POV Main

Time wasn’t stopping itself. It just repeated itself. There was this guy, Arthur, who initially wasn’t engaged in bio-stones stuff. He called Sith, as he was from Vivaldi’s group formally. He still didn’t want to be involved, but he had some mental problems. Sith told him about overall situation between us and Ahriman’s Order. He wanted to meet, but wasn’t convinced enough. He was frightened a little. I could see, that after some time, pressure from his bio-stone would make him pull his hand for help.

Sith and Asmo were gathering Joes and Janes Doe from morgues around the country. We were making stock in the freezer. That felt good. In fact, Sith became most valuable person among Unlimited Devas. In my opinion, but I thought, that others felt similar.

Lynx was managing farms. We bought farms for Asmo, Hail, and for the future for Mercy. We paid with cut, we got of them, when they were selling mixtures. Lynx was buying animals and other stuff for farms. Also, he was controlling use of poison to get better results. And created communication with stock of special feeder.

Lily was managing paper work and helping in different areas. She also got work as gossips and contacts center. She liked to live in War-Saw, so cases of hiring help on farms were mostly on Lynx.

Coal and Hail were working by controlling Ahriman’s Order and they got some contact there. Coal also got info, that some big corporation was starting to dig on us. He and I were working on counter measures. It was inevitable, that at some point, they would jump over Tom’s pharmacy, to talk with source of medicine.

Huntress and Mercy were working with people. It was in initial stages. People was starting to know us. We had some supporters, who sticked to us, as we were seen as some kind of commune with money. They even created movement, Supporters for U Devas, which one could sign in. It was small step forward, as earlier we had random crowd of people on our events. Now we could make events for them. I was helping them sometimes.

There was also Bear. He didn’t help Unlimited Devas at all. He was in trade relation with us, only. He got his farm, but Lynx didn’t provide him with anything. He didn’t want anything from us. He talked with other Associated Devas and teamed with Hail, to exchange medicine for poison. I even talked with Coal, to watch him after we would deal with Ahriman’s Order, as we didn’t know, how he fed his bio-stone.

I got some spare time. I was helping here and there, I worked on Unlimited Devas mythology. I failed to develop another magic effect. I was working on new ideas.

I checked euthanasia, as available option. It was hard to use, at it was overboard and done by specialized clinics. Supported suicide was procedure in Austria, but it was also too unreliable source. That led me to statistics over suicide and missing people in Poland. If we could tap over those sources of bodies, we could live calmly. There were known few suicide areas, places where people went to relieve themselves from their existence. We could work there.

Another, probably best, idea was to buy bodies for medical purposes. Especially in War-Saw, where people were overall progressive. It was doable, but we needed Medical Institute for this purpose or some certified research center. It was beyond our financial ability to buy one. We could only try to suck ourselves to existing one.

I knew about research done on SGGW academy, but it was done on rats mainly. We needed something human related. I thought about humanity as ecosystem. Where would mushroom thrive in ecosystem? In place with lot of darkness, humidity and pain. War-Saw Oncology Center would be the place. I asked Dee, if bodies with cancer were problem for him. Most likely no, but he wasn’t sure, if there were some risky cases or not.

In future I could create system, how to buy bodies and snatch them almost legally. Telling sellers, that I needed them for research and stroking deal with them, by providing them papers, that bodies were cremated. Buying net should be composed from Supporters for U Devas, and they should be present in hospitals and medical centers, where people died often. I knew that moment, what to add to Unlimited Devas ideology. It was long march program, but it would be great, if done successfully.

I had some strange thoughts, when I was researching euthanasia topic. Could it be, that another wave of bio-stones created those. That they had influence over whole countries.

POV Diana, Ahriman’s voice

Adam killed some vagabond to fed his seed. He didn’t told me, that his seed needed human flesh then. What’s worse, he left traces of fight and crime, as vagabond was lot harder to catch, as ordinary homeless person. His attack was done not far from headquarters and police was involved in search, as people notified them about blood stains.

He had another breakout, when he was facing me. He told me, that he was enduring hunger for human flesh as long, as he could, and when he couldn’t, he lost part of his sanity. He pleaded and begged, that he wouldn’t do that again. As he could keep his promise. I punished him, but part of my meals was redirected to his seed.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Then Beria’s seed got to level three. It seemed, that level three seeds needed more distance from themselves, than from me. There was no option, to put us all on our terrain. I could put one to nearby forest, but I was afraid, that that person would hunt by himself.

It was major crisis. Not right that moment, but over time I would lose close control over my cultists. I needed them close to influence them. There was no good solution, so I took bad one. I was stalling for time, starving rest of cultists. Beria was composed, Adam was unhinged. I ordered Carol, Adam’s uncle, to create another base of Ahriman’s Order on his own terrain. Adam was unhinged, but loyal, so I was not afraid to put him there.

We also had new mixtures for our acolytes from advanced seeds. I wanted to develop church of acolytes. They would provide me with means to sustain cult. I was in a hurry. Time horizon, that Devas saw was real. Probably they were right, that I couldn’t maintain all cultists in cult, but if three of them stayed with me and hunted for me, it was enough. After I would grow another time, I could dominate them all again. Even unlimited Devas.

POV Legibot

I was almost healed. My seed, John, was growing very slowly. He said, that I was to blame, as I killed real John. I didn’t care, I would kill him again, if I faced him again. There was much jarring in our communication.

I was left alone mostly. Diana forgot about me, as she had problems with advanced seeds. I watched cult, which become shadow of itself from before. There were no more dark rituals, just starvation and gobbling feeder by seeds. It took toll on hosts.

I thought about killing them all one night, but somehow John was blocking realization of those thoughts. He also blocked any retaliation against seeds. I wanted to do something, but my hands wasn’t listening.

He didn’t block my thoughts about run. I just knew, that I was not able to run without him. He and other seeds were locked up. I could break in, but my only problem after was Diana. She would stop me easily. I needed one moment, when she would be absent. So I waited.

I mostly waited as guardian at entrance to headquarters, as nobody wanted to take me to its hunter team. Very rarely anybody else wanted to stay as guardian, as there was no additional feeder from this job. I didn’t mind.

POV Coal

We stalked Mario’s group of hunters. They divided. It seemed, that Mario wanted to talk again. I was assurance for Hail, that nothing bad would happen to him. I observed him and Mario from distance.

I saw another cultist, I didn’t know name of, closing on them. I got unnoticed on his back.

-= Stop. – I whispered. We were on parking lot.

He used some kind of [Will resonance] against me. World I saw, waved for a moment. He turn back and faced me then. I had quite high stat of will defense.

-= Stop whatever you are doing or I will attack you. – I threatened him. Mental pressure disappeared. I half formed little fireball, then I let it disappear.

-= I want to talk. – He said.

-= There’s no trap against Hail, Andy, you would be part of?

-= No. I wanted to join them in their plot.

-= Lets talk then. – We moved to bower that was near. I wanted to see all around. Luckily this secret meetings was always at some wayside bars or restaurants.

-= Do you want knowledge about Ahriman’s inner doings? – He asked. I was almost sure, he was the one, that didn’t take his stone on meeting on Mokotov field, except for me.

-= Maybe later. Mario will tell us. Why are you here? What do you want?

He tried to use his [Will resonance] on me. I stand up.

-= Apologize to me. If you will try your trick again on me, you will be enemy of Unlimited Devas.

I felt the same world waving feeling. Also he felt distant and insignificant. That was different from ordinary [Will resonance] attack.

-= Sorry, sorry. I must try it, as it always worked. You must be somehow special. – He stopped attack.

-= Once again, what do you want?

-= Oh. Ahriman’s Order is disintegrating slowly. Diana locked up ours seeds. I would like to run.

He was level two.

-= Why did you attack me then?

-= I want to run, but not to Unlimited Devas. I just want to run from Ahriman’s Order. It would be for the best, if my ability worked, but it didn’t.

-= You wanted to listen in, what plan Hail can come up with and act on it for yourself?

-= Exactly.

He smiled. This guy was creepy. I sighed.

-= There won’t be any complicated plans. Unlimited Devas promised to stay away from yours headquarters. You just need to wait, when Diana leave main building and break in. It’s your bio-stone for Christ sake, it’s normal, that you can take it.

He looked astonished.

-= Why didn’t I thought about it myself? – He said in the air. He didn’t expect answer.

-= Because Diana somehow poisoned your will.

That time he was double astonished.

-= Is it even possible? We don’t drink her potions.

-= We don’t know how. But Asmo and Hail had lowered will defense, significantly.

-= Thank you. - He said. He thought for longer moment. – I won’t join you, - He continued. – but I’m glad you told me such things. You’re kind of immune against my ability, so I think, I should have contact to you. This ability of mine, even Diana is only partially immune. I think, it’s thanks to seed, that resides in her body.

We exchanged contacts.

-= I think, that after I told you about my ability, we’re even. – He had some conclusion. – You told me about Diana’s sinister ability. I don’t want to know more. I will try to run away, when time will come. It would be for the best, if you could leave me alone.

-= Ok. We won’t pressure you, I can vote for Unlimited Devas.

-= That’s good. That’s all?

-= Well, can you tell me, how to call you?

-= You can call me Ghost.

He left. Much later I listen to recording from that day. I bugged myself. I wanted to have proof, if some deal were made. I remembered, that I reacted immediately after Ghost used his ability. I was wrong. I had ten second silent gap, before I talked to him, to stop attacking. His ability was working against me, perhaps in different way, that it worked on others. Still, ten second lag during fight likely means death.