What were the demons?
That na depicted the degree of insanity that followed many nas, all sorts of races, and even more ages and worlds. So were full of them, while others took their creation and status as being lower than beasts.
But they were the foundation in a rough sense of history. At tis when the beginning passed through everything, Chaos birthed all sorts of existences. Space cracked, planets ford, and life ripened in many forms. Demons were of those kinds of freaks of that ti. That was the general truth that was like legend and legacy that followed the oldest history.
At its core, a demon was the epito of life forms. Mutants, monsters, or creatures were their re ntions throughout the histories where mutations and ti passed slowly. Changes arrived with ti, so when the universe thrived and life flourished, demons changed, Bloodlines warped, and souls manifested. Intellect followed and increased afterward.
Human races and uncountable beasts existed just because of their imnse will for survival even in the harshest conditions. So worlds demanded that idea, making evolving and changes much more powerful, even though they took many years to show prominence.
Fear and pain pushed that idea along very often, helping with change. Demons were beings that held their limits through ti, where changes nded others instead of them, limiting their intellect because of their insanity born from Chaos. Powerful flesh and instincts changed their status in nurous ways, turning them into weird creatures that had almost no boundaries.
The strongest kind of demons, even in the current universe, were no different from any other races. Their variants, mutations, and complex Bloodlines worked for the old tis' sake. Murai felt that sentint not that many lives ago.
Many demons could hardly change from the outside or inside, but deep down their souls or instincts could go to incredible heights. It went through their versatility, reliance on insects, or sheer resistance to many things.
Where did the line between a demon's origin and the rest end? Was there even so form of line? End?
What was even Bloodline, if not an endless course of tily familial information akin to a law of creatures? Though the beginning was there, what followed the course of history were various dividing ways spreading across the Skies.
For devils, demons were their more direct progenitors than humans, whose Bloodlines were ta and more fit for Order. But few devils would even accept, let alone acknowledge the idea that demons were part of their ancestry. It was unsightly for them to think of their demonic sides as sothing nice and proper, although cutting every devil into the sa pieces wasn't fine. Even amongst them, many cherished Chaos and countless other things.
It was a string of racial issues, making devils consider themselves devils and not demons. But at so point, they were close to demons as the process of evolving was slow.
Thriving across the universe was an old and complicated ordeal. Demons were simply unable to take the change. The best of them stretched their lives beyond, giving rise to more races and changes that the universe required.
It followed unprecedented clashes and tis, and few would even fathom what the creation or rules of these tis looked like.
Murai was no different.
It was redundant to think of his status as universe-shaking, but if it could be that, he wouldn't complain. So of his lives were closing on so touches, as Creators—as so often described those above the Paths—cruised and touched the entire universe. But na mattered little, if any. They were Entities. Unknown and deep, mysterious and dangerous for those unworthy or too lofty to seek them.
Murai was quite familiar with his set of expectations and knowledge, and after getting his lives together after nurous failures, he saw the pattern of insanity, Chaos, and Order. It all muddled together for so reason. Sotis, he couldn't even see the broader picture or any difference in anything. It was either because of the worlds that nded to a single Divide, or his soul was just ssed up. Could be both.
A proper idea or ideology for every New Beginning ensured that not much misery went into them. Every restart was a plunge into a new setting filled with new problems. So were turning points that worked akin to a placebo effect. An idea that created the truth, even fi was fake or false instead. He thought of it as enabling growth and easing his suffering.
It helped him further with those beginnings. That was the undeniable fact.
Bad ideas disallowed clarity from the most basic principles. Too much overthinking wasn't good either. His living needed sothing else. Sothing he hadn't touched upon or seen.
One should remain positive even through the harshest of conditions. That was what Murai learned but often didn't follow through with it for various reasons. Every life was like that. It was and wasn't in his hands most of the ti.
After all, why or how did he even end up in worlds and lives he had? Why had he ended as a leaf of a tree, a pebble, or a duck, demon, devil, god, or others?
Was it for Bloodlines or no reason at all? Living bodies implied and moved everything like mana and soul.
Bloodline ant a piece of information. A deep truth that was as old as mana, or perhaps even older because no one knew if mana ensured the existence of the universe, or the universe ensured the flow of mana. So would dare the universe was bare at first, but none ever knew the truth about how it beca rich and unfathomably vast.
Across the past, Bloodline was like a law of a lifeform. A strand that went for countless cycles where individuality mattered very little. Murai felt and knew it far too well as their past researcher, taker, and sufferer.
His current Bloodline was crazy like his living ss. He tried to follow the proper sense of reason, albeit it was a duck that ended up guiding this belief. He learned enough of that from Mindarch and Alius, but not enough to change his perspective or outlook.
He almost couldn't hold his head straight because of it. In that case, pebble was bliss in so senses, but perhaps he was lying to himself. Bad things can pass, but the most likely ss that was infuriating him was the Encounter and the way this world acted around him. Perhaps it was all caused by his Blessed status? How did he even get it? Why was he hunted like an animal?
He knew information ensured success, and while ignorance might be bliss, he didn't fear many consequences. He doubted any of that would pass like his life.
Islands of Greatness changed his approach slightly, while the Influence Items were Bloodline items that could nd his heart and cent so choice. That was a steadiness that one should have. It was up to him alone, which was a rarity. He hardly felt he had a choice in anything in this life apart from so brief act. That could be his first evolution, choice of getting out of his egg, going into the cave, and then... the rest went to shit.
Demons ate Bloodlines, fused, or swallowed them all into their flesh and bodies however they deem fit. It was often rough and gratifying in pain, filling them with power and mutated powers.
Here, in this world? Bloodlines seed to turn into a proper commodity, thanks to the Gods or so clever beings that called it innovations.
That was the evolution that was kind of cheap in comparison to what demons endured in the past, but it should be similarly intense and powerful. Such powers almost resembled the Paths which was the power that ruled the Divides.
Murai didn't hate either. He preferred when things made sense and followed stone certain rules that made problems easier to perceive. Evolutions were that, or perhaps more. Paths were too important as a choice, but evolutions revolved around the flesh and physical manifestation of the Bloodline.
So it could still affect the Path, as Paths were essentially concepts that one could follow. Thoe were taphorical, or physical in many layers.
Murai will work with Bloodline first before worrying about sothing broader.
So far, he wasn't that clear in his choices. He was still learning, following what he could around this hut.
Influence Items looked interesting because they were the sa Bloodline-related treasures from his mories, but most were processed and substantially greater because of this world. Well, the latter part was unknown, as Influences were subjective in their use. It depended on how their taker used them and getting them was hard or expensive.
He had no idea how they would feel or influence his species, or sub-species in that regard. He was a magical beast, not so necromancer duck, or fleshly duck with brute strength of a bull.
He knew he needed Influence that worked with Panacea in mind, but it wasn't entirely right. As an Anatidea, he needed anything not far from his species. He could even take an Influence that was subjective to a Peniscula. All it ant was he shouldn't fuse with it directly, but take its effects a little bit. Ending results would increase his size, strength, or sothing else, but that depended on what that Item would be about.
He wasn't certain about ducks, which was why he wasn't that fast in his choices.
Since he was a Blessed duck with so sort of ridiculous powers and a rich Bloodline that Gods ddled with, he accepted his wonders. Discovering what he would be capable of by taking a proper look at everything sounded like a first plan.
Not in terms of fighting, but in Bloodline relations to his mories. Not having any limits helped with that idea as well.
Not going too far away was within a topic that Lisa barked into his ears not that long ago, which he accepted, telling her he was no earless idiot.
The choice had to be compatible unless he wasn't afraid of ending up as so weird mutant duck-looking monstrosity. He didn't want that. Tampering with fusions of Bloodlines worked in that idea, as it was the objectification of power in this world that wasn't working for demons alone. Anyone could get them, as long as one was a taker of so evolutions.
Murai had no clue what to look for.
At his core, he looked like a duck through thought, but he had so specialties that none ever had. He looked like one, however, so whatever Gods created and mashed together into their creation, Murai doubted it was simple.
He had a goal in mind about keeping things as they were: normal and unchanging in physicality. He wasn't willing to learn how to walk or fight again. If an Item changed a lot of things, his life would be more miserable.
Thus, there were only 2 choices that Murai had. He won't charge Influence Items at their full capacity. He would rather take the steadier approach and think of them as small helping touches. That was the most popular thod of using these treasures. The second problem was their use. Minor Influence Items were only possible for fully acknowledged evolutions.
For now, he had only Aquantis, which put potential Influences on a wilder ride of possibilities. To use an Influence, he needed two other choices to even start this idea. That was the only thing Murai wasn't happy about.
rging with the Influence Item needed full attention, and it wasn't as if their use was trendous. There were many differences between them because of their deep history and craftsmanship that could ddle with evolution.
Everything could beco important further down the potential evolution line. Lisa gave him so examples from her experience. It was surprisingly helpful, albeit not fully clear because Murai wasn't sure how to think of them with his lacking personal context.
When taking an Influence Item, there was always a choice to fully take its effects and change from the ground up, causing current sub-species to change significantly. But when taking a small portion, it was just a small portion of the full influence.
One might as well influence the influence evolution, creating a mash of Bloodlines that would clash together with the sub-species and species. Those could be extensive and dangerous. Lisa didn't recomnd it, because his species was already good enough at its base.
That was why the choice of Minor Influence Items ant countless choices when one viewed the potential sub-species. The better the base of the Influence was, the more power they had. It was essentially a double-hit wonder, where no matter what, Influence Items had their use.
The broader and harder-to-perceive ideas were a problem since one was never sure what might happen.
It was kind of an annoying and complicated process as Murai expected.
Perhaps one might get a good ability out of the minor influence, or so physical aspect would change soone too drastically and not in a good way. It was a double-edged sword because there was a near-guaranteed way to get sothing decent out of it, yet certain randomness was apparent.
That was where purity or their grade mattered. If the grade of influence and purity was better than one's current Class, or species in general, one had certainty for a good change. If it was poor in purity, one shall pray.
If a dog took an Influence Item of a great Canideamon species, change to a new level happened regardless. Be it a smaller bit or taking it all, it was a great way to change one's life.
Murai didn't have many clues about the evolution pathways of his species, let alone his Panacea. He asked Mindarch about it, but if anything about Panacea spoke of sothing, it was their magical aptitude that should have far too many choices.
And he didn't like how Mindarch didn't give him any examples...
Thus, he accepted so postponent, and getting sothing for a further future from this place was his current plan.
He played this for the long-term benefits, as Lisa suggested. And sothing strange, or too extre in his Bloodline should better remain calm because of a duck and nothing else.
Jumping and looking around the room, Murai spent minutes on Sonar and glancing around. He noticed many Influence Items of High Purity and Grade Bs, or As, but few were Graded S with High Purity. There were problems in making them, Murai figured.
At the end of his looking around, he found so potions that depicted so airborne species. The duck was airborne, but also a land or water animal, so he had trouble taking sothing good or compatible.
For now, he considered anything with wings enough, since what else he had? Interesting airborne species should have quite nice beaks as well. Couldn't so eagle be worth it as well? They have wings, feathers, beaks, and little feet as well. Lisa suggested these kinds of species for a start.
“Rozian Potion. dium Purity of Grade S. It is an experint in Rossete Demon's bloodline and... Chicken? Rossete is a devilish eagle, or harpy, with wings and beak. But.... Chicken? Why it has such a thing?” Murai sighed, unwilling to even think of chickens when he read explanations to a red-looking potion.
“Iruy'ik extract is the next interesting thing. It is a work of High Purity and Grade A. It allows one to directly extract Iruy'ik's properties, which are known as slicers of the heavens. Among the demons, their wings are deadly, but their beak is limited. They are like mutated dragons, but clawless and without fire and a hefty amount of feathers. Their wings are great because many shards of tal co out of their bodies. So are thick, others as thin as paper.” Murai considered this one the most, but then, sothing else piqued his attention.
“High Purity, Grade S?! It exists?!” He cheered and understood this should be rather nice. So he read its description. “Bone Marrow Extract of Highland River's Dragon Parrot? Parrots... Dragons? Ducks?! Call insane, but this looks good. But... I've never heard of these parrots.”
“They are native to this world.” Alius suddenly voiced, still scribbling sothing in his notebook, while partially taking interest in Murai's choices.
Murai glared at him, appreciating this answer, but it didn't change much. He glanced back at the shelves, unaware of what he should take. Everything had a strange naming sche and purpose to go along with that. Most had various extractions and even a mixture of ingredients amongst many species and races.
So were insensible. That Rossete demon mixed with Chicken was weird.
But again, who was he to question that?
There were hundreds of choices made for all kinds of folks with various needs. So of the stuff wasn't good for anything but so experints and nothing else, while so were clear failed products.
One's trash might be soone else's treasure.
Murai got that idea, but he knew he needed sothing good and so failed products or poor mixtures didn't an that so of them weren't good.
In particular, the Bone Marrow of the Highland's Dragon Parrot was intriguing in its na, purity, and grade. It ant it should be good, right? There was nothing better in quality that was closing on his species. This was the best he had seen, but not the richest in this room.
There were so Grade S, or SS potions, or those with Intense Purity and many warning signs, chaotic, or other depictions. He didn't know what that ant, but none of them were fitting for his needs. As he expected, the limits were still sensible like his compatibility.
So qualities of the ingredients can easily turn purity afla. These influences depicted Titans, Salamadras, and various high-class demons with strange nas.
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Murai ignored these without hesitation, even if their re ideas were capable of increasing the heartbeat of many Extres. He will take what would be a suitable Bloodline first, before mixing things up with sothing in the future.
He could only hope that he reached so readings in terms of new evolutions, but because the Encounter was hovering about his head, he hadn't gotten a thing. It was a guess. Nothing else.
A parrot was a bird, but it wasn't that far in stature, or appearance from a duck. Their legs might be poor, walking unsteady, but their wings and peaks were great.
They were still far from each other's evolutions, but their comparison was passable for a Minor Influence. He wouldn't take this fully, of course. Mixing Anatidae with this sort of parrot wouldn't end well, although Murai wasn't sure what would happen.
“Should I take it... How would it work? I got one choice after getting Water Affinity, so does that an I can force the choices by finding things and comprehending shit? Got Fla and Sharpness too... Can't an Anatidae have so fla-based sub-species akin to a dragon? Screw the Encounter, I guess, but doesn't Mindarch and this Gate work against that idea? I should get sothing out of my training.” Murai fell into a surge of thoughts, thinking, and deducting the past and future possibilities that might have deep repercussions in the future.
He circled the tables, discovering things that may be of so use, but the majority weren't that interesting to him, or straight-up incompatible. Indecisive, he went back to the bird section after grunting and eyeing the potions like a kid who couldn't decide on candy.
Coincidently, Alius was glancing from the corner of his eyes, looking at what Murai was doing and choosing. Perhaps he even heard the wonders that were happening in his heart, but only he knew the truth.
At the end of the waste of ti, minutes beca useless. Where research led, every corner or choice ended up inferior to the ones he already had.
There was the Dragon Parrot, as well as Shallow, a bird-beast hybrid that possessed qualities of speed, flexibility, and a very sharp-looking beak. Lastly, a potion from Una demon revealed doubts. It was a powerful demon, yet its Grade was B, but its purity was Incredible. It was the only option with that kind of Purity written on that piece of leather. Una was a mixture of Bloodhound demons with up to 8 long but thin wings, and a thick eagle's head made it look like a Griffin.
There was also that Iruy'ik, but Murai couldn't decide.
“May I suggest sothing?” Alius said, stopping Murai's surging emotional preferences that were way too intense.
“What?” Murai uttered a single powerful quack. He never considered speaking like this felt great, but since he was talking with his will alone, he wasn't happy to hear those quacks.
Thankfully, Alius understood him regardless. “Are you that afraid of the consequence of your choice?”
“A bit. Who wouldn't? Everyone would be the sa in my circumstances.”
Alius didn't doubt that in the slightest, so he smiled at him instead. “I think you are underestimating the qualitative power of the Anatidae species and Influence Items that would clash against their Bloodline. Can't see yours, but none of these are as powerful as your species. Well, so could certainly touch so of their qualities, but that is what makes Influence Items incredibly enticing. Battleworld will also undeniably change the choice within your Blessed life, or it will... Nevermind. Evolutions are complicated.” Alius realized Murai's situation might be less than abnormal.
“What do you suggest then? Know those ducks, don't you? If you made clothes for them, tell more,” Murai tried his luck, thinking that Alius must know sothing he wasn't telling.
“Suggestions are poor choices. You carry yourself, while I will be speaking to the air. There are choices when the evolution you desire becos close. Then, so Influences might be far better than others. So specific sub-species might like so specific Influences. Then how much Purity you want to move with is another thing. Half? Quarter? Go all on, or as little as possible but still use its qualitative powers? What about the grade or sub-species in general? What evolution do you want to influence? There are as many variables in this world's blessings as one would imagine. Hell, a poor fellow would never dare to take it to an unknown point and rather take sothing stable.” Alius talked steadily and fast, giving Murai much-needed assistance that he hadn't even asked for.
Murai glanced at the old man, nodding along as he talked. Not once, not twice, but dozens of tis, he figured hesitation and evolution were the sa thing.
They didn't matter.
He did not have many choices anyway, and his growth was questionable like his magic and mana. It might change significantly and suddenly.
“So it's like that, many thanks, Alius,” Murai replied, having his decision resolved. “I will take this one if the Mindarch is so generous to take whatever.” Murai stopped before a bottle half his side with glowing liquid and so revolving bits of bones inside of it.
Bloodline-infused mana was within it, and it wasn't bad at all. It was one of the better ones in this sort of appearance. He went with Dragon Parrot in the end. It wasn't full of marrow since there wouldn't be enough to make a potion out of it. Most birds had hollow or very little marrow in their bones, so this much was impressive for a potion.
It was a fine choice. Alius smirked as he casually glanced at Mura. “An interesting choice, I might say.”
“It's the only choice I could see without too much intensity and demonic elents. Those Parrots must be bloody animals, like myself. And dragon aspects should be powerful if what Mindarch said is correct.”
“Why would you say that?” Alius tested him.
“Context,” Murai quacked. “In terms of grade and purity, this one wins by a mile because the ingredients were great, or the maker did a fine job. Then, if I think of Dragon Parrot as a whole beast species, they have a nice knack for mine. Wouldn't mind so scales myself, but this parrot must be full of feathers, otherwise, he would have a different na, right? Or... it might have so dragon aspects? Claws... jaw of a dragon? Fire Breath? How does this parrot even look like?”
“Good assessnt. Excellent too, I must tell. This has been my pleasure, little friend.” Alius put away the notebook and crossed his hands in his lap while still sitting on his chair. “Won't give you an easy route away. Parrots are parrots after all. Now, do the Keys and leave. I won't give you more.”
He snapped his finger, crashing the depositories of the artifacts. So far, Murai held limited sense covering the majority of the artifact treasures. Now, his eyes and Sonar were blown away when Alius destroyed most of their defensive structures.
Imdiately, mana turned intense, the temperature dropped and increased at the sa ti, and light and darkness dimd or shined around so shelves and tables. With safeties gone, they shined in this simple yet important place, outside of Alius who didn't care for those locks, nor Mindarch's thin growling displeasure that had no coherent words.
Murai almost forgot about the Keys after taking this Hoodie and Influence Item. He appreciated Alius once again by reminding him of his incompetence.
“Artifacts, huh?” Murai grunted. “Can't see the worth of then. Relic up to Level 20 and 25, right?” He forgot he had no Keys; he left them with Lisa, but it didn't seem to matter.
“20 and 25?” Alius raised his brows. “Those are kind of low, but again, we are talking about Anatidaes and your age and Level. You have a pair of Keys. Impressive luck. You might take what your eyes like, or sell what is worth in the Gate below or on the Surface. Each choice has its rits, while such low Artifacts won't be a massive help. That isn't my wager against you, but a fact.”
Murai glanced at him again, understanding where he was coming from. He also sighed after knowing the truth. “Figures. Physical limits, huh? ”
“Indeed. Even basic magic formations, tools, and treasures aren't that useful for your species, or you in specific. I wonder which is more intense. Can't see an answer, you see. Wealth is still wealth, so it has its uses. I've already given you the kind of treasure you wouldn't be able to pursue anywhere in this world, so...” Alius smiled and began laughing like a mad scientist. “I can't wait for the future. Now, make your choices before disappearing. I have so much work to do.”
He turned back to the notebook, leaving Murai alone in his choices.
Turning, he began eyeing treasures of all kinds. He preferred the freedom of his choices, or sothing useful since he bled and went through this Gate. He should be rewarded!
In the end, Murai sighted and hopped to the new section of the tables, beginning his research. There, he saw the expected sight that wasn't all that different from those Pagodas in the City of Cinnar.
Human weapons were the epito of universal usage across all kinds of races. Those were well outside of the beast's needs.
As for the equipnt, talismans, and magical treasures, they were rarely made for such low levels in this place, so Murai ended up disappointed. He couldn't take what his heart desired, which made his heart bleed.
Lower than Level 20 and 25 ant a low range anyway, but he could choose anything so he went around the tables and shelves, looking for sothing useful or worth ntioning. He had keen eyes, so he took his ti.
Dissatisfied, the minute passed as he jumped or glanced at the majority of tables and shelves. Pushes of his Sonar around where he couldn't reach with his neck worked surprisingly well. He found nothing as useful as he expected.
Most of the treasures were above his requirents, but it didn't an soone couldn't use them. Levels of the Artifacts were like equipnt. Even a peasant can try wielding a nad sword, but it wouldn't be pretty or great. It was no wonder.
Keys were important, but not below Level 40. Above that point, there was an incredible variety of interdiate treasures ant to change fodder in Levandis's Hell. Below that point was a failure, garbage in most eyes, or training pieces filled with history or so problems.
Great low-level Relic Artifacts shouldn't be sothing impressive anyway. The top of their line wouldn't be kept in a place where low-level Challengers hardly ca. Mindarch and Levandis didn't give this place so ridiculous treasures at this level.
In the end, Murai grasped the idea behind the Relic Artifacts of this world. They were viewed as unique equipnt, with often better or greater effects, which made them special. By materials, specific uses, or requirents, their blessing, or other ans was sothing equipnt couldn't have.
One can have as many of them as one can find, but in terms of viability and uses, finding good-fitting Relic Artifacts was kind of rare. It had limited variety because Paths and mana at this level had its limitations.
So Murai found the best-looking sword he had found. Then he figured a Fla Runic Belt without any set of spells inside of it wouldn't hurt him as well. He could use it for making explosives, or store his Fla inside like small storage. Each was gradeless as he expected, with Belt being a Level 25 Relic Artifact for storing spells and mana. It probably had so other benefits, but listed beside it were half-burned explanations.
The sword was Level 19, looking bent and in passable condition. He wasn't sure why this sword was a Relic Artifact, but it should have so effect on his training, or selling. It increased Sharpness from its explanation and increased the might of Cleave and mana-related sword techniques. It seed to be a sword made for so specific knight Paths or so martial arts.
He found nothing good for his abilities besides that Belt. He grasped the sword, pushed the belt around his body by using his wings, and went back to get his Influence Item.
He had trouble walking with that sword in his beak, but he got there eventually.
Just in ti when Alius figured their ti was reaching its end. It was a coincidence, or not?
“Passable choices. It's ti for our departure for the ti being, so good luck in your journey through this temple. Be careful of the Centralis, the incoming Encounter that ets more than the eye, as it can be as devasting as the reality. Care less about your hoodie and wait for its revelations. Or you might give its runic construction so mana and your tries. Perhaps it wouldn't bite you in the half, but the world would give it better ideas. Oh, and I call it Alius Hoodie. It is as mine as yours, so you might change its na however you like.” Then, he pulled his right hand up, just as Murai wanted to drop his sword to utter quacks of gratitude.
Flicking a crisp sound, the space shuddered as Alius grasped his pendant. “Release,” he said sternly.
Then the void and world blinked. Murai couldn't see or feel a thing for the next ti that felt like long minutes of being swallowed by a dark star. He wanted to say sothing, yet he felt nothing insane or hurtful. He lost everything. Weight, mana, or touch to the physical word. He blinked from nothingness known as Void, appearing sowhere else.
***
Back in the hut, Alius leaned on the chair he took from his ho. “My goddesses and curses...”
[Satisfied, old man?] Mindarch asked as sothing lifted the rules. With the space finally free, it was no wonder.
“Shut that,” Alius grunted and picked sothing out of his notebook.
[Was this really necessary? Giving him that sort of thing will cause nothing but more trouble. It is already so insane with his soul and everything. I am not responsible for it! You are! I will gladly toss you under the bus.... or how is it said from that world.]
Alius didn't hear his excuses. He took a deep breath, brandishing an amber feather towards his nose and sniffing it. He wondered about sothing specific.
“I wondered which Mother took this monster... or ignored it, or... forgot it,” Alius shuddered, dropped the feather down, and felt an ominous foreboding feeling that shivered his back.
He slapped his face with both palms.
“Oh, fuck ... Fuck !”
He slt the change. The Fate was foreboding.
Cries in the hut echoed longer than necessary, leaving Mindach in a good mood.
Then cries rged with laughter. It was neither grief nor hope. It was maddening like Alius's previous laughter.
***
Murai opened his eyes. Around him wasn't the cave that held that hut. There was no starry ceiling above his head either, nor the holes down or up. He was standing on a large cold cliff.
Breeze fluttered his feathers and face as he woke. He turned his head around, seeing Islands behind him. There was no bridge. This was the end of Gate 2, as well as the end of his choices.
“Where the hell have you been so long? What happened?” An agitated voice that he knew far too well stord to his ears, followed by a hand that clasped his beak.
Lisa was already here for so ti, warped, but safe. Even Lorry was here but visibly confused about many things.
Murai felt the sword and belt, but the potion was sowhere else. They survived this drop, so he watched Lisa's curiosity and then... flabbergasted face.
She never expected a duck wearing a hoodie to co out of that hut and questionable situation. Her mouth moved without any words, her hand slipped, and she wasn't sure if she should laugh, cry, or simply stare.
“What? Never seen a duck wearing this sort of thing? Got so gifts for myself or you. Just interesting choices, nothing else.” Murai said, looking for the Dragon Parrot Influance Item that hadn't fallen to the ground, but down to a pocket of his hoodie that was surprisingly vast. The potion was barely 10 centiters long and quite slim, so it went there just fine.
Murai cheered as if he discovered a Grade 6 essence. “Oh, how convienient. It has pockets I could use. He thought of everything, didn't he?” he smirked in satisfaction, pulling the bottle with his beak since his neck was flexible enough to reach it, and his control over his beak was better than ever.
The basis of the Beak's Blitz allowed him to learn and train his neck and flexibility with precise movents. Now, he shouldn't be afraid to learn writing with his beak alone. However, it was questionable if he needed to consider doing that ever again.
A small glimpse of Iris appeared in his mind, but Murai quenched her picture away, thinking of other things.
Grabbing the bottle, he tossed it to Lisa who was yet to be over with her staring. She was taking this slowly, adjusting her mind and eyes to take a better and more careful look at Murai's appearance.
“T-this is? What the fu...” She cursed as the bottle hit her face. Her sona swirled, rging and changing as her hands enlarged before catching it.
Speechless, her words weren't under her commands. But she did see this right and understood the reference and situation. Soone left a gift in that hut that Murai took as his chance, or it might be much crazier than she assud.
Interrupted by a bottle near her face, she glanced at it with half her face. It wasn't important to her. Murai was.
“An Anatidae Uniform, hm?” Lisa said with forceful calmness that didn't sound confident.
Lorry stord her side, cluttering and laughing like a maddened skull. His voice was shrill, so it echoed far. “Hilarious! That is good! How co Murai ca out of the hut with a uniform? Lorry can't even guess its origin and maker, but materials are... Seems.... extraordinary, but it isn't active yet. Will it be active? I wonder.” Lorry said, shuddering and calming his voice in an instant without hearing Lisa's fist, sona, or voice.
He cald on his own, figuring that this thing was weirder than General Armor Set #12. Hiding behind Lisa, who remained silent as she heard him, he uncovered so anings about this uniform as Lisa did.
Both figured different things, but each hesitated on the sa level.
“Oh, so you know about these kind of things?” Murai said to Lisa. “What else did she keep for herself?” He asked Lorry, glancing at them both while leaning his neck and head closer to them. It didn't look natural and made him look like a difficult boss. Floating figures had their thoughts, hidden and silent.
“Y-you've never asked about such ridiculous things! Nor should I've been worried about such inconceivable and unnecessary topics such as Anatidae Uniforms that aren't even... I an... You aren't a serious Anatidae, Murai Hisagi. Those are bloody familial animals with tribes and shit. Don't care if you are angry, but don't take my silence for excuses.”
“Does that an I should take the full initiative whether I need sothing from you? Every little specific thing? Does Life Companionship work in this world like this or is it so terrible just in your head? You have a lot to learn, you lofty dead succubus.” Murai said without sounding angry.
As he heard her, she sounded believable and firm, floating closely before him.
While he was still a bit suspicious about her knowledge and help, his whole being radiated an aura of killing intent. That was notable by the whitish glow in his eyes and slightly flaring and moving feathers that were less visible because of his hoodie. Agitation and emotions all played parts in Anatidae Bloodline, and it often got physical, albeit outside of Murai's touch.
Perhaps he grew enough to finally see these effects, Lisa thought.
Murai wondered what Lisa knew about Anatidaes if she knew about their uniforms. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising, since she ntioned she knew so information about them in their first etings.
Lisa and Lorry noticed his anger and took a couple of flying steps away from him. They changed their minds over their respective thoughts and his current mood.
“Fine. I think we got along quite nicely between the Islands, so why not get so order to this association? Ask anyway, any day and I may know the answer or not. It's that simple in this world, our heads, and souls.” Lisa shrugged her arms, forcefully downplaying this situation by ignoring his hoodie and overall appearance.
Going with this conversation any further had very little benefits, but she was incredibly curious about that hut and this hoodie.
“So much for being my Life Companion. Tsch!” Murai mocked her a little, calming his feelings with glances at his hoodie and Influence Item.
“So much for being a duck, wearing god-forsaken clothes. Heh!” Lisa laughed, floating to Murai as if she couldn't care less about his anger any longer. “Was it that Pachi again? She must have a knack for ducks, you see. Gods made your species long ago, as you've heard before. Many should be interested in them, considering their madness and grudge, while you are sothing else yourself.”
Murai grumbled in agreent but didn't ntion Alius out of respect for their discussion and this nice gift.
While he observed himself, Lisa did the sa thing. Floating around him, she inspected, touched, and watched his hoodie with great interest and a half-laughing face. She even forced the hood over his head and chuckled at his face. She found it surprising and higher than her standards, which shocked her inner heart, but not her face.
This thing was overkill with materials alone, while the gem etched into the dormant runic formation remained stagnant, yet hid insane skills and sets of rules. It wasn't so Everflower, of course, but it wasn't sothing weak either. It was a part of sothing insane, yet different. She guessed the majority of its materials, so of which Murai wasn't recognizing in terms of quality and craftsmanship.
They made a neat formation and created this hoodie as a whole, turning it into a one-of-a-kind Anatidae Uniform. In history and common words of most Hells, this was a living and military power of every Adolescent or Adult Anatidae.
This gift—or whatever he took out of that hut—was precious and invaluable to any Anatidae. Especially to him, because this looked like a gift sent from the heavens, if she considered his current needs, circumstances, and Encounter looming over his Fate.
Appearing with this sort of thing was quite a surprise to her, and not in a good or bad way. She appreciated the artistic nature of treasures, and this one was so sort of... Law? No. She couldn't guess which rank this treasure adhered to. It could be equipnt or an artifact.
It was also yet to be accepted to balance and rules. Will of the Battleworld will take a look at it and decide how to handle it.
It was dormant for now, aning that its worth was in its materials alone for the ti being. Its mana needed a proper start, which was a clear indication of freshness. Soone either made it recently, or it was in pristine condition without any wear for a long ti. Its starting sequence should co from Will of the Battleworld, however, which accepted any proper equipnt and artifacts by setting rules and information about them to every individual.
It might happen straight away or after this Gate, or... never.
Lisa fell short in her guesses. She had no idea if this was sothing Murai should have. It looked too insane. She doubted Battleworld would accept it; seeing it as a treasure that shouldn't be adequate.
It was invaluable in practice, and unlike the Spatial Pouch one could lose at any point, this was a thing that Murai wouldn't lose.
There were a lot of problems with spatial equipnt. All sorts of objectification and care ca with them, making them much worse than the loss of a weapon besides the hips or behind the back.
Murai fled his gaze after his self-indulgent praises. Shooting a look at Lisa, he shooed her away to leave his hood or hoodie alone.
She reluctantly did so, looking at the bottle she was holding. In its tag, she read an elven na for a Dragon Parrot, which gave her so surprise. Then, she saw its purity and grade. It wasn't a larger shock than the hoodie.
“A Dragon Parrot? Those Parrots? They were almost extinct when I was alive, but they were known migrants across the seas and continent. Crazy beasts for their size... but a far cry from Anatidaes, I suppose. This is valuable, but not as your new clothes. Is this parrot your carefully picked choice?” Lisa pointed at Murai, asking a terrible question that needed no answers.
“Yes. It is my choice as well, but I don't want sothing big. A minor touch is what I want. Not sothing different. Who knows how it all works anyway, huh? These sorts of Influences are various problems that are subject to evolution. It is nothing simple because I have none yet. I wonder who else but a knowledge of a past Blessed would give it so more face? Hm?” Murai gazed at Lisa's face, giving her a hard pressing stare.
“That is fair, but I did talk about these Items enough. In this Gate, however, things are different. Not before. I don't like talking about stuff that has yet to have any imdiate value. It goes against my principles and nature. It's like talking about reaching level 90 when you are still a Child. It's useless, in so sense.” Lisa lied a little, believing that his soul was far from the norm, but all sorts of powers had many faces.
She barely saw Murai's true colors, similar to him seeing hers.
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