Chapter 9: Chapter 9
The rain fell on my back as I worked, using a shovel made from bone to pour sand back into a grave I dug. The latest of many graves.
Though I am to blame for their deaths, I will bury them properly. That is the least I could do. A few minutes later, I finished refilling the hole. This is how I've spent the last few days.
Looking to the side, I see a shard of glass near my feet, my reflection staring back at me. Dark wet hair and tired blue eyes taunted me.
A person's semblance can evolve under stress or moments of intense emotion. That statement had proven itself true.
Slowly, my eyes turned a shade of green, shifting to red and cycling through other colors before returning to blue. My semblance had evolved, a result of my reaction to seeing the ruins that awaited me. No longer am I limited to manipulating the biology of others.
I can now manipulate my own body as well. Though my most frustrating restriction had been broken, it didn't bring any sense of comfort or joy. It only reminded me of what caused it.
Nezu, my ever faithful rat, hid in my pocket from the downpour. It seems it's just going to be the two of us for a while.
Xx-Xx-Xx
After I finished burying them, I searched the ruins for anything that could be salvaged. The few children's toys I saw in passing weighed on my mind. I found stashes of coins, a lot of them.
I took what I could carry and buried the rest before finally moving on. My experience with Vale has given me some perspective. Mistral and Atlas are across the seas, leaving Vacuo as my choice of destination.
It's also located on the continent of Saunus. I don't remember much about Vacuo other than the few bits and pieces that were sprinkled out.
With Nezu as my steed, I rode in the direction of Vacuo, my mind churning with idle thoughts. I wonder why Ozma hadn't used the relic of creation to make something to destroy the Grimm pools in the land of darkness.
I wonder why he didn't find a way to seal her since he can't destroy her. A lot of questions. If the land of darkness still exists, does that mean the pool of light still exists as well?
If it does, where is it? Something to ponder.
Xx-Xx-Xx
Smashing my bone hammer through the head of another grimm, I let out a sigh. This was the eighth time in the last few days we had to defend ourselves.
Unlike how Vacuo turned out to be, the current kingdom was not a desert but a blooming forest. Grimm are plentiful in this forest as well as other wildlife.
I held steady as Nezu marched forward, biting through the head of another one. As the body dissipated in smoke, I let out a breath of relief. I'm slowly getting accustomed to encountering Grimm, it doesn't mean I enjoy it.
Continuing our journey, it's not long before I pick up voices in the distance. With my newfound ability to manipulate my own biology, I had taken the liberty to give myself a few upgrades. Among those, was an enhanced sense of hearing.
"Come on, it came from this direction." A male voice said, followed by hurried footsteps coming in my direction.
Quickly dismounting Nezu, I shrink him to fit back into my palm before slipping him into my bag at my side.
With great caution, I moved in the direction of the footsteps. It didn't take long before I'm faced with three men in what looked like wraps as clothing and spears in their hands.
"Well, look what we have here." One of them, a man with a thick beard, said, a nasty grin on his face.
"I think we hit the jackpot today." The man to his side said with an equally nasty look.
Bandits.
"This is unnecessary. I'm simply passing through." I say, holding back a sigh.
"You're right, it's not necessary. That doesn't mean we're not going to do it either way. Drop everything you've got!" The bearded one said, creeping closer, the tip of his spear now resting on my neck.
I stayed silent, my eyes fleeting to his two companions who creeped closer behind him.
"Are you deaf?!" The man exclaimed, pressing the sharp tip into my neck and drawing blood.
Reaching for the spear, I easily pull it away and out of his grip, getting a look of surprise. With a swing, the blunt end smashed into his face, sending him to the ground.
"What?!" One of them reacted just before I ran in between the remaining two grabbing them by the face, my hand glowed and a moment later they went stiff.
Releasing them, they went stiff. My repeated encounter with the Grimm had done its part in chipping away at my reluctance for conflict. Dialogue is the best solution to problems but that isn't applicable to the Grimm as well as some strong headed bandits.
"What did you do to us?!" One of them asked, his body from his neck below refusing to follow his instructions.
"I merely atrophied your motor cortex." I say as the wound on my neck healed.
Walking over to the one I knocked unconscious, I do the same to him.
"What the hell does that mean?!" The other one asked.
"In layman's terms, you'll never walk again." I say, turning back to the direction I was initially headed.
I spent days improving parts of my body. Senses, muscle strength, bone density, organ functionality, telomeres length and cellular regeneration; I touched all aspects. I refuse to be caught lacking.
Despite how ready Nezu is to come to my aid, I can't let the rodent out to fight every time. Should he die, I would be left to fend myself. As such, I need personal strength.
Trudging through the forest, I decided to go on foot. The reason being that if there were bandits here, then civilization wasn't too far ahead.
Moving at a steady pace, it felt like hours before I heard voices once more, a bunch of them. Up ahead, I could pick out shapes past the leaves and foliage.
Moving closer, I'm greeted by the scene of men and women enjoying the wonders of the forest. It was a small field of grass with a pond in the center.
My arrival through the leaves was loud enough to draw their attention to me. Multiple eyes snapped towards me and all conversation ceased.
Before I could speak, spears were pointed at me with narrow eyes.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone