Chapter 3: Why are YOU here?!?
Just like a little while ago, my closed opens because of the bright light shining onto my face.
Taking a few seconds I slowly open them. Gentle rays of the morning sun shining on my face. My blurred vision clears, revealing a few green leaves on branches swishing in the wind with the bright blue sky in the middle.
Blink a few more times, I look around. I am lying in middle a small clearing of a forest.
The soft ankle length grass beneath me is a natural bed. The gentle winds are brushing against me, bringing with them the relaxing scent of nature.
[I could just fall asleep here forever.]
Taking a breath, I force myself myself to get up from the comfy 'bed' I was lying on.
The first thing I notice are the clothes I'm wearing. They're different from what I was wearing a while ago. I'm dressed in all black. A black full sleeved shirt, Chinos, and shoes reaching my knees.
Not what I was wearing when I was still alive.
As if possessing a mind of their own, my eyes darts towards my left hand, and there it was. The Mark of the Outsider. The black crest I always dreamt about. I remember having a temporary Outsider's Mark tattooed on the very same place where now the real one is.
I do not know, if it is by instinct but, I know how to interact with. Willing for it, a bluish-grey wheel like interface pops in front of my eyes. Everything else, the forest before me, which is now in the background has become a blur. I can also feel that everything has become a lot slower. I can feel my body just fine, but it's moving really slowly.
On the bluish-grey wheel interface, I see two spherical blue orbs. One have an eye on it, the other has an arrow pointing sideways. Both the eye and the arrow are in black.
Willing for the selection of the one with an eye on it, I close the quick access wheel.
Time moves the way it should, my surroundings no longer a blur.
Looking back at my clothes I'm reminded of what I was wearing at the railing of that building.
Then suddenly, I hear a voice…I hear HER again.
"Shouldn't you be happy now?"
My body instantly flips on my feet. My eyes wide open. Teeth clenched hard. My mind filled with panic, anger and…fear.
The calm of the forest shatters, as I scream on top of my lungs, "HOW THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!?"
"I don't understand what you mean? I'm there wherever you are…I've always been…I'll always be…we're best friends after all."
"Best friends? ARE YOU FUCKING SHTTING ME!! After all that you said! After all that you've done! You have the gall the say we're best friends? Even after you pushed me off the railing!?!"
"Didn't you always wanted me to speak the truth? No matter how painful it maybe? … I've never lied a word to you…push you off the railing? As much as it pains me to admit it…I'm just a voice inside your head Argus. I'm a voice born out of your pure wish for a true friend…and real friends don't lie! Even if they are hated for it…Abandoned for it, they do not shower their friends with sweet lies."
"TRUTH! Ohh! Don't you dare lecture me about truth. My parents didn't want me anymore? Just because I failed a Diploma? You EVIL little shit! If you had a body, I would've chocked you to death by now!"
Her soothing voice feels so demonic.
"You will never hurt me Argus…and think about it for a second, the son of the great Ethan Hale, heir to The Great House of Hale has failed a mere diploma? Even after your father having bought the authorities… imagine the shame he must've felt. The word travelled from those so-called authorities to the society, then to the upper-circle he belonged to. Picture the proud man facing his peers as they casually brings up your failures in front of others. Walk a step in his shoes, and tell me… Would you… no, would HE have wanted you around?
Imaging your respected mother in a gathering of the ladies with standards no lesser than her own. Picture you mother listening to their gloating giggles as they say, 'I heard your Argus failed that little diploma even after 5 years.' Daring to even try to teach her how she should've properly raised you! Tell me, in their shoes…would you have still wanted Argus Hale to remain?"
"A single failure doesn't demand that! Things would've gotten better!"
"I agree but, was it a single failure? Would you like a flashback of the last five years?"
"Shut u-up! Please…"
"You know I'm right, my friend. If not, then can you stop curling yourself into a ball and look me in the eye and say, 'No! You're wrong'. How long do you intend to keep running away... from reality?"
"JUST GOO AWAAAY!!!"
.
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I'm crouching on the ground, curling myself into ball, trembling all over. My hands tightly clutching my head. My face covered in tears.
Why did 'she' have to be here…everything she says…every word, hurts. It hurts soo much!
She's no longer speaking.
The tranquility of the quiet forest returns once more. But, I'm not in a condition to appreciate it anymore. This calm has turned into a deafening silence that is getting increasingly harder to bear.
My body slowly loosens. I'm lying on my left. Curling myself as small as possible, looking at nice blue sky which looked so beautiful to me a few moments ago.
My eyes slowly closes. I once again fall to sleep. Part of me wishing for it be eternal.
.
.
.
Walking up in a jolt from the nightmare I just had. I franticly look around, gasping for breath. I'm sweating all over.
Taking a moment to register- it was just a dream. I find myself sitting in middle of the same clearing. It has gotten a lot warmer. Looking up I see the sun shining just over me
[It's probably afternoon now. Is it the Good Afternoon Tea Time? Or is there still some time left? I guess doesn't matter now. Does it?]
I stretch a little after standing up, and once again look at the mark on my left hand. I need something to distract my mind with.
Coincidentally, out of the corner of my eye I see a ball of white light floating in air.
[How come I didn't notice it before? Probably'cuz I was too busy moping around.]
The more I'm looking at it, the more a strange compulsion to touch it is taking over me.
Standing in front of it, I cautiously raise my hand towards the floating ball of light.
The moment my index finger comes in contact with it, that ball explodes in white glitters. Those glitters then forms a letter, which reads…
"Power + Ignorance is a perfect recipe of an arrogant disasters.
So, just like in the game, you will have to find runes hidden all across the world.
Some will be just lying there in wait.
Some will demand a deed done.
There are bone charms too.
In order to make things easier, I've added an intractable hologram.
You just have to will it and it shall manifest from the Outsider's Mark.
This hologram is basically your upgrade interface, it will look and function exactly as it did in the game.
Same goes for the bone charms.
I was feeling…let's say generous.
So, I have added a small storage in your Mark, just as big as medium sized drawer.
Another thing, do not throw away those clothes you're wearing. They are symbiotic in nature.
Which means, they have self-repair, and self-cleaning function.
And you can shape any outfit with them but, it will be black in color.
Of course, all of the above will require mana.
Inside your storage, you'll find a sword hilt lying.
Its Corvo's folding short sword.
Drawing and folding mechanism of that sword was impractical so, I changed it.
Holding the hilt, you must connect mana with it and will for the blade to come out, and vice versa.
That's it. Good luck, Argus."
The moment I finish reading it, the letter dissolves into small white glitters and disappears.
I couldn't help but, arch my back in a bow and say, "I don't know who you are… If you're THE actual God... just a bored deity…or, you really were some evil tooth fairy. It doesn't really matter…what I'm trying to say is…Thank you…I thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart."
.
.
He talked about an upgrade interface. More than powers I was more curious about that.
Bringing my left to my chest level, I will that upgrade interface to appear.
The Outsider's Marks shimmers golden-blue. From the center of it, a bluish-grey hologram appears. It looks exactly like one from Dishonored 2. Symbols of all my selected magic is present in their respective orbs, with only 'Blink' and 'Dark Vision' being colored a slightly rough shape of blue. The rest of the orbs were dyed grey, meaning I will have to unlock them using 'Runes' for currency.
Runes are basically currency with which I can upgrade and unlock new magic.
Right below the orbs are written the names of the magic skills. For example: Below the orb which is pointing sideways, is written 'Blink' in white fonts.
There's also a section to my right where the description of the selected magic or of its corresponding upgrades are written, along with a few tips to use them.
Currently I'm in a page which says 'Upgrades'. Right beside the 'Upgrades' there are two more pages which says, 'Bone Charms' and 'Arcane Links'.
[I know of bone charms…but, what are Arcade Links…probably a manager app for the people I'll be sharing Arcane Bond with.]
Bone Charm is basically a cylindrical piece of whale bone, which have indefinite passive effects. For example, {Fencer- Win locked-sword contests more easily.}
Done checking the upgrade interface out, I try activating one of the only two magic that I currently have on me- Dark Vision.
Now that I focus on my body, I'm feeling some sort of energy inside me. It's more concentrated on the stomach area. It has no state like solid, liquid or gas. It feels virtual, it is there at the same time it's not.
I needed no explanations, the energy I'm feeling is mana.
Just like with the 'Quick Access Wheel', I instinctively know how to activate Dark Vision.
Trying to take hold of my mana, I slowly guide it towards the mark on my left hand. Outsider's Mark starts shimmering in golden-blue, the moment a certain amount of mana reached it. 30% to be exact.
I see no mana or health bar, but I can tell that, currently 30% of my total mana is invested into the Outsider's Mark.
With just a thought I execute Dark Vision.
Everything around the radius of 15 meters turns dark orange-grey.
What Dark Vision does is that it highlights my enemies with bright orange color, even through walls. Not only that, the magic also makes visual representations of any and all sounds I make. For example, When took a step forward, a small spiral of waves erupted beneath my foot, which traveled for about 3 meters. That means, the sound of that foot step is audible till 3 meters in an optimal scenario. If there was an enemy nearby with exceptional hearing, that wave would gone much further till it connected with him.
It sends 3 pulses like a radar which are 8 seconds apart, in order to detect new enemies.
It also highlights my enemies line of sight, allowing me to see what they can see but, not what they are seeing.
If there was an enemy here, I would've been able to see his line of sight highlighted in the shape of a cone. Similar to how light comes out of a flashlight or a light house.
It's basically a nerfed version of Byakugan.
Further upgrades will allow me to see things which are of relevance to me. Like traps, footprints, etc.
Currently my Dark Vision is only tier one and there are no enemies nearby. But, still my eyes shine in amazement as I witness what I have always seen on a screen, in real life.
32 seconds later my Dark Vision deactivates. That is its time limit. Following that, Dark Vision goes into a 3 second cool down and I have long felt my mana draining by 30%.
But, the mana drain was of no concern. Every magic granted by The Outsider's Mark gives some mana back after each use. Dark Vison and Blink are the only two magic which returns all the mana it took to use them after 5 seconds. But, it has a drawback, if I use any of the Mark's magic before the 5 second mark the 'mana refund' will be canceled. And another cycle will begin for the latest magic I've executed.
my mana returns after 5 seconds of initiating Dark Vision. Basically my mana was back to me before the Dark Vision ended.
.
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I'm standing in middle of the small clearing with waves of excitement washing over me. The child in me is slowly breaking out of its cocoon. Next up is my favorite magic- Blink.
Rather than slowly guiding my mana to the mark I decide to see how fast I can activate my magic.
It doesn't even take a second to see a small tornado of blue energy along a shinging sound in my ears.
.
.
Blink does exactly what the name suggests, it allows me to travel 'small' distances within a 'Blink' of an eye.
That small tornado I see is Blink's exit point, the point or place where I'll appear if I execute my Blink.
The tornado or exit point moves according to my line of sight, allowing easy aiming.
Blink is not teleportation, its Mid-Distance Instant Traversal Magic.
This magic has a ridiculously long list of possible uses, simply because it's completely stealthy. There will be no blowing of wind when I pop out of the exit point, not sound. Nothing at all. It is designed with stealth in mind.
I can move from one hiding spot from another in an instant, without a single detection.
Blinks is also really useful in open combat as it allows me to get in and out of the battle at my leisure.
It even works through glass, but the glass will break if I go through it since, it's not teleportation.
Upon further upgrades, I will be able to accelerate my spiritual time, or say the time of my brain so much that, no matter how fast anything is moving It will always appear to have frozen in time to me. And I'll be able to aim my Blink at my leisure. That upgrade is called Re-Directive Blink.
The name comes from the fact that, I'll be able to aim my Blink in any direction in want, despite my body being frozen in time.
This upgrade will give me a cheat like advantage in any battle I'll ever face. If I'm in an open battle with a monster or something, and I need a minute to come up with a viable plan to win. All I have to do is activate Re-Directive Blink and everything will be frozen solid. Then I can take my sweet time and cancel Blink. That would cost me no mana at all.
There's also Blink Assault, which allows me to keep the momentum generated by the Blink and pass it on to something or someone with a hit, sending anyone flying at an insane speed. Further experiments will be needed I think. That was a game, everything was static there but, there are too many variables in the real world.
I should also be able to use it in order to make some really high or long jumps, although it wasn't in the game but in theory I should be able to do it.
Then there's Greater Blink, which extends Blink's range from 10 meters to 18 meters.
.
.
With a shinging sound of the small tornado going on in my ears, I'm running my line of sight here and there only to see the exit point going exactly where I want it to.
Done playing with the exit point, I take a deep breath to calm my rather excited heart and execute Blink.
With no sound or any other disturbance, I find myself standing exactly where my exit point was.
[This is too awesome!]
I cannot help but smile. The first one I had in a while.
Now there were only three things left to check.
The storage.
The Corvo's Blade.
And my Symbiotic clothes.
I also happened to instinctively know how to access my Storage. I concentrate and try to access the space inside my mark. A second later I'm greeted by a small space no bigger than a medium sized drawer. Just enough space to keep the sword, potions, money, and stuff.
I will for the Corvo's Blade to come to my right hand, and a second later I'm clutching a sword hilt.
The sword hilt is made of wood and metal. The hilt has 3 black metal claws currently covering the part where the actual blade is supposed to be. It looks simple yet stylish.
Connecting the sword with my mana, I will for the blade to come out. The three claws opens, now serving as guard. Not even a second later a dark grey blade comes out of the hilt. It is around 35 cm long, obviously too long for the hilt to keep in.
My money is on space magic
The sword feel incredibly light and comfortable to hold. The grip feels just right in my hand, even though it's thicker than an average sword. I take a few awkward swings with it. Feels so light that even at my level I can hear a swish every time I swing it.
Its razor sharp too… I found that out when I accidently cut my left hands index finger trying to do a 'Quick Katana Slash'. The blade resembles a ninjato.
With my bleeding finger in my mouth, I return the sword hilt back to the storage.
As for the clothes, I feed my black shirt some mana and imagine Kakashi's signature undershirt with his mask.
I feel a part of my shirt sticking to my chest like a bubble gum, before slowly expanding into a thin undershirt along with a mask which covered half of my face.
I basically have a semi-venom suit!
"Okay… now I need to see where Orario is. I've already wasted a lot of time…I don't even have a drop of water on me." I speak to myself while looking up. It's probably around 3 PM.
I start walking, searching for a tree bigger than the rest to get a vantage view of the surroundings.
It doesn't take long for me to find a tree that fitted the criteria. Activating Blink I aim it on a thick branch that was about 9 meters away from me and execute it. Repapering on the intended spot I repeat the process over and over again, until I reach the desired height.
I see an insanely massive city before me. The sheer size of Orario stuns me to silence for a good while.
[I swear in anime, it wasn't so huge.]
Towering walls warps the city in a circle. Even at my distance I can still clearly see the impossibly tall tower piercing the heavens above, The Babel Tower.
Getting my bearing I try to get an approximate distance between me and Orario. It's only a few hours away from the dark and I have no intention of finding out, what comes out to play at night.
With my eyes squinted I focus to measure the distance, "Okay so, we're about 10 kilometers…? 10 KILOMETERS! Oh come 'awn! I can't even see an entrance from here."
Too lost in the majesty of what I have seen just now, I sigh at my luck and jump off the tree. Not realizing how bad of an idea it was.
I'm falling from a height of least 20 meters, with Blink ready to execute at a moment's notice. The second I cross the 10 meter mark I execute blink just a meter above the ground.
The Blink canceled my previous inertia, and a 1 meter fall doesn't mean much. Landing on my feet, I can feel my body shaking form the adrenalin, I actually managed to pull it off.
[That was beyond stupid! This is not game, Argus! You're not Corvo…you pull shit like, you break a leg…your own leg, ya'feel?]
…Another thought came with it.
[Why not camp here and train…like those guys do.]
I threw that thought away as swiftly as it came. Why? One might ask.
First, I have no potions on me.
Second, I've never camped in my life.
Third, I've never wielded a blade so, hunting is beyond me.
Fourth, by some dumb luck I manage to kill something, I don't know how to cook. Never needed to.
Fifth, even if did, whose gonna do the butchering.
Sixth, water.
Not to mention my sleeping arrangements, random monsters.
No sir, thank you.
Walking amidst Blinking at every 6th second, I'm making my way towards Orario as fast as I can while another thought hits me.
I have no money or valuables to barter with, and I'm pretty sure they just won't let me in, with a complementary sandwich in my hands.
In middle of figuring out the solution of the aforementioned problem, when I suddenly start hearing strange whispers that I couldn't be more familiar with. In the game those whispers meant either a Rune or a Bone Charm is nearby.
Bubbling in excitement, I initiate Dark Vision. Looking around, it doesn't much effort to notice two virtual symbols of Runes, right below them is written 456 meters.
There appears to be 2 Runes slightly to my left, 456 meters away.
[Hmm. If I do this fast, I just might be able to make it in time.] I calculate.
Deciding to go for them, I change my direction.
I'm jogging and Blinking toward the direction I have detected the Runes.
I'm almost half way through, when I hear a rather loud rustling of the leaves. Sounds of gibberish following right after.
Crouching as low as I can and still be mobile, I slowly make my way towards the sound. With Dark Vision active.
Getting behind a think bush, I notice two small, plump looking orange silhouettes, about three feet tall. Goblins.
[Should I go for the kill? This is DanMachi so, monsters should turn to ashes the moment they die, and drop a core, right? ... Yep, no problems. I can do this! No blood. No gore. Just like in the games.]
Or so I thought…
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An_Imperfectionist
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