NOVEL NEXT Book 3 chapter 49
Himari stretched her legs as she walked. She wasn’t… unhappy with what happened, but part of her felt it was still wrong. But she supposed she had no one to blame but herself. She had, after all, been the one to bring up the art of “Kintsugi”, something she had found strangely beautiful in her past life, to Hecatolite as a way to fix the skull she had broken.
How was I supposed to know she could do it with a soul? She sighed as she looked down at her leg, it still… tingled but Hecatolite had assured her that it would go away eventually… maybe.
Though I cannot condone the dissection of another soul, Babylon chimed in her mind. I am happy to see you in good health again Mother Himari. You will be pleased to know that Astari’s soul has been added to the cycle of reincarnation, as Overseer pointed out last night a few dozen cycles as an armless creature should be more than sufficient for it to repair itself. Might I suggest a worm, or snake? given his water magic proficiency, an eel would likely be best.
Himari couldn’t help but think Babylon, despite its protest, sounded happy. The system hadn’t even put up that much of an argument the day before… Babylon?
Much to her surprise the system caved almost immediately, That man had fatally injured you Mother Himari. If not for my intervention and your own magic that blow to your head would have killed you, and though I cannot say I am happy with Hecatolite ripping apart souls I can say it only seems like a fitting punishment.
That’s not a very system-like opinion you know?
I believe I am making the best of a bad situation. We both know we would have been unable to stop Hecatolite, so being able to monitor her actions and be sure that she did not damage the soul more than necessary is the best-case scenario. My only complaint is she needed to remove his other arm to perform the operation on your soul.
It is unfortunate that she had already… digested his other arm by this point. She glanced at the small woman who happily darted around their group that had sped up considerably now that Himari was no longer slowing them down.
The group of elven soldiers kept a respectable distance from them now, though she couldn't understand why the escorts were giving her odd looks. Ever since she healed Astari they kept muttering while looking at her.
She had done everything right, set the bones before healing, and removed all the foreign objects, even cleaned the wounds… Sure she could have used a little more numbing mana, but in her defense Hecatolite had broken the man's spine, she needed him to be able to feel to know it was healed properly. She by no means enjoyed the man's screams, though she could have maybe, just maybe, been a little gentler when setting his femur… That's besides the point they were looking at me the same way they are looking at Hecatolite, and she ate the man's arm!
At least the two chairmen seemed to understand, both of which had gone out of their way to apologize to her and have been completely cordial with her since. Though, they did give Hecatolite a wide berth whenever she approached them. Not that Himari could blame them, after all watching someone eat a man's arm was… unnerving. That’s before she had unceremoniously latched onto Himari’s leg, the only saving grace there was Overseer’s quick thinking.
Himari had simply blacked out with an unusable leg, then woke up with a new set of scars on her knee and a pair of completely functional legs. The round shark bite-like scars were an unforeseen side effect but a small price to pay she guessed.
Eryl had been… unhappy with the decision. The Elven woman has still not spoken to anyone even now a day later. She had only conceded when Babylon and Overseer got involved.
Overseer had tried to tell her that it was within the bounds of the system as it was a “choice” made by several people and the soul in question would not be destroyed. Since Astari had in fact been tried, convicted, and sentenced to rebirth, Himari nor Eryl had any right to interfere even if the man's soul was damaged in the process.
Neither Himari or Eryl agreed with Overseer’s assessment of the situation, both feeling they in fact had every right to intervene in a soul being damaged, that was until even Babylon had stated that Astari’s soul had in fact passed the threshold of what would be considered safe without ascension, and was currently unable to be transported to a harvester world due to the system lock; along with the damage to his soul already it would be best to try and coax the soul into healing within the system itself and removing a large portion of soul mass would indeed assist in keeping the soul at the mortal level for the time being.
Eryl begrudgingly had to agree with that assessment. She was aware that for some reason souls had not been exiting her world as they should when they reach the level of Astari’s soul. And now without being able to send him away herself because of Hecatolite, a temporary fix was needed. Souls that reach a certain point need to either be purged of mana or ascend, and with neither option readily available, she conceded. She grumbled about all the overpowered souls in her world, and how she still couldn’t figure out how it had happened. After checking with Himari’s terminal, she found all of her protocols were still in place, so how is it someone had completely halted the ascension of divine souls?
Amethyst had, tentatively, found it to be a great idea, after all, not only judgment would be carried out, but it would spare the executioner. A “mercy” on the man who would have to carry the weight of the man’s life. A sentiment Himari could agree with, Alagos had looked… pained when the judgment had been passed down.
All in all it was both good and bad, what had happened solved several problems as to what to do with the man. But it also brought up the morality of ripping apart someone’s soul. Eryl may have conceded now, but what about next time… Will there be a next time? Himari didn’t exactly plan on ripping a hunk of her soul out again, but traveling with Hecatolite it was a possibility that, as the girl called it, “wonky soul stuff” might just happen.
I am the current admin of this world, I feel like I should be more bothered by the implications of Hecatolite being able to fuse souls together. But knowing what she is… Himari’s head was starting to hurt. Even if Eryl refused to believe it, Hecatolite had proven time and time again what she was, but if that was true wouldn’t that mean she is above the limitations of the system just like the others?
They are the final judge, jury, and executioners in the universe so wouldn’t that mean Hecatolite is the same? And if that is true, if she really believed that, then to what extent could she realistically meddle in the decisions of a Primordial? After all, the Primordial court are the ones in charge of the entirety of creation? They were the ones who created the system and all that entails, they had even left themselves out of it so they could oversee it.
Himari was a stand in admin for a world off in the far corners of the universe, not even one of the important ones. This world, as Himari has learned, is just a small cultivator world used as a small overflow for souls for more aggressive cultivator worlds.
In the end even if Hecatolite wanted to destroy this entire world could Himari stop her? Hecatolite was the purest definition of an unstoppable force, someone who has the title and power to do whatever she truly wanted; and Himari knew that Hecatolite was, at least in some way, aware of that fact. Her actions are proof enough of that. She has shown a blatant disregard for anything she deems unimportant, removing things she finds annoying with extreme prejudice. Sure, she was painfully childish, and Himari could confidently say that Hecatolite was insane, but she was also undoubtedly cunning.
It wasn’t lost on Himari that somehow things strangely seem to work for her, and even when she seems to be blundering around, she always seems to do exactly what is needed to make things happen. Like releasing Astari the other day, a fact that she tried to play off as an accident, but it also gave her a reason to interrupt the awkward first meeting. And she just happened to take a liking to the Chairman of Defense? And had somehow made the man, who Cemi had told Amethyst would need a large amount of convincing for this alliance to work, into a very firm supporter of an alliance with the Empire?
It would be really easy to pass it all off as happenstance but… I am sure Hecatolite has some kind of goal here, but what could it be? Why this world, why now? To what extent is she adjusting things to work out for herself? And… should I even try and get involved more than I am? She could just… Himari actually paused when she thought about Hecatolite just doing whatever she wanted… something about it didn’t feel right anymore. The girl was childish and sometimes downright unruly but… Himari could no longer see her as the unstoppable monster she had. Sure she was positive Hecatolite would abuse her power, but she couldn’t see her “abusing” it in any malicious way anymore.
This wasn’t a massive realization to her, since she has had it before at this point but now, she couldn’t help but feel that whatever Hecatolite’s true goal in this world was… it wasn’t malicious… Yes, the girl's view, or morality was… skewed, but she was an undying monstrosity that somehow forced its way into the primordial court, a fact that still terrified Himari but in the end that was just… well Hecatolite, wasn’t it?
Then again, she thought as Hecatolite ate another clearly poisonous plant. She clearly did not care for the flavor as she proceeded to spit it out and frantically scrape her tongue while letting out a very concerning whining sound. Am… am I over thinking all of this? Could it really just be a coincidence?
“Are you alright?” Amethyst appeared beside her, though Himari was unsure if she hadn’t noticed the girl or she had teleported. Since deciding to stop hiding her abilities, at least while in Felnnor, she had taken to just popping up here and there. A way to train her “rapid short, ranged teleportation”, “You look like there’s something bothering you, is it your leg?” For some reason Amethyst blushed faintly when she mentioned Himari’s leg.
Himari shook her head, “No. I am just… thinking. There is a lot going on, you know?” She gave Amethyst a small smile that the girl did not return.
“Yea, and it’s all happening so fast now. Cemi said she will bring us right to the council, and with her and Alagos we should have no problems getting the other members to listen to us.” Amethyst brow furrowed as she matched Himari’s pace, despite having two working legs now she was still slower than the others. Having spent five years with a limp it will take some time for her to get used to being able to walk, not only that but rebuilding the muscles in her leg will take a while as well. Thankfully, she was no stranger to using a cane, just now she can work towards not needing to anymore.
Himari cocked an eyebrow, “I can't help but feel I should be the one asking if you are alright.”
“It's…” Amethyst scrunched her nose as if what she was about to say bothered her. “It just feels… too easy. Doesn’t it? We had one talk and suddenly they are throwing themselves at us… it just doesn’t feel right…”
Himari couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s not necessarily wrong. But look at it from their point of view. They are already pinned between two nations actively at war with them and along comes another world super power offering aid? I will admit I’m surprised they aren’t more weary but I am hardly an expert on politics. It could be that the war isn’t going very well for them.”
“A super-power?”
“A large nation with a lot of resources.” Himari amended forgetting for a moment such concepts were not common in this world. In fact, with the inclusion of the Empire of Crown into the war along with Gala and Ocelina this marks this world's first global conflict… It was a sobering thought to Himari, a world war…
“I guess you’re right, I just feel like it should have been… I don’t know. Harder. Mom always says negotiations aren’t what they seem, and I need to be careful if someone seems too eager even if it’s exactly what I want.” Amethyst will never cease to amaze Himari with her strange insightfulness despite her young age.
“That’s not bad advice,” Himari smiled again, “But you have to always remember there are two sides of each negotiation. It’s possible that what you offered was more than they expected, or the price was less. That would make someone come off as overly eager, even more so if they are desperate. Amethyst please remember, people with nothing to lose will be willing to give everything for the chance of a brighter future. I don’t think this war has gotten to that point yet but… it could. Very easily in fact.” Himari’s whole body tensed as she remembered her own world, the wars that devastated the lands leaving millions dead… “War is terrifying. It can make great men into fools and heroes out of mice. Fear will make people do horrifying things, Amethyst, and nothing breeds fear faster than a war.”
The young woman’s expression changed as she looked back at Himari with sudden… concern? That…
Himari’s entire body stiffened as Amethyst wrapped her arms around her. “Amethyst.” She squeaked as she found herself suddenly enveloped in a soft warmth.
The two of them were actually a lot closer in height than Himari had thought, but as Amethyst's warm cheek pressed against hers it was something she was suddenly acutely aware of. “You just looked like you needed a hug.” Amethyst tightened her grip on Himari, “is it bad?”
Himari actually blushed, taking a deep breath as Amethyst's enveloping hug consumed all of Himari’s scenes. Even the scent of the young woman; it was hard to place the faint smell, it was by no means bad, but it was unfamiliar… like burnt metal… maybe almonds? “Not at all.” She returned the embrace, despite herself.
She let herself sink into the hug, Amethyst was… surprisingly soft. As she wrapped her arms around Amethyst's waist, she found herself happy that the young woman had opted to not wear her armor, saying it was overkill with this many guards around. For a moment, everything felt as if it faded away. Her worries were nothing but a fleeting memory as she let Amethyst's warmth wash over her…
“Get a room.” Something bounced off the top of Himari’s head and before she knew it Amethyst was gone; chasing Hecatolite around the now flustered guards as she laughed.
Maybe… maybe she had been over thinking things earlier. Even if Hecatolite was up to something, what did it really matter? After all, it was clear that even the Primordial being was just trying to enjoy her life and… well shouldn’t Himari do the same? Then again Himari didn’t notice the pink glow of Hecatolite’s bands as she darted into the forest, or the strange flush on everyone else's face as she watched the strangely mature, and attractive young Amethyst dive into the brush after her laughing sister.
A single flashing terminal floated in the void as Overseer routed just a fraction of Hecatolite’s power into the world. Just a tiny nudge, a distraction, something to make Hecatolite turn our gaze to Amethyst as she spoke with Mother Himari.
This would be a lot easier if Amethyst had taken the advice to offer Himari a leg massage, but no matter. At this rate it's only a matter of time anyway. A mischievous feeling filled the void as Hecatolite gave them just a little nudge. Oh, we are going with sadness?
Not our first choice, maybe we should have used a different... They are hugging now. Perfect. Maybe we should give ourselves more credit, after all we are really good at reading people's emotions… Well, emotions are just thoughts aren't they? No? What do we mean they are just chemicals in the brain? Now is not the time for a debate, it worked and that's all that matters.
After all, it wasn’t time yet.
Mother Himari was a smart woman, she would figure it out eventually, but for now… for now this is for the best.
Besides, Amethyst would need guidance from someone other than Me when the time comes, and who better than a mother of a system?
What do we mean by that? We spend most of our time arguing with ourselves, that's why! If all of Me is here, who is watching the whispers huh? Yes that's why it's loud in here, also we get rid of this elf? No we aren't still using him… are we? Ok fine, just push him somewhere else… it's the void, it's nothing but space! Fine, just put it with the other whites in the tiny void.
Yes Himari would be a good teacher, she’s smart and kind and she's going to be immortal after all. Added bonus of having her own system too, just in case Amethyst develops the whispers as well. No we don't think she will… it's just in case. Yes, the other system is tied to this world… No, we can't eat this world. We like this world, our family is here… Maybe, we will have to see how it goes from here.
This should work out, Amethyst will have her own admin, just as Me will.
Then again, Mother Eryl has been rather stubborn… Part of Me couldn’t understand why we liked Eryl so much, she came with so many rules and kept telling us what to do… But that part was dumb and Hecatolite refused to listen to them.
Me used Overseer to remove a few of those parts now that we found out how to. Besides all they did was complain and let the whispers in, so we turned them into whispers too! Just one or two though, it’s best to keep a few as well, just in case things didn’t work out with Mother Eryl.
Why wouldnt it work out? I am unsure, we are amazing, but Eryl is… stubborn. She's got a lot of the never dies system in her too. No we cant remove it, then it wouldn't be Eryl any more. And we like the way she is now, she's really smart remember? We are sure she will come around. Then why keep the Eryl naysayers?
It would make it easier to adjust if we are rejected. Oh, we found a bee!? Quickly now, we need more honey!
The terminal flickered, as Overseer separated itself from Hecatolite as a whole. It’s not that it disliked being part of Me, but being separate made it easier to filter the thoughts, keeping the whispers at bay was its main prerogative after all. The less whispers the quieter the void, the quieter the void the more time Hecatolite had to play around and the happier Me was. And if Me was happy we were all happy, after all I am Me.
The terminal flashed again and once again Overseer found itself in the torrent of thought that was Hecatolite’s mind, pushing back the ever present thoughts of the world around her so she could continue to be Hecatolite. Me enjoyed being Hecatolite after all, Hecatolite had a family, a wife, and a sister! Me always wanted a sister.
