Chapter 77: Vol. 1 Epilogue 3: Ripples forming
"It was not just a dream. It couldn't have been."
I muttered to myself as I cast a cleanse on myself and on the bedsheet. I had been sweating like crazy, apparently. There was a wet patch on the mattress roughly marking the outline of my body.
'It was… way too real. It felt way too fucking real, damn it.'
I thought about the contents of that dream and it gave me goosebumps.
'Fuck. That was a really pathetic way to die. Is that how I'd have acted in that scenario. And the bit with Iris was just… ugh!'
[I would never betray you for some other guy! I'm absolutely loyal to you! >:(]
Iris protested.
'That… I'm not talking about that. And you know it too, Iris."
[That was a really shitty dream, though. It made me look like a total villain. I'm really pissed at it! Humph!]
I heard her pout in my head.
I guess she took 'that' part more seriously than I had thought she would. It was surprising since initially, she was just amused when I told her about my dream. That was until I told her she'd betrayed me inside it.
'I don't believe in that part, Iris. I trust you, okay? We're cool. But what's not cool is that part about me dying in near future. It was almost as if I…'
[Saw a premonition? A Foresight?]
Iris finished my sentence for me. I had been thinking about it for the past half an hour since I couldn't sleep after that dream—no, that nightmare. And that was the conclusion I had come to, based on the evidence that I had with me.
The time and the context of it pointed to 'that.' It was related to my recent notifications that got covered initially by all the stuff about my bloodline's complications.
I had seen it and knew about it when I was done checking out my bloodline and the quests, and the effects of it were now in the light.
I pulled up my logs page. The last logs in it were related to my new quests that I hadn't yet done anything with. Scrolling up above them, I reached the notifications I was thinking about.
…
[A mental probe has been negated!]
[A mental probe has been negated!]
…
Initially, I had thought these messages related to the "will" trying to take control of my mind or something. But Iris later told me that the "will" was eliminated before it could even fully gain consciousness.
And that part was still true, even now.
It was instantaneously removed the moment it showed signs of awakening. Iris was very thorough with it and in fact said something along the lines of:
[As if I'll allow anything else to live inside your head. It's my private space. Only I get the privilege of indulging in all those awesome memories, as your one and only System companion. There's so much good content inside that I won't ever want to share with others. Hehe, my own private collection of your memories.]
I didn't know how to explain to her at the time that it was MY private space. And those were MY memories she was calling HER 'private collection'.
She seemed really into all the stuff I had stored in my mind, most of which was related to anime, manga, video games, and other such stuff. She could watch my memories like a videotape as she had told me before and I was very jealous of her—I mean, I was not very pleased that she treated my personal memories as her basic entertainment.
'Also, was it just me, or did she sound quite possessive back then? Yeah, she was definitely possessive about it. Hopefully, it wasn't anything problematic for me.'
[For the record, I treasure you and your memories. Especially your memories, but I like you too, bestie.]
'…'
Though she did have to spend all of her time locked inside my head, so maybe it was fair for her that she had a source of entertainment. A simple sacrifice for having my awesome System companion was not that big of a deal.
Anyway, this did beg the question then.
If it wasn't the trojan in my bloodline, then what was it that tried to probe my mind at that time?
I had been confused and Iris had no clear answers to that either at the time, though she had told me her guesses which at the time sounded somewhat plausible, but with no guarantee.
Curiously, there was no recipient mentioned in those messages either. This was interesting since I had logs about Sharon probing my mind and her name was clearly mentioned in those messages.
I had once asked Iris this particular question I had in mind.
…
'Hey. So, if I remember correctly, skills like my 'Observe' and even other system notifications transcend the world itself. That's how 'Observe' can get information about anything in this world. But what about goddesses? Can I use 'Observe' on them like normal without any problems? They're technically transcenders too, right? Or are they considered local transcenders and the System's skills are in a higher realm or something?'
[You should be able to use it on them as well. Now, if you don't have anything else to ask, I'll be excusing myself. I'm on my 15th rewatch of The Singsongs in my American Animations marathon. It's quite different from the Japanese Anime I've seen. Diversity is awesome. You get so much variety of animations from it.](A/N: Can you guess what show she's talking about? XD Hint: Yellow people. Not minions.)
…
[Ah, that was a good binge-watching session. I finished it all in just 3 hours. :D]
'Can you stop reading my mind so blatantly and get distracted? Anyway, back to the matter at hand.'
[Right. So, when you were living that 'nightmare,' I caught something odd affecting you and after some checks, I concluded it was the effect of an Authority being used on you.]
'And my Mind Field didn't protect me from that?'
[It did. But it only stopped the negative effects. The remaining effect still lingered and showed you that dream.]
'… I see.'
[As for the thing with the messages showing no names, I believe it happened because there was no one to name. The probe, which I now believe was done with some sort of higher Authority of a goddess, was for some reason regarded as an individual itself, rather than belonging to the said goddess, which I assume is the case here.
They must be a very strong goddess for them to have such a powerful authority that can trick even your Mind Field skill's passive effects. That being said, we can confirm from this that even that is not enough to read your mind. So, all things considered, you are safe from some random probes from a powerful entity, the residual effects like this notwithstanding.]
I furrowed my brow and thought about her words.
'What would a goddess want from me? I'm supposed to be a normal human. They shouldn't be caring for my Tier-3 power and Platinum potential, even if they know it. So, why did it happen now when I activated my bloodline? Was it something that special that required a goddess to probe into my head?'
I wasn't really concerned about them posing any dangers. The goddesses in Criotopia were benevolent and kind. That being said, it didn't hurt to be aware of any unforeseen possibilities.
After the news and that dream about other 'successors' possibly aiming to find me, I didn't want a literal goddess after me. Especially since I didn't know which goddess it was and what she wanted from me.
"…"
I opened my mouth to say something but stopped.
'… No, forget it. I'm not jinxing it.'
[I do have a theory. But there's no basis for that. What if…]
'What if?'
[What if you impressed her with your massive weine—]
'Iris, be serious!'
[*Cough* What I meant to say was, the bloodline you possess is pretty special and has deep historical roots. So, my guess is when you awakened it, the said goddess took note of it since it was that special. Though, I have no data about goddesses outside of the game's data and some basic outlines of their hierarchy, so I can't say anything more.]
I mulled over it for a while.
'How sure are you about this guess?'
[45% sure.]
'That's… not that high.'
…
We brainstormed about it for the next hour or so and came up with a few theories, but all of them had flaws.
It seemed Iris's guess was the best possibility.
[Well. Then I suppose we can presume that it can only be 'that' then. I can't think of anything else. So, uh… Congratulations, you've definitely got their attention, bestie! Impress them with your 'potential' and maybe you can bed one of them! XP]
I really couldn't find that thought amusing, but that might have something to do with the fact that it quite possibly directly led to my dream of dying in the near future. Under any other circumstances though, I would have been more than elated.
Much to my distress, this had changed my perception of this world and its beings.
I needed to grow stronger. And I needed to do that ASAP! No more fooling around— not that I was fooling around before this.
'I'm locking myself in the dungeons ASAP, grinding EXP until I get strong enough to get 'that.' After that, I won't have to worry about these random developments in my life. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep knowing about these new threats.'
[You do that. I'll go finish my 7th rewatch of Attack of Tritons.](A/N: Copyright laws can't get me with these! XD)
Sometimes I had to wonder if I—my memories— had turned her into a NEET Otaku System. So enviable—I mean, it was not very nice of her to openly have fun like that when my life was giving me big fat lemons.
…
I wanted to watch Attack of Tritons too! God damn it, Iris! She was such a tease!
***
[???'s POV]
A woman of unparalleled beauty and a definitive mature aura, having pale yet radiant blue hair and similarly colored irises lay in her resting place, still. She was dressed in a simple blue one-piece with open shoulders held together by strings coated with golden inscriptions and a few other matching accessories such as earrings, a necklace, and cuffs made of a loose net-like fabric which was also adorned by intricate patterns.
She stared idly, with bored and tired eyes, inside the ethereal bowl made up of an unknown substance, adorned with undecipherable inscriptions— and which was essentially a part of her being as well— in front of her. It seemed to hold some kind of liquid. It was transparent, drinkable even— assuming there was anyone in the world who dared to take a sip from it and find out the tragic consequences it led to— and it reflected her pale skin that seemed to look almost bluish in tone.
The bowl itself floated in the air with seemingly no force or magic. It was as if it was simply held there by the space itself. As if the laws of nature allowed for it, which was true.
She stared at transparent liquid where there were now flowing and waving hues of light, seemingly forming "scenarios" that only she could see and decipher.
Lately, she had found a new pass time, or perhaps, it was an old pastime that had rekindled once again. The said pastime was- observing young souls with unparalleled potential and a certain level of purity. And among them, one stood out even to her.
She had been mildly eager after she noticed the eagerness and joy one of her sisters showed towards the child and after knowing the child's 'destined' future, she had started to observe the child's actions with empty interest as well. A long-lasting ripple in the world was going to be created and that was what she was interested in. To see all the things that'll be affected by a single young human. After all, the human was going to earn the right for 'that.'
Interestingly, the said human seemingly lived an ordinary and ignorant life, but with such a fate on their back, getting wrapped up in all kinds of interesting(to her) scenarios was inevitable.
Those would be her entertainment for a little while.
It was a pity that most of the 'interesting beings' in the lower realm lived a very short life of a hundred to a thousand years. Or perhaps, she was too old and too permanent. It certainly had affected her in the small eternity she had lived until now, somewhat dulling her feelings and emotions, but she still tried to find things to entertain herself. Luckily, she didn't have to try too hard, especially at times like this when the world was once again quite active.
She now understood why 'she' acted the way she did, though 'she' was an even more ancient and more permanent entity than her. And 'her' actions were still an enigma to her, who had lived so long with her.
As she looked idly at the events and people in the scenarios with the said human, she came to a halt suddenly. The future that she knew was changing, and it was changing drastically at that. And that included her 'favorite' human's future too.
Mildly curious by this new revelation, she pulled up a different scenario in her bowl and was surprised.
"Oh?"
Were her first words in a fairly long time, followed by more.
"There was another vestige of 'his' that I didn't know about. And this one is the most powerful. How intriguing… and possibly disastrous for the people of this era, if it gets in the wrong hand. Hmm."
She peered deep into her bowl without moving an inch, focusing her attention on the ever-changing colored lights, and willed for one particular strand to expand.
A scene in bird's eye view started playing in real time.
In it, a young boy whose hair and face seemed to have been hidden with a wig and a skin mask stood still in front of a dead monster.
She ignored everything else and focused solely on the boy's figure.
It didn't take her any effort at all to peer through his mask and see his actual features.
Fiery red hair and golden eyes were some of his notable features among the rest such as a rather symmetrical and well-proportioned face and a fairly tall, lean, and compressed build, for a young human who'd barely reached his adulthood, anyway.
Normal people would call such a figure "handsome," "charming" or things along those lines. But to her, it was nothing more than an objectively pleasing-looking face. She had no use for any other mundane adjectives to describe the boy. Nor did it affect her perception of the boy. She saw him for who he was in her eyes. Another interesting young human.
'So, it's him. The successor of 'his' bloodline. The bloodline purity is too high in him as well. And yet… he's irregular in that regard. How strange… Let's see… his life until now has been… —Hm?'
She was forced to show a reaction after a very long time, in the form of a head tilt.
She was perplexed by quite a few things she saw that even she didn't understand— which was quite surprising to her, considering who she was. Not many— if any— things in the lower world were unknown to her, let alone perplexed her. She knew almost everything there was to know of the world below: the past, present, and most of the known futures, that she had looked upon from that ethereal bowl of hers.
She was, after all, a being with such a role in this world. It was her inherent authority and sworn responsibility to do so, ever since she and her siblings were 'given birth' by the great All-mother.
'I can't sense the remaining vestige in him, curiously… which is a boon for the boy. He's not tainted with 'that' human's remnant will. But he does seem to have inherited the largest portion of 'his' powers.
'That' human was once widely known as the greatest 'human' to have ever lived— at least back then— and 'his' powers were among the most sought-after and feared powers that any human in history had ever possessed, bar a few irregular or unique ones. But in her eyes, that great human was barely recalled as a mere pronoun. He'd kept her entertained for a while, but not for long. His end had been rather… entertaining.
She stared at the boy for a bit longer, her wisdom-filled celestial blue eyes peering through his mortal flesh, only to make a rather interesting observation.
'Such an impeccable and pure body. It's as if…'
She halted her words, realizing what she was about to speak. There was no way that a human was a divine being. She knew that just by looking at him. That and she knew all the divine beings that ever existed. Be it goddesses, beasts, and more.
Still, it was very unlike her usual self to "praise" someone, but the boy did intrigue her a little bit.
And in truth, it was an objective statement with no hidden meaning when it came from someone like her.
The boy— or rather his physical body, was perfect. Not just his outer appearance hidden behind a mask, but even his insides were perfect. There was not an ounce of impurity within him. Not only that, but his core also had one of the highest potentials in the world which, interestingly, he was currently hiding.
'A sensible decision.'
She commented, knowing well the chaos it could cause if it was known to the others that he was a boy with a legendary talent comparable to great heroes of the past. Her expression didn't change, but she remembered how the child she was watching originally was going to be just as 'lucky'. That child had a very troublesome future among the major powers of this world… or at least, that's what was supposed to be.
But still, she had to wonder how this little human managed to hide it so well. She had never seen such a way of hiding one's potential while still being able to make use of all of one's powers if necessary.
'Fascinating. Did he create a new ability on his own? By instinct, perhaps? His life so far doesn't seem to have anything that could lead to such a unique discovery. So, that means…'
The boy indeed possessed a frightening potential… for someone who wasn't a divine being.
'Such a special young human. He is destined for greatness, or perhaps he will be one of the world's worst spawns. It is very curious that I can't see his future or things that relate to him, other than some basic information.'
She hummed as she tried to use her powers to peer into his mind and observe his memories out of plain curiosity— and was shocked!
'!?'
Shocked enough for her ever-static expression to waver and momentarily take on a slightly surprised look.
'… I can't read his mind…?'
She tried again and the result was the same.
'Indeed. His mind is somehow locked even from my casual probe. Why? And how? Even 'that' man couldn't hide his memories and thoughts from my probing, and he was quite a psychotic human who never trusted anyone, even the goddesses. Especially the goddesses. So, how is this young human child doing it?'
While her face soon turned back to the usual static resting face, her mind still wondered. She pierced into her own memories to see if there was ever such a case.
'Ah, there was… or rather will be. A special girl. But she's yet to exist. She'll be yet another mystery to me. Something that makes me both curious and lacking. What was All-mother thinking, giving her such powers? *Sigh* Even I can't dare to read 'her' mind and find out her reasoning, nor does she speak to us since 'that' incident. How many eons has it been? How long has it been since we have even seen her face-to-face? … It's been too long. The younger generations don't even know about her greatness. Truly unfortunate. It's as if… she has abandoned her own creations.'
Her divine heart, which was never phased even after witnessing many gruesome and grotesque things and events in history felt heavy for some reason. It made her think back to the distant past when even someone like herself was young and lively. Those were such refreshing times. Everything was new and the world was filled with curious-looking things. Oh, how much part of her wished she hadn't had her powers. Then… perhaps she could sate her curiosity at a much slower pace and keep herself entertained for longer.
… Well, there was no point in regretting it. What was done was done. And truthfully, she didn't regret her decision in the end, even if her subconsciousness sometimes tried to deny and resist every now and then, which was rather curious, since she had lived with this lingering thought for a few eons now.
Realizing she was getting distracted, she pushed those unnecessary memories back into her subconscious with a single thought and focused back on the matter at hand.
"What do I do about him? What can I do about him, without interfering any more than I already have? Or do I even need to do anything about him?"
She pondered over it and quickly came to the answer.
'I'll just watch over him for now.'
"He's not someone I find any problems in, even though he's very peculiar. I have no need to intrude on his life any more than I already have. Speaking of, I hope my powers didn't affect his future too much. It would be quite unfortunate if my actions just now created too big of a ripple in the future."
It was curious to her that she also couldn't see what kind of ripple it'll create. But it didn't matter to her in the end. Even if it did cause some effects, nobody would ever know or scold her for that. The only one having the ability to do was not doing anything. Furthermore, this was exactly what she was looking for, wasn't it? Something new and interesting that she didn't already know about.
"Anyway… I suppose I should make sure Vynas's first daughter remembers about the 'special day.'"
Though she said it like that, she knew it was just an excuse to meet one of her own daughters. It had been a while since she had last talked with many of them.
"It is about time the world once again got its chosen one. The pieces are soon going to come together in the human empire, Arendelle. And this time it has a lot of interesting variables. What future historical drama will it create, I wonder?"
The bowl soon disappeared, and in the next instant, she vanished from her spot, with no signs of any change in her surrounding mana or space. She had just vanished leaving no traces of her existence behind.
[End of ???'s POV]
***
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
The_POZ
The_POZ The first half of this chapter was written in a bit of a hurry, so I may have rambled a bit. Hopefully it wasn't too boring or stretched.
Also, this marks the end of volume 1 Epilogues. Gosh, they were all big chapters. Don't expect such big chapters in the future.
Anyways, VOTE POWER STONES!!! :D
---
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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