章節 40: More questions, lesser answers

Another day began, and the level of contamination on Earth continued to decrease due to the world's inactivity. The air was gradually becoming purer with each passing moment.

Suddenly, Chump awoke in a state of anxiety, shouting and filled with terror. His eyes darted around, searching for the source of his distress.

"Stop! No! Stop! I won't-" Chump shouted in his panic.

"Stop resisting! You know that these are the consequences of your ineptitude!" a voice, belonging to Asaga, echoed manically. She laughed tyrannically as her large claws pressed down on Chump's head, causing immense pressure.

The bones in his head couldn't withstand the force.

Snap. Splat.

Chump snapped awake, drenched in sweat and overwhelmed by nervousness. He looked around, relieved to find himself in the same calm room with the laboratory instruments nearby.

However, there was no sign of Clem or Meisho. Most of the bunnies had also left, leaving only Zippy, who was cuddling him as they slept peacefully.

Chump couldn't contain his emotions and began to cry, trying to stifle his sobs but failing. Zippy looked at him with concern, noticing his tear-filled, red eyes. The bunny snuggled up to Chump's face, offering comfort as they both tried to calm down.

"Is everyone gone? Oh..." Chump said, his voice quivering as he looked around the room. He raised his voice, hoping someone might hear him. "Hello! Is anyone there?! If you're planning to arrest me, I'd prefer you not make a spectacle of it!"

There was no response, no note, nothing to indicate where they had gone. He checked his phone to see the time: 07:10. "Maybe they're in no hurry to arrest me? Anyway..." he thought, "Do you know what happened to them?" He asked Zippy, his curiosity piqued.

Zippy shook his head, indicating he didn't know. Chump searched for any notes or clues but found nothing. He then checked his backpack and found the jewel rune was still there.

"Now I have a moment alone... So, I have this, which can do nothing yet, not without Remenant... You know, Zippy, it looks like a Chaos Emerald from the Sonic comics, haha... You wouldn't get that reference," Chump mused to himself.

He began his morning routine, including having a hearty breakfast, preparing some clothes, and heading to the gym. He spent a few hours training and noticed improvements in his physique. By the time he finished training at eleven a.m., he felt accomplished.

Chump decided to explore the village and the territory he knew was under Clem's and Meisho's domain. As he reached the border, he noticed something peculiar on the ground.

There were bright lines, like veins, etched into the earth. These lines were incredibly thin, barely a millimeter thick, and they shimmered with a rainbow of colors.

The terrain of the abandoned farm camps had been transformed by these lines, which seemed to have affected the fruit as well. The fruit had absorbed the fluid from these lines, resulting in changes in its composition.

The areas farther from the concentration of these lines remained unchanged, while those exposed to them had transformed.

Zippy was ecstatic and rushed over to eat some of the transformed vegetables. Chump observed this with intrigue and wondered aloud, "Is that Remenant, Zippy?"

Zippy nodded vigorously, confirming Chump's suspicions.

Chump plucked a leaf of lettuce from the ground and examined it. "Interesting, but it doesn't have a defined color like when others used it... It must be neutral Remenant or some sort of a mixture of different types."

Zippy was enthusiastic and confirmed that it was pure Remenant.

Chump chuckled and patted Zippy, saying, "Alright, alright, calm down. So, that's why you're like this? I heard they were going to reshape Earth, but so soon? And where is this coming from? So many questions..."

He took a closer look at the lettuce leaf, noting that the bone of the leaf had turned a deep blue while the leaf itself was orange and had changed in shape.

Chump contemplated, "They mentioned that humans and Remenant are incompatible. Does this mean that soon there won't be soil I can cultivate stuff in? And the animals have changed too. Perhaps they ate something from the new plants and began to undergo a metamorphosis..."

Chump's expression froze for a moment as a realization struck him. He rushed to the nearest farmhouse, with Zippy following closely behind.

They reached the border of the farmhouse, and Chump saw the veins extending into the house. However, they couldn't penetrate with ease the cement.

The veins extended into the stone walls and floor from the backyard, where the dirt met the house. Chump was perplexed, and his voice hinted at terror as he muttered, "What the hell... I need a..."

He looked out into the backyard and grabbed an old shovel that lay nearby. Zippy watched him with curiosity, wondering what he was about to do.

With a determined slam, Chump began to dig.

Chump forcefully shoved the shovel into the dirt, but to his astonishment, the shovel bounced off as if the dirt were solid rock. Not a scratch or mark was left on the seemingly impenetrable surface.

Perplexed, he placed the shovel on the ground and pushed down with his foot, but the dirt acted more like stone, offering no give or resistance.

Frustration and confusion welled up in Chump. "What the... How is this possible?" he muttered to himself. He looked at Zippy, who was perched nearby, and asked, "Zippy, what's going on here?"

Zippy tried to explain with a series of cheerful "pi" sounds, but her explanations only left Chump more perplexed. He facepalmed in frustration and said, "I don't get it... Zippy, can you try to extract some of the dirt or Remenant yourself?"

Zippy nodded enthusiastically and her tiny claws began to electrify as she started digging. With ease, as if it were a simple task, she dug up the dirt infused with pure Remenant. Then she stood up and imitated Chump's movements, seeming to mock him.

Chump couldn't help but respond with a playful tone, "Ha, ha. Very funny... I'm not a weakling!" He crossed his arms for a moment, mirroring Zippy's playful energy, before sighing and grabbing a nearby bag. He placed the dirt inside and said, "Let's take this to the lab. Maybe we can figure out what it is."

Back in the lab, it was nearly midday, and Clem and Meisho had been searching for Chump. Meisho was about to make a call when Clem spotted Chump and Zippy returning with the bag full of Remenant-infused dirt.

Meisho let out a sigh of relief upon seeing them both safe, and they all exchanged salutes.

Chump addressed them, saying, "I'm sorry we left you alone. I had some paperwork to handle back in Mantrea."

Clem was relieved to see Chump unharmed and asked, "Are you okay? What happened?"

Chump replied, "I found something strange. Could you prepare a new table for me, please? It should be made of cement."

Clem smiled and headed to the forge table, saying, "Sure, but why cement?"

Chump explained, "I've got a bag of dirt with Remenant, thanks to Zippy. Meisho, I have a big question for you."

Meisho tilted her head, intrigued. "What is it?"

Chump turned to face her and asked directly, "What exactly is Remenant?"

"Remenant is the essence of the Goddess in the universe. Each of us transforms the energy of the universe given to us into our own Remenant, but once outside of our control, it transforms back into hers. Our world is filled with her energy and makes everything closer to her."

Chump scoffed, thinking, "Sounds like someone made that up while writing a religious bible. Pure, complete bullshit." Outside, Chump nodded as the cement table was being set up. "Alright, but how does it manipulate everything around her?"

Clem's voice carried a hint of mockery as he ensured the table was sturdy enough. "Mr. Chump, do you require a revision as well? We are not experts in humans, but we can bring a doctor if you need one."

Chump sighed internally, rolling his eyes. "Alright, got it, the goddess herself. What I mean is this: Why does Remenant take priority over the physical laws of the universe?" Chump's tone grew more serious as he gathered some laboratory materials.

Meisho and Clem exchanged glances as if Chump were speaking nonsense. Then they both looked back at him. "She is the Goddess."

Chump nodded and replied, "I must apologize, then. I am not particularly fond of any gods or goddesses. I only use them to swear if I need to."

While saying this, Chump set up a microscope and adjusted his right shoulder a couple of times. "But I can respect and acknowledge the existence of some sort of cosmic energy after seeing all that." He finished, noting that both androids seemed to calm down.

Meisho commented, "I thought that you were informed that we will reshape your world to our needs. It is nothing personal, but too much time without Remenant… It is not good for us."

Chump sighed again and picked up a slide (a rectangular glass used to view specimens under a microscope). He attempted to collect a bit of dirt but to no avail. Before his hand coult reach the bag of dirt, a pure Remenant spark stroke his hand, forcing him to step back.

"Oh, come on, it's just dirt. Why does it feel like it's taunting me? Why sometimes i can hold Remenant, and sometimes no? Why there are more questions the more i think?!"

Meisho approached, effortlessly lifting the grain with her tendrils. She looked at him and said, "Calm down. This is pure Remenant, mostly used in the deep conduits underground. I guess the terraforming has started. You should leave it alone."

Chump sighed once more. "But why not? Why does it change animals, plants, terrain, almost everything, but everything made by humans or humans themselves seem to detest it?"