บท 9: Symbiont
-= Three days later =-
Congratulations! You've got a pet symbiote!
Would you like to give it a name?
"Lefty."
Are you sure?
Art, don't tell me you're naming your pet "Lefty."
Okay, I won't. Take it.
*Art! What is wrong with you?!
Shut up, woman! What do you know about male romance?!
Art, what romance?! You named your pet "Lefty." You...
No, no, no, you just don't understand! I named my left hand "Left." Now my left hand is another living organism. You know what I mean? Now that I'm older, I can...
ART, DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO DO!
Okay, I won't... Hee hee hee...
Sick bastard...
Yeah... I'm gonna... Modify my left hand! Therein lies the romance of men! Robots and modifications! Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!
*Art... No... It's okay, I'll... Yeah, I'll just delete it from my memory...
Hey, Akasha, are you okay?
Yeah. Yeah, Art. It's... it's okay. It's just... It's fine, uh...
H-okay... (Is there a draft in here? Why is there a chill running down my back?...)
OK, let's see what kind of beast you are, Lefty. Where was this window... Aha!
The pet window:
ACCESS DENIED.
Status: distrusted.
W-what? Me. Not trusted. My hand...
*rolled her eyes* Art, are you feeling okay? I wouldn't trust you either if you called me Lefty.
Nothing... Nothing... Levi *strokes my hand*, we'll show them again, okay?
Pet window:
Access granted!
Status: interest
WHAT?! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!
Akasha, it's my left hand, she can't pout at me for long!
You're insane. That last surgery clearly damaged something in your head. Oh, yeah, sorry! THERE'S NOTHING TO DAMAGE!
Now, that was hurtful.
Art. You spent three fucking days choosing a name for your hand. You ended up naming it "Lefty." Tell me why I can't understand the logic of what you're doing.
Oh! I had to understand her first... Let her get used to me. I looked at her - she looked like a hand. A left hand. A matte black left hand. And-and I knew her name right away. Left. You like it, don't you, Levi?
Pet Window:
Status: love
You see! She loves it!
*hand-face* That's it. I'm just gonna turn a blind eye. It's the most, pardon the expression, fucked-up thing I've seen since my brother tried to seduce the Goddess of Chaos.
You have a brother?
Yeah. And he really wants to see you. *( sobbing )
Why is that?
He likes you.
Hey, hey, Akasha, I'm sorry, but I'm not...
Well, he's not either. Coo-coo-coo-coo-coo.
You know, I just decided I'm gonna live forever.
Come on, I was kidding. He wants to meet a legend. See what kind of creature you are.
Um... Okay? Okay, jokes aside.
"Pet Window!"
Pet's window:
Please point out the direction of development!
Techno.
Wide scope for modification.
Wide scope for programming.
Free interaction with technology.
Magus.
High conductivity of all energies.
High controllability of energies.
Possibility of subtle operations with energies.
Techno-magus.
Conductivity and controllability of energies - below average.
Ability for modification and programming - below average.
Ability to operate with techniques and energies - below average.
Oh, that's delicious! Techno would do, but then again, magus... Eh. We'll take the middle ground-- Techno-magus!
Are you sure?
Yes.
Congratulations! You've chosen Techno-magus!
Choose a technology:
The Bone Crusher.
Ability to transform your symbiote into an impact/shattering weapon.
+50% to damage percussion/shattering attacks.
You gain the Seismic Wave skill.
Spider Spinner.
The ability to transform your symbiote into a filament type weapon. The number and type depends on the symbiote's strength.
+20% to damage of slashing type attacks.
You gain the skill of Thread Manipulation.
Father of Swords.
Ability to transform your symbiote into a weapon of the slashing type.
+50% to damage of slashing/stabbing attacks.
You gain the "Slashing Wave" skill.
Complicated. Let's discard that last one right away, Arthur said the sword wasn't my weapon. And I trust myself... Crusher or Spinner? Hmmm. I really wanted hammers - they're particularly effective against Grimms, but yarns... Yarns are versatile. With the right skill, they could be used to make any kind of weapon... Also to stitch wounds, set traps...
I know I'll be incredibly weak in the beginning, but the potential... And... I'm not going anywhere, am I?
I choose the Spider Spinner!
Are you sure?
Yes.
Congratulations! You have chosen the Spider Spinner!
Congratulations! You have gained the skill of Thread Manipulation (passive).
Thread Manipulation (passive).
Level: 1
I have a bookstore. Do you know how many ways of using threads are described in the manga?
Thread manipulation +5%.
Speed of threads +5%.
Damage +5%.
Choose an energy boost:
Elongation.
Increases the length of filaments by up to eight meters.
Strengthen.
Strengthens cords.
Boost.
Increases the speed of the threads.
The three U's. And all three U's are needed. Eh-heh, tomatoes... In the initial stages, it's better to strengthen... Strengthen!
Are you sure?
Yes.
Congratulations! You've chosen Strengthening!
Congratulations! Symbiote configuration complete!
So, Levi, will you help me take over this world?
Pet Window:
Status: Interest
Together we'll take it over... You and I... You'll be my left hand and take the place of honor next to me...
Pet window:
Status: Love to the grave
*Fatigued sigh* Art... What did I just see?
We're breaking the boundaries of our species.
Is that why you're patting yourself on the head with a symbiote right now?
And that's not me.
*hand-face* You know what? I get your plan. You want to drive me crazy. Well, here goes. You win. Be back in five minutes.
(Man) Heads up! Connection status has changed to "Not in place."
Levi, I think we've broken it... We've broken the System...
Pet Window:
Status: Shame
- Brother! - Alice shouted to me from the kitchen. - Come here, I baked a cake!
Oh no... She's going to make me taste her cooking again... No, she's certainly not forcing it, but looking into her pitying eyes and not tasting (eating it all)... I can't... *Burr-burr* Yes, tummy, we need... We must for her sake... *Burr-burr* I'll take that as consent.
- I'm on my way. - I shouted.
I stood up, sighed heavily and went down to the kitchen.
- Bro, come on, try it! I... I tried for you. - she said and looked me in the eye.
That is so low, sister. Using those tricks on me...
- Of course, Alice.
I carefully cut off a piece of chocolate cake. And I threw it at him.
Chocolate cake. Made with love.
*♪ Burr-burr-burr ♪
- Art, you're hungry! I'll feed you..." my sister said, emphasizing the last word.
My stomach's a traitor. Ehhh. It was not.
- Oh, my God..." I groaned. "It's... It's edible!
- Bro-nik, what did you say? - My sister's got an aura about her.
- I said it was delicious! - I quickly corrected myself.
- Thank you, brother! - smiled quite a smile Alice. - Do you want some more?
- Of course.
We ate and then I decided to try my new ability.
- Sister, do you want to see something cool?
- Well, shall we? - The answer came.
Attention! The connection status has changed to "Online".
All right, Levi, let it out!
Thin threads began to emerge from the fingers of my left hand. Now, what do I do? Oh, what a strange sensation. I think I feel something... Yeah, yeah, let's try moving the thread on my index finger. Oop, next the pinky... Yes. And now the other fingers... Well, well, well, and now let them out to the maximum and twist around their axis... Yes, so far so good... And now pull them back in...
- Fuck! - It came out of me as I was falling to the floor.
Yeah. I accidentally pulled my legs over. Okay, now just don't make it look like it was meant to be.
- How'd it go? - I asked with a poker face.
- Oh, you were great! - With a gasp answered Alice. - Now no enemy can not beat you. You beat yourself!
And we laughed together.
*smile* Art, why are you so cheerful today?
Akasha, I finally felt free, you know? At first I wanted to save the world, because that's my mission. The librarian gave it to me. Then Beowulf happened and I prepared to die. Then Arthur showed me my past. He said I should live in the present, ignoring the past... And then he said I survived. Said he was grateful that I could lift the curses... That I could live this life however I wanted... And then there was restoration... You told me about the curses. About being free from them. Free from fate... And then a month later, I got my form back. I even got my arm back! I realized how much I missed those ordinary weekdays! How I missed Alice...
Art...
And... I'm happy. Happy to be alive.
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