NOVPUB"Oh!" Murai shook his head, not taking Lisa for the light that she resembled. "You cheeky ghost! There we go again. I haven't missed you one bit! This snarkiness and arrogance. You would make a fine sucu...Oh, wait. I've obtained some ammo myself, and you won't like where it goes next."
"Right." Lisa relaxed and figured there was no need for arguments. Not now. "Then allow me. Your experience in that realm and your lives create a certain depth, and the Materium wavered, so where have you gone?"
"Like a small Nirvana," Murai chuckled, "it felt creepy in many ways. Then there were fights, drownings, and visions like ghosts and drawings, so many things would make sense to those who harbor a sense of such places. The last time I checked, your wicked eyes would see nothing at all, or have you got what it takes to even imagine it?"
"How about trying me?" She said firmly and looked straight into his face. "Resonance is very familiar to me. It is a state in existence that stretches to every corner, where Laws lay their workings and rules and so on. Where they don't isn't my point. There are many Realms, so don't try to fool me twice, or once."
"You seem to know it well, then, so what about examples? Felt one in your last life?"
"That, I did. Not once, by the way, so don't underestimate me."
"I wish I could. What about the one before that."
"What about that one?" Lisa frowned, wondering how and where his sudden tone and confidence came from. Murai sounded different, and his perspective shifted, and although his anger and the depth of his soul prevailed, something was nicer about him.
Or it was she who changed. Murai was confused, and Lisa endured and played with this whole situation in her head. Thus, some change was inevitable.
"I am quaking nonsense." Murai stretched his wings and neck, going over his numbness and inner sensations of mana. He felt warm, unnaturally heated, and a slow, creeping return to his body finally clicked. It took a while.
"My time was weirder than being lost in the Void, honestly. Light can be so weird sometimes. It cast a huge shadow over my lives. It appears like a weird mixture of everything, balancing as a Realm where sunlight itself rules, but that isn't fair from anything, or alone. It is the lofty shine that makes shakes and suns and flames, or more things into what they are. Or were. That's where a kingdom resides. I met with some figures, or those figures met me. It was fun."
"Light, is that so? So.... Realm of Light and Brightness. It has many nicknames for many creatures." Lisa recited from her memory. "A land full of weird items and beings, fauna, or... immense depths and things called Strands. It is said that every Strand directs the rules and regulations of numerous light-based elements and powers. It empowers, or creates, or shines, and gifts aspects of light-based affinities. Some used to belong to people in the universe who lost their place, letting their Laws scatter back to the distribution. It proves history was real, and then it all goes back."
"I am aware Laws are a limited resource," Murai added. "And you seem to know far more about that Ream than I would ever expect from you. Weird, that is."
"Can you guess how and why?" Lisa smiled at him.
"I am all ears, although I am not... well, am not that." He had trouble describing or giving much thought to those living in that realm. Talking about Lining or that King or that lake did not make him at ease. He kind of wished to talk to Lining further, but their abrupt end was kind of annoying.
"This Battleworld has more experience with these places than some Sectors in the universe combined," Lisa revealed, speaking about a rather expansive topic. "This world keeps many qualities as a battlefield for the Gods and rules. Maybe it is a place of experiments, or its origin is much weirder than that. Either way, it's older than gods and their wheels."
"Oh," Murai wasn't that impressed. "That doesn't change my opinion about you. In fact, it is worse because I seriously want to slap you right now. How can you be like that if you are that clever and stupid at the same time? What should I think about our previous discussions?"
"I," she hesitated, "am not very talkative, am I?"
"But shameless you are."
"That, I agree with." She shrugged and thought about her next words carefully.
"I see your words from miles away," Murai argued and continued stretching. "What was it all, though? Godlight seems like a word made by kids, while many Laws have their own history etched into acts or words, runes, or worlds. Brightlife is what I've listened to, so what to take it for?"
"A gift?" She suggested. "Resonance takes nothing back. In some sense, it distributes what one should find right under many pledges and ordeals, or pockets, maybe? It is accepting. One could also lose it before getting it. That is what a loss is, and success means no wrongs. You've got it."
"Seems cheap when it was forced upon me like that."
"Was it forced, or had it chosen you?"
Murai fell silent for a while. "Could it be both?"
"Sure. Resonance can't be forgetful, though. Your body provided more answers anyway, and so did your snatched Will and your.... trial? That is worth my worry, you see. How was that place or Strands? Have they felt like snakes or a crawling mountain or waves of seas or some creatures? Were there trees or towers? What about waters, oceans, animals?"
Murai gazed at her, as if wondering if her curiosity was naked or hiding something nefarious.
"Well, there are a couple of things bothering me, Lisa. How much have you anticipated this? Essences and these Gems and your manners make me questionable. It seems like I am on top of your palm in some form, guided by you, but I am too big for you. You think I am not big though."
"What? Are you complaining? Isn't that what I should be like? Helpful, providing worth, and appraising?" She excused herself and felt very proud and fine at it. "Is it wrong to help you when you need help? Sometimes, you don't need me at all, so I leave it at that."
"Do I? Can you call this a coincidence? This Resonance, or these Gems that seem to whisper on their own? They hit me like a natural storm because of... what? Body? Talent? Mana? My soul is the curse, yet it still worked, which makes me curious."
Lisa stopped smiling. "I don't joke around when it matters. Resonance? If I could anticipate that sort of thing, I am a Creator!" She shouted, putting her chin up and exaggerating her words. "All of this is silly. Don't judge every single shit, you cursed duck."
Murai laughed, uttering a few sarcastic quacks. "Now, was that serious?"
Lisa turned back to normal. "I am taking gambles with every action, but it appears this journey requires more guidance, doesn't it? We go, and you are getting somewhere. Where or how? This trip on top of some palms sounds better than flying nowhere, while there are many enemies in our paths. What's the goal? Don't even start it. We don't even own our roads or any vehicles."
Murai clicked his tongue and kicked some pebbles away, and rushed dust into waves. "I feel like that all the time. It's nothing new."
"Then allow me to guide you better." She argued, flying back to his face. "This temple has been here long before any pantheons. Essences are everywhere. Ultra Gems are not. They are all about rare elements and Laws anyway, so when I see your life, I expect nothing. I can't create miracles. Doesn't this explain my turmoil and surprise to you? I don't know your magic. Curses can be magic, but what makes them work? There is a point you can't find your damn happiness or end."
Murai kept looking at her, half sure to believe her and half doubtful because it seemed reasonable.
"Fine, we were both forced here, frankly. So, are you gonna guide me better? How? If you aren't doing that already, then call me a moron because what is best, better, or worse is different. And you woke up in that damn forest! It's not as if you snatched me in this direction, right?"
"I... don't deny that. All I am saying is respect. I am not a whispering devil over your shoulder, yet whatever you call it, I am fine with it. So, what else can you tell me about that Realm or your Resonance? I am all ears and mouth wide open." She offered herself, opening her palms and spreading her arms.
Her mischievous smile and confident eyes revealed nothing but a schemer in Murai's eyes, but there were answers because he hadn't seen her like very often.
Was she someone who shouldn't be underestimated? Who was she to him again?
"I wonder about many things, as one who just woke up from battle and hellish trip. I thought they... were gone. Completely? All changed, yet I never went away. Most refused me, you see. Bunch of cowards to witness darkness like poison. Yet... I like that Realm. I fought like a moron in their eyes, got something back but not because of my enjoyment, and walked on its surface. It was perhaps a gift, but one that I am not deserving of. Maybe I am not worthy of it yet."
Lisa nodded in silence. Her face said it all. Tell me more. More! More!
"I was feeling content being stubborn. Very stubborn, I might add. Sea of Strands swallowed me from the beginning, and it felt like a war that went against me simply because it pissed me off. They pierced me. Get me worked up and adapted. I shouted and crashed them all in return. Then it all went still, and why it even makes sense to me, I don't even know."
Once again, he doubted himself, which gave Lisa more answers as she perceived a good chunk of his meaning.
She felt his Brightlife and saw that halo and Singularity.
"Are you depressed because of this Brightlife?" She frowned. "It reminds me of something that Sun God would support and harbor."
"Brightlife? Sun God? Well, it is an old and weird thing, and... you know about it... again?! " Murai was honestly surprised and wasn't upset she followed him as he began to pace around the cave and jump across the broken ground. He was trying to get over his agitation, depression, and new feelings.
"Is it that weird in a world full of gods and those seeking the power of Laws and everything else? Do you even know how big of a world this Battleworld is?"
"No," Murai quacked without any shame, "I don't. I don't care."
"It's big enough for hundreds of Gods. Every one of the five continents is like its own world, and let's not forget the Depths and the seas, or what was once here, or what hides, or what is always around. Void? Hidden Realms? Dimensions. Everything is very intense in this world, as it's separated by rules, mysteries, histories. Cultures, maybe?"
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
"So, like any other world, huh?" Murai cracked his neck and went around to kick more rocks. "But size and cultures are different. What about that Sun God? That one god is a former shining lunatic, yes?" Murai raised his eyes open. "Tell me about him."
"Him? Well, I mean... he is an ancient figure of the Old World. He died before the current Pantheons even formed. In an age known to few, he danced in the palm of the Light, and many stories depict him as the progenitor of dungeons, which left many answers, yet so much was left in the darkness forever because of the wreck known as New Dusk."
"What a curious history, " Murai said. "You are very curious about it, and I am not. Dusk? Sounds like a new day to me."
"That age is very curious, I must say." She nodded to herself, not knowing too much about Sun God in particular, or she didn't want to talk about him too much because there were many better topics ahead.
And Gods! When this world accommodated them, what to expect or tell wasn't easy or simple. People die all the time, while that New Dusk let this world turn into something else.
Gods could die too, be forgotten in the night of time, change, or meet their demise. Divinity could cease to exist as well, and while their Paths might not, their paramount ways and history might never let another God arise from their shadows. It was a problem of Path Pioneers, the ones who created something out of specific conditions and rules within each respective Pathway.
Such things were parts of grudges and wars, or how many Gods fled from their worlds to others, seeking better Sectors or more out of this universe. Better tomorrows weren't about that. They hoped for more and more, until they either found satisfaction or nothing anymore.
Those who would forget their rise and home were no longer sufficient, for the Gods needed Divinity and the spark of people. Being alone was for those imposing and wretched in a much consistency, or their Path had seldom such needs. They held immense self-satisfaction and insane composition, similar to methods of the previous Epochs, essentially.
It wasn't anything surprising, though feared it should be. A cornered God was ridiculous. Beasts and demons were the same.
In broader fact, a dead god meant a hegemon raised, and then nothing but a forgotten speck of time remained unless legacy and memorial was left behind. Many didn't bother with that because of passing years or distances, or chances.
That might no longer matter, though the perceived end of things was fearful for pretty much anyone. At large, it was almost a depressing topic amongst the most powerful figures who were yet to reach godly powers, or neared the scope of existence.
It was a reminder from the past, as it described how everyone might end up, no matter what they do. It was creating enough weight on the already heavy shoulders of many cultures and worlds, illustrating ages and histories, or futures of wars and hopes.
It was the same with even those who had nothing but dreams and hope in their names alone. However, those affected by the universe, or truly talented, fiddled with their desires and their lives would fall and fall some more.
There was an old saying of... those Blessed by Heaven. It was an old, mostly forgotten term, but it had a nice sound to it. They might be nothing but ordinary rocks in the grand schemes of the mountains or planets, let alone the universe itself.
Murai unhappily grunted as he combated his mind and contemplated this discussion. He thought he was nothing and no one, yet he was here, thinking and taking part in all sorts of struggles.
For what reasons did he have these lives?! He didn't cry or complain this time because Lining made many curious words that churred in his mind. There was absolutely no point in madness because no matter how it would go, nothing would change by his complaints or words alone.
This world was making him irritated. Many others showed the same damn appeal. This one had a whole systematic way of power that felt restricted and handled many powerful possibilities. It stunk of the higher heavens, which made this world into... a conductor of Gods? Or was it about Divinity? Who were even those Blessed who lived once to be reborn and going against the nature of Death and Afterlife?
Did they play an important role in this world, guided by karma that did not occur in any other Sector? Murai hated questions that had no apparent answers. Maybe that wasn't correct; he feared the answer instead.
Let alone being a freaking duck with unnatural powers and Beast Core, he was absolutely sure he would be much more powerful if he could be outside of this damned world, or be a freaking human. The top predator, yes? That sounded much more fun than... whatever this is.
Even being Gifted sounded kind of cool, though that was impossible, or it would go against his principles. But again, he was a blessing for many worlds already, so this idea didn't oppose his mind too much. It was better than being shackled by this world for sure.
Feeling his choices, Murai figured it was no time to waste. He winced on the spot, reflecting on what kind of situation he had to solve or what war to try next.
"A dozen hours is a long time for many of the Hunters to come, so," he complained and looked around. "Where are they? Razmund and everything above can get us lost in these underground shafts. Too much time has passed."
Lisa sighed, unsure because she had no clue. She even lied about time, as she was so enthralled in his Resonance that she forgot about Bagus or Itrosh, let alone David or Razmund. Hunters? They weren't in her mind in the slightest.
"What about David and the rest?" Murai asked again, reminding her silent embarrassment to get lost. So much for her previous talk, it seemed.
"No idea. They wait and hunt back those who want them or us, I bet. Itrosh and Bagus couldn't watch you since it was boring for them or utterly meaningless. They went ahead to mine their own wealth or kill those pesky flies. I could fetch them in a moment. David is... nowhere. I have no device. Itrosh has. I was kind of busy watching over you."
"I see," Murai sighed, calming himself down in the process. "It's time to get back on track and leave this discussion for another time. I have a terrible feeling over this lost time in Resonance, but as with everything, all I can blame is my body and world, or this Encounter that forced me here."
"Let me ask you something," Lisa floated closely, overcoming her previous embarrassment in a flash of sona and her smile.
Murai watched her and nodded, figuring that if he had been here for so long already, safe and fine in Resonance, the situation above must have changed or calmed down.
"What is so terrible about it? What is so weird or different?" Lisa demanded.
"Terrible, different?" Murai repeated. "Finding willingness or acceptance in these lives of mine isn't there. That is all."
"Is that so?" Lisa squinted her eyes. "Isn't this a gift? A trial solved by pain and suffering that is optimal, because no master ever rose from nothing?"
"In essence, it's an absolutely abysmal and livid time. I can cry and fight all I want, yet what Ends is there for it? Hm? Have you ever considered the end to these sufferings or lives? I do. I prefer this objection out of nothing but respect for the dead."
Lisa could see and feel his frustration, so he didn't joke or retort with words. She hid them instead, figuring she would make her point in the future. There was no need to add fuel to his Will.
Thus, with successful Resonance, Lisa found Itrosh and Bagus, whose times were peculiar after Murai lost his Will. Not only did they mine a fortune, but they fought with a steady number of Hunters who slowly assembled their locations. Because of that, this pledged pair was far away from Murai, and started going around the mines, causing havoc and never letting anyone near Murai's location.
As feared, the moment Murai stopped moving, their position was much more exposed, and information about their whereabouts spread, so they got to work.
They fought and fought until many opponents moved, and the situation got out of hand. Bagus and Itrosh were a team; so distracting was alright, and no one found Murai or Lisa, or they did, but never got close enough.
Everyone focused on the arrogance that was the shouts and curses of Itrosh, who wasn't that strong compared to Bagus, so she played around like she wanted. She was quick and able to move around without being caught, and Bagus helped her to finish their teamwork by being a fine blade. They left many shafts in the mayhem of a battlefield.
After a while, the party regrouped, returning to their journey through the underground with relative ease. That cursed portal surely existed somewhere, and that goal didn't change.
Murai was no longer taking the Ultra Materium for granted or with wild interest. They provided light, and many made him think and judge their glow and laws, even if he tried to overlook it.
His Beast Core felt satisfaction thanks to the new Brightlife, and everything stuck together because of his overall resilience and Will.
He quenched his distress and mind, discovering his mana space and Beast Core had changed like his spirituality. Sitting and going over his mind, eyed by Lisa like before, he saw a change.
He became more stoic. More right. He might do it after all, unless this world broke him, or he did
The journey became more comfortable after the party assembled, yet for him, it was nothing but a reminder that he wasn't a master of anything. Without this team, nothing good would come out of here because Murai knew he had limited power alone.
For his eyes and senses, the incoming mining shafts showed nice elements in high abundance, and it meshed well with discovering his new concepts. What that Resonance cracked was just a droplet, even if those veins were top of their line.
Murai had no hopes and achievements in mind because of that Resonance alone.
He was more of an asshole toward it, as he assumed their meandering tricks that made his body ache. His mind did not like it. Well, that went on until it couldn't be helped. Hence the Resonance.
When he saw lifeless gems and veins, nothing struck him as a disaster, but something new was within, making him think. As Lisa said, they were ancient and old reminders, and fitting food for thought.
Sitting on Bagus's back, Murai took this ride without any objections. The Grifhart below him went through many battles and mining, but he laughed it off as if it wasn't a big deal, and accepted to be Murai's mount in a heartbeat.
Murai would digress; he noticed many wounds and crashed feathers all over his body, while Itrosh wasn't without injuries either. They had already healed enough, thanks to prepared potions and the fact that they weren't too weak. It was yet another reminder that whatever they had met.... Murai would die a hundred times over.
So what the hell was fair about it?
They went through an unknown hell, which might be a far cry from the Realm he had warred against, and if they hadn't worked together, they would've died.
Behind Bagus's head, a flash of light moved, and ideas arose. Lisa was still the same as ever, while Murai changed in ways that Bagus couldn't see. He got plenty of sensitivity for that, and he witnessed that starting Resonance, albeit not the aftermath.
Lisa forbade them from coming closer and said she would bring Murai out instead. Bagus didn't dare to think what had occurred. It shouldn't be simple like this walk or the monsters on his back.
Murai yanked his head, too late to argue about this ghost haunting his life. "A Brightlife?" Lisa asked with her Will to his, floating behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"What are you doing?" Murai asked her.
"Feeling you."
Murai paused, feeling nothing from her whatsoever. "Stop it. I am not in a mood for your nonsense."
"No, dear Brightlife that hunts many and myself."
"What are you on about?" he demanded with a surprising amount of patience.
"You've mentioned it, and we have started it, and I kind of feel this is a fine time to finish it. We got directions and time. No annoying opponents. When is a good time to finish our discussion, if not now?" Lisa said as she ended her floating and grabbing.
She sat before him, looking like his opposition, small, yet lucrative in her own way, thanks to her patterns and light of sona. "I am curious about everything for many reasons, and am willing to change for it."
"You are curious about a lot of things, yet I am not curious about the way you do everything. Many of your acts are annoying, yet you know it and do not change it. It's counterproductive. Why?"
"Are you annoyed just by the words alone?"
Murai wondered if he could be; what about it was wrong or right? Figuring out answers made no difference. He knew himself too much nowadays, or maybe too damn little at certain angles.
"Pretty much. That's about it, but it is no hate. Some words are like laws, and I am more considerate than you in many shocking ways."
"That's very subjective. Also, you don't mind me like many did before, so what gives? That is a good start, I think. Alright." She waved her hands in defeat, setting them above her head. "I accept my responsibilities as a talker. I like tales, you see. I spent a lifetime in this world after all, and I am kind of settled to see it burn like myself. As your Life Companion, some matters need adjustments and... respect between us. Are you willing?"
"Your head is the first. Oh, that is my suggestion. No law."
"Likewise yours." She put her left palm forward, smiling at him. "Shall we start talking, or will you pretend you can't see my point and become annoyed?"
"Well... Do you trust Itrosh with the direction?" Murai glanced past her, looking at Itrosh handling a bunch of maps and grunting i annoyance. Navigating through the mines went as expected.
Bagus was behind her, glancing around and sniffing the air while the pair of monsters were having their typical discussion right behind his head. This one was in their heads, filled with new hopes.
"She has my instructions, so yes. We have our words in our heads and time in our hands. We don't disturb anyone and pry anything but some personal matters. This pair is trustworthy after what they have done. I wonder how or why? Is trust cheap, or are they like this because there is something nice for them? I doubt that. Death is coming and we are all enemies because of it."
"Yet we stare at each other as if we are in love..." Murai sighed, thinking about very terrible stuff.
Lisa paused, dejectedly shifting her arms down and making a surprised face. "You think that way? Seriously?"
"You could say that lack of details isn't what I am fond of, or that exaggeration is a form of art and lies. So yes, I enjoy trying really hard to think in my box and often enjoy this process. Maybe I was like this from the very beginning. Who knows? Bah. Don't care."
"I thought of it as the exact opposite problem."
"Then you don't know me."
Lisa was sure of it, but she had to learn.
