Gamer's Destiny - New Game Plus

[Theaxofwar]

The book she had opened flung her into one of the most embarrassing memories she could think of, relied in the most perfect detail.

Click to shrink...

I immediately shut that book as my face flushes with embarrassment, before turning around to the so-called inner-demon. "Okay, you clearly know this place better then I do. You may be a bitch with bad fashion-sense, but I'm reasonably sure you're still some version of me, so you must want me to survive. Considering I'm the gamer, I probably won't be able to do that without magic."

I give her a flat look, "So help me help me."

 

[Yuki no Yue]

Figuring he was here for a reason, Kyle slowly stepped towards the building with a cautious step and trying to keep his sense open to his surroundings.

Click to shrink...

The door opened to his touch, showing the inside. It was exactly how he remembered it, just with more candles on all the surfaces, hundreds of thousands of candles, the smell of incense hanging in the air and the faint echo of an organ in the air.

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I growled, the quiet noise slashing through the silence. Quickly, as fast as I could, I searched through the library looking for something.. My mana? Whatever blessing of the world gave me. If it's here, I WILL FIND IT.

Click to shrink...

She launched herself in the Sylvan Library, trying to see if there is something strange or different.

But, beyond the plants changing color to either blue or yellow depending on where she went, she couldn't see anything particular.

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Meanwhile, I try to practice cutting mental constructs loose to see if I can even do it, sort of severing any links to me. If I find it practical, and have the MP to risk, I make contact again and try that, ready to pull free at any second.

Click to shrink...

Status: Mana Drain.
Mana remaining: 500/402

Under his eyes, his mana dropped by one point, then another....

Under his eyes, he could almost see strands of energy being sucked from him to the tree, like free-floating blue mist.

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I give her a flat look, "So help me help me."

Click to shrink...

"Now, why should I do that?" The sphere of darkness turned into a disk, then into a crown of flowers, then kept on changing shapes, faster and faster.

"Let me correct one of your assumptions: me being your Inner Demons doesn't mean that my existence is bound to yours. On the contrary, I can and will kept on living free when you die. What's more, I will rank up to a full fledged Contract Demon, instead of being a simple Inner Demons. The only one in the whole world."

Her smile became predatory, right out of some sort of prehistoric monster.

The whole place shook, like an earthquake. The demon eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Did I mention that you have a time limit? And you only have three chances to do it at all?"

 

[Arkos]

She launched herself in the Sylvan Library, trying to see if there is something strange or different.

But, beyond the plants changing color to either blue or yellow depending on where she went, she couldn't see anything particular.

Click to shrink...

Think...think...think... the plants may have something to do with it? The roots? What if I follow the roots? Focusing on the plants, I pushed my will into them, like how I made the smell sweater, only instead I was following the plants to their roots, and following the roots. Was there ANYWHERE that EVERY root in the library led to? A heart who's pulsing that all of the plant life follows?

 

[Theaxofwar]

"Now, why should I do that?" The sphere of darkness turned into a disk, then into a crown of flowers, then kept on changing shapes, faster and faster.

"Let me correct one of your assumptions: me being your Inner Demons doesn't mean that my existence is bound to yours. On the contrary, I can and will kept on living free when you die. What's more, I will rank up to a full fledged Contract Demon, instead of being a simple Inner Demons. The only one in the whole world."

Her smile became predatory, right out of some sort of prehistoric monster.

The whole place shook, like an earthquake. The demon eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Did I mention that you have a time limit? And you only have three chances to do it at all?"

Click to shrink...

I growled, walking up to the demon, "Do you think you scare me? You, a cliche demonic reject squatting in my own mind? Because you don't. I'm going to find my magic, and then I'm going to figure out how to banish you into the fucking sun."

I moved as if to spin around before quickly lashing out, one hand grabbing for the sphere of darkness I'd suspected was my magic, or at least something important, since I saw it, and the other moving to punch the demon in the solar plexus. It'd been a long time since I'd done martial arts, but I still remembered how to throw a semi-decent punch at least.

 

[Space Jawa]

The door opened to his touch, showing the inside. It was exactly how he remembered it, just with more candles on all the surfaces, hundreds of thousands of candles, the smell of incense hanging in the air and the faint echo of an organ in the air.

Click to shrink...

Kyle entered the space slowly and with a reverent approach, making every effort to maintain a sense of respect in his behavior. Even if it was a dream, it didn't make the place any less special or important.

He continued through the greeting hall towards the main chapel, and opened the doors that led further inward. There, he found the main worship hall in all it's magnificence. The large, high ceiling, the multiple rows of wooden pews, the large and carefully crafted stained glass windows, the large painted mural far at the far end. Every detail, every piece of it designed and built with devoted love. He presumed that if he were to look up and behind him, he'd probably see the pipe organ where it sat far at the back.

It made him smile, but also left him wondering.

"Ok, but why am I here?"

Maybe answering that question was the reason he was there?

 

[grubleafeater]

Under his eyes, his mana dropped by one point, then another....

Under his eyes, he could almost see strands of energy being sucked from him to the tree, like free-floating blue mist.

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Click to shrink...

Oh, shit.

Okay, so, separating myself? Didn't 100% work.

I move further away while trying to use a knife-construct to sever the strands, or failing that just clear my mind entirely.

 

[Yuki no Yue]

A heart who's pulsing that all of the plant life follows?

Click to shrink...

Her mental probing gave her two answers: there were two places of interest.

One was higher, where the blue plants went. The other was down low, where the yellow plant came from.

It was now the choice to make: up or down?

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I moved as if to spin around before quickly lashing out, one hand grabbing for the sphere of darkness I'd suspected was my magic, or at least something important, since I saw it, and the other moving to punch the demon in the solar plexus. It'd been a long time since I'd done martial arts, but I still remembered how to throw a semi-decent punch at least.

Click to shrink...

Half went well.

Her hand passed through the sphere of darkness without touching anything, like it was simply a shadow.

The other hand, instead, hit something quite solid, sending her copycat stumbling back with a surprised expression on her face.

Slowly, she got up and a rather annoyed expression appeared on her face.

"So brutish. I really don't understand why your soul is a library: it doesn't suit at all."

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Maybe answering that question was the reason he was there?

Click to shrink...

The church was exactly the same as the one in his memories.

The only different thing were... the candles. They were everywhere.

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I move further away while trying to use a knife-construct to sever the strands, or failing that just clear my mind entirely.

Click to shrink...

The mana that he could now feel was like trying to grasp a wet shard of ice. Almost impossible and liable to slip between his fingers at a moment notice.

On the other hand, it was clearly nourishing the tree, seeing as it seemed a lot better already, so... half-win?

 

[Theaxofwar]

"So brutish. I really don't understand why your soul is a library: it doesn't suit at all."

Click to shrink...

I shrugged, "As we both very well know, I love stories. Honestly, my mind probably works around them to some extent. I see plotlines and cliche and main characters everywhere I look. And this? This is no different. Except that we're in my mind. You're the evil invaded trying to kill the young hero when she is possibly at her weakest point, without magic or martial ability besides simply running away. And you're doing it in the hero's mind, who thrives on narrative logic more then the so called reality of the real world. So fight me, bitch, let's see who wins."

If I was right, then I'd probably get some sort of power up right now. Even if I wasn't, my plan remained the same. Beat the shit out of the demon in my head. I charged forward again, trying to keep her off balance and, counting on her to attempt to counter attack, struck low, ducking down to punch her somewhere it would really hurt.

 

[Arkos]

Her mental probing gave her two answers: there were two places of interest.

One was higher, where the blue plants went. The other was down low, where the yellow plant came from.

It was now the choice to make: up or down?

Click to shrink...

Up. I followed the blue plants to their source, as I once again let the silence of the library be undisturbed.

 

[Space Jawa]

The church was exactly the same as the one in his memories.

The only different thing were... the candles. They were everywhere.

Click to shrink...

The candles were probably important.

"Scratch that." He thought. "If they're the only thing out of place, then they're definitely important."

He continued walking down the center aisle till he reached the front row, then took a seat in the front-most pew. Perhaps not where he'd normally sit, but then there was nothing 'normal' about the situation anyway.

There he sat and waited to see if something might happen, doing little more than looking around and observing his surroundings.

 

[grubleafeater]

The mana that he could now feel was like trying to grasp a wet shard of ice. Almost impossible and liable to slip between his fingers at a moment notice.

On the other hand, it was clearly nourishing the tree, seeing as it seemed a lot better already, so... half-win?

Click to shrink...

I said....

STOP.

I continue moving away from the tree, keeping a harsh eye on my Mana as I try to cut it off entirely.

Yes, I want to help the tree, but that doesn't mean I want to give it everything i have forever. I'll take my time.

 

[Yuki no Yue]

I charged forward again, trying to keep her off balance and, counting on her to attempt to counter attack, struck low, ducking down to punch her somewhere it would really hurt.

Click to shrink...

Her hands stopped.

The demon's hand had grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her cold.

"Ah-ah. Violence is not the answer, didn't you know? And, I think, you should be more worried with something else than little old me."

And her perfectly manicured finger pointed towards a far part of the library that had started to dissolve into dust.

"Better find the solution fa-ast."

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Up. I followed the blue plants to their source, as I once again let the silence of the library be undisturbed.

Click to shrink...

It was stairwell after stairwell, the massive library doing her no favors in that respect.

Various plants and roots made the floor an hazard to walk, even more to run.

But it was clear that there was something up there. Something interesting. And powerful.

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There he sat and waited to see if something might happen, doing little more than looking around and observing his surroundings.

Click to shrink...

The candles. Looking at them better, they were delicately and finely etched with various scenes that sparked his memory.

Yet, he couldn't see them very well from his position...

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Yes, I want to help the tree, but that doesn't mean I want to give it everything i have forever. I'll take my time.

Click to shrink...

The effort of will is commendable.

But is not enough. It's clear that this mana drain is not going away anywhere soon and soon, he found himself unable to move further away from the tree without feeling like something was getting torn from his chest.

Maybe, if he had some more informations...

 

[Arkos]

It was stairwell after stairwell, the massive library doing her no favors in that respect.

Various plants and roots made the floor an hazard to walk, even more to run.

But it was clear that there was something up there. Something interesting. And powerful.

Click to shrink...

Steadily I made my way up, like a moth to a flame, or a flower reaching towards the sun. I did not stop until I reached the top.

 

[Space Jawa]

The candles. Looking at them better, they were delicately and finely etched with various scenes that sparked his memory.

Yet, he couldn't see them very well from his position...

Click to shrink...

Something told him he was supposed to look at the candles. His gut and intuition working in harmony, probably.

He stood up again, then walked to the nearest candle to take a closer look.

 

[grubleafeater]

The effort of will is commendable.

But is not enough. It's clear that this mana drain is not going away anywhere soon and soon, he found himself unable to move further away from the tree without feeling like something was getting torn from his chest.

Maybe, if he had some more informations...

Click to shrink...

Goddammit, I....

I go back to the tree and place my hand over it, focusing on it again.

"Please, if you can, just stop or slow down a lot, okay? You're going to cause some serious permanent damage to me at this rate."

At the same time, I focus on the void, trying to see if there's some way to disconnect from there.

 

[Theaxofwar]

"Ah-ah. Violence is not the answer, didn't you know? And, I think, you should be more worried with something else than little old me."

And her perfectly manicured finger pointed towards a far part of the library that had started to dissolve into dust.

"Better find the solution fa-ast."

Click to shrink...

I frowned, "You're really annoying, you know that? I think we're back to the start. Am I supposed to accept you or something? Because I do. Your choice of clothing leaves some to be desired, but I'm not religious, I don't care about being part-Infernal, besides the nice buffs it gives. Unless you're trying to kill me, then you can leave."

 

[Yuki no Yue]

Steadily I made my way up, like a moth to a flame, or a flower reaching towards the sun. I did not stop until I reached the top.

Click to shrink...

The top was an open plaza, circular, exposes to a blue sun that tinted everything in azure light.

It was beauty and power and every plant had a blue tint to something. Now, how to claim it...?

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He stood up again, then walked to the nearest candle to take a closer look.

Click to shrink...

The scene etched on it seemed familiar, extremely so, but a bit blurry with dripping wax. The flame, as well, was strange in the way it moved, waving to and from like under a heavy wind, never going out or diminishing.

Once he focused on the flame, he could start to see in the fire shapes and images: an old memory of the first time he had visited the church...

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At the same time, I focus on the void, trying to see if there's some way to disconnect from there.

Click to shrink...

The tree don't give any answer tot he plea, but the void appear in his mind once again.

It seems... smaller. But still present. Partially sealed off, but badly. Various pieces of the mana that it has stolen are filling it, but there are redundancies and parts that badly fit together.

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I frowned, "You're really annoying, you know that? I think we're back to the start. Am I supposed to accept you or something? Because I do. Your choice of clothing leaves some to be desired, but I'm not religious, I don't care about being part-Infernal, besides the nice buffs it gives. Unless you're trying to kill me, then you can leave."

Click to shrink...

The Demon scoffed, releasing her hand and pushing her a little away.

"Accepting me, she says. Sure, you demonstrated that very well. I believe you."

The sarcasm was so heavy that you could be deaf and heard it all the same.

 

[grubleafeater]

The tree don't give any answer tot he plea, but the void appear in his mind once again.

It seems... smaller. But still present. Partially sealed off, but badly. Various pieces of the mana that it has stolen are filling it, but there are redundancies and parts that badly fit together.

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Click to shrink...

....

"Fine. You won't or can't stop that thing?" I scowl and growl, "Then it can fucking have it." With that, I start redirecting my mana flow, even increasing it if necessary, attempting to form a more proper covering and also to redirect what it already has if at all possible.

 

[Arkos]

The top was an open plaza, circular, exposes to a blue sun that tinted everything in azure light.

It was beauty and power and every plant had a blue tint to something. Now, how to claim it...?

Click to shrink...

I bathed in the light as I walked forward, step after step. Once I was below the blue sun, I willed for the plaza to rise, to take me to the sun so I may claim it and bathe in it's light.

 

[Space Jawa]

The scene etched on it seemed familiar, extremely so, but a bit blurry with dripping wax. The flame, as well, was strange in the way it moved, waving to and from like under a heavy wind, never going out or diminishing.

Once he focused on the flame, he could start to see in the fire shapes and images: an old memory of the first time he had visited the church...

Click to shrink...

The dripping wax wasn't the only reason the image was blurry. He'd been young the first time he remembered visiting the church. Very young. Hardly old enough to remember anything in the first place. He doubted his first memory of visiting the church was even the first time he'd ever been there. Beyond it being his first memory of the building, he couldn't think of any reason why the memory was anything particularly special.

"However..."

It hadn't been the first time he'd ever visited the church, even if it had been first time he'd remembered visiting it. But it had been far from the last time he'd ever been in that particular building. He started looking through the other candles to see if they showed other memories, including one particular memory that he suspected was the reason he was currently imagining himself in the building in the first place.

 

[Theaxofwar]

The Demon scoffed, releasing her hand and pushing her a little away.

"Accepting me, she says. Sure, you demonstrated that very well. I believe you."

The sarcasm was so heavy that you could be deaf and heard it all the same.

Click to shrink...

I spoke quickly, glancing back to where my soul was currently turning to dust, "What do you want, a grand gesture? I'm annoyed with you because you're abrasive, and because you've specifically claimed that you'd like to see me dead. But you know what, I don't really care what happens after I die. As long as you don't try and kill me, I don't really give a shit what you do after I'm gone. And you may be abrasive, but so am I, at times. That's not really a deal breaker. So once again, I accept you for what you are, and as long as you don't try to kill me, who you are. Now I'm a bit panicked about my soul turning to dust, so if we can hurry up, that'd be nice."

The funny thing was, I was telling the truth. I'd taken the infernal bloodline, if I viewed infernals in an inherently negative light, I wouldn't have. And while my Inner Demon was a bit annoying, that didn't mean I couldn't accept her. After all, I had plenty of friends who could be annoying or abrasive at times. I just hoped she'd believe me. And that it mattered in any way.

 

[Yuki no Yue]

....

"Fine. You won't or can't stop that thing?" I scowl and growl, "Then it can fucking have it." With that, I start redirecting my mana flow, even increasing it if necessary, attempting to form a more proper covering and also to redirect what it already has if at all possible.

Click to shrink...

That worked better than his previous attempts.

The mana surged, flooding the void faster than it could absorb it. It filled up, spiraling in the opposite direction of the vortex, slowly getting filled.

It was hard, though. He had to keep the reins on his mana pretty tightly, because it was like trying to move a river while digging the new bed at the same time.

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I bathed in the light as I walked forward, step after step. Once I was below the blue sun, I willed for the plaza to rise, to take me to the sun so I may claim it and bathe in it's light.

Click to shrink...

It slowly rose, bringing her nearer the sun. At the same time, the sun lowered down, streams of pure light coming from it and penetrating the skin of the girl.

The feeling....

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He started looking through the other candles to see if they showed other memories, including one particular memory that he suspected was the reason he was currently imagining himself in the building in the first place.

Click to shrink...

it took him a bit, but he found the right candle after a few minutes of searching.

In the meantime, the bell ringed once, a deep, powerful sound that seemed to shook the whole church.

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And that it mattered in any way.

Click to shrink...

The demon looked pretty skeptical.

"And why should I believe you?" she crossed her arms, a mulish expression on her face.

 

[Arkos]

It slowly rose, bringing her nearer the sun. At the same time, the sun lowered down, streams of pure light coming from it and penetrating the skin of the girl.

The feeling....

Click to shrink...

...Was glorious. It felt like when the sun outside was shining down on me but even better, energy filling my body as I reached for the sun, full with the will to MAKE IT MINE. A smile adorned my face.

 

[Theaxofwar]

"And why should I believe you?" she crossed her arms, a mulish expression on her face.

Click to shrink...

"Because I'm not lying? We're in my mind, or soul or whatever. Can't you check? I've never been religious besides a small belief in there being some godlike being somewhere in sixth grade, and one of my best friends is someone who I argue with all the time. Admittedly, I've never befriended someone I've tried to punch in the groin before, but then, there's a first time for anything. And besides, I'm pretty sure my life is a Shounen now anyways. So, once again, what do I need to do to convince you?"

 

[Space Jawa]

it took him a bit, but he found the right candle after a few minutes of searching.

In the meantime, the bell ringed once, a deep, powerful sound that seemed to shook the whole church.

Click to shrink...

There it was. Much like the first candle, but clearer. He tried to ignore the ringing of the bell, but hoped it wasn't a bad sign.

The candle was from years later. He had still been young, but old enough to actually have a basic understanding of the world.

He remembered that day, in spite of his youth. Not entirely clearly, as was apt to happen with age, but clearly enough. He remembered the important parts of it, at any rate.

He couldn't put a finger on the specifics of what had happened or why, but the important thing was that was likely a defining point in his life. Something about that day, while he'd been seating in church during a visit to his Grandparents, after listening to his Grandpa preach. Something about that day when he'd really taken the time to pay attention to the building around him. To pay attention to the design of it all. He hadn't known it at the time, but looking back on it later, it was that day and moment more than anything he suspected was the reason he'd proceeded down a path that had led him to study and train as a designer, especially an architect.

There were greater, grander, more impressive buildings in the world, sure. There were even more impressive and better designed churches, even. But the church he was in, it was no slouch at all.

And more importantly, there was the connection that was there. This church, it had sparked that particular turning point in his life, arguably the most important turning point of them all.