TENNOS LITERALL DECENT INTO MARVAL (A/U)

Looking at the reward I got for choosing the black ink option, I couldn't help but be amazed. Unlike the other schools, which had all kinds of branching paths, this one had only five. I couldn't see what they were, but that didn't stop me from unlocking the center-most middle one.

[[Intangibility]]

You become intangible for 10 seconds. Physical attacks cannot harm you, nor can you harm others while this ability is active. Energy spent will have a 70% return.

After rereading the description, I was impressed. Sure, I already had abilities like this, but this one didn't seem to cost energy—at least, not that I could tell. The only thing that irritated me was that I couldn't unlock more, but I had time. My irritation wasn't that high.

Opening my eyes, I let myself fall onto my pillow, enjoying the comfort it gave me. But then, a problem crept into my mind.

What am I going to do now?

Lying there, the thought echoed in my head. Sure, my main objective was to replenish our numbers, but without a system to protect or challenges to face, I was bored—extremely bored. At the same time, I'd never felt so free. But that brought me back to my dilemma: what do I do in the meantime?

Groaning, I got off my bed and made my way to the door. Instead of opening it, I used my new ability to phase through, stepping outside. After wandering for a while, I found Gamora sitting by herself, her gaze distant.

I sat down nearby, closed my eyes, and leaned back, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. Then, Gamora spoke, breaking the silence.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, her tone tired.

The question caught me off guard. As far as I knew, I hadn't done anything since arriving here.

"Umm… what do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"This," she said, tapping her arm. A small hologram projected outward, showing me surrounded by a pile of dead bodies. Below the image was a bounty notice with my name plastered across it.

Seeing the hologram, I was shocked. I'd barely even been there!

"Would you believe me if I said I was in the wrong place at the wrong time?" I asked, chuckling nervously.

She gave me a deadpan look, as if I were stupid.

"No. But now there's a bounty on your head, so I'd watch your back if I were you."

"Well then," I said with mock indignation, "why'd you guys bring me along if I'm so dangerous?" I even used air quotes, which earned me an eye roll.

Silence fell between us. The wind tussled our hair, and the sun continued to beat down, but the peace didn't last long. A low, distant rumble grew louder and louder, breaking the tranquility. I turned to see a ship coming in fast—and even hotter when its guns opened fire.

Gamora and I immediately bolted. A cliff loomed ahead, and we leaped off, narrowly avoiding the hail of bullets on our heels.

"Psychopath," Gamora muttered, picking me up and running along the cliff wall.

Luckily, we found a cave and dove inside just in time. She dropped me unceremoniously, catching her breath.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked, leaning against the cave wall, trying to recover. She couldn't answer because the ship returned, spraying more gunfire. We had no choice but to run again. This time, I wasn't so lucky.

A blast sent me flying, slamming me against the ship's window. Through the glass, I saw the perpetrator.

"Nebula," I growled in irritation.

My annoyance spiked when she activated the windshield wipers, knocking me off and into the cave wall. While it didn't knock me out, it dazed me enough to leave me on the ground for a few moments.

After shaking off the daze, I stumbled forward, following the sounds of grunts, impacts, and crackling fire. When I arrived, I saw Nebula holding Gamora by the throat, a knife poised to strike. But from the look in her eyes, I could tell she wasn't going to do it.

Instead of intervening immediately, I sat down, clearing my head while the drama unfolded.

"I win," Nebula said triumphantly. "I win. I bested you in combat."

"No," Gamora gasped, catching her breath. "I saved your life."

"Well, you were stupid enough to let me live," Nebula retorted.

"You let me live!" Gamora snapped back.

"I don't need you always trying to beat me!"

"I'm not the one who flew across the universe just to win!"

"Do not tell me what I want!"

"I don't need to tell you—it's obvious!"

The argument escalated until Nebula shouted, "All I ever wanted was a sister!" Her words echoed, silencing them both.

At that point, I lost interest. Picking up a medium-sized rock, I slid down and smashed it into Nebula's face.

"That's for slamming me into the wall," I said with a grin, immediately phasing into intangibility as she swung a punch at me.

"Oops," I said, holding my hands up in mock surrender. "Let's calm down. You hit me first—that was just payback."

Nebula glared at me, her fury palpable. She looked ready to attack again, but Gamora got between us.

"Stop it! Just stop. Why are you even fighting?" she demanded, exasperated.

"She started it," I said, pointing at Nebula.

"What? You hit me!" Nebula protested.

"Both of you are children. Ugh, let's just go," Gamora said, brushing past us.

Nebula shot me a glare before following Gamora deeper into the cave. I followed too, still smiling at how easily I got under her skin.