From Audree's intentions and by judging the progress of the
project thus far, Jisha could tell that today was going to be execution day.
Only one part was remaining: the power source! And it was
practically completed... it just required one more component.
*Power, huh...*
This was one thing that stupefied Jisha the most -
"power" was everywhere... in the form of dense true essence. Anyone
who simply existed in this environment would reach a cultivation height beyond
what was previously considered possible.
It was like how those who consumed anabolic steroids gained
muscle mass even while idle, except there were no side effects to being in a
dense essence environment. The only problem was that high density spaces were
exceedingly rare.
If Jisha could train in this environment... The thought
excited her to no end. But this place wasn't free.
In Synergy, difficulty was appropriately rewarded, and the
other way around was also true. A large blessing often demanded a high price.
"Get her down here. NOW!"
Jisha heard footsteps approaching the bedroom door. The real
challenge was about to start.
What made this challenge difficult was that this
"dungeon boss" was a master of manipulating "true essence".
In most of Synergy, one could cast spells and instigate various attacks.
However, these "spells" were merely the usages of true essence with
an aid. The system of Synergy was akin to training wheels for a cyclist. This meant
that though casting spells in Synergy was simple, their maximum potential was
low.
An expert cyclist didn't need training wheels.
Jisha was the equivalent of a recreational cyclist - she
didn't hold a candle to a genuine master.
One wrong move could spell the end!
Fortunately, the characteristics of the footsteps were light
and quick indicating they belonged to a servant and not the man himself.
This didn't mean complacency was an option. Time was
limited.
Jisha scanned the room as she went over her options.
*The goal is to slay the beast. It's impossible to beat the
man in a head-on confrontation. It's even impossible to kill him with a sneak
attack. This means the railgun is a requirement.*
Ideally, she would complete the power source, bring it home,
and complete the construction of the railgun. However, there was a chance this
wasn't going to be possible.
Several weeks ago, Audree heard the man discussing that a
business deal on an "essence crystal deposit" would be completed in
late April, the fourth month of this world. And today was the 25th of April -
the man was planning to travel soon.
Essence crystal deposits were some of the world's most
valuable resources, as essence crystals were some of the purest forms of
essence - they were a power source far more potent than the latent essence in
the atmosphere.
She didn't know what the man's intentions were, but it was
clear that he was gathering large amounts of essence for *something*. In fact,
Jisha and Audree both presumed that the reason for Audree's training was to
increase her total essence capacity. In other words, Audree literally *was* a
battery.
The goal of harvesting essence didn't seem like an unnatural
goal in this world. After all, true essence was true power. The more of it you
had, the more powerful you were, plain and simple.
The proper usage of essence materialized phenomena in the
world. This meant that the things you couldn't do with essence were only
limited by your imagination and essence capacity. Audree didn't know how much
essence the man had already stockpiled, nor did she know how much he needed to
accomplish his goal.
*Surely, it isn't anything good. Being controlled by a
twisted individual makes me sick.*
The footsteps drew nearer.
*Shit, how am I going to do this?*
Though the servants were ordinary people, they still watched
over Audree like hawks. They worked for the man, and he'd ordered them to
report any unusual behavior immediately. To the man, Audree was like
radioactive material approaching critical mass. Losing control meant that
everything would literally blow up. Even one step out of line was severely punished.
If today was moving day, there was a possibility that this
was the last time Audree was seeing this room... which meant that the railgun
would be left behind forever. In other words, leaving the railgun behind was an
instant game-over scenario.
However, being discovered with the railgun was also a
game-over scenario.
The footsteps began climbing up the stairs.
*How can I get out of this? Think, think, think!*
Audree was currently under the strictest surveillance and
one small wrong move could spell the end. The man could detect any small
anomalies in her movement, which meant that everything needed to be concealed.
However, even the attempt to conceal something could be detected...
*Is there nothing I can do??*
In her heightened state of awareness, every step the servant
took seemed to slow down.
Jisha scanned her surroundings as fast as she physically
could.
A bed. The "battery" on top of it. The pillows...
the covers? No, they couldn't possibly help. The mirrors? The washroom? Not
much could help in there...
What about concealing items with dimensional magic like the
inventory system in Synergy? This was impossible. For some reason, the system
allowed spatial storage at a cheap cost. However, without aid from a system,
creating a dimensional rift required an astronomical amount of essence. How was
it simple to materialize a wormhole?
Another step resounded through the hallway.
The secret room? Maybe some of the railgun materials could
help? But how? That couldn't make much sense...
The capacitor, the metal rods, the projectile... These were
all things that needed to be concealed. Since the railgun wasn't completely
constructed yet, she would have to assemble it in secret. But with nearly every
movement monitored, how would she be able to? And where could she do it? These
questions would have to be answered later.
Another step...
*Wait... The secret room?*
How did the secret room exist? Somehow, some way... The man
never found out about it. What allowed it to stay hidden? Audree quietly
entered it.
Step...
Jisha analyzed the room with full focus. And what she found
was quite...
*Interesting...*
The walls of the room were created from... something
strange. Jisha couldn't quite understand its components, which was unexpected
for someone like her. The only thing she could deduce was that it was woven
from physical and aetherial, or non-physical, essence components. If one were
to relate it to Synergy terms, it was akin to an enchanted object, combining
the physical and magical.
However, the weaving was so complex that it would take Jisha
a long time to deconstruct it...
Step...
Simply seeing the effects of the walls told her all she needed to know. She approached a wall, put her fingernails on it, and scraped. Its consistency was something like gelatin and cardboard... a strange combination.
*It's also self-repairing? I guess that makes sense... The cover would be blown if any accidental damage was caused.*
Due to this, the wall was torn cleanly, leaving her with a large-sized
malleable sheet. As she observed it, she noticed that it distorted her
perception. Not only was it invisible, but it was difficult to perceive with other
senses as well. Audree was likely the only person who knew the truth behind
these walls, and it was likely buried in some memories that Jisha didn't have
access to.
In other words, it was perfect for hiding things with.
Step...
Only 3 steps to go.
*Not much time... I need to move faster!*
Audree picked up the components of the railgun as quickly as
she could and wrapped them with the "invisible bag" she had just
created. The entire process took well under a second.
She quietly dashed back towards her bed, invisible bag in
tow.
Two steps remaining.
She jumped onto the bed and began draining the essence from
the battery, filling up her missing reserves. She made sure to lay in the exact
position she had been sleeping in to avoid rousing suspicion, but the process
seemed agonizingly slow.
*Come on!*
One step remaining.
After what seemed like an eternity, the essence battery was
drained and Audree quickly stuffed it in the invisible bag as well. And as if
nothing had happened, she pretended to be asleep.
The door creaked open.
An unenthusiastic female voice emanated from the doorway.
"Young miss, the master is furious that you're
pretending to be asleep."
When she heard this, Jisha felt metaphorical chills run down
her spine.
*Even with all of those countermeasures, he still noticed
something wrong?*
Audree sat up in bed and looked at the servant, a housemaid,
with hollow eyes.
The housemaid's face showed irritation for a brief moment
before returning to normal.
"Get dressed and head down immediately. Don't make more
of a mess than you need to."
The maid slammed the door shut.
Jisha mentally breathed a sigh of relief when the maid left.
For better or for worse, Audree was responsible for dressing and preparing
herself for the day. The only thing the maid did was thoroughly clean the bed
and bath.
Wasting no time, Audree changed into a dress, applied a
touch of makeup that was stored in nondescript bottles, and applied lavender
perfume.
The man always wanted Audree to appear perfect to the
public. According to him, any flaws on Audree's end would reflect poorly on him
as well. And the reason he wanted Audree to dress herself was because he
believed she was superior than any maid when it came to this.
His conclusion wasn't wrong. Audree looked stunning every
day, enough to drive the housemaids mad with jealousy. After all, a random girl the
master had picked up several years ago could do their job better than they
could...
Audree headed downstairs while expertly concealing the
invisible bag. To anyone else, her appearance today was no different than any
other.
However, Jisha knew better than to be complacent. Even with
her careful preparations, there was no telling what the man could find out
about her.
Audree approached the man who was sitting on a lavish couch
in front of an empty fireplace. Jisha was slightly nervous but was able to
quickly suppress this feeling. What use would her long lifespan be if she
couldn't even do this? Not even a single misstep could be afforded at this
moment.
Audree stared at the man with the same hollow eyes while the
man chewed on a pipe and put down the morning paper.
"We're leaving."
Audree didn't respond. After all, she had been conditioned not to say anything to the man unless he demanded a response.
"You could have come down earlier. Why are you making things so difficult?" the man asked as he narrowed his eyes at her.
Audree emotionlessly stared back, and if Jisha had spare time to panic right now, she would be sweating bullets. The eyes of the man seemed to pierce through her. He seemed to know everything; nothing could escape his gaze. Jisha could only hope that the material the mystery wall was made of could escape his eyes.
After a few more suspenseful seconds of observation, the man retrieved a slip of paper from his pockets and handed it to Audree. She immediately recognized what it was. Another errand.
Jisha immediately recognized that this was an opportunity.
*... The only chance I have.*
The only time she would have to complete the railgun was on this errand.
Audree unfolded the note as she'd done hundreds of times. There were two things written on it. The first was the name of a place. It wasn't an unfamiliar one as she'd been there many times before. It was a small shop in town. On the outside, it looked like an ordinary flower shop. However, it was owned by an "Axiom Revenant". In other words, the owner of the flower shop was similar to the man and Audree; they were essence users and thus closer to the truth of the world.
The second item listed was a material. Coincidentally, it was the only part of the railgun that Audree was missing. It was a sort of essence conductor, something akin to a wire. Jisha had no idea why the man needed this component, but with this, her mission was set in stone.
Audree expressionlessly nodded as she gave a small curtsey, acknowledging that she would take on this mission. Without missing a beat, she strode towards the door to leave. But before she reached the threshold, the man spoke up.
"We are not coming back here. Meet me at the nearest bridge on the Seine. We will continue from there."
Jisha inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately her earlier preparations weren't for nothing. Rather, if she hadn't done them, she would be dead.
If anyone else were in her shoes right now, they would most likely have failed the dungeon as soon as the housemaid walked in the door. The pressure of "real death" upon failure would most likely hinder a player's thought process. However, Jisha wasn't a stranger to walking the fine line between life and death. No matter how realistic death felt in Synergy, it didn't actually end one's life.
*It helps, though. Many players were able to transition easily into war after a few years in the game.*
After a single life-and-death battle, one's likelihood of surviving the next one was much greater. It didn't need to be said how much experience could be accumulated in hundreds of battles... And this experience was something Jisha possessed.
Audree walked into town. She was perfectly showing that nothing was out of the ordinary.
In the town square, the marketplace was bustling despite it being quite early in the morning. Jisha and Audree couldn't help but wonder what was happening. However, she couldn't stop here. She could still feel that she was being observed closely. Any odd movement here would result in punishment.
Audree ignored the masses and headed straight for the flower shop. Jisha felt that Audree had an extreme feeling of curiosity towards this mystery event, but the reason was inscrutable. If Jisha lost control for even a moment, she felt as if Audree would dash towards the crowd... and it would likely end in a game over.
*Come on, girl... Is this crowd so special that you would derelict your duty under strict observation?*
As soon as she had this thought, Audree struggled even harder to gain control. At this moment, it was Jisha's will against Audree's. It was as if Jisha's mind was being dragged towards the edge of a metaphorical cliff. Once she went over the edge, Audree would break free.
*Ah... That's why it's so difficult.*
To break free... that's all Audree ever wanted. And something told her that this mystery event was related to some sort of freedom. Unfortunately, Jisha had a similar personality. She also despised being under someone else's control, so she could sympathize with Audree. Because of this, maintaining control of the current situation was more difficult than it should have been.
Jisha fought her hardest in this mental tug-of-war to maintain control, but she and Audree were evenly matched.
*This... is a bit embarrassing, isn't it?*
This woman, now a girl again, was lauded as one of the top Synergy players in her previous life. She stood above billions of other players and was effectively in a world that no "mortals" could reach, attaining the moniker of "Goddess".
However, this "Goddess" was losing a tug-of-war match to a ten-year-old girl.
They were evenly matched, but since Audree's intentions aligned with Jisha's sentiments, Jisha found it impossible to resist Audree's will. Slowly but surely, Jisha felt herself being dragged closer and closer towards this metaphorical cliff's edge.
*This can't happen...*
Closer and closer to the edge... Audree's will was too powerful to resist. It was everything Jisha could do to delay the inevitable.
In this moment, Jisha was truly out of options. She didn't have any brainpower to spare to come up with alternative strategies. But as soon as she was about to fail, she felt that the observation on her had weakened severely.
*What?*
And in this moment of being stunned, Jisha lost control.
Audree dashed over to the crowd, but Jisha wasn't concerned anymore. It didn't matter how, but she'd been saved. The man seemed to be distracted with something else at the moment.
*Maybe it's an unavoidable cut scene? This could be important.*
The crowd was all focused on a the center of the square. Audree was only ten years old, and being short for her age didn't help her see over the crowd. She couldn't use any essence to peek over either since it could attract the man's attention. She had no choice but to push and shove towards the front.
What were they all looking at? She had to know.
And once she reached the front, Audree's eyes glistened as if she'd found a shiny new toy.
In front of them was a man whose neck and hands were restrained by wood and shackles. Above him was a silver angled blade that was ready to fall.
It was a guillotine.
Jisha obviously knew what this was, but Audree had never seen one in person before.
This was one area Jisha was undoubtedly more experienced in, for better or for worse. Death was something she'd seen countless times. There was a time where she still felt something when killing, but that time was long gone. However, she never forgot how it felt to witness the first death. It was definitely... emotional.
*I was just a spoiled princess back then... Time can truly change someone.*
How would Audree react? She'd never seen the man, or anyone else, kill anyone. She was a smart girl; she knew what execution and death was. However, knowing and experiencing were two vastly different things.
As Audree's eyes ecstatically darted around, two men, presumably the judge and executioner, stepped up to the guillotine. The judge signaled to the crowd, and they gradually quieted down.
"Today, the man called Louis Allard will pay for his crimes. He has been convicted of murdering a man and a teenage boy in Rouen, but this wasn't his first slaughter. Several years ago..."
The judge went on to list various crimes Louis had apparently committed. The audience gasped and murmured at each one. There was a mountain of charges against him.
The audience, being the sheep they were, was convinced at this point. They began chastising Louis for everything he'd done. Louis remained silent throughout the castigation. He stared at the ground with an inscrutable countenance.
"What are your final words?" the judge turned to Louis and asked.
Louis looked up, and with a lack of emotion, only said two words.
"I'm innocent."
"Hahahaha..."
The judge laughed. The crowd jeered. How pathetic! He was already on the chopping block. Why was he still pretending? What a strange fellow. And even if he was innocent, it was too late.
The judge gave the signal to the executioner.
Audree looked on in... excitement? Nervousness? Anticipation? Jisha could tell Audree was feeling a strange mix of emotions.
Audree watched the executioner pull the rope, and everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion.
The blade that was hanging above was unlatched.
As it slid down, it barely made any noise. It must have been a well-oiled machine.
The blade accelerated.
The left side of the angled blade bit into Louis' neck. However, that didn't slow it at all. The angled blade dropped to the bottom of the guillotine as if there hadn't been a human neck in the way.
A few fractions of a second later, the head detached from the body.
Blood spurted from the head and neck.
The body went limp... *only* the body.
Audree stared at the head that was rolling on the ground.
It was obvious that Louis was still conscious. It was clear that he was panicking. His eyes darted from his body to the executioner to the blade. He was witnessing his own body in third person. It would have been stranger if he wasn't panicking.
After a second, he seemed to calm down.
*He must have been a man of great mental fortitude if he can calm down in this situation...*
With his serene eyes, he scanned the crowd.
All sorts of noises emanated from a full 360 degrees. They were surely enjoying themselves.
After another second, his eyes landed on Audree.
Audree stared into Louis' eyes. Louis stared back. His eyes were a piercing blue. And that was it. Only Louis knew what he was thinking in his final seconds. But Audree would never forget those eyes.
Louis' eyes seemed to dim; the light of life was snuffed out.
Six and a half seconds. That's how long Louis survived after the execution. And in those six and a half seconds, Audree felt herself drawn towards his gaze. And when his light went out, she seemed to feel magnetized towards what she could see coming from his head.
Was it essence? Maybe. In fact, this wasn't unlikely since Audree sensed that Louis was also an Axiom Revenant. However, that wasn't what intrigued her.
For the first time in her life, deep down inside, she truly felt like something was being freed. A well of emotions she had been bottling up her whole life broke out at once.
"..."
The crowd stopped to stare at Audree. It wasn't clear whether she was laughing or crying. Some of them made remarks. Some looked on in pity.
But she didn't care. She felt free.
*This is bad...*
Jisha knew what people like Audree would do in the future... and it wasn't pretty. However, there was nothing to be done.
*It's only an alternate life instance... Right? It's not real.*
But as she told herself that, for the first time in a long time... she wasn't sure.
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