Anyim, slowly clapping his hands together, a broad dazzling white smile on his face as he stood near my Oak Arcanum.
Why did there have to be a three phase boss? My thoughts wailed.
Eshaan stepped forwards, his sword drawn. “What is this? Anyim…?”
Anyim reached up to caress the side of Oak, his eyes trailing over it’s figure lovingly.
“This? This is simply justice. You tried to kill the goddess! And now here she is, restored! Her and all her siblings!” He turned to face us, his face crumpling into a furious snarl. “And I will take justice into my own hands! My ‘brothers’ could not see the truth! But I do!” He raised his hands as though to bestow a benediction.
“Join us! As was foretold!”
“We’d die before we-“ Lakshmi started, only to be interrupted by the Shadows of Eshaan and Soriya.
“Of course, master.” They said in unison. “The spirit of the world commands.”
My eyes widened in shock. They’re not dead?! But Deacon dissolved?! Do they have to enter the same void to do that?!
The Shadows stumbled to their feet and then gave a sigh of… relief, it seemed. And then they simply dissolved into grey mist, floating upwards and into the Oak Arcanum.
My mouth dropped open in shock. “What did you do?!” I demanded.
Anyim laughed. “Surprised, false prophet? Your command over the goddess is superficial! You don’t understand her like I do! You are not the chosen one!”
“Lily, stop gaping and stop him!” Soriya shouted at me.
“R-right!” I reached out and pulled, willing my Arcanum back.
The voice of the World Soul whispered in my ear, telling me bad news that I really wished I was surprised to hear.
“Soriya! I can’t!” I said frantically. “The System won’t let me!”
Anyim laughed hysterically. “Of course the false prophet cannot control the goddess and her kin! Now die for me! Die for the goddess as you should have in the temple!”
Soriya spat a curse that made my ears tingle with embarrassment, then said “Right. The hard way it is.”
We spread out and charged, our roles slipping into natural formation, my spells of protection and encouragement boosting the others as Soirya cast her attack spells, Lakshmi alternated between support and attack, and Daniyel, Camaxtli and Eshaan charged headlong into the fray.
Anyim smiled a cruel and crazed smile, and then called out. “Mighty goddess, shield me from these insects!”
Thick vines burst upwards from the floor, illusory yet with the solidity and substance of reality. The smell of greenery and growth filled the air, and suddenly there was only a wall of green and brown in front of us, blocking us off from Anyim and Oak.
I frowned, suddenly feeling a spike of worry. If this was really a final boss… well, things were never as simple as they appeared! Especially when this was a second stage final boss!
I slapped my forehead in disgust. New fight, new tactics. Of course. I called out to the Arcanum in my mind, reaching for the three new figures. “New friends, who are you? Tell me about yourself!”
Well now that would have been useful. I thought wryly. Lets see if we can get a hand here.
“Wheel, will you speed up the flow of time for my friends and I?”
Whut. I thought in bafflement.
Whut. Wait. “What happens to me and Soriya when the System Integration runs?”
“Because Oak has been corrupted and is under the control of an outside force. Of course.”
Outside my mindspace, the battle continued to rage. Soriya’s blasts of elemental power burned at the wood and greenery, only to be snuffed out by the vibrant life. Blades cut into the wood, which grew back swiftly, even as vine tentacles hurled Eshaan and Camaxtli against the walls.
I bit my lip and threw a healing spell at them. This is not going well! Every bit of damage we deal is almost instantly healed… I felt an urge to slap my forehead again.
Of course. We need to depower Anyim before we can make any progress!
“Arcanum, can I start the process of System integration with just one of you at a time?”
“Yes yes, your powers will be unavailable. Of course. Can’t have the heroine having god like powers on her own.” I grumbled.
“Go! Tower, I need you! Start the merge process!”
I really hope I’m doing this right. I bit my lip and then shrugged. I’ll know soon enough!
The shriek of Anyim from behind the wooden wall a moment later was like a glorious benediction.
“No! What are you doing!? What perversion is this?! You would drain the goddess’s holy power?! This will not stand!”
I didn’t need the visual confirmation, I could feel it like a cancer in my soul. Tendrils of corrupted essence flowed out of Oak, and twisted around the nearby Arcanum, and suddenly my connection with them was like plunging my hand into a sewer. A sewer of blackness, of foul whispers and promises and a sudden memory of my other life. My heart squeezed in pain as I suddenly remembered my other mother, and my family.
What would they think of me now? How could I leave them?!
“Lily! Focus!” Soriya snapped at me, and I shook my head clear of the sudden gush of memories.
I shook my head again to clear it of the last of the haze, and tried to focus on the battle. But it was obvious that this was not the right strategy. Tower was locked away, and Anyim had corrupted another Arcanum!
What am I supposed to do?! The System wants the Arcanum to be installed, so the system administrator can interact with them! If only…
My thoughts stalled as I stared in open mouthed horror as the still open starry black gap that Deacon had vanished into.
If I entered the void, I could interact with Tower. I could call the Arcanum. But I’d be… I’d be…
The plot demanded. It wanted it’s tragic ending. If I was to enter that void, I knew I’d never come out again. Worse, I might become the new system Goddess, and that would just lead to a sequel of doom!
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
I absolutely refuse to play the part of the angsty mad goddess! I refuse to sacrifice myself! That was the whole point of this mad adventure!
I looked around at my friends, so fiercely battling the slowly winning Anyim. They refused to give up! How could I refuse…
Inspiration like a bolt of lightning struck. I’d run through this whole adventure looking for side paths, and most of the time I’d simply wound up doing the expected thing in the least expected way possible. Always trying to dodge the path that the heroes seemed to refuse to look at.
Well. How is this any different?! I asked myself defiantly.
“Everyone! I have an idea! Follow me!” I gestured, and then ran towards the open door to the void. Anyim’s creeping tendrils and corrupted smoke swirled after us, eager to grasp and tear.
“Lily, what’s-“
“I don’t have time to explain! Just… just trust me! Trust in the friendships we have! The bonds we share!”
I feel like a right fool making the classic heroine’s speech, but… well, we were in a JRPG weren’t we?! Wasn’t this supposed to be important?!
“Everyone, grab hands, and jump! Trust in each other, and jump!” I shouted, grabbing at Eshaan’s hand in example. My friends, bless them, only paused a brief second before joining hands. Camaxtli and Lakshmi, and Soriya and Daniyel joined hands first before clasping into a friendship chain, I noted with wry amusement.
And then I leapt for the void, my heart in my throat, Eshaan’s hand warm in mine, hoping that I’d not discovered a brand new way to get a game over.
The cold of the void closed over me, the sounds of the pitched battle we had exiting vanishing as though they had never been. Light and sound and sight all vanished, and I immediately felt as though I was fading, vanishing into nothingness. And yet, I didn’t feel the need to panic. I felt my hand… the hand I couldn’t even see anymore! Still clutching Eshaan’s, and through that grip I could feel the rest of my friends. Soriya’s wry amusement masking her deep pain. Daniyel’s firm solidity and strength. Camaxtli’s continual bemusement and wide eyed wonder. Lakshmi’s boundless curiosity and excitement.
And Eshaan. If I could have blushed, I would have been as red as a tomato. I could say without a doubt that his feelings had ‘reached me’. I didn’t know any other way to put it, but there was truly no doubt about his feelings. It was quite possibly the most intimate experience I’d ever had.
We haven’t even slept together yet, and… and it’s like this?! I wanted to die of embarrassment and marry him right away.
But first… something more important. Saving the world. Nearby, as sense of solidity. Tower. Solid. Unchanging. Quiet and determined. A foundation to start from.
I reached out in the soundless void, and grasped Tower’s ‘hand’.
“I think I’m ready.” I said to her.
I pressed a metaphysical palm against the ‘glass’ that separated me from the real world, the other Arcanum’s now feeling the same as Tower had felt a moment ago, separated and distant.
I’ve got a plan. Lets hope that it carries through. I took a deep breath that failed to fill my lungs, and called out to Forge.
“Forge, I need you. Please join me!” I called to him.
On the other side of the glass, I could feel Anyim’s corruption spread further, infecting another of the Arcanum. I nodded to myself.
As expected. I thought.
My friends and I drifted, feeling each other’s emotions, resting on an island of solidity, of realness that Tower and Forge built.
“Ok System! I’m here! We are here! Your system administrators are here so what do you want?! What is it you need?!”
Through the void, I heard the voice of the ‘goddess’, the voice of the World Soul that had narrated my level ups through my travels. Clearer, and yet just as emotionless and quiet as always.
I swallowed a lump in my throat and squeezed the emotional connection to my friends, praying that I could pull this off. “You’re wrong! The connection you seek is already here! Feel my heart! Feel the emotions that we bring you! Everything you need to know about the world is already here!”
The metaphysical weight of the world hit my soul, and I almost gagged.
What would this have been like with just me?! How could I bear it?! But I didn’t have to! My friends were with me. And each fragment of their soul gave strength to mine, as mine gave strength to them.
And piece by piece, we filled in the gaps, each of us taking a role that the System needed to understand the world it ruled, that it could never touch directly.
Soriya, the knowledge and thirst for wisdom of Grimore, and yet all of us touched that font, guided the seeking touch of the System as it learned.
Eshaan, the fierce power and hunger of Sword, the proud leadership and strength… and yet all of us again, drank from that well, gave to the source to help it understand.
Fragment by fragment, our little fellowship filled in the missing gaps, gave the system what It was missing. And more. We gave the system what it had never had. The touch of humanity. The experience of living life. Of the depth and complexity of a world that went so far beyond simple numbers and power levels and traits… brick by brick, we taught the System what it was to be alive.
And when the System was finally finished… I let go a grip that I’d never realized I held until this moment.
“We’re done. It’s done. You can… you can rest now.” I whispered softly to the Arcanum, and opened my ‘hand’.
And without the faintest hint of a whisper, the Arcanum that held the world outside vanished into a mist. Tower and Grimoire and Oak and all the rest. And I could feel the corrupted Arcanum outside, gripped by Anyim’s madness simply… cease to be. Tower and Forge faded away around me, and instead I could feel the solidity of Daniyel. The firm truth of things that Soriya granted, the understanding that Camaxtli’s journey had granted him.
A soft smile crossed my face as I thought of Anyim’s panicked shrieks and the demands he must be making to suddenly empty walls.
I guess the world is going to need to study the new System. But maybe that’s no bad thing. I thought.
Outside, there was probably chaos, but not nearly as much as there must have been when the System first came online.
I waited, but there was nothing more. I took another deep breath of nothingness and nodded. “Ok everyone.” I ‘said’ to my friends through our connection.
“Now for the fun part. Everyone, remember how Forge made our boardgames? We’re going to make ourselves bodies, back in the physical world.”
The echoes of shock and confusion, followed immediately by the soothing knowledge of Soriya, of Camaxtli and Lakshmi and the attentive voice of the System, still waiting for the System Administrator.
This could get really addictive. Provided it works. I’m… going to need to log us all out, or we really will end up with a bad end! I thought.
Flesh and blood, bone and sinew, and with hardly a ripple at all, six brand new people popped into existence.
I took a deep breath and felt the air rush through my lungs, and let out a laugh of relief, quickly echoed by all of us.
Ok System… now… log us out. Log us all out. I ‘pushed’ my thought at the System, and with a faint feeling of mental suction suddenly… I was just Lilyanna of Breezewood again.
Six Months Later
For Real, This Time
The winter festival was in full swing in Breezewood, and the cold brought a bright glow to everyone’s cheeks. Or perhaps I’d just underestimated how much of a kick Soriya’s Sparklewine held.
I smiled up at Eshaan, and squeezed his hand, my heart thudding in my chest.
“Ready?” I asked him.
He nodded, and I could see his own embarrassment and nervous energy boiling in him.
“Ready.” His voice almost squeaked and I squeezed his hand.
We approached the town, our shoes crunching through the fresh snow, our breath pluming white in the air. Lakshmi waved to us excitedly from the lakeshore, her brilliant crimson coat standing out against the white and blue. Camaxtli steadied her as she almost tipped into the water with the force of her excitement. Behind her, the Sparrowhawk IV bobbed gently against the dock.
We hurried over to meet her before she could fall into the lake for real.
The festival roiled and bobbed around us.
“I didn’t think you’d make it!” I said, giving Lakshmi a firm hug.
Lakshmi put her hands on her hips and gave me an affronted stare. “As if?! The Great Air Pirate Lakshmi Maung would never miss one of her crew’s weddings!”
I blushed and looked down at the ground, then back up at her. “You’re right. How could I doubt the great Air Pirate.”
Eshaan grinned at her with his usual energy. “Did you ever manage to track down the author who’s writing all those novels about you?”
Lakshmi scowled. “No! Blasted scallywag is good at hiding! But never fear! I’ll get my royalties yet!”
Camaxtli smiled quietly, and nodded to us. “We have made progress. I suspect that the captain does not truly wish to find the author, however.”
“Lies!” Lakshmi swung around and glared at Camaxtli. “Why would I do that! Don’t answer that!” She said as Camaxtli started to open his mouth.
Camaxtli turned to me. “As you can see, my study of humanity continues. Why you would demand an answer and then demand not to hear it… a great mystery.”
“Will you return to the Jubilee?” I asked curiously.
“In time. I am still coming to grips with the fact that our little adventure has given me a spirit of my own.” He placed his hand on his chest.
“You can say ‘soul’, you know.” Lakshmi grumbled.
“I could, but I am not yet convinced that is the correct word. Research continues.”
Before the two could start arguing again, Soriya found us. Daniyel was gripped tightly by his arm, and she looked radiant.
I gave her a hug and looked at her. Her dress was a glowing white, with faint blue and purple accents, and she looked every bit the bride.
I smiled at her. “You look wonderful. Never thought I’d see you in white though.”
Soriya blushed and hugged me back. “You hush, you’ll get plenty of experience soon enough.”
This time it was my turn to blush. “But I already wear white.” I demurred.
My friends laughed, but I couldn’t mistake how Eshaan’s hand tightened in mine.
“No word from the Empire?” I said to Lakshmi.
She shook her head. “No. My father just… vanished when Deacon did. My brother is doing a perfectly acceptable job, and when the war fell apart after the Church completely collapsed… well. I think I’m better off far far away from the throne. Plus, the changes to the System have thrown everything into turmoil. He’s far too busy.”
“Does he know you can cast magic?”
Lakshmi scowled. “No. And if you mention it to him, I will murder you!”
I giggled. “When would I ever meet the emperor?!” I protested. “I’m just a simple village girl.” I wagged my finger in her face. “And I’ll murder you if you mention otherwise.” I said teasingly.
“Hah! The great Lakshmi never backs down from a threat!”
Whatever else she might have added was drowned out by the sudden surge of music from nearby.
“Looks like they’re calling you.” I said to Soriya, giving her a quick hug. “Lets go have a small adventure.”
Eshaan laughed. “Like you could do small.”
“Well… maybe I’ll try it. Just this once.” I said to him, and linked my arm in his.
Our little group headed to Soriya’s wedding, and what I dearly did hope would be a small adventure.
I looked up fondly at Eshaan and smiled softly. Though… I wouldn’t mind a bigger adventure with him. Things didn’t turn out how I expected… but I guess that’s life.