Normally I did an after action report on everything I did after it was over. You couldn't improve if you didn't reflect on your actions.
Pain was weakness leaving the body. That was a phrase I had heard a lot in gym class. You went through painful experiences and torture, and you got stronger. That wasn't always true though. Sometimes you worked hard, and ended up injured, weaker, damaged, or dead. Or someone else paid for your mistakes.
I turned the wheel, shifting slightly as we went past the sign for the entrance into Derry. It was weird how skills ported over. All those years teaching, and I was just an advanced apprentice grade teacher, while my science skills were enough to make me a journeyman. And my driving skill was still simply apprentice grade.
Anyway, whenever I had come to places I had lied and deceived. It was instinctual. Maybe part of the gamer system? You didn't tell everyone that you had magical powers. You didn't breach the masquerade. Grave things would happen…
I'd used it well. I'd invaded the cave of a god, trusting in my skill as he stripped me of my powers, escaped, and killed and killed and killed the agents of the red till an eldritch god noticed me and befriended me, all while avoiding thinking about it on a conscious level. I had good control of my thoughts.
But there were people who could mind read me, people who could figure me out. For now, I could shield my thoughts from Georgie- but in times of stress, in times of weakness, who knew? I wasn't a great liar. I could spot lies, but I wasn't good at producing more than simple absurd ones that would fall apart on deeper inspection.
And I intended to take this big. The Dark Towers series was all connected by portals, and there were devices that would let you travel from world to world. I intended to be king. Have a community of psychics, drug lords, social manipulators, all connected across Sawland, The Dark Tower, and beyond. Linked by magic and science, fused to create something greater than either. One day I intended to make my original patron my bitch, and be the one who gave quests and rewards.
I felt a flashing pain in my- his right eye. It was happening. I was almost home but.
"It hurts!" Said Georgie. "It hurts so much." I took the pain on myself, and he sighed. "Thank you. What- I can see light."
I drove to stop at the side of the road, next to the sign in front of the Derry High school, and focused on the change. Initially it was just a field of brightness, appearing. Then blurry shapes, slowly coming into focus, as the pain reached a peak.
And we had two eyes again.
"Aren't you glad I bought Gamer's Body E rank now?" I now had the option of a few different systems for my abilities, courtesy of Maturin. I could keep the saw motif- apprentice, advanced apprentice, journeyman, master, grandmaster. I could go all wuxia, and have my ranks go fro B. I could have numbers. I could even go turtle style. Hatchling, junior, adult, elder, ancient turtle. The skill rankings were similar- I now knew it went common, uncommon, rare, legendary, epic, with increasing benefits for more powerful merged skills.
Georgie rubbed his new eye, and ignored me. "I can see." He picked up a sandwich from the side of our stolen car, and tossed it out of the window. It collapsed, bread, meat, and lettuce separating as they dropped to the floor.
"It worked!" He said.
"Your aim is perfect as always." I said.
"Let's go play laser tag with Bill!" He said.
"Yes, use your depth perception!"
I drove us onwards, as Georgie described all the many things he had missed doing with his brother.
Last time we'd checked, four hours ago, he'd been fine. The homeless man we had paid to watch him deserved an excellent reward. Regular phone calls to each of the public phone boxes I had found. Concise, reliable reports. I should look into him. Richard, his name was I think. Black dude.
We arrived back at Georgie's house. Door was locked.
"Do they keep a spare key anywhere?" I asked Georgie. He shook our head.
"Nope. Bill's window is open though." I looked up, and indeed, his window was open. I shifted back to Georgie size, and climbed up.
Sometime I wanted a parkour skill, but for now I was as strong as a weight lifter and weighed like 80 pounds. I easily hauled myself up a pipe, and swung into the window. I brushed my fingers over a globe, and looked up at a solar model. It contained pluto. Very inaccurate. Pluto wasn't a planet. I tore it off, tossing it up and down in my hand.
I activated Enlightened Mind. There was a clown picture, and I had to be sure. My senses exploded outwards, every sight, smell, and sound more intense, aided by the strength of my Mad Scientist skill. Survivor had memories of hunts across other stars and planets. Mad Scientist was even more intense, granting me knowledge of how to create such horrors. If Pennywise was watching me, I would see him. Or feel him.
Nothing. Well, not nothing. I could hear the flap of the birds, the drip of a leaky tap, the smell of tears and salt, the scratching of a mouse as it worked it's way through the walls. No clowns. I did hear an argument downstairs. Bill and his parents arguing. I pocketed the makeshift dwarf planet, and headed downstairs.
Bill was standing in front of a map of the Sewer Complex, gesturing at it furiously. "He could still be alive! I've looked it over, there's a lot of space there. Food too! He could be lost."
"Son… you have to accepted it." Said his father. "He's not coming back."
I let Georgie take the reins.
"Hey mom, hey dad. I'm back! What's for dinner?" Georgie said, pacing down the stairs.
Everyone looked pretty shocked. "I thought- I thought!" Said Georgie's dad. Then all of them rushed up to hug and touch him, to see if he was real. They clustered around him, crying, asking questions, hugging him and pinching his cheeks to check he was real.
I let this go on for a while, and then directed Georgie to lead them to the dining room with chairs.
"Where did you go?" Asked Bill. "What happened to you?"
Georgie spoke, hands moving fast as he tried to capture it all. "An evil sewer clown dragged me into the sewer! I thought I was dead. But I had a saviour. A magical fairy vampire came into my body- he's here with me now- and helped me fight him. And we escaped! It was disgusting, we had to use a tool made of children's bones. But I lost my eye." At the looks of his parents he shrugged. "I got better. And then we went to Illinois to get magic items and befriend a magical turtle and we killed some demon and a mean woman who hated men and I got to see Aliens and it was awesome!" He breathed. "And then the turtle became our friend and we punched that clown, pow! Then we came back here. And now we're here."
Bill stared at me. "You're telling the truth aren't you?" He said. "I can tell. You believe what you said. All of it." He said, looking intensely at- I think- me. "I sense something..."
His parents sighed. "It must have been trauma. Come on, Georgie, we're taking you to the hospital.
My mother came and grabbed my arm, tugging me. I transformed into my normal body.
"He was telling the truth. I am here. And the clown lives. I am an inter dimensional traveler. Your children- and maybe you too- are psychics of great power. I ask you, help us stop this devil clown before more lives are destroyed! Join the army of goodness, let us fight evil!"
"What did you do to my son! Bring him back!" Said his mother.
I let Georgie take over again. "Mom, it's ok. I'm here." She looked really confused, as did the dad.
"What? I don't..." Said the father, pacing back and forth.
I needed them. I needed money, I needed access, because Pennywise was a god, and I was a man, and gods cannot be defeated alone. It was time to invest in my future. I took control again, and walked up to Georgie's mother and father
"Accept my blessing." And I pushed Enlightened Mind and Clear Thinking into them. 48 perk points only, thanks to my teaching skill- 10% reduction in all costs for teaching perks.
Teaching persuasion check succeeded!
"You believed once- you believed in Santa, in the Easter Bunny, in the Tooth Fairy, in love, and friendship and things less practical than taxes and finances and being an adult. Break free. Believe again. Magic is real."
They collapsed to the floor, eyes rolling, as the perks took control.
Bill rushed to me, and grabbed my arm, shaking it. "What did you do?" He asked.
"I enlightened them. Adults are stupid. They believe in lies like government, taxation, civilization, and often forget that monsters lie in the dark. Monsters that don't care for their silly lies, which manipulate and destroy."
"Does enlightenment mean mind control! Stop this!"
"It's their minds doing this. I started the trip. I don't chose where it ends." I did a quick sweep over the pair. Their HP bars were fine, they'd be fine.
"Bill, do you want to protect your brother?"
He nodded. "I do. I'd do anything. I think you're telling the truth."
Georgie spoke up. "He is! It's all true."
I spoke again. "I need your all. We are going to destroy a monster, a monster more terrible than any in your horror films. It has infected this town. It's time to burn out the connection." I held up my hand.
"Are you with me?" He grabbed my hand. "To the end. If you promise to free Georgie. Take my body instead." He offered.
Well, this was awkward. I'd love to be able to body hop, but I couldn't.
"He can't." Said Georgie in my head. Crap, he'd gotten past my barriers again. He was much better at this psychic shit than me.
"I am way better. It's because adults are dumb." He said.
"Kids are way more dumber." I said.
"It's kids are dumber, not more dumber. I know that." Said Georgie.
"You got me there, you win. Kids are dumber."
I turned back to Bill.
"I know you want Georgie back. When the clown is dead, I will be gone as well. I go from world to world, saving people. I have confirmed that those I possess survive it."
He slowly nodded. "I'll help you."
"Will you be my knight? My soldier in this new war?"
He nodded.
"I will." I touched his arm, and pushed a blessing to him as well.
A new mark of Maturin formed on his arm as well. He was claimed too. Apparently, this would make it easier for Maturin to watch us and help us. He'd not been purposely ignoring me before, he had said, but he had many many responsibilities. Cost me 21 perk points, as a God level perk, but it was worth it.
His parents were standing up again.
"I saw things. Terrible things. A void. A macrovoid... there was a terribly large reptilian monster in it. They talked about vomiting and pushed me back. I saw a darkness. Such a vast darkness." Said Georgie's dad. "It was so dark." That was odd. I looked over at him with my gamer vision. No infection. I didn't think Pennywise could hide from me. Not that strong. Weird.
"I'll help you. We have to stop him. We can't let It attack again." He said. "I saw it. It was terrible. I can't let anyone face that."
"Let's kill the clown!" I said. I claimed them both in Maturin's name as well.
The turtle king's army had begun.
An army is gathered, a mark shared, and battlelines drawn. All the while, a clown prepares to go to war.
Dragonbornthesam. Fun idea, but this is a classless system. You build your character with your selection of perks and attributes. Could be a perk later when he gets stronger magic. At the moment, he mostly just has stuff like the items- mental magic. Cheap and simple. He could still get something to pied piper animals though.
Watermelonninja. He is sadly not Peter Parker.
Guest. And in this chapter, the harem expands further.
Randomnerdotaku. Very Japanese.