Hrr, the space around this region is weird.
I check carefully.
It's not stretched, there's no metric expansion, nor is there a singularity. It looks like a permanent version of a spatial transfer, actually.
I try to cast spatial magic, but nothing happens.
Then I notice there's a tiny black dot. It's smack in the middle of where the town once was. It feels familiar.
So I poke it with a strand of my Origin Thread.
*KRR—tssh*
Reh?
###KRRRRRRRRRR—tssh###
Why does that sound like a lineage seal?
It's not mine. Mine's not sealed. Is it?
###`¶-$;℅?¶∆!|+@^!;£"@!;•+%'~׿$###
Huh? That's my—
"UGGGGHHH!!!!"
I feel a sharp pain in my mind.
Why?
I haven't felt pain the entire time I've been a dragon. I've felt all kinds of strange things, but dragons don't feel pain.
Suddenly, my Origin goes wild. It isn't listening to me; its threads spool about everywhere.
Except, they're not threads anymore. They're thickening, growing, plus becoming gooey like my mind and body.
They look like... Tentacles?
NO! Goddamnme! My Origin is my Will! You can't do this to me; not my Will too! Not my Origin!
###`¶-$;℅?¶∆!|+@^!;£"@!;•+%'~׿$###
It doesn't listen. Instead, something flows out of space and into my body. It's... My... Mind?
Suddenly, nothing makes sense.
My vision becomes nonsensical colors, perspectives, and shapes. They twist, deform, and merge in ways that I can't comprehend. My other senses are dominated by a scrambled mess, too— especially my hearing.
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[EVOLUTION COMPLETED!]
It all stops at once. My Origin's back inside my body, my senses are back, everything's back.
What the—?
Even the town.
I'm so confused.
Status.
Name: Chronovoid
Talents: Perfect Terminus
Lineage: Perfect Origin
Rank: Chronovoid
Species: Chronovoid (Perfect Dragon)
Weapon: I'mma Dragon (Rawr)
Stats:
Str: 7.11 (167.7q)
Sta: 6.67 (167.7q)
Int: 1.12 (167.7q)
Wis: 1.06 (167.7q)
Will: 1.15 (66.38d)
Rokay, that is RAWRSOME!!!
I gotta be a goo-monster to be called a Perfect Dragon? Fine. I'll take it. Finally, an evolution which makes me feel pride. Perfect Dragon, here, just showing off my perfection.
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Yes. I AM perfect. Even I can't help myself!
I shake my Perfect Dragon head.
Hrem. But it's still goo.
Who decided this was perfect, anyway?
Wasn't me, that's for damn sure.
"... It was. ..."
Wait. I remember that voice. Back when I died!
I respond to it.
"... I asked you before. Who are you? ..."
"... You. ..."
The connection cuts.
Excuse me, me? What me? I'm me. Me?!
I'mma Perfect Dragon.
"Rawr."
I can't be bothered with this crap.
I look at the town.
Everyone in town is prostrating in my direction.
Am I being worshipped by gods? Yes! I am perfect.
Which makes perfect sense.
Then I examine them. Nope. They're shaking like a leaf. Reminds me of the dragons before I freed them from their fear of the Dragon God. Ragh.
"Hello, everyone. I'm glad to see you're alive."
Then.
I realize some are missing. The sins and virtues are gone.
Hrr. I wasn't sure if I killed them because of—
The kill count! I can look there!
Status, show level.
Level:
Kills: 181,512,771,013 (see list)
WHAAAAAAAT?!
EXCUSE ME?!
How in THE HELL did I kill a hundred eighty BILLION?!
When could I have POSSIBLY?
There aren't even that many—
Suddenly, my heart stops.
The heart I don't have.
The Abyssal. Those DAMN sins and virtues.
Even in the void, there's often a few galaxies. They caused me to kill a hundred and eighty... How many died from the Abyssal, then? I wouldn't have its kill count, so...
I want to cry. Yet my eyes have no tears.
All of them. I should've put all of them on trial immediately. I didn't know, but that's no excuse because I didn't look. There's nothing I could've done about it.
Nothing.
But.
AT LEAST I could've cared enough to LOOK.
It didn't occur to me! At ALL!
WHYYYYY?!?!
I ignore the many gods prostrating at my blatantly emotionally unstable not-perfect dragon body. The freakish goo thing. The murderer of far too many.
I strike the ground with my fist. Very lightly.
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image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/168.png]
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/168b.png]
The ground shatters in a huge circle. Including under the entire... Well, there is no town. I really wrecked it this time.
Fwah, that didn't seem like a Rank 3's power.
I could've hurt the gods here, too. Good thing I didn't.
If I'm to avoid indifference, that means I need to stop being indifferent to these people.
The dead are dead. I must take better care of the living, as their fundamental worth still lies in the material realm. They haven't been killed and should not be made to worry that they might find themselves dead in short order. Even if incidentally to my mental turmoil. Even though I would never let that happen.
I scroll through the kill list.
...
Shithorn
Lopir
Gorg Hythera
Perthin
Gluttony
...
Hruh, I guess Gluttony counted as my kill? I suppose some died when my Viroid went out of control, seeing as more people died after him. Scratch not letting people die to my mental turmoil. That didn't take long.
Also, who names their kid 'Shithorn?' These names are being translated into English, my first language, so this isn't some lexical difference. He's literally called Shithorn.
Maybe death was a release for that guy.
I scroll down some more.
...
Deception
Lust
Truth
Wrath
Faith
...
They're all there. Including Deception?
What the hell is going on?
I scroll down.
...
Pride
Uthor Jarn
Penelope Jarn
Penelope Jarn Jr.
Penelope Jarn Jr. II
...
Rugh. Don't show me a freaking family.
But this confirms it, Pride is here. Supposedly dead. I contact him through my Origin.
"Hey Pride. Are you alive?"
"Is this a trick question, my god?"
"No. My kill list says I killed all the sins and virtues except Justice, including you and Deception. I realized it a moment ago."
"Except Justice? Isn't it obvious?"
"Yes, but only to you because you're perfect."
"Thank you, my god! Evidently, the sin and virtue bodies have a Will of their own. That must be how those bodies contested our Wills."
"That makes sense."
"Of course it does."
"By the way, my most recent evolution turned me into a Perfect Dragon. I'm not a Fate Dragon anymore. I'm Peeeerrrrrfeeeect!"
"Fight me! Fight me in the arena! I'm so tired of losing to Dracosect. I can't even touch him before one of his bazillion blades are at my throat. You've made him actually untouchable!"
Rah, my Paragon is upholding his title.
I gotta watch him fight sometime.
"Don't use my talent, rokay?"
"Only if you don't."
"I won't!"
"Then it's ON! I'm gonna crush your so-called perfection and break my loss streak. Rahar!"
"Cool. I've got some godly stuff to deal with. I'll see you in the arena later."
"Can't you just split? Or you don't want to split your perfect body, huh?"
"You wanna fight me while I'm distracted, is that it?"
"No! No, never mind! See you at the beatdown."
Hraw, never mind that dragons are already prideful. Surely, a dragon named Pride at birth wouldn't take an unfair fight.
Unless he was the one at a disadvantage.
And lo, he will be on the back foot.
Raa think my gooey body is...
It's weird, right? Hrr?
Roh, it's weird.
Hreh.