Novels2Search

Chapter 8

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November 20th, 2041

The day that went down to History as the day the world changed. Also known as MAGUS Open Beta Day or Apocalypse Day. As suddenly, on that day, a selected few received the gift of magic to use as they pleased.

However, aside from a purely historical perspective, nothing much happened that day. The world thought that 1.3% went bonkers overnight as fathers kidnapped their children, young adults got admitted to psychiatry, or children started telling their parents they could see screens out of thin air.

However, to Mister Nobody watching the evening news that day, it was yet another weird pandemic after Covid-19, Parvo-NH14, and H7N11. It was but another day in their life with yet some eerie alarming, plausibly fake news on TV.

It was only on January 6th, 2042, with the next update and invasion of North-East Africa by Outsiders humanoid we now know as Orcs, that public opinion and governments started to acknowledge that the world had changed irrevocably.

It was only after that second event happened that the floodgate opened, and that report sighting of mythological creatures and alien life, super-villains using magic for their own gains, and the existence of MAGUS finally made the news unfiltered.

Which lead directly to February 11th, the day of the Great Collapse, aka MAGUS final update.

Governments worldwide were overthrown by Cartels, Gangs, Tribes, Clans, Autonomous Communities, Free cities, and Outsiders. Even today, there is no record of the countless lives lost in the power struggle on the eve of a new emergent order.

What the world remembered, however, was the Rescue Team of RK9 Handler and their loyal companions who became the Founding Fathers of the Cascadian Federation.

— Excerpt of the Armorican Royal Archives, February 11th, 2080, commissioned academic lecture.

★☆★

January 14th, Great Falls, Montana.

★☆★

It was early winter in Great Falls. And everyone was quietly going on with their business as fast as they could. Before the monster attack on that primary school in the northern suburbs, everyone thought they were safe, sheltered as they were from the craziness happening in densely populated areas.

Then, one teacher and an entire class of six years old kids died, and things that happened on the evening news suddenly felt very concrete and threatening. There was a monster roaming somewhere, and it had already killed en masse without anyone realizing it before it was far too late. So people were going crazy paranoid, and everything now seemed like dangerous things they should avoid.

Keep going on with their daily life and jobs? Sure. But what if they got attacked? So people started clinging together, hoping safety was in number, while small-time businesses just closed their doors or opened at their own risk. Suddenly, everyone in town wanted to get a license allowing them to carry a gun at all times, and there was even debate about allowing kids to do so as well.

And yet, it was that very time that a living doll riding a makeshift kart pulled by a diminutive border collie showed up in town. Every eye was suddenly on the Outsider doll with her beady green eyes, long woolen red hair, and stitched smile and eyebrows, distracting them from the other element of their strange duo.

'Are you sure about that?' Ember telepathically asked the doll one last time as she stopped before the local pet shop to resupply. They had run low on dog food and, truth be told, any sort of food. And so the dog's system, the AI controlling the doll, suggested it was time they tried their luck and got acquainted with the skittish locals.

After all, the doll was nothing but fluff and fabric, so nothing they couldn't easily replace if the locals attacked her. While Ember, albeit small for her breed, was a regular-looking canine and would likely not be targeted so long, she did nothing too uncharacteristic for a good dog such as her.

The first impression is key. I would rather do that on our terms. Besides, don't be such a [redacted]! If anything happens, I will be the one taking the beating.

The doll hopped down the kart and proceeded to free Ember before they went inside the shop, the doll confidently leading the way as the shop manager stared them down all the way to his counter.

"Good Evening, Sir." The doll said, using illusion magic to produce the imaginary sounds and manipulate the appearance of her ever-smiling face. A skill Ember had wanted for herself, although her system assistant advised against it. She looked like a perfectly normal dog but talking would be a dead giveaway she wasn't. Hence she let the doll do the talking:

"Would you be so kind as to help me fill my kart outside with dog food for my furry companion? I would pay you handsomely for customer service, and I would like to bet gone before the angry mob outside decide to torch me or something." The doll pulled out some money from her doll-sized sleeves to back up her claims and shook her hand in the man's direction to encourage him to hurry up.

'Don't forget about the toy. My owner always used to buy one whenever we came here.' Ember reminded her companion because she wanted a new one and marginally thought it might help the doll act more human.

Sure, boss. Please remind me before I spout out that we are on the clock next time. I don't like to play the part of the air-headed doll more than necessary.

"Oh! And before I forget! Would you be so kind as to advise me about some toys? I would like to keep my companion entertained, but most human-sized toys are too big and heavy for little me. So I would like for something a bit less challenging?"

It took some time for the man to pull out of his daze, but in the end, while a potentially hostile Outsider, the doll meant no harm to him and was a paying customer.

"It would be my pleasure," the man said, looking greedily at the insane amount of money the doll at pull out for what amounted to essential grocery shopping, "How about we discuss it while loading your kart? I'm sure we can find some that fit the bills."

It was, of course, something the doll had done on purpose. She wanted to play the part of the candid harmless doll, and letting the merchant scam her was all part of the plan. If anything, it made the man amenable, and it was with a big smile on its stupid face that he helped the doll and Ember load the kart while onlookers did not know what to think about it.

That what when the police barged in, sirens wailing. And Ember cringed.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It's okay. That's the second-best outcome we could have hoped for.

The system tried to reassure her, and so she asked: 'How so?'

Police officers are tied to strict regulations. They must lead by example, so they should not do anything too harsh. At least, I hope so. We are going to let them arrest us. Any sign of resistance would be read as hostile, and that's precisely what we want to avoid.

'If you get yourself 'killed,' I'm going to curse you,' Ember warned. 'I worked hard to help you mend this body back, and I don't want to do it again anytime soon.'

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now be a good girl and stop growling at the policemen.

The doll raised her hands as the police officers kept approaching, guns aimed at her face. Not that it made any difference, as the doll had no brain. "My dog and I mean no harm. We lived quietly among you for weeks, and we just came here to resupply."

"On your knees! Hands behind your head! Do it slowly, or I'll shoot." The officer shouted as another policeman approached Ember to take hold of her harness.

So the doll did precisely that while Ember was led to the back of a car and right inside a cage.

'Crap. Not again!' She whined.

Don't be such a crybaby! They probably forgot about you the moment you got in.

'Still... C'mon! Why the hell do you get the backseat treatment while I get the smelly cage?' She barked.

"Tell your funking dog to shut the hell up!" The cop on the passenger front seat ordered.

Wanna trade? They freaking tied me up with an electric cable and tossed me face-first!

"Her name is Ember, and she understood you perfectly." The doll retorted.

"If you say so," The man replied, eyebrows raised before he shrugged and turned back to watch ahead as the car started moving.

★☆★

Her system had been right, and they did forget about her existence as soon as her cage had been transferred inside the police headquarters. Although it didn't prevent her from eavesdropping through her link with her system companion:

"You are here because you are an Outsider," The officer stated. "The Feds made directives to treat you as a clandestine immigrant until proven otherwise. This interview is to determine if we should consider you a valuable trade partner, a refugee, or a criminal to be tried by our legal system. Everything you said in this room will feed our investigation against you, and if proven unreliable, you will immediately fall under the third category. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. State your name and business."

"I don't have one, and I was here to buy food for my dog."

"You don't have a name. Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, Sir."

"We found money on you, and the testimonies back your claims. Where does the money come from?"

"It came from a cookie jar back in Ember's former owner's house."

"My colleagues reported that Ember is the dog's name, is that right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Do you know the current whereabouts of Ember's owner?"

"I don't know, Sir. She is dead, and her body was taken away."

"Are you responsible for her death?"

"No, Sir."

"Then, what is your relationship with the dog?"

"We met as she searched for her owner at the place of her death."

"And when and where was that?"

"It was at the elementary school a few days ago."

"I see. And what were you doing there?"

"I was born there."

"Could you please elaborate?"

"Yes, Sir. I was born in the aftermath of the massacre. My soul refused to pass away and latch to the closest thing to a human body: THIS body. And I inherited the grieves and recent memories of all those who died there. Hence I recognized the dog from the moment we met."

"So you can tell me the circumstances of their death and who their killer was?"

"According to my system, it was an air elemental. It used air slash to make them bleed. Then he asphyxiated those kids and their teacher as per its signature attack to kill them. They died a slow death, unable to call for help."

"The autopsy was classified information, but you are indeed correct. It's quite a cover-up story you have there. But what proof do we have that you are not the killer?"

"I don't have one, Sir. Except for the fact that one of the victim's dog chose to trust me against all odds and anyone with access to the system could back up the circumstances of my rebirth, I can't possibly prove I did not do it or give you an alibi for something that happened before I was reborn. Although I must confess my every intention to commit a murder soon as this wind elemental had a summoner controlling it, and the system gave me a second wind, figuratively and literally, solely so I could track and exact vengeance on those monsters."

"So you claim that you are innocent; born to this world; and that the purpose for your existence is to remove a threat that doesn't belong to this world, as well as whoever is responsible for inviting them here. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You also recognized that you fraudulently acquired money that belonged to one victim of the aforementioned murders and planned to use that money to buy food for the dog of said victim. Is that also correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You also claimed that you had memories of victims from mass murder, that you awakened on the crime scene, making you a de facto witness, and yet choose to enact your own sense of justice instead of reporting to the proper authority. Do you confirm?

"Yes, Sir."

"Therefore, should you be proven innocent of said murders, you will be charged for trespassing, stealing, and attempt laundering of stolen goods. Given the amount stolen, the extenuating circumstances, that it was a first offense, and that any court would judge a newborn innocent of said crimes, you should receive a small fine. That is if whoever stands to inherit the house and money decides to press charges. Since you can't possibly have capital acquired legally to pay for it, you might have to pay with community services.

The dog, aka Ember, will stay under our care until whoever stands to inherit from her owner decides if they want to adopt her or let you adopt her, should you be proven innocent. In case no one stands to inherit, we would entrust to the local animal care association to decide whether you are suitable to adopt her legally. Although I think that should be mere formalities since my wife is leading the committee.

We will try to accommodate you for the duration of your stay, which we hope will be short and swift. Since you are still an outsider, we hope this rather harsh treatment will not deter you from becoming a productive community citizen should you be proven innocent. Also, considering your unique circumstances and mindset, I would gladly recommend you for the police academy. Thanks for your cooperation. "

She heard a chair being rattled and the door being slammed before the doll was left alone inside the interrogation. It was not like she could escape, as the doll had been solidly tied to her chair.

'Are you still sure we are going to be okay?' Ember asked her companion, doubtful that this outcome was any better than whatever her assistant had in mind.

I'm not gonna lie: it didn't occur to me that they could claim that the air elemental and I could be one and the same. But I guess it makes sense to anyone without intimate knowledge of the system. (rolling eyes)

Also did not occur to me that me seemingly providing for you using your late owner's money was anything illegal (rolling eyes).

But I'm also sure that my current "accommodation" is breaking several "human rights" that they don't expect me to use as leverage later on to cheat their legal system.

So I guess we are still faring okay. It's damn uncomfortable, but we would live. Trust me on it: We are going to do great in no time.