Rudeus goes shopping.
Oh, and there are two of him now.
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8000+ words. I'm mightily impressed by myself. Hehehehe. *creepy laughing*
This will be the last chapter I post before school starts. Why does summer school exist? ;-;
Anyways, advice is always welcome, so tell me what you think in the comments.
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Three months passed. It was almost time to infuse the Human homunculi with a shard of my...forehead gem. The Demon and Beast bodies were still in their incubation period, so I'll have to wait a few more months. I don't even want to talk about the remaining three. I didn't even have the material yet!
The seventh body-the one that didn't resemble any of the six major races-was the odd one out. It was arguably the hardest one to make. It was a mix of all six major races. But it was also something more. The best adjective I could come up with to describe it would be "hollow." No...now that I think about it, it's like a blank canvas. Something with a form of its own but willing to become something different.
All those facts aside, the human body was ready for the jewel shard. I'll worry about the rest of the bodies later.
...
I was alone in the hidden room used to grow the bodies. It was a secluded closet in the corner of the manor. Cobwebs were strewn in the corners of the room. I didn't bother clearing them away. The smell of rotting wood was disgusting, and the darkness was less than comfortable.
Almost no one came here. Dust covered every inch of the room as even some servants forgot it existed. In other words, it was the perfect spot for my workshop.
"Alright, then. It's time."
I brushed a finger on the large glass cylinder holding a humanoid within, frowning at the dust bunnies on my fingertip. Six others were beside it, but only two also had humanoids within.
Pure muscle memory led me to a crude wooden table I built by the room's back wall. It was an abomination that would make any craftsman barf, but I was short on time. A dull Magic Circle was carved on the splinter-covered wood. Several Runestones were also placed around it.
"I hope this works."
It was around midnight, so I had about six hours to make this work. I couldn't see the stars' positions in this windowless closet, so I didn't have an accurate sense of time. Even so, my estimate only had an error margin of thirty or so minutes.
I pushed myself onto the table with a shaky hand, lying on it with my arms and legs pressed tightly together. Taking one last look at the door to be sure I'd locked it, I closed my eyes. My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest. This was risky. If I didn't do it correctly, I die.
"The time of rebirth hath come. I am the beginning of eternity."
I chanted the spell the Celestials taught me. I could feel the Magic Circle leaching away my Od and Mana. My mind was getting fuzzy. A buzz was in the back of my mind like an annoying mosquito.
Alright. Everything was working as it should. Now all I must do is relax, and everything...will be...fine...
...
I felt like I was floating in honey. My clothes were stripped from my body, so the bare body of "Rudeus Greyrat" was only shrouded in fog. My movements were sluggish, and even opening my eyes was a struggle. I still forced them open nonetheless.
To the untrained eye, it was a white void. It reminded me of the place the Man-God resided. However, I knew this place was different.
The World of Void was a place without definition. An unfinished and abandoned world devoid of any and all life. No living mortal could survive in that place as the concentration of pure True Ether exceeded even that of a star's core. Said Ether was supposed to become the matter within the World of Void. But the God of Creation died before they had a chance to use the First Miracle to bring about existence.
This world, though shrouded in white fog, still had substance. Through my dulled senses, I could feel grass poking at my feet. Breathing was unnecessary in this state, though my sense of smell still worked. I recognized the sweet fragrance of wildflowers that grew in springtime. With the mist everywhere, I could tell the way the wind currents moved. The sound of rustling leaves was familiar, letting me know this world had trees.
Instinctively, I knew this world was but a flat, grassy plain. I craned my neck upwards and was faced with a familiar sight. Ancient clocks held aloft by rusted chains.
This was my Reality Marble. In other words, my soul. Even faced with such a bizarre sight, I wasn't surprised. This was my soul, my world. I knew it like the back of my hand.
I felt clouds gather beneath my feet, pushing me into the sky. I allowed them to do so. It felt like silk cloth brushing lightly on my skin. A cloud touched my nose, making me want to sneeze.
Soon, I saw where the chains originated. The chains were attached to a gigantic sphere. It was see-through. Like a full moon, it constantly let off a pale light. Upon further inspection, it wasn't light the orb was emitting, but rather the white clouds that covered this dimension.
'You know what to do, right?'
My subconsciousness whispered in my ear. I could almost feel breath beside my ear. Of course, I knew what to do.
'You know what it will cost you, right?'
I also knew the price of my actions. But it was a price I was willing to pay.
Up and up I went until there was no more mist lifting me up. I was met with a majestic night sky. Stars and nebulae were painted onto a backdrop of deep blue. They blinked at me, and a star would occasionally fall, becoming shrouded with white mist. The clouds would then lift the fallen star back into the heavens, helping it rejoin its siblings high above.
The clear orb was directly below me. I stopped rising into the sky.
I steeled my nerves and got ready. Mana condensed around my fingertips, causing the white smoke below to rise into my hands. More and more Magical Energy gathered before me. Until it was as large as the see-through orb.
I closed my open hand into a fist, and the ball of rolling smoke began to condense. Shrinking from a planet-sized sphere into a ball barely larger than a tennis ball. I put my hands on opposite ends of the smoky ball and pushed them together. The ball of smoke plattened into a disk as thin as a strand of hair.
My hands opened, and the disk floated in without assistance. I grabbed it and stared at the colorless crystal orb before me. With my free hand, I touched my forehead, where the gem was embedded. This was going to hurt.
With all my strength, I threw the disk. The white clouds parted like Moses splitting the Red Sea, finally giving me a clear view of the world below. As I thought, it was a grassland stretching as far as the eye could see. Clusters of trees grew in random intervals. Not big enough to be called a forest but not small enough to be overlooked as a single large tree. There were hills, rolling and emerald green. Rivers carved out shallow valleys in the landscape.
The scenery was beautiful, like an anesthetic for what was to come.
The disk impacted the crystal ball, and I screamed. There was a sound like metal grinding against itself. With the sound came a pain so intense it was even greater than when I died. Originating from my forehead, it spread all across my body. I couldn't do anything to stop it. Healing nor Detoxify would do anything. My soul was the one hurting, not my body.
I did my best not to scream, but I'm pretty sure I failed miserably. Thank god I thought to put a noise-canceling barrier around my workshop.
I shakily glanced at the transparent crystal. It wasn't a sphere anymore as a chunk had been sliced clean off. I could barely make out the cut-off part falling below.
"The time...for rebirth hath come... I...am...am the be-beginning of eternity!"
I ground out the spell through my tightly clenched teeth.
The pain became a dull ache.
...
...
̷ ̸I̴ ̸r̸e̵m̸e̷m̴b̷e̷r̸ ̷s̸t̴a̷n̶d̶i̵n̵g̵ ̷u̸p̴o̷n̵ ̷r̴o̵l̸l̷i̵n̴g̷ ̴h̸i̸l̶l̴s̵ ̶s̸t̷r̷e̵t̵c̵h̶i̵n̵g̴ ̸o̵u̸t̵ ̶f̶a̵r̶ ̴a̴s̶ ̸t̷h̶e̸ ̶e̴y̵e̶ ̶c̵o̸u̷l̶d̴ ̸s̴e̷e̶.̴ ̶T̴h̷e̴ ̸s̷c̵e̶n̴t̷ ̷o̵f̷ ̵g̴r̶a̵s̴s̴ ̴w̸a̸s̷ ̸s̷t̸r̵o̴n̷g̵ ̸b̵u̶t̴ ̵n̷o̴t̴ ̷o̸v̶e̶r̶p̶o̵w̶e̶r̷i̵n̸g̴.̷ ̷I̷t̶ ̴a̶l̸w̸a̶y̶s̸ ̴r̴e̷m̴i̶n̵d̶e̶d̸ ̴m̶e̴ ̶o̵f̸ ̶m̵y̶ ̷h̵o̷m̷e̷w̷o̴r̸l̷d̷.̴ ̴T̴h̸e̸ ̷w̸i̷l̷d̸f̸l̸o̸w̷e̵r̷s̵ ̶I̵ ̴p̶i̶c̴k̷e̸d̵ ̴w̸i̴t̸h̵ ̸t̶h̵e̶ ̴c̵h̵i̵l̷d̸r̸e̸n̴ ̶w̵e̵r̷e̸ ̷a̶l̸w̵a̸y̸s̵ ̵s̵o̴ ̶s̴m̷a̴l̵l̸ ̵c̴o̸m̸p̸a̴r̶e̶d̴ ̷t̷o̸ ̴t̵h̸e̸ ̶o̴n̵e̴s̸ ̷f̷r̴o̵m̵ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̸W̸o̶r̴l̷d̴ ̸o̸f̵ ̵F̶o̷r̶e̶s̶t̶s̴,̶ ̸b̵u̴t̴ ̷t̴h̴e̵y̷ ̴w̶e̷r̶e̷ ̴t̶h̶e̷ ̵m̵o̷s̴t̸ ̷b̷e̶a̴u̵t̸i̶f̷u̸l̷ ̶t̸h̶i̶n̵g̸ ̸t̶o̷ ̶m̷e̷.̴
̴ ̷ ̷M̷y̴ ̵d̵u̵t̴i̴e̵s̶ ̸w̴e̷r̶e̸ ̴o̴n̵e̴ ̷o̴f̷ ̷t̸h̷e̷ ̶m̷o̸s̶t̸ ̶p̸a̴i̴n̷f̷u̵l̴ ̶o̸f̵ ̶m̶y̸ ̴s̴i̷x̷ ̶s̷i̷b̸l̷i̷n̴g̴s̵.̴ ̵N̶o̷ ̴o̴n̵e̸ ̵l̸i̷k̴e̷d̵ ̴r̷e̶a̵p̷i̵n̶g̵ ̵t̸h̷e̶ ̸s̷o̷u̶l̶s̵ ̸o̴f̴ ̶t̵h̵e̷i̸r̷ ̵o̸w̸n̶ ̷c̷h̴i̸l̷d̸r̶e̶n̶ ̵o̷r̴ ̷t̵h̸e̸ ̷c̶h̷i̶l̶d̸r̵e̷n̷ ̴o̷f̶ ̴t̸h̵e̴i̷r̶ ̵s̵i̴b̷l̵i̷n̶g̸s̸.̶ ̴B̴u̸t̷ ̶I̵ ̴h̷e̶l̷d̴ ̶o̸n̴,̶ ̴f̴o̷r̷ ̷m̸y̵ ̵y̶o̸u̴n̴g̴e̷r̶ ̴s̵i̴b̶l̶i̵n̸g̴s̴ ̶d̸i̶d̴ ̴n̷o̷t̵ ̶h̶a̶v̸e̷ ̸t̴h̴e̶ ̴h̵e̶a̶r̵t̶ ̴n̴o̴r̸ ̴w̷i̸l̶l̸ ̵t̶o̵ ̸d̸o̵ ̶s̵o̵.̸ ̸T̴h̶e̵y̷ ̵f̷o̷r̵g̵a̴v̵e̵ ̷m̵e̸ ̵f̵o̷r̵ ̴w̴h̸a̶t̵ ̵I̵ ̸d̷i̵d̴.̵ ̷B̵e̵c̵a̷u̵s̵e̵ ̶i̵t̶ ̴w̷a̶s̶ ̶i̷n̷e̸v̵i̵t̸a̷b̴l̶e̴ ̸t̸h̸a̵t̴ ̶l̷i̴f̷e̸ ̶s̶h̸a̵l̶l̸ ̴c̶o̵m̸e̷ ̶t̴o̵ ̷a̴n̸ ̶e̴n̷d̵.̴
̷ ̵ ̵I̵ ̷g̶u̵i̷d̵e̸d̷ ̴m̵y̶ ̸p̴e̵o̷p̶l̷e̷ ̵t̴o̷ ̸w̴i̴s̷d̶o̸m̷ ̶a̴n̷d̷ ̵e̶n̶l̶i̶g̴h̴t̷e̸n̸m̵e̸n̶t̴.̵ ̸T̸h̴e̸y̴,̵ ̴w̴h̷o̸ ̵w̷e̴r̶e̸ ̴s̴o̷ ̷f̷r̴a̶g̵i̸l̴e̶ ̷a̵n̷d̴ ̷h̸a̸d̷ ̶s̶u̴c̶h̷ ̴s̸h̶o̷r̵t̴ ̸l̵i̴f̶e̷s̶p̴a̶n̶s̴ ̴w̴e̴r̶e̵ ̷t̴h̵e̴ ̴g̶r̴e̴a̷t̶e̸s̷t̷ ̸m̴i̸n̶d̶s̸ ̵o̸f̵ ̷t̶h̷e̵ ̵S̶i̴x̷-̴F̸a̴c̴e̴d̵ ̴W̶o̶r̷l̶d̷.̸ ̶A̶m̴o̷n̶g̶ ̴m̴y̷ ̷s̷i̸x̴ ̶s̴i̴b̶l̸i̸n̸g̸s̶,̷ ̴I̵ ̴w̶a̵s̴ ̶t̶h̶e̵ ̷w̵e̷a̸k̶e̸s̸t̷ ̷y̸e̸t̵ ̵t̵h̵e̷ ̵w̴i̴s̴e̴s̸t̶,̸ ̷t̸h̵e̵ ̸m̴e̵d̶i̵t̸a̷t̴o̵r̶,̵ ̷i̸f̴ ̷y̸o̶u̷ ̶w̷i̷l̷l̵.̴
̷ ̴ ̵B̴u̸t̸.̵.̵.̶I̶ ̵w̷a̵s̴ ̸t̴h̴e̵ ̸f̷i̴r̸s̴t̴ ̵t̷o̶ ̷d̶i̵e̷.̴.̸.̸
...
...
I woke up to the sound of my own screams. Good lord, I sounded like a little girl who saw a snake. If I wasn't in so much pain, I would feel embarrassed.
I'm so thankful for the noise-cancellation barrier I put up. The entire manor would probably be awake if I didn't have that.
My entire body still had a dull ache, like after one of those extreme training sessions. Perhaps I should call in sick today? No, I don't have enough time.
Sitting up slowly, I rubbed my head a few times to alleviate the drowsiness.
"Hmm?"
Something fell from my forehead into my lap. I picked it up to examine it. It was a white crystal shard. I projected a mirror to check out my reflection, and sure enough, the gem on my forehead was missing a chunk of the same shape and size.
"Yes... It worked! I'm a-ouch ouch ouch. Okay, no jumping."
My forehead was still sore from having a chunk of it cut off, but other than that, I was fine! I consider this a huge success, even if I will have a constant migraine for the next few days.
Now, time to implant this shard into the homunculus and try not to dread that I have to do this six more times.
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...
Another three months passed. Eris began returning to her violent ways. How did I forget to give her breaks?
Well, I need a break-more time to work on everything else-as well, so it'll benefit us both.
...
I called Ghislaine and the etiquette teacher to my room after dinner one day. The etiquette teacher didn't live in the manor; she lived in the city, so I had a butler send a message to her.
"First, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rudeus Greyrat."
I touched my hand to my chest and gave a light nod.
"Edna Leylune. I teach Lady Eris about proper etiquette."
She responded in kind, her movements more polished. As expected from an etiquette teacher.
Edna was a middle-aged woman whose wrinkles were only beginning to show. Her features were soft, and her kind smile emanated warmth.
"Please, have a seat."
I motioned to nearby chairs. Once they settled in, I offered them tea the butler prepared.
"I called you two today to discuss Eris's lesson schedule."
"Lesson schedule?" Edna asked.
"That's right. I hear she currently has sword practice in the morning, free time in the afternoon, and etiquette in the evening. Is that correct?"
"Indeed."
Eris was learning six subjects: reading and writing, arithmetic, magic, history, swordplay, and etiquette. There were no clocks, so lessons stretched on, only separated by meals. There was no history instructor, so Philip taught her in his free time.
"Since I came here, she also began having evening lessons, so her entire day has been filled."
"That's right," Edna responded. "Her studies have been progressing smoothly. The Master is quite impressed."
"It may seem that way, but there's a problem."
Edna looked confused. "A problem, you say?"
"Yes. Her stress has been building since she studies every day."
She kept it together in magic lessons since I showed her cool tricks and taught her to replicate them. But regarding other subjects? Not so much. She'd take it out on me if she had a difficult problem. Sure, I could use healing magic, but healing magic didn't heal mental trauma.
"We managed to get through it for now, but she might eventually snap and run from her lessons again."
"Oh, dear..."
Edna pressed her hand to her lips. Her expression said she acknowledged that possibility. I had never seen one of her etiquette lessons, but Eris seemed to take them seriously. I think Eris liked her because of the warm feeling she had.
"So I'd like to give her a day free of lessons every seven days."
Calendars existed in this world, so years and months existed as well. They did not, however, have the concept of a week.
"In the remaining six days, we'll continue teaching her reading and writing, arithmetic, magic, history, swordplay, and etiquette.
Edna raised her voice. "May I ask one thing?"
"Of course."
"If things are divided that way, my lessons would be reduced. So would my salary..."
"You don't have to worry about that."
I had already spoken to Philip, and it wasn't a problem. We had monthly salaries, so we'd get paid regardless of whether we gave lessons. Granted, we'd be fired if we didn't.
"With that in mind, we'll divide things differently. Two reading, writing, and arithmetic lessons shouldn't be a problem in a seven-day period. Sword practice will remain a daily affair, as there is no point otherwise. Magic must be practiced daily to increase one's Mana Pool, but there's a limit to one's Mana, so each lesson won't take too long. I plan to dedicate extra time to reading, writing, and arithmetic."
Magic was tricky to plan as it wasn't possible for me to accurately measure the sizes of Mana Pools. I could only make estimated guesses depending on the number of spells one could cast without running out of Mana. I wanted to do lessons on voiceless casting and other things eventually, but that could wait until everything settled down.
"My apologies in advance, Miss Edna, but I would like to reduce your lessons with Eris to three or four times a month."
"Alright." She nodded quickly.
"One more thing. Please contact me if you can't teach a lesson."
"To what end?" Edna asked.
"I'm always here at the manor, so I can fit my lessons into your time slot. If you need an extended period off, there'll be no problem."
"Alright then." Edna smiled the entire time.
"Also, I would like to have these meetings every first of the month."
"And why is that?"
"If we work together, we can come up with a quick response to any issues. It's not strictly necessary, but it will make our teaching more effective and help us deal with emergencies. Any issues?"
"No." Edna smiled softly. You are still so young, Lord Rudeus, yet you are so considerate to Miss Eris." Her eyes shone as though she had seen something particularly endearing.
"Heh. I was always mature for my age."
And I finally got myself a day off. Read: more time to work on my projects.
...
Ah... Finally. My first day off.
Back way, way before my reincarnation-even before I went to the Clocktower-I would sit in bed with my mother as she told me fairy tales. It was a precious memory for one such as me. Thinking about it never failed to bring a smile to my face. In turn, the very thought of weekends was enough for me to get a warm feeling. But then...stuff happened, causing those feelings to be buried under a mountain of stress and self-loathing.
Oh, well. No use dwelling on the past. What's done is done, as people say.
I skipped along a long hallway, looking out at the city below. I couldn't go into the main streets all willy-nilly anymore. I didn't have enough time, nor did I have much business, anyway. Though once every few months, I'd go out, quick as lightning, and sell all the trinkets I crafted over the many nights I spent banging my head against a wall. They were all kept safely in my dimensional pocket pouch.
I already went and sold most of what I needed a week ago, but these past seven days have been more jading than expected. As a result, I crafted more than my fair share of figures and Mystic Codes. They were seriously beginning to clutter my room up. I needed to sell them, and fast. Otherwise, I'll break my darling creations with every step I take in my room. But I was so busy I didn't even have a moment to spare. I could have hired a merchant like a normal person, but that would be unnecessary as I have another solution.
My Reality Marble was...quirky, and that was putting it lightly. Remember when I said I constantly radiated Mana around me? Yeah, that was my Reality Marble manifesting. More specifically, the white fog in my inner world. And thanks to my bottomless Mana Pool, I didn't even notice. The smoke isn't "white." It's pure Mana. Mana doesn't have a color. It only looks that way because I want it to be. And I could will it to change into other colors, too. I've been subconsciously making the smoke-my Mana-transparent, hence why Roa isn't blanketed in thick fog. The white smoke in my Reality Marble was like an extension of myself. I can sense everything that causes it to change, from mighty hurricanes to the slightest twitch of a fly's antenna. With the smoke, I could even read the vibrations sound causes, thereby replicating my sense of hearing. I could even pick out different substances in the Mana-Smoke, meaning I could smell with it. And, thanks to my third eye, my senses were sharper than ever.
Right now, even if nobody could see it, the aforementioned eye was pure gold, indicating it was active. My third eye didn't have eyelids. Rather, it had two states: Active and Inactive. Like a normal human's eyes could either be open or closed. I used it to peer into my room as a pen scribbled on paper, held aloft and moving by my magic. You underestimate how far my magic's reach actually is. And with the white smoke making up for my other senses, it was like I was in two different places simultaneously! I could work twice as efficiently at the price of using twice the effort!
I was focusing so intently on using my smoke senses and third eye that I forgot to use my natural sensory organs. When I reached the end of the corridor, I walked straight into Ghislaine's tall build. Eris was there, too. Standing there with her hands on her hips.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Eris seemed restless, perhaps because it was her first day off. She had no classes today, so her normally busy schedule was empty.
"I'm going shopping around Roa. Maybe sightseeing if I have time."
"Sightseeing... So you're going to go see the city? By yourself?"
"I don't have anyone behind me, do I?"
"That's not fair! I haven't ever gone out by myself! Not even once!" She stomped her feet in frustration.
Well, she is nobility. As I've learned from my various years in the Clocktower, the children of such people are often used as bargaining chips. And in this medieval time, I'm sure people would pay quite a high sum for a noble girl.
"You'll get kidnapped again if you do."
"Well, you got kidnapped too." She snapped back.
"I can get back on my own if that happened."
See, girly? I won this time! Bwahaha! The Mana around me shifted, telling me Eris was raising her fist. Oh, if I don't dodge, this was gonna hurt.
'Time Alter: Triple Accel.'
Hmm? My Mana was telling me her fist stopped midair. So the punch never came, huh. That was unusual. I guess I'm making progress with Eris's violent behavior.
Said girl crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. "I'm coming, too!"
"Alright, then. I'll wait here for you to get changed."
There was no harm for her to come with me. There wasn't much for her to do today, and unlike last time, I knew the positions of every living thing in Roa. Not even the best assassins could hide from my senses. Fufufu...!
"Really?!"
"Yeah. Ghislaine's coming too, right?"
"Yes. It's my duty to protect the Young Mistress."
"Wait! I'll be ready in a sec! Alphonse! Alphonse!"
I watched as Eris ran off, dashing noisily through the manor. I got a reminder of how loud her voice could be.
"Rudeus." Ghislaine said.
I turned my head to look at her in the eye. I had to crane my neck as she was almost two meters tall. Even as an adult, I'd probably still look up at her. It hurt my pride a little.
"Don't overestimate your abilities." She warned.
This was probably about me saying I could escape getting kidnapped.
"I know. I was trying to motivate Eris a little."
"Alright, but if something happens, call me. I'll help you."
"Yeah. I'll give you a big firework show again." Call for me... That brought up an unpleasant memory. "Did you tell the Young Mistress to do the same? Call for you when she's in danger?"
"Mm? I did. What of it?"
"Next time, you might want to clarify she should only do so when she's one-hundred-percent safe. Or when you can hear her."
"Okay, but why?"
"When we were kidnapped, she almost got killed because she kept screaming for you."
"If I heard her, I would have rescued her."
She did come at a ridiculous speed when my firework show exploded. So as long as we were in earshot, she could make it to us, no matter where we were. She was reliable that way. Still...
"You need to teach her there are times when you can't scream."
Eris returned, so the conversation ended there. I wasn't sure if she was dressing up, but she was wearing an outfit I would consider fancy.
"You look lovely today."
"Hmph!"
Why am I not surprised. She punched me. This makes up for when she spared me a few minutes ago...I guess...
...
The Fittoa region's Citadel of Roa was one of the biggest cities in the area. It was also one of the favorite pitstops for adventurers. The outer walls made the city a fortress difficult for monsters to attack. Hence the number of peddlers and merchants in Roa was larger than in any other city.
The city wasn't a perfect circle, as I saw when flying. It bent with the terrain, making it jut out in various places. I wonder how they built the walls surrounding this city. Earth magic, perhaps. I'd guess the spell used was King or Emperor Rank.
My mind was more focused on experimenting in my room as we walked through the upper-class residential area and into the plaza. From there, we headed to the merchant district. I could have made it there so much quicker if I had flown, but I had two flightless people with me.
All the shops near the noble district were posh, and even the street stalls peddled expensive wares. I was running low on paper from all the Magic Circles I drew, so I'll have to stock up. The ink wasn't a problem, as my Mana was dense enough to act as a substitute. Oh! And I'll need to buy a few magic gems for my experiments.
Now, where was that merchant I sold all my figures to again? Ah, there.
"Yes, hello. I'm here to sell my figures again."
The merchant's eyes lit up when he saw me. His stall's get-up was fancier than last time.
"Ah! Young Lord Animusphere. I always welcome your business."
"Got some new decorations, I see? Did you get something valuable for cheap?"
"No, no. It was your dolls, really."
"Really now?"
My dolls? Sure, they were high quality, but I sold them for a gold coin a pop. Not a lot considering the magic gems I regard as "passable" cost at least five times more.
"Yes. Some noble in Shirone pays ten gold for one figure! I don't know who's scamming them, but I envy them."
"Is that why demand for my figures has been rising?"
"Mostly, but your figures are top quality. I've never seen such delicate coloring on a doll before. It's like I'm holding real people!"
"Ahahaha. I'm unworthy of such praise."
I don't know if that was his honest opinion or if he was buttering me up so I don't raise my prices. Oh, well. Making figures is but a hobby. I don't care how much money I make from selling them. My Mystic Codes were the real money-makers.
"The usual price, I'm assuming?"
"Right. I have twenty here in my bag."
I reached into the tiny pouch tied to my waist. Twenty figures were placed one by one on the table, an impossible number, sure, but pocket dimensions made the impossible possible.
The merchant whistled, his eyes lingering on my pouch.
"That's real handy. Merchants like me would kill for something like that."
"I have another one for ten Gold Coins right here. It's about the size of a carriage inside, and things don't get squished inside it.
I pulled another dimensional pouch out of my own. Huh, never thought it would sound so weird. I found out pocket dimension bags sold like hotcakes, so I made a lot of 'em. They were the result of my attempts at creating Reality Marbles.
"Ten?! That's a bargain! I'll take it!"
"Right. Your payment will be thirty gold coins, then."
The merchant handed me the coins, and I gave him the pouch and figures.
"When you want to take something out, think of it. It'll be the first thing you grab. I recommend getting used to it by testing it with items of little value."
"Got it. You're a real genius, Young Lord Animusphere."
"The second."
"Ah, yes, yes."
I dropped the coins into my pouch and grabbed my pen and notepad. I walked back to Eris and Ghislaine with a satisfied smile. Thirty gold coins from my first pitstop wasn't bad at all. I still have a bunch more to sell. I checked off the things I had sold on my notepad.
"What are these weird letters?"
Eris peered over my shoulder. I turned, and her face was awfully close to mine. When she was this close, I noticed this red-haired girl was pretty cute.
My list was written in Japanese. I don't know why. I guess I have spoken Japanese for over fifty years rather than the languages of this world.
"Tell me what you're writing down!"
What a little tyrant.
She was overbearing, but I had no reason not to tell her.
"The things I want to sell and the prices I want to sell them at."
"What would you do that?!"
"I have more items than I can remember in this pouch. Having a list never hurt anyone."
"That bag? It's so small! I don't think it can even hold ten coins!"
"Well, magic exists. And I used it to expand the inside of the pouch."
"You can do that?!"
Her eyes glimmered with excitement. Heh, I won't be teaching her how to make them. It required patience, and Eris had basically nothing in that department.
"Yep. You can do anything with magic."
It was true. You couldn't do everything with magecraft, but magic was different.
"I want one of those!"
Eris pointed at the pouch I was still holding.
Hmm... I had a couple more, so giving her one would be trivial. However, I don't want to reinforce her "spoiled brat" behavior.
"Alright, then. I make one for you as a tenth birthday present. Is that fine?"
"Okay." She bobbed her head up and down.
...
I was leading as we went around the Merchant District. I knew where the items I needed were on sale, and it wasn't like Eris and Ghislaine could read my mind. They followed behind me as I weaved in between the crowds, Ghislaine carefully making sure Eris won't slip off somewhere unnoticed.
I ignored the posher shops as the magic crystals sold there were often over-priced. It was much cheaper to get them from a merchant. And I could inspect their goods myself to ensure I was getting my money's worth.
"Where are we going this time?"
"I'm gonna go get some magic crystals."
"But we just passed a few shops that sell them! Why do we have to walk so far?!"
"Because the previous shops are too expensive. Saving money is important."
"I've never seen Grandfather do that."
Well, duh.
"Well, he's the regional lord. It's obvious he has more money than me."
I saw a magic crystal on a nearby stall. It caught my interest, so the conversation ended there. I rushed over to the merchant selling it.
"Excuse me. Can I take a look at this?"
The merchant's stand held a variety of trinkets. Magic Items, mostly. I'm guessing he peddled them off some adventurer party. It was a good haul, in my limited opinion. Though most of the Magic Items were useless to me. I could easily replicate their effects.
"Go ahead."
The merchant's eyes flashed with recognition when he saw my small stature.
"Just a question, but are you Young Lord Animusphere? The famous mage and craftsmen who popped up a few years ago?"
"Yes, that would be me."
The merchant seemed taken aback. Eyes popping out and mouth hanging open. When he recovered enough to form speech, he shook his head.
"I heard you were a kid, but I didn't think you'd be so young." He quickly corrected his poor choice of words. "No disrespect, of course, Young Lord."
"None taken."
I grabbed the oddly shaped crystal. It was in a protruding cluster with a geometric shape resembling quartz. Overall, it wasn't large. It was smaller than my fist. Its color was familiar, but I don't remember seeing another crystal with this coloration. It was deep green with a sickly sheen when the sun shone on its surface. There were faint streaks of red mixed within, unnoticeable unless you looked close enough. The Mana mist in my Reality Marble seemed oddly attracted to it.
'...this-!'
It's sucking my Mana! Like those green scales in my house's treasure chest! With that sudden mental push, I recalled why the coloring seemed so familiar. It was exactly the same as the scales of the Manitite Hydra. With all those similarities, there's a good chance this Mana crystal came from said hydra.
The merchant noticed my interest and used this opportunity to give his own opinion.
"Interested? I wouldn't recommend buying that. All the mages and craftsmen said they got a chill near that crystal. I'm starting to think it's cursed. I've been wanting to get rid of it, but-"
"I'll take it."
"Are you sure? You might get curs-"
"I said I'll take it. How much?"
The merchant scratched his chin, looking at the crystal I held with disdain.
"I'll give that to ya for fifty gold."
"Pleasure doing business."
After placing the payment on the stand, I waited for the merchant to count the coins. After he was done, I plopped the crystal into my pouch. A greedy grin crept across my face. Fifty gold coins for this?! It was worth at least a couple hundred! Having this opened up new pathways for my Mystic Codes. Imagining all the money I'd have at the end of it all... Hehehe!
I got smacked on the head.
"That grin is creepy. Stop that!"
What a little red-headed tyrant.
...
...
A store caught my eye as I looped around the area. We'd wandered into the outer part of the city some time ago. The prices here were dramatically lower, too. More people were here. Ranging from nobles to adventurers, based on their appearances. Even the shop owners seemed livelier as they hawked their wares.
A store caught my eye as I looked around with a clinical eye. A bookstore, to be exact. I decided to wander inside.
I was the only person inside. There were two bookcases. Volumes of the same title were locked up in twos and threes. Each book was around one gold coin in price.
In the remaining space was a locked case with rows of books inside. These were about eight gold coins a volume, the most expensive being ten gold pieces.
"Hmpf."
The store owner took one look at me and yawned as though dismissing my potential as a customer. I wasn't looking to buy anything, so they were kinda right. But if they have something interesting... Well, parting with a few gold coins didn't hurt anyone.
I glanced inside the locked case and noticed a book I had.
"Plant Dictionary. Ten gold coins." I muttered.
The book Zenith gave me on my fifth birthday.
Expensive.
My mom really went overboard with that one.
"Oh?"
Sig's Summoning Magic. Ten gold coins.
I only dabbled in summoning at the Clocktower, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn more. Besides, I didn't have a book on Summoning Magic yet, so... Ten gold coins, prepare to be used!
"What are you looking at so eagerly?"
It was Eris's voice. She had followed me inside at some point. She must have noticed me looking at the book titles.
"I'm thinking about buying this book."
"Oh, that's right. I heard you like books, don't you?" Eris asked.
"Who did you hear that from?"
"My father!"
Philip, huh? Well, I did spend a decent amount of time in his library. I think it was the only place I went in the manor.
"I-If you want one that bad, I could buy it for you." She offered.
"You say that. But you don't have any money, do you?
While we talked, I called the shop owner over with a small hand wave.
"Grandfather will pay for it!"
Yep, as I figured. I have to squash her "spoiled brat" behavior while I have the chance. If she goes into adulthood with that attitude, who knows how much trouble it'll cause. I needed to make her understand money was a limited resource.
"Yes?" The shop owner had made his way here while I was thinking.
"I'd like that book, please."
"Sig's Summoning Magic?"
The owner looked skeptically at me. He's wondering if I have enough money to buy it.
"Yes, thank you. Here's the payment."
All the things I sold today were coming in clutch.
"Please wait here. I will go get the key."
The owner pocketed the coins I gave him and left to get the key to free the book from its restraints. I focused my attention back on Eris.
"Your grandfather's money isn't something you can use for whatever you want."
"What are you saying?"
Eris's brows knitted. She was growing increasingly irritable because she didn't understand. I could almost see her anger bar as it filled.
"Do you know how much I earn monthly for teaching you?"
"About five gold coins?"
"Two silver coins."
"That's too little!" She yelled.
The shop owner had returned with the key in hand. He was looking disapprovingly at us.
"Sir, if your Lady friend is going to cause such a commotion, could I request you do it outside?"
I laughed nervously as the book was handed to me.
"Sorry about that. We'll be quieter." I gave Eris a look. "Understand?"
"Hmph." She turned her head away, but at least she didn't shout.
Now, to keep on explaining the importance of the glorified seashells that is money.
"Considering that I'm young, not to mention people don't know much about me. Two silver coins are a reasonable salary. Most of my money comes from my own business."
"B-But Ghislaine gets five gold coins! And you're teaching me a lot of things too!"
"But Ghislaine is more experienced than me. She also has the title of Sword King and doubles as your bodyguard. It makes sense her pay would be many times higher." And the Boreas Greyrat's family preferences to favor beast folk.
"Th-Then what about me?'
"You can't use magic and haven't mastered swordplay. The best you could get would be one gold coin."
"Grr..."
"If you want to buy something, please use your own money."
"Okay. I understand." She wore a rare look of utter defeat on her face. Odd, this sort of lecture usually meant nothing to her.
"I'll see if I can talk to Philip into at least giving you some money to spend when we get back."
"Really?!"
Her head jerked up, her sore mood vanishing instantly.
It was a good idea. It'll teach her how to manage money in the long run. A useful skill to have when she reaches adulthood. Hopefully, she won't end up in a situation like the time Ghislaine told me about. Blargh. How could you stomach eating monster shit?
...
...
The sky was a mix of red and orange as we headed back home. It wasn't the best I've seen. But it was still stunning. I looked up and saw a floating castle. It was faint, with many clouds obscuring its form, but I could still see it without my third eye.
"Is that Perugius's floating castle?"
"Yes. Is it your first time seeing it?" Ghislaine asked.
I didn't remember much about the legend of Perugius. The only reason I remember him at all is because I need his DNA for a homunculus.
"Yep. And who is Perugius again? I only know he was one of the Dragonfolk."
Ghislaine looked slightly surprised as she tried to find the words to explain. But Eris didn't give her th opportunity. She darted in front of me and crossed her arms over her chest, legs a hip's width apart.
"Allow me to teach you!"
"Please, do teach me."
"Very well!" She puffed up with pride. "Perugius is one of the three legendary heroes who defeated the Demon God Laplace!"
Laplace... Where did I hear that name again?
"He's incredibly strong. He took command of twelve men and, with his floating fortress, marched into Laplace's stronghold!"
"Oh yeah? That's amazing."
"Isn't it?!"
"You're quite knowledgeable about this, Young Mistress. Thank you."
"Eheheh." She cackled. "You still have a long way to go, Rudeus!"
"You wouldn't happen to know where he spilled his blood, would you?"
"Huh?"
Hah... Worth a try, I guess.
...
...
The next day found Eris in an absolutely horrendous mood. Perhaps it's because she had her first day of freedom or because she had never been allowed outside the posh shops until now. Either way, letting her have a rest day was definitely a good idea.
"I demand you take me out again!" Her arms were folded, legs planted firmly apart.
It was the same pose she always used, but her cheeks were tinted red. What kind of blush was it, I wonder? She couldn't be embarrassed, so it was the angry kind.
"Um..."
How do I get out of this without being punished?
She gritted her teeth. Then she took fistfuls of hair in both hands and thrust her hips back.
"Please take me with you, mew..."
I'm having a mental breakdown. I really have to address this...absolutely ridiculous tradition the Boreas had.
"Yes, I will! I'll take you with me! So stop that!"
"Hmph! As long as you understand!" Eris sent her hair fluttering and plonked back into her seat before the hip-length locks had time to settle. "Now! Continue your lesson!"
"Looks like you're feeling motivated."
"Because I know you'll say you won't take me if I don't behave myself!"
Wow. Gotten smarter, I see.
"That's right. I'll take you as long as you behave yourself."
Impressed, I started on the last lesson for the day.
...
...
...
It's been three months since I infused my human terminal with a shard of my gem. It should finish maturing any day now. But that also means I'll have to break another piece off and combine it with the Demon terminal. Hence why I'm in this crappy storeroom again.
I know I was the one who chose this as my secret base of operations, but I'm currently regretting my decision with every cell of my body. The smell of rotting wood had faded since I used magecraft to freshen this place up, and I'd cleared out the spider webs, but it was still mightily uncomfortable.
I was less nervous this time. I did this once before, so I knew what was in store. That won't soothe the pain I will feel, however. I pressed my hand against the cylinder that held my human terminal. The liquid inside had shifted to a blueish hue sometime in the process. The homunculi's white hair was suspended in it. Its face was scarily similar to my own.
I ignored my nerves and got onto the creeky table once more. I'd improved this hunk of junk during the past few months, but it wasn't much better than before.
"The time of Creation hath come. I am the end of the beginning."
Magic Circles sucked away my Mana and Od. I wasn't scared, so I could tell when my consciousness began fading. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation. It was sorta like going to bed after an exhausting day at work.
...
This time, my movements were less restricted when I awoke. Unlike last time when it felt like walking in honey, it was reduced to being underwater. It took less effort to walk and move, and I still had all my clothes on. My eyes opened effortlessly this time.
What stretched before me was an endless desert. Tall sand dunes and deep valleys were barely visible in the distance. Smoke covered the land, not of my origin. It was pungent and foul, and I wanted to puke after one breath of air. It burned my lungs, so I opted to hold my breath. Breathing was unnecessary in this state. The sun's heat beat down mercilessly on my body, making me feel like I was in an oven.
I rose into the air. It took a bit of trying as I had to consciously summon my Mana mist this time, but I got the hang of it. Past the wooden clocks and golden chains rested a white gem I was familiar with. There was a large chunk of it missing. I chopped it off last time. My face lifted toward the sky, and I was met with a starry sky. There was a moon this time, large as a dinner plate. Its pale glow seemed to sap away all warmth and heat.
'Well, brothers, sisters. Wish me luck.'
Mana condensed and stretched like last time. A small disk of white, shifting mist floated above my hands.
"Hah!"
The disk flew into the noxious mist, parting it like last time. The scenery was different from grassy plains and rolling hills. A desert stretched as far as the eye could see, with valleys and dunes being the most common landmasses. It wasn't as beautiful as the scene from before, but this world was unique in its own right.
The pain wasn't as intense this time, or perhaps I was better prepared than last time. I didn't scream, merely opting to bite my lip until I drew blood.
"Th-The time of Creation...hath-hath come! I-ugh-am the end of the beginning."
The pain became a dull ache.
...
...
̶̧͔͍̈́͗͛ ̸͉̟̳̽͌͘I̸͍̔ ̷̪̒̈́r̷̘̾e̴̡̦͗͠m̵̡̖̌ḙ̶͓̮̈̅m̷̳͍̖͑ḇ̴̧̑͑̓ȇ̸͕̥͐r̸̝̻̩͛̑ ̵̨͑̔ä̵̹̼͓́ ̶̼̰̥̎́̚h̴͓̩͔̓̃ạ̸͕̀̃͝r̷̙̈̀̑͜s̵̳̆h̶͎͖͒̚͠ ̵̪̃̎ĺ̸̡̝͘a̴͔̋̈́ṅ̸̠d̷̼̹̋̐ ̶͎̣̂͘̕o̵̼̘̓f̷͈̱̎̓̕ ̴͇͇͇̇̇e̵̢̡͒̓n̴͎͑̈̃d̵̥̞̒l̵̞̎̓͝é̶̼̱s̸̥̺̉͐s̵͕̕ ̶̤̯͒͑͠d̷̹̭͉̍̌e̷̝̪͗̃̿s̶̮̍̽̓e̴̻͊͛r̴͔̬̀̐̕t̵̞̔̓s̶̜̽.̶̡͙͑ ̷̯̘̺͑̈́̇T̵̘̈́ḩ̶͖̪̋̈͋e̵͚̬͛̈ ̸̡̳͎̓̇̂s̷̬͙̔́u̸͍͌́͋n̶͓͐ ̶̖̠́̐̊s̴̋͊͜c̴̛̫̓͝ọ̵̳̦͊͐͌ř̵͓̦̤̃̕c̶̲͕̉̇̓h̷̡̢̎ẹ̸̿̔̀d̷͙̻̹̐̈́ ̵̤͗a̵̜͋̏ḻ̸̡̚̕͠l̶̘͙̏͝͝ ̴̗̝̍d̶̹̹͛ù̸̘̜͓̔r̴̹̼̈͝ĩ̸̪͑̀ń̴̪͔̥g̵̱͇̲͛̇͛ ̵̥̾i̵̜̣͚̾͝͝t̷͓̒š̶̟̉ ̷̩͆t̸̖̀͊̿ĩ̶̟̱͐͋m̶̮̐͑ė̴͕̗͇ș̶̟̍̄̊ ̷̫̎o̶͔͙̘͂f̶̫͊̈̌ ̴͚̋̔̑r̸̖̣̥͂͝ë̴̞́í̶̠̝͂̕g̴̬̓̄͜ṋ̵͑̚,̴͉͖̺͗ ̴̹̣̥̊͘͝a̴̻̯͙̋̾͘n̷̨̾̀̅ď̴̩̿͝ ̴̠́t̶͉͓̭͝ḩ̵̬̙́͒ê̸̛͖̲̽ ̵̳̖̦͂͆͊m̴̢͑͂͝o̵̢̪͙͐̂̋ó̶̝̅ṋ̴͔͇̌̋̚'̷̳̌͆ͅs̴͔̭̊ ̶̟͎̭̓p̵͇͎̊̐a̸͙̾l̷̖̺̾̊ẹ̸̘̌ͅ ̶̲̪͌ľ̷̼i̶͉͕͔͑g̴̖̑̂h̵̳̊̍t̷̲̤͙̅͐͠ ̸̗̝͙͛f̸̢͎̿͝r̵̻̆o̴̡͍̽z̴̤̬̉ͅė̷̺̖͗ ̵̣̫̙͂̒a̴̞͕̞̓l̷͍̃̎l̴̬̗̰͊́ ̴̜̩͛̌ẘ̶̮̮h̵̯̀o̷̦͈̗͌̀ ̵̼͘d̷͙̀̄a̸̮̝̩͆͌̚r̵̛͙̣̬̍e̸̗͝d̴̞̲̈̅̕ ̵̧͚̘̀͝ḻ̸̓ơ̵̢̦̼̍̅ò̸͔͊̚k̷͉̝̉͛ͅ ̶̬̑ū̷̜̕ṕ̶̤̈͜͝ͅợ̸̈͘n̵͇̚͠ ̶͚͓̠̆̇͛ị̸͠ț̷̤̮̌s̸̼̔ ̴̡̮̌̔p̵̰̹̤̽u̴͎̿̚r̸͔̝͂̒ỉ̷̩̞̑ṫ̵̡̟͓͝͝y̴̤̫͐̚.̵̦͛ ̶̨̂M̶̞̅́̈́i̵̹̔a̷̛̲̳̰s̴͕͈̏͜ṁ̸͇͉̿̋à̷̻̺ ̵̨͈̰̑̿͝ǵ̴͖̀a̴͖̿͜s̷̹͍͒̇͌ ̴̤͌̚c̸̱̯͓͛͊o̷͇͖͑͠v̷̪̹̹͛̕è̷̪́r̴͍̠̊͗e̶̡̛͛ḓ̵͕͘ͅ ̸̧͚͎̅̓t̴̹̭̏͝h̷̰͍͐̃ë̷̻̰́ ̸̼̤̠̔l̶͖̒́́ḁ̴̛̅ñ̴̺͂d̸̥͉̈ͅ,̸̜̃̾ ̶͓̐̚͠ḿ̶̜̗̦͑̕ą̸̮̊k̷͚̫̻̍̀ĩ̷̤̖̈́̓ͅn̷̺̺̂̂̏g̷̩̱̻̈ ̸͖̘̩͗͂ī̴͔̌t̴̨̖͂͆̊ ̷͔̠̭͆͆͠a̸̠̓̎ḽ̵̠̍̑͋m̸̟̗̚ó̸̱s̷͚̎͗̓ţ̷̤̓̓̈ ̶̡͖̆̌̐u̵̝̩̿̄̉ń̸̛͜b̸̧̝̫͋e̵̩̩͜͝á̴͉̀r̸̻͘͠a̷̤͑b̵̻̯͙̊͗l̶̨̈́e̴̛̜̝̦͌͝ ̸̼̒͗t̴͓͐̾͝o̸͚͔͙̾ ̷̢̲̖͒͊ḙ̸̈v̵͉̓̌ȩ̸̔͘͘n̷̳̈́͂ ̸̠͔̎́b̸̳̹̼̿̑͝r̷͚̹̯̆ę̴̠͇̈́͘͠a̵͓͊ţ̷͍̹̈́̓̈ḩ̴̖̙̋̇e̷̺̣͋̆̚.̶̼̪̖̿̔̓ ̸̘̋̓Ẏ̸̲͚̦ę̴̗̹̏̔̀t̸̙̝̂,̵̘͝ ̵͇̪́͗̽d̷͎͕͚̋̋e̶͙̠͋͠s̶͎̼̔̇̂p̶̡͕͘į̵̧̕ţ̶̬͝é̴̮͔̅ ̷̖̖̀̽̓ȟ̷̰͓͖̓̍ó̵̠̥̠͂́w̵̭̯̮̚͠ ̵̨͉̂̓ͅd̸͖͎̝̀͝e̷͉͔͊͋͝a̷̪͂̀ḑ̸̯̀̅͐ ̸̨̜̈́́̿ĭ̶͓̈̇t̴̛̼͈͙̄ ̵̠̪̮̈w̸̫̓̃̄a̶̗̰̥͆̀̾s̸͈̪̜͛̾̀,̴̡̟͙́̉̚ ̶͎͛̈͋Ì̷̩̓̈ ̸̼̮̉s̶̢̼̳͐t̵̗̓ï̴̹̟l̸̦̒̈́̒l̶̼̓ͅ ̸͎̮̯̈l̸̙̟̇̂o̵͇̦̽̈v̷̟̖͒̄e̷͙̓d̴̗̐̇ ̶̧͈̅̈͝m̴͉̥͇̓͊͘y̴̨̒̒ ̶̻̀w̷̧͍̆̓̕ő̸͕͕̖͑r̴̹̰͎̆́̔l̵̫̙̅d̴̛͚̼̉.̵̘̕
̵͓̪̗̔̓̆ ̵͍̎̏ ̴̜̻̀Į̶͒ ̴͎̙̮̄́w̴̖̐̾a̵̼̪͙͋̓̓s̴͖̤̙͛̊ ̵̺̫̳͠ṭ̸̆́h̸̗̎͋ͅë̷͙̏ ̶̢͈̽͠ͅë̵̤̹́͌ͅn̴͚͍̖̓̈́̕f̸͔̪́͛ô̴̱͈̻̊͠r̵̜̓̒c̴͕̥̾ẹ̵̦̓̆r̴̟͖̘̀̔ ̸͙̜̪̎͝o̴̪̙͑́f̶͕̝͑ ̷̰͍̓́͘n̸̡̦̉̏̎a̸̧͘ẗ̴̖̺̦̚ų̶̉̾r̷̢͎̟̈́a̴̧͖̔͆̾l̴̥̩̅́͒ ̴̙̯͍̊̽̾ỏ̴̮̠̓r̶͉̜͐̑d̷̨̈̄̂ȇ̶̤͍ṛ̸̈̄ ̶̥̝̄̋͝â̵̞̎n̴̳̈́̑͘ḋ̴̢ ̸̣͙͈͐͒ĺ̴̳͒a̸̢̨̿w̷͎̅̄̈́.̷̡̗̄ ̵͈̠̋T̶͍̙̳͋̿́ḩ̸͐̈̐ẽ̸͉̈́ ̷̥̆̑C̸͙̈́e̵̠͌̎͘l̶͓͇̲͌e̸͖̬̖̎̌s̶̹͖͗t̷̯̖̅ḯ̶̭̞â̷͎̂̓l̸̳͊̌ ̶̮̳͑͋̑R̸̻̆u̷̩̭̽́̅n̵̖̿e̸͎̚s̷̬̃̀͜͠ ̸̡̩̏w̶̨͕̉̓ȩ̵̲͍͌r̶̤̆͝e̸̫̮̿̔ ̷͙͎̥̃͆a̵̞͈̳͌̽̏t̶̡̚ ̸̣͎̃m̸̛̱̦͗́y̶̭̩͙̓͝͠ ̴̘͓͓̂c̶̯̳̔̔͜o̶̲͓͐̑̋m̴̝̓m̸̭̃́̇á̸̡̫n̵͍̞͖̿̕d̵͍͒.̵̗͑͑͑ ̷̙̓M̴̡̯̔͘ä̵͖̖́g̴̰̻̥̀̇͝ȋ̴̝̇c̸̡̢̗̈́̚ ̸̜̉͊ẁ̷̝̲a̶̠̘̰͋͠ṣ̴̅͘͝ ̵̱̍͐͠m̶̑̓ͅy̵̨͍̑́̏ ̵͍͑̏d̷̪͆̚ö̵͖͇͚́m̶̡͖͐̈́͝ͅį̶̥̗̒̇n̵̫̩̔̑̚i̵̼̺̽͗͠o̴̧̙̬̐n̶͍̹̫̄̈́,̸̖̕ ̴̜̤͗̑̌a̷͍͆̃n̴͓͌̑d̴̘̠̽͑ ̴̩̥̼͋̄m̴̠̏y̴̹̝̓́̈́ ̶̖̜̎͝e̸͚͔̺̽͝y̵̢̰͑e̸̺̤̖͊͠s̷̛͔͎͒ ̴̗͙̏w̶̱͙͇̌a̶͚̯̔t̶̝͑̈́͘c̵̘̽̑̊h̸̙̅ͅe̴͍͓̽d̵͈͊ ̷̗̈́̓t̵̠̄͒͐h̴̻̤͛̊ė̷͔̫̯̓ ̶͎͕̒e̴̗̓ͅͅn̵̢̏t̴͚͘ì̴͖͖r̵̛͈é̸̮̝̉̃ ̷̖̻̏̎w̶̟̎̓͂o̷̲̅r̵̙̤̍̉l̷͚̝̒̄̔ͅḓ̶͍̼͌̅ ̵̢̨͊͜f̴̢͓̙̿r̵̡͙͒o̶̢̓m̸̪̀́̔ ̵͙͝ä̵̩f̴͖̻̒a̴̝̍̉r̶̡͑́̐.̷̨̻̐
̶̨͔̥͊́ ̵͋̏̈͜ ̴̧̹̉́͐M̶͕̘̯̒̍o̶̝͗̐s̵͉̯̅ț̶͙̗̈́ ̷̱̗̑͠͠ō̴̳̮f̶͙̜̪́͠ ̶̟̖͓͛̃͘m̵͈̪͛̽y̵̧̰͊̌͜ ̸̼͋̆ǩ̶͉͆͘í̴̯͈̹̄n̷͍̯͓̎͋d̷͇̭̓̑ ̸̰̋̄b̴̢̤̒́̃l̷͘͜i̸̛̜̐̚͜n̸̲̦͂͐͌ͅd̴̦̹̳͂́l̸̪̏͌ͅy̵̢̏̀ ̶͇͝f̵͇̑͝o̵̧̗͚̅̂l̵͕͚̈́͜l̵̢͛ő̴̭̉͊w̴̬̐̀e̶̡̦̜̒d̵͇͈̀̅ ̵̰͗̋m̵̝̅͗͒y̵͚̦͛ ̴̛̰͚̊̉w̴͙͔̖͑ĩ̶̛̭l̷̘̟̀͘l̵̯̎̒̒,̴̡̒̄̐ ̴̫͎̅̾͘y̸̝͚͋͘é̷̜̬̽̓t̴̘͌͌ ̵̹͋͛͠f̸̬̔̋͛ȇ̶̗̺͜ẇ̸͓̰̮̄ ̴͖̞͗͝h̶̡̩̄͐ả̴͎͔̬d̴̤͔̀ ̸̬̳̈́̂t̶̥̒̉͜͜ḣ̴̲͘ͅe̴̠̦̯̓ ̴̛̰̫̈́̓g̸͉̾́ͅͅr̷͙̝̋̃ë̵̗͇a̴̢̿̃ẗ̴̥̺͔́͛e̶͈̣͌ͅs̶̡̾t̸̮͈̍ ̸̓ͅm̸̡̥̽̚ĩ̸͖̑n̵̢̧̻͑̀̿d̶͍͂̽̌s̶͖̟̀̓ ̴͔͙͗i̸̡̬̅n̴̜͇̓ ̵̗̝̕a̸̠̾ļ̷̄͝l̶͓͔͆̽͜͝ ̸̛̜̭̪̓ọ̴̫͒̑͛f̷̠͑̔̈́ ̷̛̼̘̙̃ị̵̰͑̓n̴̨͉̗̍̒̚t̷̨̛̻͚̐è̶̜r̷̟̰͒ņ̸̱̐ǐ̷̙͂̇t̷̨̮̏̈́̈y̷̨͆.̴͓̥̿͌̎ ̴̖͂͠I̴͕̅ ̴̞̫͎̂d̴̗̽̈́i̸͍͎̔̃͗d̴̬̦̄̌ ̴͔̩̖̓̓ņ̵̪̀̒o̷̠̞̔t̷̢͙͙͊ ̴̢̳̄̄g̷̙̼̯͆e̸̱̭̒͐t̸͈̙́ ̵͓̥͎̈́̏á̴̫͍̰͒ĺ̵̲͚̄̓o̸̍ͅn̵͇͖̹͂͐͘g̶̪͖̪͝ ̵̦͖̺̓̌̂ẅ̶̢̼̩̾͛i̷̭̐̂̚͜t̷̨̛͕̪͌͘h̶͔̉ ̷̪̗̑m̷͙̺̅y̷̮̙̆̾͛ ̸̰̲͝b̶̩̾ȑ̵̳̞ó̵͉̮͓̊t̷̥͙̱̕ḫ̸̣͑̆͘e̴̛̙̰r̴̨̗̼̾̊ṡ̵̘͂,̵͔̝̈́ ̷̹̺̇b̷̘̋̌͝u̷̠̦͠ť̴̢̳̈́ ̶͙͝ẃ̴͍̭ë̷͍̘́̄̆ ̶̞̏n̴̞̺̈͊ẹ̴͊͑v̷̹̙̥̇̚ḛ̸́ŗ̵̗̳̐ ̵̥͖̇t̵̮͈͈̏o̶̥͝͝ô̸̻͖̭͝k̵̛̼͔̒͒ ̴̥͉̔̐͝t̸̩̀̉͆ȟ̸̙i̸̟̊̈̈n̵̗͙̲̆g̴͚̮̰̓́͐s̸̮̫̱̃ ̴͉̬͉͂̃t̶̥̳̑̉ơ̸̓͘͜o̶̢̿́ ̴̢̛͚̜͌͊f̸̤̏å̶͓͙͝r̴̳̩̱̊.̷͍̥̉̄̎.̶̩̩̺̿̂.̶̨̧̝̅͗e̵̼͂x̸̡̰̩̅́c̴̞̯̥͛̽ḛ̴̒́p̴̥͇̀t̸̡̠̫̾̅ ̸̨͐̈́ṱ̵͝h̵͔͑͊͠a̸̘̒̕͝t̸̨̎̉͠ ̷̬̞̭͂͋o̷̪̐͗̇n̸̦̑̋ê̶͎̜̬ ̵̠̂t̴̬̻͂i̸̦̓m̷͚̱̳̊e̶̩͙̳͑̊͝.̷̣͔͓̉̀͝
̶̘̬̠̈́̾ ̶̰̟̭̇͠ ̸͚̦̑͑͒Î̷̠̳ ̵̥̳͈̓r̴̲̪̓̉͜e̸̘̥̋̆m̶̰͐é̴͉͒͠m̶̦̀b̴̦̮̽ề̵̖͐ͅr̶̮͉̓͝ ̶͙̭̏a̶̟̼̱̔̕ ̴͔̻͂͜͝͠m̴͉͖̈a̴̖̯͒͆̕g̸̫̜̩̀̂i̵̠̻̇̓͐c̸̡̥͕̐ ̴̠͠c̴͎̤̈́̎i̵̳̿́͠r̴̲̹̓c̶̘̝͆̚l̷̗͎͒ẻ̸͍.̶̘̊͐͑ ̶͍͔̯̊Į̸̯́͘͘͜ ̴̦̍͑w̴̹̏̎̉ą̷̝̀ș̸͒͋ ̵̜͉̰́̕t̶͔͋̎̒h̵̻̎͌̉͜e̸̡̛͇͙ ̶̯̺͆̽f̶̖͖͗͋̋i̶̭͎͛̑f̶̱̎t̶̬̒͒̎͜h̸͎̀ ̴̗̓̏͝ẗ̸͖̣́o̸̙̒ ̷̻̺̫͘͝d̷̼̈́i̶̙͇̓̀̀e̴̝̓ͅ.̷̝͑
...
...
I woke up. Both of me. One was awake before the other, and I didn't realize there were two of me. Blue and green eyes opened before light gray. I sat up and caught the shard of my third eye before it hit the ground.
"Okay. That's two. Only five more to go."
I looked at the small piece of crystal. It was red this time. I didn't need to check my reflection to know my third eye was missing another chunk. I wonder... By the end of it all, will my third eye even be usable anymore?
"Hmm? Why is my vision cracked?"
A golden crack ran along my point of view. It separated a small section of my vision. What I saw within was blurry, and everything had a blue tint. I concentrated on the blurry part of my vision. And, as if responding to my wishes, the section grew to encompass my entire field of view. Now my normal vision was the small section in my point of view.
My senses also did a one-eighty. My body felt weak as a newborn, and my lungs were filled with liquid. They were heavy and pressure-filled. I couldn't breathe, and my skin was so sensitive that even touching it was painful. I didn't know what was happening. But I did know one thing: I needed to escape.
My body was so fragile that using any magic seemed impossible, but my circuits roared to life. Green lines ran along my body as Od burst from my limbs. My hearing was dull, but I at least made out the sound of glass shattering. I tumbled onto the floor with a thump.
Finally, my vision was clear. No more fuzziness or blue shade to everything. As my dull senses began to heighten, I was made distinctively aware that my lungs were still filled with liquid. I proceeded to spasm on the floor, both coughing and throwing up blue goop.
When the first breath of air entered my lungs, I had never felt such joy. You never know how comforting breathing is until you can't anymore. I wanted to stand up and see where I was, but my body felt too weak. My bones might crack if I stood up. So I opted to sit instead. I needed to know how I got here, first and foremost.
"Wait. This is the storage room I was in."
Everything from the shabby table pressed against the wall to the lone cobweb I'd forgotten to clear out was there. And, standing before me in all his majesty...was me.
In my disbelief, I attempted to stand up. I realized that was not a good idea when I heard a crack in my legs. Great, now they were broken. I didn't feel anything except dull numbness, so that was something, at least. I was also face-planted into the ground with my butt in the air. Gosh, I bet I look ridiculous right about now.
"...X-Healing."
I wasn't gonna stand any time soon, so I had to observe "me" from the ground. Nothing really changed from my last look in the mirror. My eyes looked lost and unfocused, but those were the only abnormalities.
"Wait. Let me try something..."
I focused on the different section of my point of view. It grew to be my primary vision, and my senses changed. The point of view I was looking through before didn't vanish. Instead, it shrunk into a small window and repositioned itself in my peripheral vision. My body felt normal again, and I could stand up without trouble.
I noticed that one of the cylinders had been broken. More specifically, the one that housed my human terminal. Looking to the ground, I found said terminal sitting in a rigid and robotic faction, his eyes unfocused and cloudy. The blue liquid inside the cylinder was in a puddle beside him, and some was stuck to his mouth.
"Wait, this means..."
I focused on the small box outlined with gold in my peripheral vision. I tried making it so both "points of view"s took up half my sight. It took some tries, but I got it to work.
"Woah, this is cool!"
Both of "me" muttered. It was like I was controlling two bodies at the same time. Well... That is what I'm doing... So the feeling wasn't that far from reality. It's like I have an entirely new limb to manipulate. The feeling was too complex to explain. Can you explain colors to a blind person? Because it's something like that.
I looked at the new "me." The "me" who just broke out of the glass test tube was uncannily similar to the original "me" in appearance. But his hair was white, and he had gray eyes. He was "me," but he wasn't at the same time. He was a part of me, like an extra arm or leg.
I tried lifting "me" up, but "my" skin stung so much from the physical contact that I had to pull back. I could only wait for "my" skin to toughen up before I did anything. Oh! Since "I" can't do much right now, I wanted to do something I've always wanted to try.
Grabbing a small checkered board from a nearby shelf, I began setting up pieces on the board.
Playing chess against myself was something I always wanted to try.
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So? What do you'll think about this crappy thing I put together last minute as I'm scrambling to finish my forgotten homework? If you have any tips, they're always welcome in the comment section.
Anyways, Please like, share, follow, and comment.
As always, good luck with your game of life͘.