Chapter 7 - Little Girl

“Are You ready?” Syl asked Kai as he fidgeted on her couch, in her living room, in her cottage.

During his many long visits to the void Syl had worked wonders on what he now knew was a metaphysical representation of soul, building herself a beautiful lake house.

You would of thought the idea of someone literately setting up house inside your soul, your personal domain, manipulating the very landscape on a whim would be disturbing.

But he had a feeling this place was no longer his own, especially the home, the couch, Syl had even changed the bed. He had suggested separate rooms, personal spaces, Syl had shrugged and calmly explained to him that everything there was his personal space and he didn’t need more.

“There’s is not much else we can do here. No essence in the void to work with. Just big, creepy fuck off monsters.” Kai said, his knee bouncing as he talked.

“They weren’t that bad, most of them were just trying to see what you were. Some were even saying hi.”

Kai shuddered at the memories, “the only reason I am not void meat right now is because there was nothing for them too eat, and when they tried to consume my soul the system rebuffed them.”

“I remember the shaking, and I’m not sure it was the System itself. Probably one of our baby sitters.”

He had no idea how long it took, he had lost track of how many times Syl had to come rescue him. Each time she pulled him back she seemed to be one state of undress or another, he didn’t know if he looked forward to the times she recovered him or if he dreaded it.

By the time he was starting to drag himself back on his own Syl had grown bored of teasing him and she had moved onto landscaping and property development.

When he could finally come and go as he pleased Syl had moved onto interior design.

When he was finally comfortable with spending time in the void, adapting to concepts far beyond mortal minds, beings beyond mortal conception came to visit.

It was jarring to discover the place you had just about come to understand. A place that had no concept of time, no concept of space, no concept of just about anything had a very strong concept of lovecraftian horror.

Syl had agreed with him when he had emphatically insisted they spend more time together from then on.

However he had not expected most of their time together lying on his back trying to catch his breath as Syl had repeatably laid him out flat time after time.

Syl had insist their time be used constructively, and that had meant day after day of here kicking his ass.

He wanted to work on his build, figure out what skills to work towards and what skills to avoid. He had asked Syl about all the ways he had apparently exploited the system and had been disappointed to find out she had little to no advice on the subject.

It was apparently something he needed to figure out on his own. He was a different person now, what worked once may not work a second time.

That and what he had and hadn’t done in the tutorials was one of the things she had given up, or had taken away, she wasn't quite certain which it was anymore. Syl could remember the things he done, but she couldn't quite remember how exactly he did those things.

It was a weird distinction. Like getting drunk and walking home, in the morning you know you got home, but don’t know how exactly you managed it.

She had humoured him as he tried to tease information from what she did recall. But the more they talked the more distant Syl had become as the gaps in her memory grew more evident.

He had tried to reassure her that it was natural to forget. Especially when the things you were trying to recall happened years, or decades even centuries ago.

Syl had retired earlier that day and he’d given her the space she needed to figure things out.

The next time she appeared Syl was wearing combat gear, said something about him getting use to fighting life and death, then proceeded to kick his metaphysical ass.

Syl had insisted she had no combat skills, never needed them as a system authority, but she never held herself back as she worked her way through one conjured weapon after another.

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He had used the time to feel things out, to work on his own ability to create metaphysical objects, on his ability to not get beaten black and blue.

In time, after possibly hundreds of beatings, he was able to sense Syl just before she pounced on him, able to switch from defence to attack and back again as needed.

He was even getting use to conjuring his own gear, switching from one weapon to the next as Syl own weapons tore his apart in seconds despite how much he worked on his constructs durability.

But never once had he beaten Syl, he had come close once or twice but whenever it came down to it Syl would suddenly speed up, react faster and hit much harder.

His inability take her down infuriated Syl. She insisted he was holding himself back. He didn’t agree but he had learned trying to argue that fact meant Syl next attack wouldn't just put him on his back, she would tear him apart piece by piece.

It was probably around about the hundredth time Syl had taken his head off both verbally and physically that he received a mandatory notification as he was waiting for his metaphysical neck to reconnect with his metaphysical body.

Your connection to integrating world Alea has been approved.

The world is ready and waiting for you.

You have 24 hours to prepare.

All of a sudden he had to apply the concept of time back to their day to day, and after what could have weeks or even months, time caught up to him all at once.

Syl taken the time they had left to brief him on Alea, but that brief had turned out to be just that, brief.

Alea was much like Earth, oceans, landmasses, the works. Except Alea had an abundance in eather and an abundance of eather meant an abundance of magic. That magic meant the sapient life Alea was far more varied.

It was around then that he had made the mistake of saying Alea sounded like stereotypical high fantasy world and Syl had decided he could figure things out on his own.

He had tried probing for more information but Syl had just shut him down.

So he sat on her couch with just five minuets and counting.

“Remember what we practised?” Syl asked him.

“I cant believe you had me do that for an hour,” Kai said, doing his best to avoid the memory.

“Eh, cant access any of earths media anymore, had to entertain myself somehow.”

“Anything else?” he said, still trying forget possibly the worst hour of his life.

“Oh yeah, tons, but times ticking.” Syl said as she curled back into her own giant personal plush white leather Bob chair. “You’ve had time to adjust to your new form, but that was here. Your new body might set you back again so be prepared for that. However it is System provided so it could just be perfect for you.

So as long as you understand you might have to count your fingers or toes you should be fine. But I promise you, if you come out purple, unable to breathe, I’m not smacking you on the ass until you cry,” Syl finished his lecture with a grin. “You have to beg for that.”

Kais knee stopped shaking, his brain had just overloaded with possibilities he couldn't quite comprehend.

“What were the possible scenarios again?” she asked.

“Monsters, people. Wilderness, civilisation. Commoners, officials and nobility?”

“And your response to all of those?”

“Behave.” Kai said boiling it all down.

“And if that doesn't work?”

“Don’t panic?”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Runaway like a little a little…”

“Say it.”

“I don’t know whats worse, the fact that you think I run like a little girl or the fact that its socially acceptable to boil things down to gender stereotypes.”

“Woke.”

“Weirdo.”

“From my point of view running like a little girl is the superior option. Besides you need to remember in the multiverse it all boils down to power. If they are weaker than you, which lets be honest no one is right now, you show them respect. But If they are the same power level as you?”

“I still show them respect?” he said, hoping it was the right answer.

“And what if they are more powerful than you?”

“I definitely show them respect,” he said once again hoping the answer would stick a second time.

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“I run like a very, very fast athletic little girl.”

“Oh please little girls outrun little boys all over the multiverse. They only slow down to protect the little boy ego’s. But if you happen to run away like a little boy and cant get away?”

“I beg you for help?”

Syl just nodded.

“Why do I feel like you’ve got me whipped when it comes to our relationship,” he said still not entirely knowing what their relationship was exactly.

“Oh you love it.” Syl said as she manifested a tea cup to hide behind.

“Are you going to let me in on your plan?”

“I haven't actually settled on a plan, I have concepts of a plan, but there so many possibilities. It all depends on what I can do. I’m still figuring things out… I might be able to show myself, I might not. But I’m going to do my best not to interfere.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. from the moment you appeared in my life you’ve done nothing but interfere.”

Syl just levelled a look on him.

“I’m not complaining.” Kai said hoping she wouldn’t tear his head off again.

Syl looked of into the distance. “Times up. You ready?

“Fuck no.”

You are leaving the void.

System protection is about to expire.

Warning: System protection will not be restored if you decide to return to the void in the future.

Achievements upgraded:Abyssal Visitor has become Abyssal Walker.

Trait expired:System protected.

Awarding System Compensation.Sufficient energy found to improve System Compensation.Compensation improved to Greater Compensation.

Again? just how much energy did he have left. He thought he had burnt the last of it on his race change, apparent not.

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Despite the best laid plans of Syl the System Guide he found himself flat on his face.

An almighty crack resounding throughout the chamber he found himself in.

Getting up to his knees he pulled up his very loose pants and tightened his belt as much as he could.

This was not at all what they had practised. But at least he remembered to pull his pants up before the room full of people got an eyeful of his fresh high-human junk. That hour of embarrassment wasn't a complete waste.

System event in progress.

Please await the outcome of system event.