Corpus Grove unlocked.

Vitality +5

Nervous System tree unlocked.

Perception +3

Dexterity +2

Roots from another garden have entwined with the Nervous System Tree.

Central Nervous System Branch unlocked.

Inteligence +1

Perception +1

Frontal Lobe Twig Unlocked

Intelligence +1

Nervous System tree sprouted its first bud.

Perception +1

Increased Processing Skill Acquired(Passive)

Helps with thinking.

Tulpamancer title gained.

Intelligence +10

Wisdom +5

Sentience +10

Sentience Attribute Unlocked

Increases awareness of self.

-Whoah…-

-No kidding...- a suit wearing devil said as she stepped out of the nothingness of my mind and into my consciousness.

Having conjured her usual couch she sat down and waited for me to calm down enough to imagine an image of myself and sit down as I usually do.

-Hmm… how about this instead?-

I conjure a large, classic looking sofa and half lie on one side. Jane soon joins me, wearing a simple T-shirt. I recognize it as the same one I usually wear around the house. She lies down opposite me, legs reaching up to my chest, and her tail starts palpating me. I do the same to her, and although I can’t really feel anything the image of her in my mind is stable and alive.

Since Jane had access to my thoughts, emotions and memories of the past few years, after our initial amazement at the new situation I simply listen as she shares with me her side of our relationship.

She explains how she suddenly became aware the moment I decided to create another personality inside my mind. How at first she had no memory and her only world were my body's immediate sensations. How slowly she became more aware of my thoughts and gained access to all the parts of my brain. How for a whole year she tried reaching out to me but I couldn’t hear her. How excited she was when I felt her emotions for the first time and how we both cried.

She was still an ‘it’ then and had the form of a color changing ball of liquid metal. How a few months later she decided on her current form and how for years she tried to communicate with me in words.

-And now… in one second this world gave us something that for five years we were unable to do.-

While talking we transitioned into cuddling and I’m suddenly aware of her tail being pressed into the crotch of my imaginary self. Excited I can feel an erection growing both in my real and imaginary body.

She knows I refuse to do anything to her and is teasing me on purpose so in return I imagine myself embracing her even tighter as we continue to talk.  

Eventually we reach the topic of the new world we are stuck in and Jane suggests I try to draw.

-I don’t have anything to draw with…-

-Use your blood then, you bloody idiot,- she rolls her eyes, already wearing a suit and high heels, - It’s for science and you’re gonna heal.-

Surrendering to her I do what I always wanted to try at least once and make a small cut along one of Langer’s lines on my forearm.

-This hurts much more than I thought it would…- I think regretfully.

-Be grateful they didn’t take your knife away when they put you here or you’d have to use your teeth.-

I can no longer see Jane in my mind’s eye but I’m still aware of her sharing my senses.

-It’s kinda comforting now that you’re aware of me… doesn’t feel as lonely anymore.- she words out what we’re both feeling.

Using the tip of the knife I draw a nude woman, my specialty, and after squishing my wound a few more times for more blood I’m almost done.

-Jeezus… I suck.-

-You don’t. Continue.-

Using my pinky I spread blood in strategic places to portray depth and shape. It’s a rough sketch and instead of drawing the lines I rely on their absence to convey form.

Visual Arts tree unlocked.

Dexterity +4

Control +1

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Two-Dimensional Art branch unlocked.

Dexterity +2

Drawing twig unlocked.

Dexterity +1

Drawing Mastery skill acquired.(Passive)

Helps with the accurate representation of subject of choice.

Drawing Mastery level up.

Female Human Anatomy skill level up.

-Little good it does me…- I think in disappointment once I remember I’m not going to get any of the attribute benefits.

-We needed to test if it works. We’ll be more careful from now on since we don’t know if a big garden will limit you as it does the normal inhabitants of this world.-

I get up to pee in the corner and make a mental note to empty my bladder in the pit latrines before leaving the training arena in the following iterations.

We continue to discuss what other hobbies I gathered that can be converted to real skills until at some moment I fall asleep, only to be woken up hazy and more tired thanks to the alarm I set in advance.

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes I lean on the wall and wait for the reset to happen.

Jane keeps me company from the corner of my mind while I keep looking at the watch every few minutes.

Close to five in the morning according to Elsa's watch I feel my ears clog from a sudden drop in air pressure.

-Something's happening…- I convey to Jane.

I swallow to repressurise my ears and something appears outside my cell.

We look at each other but I fail to realize what it is I’m looking at because it just popped into existence and my mind didn’t seem to react to the fact fast enough.

-Smiling. Old. Staff. Scrawny. Robes. Relax.- Jane calms me down by pulsing a feeling of relaxation at me.

It does nothing against the adrenalin now pumping through my body but it’s enough to refocus me.

“Good morning.” I wave at the old mage.

“Good?” his smile widens, “Maybe. Interesting? Very.”

“Indeed it is.” Another person appears from behind the old man.

Dressed entirely in black, face covered with a hood and a mask, he simply walks forward and opens the cell door as if it’s been unlocked this whole time.

“Like minded fools we are,” the old man smiles at the hooded individual who ignores the greeting, “What piqued your interest?”

“The girl’s report. Same as you.”

“Indeed,” the old man said in a poor attempt of mimicking the emotionless tone of his hooded friend.

They both looked at me and moved a step back, letting me know they were waiting for me to get out of my cell. I stare back at them letting them know I don’t intend to move.

After a few moments my gut tells me that these are not people I can win against when it comes to patience, asking Jane and receiving her approval, I look at my watch again in a great display of boredom.

-I doubt they know what a wrist watch is,- Jane tells me bluntly, so I force myself to yawn and ask “I’m quite tired from all the rape and killing, gentlemen, so how about you tell me what it is I can help you with?”

“We understand completely how exhausting some pleasures can be and promise not to take much of your time,” without missing a bit the old man responds with an amused tone, “the question is however, which one of us will have the pleasure of helping you?”

“Whichever one of you wants to be first” I make a show of adjusting my crotch and add that “I’m more than recovered.” I flash them a lecherous smile.

The old man snickers but the hooded one sighs and slowly steps towards me.

As he gets closer my body feels heavy, and as I fight against the feeling the hairs on my body stand up in fear and I struggle for breath.

Crouching next to me, hand on the wall for stability, he speaks softly in an annoyingly monotone voice, “There is always a need for people who don’t mind ignoring social taboos.”

The pressure grows stronger and my breath refuses to leave my chest.

“And with half of your future teammates now dead, it won’t be hard to add another body to the pile. Not that anyone would care if something happens to you after what you did.”

“Now, now! Leave the boy alone,” the old man jokes when he sees the hooded figure’s hand moving towards my throat.

The weight leaves as suddenly as it appeared and I try to grasp for air in as relaxed manner as I can.

“I apologize for my friend here. Our morning is just starting you see and it would be nice if you treat us with at least some degree of seriousness.”

The air pressure drops as he speaks and I swallow a few times to repressurize my ears, but to no avail.

“Who killed them?” I ask as I get up to my feet, the air pressure suddenly stabilizing as I do.

“Three beastmen came to return one of their own. Found out about your friends and slaughtered them in their sleep before escaping.”

I try to remember the few beast slaves I saw since I came here and the memory of a little bunny girl surfaces.

-Hare.-

-Who cares what the guy called her…- I mentally shrug at Jane -She’s small. She’s cute and until we see the difference between the two I’m referring to her as a bunny.-

-Because it's sexier?- she sighs.

-Exactly!-

-He did mention that it was the battlehares that assassinated the king. They could come back for one of their own.-

-He did? I wasn’t really listening…-

Jane simply folds her hands and smiles.

-Fuck you.- I mentally flick her off.

-I wish…-

“Can they get the public slave crest off?” I gamble, ignoring Jane and wondering how come our mental interactions are happening fast enough to not cause a lull in the conversation.

The hooded man continues without hesitation but the old man's smile grows.

“Public crests are impossible to remove without permanent damage. That is why they are rarely used and only for punishment. We would hate for anything to happen to someone with your potential, so we offer our guidance and the chance to avoid the battlefield. Choose.”

“Let me get this straight… you’re like a royal spy or something, right?” I wait for a response but all I get is the amused looks of the old man, “and you want to train me to do what you do?” I wait but no response this time either.

I speak for Jane when I add “And, hypothetically speaking, this will include things more fun than rape and murder?”

“Yes,” he answers with the same emotionless voice as ever but I can swear that I could hear a hint of boredom.

“Than why not say it clearly from the start…” I shake my head and tsk my tongue a few times.

“If you could not deduce such a simple thing by yourself then I rather not waste my efforts on you.”

”Fair enough. A moral grey area would be quite suitable for such things. However I fail to see why it would attract the attention of the archmage?” I address the old man, ”You are the archmage, right?”

“Does it matter?” he chuckles, “The Red robe sent to instruct you reported that you had an interesting skill. One which, from the poor young girl's story, I assume you used on her; even though she herself seems to have no idea you did,” he chuckles again.

“I believe such a skill to be quite useful… for.. um… how do I say this politely? Hmm…”

“Acquisition of information.”

“Indeed,” he mimicks and chuckles to himself again.

“And I can only choose one of you?”

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t like to share,” he winks at me.

“Sharing is caring you know?” I wink back. -What do you think?- I ask Jane.

“Indeed,” states the hooded one robotically.

-I think that it was your death that caused the restart and that means we don’t know when the next restart will happen,- she closes her eyes and I can feel a slight throb appear in my temple. -Other than that you should choose the one you can contact after the restart happens. Unless you want to try and break Luise properly?-

-Hmm…eventually maybe. Right now I think it’ll be more beneficial for us to stay on good terms with everyone.-

-Try to use the skill on them.-

-Good idea.-

“Good thing I don’t care,” the old man shrugs.

“I see… then there’s no reason I should either, right?” I shrug back, “How am I to get in contact with you in the future though?”

“You don’t. You follow the one you choose now.”

“Nah… doesn’t work for me. This restart is going to end eventually and I’d like a method of getting in touch with you guys. Preferably one less flamboyant.”

“Explain.” the hooded man states.

“I think you forgot to add please,” I smile and wait.

For the first time since they appeared the two of them share a look with each other, after which the hooded one takes a step back and seems to dissolve into the darkness.

“Tell the Redrobe you've made a breakthrough in magic due to knowledge from your world. It will reach me eventually.”

I can feel the air pressure dropping again and Jane screams into my mind, “Wait!”. The air stabilizes and I swallow to hear myself properly again, “Can I try my skill on you?”

“If you manage to it'll be my pleasure,” the old man extends his hand towards me, “I hope,” he winks.

Deciding not to hold back I slam all my mana into a brutal assault of pleasure, forcing my way directly to his nerves, not caring for the consequences. In less than a second, I feel myself reach his brachial plexus before a wave of force sends me flying back into my cell.

Landing badly, I hit my head and lose all strength in my body. With the corners of my vision darkening, I barely notice the old mage step forward and mumble something about me being too dangerous to allow time to develop.