100 years later.
“Hello there, young one.” Said an old man who sat underneath a tree, his legs crossed while he remained hunched down, grasping something in his right hand.
“Give me a break, this might be the one thousandth time you came into my dreams.” Ikori spoke irritably.
“One thousand and thirteenth to be exact.” The elderly man spoke back.
“Whatever, you’ve come into my dreams that many times just to ask me over a thousand questions in total from the first dream till now. What other questions do you have for me?” Ikori said, expecting another series of question like before.
“Oh, you’ve been very mistaken young lad. This time will be the last time we’ll ever meet!” Proclaimed the old man.
“Alright, so what about it?” Ikori asked with his right brow raised.
“I’ve decided to give you a gift. This might help you on your journey.” He spoke.
“I don’t believe you. Is there a petty trick to such gift you’re offering me?” Ikori asked in visible suspicion.
“No. And you’ll receive it right about…now!” The elderly man spoke with his voice trailing off before suddenly raising his voice at the very last moment as he suddenly vanished out of Ikori’s sight.
“What the!?” Ikori took a step back looking around the blank white empty space surrounding him and the one tree before suddenly the old man appeared right in front of him.
“This power, use it wisely. For if used for unjust purposes. May lead, to your inevitable death sentence by Heaven.” He warned as he leapt in the air, his right palm unclenched as his body is surrounded by an aura of golden flame in the form of a tiger before slamming his palm onto Ikori’s head.
“Ah!”
Ikori woke up from the dream, sweating profusely as he frantically checked and rubbed his forehead.
“Huh…that’s good. My head wasn’t harmed. Phew.” He spoke with a sigh of relief.
Ikori immediately got up from his bed and walked up to the mirror that was installed on the side of mirror and noticed a white glow on his forehead.
He noticed the peculiar light and shook his head before taking another look in the mirror to his relief. The light was gone.
He immediately took a quick shower before putting on a new white collarless t-shirt and long black cotton pants and then he proceeded to grab his phone that was lying right beside the room’s laptop that was located on the desk.
“Although I’ve not gotten any particular divine or earthly powers like most others. I think living my life as a member of the Logistics Regiment might suit me after all.” He thought to himself before walking out of his apartment room and into the streets that were always used by the denizens of the realm in the light of the early morning. If it makes sense that morning has dark skies lit up by a colossal divine tree that is.
He took a glance at gigantic branch hanging above the sky and murmured a prayer to the tree. Wishing for a better tomorrow. He walked past a series of stalls and shops before arriving at a certain stall that was selling ‘meat’ buns.
“Good day madam, may I have two of those freshly steamed buns?” Ikori asked politely to the elderly woman who owned the bun stall.
The elderly woman merely nodded and handed over two steamed buns to him fresh out of the steamer basket before Ikori took out his phone. He opened the bank app and selected the option to withdraw the All-Currency which materialized from the phone in the form of silver coins that had a square hole punched through the center. Which fell inside a wooden box where he and many others leave their payments in. About 20 of these coins fell in before no more money came out as the app automatically closed.
Ikori looked at her and spoke in a friendly manner. “You have not changed one bit for many years huh? Granny Tar.”
“I might say the same for you as well boy. You also have not changed at all. It’s not always a bad thing that you didn’t change much. People often suffer when they decide to change themselves. And accidentally change for the worse.” Granny spoke in a slow-paced manner before she continued on and added. “So, although you may not have the requirements to join any other Regiments besides the logistics. Over a hundred years ago. Just know that. The Heavens may have a certain wonderful fate for you.”
Ikori pondered a bit about what she had said but shook his head and replied “I don’t believe that I’m able to achieve the requirements to do so. Who knows? Maybe I’m going to be a labor boy for the rest of my life here up till my death after a dozen millennia.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic about it. There is no such thing as no change in this place. You’ll eventually have to change. Even if you didn’t notice.” The granny said.
“Oh please, as if I have something bad that needs to be changed!” Ikori barked.
“Hah, I can see clearly that you haven’t tossed out your pride and ego. They are both in need of a total cleansing!” Granny Tar rebutted, with a visible smirk on her face.
Ikori simply looked away embarrassed before walking off at a fast pace while chowing down on the “meat” bun.
“I still can’t believe after all these years…that every single food that I’ve eaten here. After all these years…does not have meat! Even when it tastes exactly like it!” Ikori shouted, still puzzled by the fact. Even after a hundred years have passed.
The Leader, who was waiting for Ikori outside of the Backrooms, stood by the entrance while doing a moulinet with a wooden rod of seventy-five centimeters in length to pass the time.
Ikori eventually arrived, his mouth dusted with the leftover flakes of steamed buns. The leader noticed it and sighed. “Ikori, wipe your mouth please.”
Ikori did as he was told immediately without fail before walking up to the short-statured man.
“Do you know what day is it today?” The leader asked Ikori.
“No, I don’t actually no. Maybe you could tell me.” Ikori spoke as he shrugged.
“Well, it’d be a shame that someone doesn’t receive a present for his 112th birthday.” The leader said sarcastically.
Ikori then realized it was his birthday today before staring back at the Leader, eyes widened in shock. “you’d think I forget a promise?” The leader questioned him.
“I thought it was a damn joke!” Ikori exclaimed.
“It wasn’t, now give me your hand.” He commanded.
Ikori just obeyed, sliding his receiving hand out of his pocket and was already excited to see what was the gift he was going to receive.
To his surprise however the leader simply gifted him a pouch. “Uh…what is this?” Ikori asked to which the Leader responded. “A recursion pouch. A pouch that can hold things bigger than itself inside itself with the opening capable of extending roughly over 45 centimeters.” The leader explained swiftly.
“Thanks…I guess.” Ikori spoke, feeling rather disappointed as he expected something more impressive like a weapon of some sort.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Don’t be feeling down. This is just a start.” The Leader said.
“Whatever.” Ikori said meekly as he slid the pouch in his left pocket before he went inside of the Backrooms to begin his morning shift.
After many minutes of walking however, he slowly came to notice the lack of other members of the Logistics Regiment near the location of his shift and his shift seems to be located 3 kilometers ahead of the location he was assigned to previously.
After a measly 15-minute jog. He reached his destined location, panting softly from minor exhaustion. He thought to himself. “Hold on, why am I sent this far away from my previous spot anyways. I thought that only those within the regiment with a mobility amplification ability is sent further than 3 kilometers…”
He looked around in suspicion thinking something devious was taking place but still continued on with his task. He begun his task of analyzing the items on the towering shelves as part of the maintenance task where those items in bad conditions are required to be brought forward to the Restoration Regiment for, of course. Restoration. But then one of the items he scanned and analyzed with his phone caught his attention but not because it’s in bad condition. But rather the usage of a certain orb is to open a portal that led to an unspecified location. This sent shivers down his spine as Ikori speculated that something malicious has planned to capture him. He instinctively went and grabbed what seemed to be a katana sheathed within a blue patterned scabbard before climbing up the shelf rack where it was found up to approximately 5 meters above ground level and hid in one of the empty spots of the shelf rack.
“Sunbaskets…I might not be able to make out of this unscathed.” He thought to himself.
As an hour has passed. He was still hiding in the shoe rack, holding onto the katana in its scabbard upside down. Then, the sound of footsteps are heard. He took a minor peek around the edge of the shelf rack and saw a man wearing a trench coat with a brown tie along with light blue jeans, a pocket watch stuffed in that one small pocket right above the right-hand pocket.
He seemed to be looking for something as he looked around the shelf racks oblivious that Ikori was up high in one of those shelves. But as Ikori suspected, the man grabbed the peculiar orb from the shelf rack that Ikori was hiding in.
“As expected…should I confront him or should I run off and tell the Leader about this?” Ikori thought and pondered for a moment.
He soon made his decision before he uttered silently; his eyes closed as he contemplated his decision. “I might die because of this but…”
Ikori got down from the shelf carefully still holding onto the katana in his right hand and attempted to confront the unknown man.
“Hey there!” he shouted.
The man stared back at the boy, his face showing a visible look of annoyance. He eventually spoke. “What is it that you want? Be quick with it.” The man spoke harshly.
“May I see the receipt?” Ikori asked.
“What?” The man replied.
“The receipt for the item you taken. You need give me a receipt as proof that you’re allowed to obtain that orb.” Ikori spoke in a polite manner.
Silence filled the space between them. As the man stood there without answering. But he eventually mustered up answer as he spoke it. “I left it back at my residence. Maybe if you could follow me back there, you can see the receipt for yourself.” He spoke.
Ikori smiled at the response as he suddenly unsheathed the katana from its decorated scabbard, tossing it aside as he ran up to the man and slashed at his throat. The eyes of the man widened as he narrowly dodged the attack. But the blade was no normal blade as it formed a current of wind in the shape of an arc, sharp enough it was, that 6 shelf racks fell from the destructive slash. A hail of fallen items raining down behind the man.
“You madman! What is up with you!?” He shouted to which Ikori responded with a smug look “I was merely asking you a trick question. You don’t actually need a receipt to take any of the items.”
The man was visibly angered by this, dark mist appeared around his body.
Ikori was now the one shocked as he believed that he had bit off more than he could chew.
A spear formed in the right hand of the man, his eyes darken with a shade of red. As he took a stance with the spear aimed directly at Ikori.
“You have truly angered me!” He yelled; the shelves shook at the sound of his voice as more items fell onto the yellow floor. The ground beneath the man.
Ikori seeing this, immediately ran off in the opposite direction and went through a gap on his between the shelves. The man however simply smirked as his spear dematerialized.
Ikori seeing this
About several minutes later, Ikori eventually stopped to catch his breath. He looked around to make sure he wasn’t being followed. “That was terrifying. Who was that man? A demon?” he thought to himself.
The silence broke as he heard a loud scream of a girl nearby, crying for help. “Damnit, someone else is in danger. Should I go and help or call for backup?” Ikori questioned himself in his thoughts, still holding the katana he had used earlier in his hand.
A moment of brainstorming later about whether or not he should help, Ikori decided to track the location of the scream as he griped the katana’s tsuka. Fully prepared to face the consequences of his choice.
He passed through several rows and columns of shelf racks before finding a girl that is slumped over, facing the shelf as the man was right behind her, seemingly about to thrust his spear through her back. The distance between the man and himself was about ten meters at most.
Ikori saw what was taking place and slashed at the air without hesitation; sending a sharp wind arc at him. The man blocked the attack with a single fluid motion as he leapt back taking on his stance once again.
Ikori ran to where the girl was and stood right in front of her; taking it upon himself to protect her. “Hey you! Go and run as fast as you can. Make sure to warn the others about the intruder.” Ikori commanded the girl.
But the girl did not respond which Ikori found strange. But just as he stared back at the man; the man already took the initiative to thrust his spear at Ikori’s abdomen. He merely blocked it however with a swift slash before delivering a heavy counterblow onto his adversary’s spear which caused him to slide back while the ground beneath him where he slid on was stained black due to the melting of the soles of the shoes he was wearing; caused by immense friction.
“Quite impressive, that a low life such as yourself is capable of fighting against me. Normally you should’ve ended up as a corpse beneath my feet from the first thrust.” The man spoke softly, full of pride.
“Enough of this. As soon as the girl reports this back to the others. You’ll have to run off like a yellow-bellied chicken.” Ikori spoke mockingly.’
“I believe you made a grave. Miscalculation.” The man spoke.
Ikori tilted his head confused as he still held his katana in a kendo stance. “What does he mean?” he thought to himself before he slowly turned around. To be stabbed through the abdomen. Ikori was shocked by such revelation before realizing it was the girl that stabbed him. He panted as he stared at the girl which suddenly brought upon him a sense of existential dread. “It can’t be.” He thought to himself before he gulped and mentioned a single word out in confusion. “Ayumu…?”
At that exact same moment, the man behind him spun his spear around before hacking Ikori’s left arm off his shoulder; the yellow floor was now stained bright red by the blood of Ikori. Ayumu withdraws the knife she used to stab Ikori with, forcefully as he dropped onto the floor. Not dead but rather in total shock. His life turned upside down. As disbelief took over, he released his grip over the katana he held in his right hand.
“How did she manage to find me here. One of the five that I never wanted to meet ever again. The ones that shattered my life.” He thought to himself as he laid there in the pool of his own blood.
“Good job Elleon, you did your mother proud today.” Ayumu spoke with a hint of glee.
“Only if you and my father demands it. I’ll obey your wishes if that’s going to bring satisfaction both of you the best satisfaction.” He said pridefully while grinning.
Elleon stared down at Ikori before stepping on his head with the sole of his shoe. “Not so tough anymore are ya? You fucking weakling. No wonder my mother always finds satisfaction in torturing you back in hell. As well as…” Elleon continued to spoke but after a few sentences. His words started to fall on deaf ears as Ikori no longer listened as he remembered the dream he had today. “That old geezer transmitted some sort of power to me…I really need it right here and now. Heaven be my guide. Please enlighten me!” He thought and begged in his thoughts.
Then he felt his body getting slightly warmer as he felt something coursing through his body. Something was embedded in his mind and identity. His bleeding halted completely as he turned his head and stared up at Elleon.
Elleon lifted his feet up from Ikori’s head which gave him the chance to get back up on his feet while still missing an arm.
“Ready to come back with us like the submissive lamb you once were?” Elleon asked mockingly while Ayumu gave a sadistic glare beside him.
“Just one thing.” Ikori spoke.
“Haha, what is it?” Elleon replied with his arms extended outwards, confident that Ikori had already lost.
“Eight Extremities…” Ikori said in his mind before a golden aura enveloped his body in the form of a tiger as he leapt in the air. Elleon was shocked by the sudden shift in events and the same could be said for Ayumu.
“Scaling Tiger!” Ikori yelled. Before Elleon could even materialize his spear; Ikori slammed his palm on the top of his head, severely fracturing the skull beneath his flesh as a shockwave was formed from the result of the destructive power as it pushed the nearby shelves aside including Ayumu herself and shook the entirety of Bilik Belakang and all of its recursions. The sound of a tiger’s roar was heard from even outside of Bilik Belakang which alerted the denizens.
Ikori dropped onto the floor on his knees as he panted in severe tiredness from overexerting himself when he used his newfound power. Elleon was completely knocked out unconscious in a comatose state from the strike, black ichor oozing out of his head, nose and mouth: as his body fell backwards onto the floor.
The ground beneath Ikori however, started to crack. “What the…?” Ikori said in confusion but before he realized what was happening. The ground beneath him broke apart as he fell unconscious, falling into what seems to be a sea of multi-colored light that was underneath the floor. Vanishing into the sea below along with other items.