Chapter 167
A Breakdown
They say in near death experiences that your entire life flashes before your eyes. I guess that is for normal people, or rather people who are not having their blood boiled away by trying to synergize their own personal energies with a slowly melting artifact originally made for people to be able to converse with the dead.
Sadly, that is where I currently found myself. How I got here, and why I am here are not really important, other than I have a friend who did the one thing that always ensures your life is pushed to the brink. What did Mallory Valhalla do that was so devastating that was causing me to be in this death like state? Well, to put it simply she tried to help.
Yep, those four words have likely sealed my fate here.
You see part of why I joined this world was the fact that this was the same world that my parents went to as part of their retirement. Now with two of my own children following in my footsteps you could say that we have a family legacy here.
Unfortunately, by the time I earned the right to join this world my parents had already died all seven times.
In fact, it was the harshness of hope that followed my parents around in their subsequent restarts that made me realize I should put everything I have into this one life and live it as best as I can.
For the most part I have managed to keep to these ideals, living my best life, while also trying to make the world a slightly better place, well at the very least a different place. Better is always subjective and hard to quantify, some people like the past, whereas I feel the same, while also wanting to tweak a few key points that might make this world slightly better.
Looking back on my life, I have regrets. Namely having friends and then passing them by while I go about my own adventure. This happened with the deaths of Gollum and Hector, two of the first regressors who joined me in this new world.
Then Rob Jr., or Trenton, as he wishes to go by now. I have let him fail twice now and both times have killed me a little more inside. That said, he is a grown man and more than capable of handling his own decisions and the repercussions of those decisions, but I can’t help but wonder about things I could have done in the past. Maybe scold him more, or less, help him one day on a project? Honestly, I don’t know what I could have done better for him, and I now have to accept that.
BURN-CRACKLE-HISS-THUNDERCLAP!
My skin is burning away, by what feels like ice cold molten lava burning its way into my skin and bones, and somehow managing to settle deep within my soul. That is part of why my mind is racing about so wildly, I need something to focus on, anything really to keep this moment from crippling my mind with intense pain.
So rather than focus on the pain, and on keeping my active skills going at full steam, I instead let my mind wander to the things I have left unfinished.
Honestly, I don’t know where to begin, I have so many things I need to do and complete. Getting the full double land bonus for Midnight Hunter Lands to be unified and habitable within one twenty-four-hour period of time. That is one, where I think everyone will be rewarded for stringing that quest line out, for the first time we settle land, it theoretically can be an infinite space of land that is acquired.
Of course, the only problem with having so much land claimed all at once, is that the native forces that hold the land will be of equal size and offer resistance to the invasion.
Fortunately, I have managed to temporarily cause a truce between the native undead inhabitants of the lands we are in, and the Midnight Hunters.
Chuckle.
I let a slight smile escape as I realized the merger of the Midnight Hunters and the native undead inhabitants of Deolar is quite possibly one of the best Ponzi schemes I have managed to pull off. Well one that I will have to survive the next forty days to pull off, as that is the date when I will marry my best friend, while posing as the Deolar King.
There is the slight problem with the fact that my best friend is currently dating my daughter, and in a healthy relationship with my daughter, while she is pregnant with both my first in-game grandchild and Mallory’s in-game granddaughter, who also happens to be her real-life granddaughter as well. Yeah, going to be a fun holiday season here shortly.
Technically, once Mallory and I get married, even if it is as a separate avatar, I think our family tree will resemble something equivalent to a chain link fence inspired country music song.
Still despite all that, I think I have a plan set up that should fix everything. Or at least I hope it will fix everything. Of course, I have to survive to the point where I can actually fix everything, but these are all baby steps.
After those major guild quests, I have my school SVC, Spiritlight Valhalla College, where we are in the process of getting accredited. Honestly, until you see your name on something as monumental as the first player started university for both Magic and Qi, you might think of the possibility of failure as not too big of a deal. Unfortunately, now that I have this, and have my students, I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the initial process.
Then there is Kujo, the Dire Phase Wolf, and likely the first friend I made out in our guild’s new homelands way out buried away from others for miles, hidden in a vast desert of Blight infected lands. This place was chosen both for my fondness of Octavia, the person who inspired me to figure out how to cure the Blight, but also due to the fact that I think part of me truly wants to be far away from others, while also being able to be alone while exploring more of life’s great mysteries.
This of course brings me to my most recent long standing quest line that I would want to earn, namely an undergraduate degree in Mixed Martial Mana, where I will likely how to wield both Qi and Mana simultaneously. Currently, I can wield either one or the other at a time. Or I can project outward with mana, while pulling energy inwards and manipulating it into Qi. Yet, this degree path seems to note that I can eventually do both, if I but climb to the 250th floor of the Arcanarus Tower, and honestly I would be hard pressed to say that I didn’t have the itch to climb.
Unfortunately, everyone that I would climb with, Mallory, Gwen, and even Jhonny are all busy with the Guild and ensuring that we both maintain growth, but also can survive as an organization. As such, I have but one option to go with a companion, but unfortunately for me I have burned that bridge as well.
Yes, this is likely my greatest outstanding regret, not making amends with Zero, my soul bonded familiar. At first, I justified my actions by stating that I wasn’t abandoning Zero, as I always left him with one of my Simulacrums. Unfortunately, I failed to watch the signs and let that relationship fall to the wayside, as I went out, explored, and genuinely enjoyed my life.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Now I realize that I could have easily gone back for Zero multiple times, unfortunately it was just my own doubt and biases that made it so I never reached out. I know part of the issue was my own personal insecurity of having a familiar. They are a big commitment, and honestly, I felt oddly emotional around him, which felt almost forced, which was likely why I initially rejected the idea of Zero.
But now that I have had time to think about it, I realize that my doubt was misplaced, and that I was merely projecting my own inadequacies on Zero.
Whisper, whisper, whisper.
The sounds of multiple voices crying out in an endless sea of voices flow out and over me. Their words are spoken so often that they easily overlap with each other and cause me to grit my teeth as I try to focus past them. Again, another distraction from this whole integration process.
Shiver-shakes.
My body is now so cold that I am trembling, whether this is from the cold, or from pain is unknown currently. Honestly, the two conditions are hard to separate, as they both are high, that and the mental whispers that are getting constantly louder and louder are making this whole process nearly impossible.
“Make sure to tell Cassie I love her.”
Chills.
The words haunt me, and suddenly I realize what is happening, or at least I think I understand what these voices are, after hearing one sentence.
Exhale.
I awake to realize that I am sweating mana, which of course is just being grabbed and reabsorbed by my body.
Breathing.
“Dad?” Was the only thing I could think of. For the moment I wasn’t actively helping the integration of the melting shard of the Mirror of the Dead, the birthday gift that Mallory sought for me. This brings me back full circle to my original thought, where when Mallory tried to help, she found this shard. A magic item from the early years of this world, one that was said for people to be able to communicate with their dead loved ones.
The two people that I had most wanted closure worth were my parents, my inspiration for coming here for my retirement.
Those were my dad’s last words to mom, before he sacrificed himself to try to buy time for mother to escape on his seventh and final life. Of course, momma was too distraught at that, and turned back to watch her husband of fifty years get cut down right before her eyes. That made it so the invading forces could slaughter her, as an extra casualty of war in this world.
Honestly, I forgot who killed them at that time. Which invading force, as I think that invading force is no longer a nation or entity of importance in this world. Proving that the invasion that they had was ultimately useless. My parents died due to people trying to make a name for themselves, who in turn were killed by others who made a name for themselves. Thus, the cycle of death and re-death continues.
That is where I come in, I refuse to continue to be part of that same cycle. The only way to change the world, start with yourself, show that pacifism is an option, and live life the best you can from there.
I have learned a lot in my time here, and I had hoped to learn more.
“The Legrand forces are coming. They say if we surrender, we will be set free. What do you think?” The words of the eternally optimistic Gollum sounded off, his final words ringing in my ears.
“I don’t see what else we can do at this point.” Hector replied, his words filled with resignation and remorse. It was almost like he knew what was going to happen, but wished for an easier option than the one he had been given.
Tears.
Then just like that, the images, not just the voices, but now the final images of all four loved ones comes to my mind as I see them all there. Gollum and Hector are bound and gagged.
“Spy Masters and their accomplices must be killed.” The voice of the Legrand leadership states, there in the background I see a slightly younger Lady Lagrand in the background. Seeing her also brings to mind many memories, the most infamous being how she tried to bind my alternate avatar Tobias Spiritlight, with a permanent contract for her sponsoring me in a gambling tournament that I needed to win, or else repay all debts incurred plus interest. Fortunately, I had managed to turn that event around, but it was pretty hit or miss there for a bit.
Just seeing the image of their final death, I can make out details of the final city they died in Maltese, the former capital of the Maltese empire. As my mind takes in their location at the final time of their deaths, I receive a series of system messages.
The first is related to the quest that brought me to this state of being caught between life and death.
Mythic Bloodline Quest Completed: The Mythical Bloodline Catalyst: You have awakened your bloodline towards the Mythic rating. You found and managed to integrate with a fragment from the Mirror of the Dead. Percentage (100 / 100). Rewards: Experience, Mythic Bloodline Awakening, Title, Badge, Skills (already earned), variable (Bloodline Trait).
Experience Gained: 250,000 / 125,000 / 125,000
Akashic Qi Master has increased to level 153.
Yes, that is the state that I now found myself. I gain half a million in total experience and only my lowest class increases by three levels, while my two original classes just sit still. Before I can dwell too much on this, I am met with more updates.
Mythic Bloodline Awakening initiated. Beginning process of fully awakening next evolutionary state.
Yes, I was not there, and if the way I now felt was any indication I was going to be a ways off of this mark for the foreseeable future, but a path towards further evolving my bloodline had been presented to me. Before I could think too much about how this might or might not affect my current and future family members who are here, I receive the next major notification.
Title Gained: Spiritual Mythic Bloodline Progenitor (Upgradable): All actions and interactions involving the spirit realm, spiritual beings, or spiritual energy are 5% easier to complete, learn, or master.
The title was good, as it no doubt showed how the world seemed to think how this next evolution of mine would go. Clearly dealing with Spirits and the Spirit Realm was a key, or perhaps I should say Qi. As everything seemed to be pointing towards me understanding spirit Qi with this next part of my studies in comprehension. Which also makes me wonder if I am choosing the path of exploring the Arcanarus Tower more, and the world is accommodating my wants. Or if I am somehow being subtly manipulated towards this goal? For now, as I want this I will accept this progression, but I can’t help but feel that things are going a little too smoothly, despite the random hiccups that I do manage to encounter from time to time.
Bloodline Trait Acquired: Ancient Psychometry: The ability to view the past lives of spirits who long ago left this world and be able to witness, view, and interact with the world of the past.
Conditions: Must be standing at the final resting place of someone to activate. User cannot move more than fifty meters away from the initial source of death.
That power was, well it was honestly amazing, as it seemed both powerful and simultaneously worthless at the same time. Well worthless to people who didn’t care about the dead, or providing closure to past events.
For me, this was perfect, as I now had not one but four targets that I wished to find out what happened to them. To see more of their final moments, as right now, each image of death from my parents, and from Hector and Gollum filled my mind and were seemingly permanently etched there in perfect clarity.
Almost as if in recognition of this fact, I received what was likely the first of many such quests that were specific to me, and would all likely impact the growth and final awakening point of my hopefully eventual Mythic Bloodline.
Quest Activated: Specters of the Past (I): Through your awakening bloodline, you have begun to realize that bloodlines after a certain point are meant to be forces of change in the world. Part of your job is to go to the death places of four loved ones and experience their final moments on this world. Current progress (0 / 4). Rewards: Experience, Mythic Bloodline Markers, Skills, variable.
That was it, everything I needed to realize what I could do to get closure for myself at the very least. I didn’t know what I could do with knowledge of seeing my loved one’s last moments of life, but I at least now had the option to do so.
Also, the comment about the importance of bloodlines above the Legendary rank being meant as a force of change meant something to me. At least that was how I interpreted that last comment, as it said I was beginning to open the source of change. While I have already seen this firsthand, I realized the changes that this quest implied were far more reaching than I might be comfortable with at the very moment. Still, I felt that this was something that I needed to do, or at least work on. If I could provide closure to people then, maybe some good would come from this.
I know for a bloodline power, particularly of the Mythic rating this power seemed to be lacking, but then again, maybe I was just basing that on my inherent biases on being able to view past conditions.
Realizing that I was nearing the end of my abilities and that I was close to passing out here in the middle of an open desert, I did the only thing I could think of.
Poof.
I killed two birds with one stone. I moved my slow and recovering body to safety, while also trying to get closer to Zero.
Positional Shift.
Yes, I swapped positions with the Simulacrum who took up refuge in the Mage’s Guild of the second floor of the Arcanarus Tower.
As soon as I arrived, I felt the weight and pull of everything that had happened over the past few hours. Everything from being caught up in a revenge plot of Rick “The Prick” Troll against his former Guild Master Mallory, to nearly being burnt to death by the slowly melting Mirror of the Dead, to beginning the awakening process for the mythical evolution of my bloodline, to my awakening what could possibly be the weakest bloodline Trait ever.
All of that, followed by my mind seeing the blurring motion of my teleportation to another realm meant that my already tired mind was now being pushed to its absolute limits.
“Hey Zero.” I manage to state with a slight slur.
“Hey, are you alright…” was all I heard, before the world spun around me, then like a wound up top, the world blurred and I lost consciousness. As the world spun, I had only one real thought in my mind, this must be a Tuesday.