NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: Chapter 11
[author] +15 Chapters on https://www.patreon.com/c/invayne + 5 more free chapters on fore-lore.org[/author]
"A Ceiling I don't recognize…" Ivy blinked her eyes a few times as she looked up at the thatch roof with log cross beams. Her head felt much clearer, and she could now move on her own free will. The issue was…
[World Merger Initiating...]
[Demon Slayer Dimension will begin merging in 2 days, 3 hours, 1 minute, 56 seconds. ]
[Pokemon Soul System Updated…]
[User]: Ivy Banks
[Age]: 16
[Level]: 5
[Health]: 100/100
[Soul Power]: 100/100
[Breathing Technique]: Soul Breathing
[Forms]
First Form: Echo Slash
'Breathing Technique?' Ivy was confused and reached out and pressed the little question mark at the side.
'Breathing Technique Soul Breathing. It improves my physical endurance and reflexes as well as my precision during battle. Aligning my actions with my pokemon-like instincts? Making them more fluid and adaptive… But I'm not a pokemon?' Ivy was very confused. Unable to understand what it meant, Ivy moved to the next section of her menu. 'First Form: Echo Slash… It's a rapid, precise strike that mimics the sharpness and intensity of an electric current. What is all of this… I now have a menu that has my name and age on it. A thing that says my health and something called soul power. I don't even know what it means to be level 5.'
"Ivy!" The door swung open, and Ellee, who was holding a bowl of water and a towel, eyes began to well up with tears as she rushed to her master's side. "You're finally awake. I thought you would never wake up again!
"Ellee… Sorry… and thank you." Ivy knew Ellee had gone through a lot. She remembered some of what happened. She knew Ellee had done everything she could to bring her out of that cave. She could have abandoned her. She could have just killed her, but Ellee stuck by her side, protected her and brought her out.
Ellee put the bowl down and hugged Ivy. She was glad. She was glad that Ivy finally woke up. She had been scared. She thought she would lose her place again. To her, Ivy had become not only her master but also her pack leader. She had come to this realization as she watched Ivy sleep. She had no idea exactly when it started that her thoughts had changed. She had given Ivy an ultimatum to get stronger if she wished to not die. But after seeing the girl suffer and bearing with it to the point that she had collapsed, her thoughts began to change. She stopped calling her master and began calling her Ivy. This was a form of acceptance.
"I'm just glad you're awake…" Ellee squeezed Ivy a little tighter before letting her go. "I was able to find a village, and the people here let us use this abandoned house. We can stay here until we figure out exactly what is going on. What… did we actually release onto this world?"
"I am not sure exactly. But it seems my Souldex has also changed. Can you see this menu?" Ivy asked as she pointed at the screen in front of her. Ellee blinked a few times at where Ivy was pointing before a blurry, ghostly rectangle began to appear. Slowly, it became less blurry until she could actually see what was written there. She sat next to Ivy and leaned in close to read it. "This is… What does this all mean?"
"I am not sure. The timer at the top has me the most worried. Not to mention the Souldex updated as soon as the timer appeared. Whatever we did has started something that might be irreversible. I don't think even the strongest of pokemon warriors can stop what is to come." Ivy leaned back and closed her eyes. She did not know what to do. She had been the catalyst that started it all, and she dragged Ellee into it. "Ellee, I'm sorry. You would not have suffered or been a part of all of this if not for me."
"It's fine. I chose to stay by your side. And I will continue staying by your side. I feel that even though we have started something grand that will change this world forever, that is as long as we work together, we can overcome everything. I mean, we were able to escape whatever that powerful entity was, right?"
Ivy looked at Ellee's wide grin and smiled. She was right. They did survive. Even if the road ahead was rough, they could survive it all if they stayed together and worked hard to grow stronger together. Ivy reached out and held Ellee's hand, then leaned her head against Ellee's and closed her eyes. "Mmm… together." Ellee closed her eyes as well. She was very tired. She had not slept at all.
As the two girls slept, the world was in an uproar. Earthquakes were happening all over the place. Port cities were being hit with massive waves. Tornadoes were tearing up the land. Storms with great winds, rain, and lightning were taking place all over. It was the apocalypse. But in the village that the two girls were in, the air was calm, as if just this one place was unaffected by the worldwide disasters that were happening. A kind of sanctuary.
As for the being that had been awakened, its voice still rang throughout the cave, calling to be released. The ancient voice echoed through the halls but slowly drowned out before it could reach the exit of the cave.