Chapter 140 - Reborn

"Found where Lamashtu is," a monitor tech stated on the opposite side of Bill. "She is in the town called Vintalia."

"Where is that?" Rodger asked. Seeing the lead monitor tech going to a search bar and type in the name, the monitor rapidly changed where it was looking at. Going to a location that was further north than the topside of the rising Tower, it showed a bird's eye view of a moderate size establishment.

"It is on the third tier of the E.D.E. world landscape...based on where this is, it is where most of the mid level stages and dungeons are found," he informed. As he spoke, the signature for the virus came up.

"As just a side note, a bulk of players tend to stay in this landscape after reaching level 50 through 60."

"Really? How come?" the leader programmer asked curious.

"Other than having battling options from the amount of stages and dungeons compared to other locations, it has the most variety. Based on just polling and data collection of player activities, a large minority of gamers don't seek to go grinding for higher levels. About 15% of the E.D.E. players seem to be acting out a second life in this area too."

"...in what sense?"

"Surprisingly, there is more than half of them that opened businesses. The other portions are broken up into smaller categories such as getting married, adopting children, volunteering, participating in local events, etc."

"Was that intentional or just how things were developed?" the lead programmer asked.

"Who knows," Bill mentioned and shrugged his shoulders. "At the time, it was considered novel to be able to have that complex of interaction with CPU characters with enough A.I. to follow suit with those activities. There have been players that have gotten together and married in the game...so I think the program designers and creators had those events occurring at the beginning."

"Almost like training them for what real life would be...while not at the same time," Rodger commented. Seeing a signature dot, Bill zoomed in a couple of times. By the time it got to an overhead view, a live feed came on showing a massive park area. In the center of the view, the individual was putting things on the ground.

"Sam, how quickly can you examine and trace her signature for a thread of Jin's character?" Rodger asked turning his head toward the coder.

"If she remains were she is and doesn't go off somewhere...maybe 15 to 30 minutes if his signature is scrambled. Less time if it isn't," he answered then began typing on his computer keyboard.

"You might get that time...a gang of five thieves showed up," the lead monitor tech mentioned. Bringing the feed up on the larger screen, everyone paused on what they were doing. Turning around, they watched what would be played out. Seeing the outcome of the gang up, she dealt with them effortless.

"None of them were gamers, right?" Rodger asked cringing a little from how brutal she killed them.

"All CPUs...hey...what is she doing?" Bill wondered. After dealing with the muggers, she moved the items she put down to be in the center are of the pentagon shape circle. After doing so, she removed the tops on the black filled bottles.

"That looks like a summoning," one co-worker stated to their right. Seeing her jump out of being inside the skewered area, she immediately threw up a hand. Seeing wind magic being casted on the database, things started to merge together. Rapidly forming, a large black floating fireball made a couple of people raise their eyebrows.

"Yeah...also, she is using blood magic along with some type of black magic," another added in. The sight of the dead men's dripping blood float toward the hovering orb confirmed that.

"Isn't most of black magic tied with the Underworld?" the lead programmer questioned a little confused.

"Most, yes...but not all. Even blood magic is not entirely demonic," a female employee informed. It caused others nearby to look at her with blank faces.

"Hey...I was just in a phase in high school and liked reading about. So buzz off," she stated. A couple raised their hands up while others just smirked and looked back at the screen.

"Got it," Rodger stated.

"...?" the group responded watching Lamashtu slit her hands. Watching her blood float and trail to the fire orb, it instantly stop burning. Going from looking like a porous small boulder to a liquid sphere, the lack of light going into it was a bit concerning. To their perspective, it just looked like a circle cut out of the image like the screen couldn't show the picture there.

"Is that a portal of some kind?" Bill asked then looked to Sam.

"...!?" the coder reacted from viewing the program coding database. Reviewing it again, it said the same thing the first time he examined it.

"She is putting her hands through it...but it is not big enough to just walk into," a monitor tech commented.

"Sam?" Rodger called and turned his head. Looking at him and blinking, the coder had a bewildered look on his face.

"...she opened an access gate...to the deleted files of Purgatory," he answered with an intrigued and confused voice.

"...!?" everyone reacted with a blink and looked at him. Seeing him about to responded, something drew his attention. Looking back at his screen, his eyes widen.

"Uh...she is pulling something out," a female worker stated and pointed at the big screen.

Looking back at it, the virus pulled a black silhouette slowly out of the void looking hole. Once the entirety of the figure was pulled out, the sphere shattered into many piece like broken glass. Falling to the ground in pieces, Lamashtu was holding what appeared to be the thing's head. Turning it around, she appeared to cup it's face. Everyone leaned back seeing hauntingly white-black eyes staring back at her.

[Well don't you look ravishing my dear...I was wondering what abyss you got trapped in] the ex-deity stated with what appeared to be a smile.

[...] the silhouette responded with just staring back. None of its features were clearly shown except for its eyes.

[Are you surprised to see me?...I'm flattered] she spoke and began to gently claw where the figure's cheeks would be. [No one has ever kept their form once they have entered Hell's darkest domain. However, you were in a realm when Adam erased it from this world's existence]

[...]

"...!?" everyone reacted with a flinch. Rodger and Bill looked over to Sam and saw him nod back. All three looked back at the big screen with a mixture of shock and interest.

[Has the cat got your tongue?] the former goddess asked with a giggle. Her boring expression with mirth into the creepy white-black eyes was unsettling to a few of the employees watching.

[Let me...help bring some sense back to you dear] Lamashtu whispered with a cruel grin. Descending down to the figure's face, she slowly kissed where the mouth would be. Both of them stared at each other with unblinking eyes as neither broke away.

"That has to be something out of a horror movie," Bill commented out loud. He crossed his arms over his chest and cringed a little.

"One demon in a woman's skin while the other a kid inside a monster's body."

"..." the rest of the crew responded feeling a little suspense. Not knowing what was going to happen, a couple thought something horrific would happen.

"...Rodger..." Sam spoke hesitantly. "...that figure's character...is starting to read a player's signature..."

"Is it Jin's?" the programmer asked hoping.

"...yes and no..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"...do you remember that there was a game character named Adam?"

"As in like, the Adam and Eve characters from the Garden of Eden?" a nearby worker asked and saw the coder nod.

"...well...Jin is coming back as a gamer...but he is also reading as Adam as well."

"...!?" some of the employees veered back a little then looked at him. Rodger and Bill looked at him as if something clicked.

"Adam stated that the game character was killed, but he did not know who," the lead programmer mentioned then looked back at the screen. "Does that mean Jin has become the new Adam of E.D.E.?"

"...?" the others responded with confused faces.

"I think you'll need John to figure out what mess this is turning into Rod," Bill suggested after giving a sigh and rubbing his temple.

"...yeah...but see if when Jin has stopped changing, he can be pulled out. I will see if I can get John in earlier," Rodger mentioned. Hearing the crew nod or give verbal agreement, he walked over to the other side of the work space area. Inside one of the larger offices, it was converted into the makeshift resting area for the team and where the overnight crew were still currently resting.

'...hands...' Jin commented in his head.

Seeing them covering his eyes, the pseudo sensation of being pulled back was felt. The agitation of knowing Selbith was in the room and doing something to his body faded away. The view of the monitor was barely seen through the hands fingers. Strangely the further he was being pulled back, the mild illumination the screen produced did not seem to fade. Without warning, his vision suddenly became blinding.

'...?' he thought in confusion.

Like stepping out of the darkness and seeing light, his eyes reacted of everything being too bright; however, he didn't feel the pain from it or squint. Trying to figure out what was going on, his body was being held still by the two hands. Feeling them move, he saw what seemed to be the remains of a black hole in front of him. It slowly disintegrated like shattered glass falling to the ground and fading away. Slowly being turned around 180 degrees, there was a silhouette to where the hands were attached to.

'...?' the sophomore continued in his mind.

Hearing it speak to him, it was muffled and unclear. The sensation of vague hands were touching his face then began to change. Feeling like plastic knifes barely running across his cheeks, he did not feel tickled by it. Seeing the figure descend toward him, the image of it did not clear. Something planted on where his mouth would be.

'...eyes?' Jin wondered. When it pressed what looked like its mouth against his, eyes appeared. Radiant burgundy colored irises appeared that did not appear to be entirely human. Its pupils appeared to be more of a vertical thin oval than a circle. Oddly, they seemed familiar as if he remembered someone that had them.

'...strange...something...feels like...it is changing...' the male teen stated in his mind.

Feeling a tingling sensation, it started off small. Spreading slowly all around his face, it seemed to go down his body and spread. Almost like a domino affect inside of him, it stopped at what he thought was his feet. The sensation of blinking came as he saw his vision go dark slowly then back to normal. It was as if seeing a curtain above his eyes come down then back up slowly without conscious thought. Without warning, all of his senses became hyperactive.

"...!?" Jin reacted seeing Lamashtu staring at him while kissing him. Seeing her slowly pull away to be nose to nose, a cruel smile appeared on her face.

"Welcome back...dear," she cooed a little.

"...w-w-w-h-h-a-a-t-t-h-h-h-a-p-p-p-p-e-e-n-n-e-e-d-d...?" he stuttered madly and shaking hard. Everything felt wrapped, wrong, and distorted. He flinched hard from feeling her arms go around his neck and hold onto his shoulders.

"You have broke new ground and came back from the abyss."

"...I...I was in...Purgatory,' the sophomore began calming down a little despite still trembling visibly. Looking down a little, he tried to remember.

"...my mind...dispersed and became lost...I felt I was...part of the fog...and then...nothingness."

"That is because dear...Adam expunged the judgment realms," the ex-deity informed letting go of him. He caught himself from falling to the ground; however, he still visibly shook. The expression on his face and the bewilderment look in his eyes almost looked appetizing to her.

"...you mean...he erased them?" Jin asked quietly looking up at her. He felt goosebumps from seeing her toothy grin.

"Yes my dear...and you...have become one of the only remnant of those worlds while retaining your Blighter essence," she informed. Reaching for his hands and gently grabbing them, she walked backwards to pull him in tow. Though still looking shocked and rattled, he cautiously followed her.

"Not only that...you consumed Adam's essence from when Satan's parasite infested you...do you know what that means Jin?"

"..." he reacted with wide eyes. "...no...no way...even if it is by default, that is a sick joke."

"Hee hee...you are an amusing one," the former goddess said with mirth in her voice and a smile. "Does the fact knowing you are not only a Blighter, but a Son of God, cause you so much denial?"

"I am not...a god," the male teen clarified. His statement made Lamashtu stop walking backwards. Snickering at first, she started laughing out loud in what seemed like much amusement. Holding onto his hands, she began to spin around with him.

"Ha ha ha ha! You are denying it!"

"Why is this amusing to you!?" he questioned startled from the odd behavior that she was displaying.

"Because! Not only are you being delicious, but the main reason is too funny," she answered and continued laughing.

"The main reason is too funny?" the Blighter repeated with a confused face. "You can't be crowned ruler of Hell and you lost your powers based in the judgment realms."

"...hee hee..." the former goddess giggled then stopped spinning herself and him around. Pulling him close and pressing herself on him, she looked alluringly into his eyes.

"If you can answer your own question correctly...I'll give you a direct answer...dear."

"..." he replied with leaning back a little. Feeling her cup his face quickly and hold him, her piercing gaze was uncomfortable.

"...answer before I...invade that mouth of yours again..." she threatened with a coy expression.

"...Adam...the creator...he was your real enemy some time after your release...wasn't he?" Jin began. Seeing her lean closer, he felt her nails dig to hold onto his head. The smile with teeth made him want to cringe and yank his head free.

"You wanted to be the new ruler of Hell...but since it was erased by Adam...that only leaves the world of E.D.E."

"...go...on...dear..." the ex-deity cooed and kept the same expression. Touching his nose with hers, he started to regain what seemed like normal composure and behavior. Everything started to not feel wrong and corrupted.

"...since all the others have been removed...this realm is what is left to conquer," the sophomore continuedfeeling his senses stop being on overdrive. After stating it, he made a frown at her with narrow eyes.

"Please don't tell me you want this to be your new Hell."

"...good boy..." Lamashtu whispered and tried to kiss him. Seeing him vanish and appear a few feet away, she looked up with a grin. Seeing his frown still on his face, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Shall I tell you my reason in a boring monologue?" she asked standing up straight. Keeping her smile, she approached him.

"..." he responded with a blink and watched her. "You can do whatever you want."

"Well then dear," the former goddess stated stopping near him. Reaching her right hand out to his left arm, she grabbed him in an unthreatening way. Still narrowing his eyes at her, he cautiously let go of crossing his arms over his chest. Seeing her give an uncharacteristic genuine smile that threw him off guard, she linked arms with him.

"Let us go on a stroll...and talk about the future," she continued and walked forward.

"The future?" he asked walking with her. "...under what pretenses?"

"So suspicious you are Jin...is that anyway to treat your mate who pulled you out of a plane of non-existence?" she asked giving him an amused grin. Seeing him stopped suddenly, she paused then turned her head toward him. Seeing him stare directly into her eyes, she enjoyed the sight of his frost white-black eyes seemingly pierce through her.

"...I am grateful to you...and...thank you for...saving me..." the sophomore stated firmly though he did not smile at her. "However...I have no reason to trust you."

"Oh and why is that...dear?" she wondered. Giving him the same mischievous expression, she pulled on his arm a little.

"..." Jin answered with a blink. Taking a step forward to walk, she proceeded forward with him.

"You infected me to become one of your tainted breed...and then you used, what I am guessing, blood magic to get me out...that does not come without a contract of some kind."

"...hee hee...maybe dear...it does depend on how you treat me."

"Is that a threat?"

"How about an invitation...you have already given me what I desire and I am seeking for...I do not open my arms willingly for an mere mortal even when they give me what I want."

"..." Jin replied with a mild grunt. Hearing her snicker a little, she leaned closer to him.

"Dear...be so kind as to lend me some of your power."

"...what do you want it for?" he asked suspicious.

"I do not like eavesdroppers from the land of the creators...I want our chat to be...among both of us only."

"...fine..."

"Thank you," Lamashtu said with cruel smile. Feeling a small sensation of draining from inside of himself, a faint black glow was seen around her. Moving her free hand to the air and snapping her fingers once, the glow vanished with a dull boom in the background.

"There we are...now then," the former goddess began then pointed toward a city up ahead. "Our little date shall begin."

"..." the male teen replied with veering his eyes the other way. "...whatever..."

"..." the group of workers reacted seeing the black silhouette fill out to be the Blighter character.

Seeing that it retained the white-black eyes still, the black veins that matrixed his skin surface had gone back into his skin. Looking closer to what his gunslinger body condition was, the pale complexion and eyeballs remained as the only significant differences. While watching both virus and player speak, text captions appeared on the bottom portion of the large screen. It gave everyone confirmation that Adam tried to delete the gamer intentionally. The discussion continued to which Bill confirmed another aspect regarding about the player's new status.

'This is so wacky,' the lead monitor thought. 'He is a demi-god which by default...means he is the closest thing of a god in E.D.E.'

'But not only that...this virus mastermind and plotted for a scenario of this type since being released from her confinements.'

'Her goal is to rule over Hell and E.D.E...but now she has mashed the two together...thus her programming is not tripping out or shorting.'

"...he really created an A.I. that can adapt...way to easily," Bill muttered. Continuing to watch, Lamashtu snapped her fingers which seemed to toggle the caption texts. It blurred for a minute or so, then the caption bar went blank.

"What happened?" one asked.

"Looks like she casted a Distortion spell to block admin privileges," Sam informed then looked up from his monitor. "Basically, she created a bug."

"Hey Sam," the lead monitor tech asked turning his chair to the coder. "Given that the kid is back to being a player status and signature, is he capable to log out?"

"To be technical, probably. To be honest, I am not sure," he answered. "Having the virus near him and her casting the interference makes it hard to see if he can or not."

"Got it," Bill stated. Seeing two people walking back from the other side of the workspace, it was Rodger and John. The coder looked tired still though his eyes were open.

"Hey Sam, can you show John Jin's profile then signature?" the lead programmer asked. Seeing him nod and open up a window on his screen, the other coder put on his glasses and examined the data. After about a minute or so wait in silence, John leaned back straight.

"What do you think John?" Rodger spoke.

"There are still components missing in the player's signature to completely state that he can log out by himself," he informed then turned to look at the other man. "What happened? Were you able to retrieve a majority of his signature?"

"...well...not exactly," he stated then explained what had happened so far in E.D.E. and the actions that both Bennett and Adam took. Finishing, the man was pinching his nose in what looked like a combination of tiredness and irritation.

"That explains...why his data looks partially constructed," John informed and adjusted his glasses. "It is possible to fill in the missing components to be almost back to normal. However when that comes and his is able to log out, their might be imperfections with the transfer."

"Will that mean that Jin might log out with mental problems?" the lead programmer asked thinking about the complications from that.

"If we have almost a complete signature, there is a good enough chance that he will come out normal. There is just a greater, smaller chance that something will not go well and cause him complications."

"...got it...go ahead with filling in the missing components with Sam."

"Copy that," the man stated with a nod. Going to the next computer station over, both coders discussed things and began to work together.