[Volume 1 - Chapter 11]

[Now You're Thinking With Portals]

As time passed, Subaru increased his efforts. He used his abilities to automate all of his tasks. The biggest factor was his ability to impart his skills to his golems. From creating gold and diamonds to automating factories; his golems could do it all.

Money was not a problem to him as he could now create gold out of thin air. He used his infinite riches to buy out all of his competitions.

Medicine, weaponry, politics. All of these were in his gras Especially the public's opinion. Something which his fellow billionaires were not able to obtain.

Now at just a young age of 10 years, he owned the world, albeit only from the shadows.

In front of the world, he was just a prodigy who used his brain to create a business and used it to give charity.

But one group which had helped him grow from the beginning, knew how wrong the people were.

They knew that the young boy was only a shell of something eldritch. Something unnatural.

And this time, they had sent one of their best men to negotiate with Subaru.

—

Subaru was sitting in the restaurant, enjoying his ice cream while his thoughts wandered.

"Fancy meeting you here.", he said, waving towards the man who had just entered the ice-cream parlour.

The man walked towards him and pulled a chair to sit. His mannerisms made him seem younger than Subaru who was eating ice-cream without a care in the world.

Returning from his thoughts, Subaru focused his attention on the person sitting in front of him - Leskinen. The man had approached Subaru, trying to recruit him for something after learning that he had completed his studies.

Subaru continued to eat his ice cream, curious to hear what Leskinen had to say.

Leskinen leaned back in his chair, a sly smile on his lips, "Subaru, I've been

watching you closely. Your intellect, your thirst for knowledge, your remarkable achievements at such a young age. You have great potential, and I believe you can contribute to our cause." he said, his voice smooth and persuasive.

Subaru took another bite of his ice cream, considering Leskinen's words. "What exactly. are you offering me?" Subaru asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Leskinen chuckled, clearly delighted by Subaru's interest. "Oh, the possibilities are endless. Access to cutting-edge technology, resources beyond your wildest dreams, and the chance to make groundbreaking discoveries that will shape the future. With our help,

you will gain access to the collective knowledge of humanity. This includes knowledge both visible and hidden from public eye.

Subaru smirked, relishing the anticipation building up in Leskinen's eyes. "All those things

you mentioned, I already have them," he said, his voice laced with confidence.

Leskinen's smile faded, replaced by surprise. He leaned forward, genuinely curious.

"Oh? And what is it that you want, Subaru? What could I possibly offer you that you don't

already possess?" He replied in his usual dramatic voice.

Subaru savored another bite of his ice cream, carefully formulating his response. Under Leskinen's scrutinizing gaze, his voice remained unwavering. "What I want huh... Now that i think about it, you guys do have the Large Hadron Collider right?"

Leskinen's reaction was immediate and vehement. He shouted, "No! That's out of the question! The LHC is not something we can just give to you."

The people around them glanced over momentarily, briefly intrigued by the sudden outburst, but quickly returned to their own conversations, paying no further attention.

Subaru leaned back in his chair, arrogance shining through his eyes. He paid no attention to the stares from the people around them. "I am not someone who likes to be underestimated, Leskinen. I have proven myself time and again. If you want my skills and expertise, then granting me access to the LHC is non-negotiable."

The conversation between Subaru and Leskinen continued, their voices filled with caution and arrogance, as they debated the risks of fulfilling such a demand. The surrounding people went about their business, oblivious to the intense discussion taking place in their midst.

As the conversation neared its end with Subaru crushing all of his opponent's arguments, he decided to ask out of courtesy. "Want me to order something for you? A kid's meal would suffice, wouldn't it?"

To say that Leskinen felt infuriated would be an understatement. "No. I think i should be going now."

As Leskinen stood up and prepared to leave, a bloodlusted glare seemed to appear in his eyes. He leaned in closer to Subaru, his voice low and threatening. "Remember, Subaru, just because you're a multibillionaire doesn't mean you're immune to the perils of this world. Death can come knocking at anyone's door. I mean what would you do if your planes fell to the ground by one of our malfunctioned machines." He whispered.

Subaru raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by Leskinen's attempt to intimidate him. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Oh my, you really enjoy threatening kids, don't you? How terrifying," he replied sarcastically. "Now that you've threatened to kill me, what should I do with my newfound fear?"

Leskinen's expression twisted with a mix of annoyance and frustration, clearly taken aback by Subaru's nonchalant response. He quickly straightened himself, suppressing any further words that may have escaped his lips. With a final glare, Leskinen turned and walked away, leaving Subaru to savor his victory in the face of supposed danger.

Subaru couldn't help but find amusement in the situation. He had faced uncomfortable amount of deaths in his previous life. Leskinen's empty threats did little to unsettle him.

Finishing his ice cream, Subaru leaned back in his chair, a mischievous grin on his face. He relished in the fact that he had successfully outwitted a man who thought he held all the power.

"Feels nice to be the one in control. Doesn't it?." He questioned loud enough for any tapped devices nearby to hear.

—

The time flew by as years passed by. Subaru grew both in terms of age and power. Not only that but he also became the richest man on earth. Still the only thing he wanted was more time.

He had acquired many assets during his life as an entrepreneur but if he had to choose his favourite, it would be remote islands. "I now get why rich people like their private islands. Absolute peace. And the benefit of having not having to bear the repercussions of possessing nuclear and other materials of equal illegality."

"6-7 years remaining. I think this much time should be enough for me to prepare now that i have enough resources." Subaru cleaned the sweat on his head.

"Just one more twist of a wrench and this baby will be ready for testing." After tightening the last bolt, he installed tens of tiny plutonium rods into the recently tightened sockets of the machine.

[User Has Approached Dangerous Levels Of Radiation Poisoning]

[Radiation Poisoning = 98.9%]

[Radiation Poisoning = 99.5%]

[Radiation Poisoning = 99.9%]

"Ah Not again!" He cried out with annoyance.

These were the last messages from the system he saw before death overtook him.

"Just a minute or two till i respawn." He looked around the empty space as a way to pass time. "Nothing out of ordinary."

In the distance, he saw The Doll carrying one of his corpses on its back. "This one seems relatively new. Its wounds are still bleeding. Cleaning the blood it has dripped is going to be such a pain."

The Doll sensing Subaru's presence stopped for a while but decided to continued work.

No. Calling it a work would be giving it too much respect. The work just meant carrying the corpses which spawned from time to time to a corner in this empty space. Just to hide the ugliness of the realities he had faced many many times.

"... You know I am thankful for what you do." Subaru said somberly. "C'mon no need to sulk. There will be no more radioactive deaths. I have already completed the project which required plutonium rods."

But The Doll continued without paying him any attention.

"Look I am sorry i broke my promise but this is seriously the last death of its kind."

Suddenly Subaru became a little bit ethereal. "It seems like my time here is up." He gave a light chuckle.

"Still before I go, I have to say this much. You don't have to feel sad because of my deaths. All of my past selves knew what they were getting themselves into. And let me tell you this, they all consider themselves lucky because at least now their burial rites are being performed. And besides their cadavers are the only thing which serve as a reminder for me to not give up."

For the first time in years, The Doll turned its face towards him. It still lacked facial features but now its body had more detailed joints.

The Doll sensing Subaru's presence stopped for a while but decided to continued its horrid craft. No calling it a craft would be giving it too much respect. The work just meant carrying the corpses which spawned from time to time to a corner in this empty space.

"You know I am thankful for what you do." Subaru said somberly. "C'mon no need to sulk. There will be no more radioactive deaths. I have already completed the project which required plutonium."

But The Doll continued without paying him any attention.

"Look I am sorry i broke my promise but this is is seriously the last death of its kind."

Suddenly Subaru became a little bit ethereal. "It seems like my time here is up." He gave a light chuckle.

The Doll turned its face towards him. It spoke from its non-existent mouth. "Will you leave me like you did before?"

"I...I will... have to. A day will come when another me will have to take over. And as the previous me told you-"

"To take good care of the the next." The Doll moved its face away from Subaru. "I will."

Hearing The Doll's reply, Subaru patted it on the back. "Don't worry I will try to be careful."

The Doll did not even bothered itself to give a reply to his lies.

"Well see you next time. I am about to respawn. Take care." Subaru casually walked towards the distant horizon as he turned to mist.

The Doll materialized a white piece of cloth in its hand. "I wish you had stayed with me a little more."

With utmost care, it put the cloth piece on one of Subaru's dead bodies.

This one was bloated with tumors. Probably because of working so close to radioactive elements.

"Thankfully, you will be the last one to have died in this way." The Doll said as it walked away from the mountain of carcasses.

—

[User Has Been Used £@ ??? Times]

[£@ Grew To [Save State]

"Hey Doll? What is £@?" Asked Subaru.

"It is what you like to call Return By Death." The Doll replied monotonously.

"Hmm... I never saw it on my status screen before. I had thought it was because of something Satella did. But it seems like the system just didn't register it." He thought.

"And what does this [Save State] mean?..."

For a second, Subaru fell into deep thought. But returned as quickly. "It can't be like that thing in games right?"

"And here I thought I was going to have to explain it to you. At least you are a quick learner." Subaru heard the familiar sarcastic voice in his head.

"You and I both know it's the INT stat at work." Subaru once again diverted any and all praises he received to anyone or anything which was not him.

Instead of replying, The Doll went silent. Subaru knew that The Doll was not very talkative so he had gotten used to it.

"Looks like I am back to work." He looked at the machine he had spent half of his fortune on. "I am going to solve almost all of my energy and combat related problems for the other world the moment this thing becomes functional."

On the corner of his eye he saw the progress bar.

[Stellar Harvester - 98%]

"The moment i launch this baby in space, I would have nigh infinite energy at my disposal. But the best part is that I was able to get my hands on Dyson's paper. Now the only thing I am missing is permission from UN. Thankfully, it is totally optional. What are they gonna do? Stop me?" He asked himself, sarcastically.

"Still it is better to have it than to not have it. Caution is a great friend whom only the wise have."

Subaru walked to his empty lounge. It was a vast space. He jumped on a bean bag as he was finally able to have some much needed rest. "Phew! I am spent. Still I should talk to Leskinen before I rest." He took out his phone. This one though was a lot more advanced than his previous phone.

"Is this the number? Seems like it." He pressed the call button. Before the phone could ring twice, the call connected to the other side.

"Subaru? You finally decided to call."

"C'mon! I was busy." Subaru could only give excuses. "Anyways, I called you for something I need."

"That much I know. The only people I have seen you talk without any ulterior motives are your parents. Chit-Chat aside, what is it that you called for? And please don't ask for something absurd like you did last time."

"That was just one time. Besides I made better use of the LHC than you guys anyways. Hence you shouldn't have any problem with me borrowing it from time to time."

Subaru rubbed his chin as he reminisced about the past. "As for what you asked, I want to consult you about some property I want to buy."

"Subaru. I don't work in real estate. If you want, I could give you the contacts of someone who could help you."

"No! You are the only person who is twisted enough to pull this off."

"Now I am interested. What is it that it was so important? You do know that there are other people who are listening in to this call right?" Leskinen reminded him that their conversation was not private enough for them to continue their talks.

"Oh that!? Don't worry no one can hear this conversation. And don't worry about your superiors getting suspicious. Instead of removing the wire tappings, I just fried their computers. They will be too busy figuring out why their cpu suddenly burn their chips off that they won't even think about us."

"..." Leskinen went silent. He knew that if what Subaru said came to light, he would be the first one to be killed by the organization.

Subaru felt the turmoil Leskinen was going through from the other side of the call but decided not to poke his partner's paranoia any further. "As I was saying, I need you to buy me some land in space."

"But why do you-... Wait do you want to use it for a satellite orbit? For God's sake! You own more than half of all currently existing WMDs." He asked in a hushed voice.

"Something similar to a satellite. Also, deal with those guys from UN. I don't like them or their obnoxious treaties. The problem is that The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have signed that treaty. I want you to think of a way to void that treaty!"

"... You know that just this conversation is enough for both of our names to be on the INTERPOL."

"Yeah Yeah. What they gonna do? Invade another nation's sea to get to this island? Believe me as much corrupt the political world is, it is as many times more incompetent. As for what i told you to do, just try to find a loophole. Otherwise, I will have to do some things which many people would consider unethical.

"All of that is only true as long as the military industrial complex doesn't move first to kill you first."

"C'mon. You were supposed to be a little more psychotic. What happened to you, my guy?" He asked jokingly.

"YOU!" He shouted.

"Fair enough. I must say i am even more charming than i realized. Jokes aside, will you do it? And don't worry, they can't do a thing to me. Not when their houses are targeted by my ICBMs. That's Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles for the less educated like you."

Leskinen wanted to reply but knew that there was noting to gain from it. "I will see what can i do about it. But don't count on it. This is not something I am familiar with. I will inform you later."

"Sure." Subaru cut the call as soon as Leskinen agreed to his request. "I owe you one."

He dropped the phone on the ground but just before it made contact with the ground, a black swirl of complete darkness appeared. The phone fell inside the portal and appeared on the table the next moment.

"8 years of constant tuning of yin magic finally paid off." Said Subaru as he opened the game terminal.

[Yin - 4]

"Only 4 levels in 8 years is far too low. I made all this progress in less than a month but for reasons beyond me, it has not increased by a single digit after that. Does it have to do something with Satella. Now that I think about it, I can't feel her Love anymore. Almost as if she is sleeping."

————————————————————————————————————————————

In just a few months, Subaru launched his [Stellar Harvester]. It had been six months, since his device had reached the suitable orbit around sun and even started asteroid mining.

"If i didn't had Yin magic, it would have taken a decade or two even at such a speed. Being able to create a portal near the sun really reduced much of the time and work."

For the harvester to reach the sun, it would have taken decades at least. But it could be greatly reduced if one had access to Yin magic.

"The process is simple. I will put my yin skill on it. The only purpose of it would be to teleport in the direction of sun until it reaches a certain radius around the sun. It even uses the sunlight to power its plutonium reactor which then supplies the energy to."

But it was not important right now. What was important was what Subaru had in front of him.

A familar game terminal opened with a very strange message.

[Would You Like To Add [The Sun] To The System?]

[This Will Link Your MP To The Sun.]

(Y/N)

"Yes." Subaru shouted as he pressed the button repeatedly.

And in an instant, Subaru felt power. Unimaginable power. The roaring storms of burning flames were waiting for him. For him to unleash them upon this world.

The power which he had never felt before. This power could cave in worlds. The [System] started to go haywire as its notifications covered Subaru's eyes.

Little by little, these messages seemed to dissappear except one.

[ [High Human] Evolved To [The Sun] ]

If it was Subaru from a little while ago, he would have asked the system what this message meant but after receiving this amount of power, he had gained a deep understanding of his power.

His body which seemed to be bursting with power, as it changed its shape from flesh to metal and other grotesque forms, slowed down its transformations as it settled into a single form. All of that happened in a single second.

And in the very next moment, his body crumbled to ash which subsequently dispersed into the wind. The courtesy of the window he had left opened.

——————

"Ok. That was anticlimactic, even for me. What even happened there? This might have been the fastest I ever died? One moment I was and the next moment, i was here."

The Doll who seemed to be staring at him annoyed, manifested a broom and a dust pan, collected the charcoal powder on the ever-white marbled ground and put it in a dustbin near the rest of the corpses.

"Oh, i was wondering where you were going with collecting that dust? Turns out it was just me who died about a minute ago? Well no worries, he probably wouldn't have gotten far if he just died so easily."

"He got vaporized by the sun's core."

"Can't say i pity that fool. Should have seen that coming. Totally deserved." Subaru kept insulting his previous self whose only wrongdoing was saying yes to connecting with the sun.

"Guess i will have to think of something... what about not using sun directly? But opening portals near the surface. It would be drastically lowered in firepower power but at least it would be more versatile in its use. Besides, it wouldn't reduce me to ashes."

The Doll saw the boy maniacally talk to himself as he thought of new ways to go about with his plan all the while berating his past selves.

"The last ones were apologetic but this one seems so... rude? Still it is better than hating himself. Even if means that he hates not himself but his past selves." The Doll wanted to crush its head to pieces seeing him behave in such a way.

The boy was abnormal. Despite not knowing what normal meant, it could derive what was normal from Subaru's memories.

"But one thing can be said to be clear. Nothing about him is normal." It thought as it saw Subaru dissapear as he respawned once again back to earth.

———

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

You can join my discord using this link.

Just remove spaces.

https/ discord. gg/ 4wyxB4tHhK

So my fellow gamers. How was this chapter. This is the last entry for this volume.

If you want to read the next chapter go to my other story.

I have shown all of Subaru's abilities he will use. He has made advanced weaponry, opening portals to sun, etc.

I am also going to reduce the quantity of words per chapters to 1000 words. This way, you guys would get consistent uploads. 1000 per day. 7000 per week.

If you have any spells ideas which heavily involve scientific concepts, leave a comment. If you have anything else to talk about the story, I will be available on my discord.