Chapter 7: Out of the frying pan into the fire
Kiass might have been frightened by Glam's actions, but Ink liked it. Not so long ago, he felt that he had been trapped by his thoughtless actions, but now he saw an example of a way out of such situations.
"Crazy Glam! He really suits him. What difference does it make how tricky plans are created by others if they cannot drag me into their schemes? If I act unpredictably, boldly and achieve my goals, will the same Kiass or Arsi be able to make a plan that will not fall apart? "
Ink was aware that he did not have as much knowledge about the new ascended and reborn world for him as Kiass did; not as experienced in communicating with others as Arsi; not distinguished by a powerful ability, like Grank. He was especially jealous of the latter. His thunderous explosion during the landing made an impression of strength and indestructible power. Would a monster bear survive in front of him after facing a similar blow? Ink did not know. He had too many gaps in knowledge, strength and experience, but now he had a solution to compensate for these shortcomings. Over time, he will certainly become stronger, but first he must surprise his opponents so as not to be a fish in the river.
- My doll is already leading them here, - said Glam, not removing his hands from the body of a huge bear. It was not necessary to specify whom they were. Ink was much more worried about the reason they stayed here instead of being sent to the zero world, as their self-proclaimed mentor wanted. - Ink, Grank, I want to know your abilities."
- An explosion of electricity for a thousand points, the transformation of a part of the body into an incipient source of lightning for ten thousand and the remainder of almost six hundred points was spent on its amplification, - the motorcyclist immediately responded.
- Nascent? - thought for a moment Glam. - Your real body has been transferred to the world of reflection?
The motorcyclist just nodded.
- Fine, - Ink saw an almost happy smile on his mentor's face. - I hope you stayed there longer than a few moments that the spirit needs to be empowered. The clans make up whole schemes that can allow the heirs to remain in the world of reflection for almost a second and be saturated with special energy there. This greatly facilitates the development of abilities.
- You said that before entering the first world, we will not be able to develop our abilities, - said Kiass. - There will be more significant resources in it, so why is the embodiment in the world of reflection so important?
Ink would also like to know. At the same time, he tried to remember exactly how long his body remained embodied in the world of reflection... It appeared that the voice was indeed extremely generous.
"Probably not worth mentioning."
- Wrong! - Glam shook his finger. - I said that abilities cannot be developed in the buffer. You guess what I'm leading to?
Ink looked at the stone platform covering the back of a huge bear in luminous patterns. Inspiration flared up inside him. That was the best news of the day.
"Who would have thought that in order to realize that longed-for chance, I would have to return to the world from which I had recently successfully escaped. Earth ... or now you need to call the planet a zero world? "
Ink looked at those around him and noticed on their faces.
- My decision was not a mistake, - Kiass muttered with wide eyes.
At that time, Green clenched his fists and bared his teeth, looking at the platform. Arsi's expression was strange. At one point, she licked her lips, as if in front of her slightly blurred eyes was the most delicious treat in the world.
- There, - Glam went on, - you will not only hide, but you can become stronger. The zero world suppresses the abilities acquired here, but this is a worthy payment for the opportunities it provides. There is only one problem - you can go into it having your own body or a high level in keenra.
- There won't be any problems with me, - Ink didn't want to explain anything, but that was enough for Glam. - My abilities: force field, micromanipulation, blood control and activation of magical powers.
- Good. Then climb up, the beast will not touch you. As soon as our guests get close enough, we will go to the zero world and leave them to fight for the transfer artifact. If they create enough noise, they will attract the attention of real monsters. I hope they pay a sufficient price to choose our flight in our next meeting, and not a new stupid attempt to take away something that belongs to me.
"Make them pay the price... It's worth remembering. The strong can be noble and merciful, because there is no threat to him. "The weak have to be cruel so that the ill-wishers do not dare to attack again."
Ink climbed up without a drop of doubt. Hands trembled a little when grabbing the hair of a terrible beast, but there was no time to stop and think.
- Wait! - Arsi's voice came from behind. - And what about me? I don't have a real body!
- You're not my student, so take care of the problem yourself, - Glam replied indifferently. - Those guys will want information from you when we laugh. Try and they can even take you to their groups.
- I refuse! - in the voice of Arsi appeared notes of despair. Ink realized that he was in a hurry, putting her on a par with the mentor. - I want to develop my strength and accompany my lover!
Ink finally got to the top. The stone platform looked like a piece of an ancient paved road made of huge cobblestones. To the touch - just a stone, in some places dusty and cracked. Nothing mystical and supernatural was revealed. Covered with luminous patterns, the giant bear looked more impressive.
Satisfying his curiosity, Ink looked down. Arsi didn't argue anymore, she just climbed up. He climbed onto the platform second, cast a displeased look at Ink, and walked into the center with a proud look.
"What a look, man? Are you unhappy with the sequence of climbing the platform? How childish! "
Aloud, Ink did not speak. On the one hand, I was not sure of the correct interpretation of the motorcyclist's view, and on the other ... leaving an aggressive person alone with knuckles knuckled down and the ability to turn a good piece of wood into a blazing hell was not cowardice, but reasonable precaution. Ink repeated the last mentally several times, but failed to convince himself.
Arsi quickly overtook Kiass, who found it difficult to get up due to deformed limbs. I didn't help, but I didn't overtake - I was moving nearby.
"Is that such moral support? This is probably what a smart woman should do, who wants to fall in love with a guy."
The couple rose much longer than Ink expected. Arsi surprised him twice.
- You have the ability of a force field. Use it on me, then my body will not dissipate in the zero world. - she glanced at Glam, but he ignored what was happening.
Ink's first impulse was to refuse. Arsi's finger showing on his face, the very ordered tone of the girl, her pose - everything caused rejection. After that, he remembered how Arsi received a rebuke from Glam in the city, but simply accepted his demands for granted.
- Okay, but the ability control radius is very limited. If you can squeeze your body, as during a landing, there is little chance of success, - Ink answered, surprising himself.
After these words, the previous intention to refuse seemed suddenly petty and contemptible. Was he acting so low in a past life? Thoughts left behind a bitter sediment and a new reminder of the accumulated twelve points.
- Abilities like micromanipulation depend on the strength of consciousness. The epicenter of exposure at the low levels of the keenra is the head. You can practice, but in the zero world, the radius will fall even more, - said Glam.
"Explains for me because I decided to help? And if he refused..."
Ink remembered that his body appeared not too good for disguise feature to glow. He crouched on a stone so that his body fell completely within the range of the ability. An image of a film appeared in his thoughts, which he stuck to the body. Micromanipulation has already begun to act, but on a hunch Ink changed the image to a grid with very small cells. She, like scaffolding, was attached to his skin.
"I feel that it worked, but the glow did not disappear. Can a force field change properties?"
Ink tried to block the release of white energy, but immediately felt a glut of the force field and canceled the block so that the grid would not collapse. A solution to the problem was found quickly.
"This energy was originally in the body. I'll return her there"
Channels sprouted from the invisible net of force field into the skin. The white glow was absorbed and as if pumped into the body.
"The halo has disappeared. Fine! It remains to check whether this will work when I get up."
Ink slowly got up. The grid from the force field did not disappear and did an excellent job with its task.
- An interesting decision, - Glam endorsed, - but for a girl this will not work if you plan to keep her mobile. Of course, the easiest solution is to shove it into a small sphere of the force field and leave it in the room. This was often done before with the weakly reborn, who found themselves in the zero world without sufficient strength. Unfortunately, now the demand for gins has fallen markedly.
"Genie?"
An image of the blue character of a popular cartoon surfaced in Ink's head, which had a foggy tail instead of legs. After checking the scope of micromanipulation, he realized that he himself could have turned into something like that without a real body.
"Reincarnated in the zero world become just an accumulation of energy. Without a sufficient level of keenra, whatever it is, they are simply dispelled by fog. It's funny..."
Ink remembered the mythical ability of vampires to turn into fog. Perhaps there is some truth in such tales, or is it just a coincidence. He did not care. It seemed much more unusual to Ink to have knowledge, but not to understand where exactly they came from.
- It's time, - Glam spread his arms to the sides. - Come closer. The persecutors are almost here.
Ink lost his step and nearly fell when he felt the extra weight on himself. Children's arms grabbed onto his shoulders, a small body pressed against his back, and legs covered his waist. Arsi turned into a child - a very youthful version of herself. Without saying a word, Ink activated his abilities and covered the whole body of the girl with a continuous force field. This was not the hack he did for himself - the field repeated all the bends of the body and clothes. It covered every hair and pore on the skin. Constant concentration was required to keep the field intact while the girl fidgeted, moved, sniffed into his ear. Even a simple breathing process made Ink constantly adjust the shape of the field. Several times he went astray and felt a rupture of the coating. He almost stopped noticing what was happening around because of the need to concentrate on Arsi's help.
"Very difficult, - Ink thought. - I feel like an appendage to the girl, an instrument almost devoid of the ability to think, but... I can't miss such a good simulator of my ability!"
How exactly they ended up in another place, Ink did not have time to notice, he too focused on controlling the field. Concentration went astray when shots rang out nearby.
"Life is more important than training"
Ink squeezed Arsie's body with a force field to the size of a small sphere, as advised by the mentor. Thinking immediately became easier. They stood in the forest, but it felt different - not like it was in the buffer. A group of people in different clothes — but without a robe — pointed weapons at them. The shots stopped as fast as they started. The attackers reloaded machine guns and submachine guns. Where did the bullets go, Ink did not understand, but guessed that this should be one of Glam's abilities. How long can he keep their lives safe?
- You stole the entrance, - one of the men spoke in the distance. There were no weapons in his hands. - But the way out of this has not changed. Do you think the council will forgive you because of your origin? It's time to get punished, Crazy Glam.
Ink's mentor did not consider it necessary to say anything in return. There was a crack of fabric, Glam's body grew. Ink, Kiass, even Grenk looked shocked when they saw the muscle-covered back of their self-styled teacher. Three pairs of hands came out of the shoulders.
Glam screamed...
it was not a cry of rage or anger, pain or despair. It was the voice of the ruler of the ancient world, living according to the laws of power and announcing with roar of his arrival, warning of a miserable fate that awaits the rebellious.
...and everyone around him flinched.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone