Chapter 18

Centa

-Isaac-

The air was frigid, the ground was ice, and I was in a singing mood. “Cold as balls, cold as balls. Its cold. Its cold as balls. Feel my tits. There so hard. They can cut through glass its cold as balls.” No shame, not a shred. There was no one else around so why hold back.

I was dressed in a long black coat walking down icy terrain. There were these spire like things. Each one spiraled up out of the ground like some kind of ice cyclone. As in they didn’t move but were instead frozen solid. The interesting part was the multi colored glow they produced. It was like a gay parade. It was glorious. The inside of them was spacious and hollow.

How something like that formed I had no idea. It looked like something out of a daydream I once had, about an alien planet covered in ice. Not sure if that was an isekai trip or not. It was a short dream and more of a thought really so I doubt it.

I made my way inside one of the hollow ice formations. It was the only way to block the cold wind. There’s no way I could do this. It’s way to cold! Why the hell Aku sent me way the fuck out here I still wasn’t sure.

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a canteen. Inside was hot tea. Aku made it for me. The tea would replenish the moment I closed it and it would remain hot no matter how cold it was.

I took a few sips feeling the warmth seep into my very bones. This stuff would also heal me if I got hurt. I could also steadily increase my mass as long as I kept drinking it. Already I was back to the normal height I had when I first came here.

Still I could never replenish the bits of soul I lost to the monster. That’s what I needed to win our little squabble. At least that’s what Aku told me.

When I got my arm cut off I ended up shrinking a little but now I was back to normal. Aku says I used to be taller though. Won't be long now. I’m growing like a tumor.

My new pants fit well. They were thermal jeans to help with the cold. My shoes were also special like the canteen. They had perfect traction so I wouldn't slip on the ice. I could also move a little faster and jump a little higher. Aku says my clothes will grow with me as I drink. They would also repair themselves as long as I kept drinking.

I took a few more sips and felt cold air blast through the opening I made in the ice spire. Next time I needed to remember to break in on a side where the wind wasn't blowing.

You know lately I've been thinking. If I didn't have such a huge country to look after I could just go out and adventure like a normal person. Kind of like what I'm doing now, but hopefully it’s warmer.

Frankly I prefer cold weather to hot weather. You could always add more layers to stay warm. In the summer you can’t exactly walk around naked. Well you could but you’d just end up in a jail cell.

I reached into my jeans back pocket and pulled out an honest to god compass. It looked like I was slightly off from north. That was okay seeing as it’s hard to see anything. This place was in a perpetual snow storm. It didn’t help that the only light I got was the prismatic glowing spires. I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me. The compass technically pointed north.

In reality… is this reality? In un-reality it was a guide. It kept me from falling into any ravines or going into dead ends. The place I was trying to reach is call the soul gate. Aku said there was one to the north. What it is even I’m not sure. All I know is by opening it. My mind or soul or whatever this place is will get an influx of power, and some kind of reset will happen. Whatever the hell that means.

Once it opens up I’ll need to take that power into myself and somehow use it to grow stronger. The way I see it. It’s like my soul or mind is a company and the centipede is buying up stock left and right. Essentially trying to take ownership of the company and force me out.

So what do you do when someone is trying to take your company? You create more stock essentially making the centipedes stock worthless. I didn’t have investors so this was a win. It sounded crazy but whatever. I was probably crazy to have made all this crap up.

The tea didn't create more stock all it did was power up what I already had. It was a tiny amount of energy but what I really needed was mass.

I gave the canteen a few more sips before packing up and moving out. The cold air cut into me once more as I trekked the harsh land. This sucked. How was I supposed to find my way back! Stupid compass only goes one way.

I had been traveling north for a while now. For all I know this is Aku’s way of getting rid of me. Kill me off than re-take control of her body. Though she said she’s never actually had a body. I might just be making excuses so I don’t have to go on this adventure. If I had powers then sure why not, but I didn’t. This was in no way fun for me.

This whole thing seems way to complicated for my two brain cells to handle. I need at least three psychiatrists to even get a foot hold on what’s going on. Doctor Novak wasn’t around so I couldn’t ask her.

Stop over thinking it Isaac. All you gotta do is kill the giant centipede. You’ll be fine. You’ve killed lots of bugs over the years. Remember that time you got attacked by that giant flying cockroach.

You killed it so efficiently. When it flew at you. You smacked it out of the air with your bear hand, slamming it against the floor. Then you stepped on it. by the way It was so crunchy. I thought bugs didn’t have bones. It’s not like I’m actually going to die. “This is all just a bad trip I tell you!” I yelled to no one. Then started laughing erratically. What was I doing?

The blizzard was so strong I couldn’t even see the supposed mountain I was told to climb. How can you not see a whole freaking mountain! I must be blind. Unless…. Maybe the mountain was the friends we made along the way?

I looked around but didn’t see any so called friends. I wanna go home! I’m tired of hallucinating! I swear I’ll take my meds! Just let me go home!

If I knew it would be this much work I would of just let the monster eat me. It was to late for that. I was already an hour into this little hike. Besides Aku would probably be sad if I did something like throw myself into the void.

You know how you watch a movie and you watch the main character pulling off all kinds of feats. Well now I know what it actually feels like to be in that position and I have no idea how to do it.

It's like if you were watching die hard except Bruce Willis is replaced with Michael Cera…. Actually, I’d totally pay to see that. It would look ridiculous.

After about forty minutes I took another break. The cold was really starting to get to me. My hands, feet, and face were completely numb by this point. The canteen provided some warmth. It’s heat flowed through the inside of my coat.

I might lose my fingers and toes but at least I wouldn’t die of hypothermia. The more tea I drank the stronger I felt. I felt a little taller to. I wonder why Aku hasn’t grown any? That reminded me of her hair. Is that where it’s all going?

I wonder. My dicks always been a little above average. Could I make get it to thirteen inches if I kept drinking this stuff? I bet Alice would love that. Then again what if it only made my hair grow? I could end up with super long pubes.

To me that made sense. The rules of this world were all about mass And energy. Kind of like the old classic snake game. That monster has been feeding off me for….. who knows how long. That’s probably how it got so big in the first place.

How did that thing even come about? I’ve only ever seen it in nightmares and even then it’s never been so aggressive as it has recently. It’s so angry to. What if it’s got a splinter in its leg. I’d be pretty mad if I had something stuck in my leg with no way of getting it out. No way! That things no injured lion! It’s been messing with me since I was a kid!

I'm still missing the whole picture. For starters I’ve never seen it appear out of my dreams like that. Something must of changed but what exactly that is I have no clue.

I wonder how that works? What part of me actually got sent over? It wasn’t my body. Was it my mind, or something more substantial? Like my soul. If souls exist that is. On second thought if were speaking scientifically isn’t the mind the soul? All that bio electricity. Couldn’t that be considered the soul?

I don’t even know anymore. It’s all speculation at this point. Just trading answers for questions. What I do know is I’m going to survive.

I got moving again. After another hour of following my compass I made it to the foot of the mountain. Somewhere up there was the gate. from what Aku told me it would be some sort of cave near the top.

I took a short break seeing as I probably wouldn’t get to take another for a while. It didn’t last long.

Climbing the steep mountain wasn’t gonna be to big a problem. My shoes not only had perfect traction they also allowed me to walk on walls and ceilings.

I just needed to be careful when taking steps. The wind could easily knock me off balance and if that happened it was all over. Best not to think about it otherwise risk it’s manifestation.

Unsure if this would even work I placed my foot on the wall and surely enough I felt a powerful shift in gravity. Knowing what was coming next I lifted my other foot and held myself firm as gravity went completely sideways.

The feeling was akin to a roller coaster changing directions. My guts turned and my heart felt out of place. The whole experience made me feel so disoriented that I almost threw up.

With that out of the way I started heading up the mountain. The more I thought about it the more I felt like jumping off. This whole thing left me feeling so out of place that my mind strained to make sense of it.

I decided not to think about it and pretend I was walking on normal ground. That seemed to help. I really hope this is worth it.

As much as I hated this little journey through the corners of my brain. I got to say I enjoyed finally having my head to myself. This whole experience had been meditative in a way. Actually it was literally meditative when you think about it. I’d completely blocked out reality and was in the midst of clearing my mind. Clearing it of that centipede that is.

The cold wind still tried to cut me down but I held firm. Instead of curling up into a ball and hiding. I braced against the cold and continued forward.

The side of the mountain had crystals jutting out. They took on beautiful shapes. Shapes that reminded me of flowers. Each was as unique as a snowflake yet sharper than any blade. Some were red others blue. I saw green and white and violet.. what was interesting was they each felt different. The green ones gave off a breeze. The blue ones were extra cold. The red ones were super warm. The white ones had glowed extra bright to where I felt like I was looking at the sun.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I thought about taking one but they were very sharp and would probably cut me at a touch. What a shame. I bet Aku would love to have one.

My walk up the mountain almost ended in tragedy a few times as the wind would try to push me off. That was okay. I could take it.

The wind kicked up again and this time a bunch of snow came crashing down. It wasn’t an avalanche. It was more akin to a car running down the highway and having a sheet of snow fall off its top.

The blanket of snow hit me and I fell back. I hurtled down the side of the mountain screaming. Then felt the sharp ice flowers cut into my flesh. Finally I managed to stop myself on a rock. I hadn’t actually fallen that far. Only about thirty feet, and it was more of a tumble due to the steep slope.

My shoulder popped as the force pulled on my arm. It hurt like a bitch but at least I hadn't fallen all the way down.

I tried to catch my breath while I worked to shift the gravity once more. My feet were planted on the wall and everything shifted again. My head spun.

After adjusting my perception I started to check my wounds. My coat was thick enough to protect me but my new pants had been torn at the right pant leg.

There was blood trickling away from the sky. It looked so bizarre the way it fell sideways which made me wonder how gravity was both pulling me sideways and down at the same time. Maybe once blood leaves my insides my foot wear no longer considers it apart of me. I stopped trying to make sense of it.

I quickly pulled out the canteen then took some sips. The wound quickly closed and my body started to warm up. My shoulder was almost pulled from it’s socket. I rotated it and felt a dull ache. Another sip of tea and the pain faded a bit.

I need to be more careful. If I’d fallen any farther I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself. I wasn’t sure what would happen if I fell all the way down. I don’t think dying was possible. Not in this place. Maybe my mass would shift around till I was all better but who knew how long that would take. I kept pushing forward the blood now frozen on my leg. Ignore it and keep going. Just keep it moving. Your already this far you can’t give up now.

I wasn’t even halfway up the mountain yet. After about two hours I managed to make it passed the clouds and onto a platform. Gravity turned back to normal as I laid there on the hard stone.

Now that I was above the clouds the snow storm was no more. All I could see was a sea of calm white fog and a dark sky.

It took a minute to catch my breath. The air was so thin up here that I was having trouble breathing. I took a few sips of tea and felt my body warm up. The canteen felt good in my cold hands. I was actually starting to get feeling in my fingers again. They were in pain.

I really wanted to just lay there and die but that seemed like a waste considering I made it all the way up here. It sure was cold though.

The endless clouds looked amazing. It tickled my imagination. I felt like there might be some sort of creature swimming in that white fog. That would be cool to see. It looked like the kind of place one of those long chinese dragons would live.

That’s when I saw something moving. A shadow of some kind of elongated creature. I knew exactly what it was. It was still far away but it was slowly inching over, weaving through the clouds. That fucking centipede!

It looked like it was still to far away. Somehow it was flying. That made no sense. Was its body just so long that it could stretch out that far? I still had time.

I took in my surroundings and finally saw what I came here for. There was a cave but not just a cave. It was the entrance to the gate. The cave was only a few feet away from me. I was literally laying in front of the entrance.

The next part would be the hardest. to open the gate I needed to blast my way through it with raw power. Lucky for me Aku had been gathering it for a little while now. I thought maybe she could save it for a future emergency which I suppose this was one.

She says that the power that's normally used to open the gate is usually impure and that the pure energy we had was so dense that even a handful was enough to bust it open.

I was left wondering where she could of gotten that information from. All she said was that the lady explained it to her a long time ago when she made the mistake of accidently finding the small gate within the castle. Apparently that gate no longer exists since the castle crash landed in this place. All these stupid rules of different realities. I can’t keep up.

I rubbed my eyes and got up. A few more sips of tea warmed me right up but did nothing to satisfy my coffee addiction. Pretending tea was coffee was no longer working.

At least I felt stronger now. My arms and legs felt like they had actual muscle mass. Not really, it's more like they had stretched and filled out a little. Was I supposed to grow this quickly? I still felt small. Not necessarily child size but maybe something like a pre-teen.

Can’t wait till I’m an adult. I hope I don’t have to go through puberty again. Can’t stand walking around trying to hide my boner. It gets super awkward.

I looked into the cave. The entrance was covered with icicles. Each one taking on a different color. It kind of looked like a mouth. The inside was dark as hell. It was almost as dark as the sky. Lucky for me being exposed to all this darkness has caused my eyes to adjust.

It was time. I couldn’t put it off anymore so I started heading towards the gate. It was actually warmer in here than out there. In fact there was a heat coming from deeper inside.

-???-

*Scratch sractch*

Tell me. Why do people fear death when they get to go to a better place? The fear of the unknown. I’ve pondered this and have come to the realization that the unknown is the root of all fear. Does that mean they don’t actually know where they go?

*twitch twitch*

Are you scared of the afterlife? Of course you are. you have no idea what it is. I know for I have lived there for a long, long time. It’s an abyss of nothingness.

*dig dig*

The only stimulation I get is from whatever gets dropped down here. It’s always pain. I never know when it might happen and it's awful every time. I miss the old days when I actually got to go outside. Those times were nothing but pain to, but at least there was light and people.

*nibble nibble*

I miss the feeling of air… and gravity. I especially miss the light. I want to experience warmth. I’d settle for cold even. Something…. anything other than these painful feelings and memories. There like demons come to torture me.

*claw claw*

The only experience I've gotten here is pain, anger, fear, dread, sadness, and loneliness. So much loneliness. I can’t even end my existence. I scream and cry till my throat bleeds and my eyes dry up but no one hears me. No one cares. Very few know I even exist. Why wont it end!? Why wont someone save me!?

*Rustle crumble*

There are lots and lots of awful emotions but I do get to see his memories. I experience them like movies so I’m not completely blind to the outside world but I want to experience things for myself. I want to feel loved like he does. The last time I saw the real world was so long ago. As far as I could tell that time was the best I've ever had, and I spent most of it locked in a room.

*Buzz*

I wish to be free. I wish to roam around the outside world. I’m tired of being crushed by negative emotions. Every day I grow stronger. I take back bits of control from him.

*wiggle wiggle*

He trapped me here! That dam brother of mine! He should be the one here not me! The deal was I was gonna take over and he! He was the one that was supposed to suffer!

*twitch twitch*

I’m already dead but I’m still not at rest. I can’t sleep. Not with all this pressure and pain. Fear… I feel it every day. It makes my eyes stay wide open. It makes me want to run but it never let’s me leave.

*buzzZz*

Soooooon. Soon I’ll be free. All this pain it’s not without fruits. I’ve managed to twist it into a monster and slowly its been cutting away at him.

*fidget fidget*

It’ll still be a while before I can take full control but I’m going to do it. Then he’ll be the one down here and I’ll be free of this pain. Free of the dark and out in the daylight. I haven’t seen daylight in over twenty years. I want to feel it on my skin.

*squirm rustle*

Hope is the only thing that’s kept me going. The hope that I’ll finally be free. I will be free. I swear it. Lucky for me that dam castle hit the planet. It softened the surface and I was finally able to spread my influence passed the hole.

*rustle squirm*

I finally had the opportunity to attack my captor. Slowly I’ve been gathering the power I need to overthrow him. Right now I’ve got about 45% of the core. I only need 6% more and I’ll be able to take control of our body. If I get more I can force him into the hole, but for now I just want to see the sunlight again. I want to feel something other than pain.

*crack crack*

That fool has wasted our life. There is so much that needs to be done. This country is bleeding. He takes it so slow but I know I can fix it. Not that stupid Isaac. He knows nothing. I've had to sit here and watch as he ruins one good thing after another.

*stretch rip*

Up above. Someone was here. It can't be. Has it finally happened? Did he lose control of the throne? Eyes peered down at me. Right at me. My eyes met with theirs and for a moment I could taste his spirit. It was spicy just like in the dreaming. If I get even just a leg I’ll have enough to take the throne. I can finally taste the air. Maybe even have a real meal.

*buzzZzZ*

The heavy dark mass rose up slowly causing the hole to shake. Rubble rained down into the hole. I was curled up into a ball watching as the dark formed into a massive centipede. It screeched and lunged at Isaac.

*BUZZZzzZzZzZzzzZZzZzzzzZZZZzz*

Something went wrong. The monster cried in pain and I felt a part of it get swallowed up by Isaac. I got something in return. It was a huge chunk of the prime core. This brought me up to 52%. Still not enough to force him into the hole. That's okay though because finally I can be free.

The beast sunk back into the hole and I commanded it to bring me to the throne. It pushed itself under me. I felt my frail body rise. Slowly but surely I was being lifted up out of the hole. With the core fragments I had in my possession I could now leave this place. The pain would have to come with me. Not only had I turned it into a monster but in order to control it. I also bound it to myself.

The room I saw was dark. Still better than the dark hole I’ve been trapped in. Thanks to the light deprivation I endured for so long, light sensitivity was high. Isaac was nowhere to be seen. That was okay. It’s not like he could do anything.

Each of the Strange plants that shone looked wonderful. The colors were some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Beautiful rays of violet and blue. Some green. Others were slightly dimmer giving off dull red lights that seemed to stretch the farthest.

I hadn’t even been to the outside world, yet this much was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Looking through the eyes of the monster was like trying to see with your ears. It was possible to make things out but impossible to experience sight.

It was time to finally leave this place. Half of me will stay here. The monster that is. It’ll keep those two from dethroning me. One day I will return and find what’s left of Isaac. Finally I shall have justice.

In the mean time the monster will plunge this world into despair and leave those two in cold darkness.

I was slowly lowered onto the throne. It was hard and cold but it also felt good. A light engulfed my form and I rose far above the world. Up into the void above.

I awoke on something soft. It was warm and comfortable. I wanted to stay here. For the first time ever I felt happy. Maybe not safe but definitely happy.

I opened my eyes and saw a ceiling. Everything was so much brighter than the throne room. Rays of sunshine cut through the air and danced on what I understood was a bed. They warmed the covers I was wrapped in and moved so vigorously.

I smiled. It was so pretty! How were they doing that!? Was this something they did just for me? I tried to touch them but they hopped up onto my fingers. It startled me so I jumped back.

They stopped dancing. Did I upset them? Maybe I scared them. I looked to the light source and realized the light hadn’t been dancing at all. It was the leaves of the tree outside. They were moving in the wind and the light was being blocked by them. I see, so it was the shadows that were actually moving. Fascinating! I want to learn more!

As much as it excited me it also made me sad. I thought the light was playing with me. That’s okay. It was my first happy memory. I’ll treasure it forever.

I wanna try walking. There was never much room in the hole for that and most of the time all I ever did was curl up and cry. I shook my head. No more of that! Today is the first day of my life!

I pushed the covers away then turned my legs so they were facing the edge of the bed. With a push I hopped off. My feet hit the cold floor and I fell on my butt. The pain brought back memories of mother. All pain seemed to do that and I curled up on the floor.

The flash of memories came and went. Once it was over and I was back in the material world I finally relaxed my body. I sat up and tried to figure out how to stand.

Shifting my legs I managed to get into a crouching position. There was some strain on my legs from being folded like I was but that ended once I started to push my torso away from the ground.

I did it slowly not wanting to fall again, and soon enough I found myself standing. It was strange. I could feel the weight of my body pressing down on my feet. Gravity is amazing! I shifted the weight to one leg then the other and found it easy to balance myself on a single limb. I tried taking a step.

It was both frightening and exciting. The moment I was on one leg and my balance tilted forward was so nerve racking. My other foot touched the floor just before I could completely fall over, and the weight distributed evenly.

I forced my weight onto the foot farther away from me then moved the other foot forward. It was easy. I practiced for a little and it became natural to me. This body already knew how to walk.

While that was handy I kind of wanted to learn by myself and not be guided by muscle memory. That’s okay though it was a new memory I could cherish.

Let’s see now. There’s one of those mirror things. I’ve never actually looked in one. I made my way over and took a peak. The girl in the mirror. She’s really cute! It looks like Aku but different. What’s with the clothing though?

I found myself wearing what I would call white cat pajamas. It was like a onesie only it was very baggy. It had a Hoodie with cat ears. I even had a tail. The pant legs seemed to touch the floor almost like it was to big for me. The sleeves did something similar in which they went past my hands.

I did not dislike it. The clothes were soft and warm, but I wouldn’t be able to do anything in them. They were for in doors. That’s when I noticed the white and blue dress on a hanger. It hanged off the side of the dresser. There were a few other things here to. Some blue marry Jane’s and some tights. A blue bow and a cat plushy.

When I saw the plushy the name Snowball came to mind. I liked it. “Will you be my friend?” The toy didn’t answer. Hmmm…. She didn’t say no. That’s when the toy fell forward.

“You will! Okay!” I picked it up and hugged it. It was as soft as it looked, maybe even softer. I was so happy. This is the best day of my life. Well it’s the first day of my life. Maybe there will be better days ahead.

I got dressed and left the cat onesie on the bed. What should I do now? The people out there. I don’t trust them. Last time I was able to come out they locked me and Isaac up in a strange place. If they find out I’m not him then that might happen again. No! I can’t let that come to pass. I just got here!

I looked toward the window and an idea blossomed in my mind. I made my way over Snowball in hand. The window had a latch. I opened it and pushed it outward. It swung open. The air outside was a little chilly but Mr. sun was warm. I should try that thing.

I focused the power in my tummy. It was nothing but aspects of my surroundings. There were heat and cold aspects and air aspects. Very little water aspects and quite a few earth aspects. There were light and shadow aspects. There was even a few life aspects. It was like a sup.

I drew the power out of my center and forced it to circulate through out my body. Just like how blood moved through my veins essence now flowed through me. As expected a bubble appeared around me. It was like a shield. This was the most basic aura you could possibly make. It was expected with how impure essence was. If I had qi it would be different but I didn’t. this power system wasn't without its perks.

When your stuck in the back seat for so long you have the chance to see how everything works. This body had a decent sized source of power and a lot of outlets.

There was these tendrils that could connect to creatures. An invisible eye that could do all sorts of things. The power source it could be expanded through cultivation. In my tummy was two things. One was a ball of power and the other was a multi-colored crystal. That’s the focus point for magic. There was also a bunch of other stuff I didn’t know anything about.

The lady explained it once to me. She came to me first before asking Isaac for a chunk of his core. I asked her about power and she told me there were all sorts of powers. You only needed to rank up to unlock one. She also gave me a few examples. Like cultivation or magic. Those two were the most common with psychic being in the third.

However there was many other powers. Ones that were rare. Some strong, others slow growth. Some didn’t even yield all that much energy for ranking. I was a bit confused by that point so I kind of tuned it out. Most of that didn’t make sense to me. But I now understood that these bodies. These avatars had all sorts of things stuffed into them.

The lady said having a bunch of different power systems was a terrible idea. That was unless it was perfectly designed in a way that they could all co-exist within the same body.

From the looks of it. Most of them existed in this avatar but the yield was little to nothing. That wasn’t counting the energy siphon that seemed to drain my core. Whatever power my core gathered was quickly taken through a strange thread. Where it goes I have no idea. I cant stop it. My best guess was the lady didn’t want people ranking up.

That made sense To me. The power gathered by mortals was hers to take. She did create all of us in one way or another.

I focused power into the eye under my forehead. My body slowly lifted and I floated out the window. It was time to take care of that purple mist problem. Isaac was to chicken to storm in on his own.

I’ll need to pick up my weapon from that Cindy lady, but before that. I want to try food. I could already feel my mouth watering. The memory of food was not the same as tearing into meat with your teeth and actually tasting and feeling the hot grease and fat glide down your throat.