¡­ one possibility. But I think I¡¯d be stupid to use it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± John put his hand down the neck of his armor and fished out the antler point Rain had given him. It was barely the size of a pinky, but felt considerably heavy. ¡°She broke part of her antler off and gave it to me, saying it contained her power of guidance.¡± Dennis stared at the bone while Carver sat up on the couch. ¡°You mean that power she used to find us? The one we hoped to find the portal with?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ She said it would guide me to whatever is most important. And if she¡¯s telling the truth¡­¡± ¡°Does she have a reason to trick you anymore?¡± Dennis asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°... I guess, probably not?¡± John replied, looking at Dennis with a hint of surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be fine with me using it.¡± Dennis shrugged. ¡°The universe is big. If you want to find a needle in a planet-sized haystack, you might as well listen when someone tells you to look at a specific spot. Unless you have a better method?¡± John thought about it, looking at the bone. He was hesitant, not wanting to accept help from someone he felt so betrayed by. ¡®But does that matter if it¡¯s the best way? The choice is obvious, as long as it allows me to find Serah again. Or even if it just gives me a chance to do so. And especially now that I know Rania can¡¯t help me¡­¡¯ He took a deep breath while rubbing his forehead, then he nodded. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right... How would I use it, though?¡± The bone simply lay quietly in his hand, not moving at all. ¡°Do I infuse it with essence?¡± None in the room seemed to have any ideas, all staying quiet. ¡°... Guess I¡¯ll try that, then.¡± His essence moved from his core and out to his hand, flowing into the white bone. A faint glow started spreading from it, and then John could feel it trying to point somewhere, moving in his hand. ¡°Oh! I think it¡¯s working! It¡¯s pointing that way,¡± John said, pointing at the wall behind Isabella. ¡°What direction is that?¡± Everyone looked at Karin, the only person who knew the area somewhat. ¡°Ehh, I think that¡¯s to the east. I¡¯m not confident, though.¡± ¡°East,¡± John repeated, trying to remember the geography he knew. The bone pointed relatively parallel to the ground, so the destination wouldn¡¯t be too far away. ¡°Is it back in Berlin? That¡¯s perfect!¡± ¡°Oh, right, that¡¯s where you came from. Headed back home, then?¡± Dennis asked, looking a bit sad. ¡°Yeah, looks like it. And if that¡¯s not the right direction, I can triangulate it after traveling for a while.¡± He looked at Dennis, feeling a goodbye coming. ¡°What are you planning to do now?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He leaned back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling again. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking about. I was honestly just wasting time on that outpost, trying to find some purpose¡­ I¡¯ll just ask where I¡¯m needed, I guess.¡± ¡°... You can come with us if you want,¡± John suggested. He felt bothered by Dennis¡¯ lack of purpose, but he could understand it. After he lost his wife, who sacrificed herself for him, it was no wonder he felt lost.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. But Dennis shook his head. ¡°I had enough of being a burden during our trip, John. And now that you know about as much as me, I¡¯m no longer needed.¡± ¡°... Hey, that¡¯s not fair. Crossing the desert without you and Kerchak would have been a pain, and I might never have become an aspecter without you.¡± Despite John¡¯s attempt, Dennis seemed far from convinced. ¡°You had to go through the mist because of me. And you had to fight a horror because of me.¡± ¡°The horror was just as much my fault. I was the one who let Karchak go. And without you, Rai¨C¡± The word got stuck in John¡¯s throat, stopping him from talking. Then he realized how stupid his following words would have been. How Dennis had saved Rain while he fought the horror, which wasn¡¯t the case at all. Then he realized what really happened during his fight, and how little he mattered to Rain. ¡°... She didn¡¯t even reveal her powers to save me.¡± ¡°Oh, right! I¡¯m pretty sure she was about to,¡± Dennis said, like he just realized. ¡°She asked me if I thought you would save many lives in the future, and she looked extremely conflicted.¡± ¡°Really?¡± John asked, furrowing his brows. He didn¡¯t think Rain would have risked her mission for his sake, but perhaps he was wrong. If she had used her powers to save him, it would likely have significantly damaged the planet. ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to say what she would have done. Either way, though¡­ I¡¯m happy staying behind. Maybe I¡¯ll grow into an invoker and replace one of the ones who died one day.¡± A feeling of melancholy spread in John¡¯s chest. He figured they wouldn¡¯t have any reason to group up again in the future. He rose from the ground with a heavy step and put a hand on his hip. ¡°I guess this is goodbye for now. But if you ever need anything, I¡¯ll do what I can to help.¡± Dennis got out of the couch and smiled. ¡°Same to you, John. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± John reached his hand out, and Dennis shook it firmly. ¡°You¡¯ve already done a lot for humanity, John, but I think there are far greater contributions in your future. Stay alive, alright?¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯m not so easily killed. But I think the same can be said for you, Dennis. Your aspect is still one of the strongest ones I¡¯ve seen, and it will only get stronger as you level up. Imagine a horror fighting on our side, and two invocations working at the same time!¡± Dennis gave a crooked smile. ¡°I think it will have to stay in our imagination for now. But who knows?¡± John suddenly had the idea of asking Rania to help Dennis grow. He wasn¡¯t sure it would work, but considering what she had done for John, it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Exactly. And if the weavers manage to beat the tyrants gathering in China, we will all have some time to collect ourselves.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Tyrants in China?¡± Carver suddenly asked from the other couch. John wasn¡¯t sure if the info was classified to prevent panic or anything, but he felt he could trust these guys to keep it a secret. He hadn¡¯t been told to stay quiet, at least. ¡°Yeah, all the tyrants on the planet are heading for a new portal there. So humanity is in grave danger.¡± He spoke somberly, giving the situation the weight it deserved. The coming days might very well decide the fate of humanity. On Earth, at least. Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. Carver was the first to speak, sounding urgent. ¡°But you told them about the essence, right? They¡¯re much stronger now?¡± John nodded, trying to calm them a bit. ¡°Of course! I didn¡¯t get to see the results of their trials, but all the weavers know about the other forms now. So all we can do is put our faith in them.¡± The room remained very quiet, with everyone looking to be deep in thought. John turned to Karin, who seemed just as lost as the others. ¡°Let¡¯s head out, shall we? I think the first train will leave soon.¡± Karin started nodding slowly, but her eyes remained focused on the ground. ¡°Uhm¡­ yes, in about half an hour. We should go.¡± John turned to the others in the room and waved, figuring this would be the last time he saw Ralf and Isabelle at least. Unless Ralf could have his hand back, he would likely stay a breaker for the rest of his life. And Isabelle didn¡¯t seem like the type to grow in strength from the little time he had spent with her. He didn¡¯t quite know how he should say farewell in this situation. He barely knew the three besides Dennis, but they had gone through a lot despite that. ¡°Bye, everyone!¡± That would do.
John stared at the train for a while once he entered the station. So much had happened since he walked out of it, it felt like years had passed. But in reality, it had barely been a month. ¡°You ready, John?¡± Karin asked, looking at him from the side. She was carrying a bag of stuff she had bought in the city, mostly filled with clothes and some type of hard candy she "had to bring home." He turned to her, seeing her worried expression. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m very ready. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Chapter 74 - Back Again Berlin was just like John remembered it: an oppressive wall stretching out of sight around tall and cold buildings. It was different from Paris, where people had the liberty to care about design and beauty. John felt that Berlin more adequately represented Earth¡¯s state, emphasizing function over form¡ªa very German approach, if the stereotypes from his world also held true here. But even here, there were beautiful buildings with columns and stonework that reminded him of the capital of his world. They were just well hidden in between the newer ones. He and Karin walked through the streets from the train station to the Project Red facility, taking in the city. Neither of them had talked much, with Karin too worried about the tyrant situation and John too drained of emotion. He still had emotions, but they were under suppression. It was much easier to live in the moment, focusing on what he saw instead of what was on his mind. Children''s laughter suddenly caught his attention, making him look over at the concrete park of a building. Four young kids were playing with a ball, kicking it around and trying to keep it in the air. It made him smile to see that kids were still able to play, that the world hadn¡¯t been completely drained of happiness, and that there was something worth fighting for. ¡°Humans are still humans, even in this state,¡± he mumbled, walking past the park. ¡°As long as there are kids, I guess¡­¡± Karin seemed lost in her thoughts, having a more somber expression than John. ¡°Do you think they would join the breaker program if they had the choice?¡± ¡°Breaker program? The simulation, you mean?¡± Karin nodded, staring at the ground as they walked. ¡°So many orphans were brought into the program without much of a choice. But maybe they would be happy to have the chance to fight for Earth. Maybe we¡¯re lucky to have such an opportunity, and such a beautiful childhood.¡± John considered her words, feeling that Karin was trying to make a decision based on them. ¡°I¡­ feel pretty lucky to have the memories that I have. If the alternative is living in a place like this, without any parents, I¡¯d go into the simulation willingly.¡± ¡°Maybe you did.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starting to wonder about that. I just¡­ I¡¯m scared that my memories are all fake. That the simulation began this year, and my first twenty years of life were all erased like they never happened. Who did I leave behind? And what would that mean for me, with nothing but fake memories?¡± Karin stayed silent, digesting his words carefully. ¡°... Perhaps it¡¯s best not to know? Live the little white lie they¡¯ve told us and focus on the problems ahead of us instead.¡± ¡°That would be easier. But since the thought formed in my head, it¡¯s been bugging me¡­ It¡¯s like we¡¯ve been reincarnated in a way. People left behind, memories lost, but the same soul inside.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ Then, should we be grateful for that?¡± John knew what she was really asking. But it still wasn¡¯t something he could answer for her. ¡°Karin, if you want to stop fighting, that¡¯s up to you. And if they threaten your husband to force your hand, I¡¯ll fight Director Lee personally. Several ECs will since we all want the simulation to be left untouched.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s not that I want to stop. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m so scared of leaving him behind. If they could create a fake version of me to take my place if I die, I think I¡¯d be less nervous. Even if it¡¯s a horrible thought.¡± ¡°Oh, I hate that,¡± John replied, nearly recoiling at the idea. The thought of a false version of him living on to lessen the impact on the people he left behind was disturbing. And not totally out of character for the company. ¡°Well, I mean, I don¡¯t like it. But I¡¯m not sure my husband would survive without me. He would at least suffer greatly, and I hate the thought of that.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. John looked at her, unable to keep a grimace from appearing on his face. ¡°I understand why you said you envy me a bit now. My choice is easy. But if Serah was back home waiting for me to return¡­¡± Karin nodded wistfully, looking at the river they were walking by. ¡°I won¡¯t know what to do before returning to him. I could at least protect the city if there are emergencies, but another portal¡­¡± ¡°The survival rate is about sixty percent, and I think you¡¯d be fine. That percentage is probably affected by situations like these, so it might even be higher.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re daring to convince me now?¡± Karin asked, smiling at him. John smiled back. ¡°You said it would be your decision, right? No need for me to feel bad, then.¡± ¡°Hah, you¡¯re cheeky! Well, if everyone surviving becomes an aspecter, it¡¯s no wonder they send us out on these expeditions. It¡¯s a massive increase in power.¡± ¡°... We might need that power soon. When the weavers leave for China, their portals will be unguarded. No way to know what happens then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ominous¡­¡± She sighed, looking at the entrance to the company they just arrived at. ¡°I¡¯ll need time to make a decision.¡± ¡°I hope you find an answer you can be happy with,¡± John said as they walked through the doors. A familiar voice greeted them as soon as they entered, coming from the room''s speakers. ¡°John! Karin! Welcome back!¡± ¡°Thanks, Vera! It¡¯s been lonely without your constant presence surrounding me,¡± John said with a clever smile. ¡°I¡¯ll turn off my sarcasm sensors for a while. Can you say that again?¡± John chuckled. He had missed the always helpful voice. ¡°I was being at least half honest. It¡¯s strangely good to be back, even in this cold place.¡± ¡°I feel the same way,¡± Karin added, looking around the empty lobby. ¡°But I¡¯m even more eager to get back home. Is that fine, Vera?¡± ¡°Of course! Just take the elevator down, and you know the rest.¡± Karin headed straight for the elevator, and John followed, having no reason to stay behind. The elevator opened with a ding, but one that sounded suspiciously like Vera was making the noise with her mouth. They had never made sounds before. ¡°You¡¯re sounding awfully cheery, Vera,¡± John noted as they stepped inside. ¡°Well, of course! Until yesterday, I thought Karin would be the only one returning from the portal. It¡¯s a real tragedy¡­¡± John looked up, trying to find a camera to look at as he spoke. ¡°There are still three of us alive, just so you know. Serah is in another world.¡± ¡°Really?! She found a portal?¡± Vera asked, sounding hopeful. ¡°... Not exactly. She was taken. And I intend to bring her back.¡± Vera went quiet momentarily, perhaps sensing the weight of his words. They were spoken with determination. The elevator moved downward, taking them to their quarters. ¡°I bet that¡¯s an interesting story. And a painful one. I¡¯m sorry, John.¡± He took a deep breath, folding his arms. ¡°Thanks. I also intend to go back home for a while, but you know I¡¯ll be back¡­ Oh!¡± John suddenly realized he hadn¡¯t tried using the antler point since he was in Paris. It might have moved at this point, giving him a more accurate destination. He removed it from beneath his armor and infused it with essence, feeling the almost magnetic force moving it around. ¡°What?¡± It pointed nearly straight down. And it was moving, visible to the naked eye. ¡°... Whatever it is, it¡¯s inside this facility,¡± John concluded, feeling his pulse suddenly speed up. He had no idea what he was looking for, but it was nearby. ¡®It¡¯s most likely a person, right? Could it be¡­ one of the other candidates? Or Captain Dirk? Or some random researcher?¡¯ ¡°Whatever what is?¡± Vera asked, sounding confused. ¡°What is that bone?¡± ¡°... Supposedly, it has the power to guide me to whatever is most important, or something like that. I hoped it would guide me to Serah somehow, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s not here. So maybe it¡¯s someone who can help me find her?¡± The elevator kept descending, and the bone kept moving. The facility went deep into the ground to make sure any beast attacks wouldn¡¯t damage the sleeping candidates or the servers holding the simulation running. Finally, it slowed down and arrived at the floor where their rooms were located. Now, the bone was pointing horizontally. ¡°It¡¯s here. Pointing towards my room?¡± John asked, feeling even more nervous now. Vera spoke quietly, sensing the atmosphere, ¡°There are other rooms in that direction, John. But I can¡¯t pinpoint exactly where it¡¯s pointing.¡± The door opened, letting John and Karin walk into the empty hallway. John knew Karin¡¯s room was in a different direction, but she still followed him. ¡°You curious, Karin?¡± he asked lightly, trying to calm himself. It was an obvious question, after all. And that¡¯s how she replied. ¡°Of course I am! Whatever that guiding thing is, it has incredible origins.¡± ¡°Mmm, after triangulating the direction, it seems to be pointing to your room, John,¡± Vera interjected. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any logs of people entering it.¡± ¡®... Is it pointing to¡­?¡¯ Chapter 75 - Home Sweet Home John and Karin eventually reached the door to his room, with Vera there mostly in spirit. The bone was now pointing directly through his door, to somewhere about ten meters inside, according to his estimations. Once he got close, the door opened with a light swoosh, and after hesitating slightly, he entered. It was almost exactly like he had left it, clean and neat. The window to his right showed him the village, still standing and looking as peaceful as ever. It made him long for his home, to taste his mother''s cooking, and to lie in his old bed. ¡°Haah, looks like no one is here. The bone is pointing to¡­ that room,¡± John said, looking at the door to the right. It was the one leading to the room with the metal bed, which would take him to his home. ¡°I need to go back first to find Serah?¡± John asked, mainly to himself. ¡°It could be that the bone prioritizes your wellbeing over finding Serah right now. Whatever is most important doesn¡¯t have to mean that it will lead you to what you want to find the most, right?¡± Vera said, trying to offer a possible explanation. John had considered that, but he felt it was more likely that it would lead him to Serah. That¡¯s how Rain had found her in the inverted world, after all. Using his connection to her. ¡°... Well, I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± He turned to the doorway, where Karin was still standing. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again later, right?¡± She nodded, leaning on the side of the doorway. ¡°I¡¯ll be around at some point. I hope you find what you¡¯re looking for, John. See you later!¡± She waved at him while leaning back and turning out of sight. John looked at the doorway as it closed behind her, feeling a strange sense of loneliness. ¡°... Do you think I push people away, Vera?¡± ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± she asked, sounding unconvinced. John thought back to his time in the portal and everyone he met. Some would be absent from his life either way, but people like Dennis seemed more than happy to part ways with him. It almost felt like his talent and determination were too much for others to keep up with. ¡°... It might be nothing. Just circumstances, I guess. Has anything happened back home while I was away?¡± ¡°Mmh, nothing your mother won¡¯t be able to tell you about. You have become quite a famous case of sudden exhaustion syndrome, though. Since you¡¯re the winner of the royal tournament, it spread quickly.¡± ¡°That makes sense. I am a pretty big deal, after all. I can still tell my Mom about everything that happened, right? Just not the simulation part.¡± ¡°Director Lee gave his agreement, and now that you¡¯re an aspecter, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s even more willing to help you. Remember that we can¡¯t see anything that happens inside anyone¡¯s home, though. I don¡¯t know exactly how your mother has been doing.¡± John could imagine. He hoped her worry had decreased after he told her what was really happening, but he had been gone for a while. ¡°Same with Serah¡¯s parents, then?¡± he asked, walking over to the room with the bed. ¡°... They¡¯ve been out and about. They¡¯re somber, but not as much as one might expect. So I¡¯m not exactly sure what she told them before leaving.¡± ¡®She might have told them exactly what would happen, right? Or that she would be gone for a long time, preparing them for a long wait. God, I¡¯ve got so many questions for her. How did she know? When could she ever have learned?¡¯ Standing next to the empty bed, it was clear what the bone was pointing at. He was supposed to lie down and enter the simulation. But he couldn¡¯t bring the bone inside, so if there was something in particular he had to find, he might have to search for a while. ¡°Well, that might make my job easier¡­ Telling them is going to suck either way, though.¡± John got into the bed, feeling something pulling on his consciousness. He thought he could resist it if he wanted, but he surrendered willingly, falling into a temporary slumber in seconds.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
A familiar smell entered his nostrils, slowly rousing him from the slumber. His eyelids were extremely heavy, feeling like they had been shut for a long time. ¡®Mmh, body feeling slow¡­ I guess it¡¯s because my body is back to that of an average human, no longer strengthened by the breakthrough.¡¯ He activated the essence in his core and sent it swirling through his body, waking it up and making him feel refreshed. His eyes opened, revealing the familiar room once again. He took a deep breath, enjoying the smell, and stretched all his large muscles in a grand and slow motion. The bed squeaked tiredly at his movement. ¡°Ahh, this feels nice¡­¡± He didn¡¯t feel physically better than in the real world, but his mind was much more at ease. Now he just had to prepare for the tumultuous sounds coming up the stairs. A muffled shout came from the hallway, from a familiar voice. ¡°John! Are you awake?¡± His mother burst through the door, took one look at him, and screamed in joy, raising her arms in the air. ¡°Aaaahh! You¡¯re awake!¡± She threw herself over him, forcing him into a mighty hug. John couldn¡¯t help but smile, embracing her back after recovering from the heavy landing. ¡°I am back, Mom. And I might stay for a while this time.¡± ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so glad you returned!¡± Her voice was muffled by the pillow in which her face was buried. ¡°How have you been? Did the training mission go well? Is Serah back as well?¡± John breathed in sharply, staying silent for a bit too long. His mother leaned back, tears in her eyes, looking at his face with concern. ¡°John? How¡­ What happened?¡± John swallowed, trying to keep the emotions in check. But the warmth and care he felt made it difficult. ¡°We, uhm¡­ It was a disaster. And Serah was¡­¡± The fiery tree, the four bodies on the ground, the glowing white antlers on top of her head, and Serah simply accepting everything. It all came back to him: the rage, the fear, the betrayal, the hurt, the denial. His face crumbled into uncontrollable sobs, no longer able to keep it bottled up. He had distanced himself from his emotions for an entire day. But now he could open the dam, letting the cracks that had formed rest. ¡°..She was taken away!¡± he wailed, putting a hand over his face as if covering his shame. ¡°Oh, John!¡± his mother cried, embracing him again with motherly care and love. ¡°I know you did everything you could, dear. Don¡¯t blame yourself, you hear?¡± Her words helped, but he couldn¡¯t help blaming himself. He had done everything he could, but he had also acted like a moron, refusing to question Rain at any point of their journey. ¡°I failed her¡­ I promised I would¡­ keep her safe¡­ And I trusted¡­ I trusted Rain.¡± His mother hugged him tightly while stroking the back of his head. ¡°Serah will be fine; you know how strong she is. And she knows you did your best.¡± Her comforting words rang true. Serah was strong. And if Rain needed her so badly, there was a good chance she would keep her alive. The sobs stopped, but he still needed time to calm himself, so they both stayed quiet in his bed. He could almost feel the catharsis lifting his spirits, but he still felt embarrassed by his crying. He thought he had cried for the last time years ago. ¡°Are you starting to feel better?¡± his mother asked tenderly, now lying on his side. John felt his lips quiver as he was about to answer, so he took a deep breath first. ¡°... I am. Thanks, Mom.¡± ¡°Your pain is my pain, dear. So I¡¯m actually just doing this for myself.¡± John guffawed at her words. ¡°Of course you are¡­ I think I really needed this.¡± She nodded, seeming hesitant to speak. ¡°... Can I ask about what happened? Since you two left?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you the entire story. It all started when we arrived in France¡­¡± He told her every detail he could remember, from how the trees looked in the forest to how the ground fell from the planet. Then, about his meeting with Rain, which took him some time to get out. His mother was amazed by nearly every detail, especially the planet''s inversion. When he told her about giving Rain his clothes, she clapped him on the shoulder, saying she had raised a gentleman. He continued the story through the Aasvedan ruins, the memories he explored, and then the desert where he met Dennis. Then his victory over the horror, his breakthrough, the mist, the jungle, and finally, meeting Serah again. And the disaster that happened the next day. John managed to get through the retelling without too much trouble, but he couldn¡¯t stop his voice from being colored by emotions near the end. The sky outside had turned dark as he spoke. His mother now sat on a chair beside the bed, finding the bet too small for two people to share comfortably. She was deep in thought after he finished. ¡°... From what you¡¯ve told me, Rain still cares deeply for you, dear. But she had no other choice, and it tortured her. So you go find Serah, and you talk to Rain directly, honestly.¡± John grimaced, not feeling willing to simply talk it out. ¡°... I will pursue Serah with everything I have. But I can¡¯t promise anything regarding Rain. I might be able to forgive her if she has the best reason in the world. But if it was for selfish reasons¡­¡± ¡®I might just take that life she¡¯s offering me¡­¡¯ Chapter 76 - Boss John woke up early the next morning, feeling much better than the day before. He was still feeling the emotions, but now he was ready to tackle the problem head-on. ¡®... But how do I do that? I could go back to Earth to see if the guiding point has changed directions, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done what I came here to do yet¡­ Do I just look around? I need to talk to Serah¡¯s parents as well¡­¡¯ ¡°Here you go, dear! A good, healthy breakfast!¡± his mother said, walking over with a plate of heated sausages, bread, a cooked egg, and a big glass of milk. John smiled, having missed this kind of breakfast. Or any type of food his mother made, for that matter. ¡°Thanks, Mom. I think I¡¯ll head over to the Dunsby¡¯s today, tell them what happened¡­¡± ¡°... Well, better to get it over with, I suppose. You might also want to talk to your trainer; he¡¯s been staying in the village for a while.¡± ¡°Boss is here?!¡± John asked, surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected his trainer to have come here for his sake. John respected him greatly, but the man had never shown much care for his disciples. Even when he won the royal tournament as the youngest fighter ever, all he received was a ¡®good job, kid.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s staying at the old tavern, bothering poor Hilda with his presence. Young Peter and Frank are trying to impress him, wanting him to teach them, but I think they¡¯re just dreaming after you won the tournament.¡± Hearing how the world was moving on even without him felt strange. But it made sense, of course. There were still over two hundred candidates inside the simulation, all incentivized to get stronger. ¡°I think they¡¯re wasting their time, but chasing dreams isn¡¯t too bad of a pastime. I¡¯ll go see him first, then,¡± John said, mouth half full of sausage. ¡°This is delicious, by the way. I really missed your cooking in the wilderness.¡± His mother chuckled, folding her arms and puffing her chest proudly. ¡°I knew I had to make something good after hearing about the alien stuff you¡¯ve been eating. Also, you should balance it way more! Only meat can cause problems in the long run.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t exactly add potato or vegetables to the food. Even the stuff that looked like fruit could have been poisonous.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But now you don¡¯t need to eat anymore?¡± ¡°Nope, essence handles the energy and nutrition somehow. It might be that my body simply doesn¡¯t need certain things anymore. It¡¯s very interesting.¡± ¡°Sure, but who would stop eating just because they could?! Food is so delicious!¡± John laughed, putting another sausage in his mouth after drinking from the glass of milk. ¡°Very true! At least with a good chef nearby. My body still needs nutrition here, so it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°And I always will be, ready to welcome you home.¡± They shared a look filled with love. John finished his meal, did a big stretch, and walked toward the house''s entrance. ¡°Anything else I should know before heading outside?¡± His mother thought about it, putting a finger on her chin. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ll probably be asked how you¡¯re doing and stuff. Everyone knows about your condition already, but just reply however you want.¡± ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll head out, then.¡± ¡°Good luck, dear!¡± He opened the door, feeling the fresh autumn breeze invigorate his spirits, and left the house.
The village wasn¡¯t densely populated, with houses often being more than fifty meters from each other, but the central hub was different. The tavern was a local gathering spot where travelers frequently stayed the night. Next to it was the bakery, the blacksmith, the tannery, and the market square. And the familiar schoolhouse, of course, where John and Serah learned all about math and physics. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. John had been told that their education was changed to suit modern knowledge more, to help the transition to Earth become less complicated. ¡°John! You doing alright?¡± the blacksmith asked as he walked by. He was an older man with an impressive amount of muscle and a long dark beard slowly turning grey. ¡°I¡¯m doing alright, Klaus! The sickness is taking more of a toll on Mom, I think. I just sleep, so I don¡¯t notice much of it.¡± That was obviously a huge lie, but he couldn¡¯t say anything else. Klaus nodded slowly, staring intently at John. ¡°That¡¯s good, a good way to think about it... I¡¯ve been talking to your teacher at the tavern lately!¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Nice guy?¡± John asked, smirking. Klaus chuckled, making his beard shake. ¡°Hahah, no! But I can believe he taught you how to become a champion. He¡¯s got a certain sharpness to him.¡± ¡°That sounds like him. I¡¯m actually heading over to see him, so I¡¯ll see you later!¡± John said, waving as he walked off. Klaus waved back before going back to his work with a smile. John spotted the tavern after rounding the corner and saw a bit of a commotion in front of it. Two young kids were fighting with sticks while several people were watching and cheering them on. ¡®So that¡¯s where all the people are¡­ Peter and Frank are fighting for Boss¡¯s attention, I guess?¡¯ The duel was amateurish, but it had spirit. Wide swings and nervous dodges aplenty. And not an ounce of talent, which was probably why Boss hadn¡¯t taken either of them in. ¡°Who¡¯s winning?¡± John asked, announcing his presence. The crowd turned, surprised to see him. ¡°John! How are you?¡± one said, and another, ¡°Hey, there¡¯s our champ!¡± and then, ¡°John! Please teach me how to fight!¡± all at him at the same time. They were excited to see him, making room for him in the center. He was pretty used to being the center of attention, especially during his dueling days, so he wasn¡¯t too bothered by it. ¡°Hey, everyone! I¡¯m doing good. No, I won¡¯t teach you how to fight, Frank. Join the military if you want to train, and then maybe you can get a chance at dueling.¡± Both kids looked disappointed, but they didn¡¯t refute him. They knew he was right. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Boss, is he inside?¡± The kids were the first to answer. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°He¡¯s sitting by the corner as usual.¡± John thanked them and headed inside, leaving the crowd to their own devices. He would have liked to spend some more time talking to everyone, but there was a certain urge to hurry along. He didn¡¯t feel comfortable with feeling comfortable. Walking inside to see the familiar old tavern, he looked around, noticing the lack of people. Everyone was probably outside already, watching the fight. Except for one person sitting in the corner. ¡°Boss!¡± John greeted, waving his hand. The man simply looked at him and waved him closer, not changing his expression at all. A large cup of wine was on the table, already half empty. John sat on the opposite side of him, feeling a bit nervous. He was happy that he had come to see him, but also surprised. Perhaps there were more emotions in that old heart than he liked to show. ¡°So you finally came back, kid. How was the other side?¡± John was shocked, staring at him with wide eyes. He went through the words in his head, looking for a meaning other than the obvious one. ¡°... You know about¡­?¡± Boss nodded before taking another sip of his cup. ¡°I¡¯m in here to train candidates, you see. I don¡¯t have a body on the outside, but I was¡­ created, by taking the knowledge of someone skilled in combat. So I have memories of two lives.¡± John quietly checked the tavern for people who might be listening, scared of having the secret revealed. Vera had said it could cause mass panic, and he didn¡¯t doubt that for a second. ¡°... Then¡­ So, the other guys are candidates? Your students?¡± ¡°Not all of them. I need someone you can duel with to train you properly, you know. But two of the others are like you. And there are others like me, who were created by taking memories from real people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still real,¡± John said firmly, leaning forward. He didn¡¯t even entertain the idea that this world was all fake. Even if it was artificial, the people still act and talk like humans. Even their emotions are human, so how can they not be? Boss smiled slightly, which meant he was very happy. ¡°I like to think so as well. And my job is still important to the outside, so I guess I¡¯m satisfied. How are things there?¡± John still struggled to accept the sudden revelation, but it made sense that they had created someone to train candidates. ¡°Uhm, they¡¯re¡­ not great. But my contribution might have saved us from disaster, so there¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Oh, still the same old, then. Well, I have faith that we will get through it eventually.¡± He took another sip from the wine, looking thoughtful. ¡°You might have met the person from whom my memories are taken. Can you guess who?¡± ¡°... Hmm. I didn¡¯t meet too many people. There is one who fits the description, though. He doesn¡¯t look much like you, but his mannerisms are similar¡­¡± ¡®¡¯Right, he also called me kid.¡¯ Chapter 77 - Returning Sitting in the corner of the tavern, John stared at his trainer, trying to connect the two personalities in his mind. ¡°... Are you Captain Dirk?¡± His trainer nodded, taking another sip of wine. ¡°Correct, mostly. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ So he¡¯s a really good fighter? I tried attacking him the first time I saw him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a better trainer than a fighter, unfortunately. And when people of your talent show up, he will have mixed feelings. But still, he¡¯s an aspecter. It¡¯s no wonder you lost.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s an invoker now, actually,¡± John corrected, figuring that Boss didn¡¯t have much contact with the outside world. ¡°And I¡¯m an aspecter.¡± ¡°Oh, already? I bet there¡¯s an interesting story there. People don¡¯t usually return so quickly after a first mission.¡± ¡°... There is. But I¡¯m not ready to tell it again. Not right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not all that interested.¡± John smiled, not surprised by his disinterest. He had long since given up trying to figure out what made him so grumpy. It didn¡¯t make him any less of a trainer. ¡®Well, being a copy of someone from another world mashed together with memories you know are simulated would probably make someone pretty grumpy¡­ That sounds way worse than my situation. But he does it for humanity.¡¯ ¡°I suddenly have even more respect for you, Boss. It can¡¯t be easy being you.¡± A faint hint of emotion showed on his face before he took another sip of wine. ¡°Dirk was also chosen for his level of discipline and mental fortitude. I¡¯m fine. And even better now that I know you¡¯re doing a good job outside.¡± John smiled, wishing he also had a cup of wine. But Hilda, the tavernkeeper, was outside with the others. ¡°I¡¯ll keep growing, don¡¯t you worry.¡± ¡°Good. You can tell Vera that the others won¡¯t be ready for a year or two still, but I intend to get them close to your level. She probably already knows, though.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any communication between you? I¡¯m surprised this world is so disconnected from the real world.¡± ¡°Nope. Some rules that were implemented after a few breakers went crazy. And it¡¯s probably for the best. How would you react if someone suddenly removed people you knew or changed their personalities because it was convenient?¡± John furrowed his brows at the thought, understanding his point. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ I might have gone berserk, especially right after being pulled out.¡± Boss stared at him, looking like he was trying to determine something. ¡°Pulled out, huh? I figured you would still see it that way.¡± ¡°Well, pulled back, returned to reality, escaping the technology prison, whatever you wanna call it. I would be a lot happier if it never happened. But at the same time, I can never go back to not knowing the troubles humanity is facing. And I have to do what I can to help.¡± Boss nodded, seemingly satisfied with his reply. ¡°I¡¯m glad you see it that way. That was all I really wanted to say, so you can leave now.¡± ¡°... Just like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a planet to fight for, right? No reason to waste time with me. I need to get back anyhow.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I need some time, still.¡± John replied, his mind unwillingly thinking about everything that happened again. ¡°...You should have picked up Serah as well, by the way. She¡¯s more of a genius than I am, at least in magic and strategy.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t. She served as an excellent motivator for you during training.¡± He drank the final slurp of wine from the cup, burped, and stood up, making it clear he was ready to end the conversation. John was used to his cold behavior, so it didn¡¯t surprise him. It only made him feel a bit sad, even now. ¡°Thanks for training me, Boss. I was close to death several times, so your guidance has saved my life.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. His old trainer stopped on his way out, facing away from John. ¡°... This is just the wine talking, but¡­ I¡¯m proud of you, kid. Keep up the good work.¡± Then he left, leaving John to sit in shock at his words, filled with joy. It was by far the nicest thing Boss had ever said to him, revealing part of what was under his adamantine exterior. ¡®... That can¡¯t have been the first cup of wine, right?¡¯
On his way home, John took some more time talking to the people who greeted him. He was in absolutely no hurry to get to the Dunsby¡¯s, fearing their reaction. Serah¡¯s parents were friendly people, but he had seen them become terrifying if Serah was in danger. He clearly remembered the time she broke her leg while playing with him, just as much because of their strict talk as the accident itself. Luckily, Serah never blamed him, nor did she fear playing with him because of what happened. Seeing who could climb the highest was an obvious game to play as kids, and they were both competitive. ¡®I might have come up with the idea, but¡­ Nah, I¡¯ll still blame myself for that one. I think I became a lot more protective of her after that¡­¡¯ His feet took him back, past the crossing where he should have taken off to see Serah¡¯s parents. It didn¡¯t matter if he saw them later in the day; it was still early. ¡®... I know there¡¯s no reason to postpone it, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯re as worried as Mom was. But¡­ It¡¯s still early.¡¯ He stepped through the entrance to his home, trying to make it back to his room before being noticed. But his mother¡¯s voice sounded from the kitchen, again proving her excellent hearing. ¡°Oh, back already, dear? Did you talk to your trainer?¡± John halted his steps, feeling like he was caught with a hind in the cookie jar. ¡°Uh, yeah, I talked to him. He just wanted to hear how I was doing, and then he left.¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds just like him based on what you told me. He came all this way to see you and darts off as soon as you return. As bad at showing emotions as he is good at training¡­ What about the Dunsby¡¯s?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­ need some rest first. I¡¯ll head over later.¡± Her head appeared in the kitchen door, looking at him worriedly. ¡°John, there¡¯s no need to rush. I¡¯ll come with you to see them later, or I can go alone if you want me to. Don¡¯t push yourself.¡± John couldn¡¯t help but smile. He was lucky his mother was so understanding, even if he was terrible at showing emotions. ¡°... That would be great, if you came along. Thanks, Mom.¡± She smiled back, going back to whatever she was doing before replying. ¡°Of course! You go rest, and don¡¯t worry about it anymore.¡±
Back in his bed, John had his hands under his head, staring up at the ceiling. He had taken a quick trip back to Earth to drink water and test the guiding point again. It still pointed him to the metal bed, so he had yet to figure out what it wanted him to do. ¡®... Is it someone I have to find? One of the others with knowledge of the outside world? Or is there something I have to realize? Some knowledge I need to progress? Or do I simply need to rest before I can continue?¡¯ With no idea what to look for and an entire world to search through, he felt a bit lost. His best bet was visiting the Dunsby¡¯s, since Serah might have told them something they would relay to him later. But he wanted to think some more first. ¡®If I could search through the past¡­ Oh! OH!!¡¯ He sat up so fast that he nearly lifted from the bed, realizing he had forgotten something important. He had the system command, and the ability to look at the past. ¡°System command,¡± he said eagerly, watching in excitement as the window of options appeared before him. Two additional commands had appeared since the last time, called ¡®Conjure gold coins¡¯ and ¡®Cure ailment.¡¯ ¡®Oh, wow! We really do have advantages as we rank up. Those will come in handy, especially if I can use the cure on other people. Well, whatever, ¡®Recordings¡¯ is the one I care about right now.¡¯ He pressed the button, making another menu pop up in the window of light. It asked him to enter a date, starting at five years back in time, which seemed to be the earliest possible choice. ¡®... Does that mean¡­ we came here five years ago? Are so many of my memories fake?¡¯ He put the question aside for now, deciding to ask once he went back to Earth. Instead he entered the earliest date possible, eager to see what was going on back then. ¡®Aaand confirm.¡¯ The world around him turned white for a couple of seconds, and then it came back almost exactly the same as it was. His room was nearly unchanged, except for the brighter sunlight and a different set of bedsheets. And another unusual addition, quite prominently standing by the window close to his bed, looking out at the village with a sad expression. Serah, five years younger than her current age, stood inside his room. ¡®... Wow. This is so¡­ strange. What is she doing here? Did she really look so small back then?¡¯ He tried to get out of the bed, not moving the sheets at all. But it made sense, seeing as how he was merely sitting on a recording of the bed. But then Serah looked over at him, and her face immediately turned to one of shock. She screamed loudly, then she stopped, looking directly at John. ¡°John?! What the hell are you doing here? And why¡­ do you look so old?¡± Chapter 78 - When You See Me Again John was frozen in place, shocked beyond belief. There was no logical explanation for Serah''s seeing him right now. She was a recording of the past¡ªsomething that happened five years ago. He looked behind himself, trying to find an explanation. But there was no John behind him in bed. And she had asked why he seemed so old. ¡°John, what¡¯s going on?! Are you John?¡± Serah asked, looking nearly as confused as he was. ¡°... You¡­ can see me?¡± he asked, just to convince himself he wasn¡¯t dreaming. Her brows furrowed even further. ¡°Yeah? Should I not be able to?¡± ¡®Is this¡­ some sort of fault in the simulation? Did they make a copy of Serah¡¯s brain so that she can speak to me right now? Or is it¡­?¡¯ The realization hit him like the fist of an orange horror, sending his already reeling mind through the most incredible rollercoaster. When you see me again, tell me everything. The reason Serah knew about the future¡­ When I see you again, I won¡¯t have to. ¡­ was because he told her about it at this exact moment. In her past, and his future. ¡°John, you¡¯re scaring me¡­¡± His eyes slowly focused on her while his mind tried to get back to the surface. It was a momentous task, but her nervous expression helped him get a grip. He was her protector, not someone to be feared. ¡°Serah¡­ Uh, don¡¯t be scared.¡± He swallowed, lying back on the bed, still trying to process everything. He would alter the timeline if he messed up here, so he had to tread carefully. ¡°Oh my god¡­ Have I left?¡± ¡°What? Can you explain what¡¯s going on?¡± Serah asked, an entirely reasonable thing to ask. John nodded quickly, understanding that this would be even more confusing and scary for her than it was for him. ¡°Yeah, sorry¡­ This is going to sound like the most insane thing you¡¯ve ever heard, guaranteed.¡± ¡°... Should I sit down?¡± she asked, reaching for the chair beside the bed. ¡°Probably¡­¡± he replied, waiting for her to sit. ¡°Okay, where do I even start¡­ I¡¯m from the future. Five years into the future.¡± Her eyes studied him closely, taking in every part of his face. Then she looked down, her eyes flickering in deep thought. ¡°... Okay. Essence can be used to go back in time? I always wondered where the limitations for what it could do would be, but this¡­¡± ¡°You believe me just like that?¡± John asked, smiling incredulously. He knew he wouldn''t have the same reaction in her shoes. She shrugged while gesturing at his face. ¡°You look exactly like John, except you¡¯re older. You appeared out of nowhere in your own bed, which is the logical spot to test time travel in. And essence seems to have abilities that can¡¯t be explained through math or physics. It¡¯s not as unbelievable as it might seem. Compared to other explanations.¡± He was thoroughly impressed by her reasoning and the relatively calm way in which she analyzed the situation. ¡°You always were the clever one¡­ But at this rate, I can¡¯t even complain; you¡¯re amazing!¡± A nervous smile spread on her face, showing she wasn¡¯t entirely as confident as she appeared. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, though¡­ you¡¯re only half right. To explain the situation more accurately, imagine a painting of a person at a certain moment in time.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She looked at him with a heavy dose of uncertainty, wordlessly asking where he was going with this. ¡°Okay? I¡¯m imagining.¡± ¡°Then imagine that portrait started talking to you like you were there when the painting was painted.¡± Her brows furrowed again, trying to comprehend the meaning of his words. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ looking at a painting of me?¡± John bobbed his head slowly, trying to find a good way to explain it. ¡°It¡¯s more like a painting of the entire world, if that makes sense. God, this is so¡­¡± He put a palm over his face, struggling to make a reasonable explanation. The simulation aspect alone could be enough to break her mind for a while. ¡®That explains why she took it so well when she got out¡­ She already knew it was all a simulation. And she acted so well I didn¡¯t notice.¡¯ Serah shook her head in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re not making much sense to me, future John. Can you¡­ try to explain it better?¡± ¡°... This next part will likely alarm you greatly¡ªmore than the future thing. Do you want to take the bed? I can move.¡± ¡°More than¡­ The bed? No, I think I¡¯ll be fine here.¡± ¡°... Just know I¡¯m here to help you through it, okay? I¡¯m still John, only more experienced. And less stupid.¡± She was clearly hesitant to get any closer to him, but neither did she move away. ¡°Just tell me. If I break down in tears, I¡¯ll consider your help.¡± John could sense a temper beneath her dismissal, and started to wonder if it was aimed at him or his past self. ¡°Are you¡­ angry, for some reason?¡± ¡°For some reason?!¡± she asked sharply, staring at him with daggers. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re less stupid? Because your stupid self left me here, making idiotic promises of ¡®winning the royal tournament¡¯ for me! What sort of¡­¡± She looked away, trying to control herself. Her voice lowered to a whisper, ¡°What sort of idiot¡­ thinks that¡¯s a sensible thing to do?¡± ¡°... Yeah, that¡¯s¡­¡± he started, about to admit his younger self was an idiot. But then he experienced another realization, this one far more personal and enraging than the last. ¡®They created those memories of me making that promise! They did it to make me motivated to get stronger! That¡¯s why this is the first date I can go back to, because I¡¯ve already left! Fucking hell!¡¯ He understood why they had done it. He understood they had done it to make him stronger. ¡®But to leave Serah behind as nothing but my motivation¡­ I¡¯ll have a good long talk to Director Lee after I return! And he better have some wonderful answers! But what do I say to Serah now? She seemed genuinely angry at me when I returned from the tournament, so perhaps she didn¡¯t know. Which would mean she doesn¡¯t know in my time either.¡¯ He sighed, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about that. I promise I¡¯m less stupid now. And you can shout at me once I return, as much as you want.¡± She eyed him suspiciously. ¡°So I did shout at you when you returned. And you did return...¡± A small smile spread on her lips as she looked at the floor. Then she looked back at him with worry. ¡°Are we breaking the timeline or something by having this meeting? Will you disappear into a puff of smoke if I decide not to shout at you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a good question. Well, I know that you had knowledge of the future, in my past, your future, so I know that I¡¯m supposed to tell you things right now¡­ But this is complicated.¡± Serah leaned back in the chair, letting her head fall backward and looking up at the ceiling. ¡°...You know, I might take you up on that bed offer. Let me have the foot end.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± John replied, moving his feet to the side and leaving half the bed for her. Once she got out of the chair, he used it to support his feet and found a comfortable position. Serah sat down in the bed and leaned back, and unlike John, she made it move. His movement didn¡¯t seem to affect the past, making him wonder if he could touch her. He didn¡¯t want to alarm her, though, so he dismissed the thought. ¡°That¡¯s better¡­ Uhm¡­¡± She looked over at him nervously. ¡°Are we¡­ still close in the future?¡± ¡°Absolutely. But let¡¯s take it from the start: you¡¯re jumping over a lot of important stuff.¡± ¡°Have we¡­ are we¡­¡± she started, seemingly unable to let go of her curiosity. Her face turned away from him before she finished her question. ¡°... a couple?¡± John chuckled, finding her to be just as cute as she always was. ¡°I would say¡­ I¡¯ll leave that as a surprise,¡± he said with a devious smile. Serah¡¯s reaction to his confession was genuine. He was sure of it. And so he couldn¡¯t tell her that part. ¡®Nice going with that ¡°tell me everything¡± nonsense, real-time Serah. Maybe be clear instead of cryptic next time?¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about us ending up with someone else, though. That much, I can promise.¡± That seemed to appease her, putting her back in a neutral state. Unless she was smiling more than before, it was hard to tell. ¡°So¡­¡± he began, not finding a better way to word it. ¡°This world was created by a different one¡ªanother version of Earth, with many more technological advancements. And its sole purpose is to create warriors to fight for them against beasts.¡± Chapter 79 - Tell Me Everything The room was silent while Serah digested his words. It took longer than anything else he had said, and that was perfectly understandable. It wasn¡¯t something that could be understood with simple logic, nor could it be believed without undeniable proof. ¡°... Sorry, I¡¯m¡­ not understanding this,¡± She eventually said, rubbing her forehead. ¡°How is it possible to create a world? Did they build this planet with¡­ shovels? Giant space-shovels?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I don¡¯t understand it well either, but somehow, they made machines that could think and feel just like us. Perhaps you could think of it as a dream, except hundreds of people have the same dream at once. And that¡¯s this world.¡± ¡°Hundreds? I¡¯ve seen more than a thousand people in my life, so how¡¯s that possible?¡± John pursed his lips, unsure how he should say that almost everyone she knew only existed in the dream. Or if he should. ¡°... Most people only exist in the dream. In the village, it¡¯s just you and me who are dreamers, or candidates, as they call us.¡± Serah shook her head with increasing intensity, and then she scoffed silently. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this anymore. It¡¯s too¡­ too cruel.¡± ¡°... Perhaps that¡¯s fine. I only need to tell you what happens, then you can believe it when the time comes.¡± ¡°Do you have to be so damn convincing?!¡± Serah yelled, swinging her arm out to the side and aiming to hit him in the stomach. John had plenty of time to stop her, but he let it happen, understanding her frustration. He wouldn¡¯t feel much either way due to the essence circulating in his body. But the arm passed through him and hit the bed instead, proving that he wasn¡¯t really present. Serah¡¯s eyes shot to him in shock. Then they turned blank with tears. ¡°Am¡­ Am I just a dream? Just a painting?¡± She pulled her knees up to her chin, embracing them while letting tears fall down her cheeks. He sat up, feeling the urge to embrace and comfort her. He wanted nothing less than to hurt her, trying to make the truth as gentle as possible. But there was only so much he could do. ¡°We¡¯re both dreaming, Serah. Both sleeping soundly, dreaming of each other while separated by vast distances. I don¡¯t know how this is happening, but somehow, this was always going to happen.¡± Serah kept staring forward, silently crying. ¡°... I dreamt of a different world last night. One of cold metal and giant walls keeping monsters out¡­ It was cold and dark. But then you came over to talk to me, and everything turned brighter¡­ Is that the other world?¡± John looked at her in wonder. If the simulation had only started the day before, perhaps those were Serah¡¯s memories from the real world, slowly being erased like mere dreams. ¡°I¡­ I think so. But I don¡¯t have any memories from before we started dreaming. You were unhappy?¡± She nodded, looking like she was straining to remember the dream. Dreams had a tendency to elude you the more you tried to recall them. ¡°I was often alone, I think. Only doing what I was told. But¡­ I don¡¯t remember much of it. Your face looked very young, but I¡¯m sure it was you.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, Serah. I know how hard it is to accept what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°... Who am I?¡± Serah asked suddenly. ¡°Why does it feel like I don¡¯t matter at all? That¡¯s the feeling I got from the dream¡­¡± She lowered her head so her face was covered by her knees, looking very vulnerable. His urge to comfort her became stronger, but he felt powerless without being able to touch her. He tried putting an arm on her shoulder, but the sense of touch simply wasn¡¯t there. Even still, he kept it hovering there, trying to convey his feelings. ¡°You¡¯re the most important person in the world, Serah. At least to me. And that counts for something, right?¡± ¡°... It does... Thank you for talking to me¡­¡± John smiled, understanding she was referring to the dream, or maybe the past neither of them remembered. ¡°Knowing me, it was probably because you looked so pretty.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. She chortled lightly, clearly happy to hear him say so. ¡°I¡¯m just a pretty face, then?¡± ¡°You want compliments? I have plenty!" John exclaimed, counting on his hand. "You¡¯re the smartest person I know, the most talented mage I¡¯ve ever seen, and incredibly kind and thoughtful. Your singing is beautiful, your eyes are like glowing sapphires, and Your laugh is the greatest sound in the world¡ªboth worlds! And¨C¡± ¡°Stop, please!¡± she begged, burying her face even deeper into her thighs. What little could be seen of her face turned red. John was happy with the result, doing precisely what he aimed to do. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to embarrass you, but I¡¯ve gotten a taste for it now. Consider it a bit of revenge!¡± Serah¡¯s muffled voice sounded close to tears as she replied, ¡°Then you can consider my future teasing as revenge as well!... How stupid is it that we¡¯re both getting back at each other?¡± John laughed, realizing the irony. At least this way, they could say neither of them started it. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait for a while, though¡­ Five years, to be exact.¡± ¡°Five years?!¡± she yelled, looking back up at him, alarmed. ¡°It takes you five years to¡­ John! Ohh, you¡¯re lucky I can¡¯t hit you right now!¡± John felt ashamed of his past self, but he couldn¡¯t help making an excuse. ¡°... I was still the youngest champion ever,¡± he mumbled to the side. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry! I know; I was being stubborn! Again, yell at me when I return instead.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t get the raw emotion in my voice in the future because I already know! So I¡¯m telling you now instead!¡± ¡°Oh, I think the waiting made you plenty emotional.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stupid!¡± ¡°I am aware,¡± John replied, thankful that Serah was so young during this meeting. The older version would admonish him a lot more efficiently. He could put at least some of the blame on the company, but he still felt bad for her. Her angry face was still wet with tears, adding to his guilt. She dried them with her sleeves, then lay back down on her side, back turned against him. ¡°... So, what happened next?¡± John took that as a signal that she was ready to hear what had happened since they reunited, so he took a deep breath. He told her everything, from the day he returned and broke through the barrier, the date they would have, the way she woke up, their training, the portal, the inversion, Sage Full Blue, Rain, the Aasvedans, Dennis and Kerchak, the desert horror, becoming an aspecter, the fog, the jungle, the necklace saving his life, and then their reunion in the forest. And Rain¡¯s betrayal, including how Serah went willingly with her. ¡°... And that¡¯s two days ago for me. And now I¡¯m here, looking for you.¡± Serah was turned to him now, still lying on her side. She stared at him caringly. ¡°... There¡¯s a certain comfort in knowing everything that happens up to that point¡­ How are you okay?¡± A sad smile appeared on his face. ¡°I came back home. I know what I¡¯m supposed to do. And I¡¯m never going to stop unless I find you. That makes it easier to accept, knowing I can do something.¡± ¡°... Well, you did find me. So the bone will probably point you somewhere else after this meeting, right?¡± ¡°I think so¡­ But I¡¯m in no hurry, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± she asked, failing to hide the relief in her voice. ¡°No, there are still things I have to tell you. First of all¡­ Under the end of my bed here, there is a book. One I wondered who had stolen for a long time. You should take it and practice every day.¡± Serah¡¯s face turned bright red at his words, looking like she was unable to even speak. ¡°... It¡¯s a spellbook,¡± he clarified, suddenly realizing what it could sound like. He even felt himself turn a bit red at the thought. A long breath escaped Serah¡¯s chest as she turned to the side, feigning ignorance. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll¡­ practice, every day. Thank you.¡± ¡°And secondly,¡± John continued, letting the awkwardness escape into the past. ¡°I mentioned meeting Sage Full Blue. He told me that essence can have different forms. And I want you to practice using them as soon as possible. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible in our world, but start training as soon as you get out. However, you can¡¯t reveal it before you go away.¡± Serah nodded, understanding the importance of learning to use them as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll remember. And since I¡¯m such a genius, I¡¯ll probably master the plasma essence as well.¡± John smiled. ¡°You¡¯re joking, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more suited for that type of thing than me. I can only take pride in my combat instinct.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate instinct, John. In a pinch, instinct is king. And yours made you the youngest champion in history, right?¡± He tilted his head as he looked at her, finding her encouragement cute. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I absolutely take pride in my combat instinct. And that¡¯s why we make such a great team, right? I can¡¯t wait for us to be able to fight together for real.¡± Serah chuckled, looking at him like he was an idiot. ¡°That¡¯s so like you. There are other things I look forward to more¡­¡± ¡°Well, obviously! I¡¯m just sad we never got the chance.¡± ¡°We will,¡± she declared, smiling brightly at him. ¡°Because you¡¯re going to find me, right? And make me part of your future?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the last thing I do!¡± John replied firmly, staring into her eyes. Not even the fate of humanity mattered more to him, however selfish it was to admit. Chapter 80 - White City of Doom In a world of white, where the land stretched endlessly in all directions, a grand city stood proudly on a mountaintop. It was a city of a million buildings, stretching far and wide, with all kinds of people roaming the streets. A constant melody played through the streets, and floating points of light illuminated each corner as the distant sun started setting. At the top of the mountain, in the highest building, a lonely girl stared out at the magnificent landscape. The room was decorated with unusual shapes and intricate craftsmanship, giving it a luxurious feel. But it felt cold. Everything had, ever since she was taken away. ¡®... Do you know now, John? Have you told me everything already?¡¯ Serah sat with her head lying on her forearms, staring at the setting sun. It had been a few days since she arrived in this foreign world, and she had been treated almost like a princess. With respect, care, and distance. Only Rain had attempted speaking to her, but it was all too clear she was feeling enormously guilty for what she had done. Of the two of them, Rain was in far worse shape. And Serah wasn¡¯t sure how much she should care. ¡®She didn¡¯t even give me the day I begged her for. Of course, I already knew that would happen, but still¡­ I wanted to spend more time with you¡­ Who knows how long it will be before next time?¡¯ She didn¡¯t dare to think about the possibility that it would never happen. John was weak, but he had the talent and determination to beat anyone if given time. And that¡¯s what she was betting on. ¡®And, of course, I won¡¯t be resting on my laurels either. They will have knowledge far surpassing humanity regarding essence and growth here. And I intend to take what I can get. If you can¡¯t find me, I¡¯ll find you instead!¡¯ A knocking came from the double door of white and golden leaves, signaling a visitor. Serah calmly got up from the floor she was kneeling on and sat on the couch in the middle of the room. Then, she signaled for the visitor to enter. The doors opened, revealing a girl in a sheer white robe decorated with feathers and golden accessories. She had antlers on her head, but one of the points was broken off. Her eyes had dark circles under them, and she looked pale and emaciated. ¡°Hello, Serah,¡± she said, not moving her lips. The voice sounded fragile and meek, completely unrecognizable from her days traveling with John and Dennis. ¡°Hi, Rain. You look even worse today,¡± Serah replied, gesturing for Rain to sit on the couch opposite her. Rain nodded and walked over, sitting down before replying. ¡°I¡¯m dealing with a loss of essence, and my domain needs to be restored¡­ Sealing my powers, it took a toll. But nothing that won¡¯t be restored with time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why you¡¯re losing sleep, is it?¡± Serah asked, knowing the answer. Rain sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I just¡­ I can¡¯t get his rage out of my head. The hatred, the betrayal, the confusion¡­ But revealing our mission outside of this realm would be the worst sin. Only here can his strings not reach.¡± ¡°... The Sovereign of Fate, was it?¡± ¡°Yes. That bastard will use anyone for his own gain. And his chosen ones¡­¡± Rain looked at Serah, knowing she already knew the rest. ¡°... Are given his golden strings, fated to fight his fight,¡± Serah said, completing the sentence. ¡°It¡¯s a terrifying opponent, fate itself. But not at all related to the Lady of Fate I know of?¡± ¡°The weaver? I strongly doubt it. She merely taps into his concept with her aspect. If she knew the forces of the universe, she would never have dared to call herself the Lady of Fate.¡± Serah nodded, thinking back to John¡¯s words. ¡°John mentioned how the Lady was unable to affect my string. And it¡¯s because The Sovereign already controlled it.¡± Rain retrieved the dagger she had summoned to cut Serah¡¯s string, studying the golden blade thoughtfully. ¡°Only these Blades of Doom are capable of severing the golden strings. The greatest weapon we have to fight him. But¡­¡± ¡°Weep for us, and survive the doom upon you, child of the creator,¡± Serah quoted, knowing what Rain was nervous about¡ªthe message John had received from the last Aasvedan, through the Lord of Death himself. Rain twirled the blade in her hand, then threw it into the air. It remained there, floating in place. ¡°Death is a concept above even fate. The Lord has no reason to lie. Perhaps ¡®doom¡¯ is referring to something else?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Serah was skeptical, but she tried not to show it. The group Rain was part of had taken the name ¡®Doom¡¯ to symbolize their fight against The Sovereign. ¡°Let¡¯s leave that for the future. It said he would be able to survive either way,¡± Serah said, changing the subject. ¡°What is my purpose for being here?¡± ¡°... Right,¡± Rain replied, putting the knife away and leaning forward on the couch. ¡°Your fate is severed, but it can still restore itself if you leave this realm. And we can¡¯t let that happen. So, the only way you¡¯ll be allowed to leave¡­ is if you get strong enough to resist the string of fate.¡± ¡°... How much stronger?¡± Serah asked, feeling a mix of joy and frustration at the situation. She understood that the group called Doom needed to keep her from following the path of fate, but they had made the choice for her. Whatever the case, at least she could do something about it on her own. ¡°You need to become a weaver to be strong enough to prevent the string from regrowing. Anything less will allow him to regain control, and now that he knows we are watching over you¡­ We won¡¯t be able to stop it again.¡± ¡°A weaver,¡± Serah repeated, leaning her head back and staring at the intricate ceiling. ¡°That¡¯s so far ahead¡­ How do I even get stronger here? Are there beasts to fight?¡± Rain hesitated, looking uncertain. ¡°... There are, but they belong to other domains. I only own five degrees in that direction,¡± she said, pointing out the window. ¡°So the best way for you to grow is to prove your value to the other members of The Doom Coalition.¡± ¡°How would that help?¡± ¡°They can give you essence shards you can use to grow. But they are only given to the talented and¡­ loyal. I¡¯m sure your talent is good, though. Otherwise, the golden string wouldn¡¯t have chosen you.¡± ¡°... Okay,¡± Serah replied, leaving that issue for now and turning her eyes back to the window. ¡°How long would it take John to get here? Using your guidance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to say¡­ The guidance could send him to someone who takes a liking to him and suddenly brings him back here. But if it¡¯s by his own power¡­¡± A look of worry appeared on her face as she looked at Serah. ¡°He would at least need to reach the same level as you, becoming a weaver. But it depends on how much he values you over Earth.¡± ¡®... Will he have to choose between us? Then I would rather wait for Earth to be safe before he comes. Even as aspecters, we live longer than average humans.¡¯ ¡°Why couldn¡¯t John join us here?¡± Serah asked, posing the questions she had been wondering about for over five years. She had known what would happen for a long time, but not why. ¡°You don¡¯t think I wanted to?!¡± Rain stood up and yelled, making the entire room shake. ¡°If not for the Lord of Death, he would be here already! But once Doom was something he had to survive, how could I? And how could anyone here accept the essence of death appearing? It¡¯s cursed! I knew I couldn¡¯t bring him for a long time already! But then¡­¡± She sat back down, deflated by the workings of fate. ¡°It got so much worse when you turned out to be the person he cared about the most¡­ I had no choice but to hurt him unless I let you become one of our greatest enemies.¡± Serah looked at her with a mix of empathy and shock. She knew it was a touchy subject, but she hadn¡¯t expected Rain to still be so volatile. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Rain. I knew you had good reason to do what you did.¡± Rain sat quietly, looking down at the ground. ¡°... There¡¯s also the matter of him being important to Earth for some reason, but I¡­ didn¡¯t really care about that, honestly¡­ Now, I only hope that the two of you can reunite.¡± Serah felt a burst of sadness when she heard that Rain had no hopes of being forgiven by John. Seeing how hurt she was by this nearly moved her to tears. ¡°I think John will understand it once you tell him everything, Rain. He knows you truly cared for him. But he is very confused, seeking answers.¡± Rain let out a breath, not looking very convinced. ¡°I won¡¯t get my hopes up after seeing how he reacted back then. You speak as if you¡¯ve talked to him after what happened.¡± Serah smiled, but she kept her thoughts to herself. ¡®I did just speak to him. Only, it was five years ago.¡¯
A woman dressed in pure white stood over a young man, sleeping soundly on his mother''s porch. The sight of him sitting there evoked intense emotions of nostalgia, bringing her back to that day, when he had finally asked her out. Her blue eyes, ancient with the weight of countless futures, were filled with an impossible mixture of tender affection and devastating sorrow. ''I''m sorry, John. After everything... after trying so many times, I''ve finally chosen to be selfish. I couldn¡¯t save you¡­ But if you bring me along from the beginning, and we grow stronger together¡­ Perhaps there is a chance? Perhaps this new timeline will allow us to stay together? I wish my powers allowed me to join you, but¡­ changing the past, it erases the future. Or rather, your future. My past.¡¯ Her hand trembled as she bent down, carefully moving a lock of hair from his forehead. The simple touch sent ripples through the fabric of time itself, forcing her to exert her Authority to contain the cascading changes that threatened to tear reality apart. Space warped and twisted around them, as she desperately worked to lock the minuscule alterations firmly in place. ¡®... A simple touch threatens to erase me. And yet, here I am, forcing a massive change to the past. I pray that your meeting will change things, so my sacrifice isn¡¯t in vain. No matter how many times I turned back time¡­ I could never save you. So here I am, before everything started¡­ Changing the past one final time¡­¡¯ Her core thrummed with power as she channeled vast amounts of essence through her being. It coursed through her heart, moved up through her vocal cords, and gathered at her lips. Her Authority was clear in its purpose; To allow an impossible meeting between John and her young self, in both past and present. ''Goodbye, dearest John. I believe you have even more potential than me. And who knows?'' A single tear rolled down her cheek. ''Perhaps you''ll be the one to save us all...'' As light and tender as a falling snowflake, a pair of lips touched his forehead. In that eternal instant, she felt the timeline beginning to unravel around her. As her final act, before time could completely dissolve, she whispered a single word that the weight of all her love, all her hope, and all her sacrifice¡­ ¡°Forever.¡± New story! Nova: The Final reincarnation! Hey everyone! My newest story is now starting, called "Nova: The Final Reincarnation" It has been in the works for a little while now, and I''m happy with how it turned out! It''s a bit darker than my other works so far, but you''ll still recognize my style of writing. Not grimdark, and technically not much worse than AoS, but I still give a warning. I hope you give it a chance! Check out the intro page I made for it:
Enter a world where souls are power And one child carries the weight of nine lifetimes
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Nine Lives One soul, reborn across worlds, carrying centuries of wisdom and power.

Dark Secrets In a world where souls are commodities, children vanish in the night.

Rising Power From helpless child to legendary figure - witness a journey of supernatural growth. Start Reading

The "Start reading" button brings you to chapter one, so here''s the main page: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/103741/nova-the-final-reincarnation-litrpg-reincarnation For those of you waiting for an update on this story, nothing yet I''m afraid... But I expect news before the end of the month!