[Volume 1 - Chapter 5]
[Death Of A Phoenix]
Subaru trudged through the door of his home, exhausted from the mental gymnastics he had been through all day. His father greeted him with a warm smile, "How was school today, son?"
"I can lie but it would be counterproductive to my cause. I want people to think i am a genius. What better start than my parents."
Subaru took a deep breath and let out a sigh, "It was intense. The professor tested me on classical mechanics and I was able to answer all the questions."
Kenichi chuckled, "Sure you do. Well, I hope you're not fibbing to me. I remember those college level mechanics tests being quite challenging."
"Still not believing me huh?" Subaru was getting impatient but still did not want to make his parents suspicious. "Don't want him to start questioning about how i could do such things."
"Well, I guess I just had a knack for it," Subaru said with a shrug, trying to play it cool.
But his father was not convinced, "Really?
Subaru smiled sheepishly, "I guess I just surprised myself and the professor today." He didn't want to reveal the truth about his abilities, so he changed the subject, "Hey, what's for dinner?"
His father shook his head and chuckled, "You're not getting out of this that easily. I want to hear more about this sudden interest in mechanics."
Subaru thought quickly, "I, uh, read a book on it and found it interesting. That's all."
His father raised an eyebrow, "A book, huh? Alright, well I hope this interest continues."
Subaru nodded, grateful for the change of subject. He didn't want to reveal the truth about his abilities and how he had gained the knowledge. He would have to be more careful in the future.
"It would have been a lot easier if he didn't question the source of my interests." Sighed Subaru as he took off his shoes and went inside.
"Looks like mom's cooking something else than peas. I wonder what it is." Subaru peeked into the kitchen as he saw his mother preparing something.
Subaru's mouth watered at the thought of the delicious meal. He decided to avoid mentioning the challenging questions he had been asked about classical mechanics in class, not wanting to draw any suspicion. Instead, he focused on the present and his mother's cooking.
He walked into the kitchen and approached his mother, who was busily stirring the fried rice on the stove. She turned to him with a warm smile and asked, "So, how was your first day at school?"
He shrugged, "It was okay. I met some new kids, and we had some interesting lessons."
His mother nodded, "That's great. I hope my cute Subaru made some new friends and had lots of fun."
Subaru smiled, "Yeah, it was a good day." He stood by her side and looked at rice being cooked. "It smells amazing, Mom. Can't wait to dive in," he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
His mother chuckled, "I'm glad you're so excited. Dinner will be ready soon, so go wash up."
Subaru headed to the bathroom, already looking forward to the feast that awaited him.
Subaru closed the door behind him, took off his shirt and rolled it into a ball. He put the ball into his mouth and shut his mouth tight. He looked at the screen in front of him.
[User's Mind Had Deteriorated Badly. Reconstruction Is In Pending. Start?] (Y/N)
"Dammit... this is going to hurt like hell..." He said as he raised his hands towards the screen. "Yes!"
For a few seconds, Subaru felt his mind turning to mush because of the sheer seizures he was having. Still he could not collapse for the [System] did not allow him this luxury. As this was over, he stood up and dusted off his clothes. He should have screamed in agony even if he had stopped feeling the pain . If he was a normal human being that is.
"Worth it." He laughed as if he had won the lottery. "Oh! I can't keep mom waiting for me." He walked with joy, completely forgetting about the seizures which were still blaring in his minds. It was not as if he could not feel the pain. Infact the opposite. He could feel everything clearly because of his new body given to him by his parents and the system. He just did not consider their intensity to be worthy of his attention.
As Subaru sat down at the dinner table, his mother placed a steaming hot plate of fried rice in front of him. He eagerly dug in, savoring the flavor of the spices and vegetables mixed with fluffy grains of rice.
Naoko watched her son with a proud smile, "So, how was your first day at school?"
Subaru shrugged, trying not to reveal too much information, "It was okay, I guess. I made a new friend."
Kenichi, who was sitting across from Subaru, raised an eyebrow, "Really? Who?"
"Just a girl in my class," Subaru replied, taking a sip of water.
Naoko gave a smiled, "That's great, honey. What's her name?"
"She introduced herself as Aoi," Subaru answered, a small smile on his lips. Subaru put extra stress on the her name almost as if he was denying some possibility. "She. Is. Not. My. Rem." He told himself no matter how much his heart broke at this denial.
Kenichi did not like the look in Subaru's eyes. "Looks like you're already finding yourself a date, Subie."
"Subie?"
"Hum. From now on your nickname is Subie." Kenichi smirked as if he had done something great.
"That's so cute. Kenichi how could a man like you come up with such a great name for my Subaru."
"Mom did have the habit of verbally killing people without knowing that she was doing it." Subaru felt so happy to be a part of such a great family. "How could a worthless son like me be worthy of their LOVE!!!" Remained unsaid.
"Hey Subaru, You still didn't answer my question. Don't tell me you too are already married. How could you do this to your old man?" Kenichi acted dramatically trying to make Subaru cringe. Which he was doing with great success.
Seeing Subaru silent, Kenichi decided to tease him even more. "Is my son getting embarassed. Look honey, even his ears are hot red."
But before Subaru could answer, Naoko smacked Kenichi's back with such strength which was not expected of one with her stature. "They're just children, Kenichi. Let them enjoy their innocence while they can." Kenichi tended to the red hand mark on his back without saying a word. His current goal was now placating his wife.
"Subaru has a lot of knowledge to acquire before he starts dating," Naoko continued, winking at her son.
Subaru chuckled, "Don't worry Mom, I'm not quite ready for dating yet. I have to focus on learning all I can first."
Kenichi teased, "Ah, come on, Subie. You can have your books and your girl. No one's stopping you."
Naoko gave Kenichi a small smile. "Kenichi, behave." was the meaning of this smile of her's.
Subaru rolled his eyes at his father's joke, "Ha ha, very funny, Dad. I don't even know what love is at this age, let alone dating."
Naoko chuckled, "That's right, honey. You will have plenty of time to worry about those things when you're older. I am sure that you will not turn out like your father."
"Honey that was uncalled for." Kenichi objected like a child.
Subaru couldn't help but smile at the interaction between his parents. They always knew how to lighten the mood. He took a bite of his fried rice and savored the flavor, grateful for the even the most basic pleasures in life.
The family laughed and continued their dinner, enjoying each other's company and the warmth of their home.
As they finished dinner, the conversation shifted to more serious topics. Subaru listened as his parents discussed work and current events, his mind wandering to the new knowledge he had absorbed.
Subaru had realized that his ability allowed him to memorize perfectly but understanding from connecting information and drawing conclusions would still require him to work for.
Seeing his parents only talk about boring stuff, Subaru stood up. "I'm heading to my room to rest," Subaru announced as he stood up from the dinner table. "This conversation about real world problems is a little too stale for my developing taste buds."
"As you say honey, just don't stay awake for too long. Studying is great but too much of everything- "
"-is poison. I know mom. Don't worry. Your son is too smart to harm himself." Subaru lied.
Subaru waved goodbye to his parents and made his way to his room, ready to escape the mundane conversation and relax for the rest of the evening.
As he entered his room, he flopped onto his bed and let out a deep sigh. He needed to clear his mind and focus on something else. Maybe he would read a book or fiddle with his system. Whatever it was, he just needed a break from the monotony of his everyday life.
Subaru closed his eyes and let his mind wander, allowing himself to escape from reality for just a little while. He deserved a moment of peace and quiet.
After exactly 30 minutes had passed, he opened his eyes up. "Ok now i am fresh. If i had this body before, a lot of things could have been prevented. No! Now is not the time for this. I need to finish that quest i got from absorbing that book."
Subaru sat up and opened the quest in question.
[Quest: Path Of The Machina]
[Absorb Classical Mechanics 1/1]
[Requirments Fulfilled]
[Class Change Quest Will Begin In 1 Minute. Prepare]
[00:01:00]
[00:00:59]
[00:00:58]
"This has not happened before. Then again this is the first time i got a class change quest. What does it mean by prepare?" Subaru stood up from his bed and started walking in circles. "I have lived long enough to know when i am in danger and right now i feel that it is something related to the ominous timer." He looked around and saw apair of cardboard cutters. "Then again, it is better to be paranoid now than to suffer later." Saying this, Subaru put the cardboard cutters into his pockets.
[00:00:05]
"Guess it's time. I wonder what will happen? Don't tell me I will die or something." He said nonchalantly.
As the timer turned to zeroes, Subaru's body started to turn to mist. "Ehhh! What is Happening?" He tried to shout but he was unable to feel his vocal cords. No not only that but he could not feel his existence entirely.
"Am... I... going... to... die...?" Subaru did not feel any pain for reasons unknown to him. But this feeling of nothingness was quite... nostalgic for him.
"Gulguluh" Subaru opened his eyes, water rushed out of his lungs as he tried to exhale. He stood up and laid his back against the wall. He looked around yet saw only a few puddles.
"Was i drowing in an inch deep puddle. I shouldn't have mocked Typhon. She would be laughing her heart out if she saw me like this." He smiled as he remembered the witch of pride.
He looked around more to get a grasp of his general situation. "A stony structure consisting of ever expanding tunnels which look oddly clean for some reason. Also what is up with the occasional puddles? I am not seeing any water ducts nor any leakage in the walls."
Plop... Plop... Plop...
Subaru turned his head and peeked into the room where the squishy sound came from. "That seems like... Oh i get it so this is a slime dungeon. Now what? I dont even know what to do here?"
As if the system was waiting for these words, it appeared in front of him.
[Objectives]
[Kill Slimes 0/5]
"Ok now i know." He said as he took out his cutter. " I should start now. Would not want to keep mom and dad waiting now do I?"
He walked towards a small slime which flattened itself as it sensed something nearby.
Fshh!!!
Subaru brought down his cutter and sliced the slime. "It feels strange to be the one killing instead of being the one getting killed. Still i must show my remorse and respect to those i kill. I will try to remember their sacrifices." Subaru promised himself to never forget this for he knew how it felt to be powerless. Though he would not pity his victims as he had been pitied.
Squlch!!!
"... It passed right through." Subaru backed and raised his arms in an attempt to guard himself from any attack. To his surprise, it did not attack him.
"Eh...?" It just slid a few paces away from him and turned into a puddle again.
"Does it lack sentience?" He thought. "I definitely cut its jelly like body. The sectioned part seems to be wriggling disgustingly. The question is why did it not die? Don't tell me it has one of those cores?"
Subaru once again positioned the blade in his hand and thrusted it repeatedly. "It seems to be weakening. Looks like i will have to shave its entire body to kill it. How tedious." This thought however was proven wrong as he felt his strike connect with something hard.
[Slime Level 1 Killed]
[You Gained 1 Experience Points]
"That was easy. I was worried over nothing." Subaru straightened his back and looked at the place the slime was. Its seemingly gelatinous structure turned to fog and floated away. "Video game mechanics in the real world are really weird."
For the next hour, he killed four more slimes.
[User Has Gained Enough Experience]
[Quest Completed]
[User Will Return In 1 Minute.]
"Finally I will get some rest." As the timer once again completed, He found himself back into his room. "How strange... I kept my eyes open but even then i could not see how i got back here. One moment i was there and now i am here."
Subaru laid on his bed as he stretched his tiny limbs. "Status!" He said, looking at the bright screen with tired eyes.
"Hmm... Regeneration has not gone up. And why is everything else stuck at level 5?" He grumbled.
[User Can Increase The Level Cap By Evolving Both Job And Racial Classes]
1.[High Human - Gain Nigh Superhuman Abilities]
(Y/N)
"This was not here before! Guess killing does make me grow. But growing through killing others is not something i like." Subaru remained silent.
"Am i pondering the ethics of my actions? I thought i was already beyond that point. Still no point in worrying about the consequences of my actions as they are of no help to me. Not in saving my friends at least." Saying this he clicked on the almost transparent screen.
Before Subaru could utter another one of his witty remarks, he felt himself being pulled away towards somewhere.
Somewhere Very Very Far Away.
"Where am I?" Subaru's voice echoed through the expanse of pure white, a space without any direction, where front, back, up and down were mere suggestions.
He walked in a random direction, calling out, "Is anybody here?"
A voice without any sense of self responded, "Are you the one?" It sounded unsure.
"If you have any prophecy for me, I apologize. I already have my hands full," Subaru replied with a hint of sarcasm. After experiencing so much things in his life, he had gotten familiar with clichés. And this was one of those situations.
"Yes, You Are The One," The voice exclaimed elatedly.
But before Subaru could even react, he felt his entire being turn to fire. He screamed as his flesh seared and bones crackled under the intense heat. He thrashed and wriggled, trying to escape the pain, but he was trapped in this dream world with no escape.
"You are the one. The one. The one," The voice repeated mindlessly.
"It seems to not have a will or doesn't care about me," Subaru gasped through the pain.
"Warm. Warm. Hot. Hot. Burns. It Burns. Hurting. Hurt Bad," The voice continued its utterances, making no sense.
"I am the one who is getting hurt, not you," Subaru cried out, tears streaming down his face. "Is this hell? Is suffering my fate?" He questioned from the deepest pits of despair. "Or is it my right?"
"Yes. Mine. Mine. All mine," A crooked smile appeared on Subaru's face. "I deserve so much worse. How horrid of me to even think of this place as hell. Was this not my ultimate goal, to atone for my suffering?" Subaru's ramblings were like those of a certain archbishop.
The fire embraced him, understanding that he was welcoming it into his heart. The fire intensified, burning brighter and hotter, consuming him, searing his soul, and filling his mind with an all-encompassing agony.
"How long have I awaited for this?" Subaru shouted like a madman, arms spread wide, beckoning all the misery towards himself. "Consume me! Purify me! Devour me! Cleanse me!"
And yet, somehow, the pain grew even more intense. He clung to the shreds of his sanity and refused to give in. He wouldn't let it defeat him. "After so... so long. Finally a fire to burn away my sins."
"Will the fire eat the filth of my being or am I the filth that will be burnt away?" he whispered through gritted teeth. "It doesn't matter? It never mattered." He paused. "Not to me or to anyone else. I Never Mattered!"
He repeated this question to himself again and again. "None of it matters. What matters now are-"
"Answers," The voice completed his remaining declaration.
The fire suddenly dissipated, leaving him lying on the white expanse, panting and sweating. His hair had fallen off and his body was burnt to charcoal.
"Yes. Answers. For the sake of my friends," Subaru whispered.
"For Subaru Natsuki," the voice from beyond now seemed to have gained some agency in its thoughts.
Instead of denying all things that tried to help him, as he always did, he accepted the path the voice showed him.
"Yes, for Subaru Natsuki too," Subaru agreed with a small smile as his eyes lost their shine. "I hope the next one will do better than me."
Subaru laid on nothingness as his body slowly healed regret bones and tissues. "And here i thought that 1 per hour rate of regeneration was useless. In 4 hours or so, i will be back at full HP and MP." 'Though i rarely use the latter.' Went unsaid.
He stopped as if thinking about something of great importance, "Am I forgiven?" He asked without any hope.
"Have You Forgiven Yourself?" The voice asked. No calling it just a voice would not do it justice.
Right now the voice had taken the shape of a white mannequin. It could not move around. Scratch that, It could not even move its lips. It just laid there, stuck inside a tiny body. It chose to inhabit a tiny body instead of existing as an aspect of this seperated reality.
"... No!" Subaru still could not forgive himself. Seeing The Doll dejected, he changed his words. "At least not right now."
"And That Is Okay. Creator Does Not Need To Forgive Himself Entirely All In One Go. Just As Rome was not built in a day, So Do You Require Time Before You Get To Terms With Yourself. And By Each Step, No Matter How Small, I will Be By Your Side."
"Are you going through my memories again?" Subaru was annoyed.
"... How Did You Know?"
"Well this place does not seemed connected to any place i know of and surely it is not connected to Earth. So how could you have known about Rome?" He was acting smug which greatly amused The Doll. "The only thing conclusion i can draw from these facts is that you are reading my mind. How? That, I don't know."
"I apologize. I Will Work To Improve Myself, Creator. I expected Nothing less Of You" Subaru groaned as The Doll showed him its fervent devotion.
"You do know that calling someone by honorifics gets old really fast, right? And besides i am not one for titles and what not?" Subaru laughed, his self-depreciation showing through.
The Doll felt that it was best to not point out his self-hating tendencies. It decided that moving the conversation was the best course of action. "Not One For [Titles]? But You Already Have One."
"Oh so you know about the system?" Questioned Subaru. "Though i would not answer any questions i do not wish to answer." He knew the importance of 'keeping your cards close to your heart' all too well.
"As You Wish. To Answer Your Question, I am the [System]-"
"What are you? Who created you? How can this be? What is this place? What is your ultimate goal?" Subaru launched a barrage of questions towards The Doll in a single breath. This caused him to cough badly.
"Are You Okay?" The Doll seemed worried.
"Just answer me." He said with seriousness which was not there before.
"I Am The [System] Or At Least A Part Of It. I Am Unaware Of When I Came Into Being. The Only Thing I Remember Is Hearing Your Voice In This Empty World. My Goal Is ..." The Doll's head fell lifeless to the side as if to show its dejection. "I have no goal."
"That can be arranged rather easily. Trust me on this. Those who are cursed with mind always dream for one thing or another. There are a handful exceptions."
"Are You One Of The Exceptions?" It asked innocently.
"No. I still dream. And because of those dreams, I have fallen to many sins and by discarding them, i arose." He stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath in this world devoid of any air.
"All of them. Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth, Melancholy and... Vainglory." He spat out the last word with bitterness for it reminded him of something truly vile. "I stood above them all. And now look at me. Talking to a doll in a place only God knows where."
The pressure exuded by Subaru's presence was enough to physically affect The Doll. "Who Is It That You Bear So Much Hatred For?" It barely asked.
"I am not in the mood. Can't you just read my mind anyway?" He turned his face away.
"No. The User's Mental Blocks Are Far Too Complex To Be Bypassed Without Doing Permanent Damage. Though I Can Access General Information And Surface Level Emotions As They Are Not Locked Away." It answered monotonously.
"Well that's a relief. At least i still have the privacy of my mind." He breathed a sigh of relief. "You still have not answered the why or the how of your being."
"I... Do Not Know." The Doll seemed lost. Even though it had no facial expressions, Subaru could read it like an open book.
"Don't worry. The more you understand, the less you understand. Welcome to my world honey."
"I Don't Understand. I Feel-"
"Annoyed, Irritated, Terrified, Panicked, Frustrated, Overwhelmed, Hesitance-" Interjected Subaru.
"STOP I UNDERSTAND!!!" The Doll shrieked. Though it calmed itself afterwards. "I apologize for my behaviour, Creator."
"That was unexpected." Subaru said with a surprised look. "I know my personality can be a little overbearing but aren't you being too harsh." He gave a fake pout.
"I Do Not Know What Happened. It Was Like Your Words Triggered These... Feelings In Me. All At Once." The Doll's body twitched for a moment then fell lifeless again.
"Trying to move without any joints? Why not just create some? You did create your body out of thin air. It will be a lot easier to move in." He suggested, as he touched The Doll's body.
"I Cannot. Even This Body Was Made From Your Residual Memories. Taking Any More From You Will Cause You To Lose Your Mind."
"So you are feeding on me?" Subaru raised an eyebrow.
"I Would Not Say That's How It Is..." The Doll avoided the question.
"You would do well in becoming my ally instead of standing in my way." But Subaru instead of going distrustful, became relaxed. "Don't worry i have nothing of value that you could take from me anyway."
"As For Why I Came Into Being, It Must Be Because You Wanted Something From The System. Do You Remember What Your Goal Was Before Coming Here?"
"Yup. It was something about becoming a high human." He answered.
"That Process Has Been Already Completed. Though For Some Reason, Your [Gate] Leaked A Large Amount Of Mana. I Was Unable To Repair It With My Current Abilities. The Best Course Of Action Was To Force Your Body To Create A New One."
"This is impossible! Echidna told me that creating a gate was impossible even for her. The only time a gate is created is when something is born."
"Or When Something Is Reborn." The Doll was cryptic in its response.
Subaru picked up on the meaning of its strange wording and as he did, a horrific realization dawned on him, his face scrunching to a frown. "What did you to me?" He asked with caution.
"..." The Doll remained silent and motionless as if it was a real doll.
"I asked you something." He said sternly. "Answer me dammit. Tell me you did not take that away from me?"
Instead of saying anything, The Doll gazed him back with its lifeless eyes. "Would You Be Able To Handle The Truth?"
"It does not matter whether i can or cannot do. It is something that i must do." He said with unbreakable resolve.
"As You Wish." The Doll said grimly.
"Oh so it was just my dead body. Almost lost my cool there." Subaru was nonchalant. For him it was as minor of an inconvenience as waking up on a Monday morning.
"Why Are You Not Worried?" The Doll was incredulous at his reaction.
"It is as if he does not care about what happened to him. Almost As If He Sees His Past Self As Nothing More Than Failures Whose Only Purpose Is To Be Discarded." It thought.
"Such a shame. This one really thought that he could move forward in life without dying. Such a shame indeed." He poked the recently burnt body. "Still, it feels weird touching my own dead body. I wonder how will i die? At least this one was lucky to enjoy the love of his parents even if it was for a short while, most of us couldn't even afford such a luxury."
"Why Is It That You Refer To Your Previous Body As Another Person?" The Doll was curious. Why was it that its creator acted the way he did? "Why Is He Kicking His Own Dead Body?"
Hearing her question, he stopped. "Because he is not myself. He died as a failure and so will I. I expect that I will be treated like this and so did he."
He paused as if reading the Doll's mind. "As for why i am kicking this husk... well just say that Witch Of Envy is not really enjoying this sight which in turn makes me very happy." He said, as he burst into a fit of maniacal laughters.
"Are You Alright? Your Intelligence Stat Seems To Be Much Higher Than Average. So Why Is It That You Are Insane?" It questioned unaware of what it was really asking.
For a moment, The Doll caught a glimpse of dead bodies behind Subaru's eyes. Not one, two or three but thousand upon thousands.
"What was that?" It thought of the horrid sight it saw.
"Oh i am perfectly sane." He said with a perfect smile which would fool anybody. "I am the only one who is sane."
"I find such a statement to be paradoxical." The Doll stopped as if it was holding its non-existent breath. "How could you think normally after such a-" It stopped abruptly.
"I knew you were aware of why I burnt to death. Or he did to be more precise. Care to elaborate?" He knew that The Doll was hiding something from him.
"I found out that you had a collapsed gate after initiating the race change. This resulted in you dying. I was... worried. As I reached towards your burnt body, I saw another body forming right next to it. It was an exact replica of you."
"If i had such powers, my life would have been a whole lot easier." He said with irritation.
"I am unaware of what was happening but it was as if the time itself rewound. First a blob of flesh with soft bones. Soon after, the body sprouted more and more organs. In just a few minutes, your body was back to normal. Infact, it evolved."
"So what happens to my previous body now?" He was unsure of what to do with it. "Perhaps keeping it as a trophy would work?" He thought.
"I could dispose of it." Seeing Subaru's facial expressions drop, it changed its mind. "But If You Want To... You Can Have It."
"Really!" His eyes glistened as he asked with childish joy. "I really wanted to have a collection. It would be the least i could do to show my respect to those who fell before me."
The Doll felt Subaru's way of treating himself appalling. Even though it lacked a sense of normalcy, it was logical enough to come to this conclusion.
Seeing the Doll judge him, Subaru tore a piece of his shirt and put it on the face of the burnt body. "Don't worry pal, I.Will.Succeed. For now... rest. You earned it."
"Do you want me to send you back?" It could barely utter these words as Subaru's tumultuous emotions were messing with its own mind.
"Sure. I am ready. He stood up with his newly achieved strength. "Will you be alright though? I am not one to judge but seeing nothing else but white gets boring after a while."
"You need not worry about me. I lack the capability to be bored. Now go." For the first time he had come here, The Doll lifted its hand weakly as if shooing him away.
A flash of light covered his eyes. As he opened his eyes, he found himself back in his bedroom.
"I felt so tired in that place. But now that I am back here, I feel so light." Subaru sat up and punched the air with great precision. "My punches feel much more stronger and lighter than before. The framerate between moments has also increased." He said as he juggled 3 pencils.
"Wait! How long was I in that place?" He looked at the clock to see how much time had passed but much to his surprise, no time had passed.
"I am no scientist but it looks like i have gotten my hands on a time chamber." Subaru felt elated, for it was the dream of every fan of a certain show. But not for long as he heard the familiar voice of The Doll once again.
[Time Chamber? Urging User To Choose A Better Name]
"Ugh! How about The Dollhouse? Is it good enough?"
[Affirmative]
[User Can Now Access The Dollhouse Once Every 1000 Hours]
"Isn't 1000 hours a too much? That's about 40 days." He said with a groan. "Can't you make it less?"
[I Cannot. Doing So Would Put Unnecessary Burden On User]
"Just say that i am weak instead of humiliating me in such a way." Subaru retorted thinking of all the ways he could make The Doll break character. To his surprise, no reply came back from The Doll.
"I wonder what happened to it?" He pondered for a while. "Nah! It must be doing fine." He looked around aimlessly.
"I am just stuck in this room. I don't even have access to internet like i used to." He rolled in his bed out of sheer boredom. "I wonder what class i gained? Status!" He called out to the system. As he did so, a window appeared before him.
"Looks like my stats increased a bit. Regeneration seems to be be the only stat which might cause me problems later on." He was a little dejected at his slow growth.
Still he had high hopes for his future. "On the other hand, my skills seems to have leveled up. Not only i got two more skills, my yin affinity also does not have the sealed tag anymore."
As he contemplated his actions from now on, he heard his mother call him. "Subaru come down for a moment." Naoko called with a little urgency in her voice.
"Coming Mom!" Shouted Subaru as he hurried down the stairs. He found his mother and father standing in the front hallway, ready to head out.
"Subaru, we're going to go meet our neighbours." Naoko said with a warm smile. "We will be back in a few hours."
"Of course, Mom," Subaru replied with a nod. "But why do you have to go now? Can't I come with you?"
"I'm afraid not, Subaru," Kenichi said as he put on his coat. "They are our friends from the high-school." He changed his mannerisms to that of royalty. "You, as the knight of Natsuki household, have to stay here and take care of the house." Kenichi as always acted like a child.
Subaru however, found his behaviour to be endearing. He sighed and leaned against the wall. "Alright, I'll stay here. But come back on time, okay? I don't want to sleep without my nightly hugs, otherwise i will have bad dreams."
"We will be," Naoko assured him with a pat on the head. "We won't be gone long, so will my knight protect the house while we are away?"
"Sure. Now go. Yo don't want to keep your neighbours waiting, now do you." He urged them to leave the house for he had a great plan to follow through.
Subaru waved his parents off like a good child would. As they closed the door behind, Subaru walked towards the basement.
"If i these two new skills do what I think they do, then things are going to be a whole lot more interesting. Hey system can you explain what [Break] and [Craft] do?"
[Break - User Can Break Any Material Equal To Or Less Than 1m. The More Dense A Material Is, The More Time It Takes. This Time Can Be Reduced By Using Better Equipment.]
[Craft - You Can Anything As Long As You Have Enough Resources.]
"And here i was thinking that today was a bad day. Looks like i will be Mining and Crafting for a long time." He said as he dashed towards the basement of his house.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Two opposing comments. One says to time skip the other says to not rush. The solution is that I divide the story into volumes. The first volume will be about Subaru growing stronger using the power of science and magic in his home world. The other will be him blitzing the world of re zero just by a technological gap.
Also help me write this story. If I divide the work load, there will be a lot more content.
Also should I do make it a multiversal fanfic or not?
Join my discord and help me brainstorm ideas.
https/ discord. gg/ 4wyxB4tHhK