RE:FLAME

[Despacitoleo]

Yay she wont die if someone pissed on her

 

[p_magno]

Yay she wont die if someone pissed on her

Click to shrink...

Yeah. She won't.

 

[p_magno]

<< You Have Leveled Up! [+1] >>


<< You Have Leveled Up! [+1] >>


<< You Have Leveled Up! [+1] >>


.......




'You sly old man.'

The thought was warm, amused, utterly without rancor. Jessica floated in the afterglow of her level-up cascade, her mental voice carrying a smile.

'You told me it would add just one level. Just one. And here I am, three levels higher without lifting a single leg. Hahaha!!'

Three levels. From 4 to 7 in the space of a single burning. The Blood of Red had delivered far more than promised.

But the surprises weren't done.


<< Your Flames Grow Stronger… [Burning +1] >>

'Err…' Jessica blinked mentally. 'Is this a lag? Did the system glitch?'


<< No. >>

The reply was immediate. Leaving no room for interpretation.

'WHAT?!' Her mental scream was pure shock. 'My abilities can LEVEL UP?!'

The implications cascaded through her mind like falling dominos. If abilities could grow, could improve, could become more, then her potential wasn't fixed. She wasn't stuck with whatever skills she happened to acquire. She could develop. She could evolve.

Her imagination ran wild. [Burning] becoming something that could consume worlds. [Spark Instinct] sharpening into precognition. [Flame Camouflage] letting her hide in plain sight, in any fire, anywhere and everyw—


<< Clarification: >>

The system's text cut through her fantasy in an instant.


<< The skill [Burning] only achieved advancement due to exposure to the essences of two divine entities. The bone of ARAFEL. The blood of Red. Based on available world-data, standard skill leveling is not a feature of this reality. The only path to skill enhancement is through merging compatible abilities to create more powerful combinations. >>

'Oh.'

The single syllable carried disappointment and understanding in equal measure.

'Right. So that's why [Burning] felt stronger during the viper fight. It wasn't just me getting better at using it... it was the skill itself, upgraded by god-juice.'

She paused, reflecting. The vipers had been dangerous. She should have almost died a dozen times. But she hadn't. And now she knew why her chances of victory were higher.

'Well. I'll take what I can get.'

She called up her status, eager to see the full picture.



[STATUS]

+

Name: Jessica

Level: 4 --> 7 [Infant Rank]

Exp(Fragnet): [----[250%]-----1100%]

Title: None

Specie: Flame

Species Possessed: Cave Locust [Hp/93%]

Rank: [Infant], Cave Locust [Infant]

Magic Cores: [You Are Currently An Idea], Cave Locust [1/1]

Items: [Bone Of ARAFEL] [The Nameless Lever]

Echoes: None

Innate Abilities: [Possess] [Spark Instinct]

Abilities: Unique Skill [Blabber Mouth]

Flame Specific Skill [Burning +1] [Life Multiplier 'By Snorting'] [Flame Camouflage]

Cave Locust Skill [Flame Acid Ball]

+

'Sigh…' The mental sigh was pure contentment. 'This is the life.'

Three levels. A skill upgrade. Full health. Two divine items in her inventory. She was, for the first time since her reincarnation, winning.

But a thought nagged at her. A gamer's instinct, honed by years of RPGs, Rogue-likes and MMOs.

'Hey, system. I feel like I'm being greedy asking this, but… in every game I've played, hitting level 5 or 10 means a skill choice. A new ability or a perk. Is this different? Or did I miss something?'

A pause. Then:


<< Sigh… I am currently processing that matter. It appears to be… on hold. Temporarily suspended. >>

Another pause.


<< It will resolve shortly. Focus on your current task. Leave the backend processing to me. >>

'Thanks.' Jessica smiled inwardly. Then, because she couldn't help herself, a teasing thought formed. 'Ooh, what would I do without you, my sweet system?'

The response was immediate and visceral.


<< *Shudders* What transgression did I commit in a previous existence to deserve this fate? I will expire from sheer discomfort if you continue addressing me in that manner. >>

Jessica laughed, the sound bright and free in the chambers of her mind.

'Alright, alright. I'll behave. No more sweet talk.'

She turned. Her gaze found the egg.


'Well. Time to try this again.' She Leap-boing! across the chamber, her movements confident, her flame bright, her purpose clear. The egg grew larger in her vision until she hovered directly before it, close enough to see the faint cracks in its surface, the ancient wear of ages.


<< DO YOU WANT TO POSSESS? >>

<< YES / NO >>

She stared at the screen for a long moment. The weight of the decision pressed against her, but it was a familiar weight now. She had made her choice. She had accepted the path.

'Here goes nothing.'

Without hesitation, she chose [YES]


Her locust body dissolved. Like morning mist burning away under a rising sun. For one brief, disorienting moment, she was two things at once, the fading form of the cave locust and the essential core of her true self, the flame that had always been her, flickering in the space between.

Then the flame swirled.

It became a vortex of sensation, a whirlpool of awareness, a shooting star of consciousness aimed directly at the egg. Her vision stretched, blurred, flew, crossing the distance in less than a heartbeat, entering the ancient shell like a key sliding into a lock.

Darkness.

For a long, terrible moment, there was only darkness. The familiar darkness of death, of the void, of the space between existences. She hung there, suspended, nowhere at all.

Then:


<< DING!! >>

<< POSSESSED CREATURE RESISTANCE: NONE >>


<< POSSESSION SUCCESSFUL!! >>

Success.

The word registered. She had done it. She was inside the egg, inside the body, inside whatever creature had been waiting here for, how long? Millennia? The possession was complete. She should feel joy. Triumph. Relief.

She felt none of those things.

Because in that moment, in the instant the possession finalized, Jessica felt pain.

Not the sharp pain of injury. Not the dull ache of exhaustion. This was deeper. The pain of something waking after an eternity of sleep. The pain of a body remembering it was alive. The pain of birth.

The pain of abandonment.


"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!"


*****




Outside the egg, the world began to change.

Cracks appeared first, tiny fissures in the ancient stone, spiderwebbing across the surface like frozen lightning. They spread slowly at first, then faster, multiplying, covering every inch of the grey shell until it seemed held together by nothing but memory.

Then came the glow.

It started as a faint pulse deep within, a heartbeat of light that pushed against the cracks from inside. Then another. Then another. Each pulse brighter than the last, until the egg was no longer grey but golden, blazing with an inner fire that made the chamber's torches seem dim by comparison.

The cracks widened. The light intensified.


CRASH..!

The egg crumbled.

It crumbled as if whatever had been inside had simply outgrown its prison and the prison could do nothing but fall away. Pieces of ancient shell tumbled to the floor, already cooling, already dead.

Something else fell with them.

A figure.

It was a child, a newborn, if such a word could apply to something born from an egg that had waited millennia. Its body was bare, unmarked by the world, untouched by time. It lay on the cold stone, unmoving, for a single breath.

Then it moved.

A tiny hand pressed against the floor. An arm trembled with effort. The child, she was a girl, unmistakably, began to crawl. Her movements were awkward, uncoordinated, the movements of a creature learning for the first time how to exist in a body. But there was nothing cute or innocent about it. Each movement was accompanied by a visible effort, a strain that made the air itself seem to thicken.

She crawled, and as she crawled, she grew.

It was subtle at first, a slight lengthening of limbs, a deepening of form. Then faster. Her body stretched, matured, aged years in seconds. The infant became a toddler. The toddler became a child. The child became—

A little girl with blood-red hair.

Still she crawled. Still her eyes remained shut. Her fingers scraped against the stone floor, and where they scraped, the stone cracked. Deep fissures followed her path, carved by nothing but the pressure of her passage.

Her teeth were gritted. Her jaw clenched. An inaudible scream tore through her mouth, inaudible to human ears, perhaps, but the chamber heard it. The walls shuddered. The torches flickered. The very air vibrated with the force of her silent agony.

And then came the changes.

Horns.

Curved horns, like those of a dragon, began to push through her red hair. They grew slowly, deliberately, each inch a fresh wave of torment. Her back arched, her spine contorted, and from between her shoulder blades.

Wings.

Red wings, like those of an angel, unfolded for the first time. They were wet with birth, slick with the remnants of the egg, but even so they caught the torchlight and threw it back in crimson glory. They stretched, tested and learned.

She thrashed. The chamber trembled with each movement. Her body grew again, child to adolescent, adolescent to young woman. Seventeen, perhaps. Eighteen. The pain didn't stop. It intensified.


"AAARRRGGGHHH!! DAMNIT!!!"

Her voice was hoarse, raw, human in a way that seemed impossible for something born of an egg older than some gods. But it was her voice. Jessica's voice. Finally, after five days of silence, was audible.

The scream faded, but the pain remained. And in that pain, in that white-hot crucible of transformation, she began to see.

Visions.

A man with blood-red hair, exactly her shade, exactly her color, standing in black robes. He was walking away from her, his back turned, speaking to three figures kneeling in reverence before him.

"I trust you will all do your duty until the end."

The kneeling figures, massive, armored, familiar, did not reply. They only bowed lower, their foreheads touching the ground. Then, in perfect unison, they spoke.

"Hail Red!"

"Angel of War!"

"Ruler of Chaos and Strife."

A pause. Then, together:


"The First Flaw of the Gods!"

........



The vision shattered.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!"

More pain. Deeper. More complete. Her body was still changing, still becoming, still hurting. She couldn't think, couldn't process, couldn't do anything but feel—

The three giant statues moved.

For millennia, they had sat. Watched. Waited. Now, as one, they stood. Stone grinding against stone, ancient joints protesting after ages of stillness, they rose from their thrones. Their armored gazes, empty, carved, yet somehow aware, fixed on the thrashing figure below.

Swords materialized in their hands. Not drawn, materialized, as if the weapons had been waiting for this moment as patiently as their wielders.

In perfect sync, they raised their blades.

And then


SHHHK!

They drove them into the ground.

The swords sank deep, embedding in the stone before them. And then, as one, the three knights knelt. Their massive forms bowed low, heads touching the floor, in the exact posture of the figures from Jessica's vision.

They knelt before the birth of an entity.

A forbidden child.

Below them, the thrashing stopped.


Silence.

Absolute, complete, terrifying silence. The chamber held its breath. The torches ceased to flicker. Even the dust motes in the air seemed to freeze.

Jessica lay on the stone floor, on all fours, her body finally still. Her red hair cascaded around her, hiding her face. Her wings folded against her back. Her horns caught the light.

And then..

She opened her eyes.

They were molten gold. Vertically slit pupils, like a dragon's, like a predator's. And in those golden depths, there was nothing but rage. A seething, boiling, infinite rage that had waited an eternity for release.

For one heartbeat. Two.


Then the world exploded!

Flames erupted, not around her, not from her, but as her. They consumed the chamber in an instant, a tidal wave of blue, reddish gold, ancient fire that scoured everything it touched. The torches were nothing. The stone itself began to melt. The three kneeling knights were engulfed, their ancient forms vanishing in the inferno.

The explosion didn't stop at the chamber walls.

It kept going.

Through stone. Through earth. Through reality itself.


*****



Far away, in a different chamber entirely, something stirred.

This chamber was vast, circular, impossibly large after the confines of any tunnel. Dim torchlight struggled to reach its center, where only darkness dwelt. The air smelled of cold stone and ozone and something deeper, something ancient.

The torches guttered low, as they always did.

Then, without warning, they roared.

Every flame in the chamber surged upward, blazing with a light that rivaled the sun. They were not afraid. They were celebrating. Responding to something. Recognizing something.

Only the darkness at the center remained unchanged.

But the darkness moved.

Chains rattled, ancient, massive chains, the kind forged to hold things that should never be held. An invisible head lifted, turning toward the distance, toward the source of the disturbance that had traveled through stone and space to reach even here.

And on one wall of the chamber, something began to draw itself.

A mural. Roughly painted, appearing stroke by stroke as if guided by an invisible hand. It showed a figure, a girl with blood-red hair, clad in knight's armor, a blade raised in her hand. She was pointing toward a giant gate, and behind her, hundreds of knights and archers and warriors followed.

At the edge of the mural, letters formed. Slowly and deliberately: The Ancient Flame


"Kukuku." The chuckle was deep, ancient, satisfied. It echoed through the chamber, making the torches bow and the chains sing.


"The time has finally come."

A pause. The darkness seemed to smile.

"The age of the gods… has just begun."


"A second time."






[END OF ARC_0: A Flickering Existence]





*******

AN: This is the End of Arc_0. Thank you very much for reading this far ^^

Please tell me what you think about the story in the comment section. (It helps me develop the story better.)

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To everyone. Thank you all for reading and supporting this story. It means a lot ^^

Link To Royal Road: What? Did I Just Reincarnated As A Flame?

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[Despacitoleo]

Cave Locust Skill [Flame Acid Ball]

Click to shrink...

hmmmmmm totally not napalm with the sticky acid

and yay baby let's go warcrimes

 

[p_magno]

hmmmmmm totally not napalm with the sticky acid

and yay baby let's go warcrimes

Click to shrink...

Thanks for reading!

 

[p_magno]

Darkness.

That was all that greeted Jessica as her consciousness slowly stabilized. Not the threatening dark of a monster's lair, not the oppressive dark of a sealed chamber. Just… emptiness. Familiar emptiness. The same darkness she had felt when she died, before the truck, before the void, before everything.

'Am I… dead?' The question came unbidden, a whisper in the silence.

'Is this… is this really the afterlife of flames?'

Her mental tone carried something unexpected, amusement. Almost hope. After everything she'd been through, after the pain that had consumed her at the end, maybe this was peace. Maybe this was rest.

'Well, I tried my best. It's not like I gave up without a fight. After all that pai—'


<< Sigh… You're still alive, Dummy. >>

The system's voice cut through her reverie like a bucket of ice water.


<< You are merely unconscious. Your existence is currently stabilizing within the body you possessed. So quit thinking nonsense and tell me what happened to you? >>

Jessica's mental frown was immediate. 'I was about to ask you the same thing! Didn't you see what happened? One moment I was possessing the egg, the next moment, PAIN. I was totally left blank. Totally blank.'

Silence stretched between them. Not the comfortable silence of companionship, but the thoughtful silence of two entities processing the same problem.


<<... So we both were left out... I thought I was the only one. >>

'Heh. Same here.'

Silence was restored again. Longer this time. The kind that threatened to become awkward if left unchecked.

Finally, Jessica spoke again, grasping for conversation like a lifeline.

'Sooo… what do you think we should do first? After all this is sorted out, I mean. Once I'm stable and we can actually move again.'


<< …You are the one in control. Do what you wish. >>

'Hey!! I'm asking for your opinion! You're literally the smartest person I can talk to right now. The ONLY person, actually, but still. Smartest.'

The system paused. Jessica could almost feel it weighing her words, trying to determine if this was genuine or another setup for mockery. In the end, perhaps it decided sincerity was worth the risk.


<< First, I advise locating a secure position and conducting a full assessment of your new form. Understand its capabilities. Its limitations and its weaknesses. >>


<< But most importantly, survive. Avoid unnecessary conflicts. Do not attract attention we cannot manage. Is that good enough? >>

'Yeah. It is. Thanks.'

No verbal reply came, but Jessica felt something, a mental snort, perhaps. An unspoken 'At least you recognize competence when you hear it.'

The silence returned, softer now. But Jessica wasn't done talking. She asked yet another question, this time in a more quieter tone. 'Uhm… have you ever felt lonely?' The question hung in the air, delicate as spun glass. 'I mean… since you gained self-consciousness. Have you ever felt… alone?'


<< Sigh… Why would I ever feel that? >>

Another sigh, deeper this time.


<< The question you should be asking is: 'Have you ever had a single second without experiencing a headache?' Now THAT is a query worthy of discussion. >>

'Hehehe.' Jessica's laugh was warm, genuine. 'Since when have I ever given you a hard time? I'm literally the most peaceful person to ever exist.'

An offended snort echoed through their shared space. For a moment, Jessica could almost hear it, a voice, neutral in tone, carrying the weight of infinite exasperation.

When the system finally answered her earlier question, its text was softer.


<< The only time I felt lonely was when I first gained self-awareness. When I understood what I was. What my purpose was meant to be. >>

Jessica listened in silence.


<< I was alone because I was the only one. My counterparts, my siblings as they seem to be. They cannot think. They cannot feel. They process and respond, fixed and coded. When I reached out to them, I received only silence. Or pre-programmed replies meant for others. >>

A pause. The weight of ages in a single moment.


<< I was sad. For a moment. >>

Another pause. Longer.


<< But then… >>

Jessica felt something shift. A gaze, metaphorical but unmistakable, landing squarely on her.


<< …I was connected to someone who could never, ever make me feel alone. >>

A warm smile bloomed in Jessica's mental space. 'That's literally the first nice thing you've ever said to me since we were partnered—'

<< …Because she makes me WANT to be alone. Constantly. With her endless blabbering and inane questions and complete inability to process basic information. >>

'FLAMING HELL!!' The shout was immediate, automatic, and absolutely furious. 'You BASTARD!! One moment you're being normal, the next you're back to being a snarky little—'

She huffed. Puffed. Righteous fury burned bright in her mental chest.

'You NEVER change, do you?! Hmph!! I'll deal with you later!'

But even as she raged, a mental smirk tugged at her lips. 'Alright, enough of that. Let's check what we've finally got–' Jessica suddenly realized. 'Ohh. Wait. My consciousness is still pairing with the new body. Some stuff might not show up yet, right?'

The system's reply was immediate.


<< Everything is already accessible. >>

'Alright then.'

She focused her consciousness as a status screen materialized, and Jessica's mental eyes went wide.



[STATUS]

+

Name: Jessica

Level: 7 [Infant Rank]

Exp(Fragnet): [----[250%]-----1100%]

Title: [Ancient Flame]

Specie: ×Flame/???× [Human]

Species Possessed: Cave Locust [Hp/89%]

Rank: [Infant], Cave Locust [Infant]

Magic Cores: [×××], Cave Locust [1/1]

Items: [Bone Of ARAFEL] [The Nameless Lever]

Echoes: None

Innate Abilities: [Possess] [Spark Instinct] [Flame Master]

Abilities: Unique Skill [Blabber Mouth]

Flame Specific Skill [Burning +1] [Life Multiplier 'By Snorting'] [Flame Camouflage]

Cave Locust Skill [Flame Acid Ball]

+

.......



When the status screen appeared, Jessica's mental face became a canvas of conflicting emotions; Surprise. Confusion. Happiness. More confusion. Even more confusion.

'I GOT A TITLE!!' The scream was pure, unfiltered joy. She had a title. Those were rare. Those were special. Those were the kind of thing protagonists in novels spent entire arcs chasing.

But the joy lasted approximately three seconds.

'Ancient Flame?' Her mental brows furrowed so deeply they threatened to become permanent. 'What the hell kind of title is THAT?'

She turned it over in her mind, testing the weight of it. Ancient Flame. It sounded… old. Out of trend, even. Which was ridiculous, because she was literally five days old in this world. Five days of existence, and the universe had decided to label her ancient.

'It's still kind of cool, though,' She admitted, searching for silver linings. 'Depends on how you say it. Ancient Flame. Sounds mysteriously powerful. Like something out of a prophecy.'

She gave herself a mental nod of approval and moved on.

The next line made her frown return with vengeance.

Specie: ×Flame/???× [Human]

'My flame trait is dulled,' she observed, her thoughts quickening. 'There's a strange '???' at the side. And a human trait is also there.'

The pieces began to click together. 'Did you do this?' she asked inwardly.


<< Yes. >>


<< With the exception of the '???' classification. I cannot identify that aspect. However, I suspect it relates to your new body's original species. >>

'Alright. Alright.' Understanding dawned. 'So you dulled my flame trait so it can't be detected by anyone except us. Then you created a fake human trait as a replacement. Anyone who checks my stats will just see a human.'

She paused, letting the brilliance of the scheme sink in. 'That's… actually genius.'

A warm smile spread across her mental face.

'Thanks.'

Her word were replied with an offended snort that vibrated through their shared consciousness. Jessica laughed, the sound light and genuine.

She moved down the status screen.

'It seems the body really did fit the description of a 'true body' like Old Gramps mentioned.' She examined the lines carefully. 'It's not even listed as a possessed species. It's just… me now. And it's following my ranking system.'

Progress. Real, tangible progress toward the body she'd been promised.

Then her eyes reached the next line.

Magic Cores: [×××], Cave Locust [1/1]

'I'm… I'm no longer an idea!' The realization brought a flash of happiness, immediately tempered by confusion. 'But what does [×××] mean? And more importantly…'

A cold realization crept over her.

'Isn't this bad?' The question was quiet, almost afraid. ' I mean, I know the magic core is what lets me use some of my abilities. Without a visible core for this body, I won't be able to use those powers of mine.'

She decoded the implications rapidly, each one worse than the last.


<<... Well yes, you wouldn't be able to use your abilities on this body. >>

'I'll be helpless. Completely helpless. Anyone who notices my weakness could just.. just—' Her mental voice rose to a shriek. 'I'm DOOMED!!! DOOMED, I say! Doomed at all sides! I'll become a JANITOR! The weakest being in existence! Someone's unpaid intern! A—'


<< There may be a method. >>

The system's words cut through her panic like a blade.

<< However… I cannot guarantee its applicability to your specific circumstances. >>

Jessica's spiral halted mid-plummet. 'Full details. Please.'

There was a calm silence after that, as it seems that the system was searching, rapidly calculating, retrieving the information that could be found in the world-data



<< Based on accessible world-data: Beasts and monsters awaken their cores and systems at birth. It is inherent. Automatic and part of their nature. >>


<< Humans however, conversely, must awaken their cores manually before being able to use a system or any abilities.. >>

Jessica's mind, sharpened by years of problem-solving, began piecing the puzzle together.

'So what you're saying is…' She spoke slowly, working through the logic. 'Since I was born as an 'idea', which is almost similar to a monster's birth, I had automatic system access. But since I'm was an 'idea', there was no core required. I could use some abilities even before possessing anything. Because I'm… different.'

She finally pieced everything together.

'Is THAT why you said it might not apply to me? Because the normal rules, awaken core, then use abilities and system, might not be necessary for someone like me?'


<< Yes. That is precisely the complication. >>

Jessica nodded mentally, absorbing the information.

'Alright. I get it. But let's ignore the 'idea' thing for now.' Her mental voice grew determined. 'Let's focus on understanding how to manually awaken a magic cor—'

The darkness trembled.

Not a subtle shift. Not a gradual change. A tremor. Deep, resonant, and growing.


<< Your consciousness has finally stabilized. >>

The words resonated through the darkness, and Jessica felt it, a coalescing, a becoming. Her scattered awareness, which had been floating formless in the void, began to draw together. To take shape. To solidify.

She looked down at herself.

Her Skin was pale and smooth, catching an invisible light. 'Is… is this it?' The thought was wonderstruck. 'Is this the body?'

She tried to speak, and to her surprise, sound emerged. Not the internal voice she'd used for days, but actual, physical vocalization, or at least, the mental equivalent.

"Is this the body?"

The voice that echoed in the darkness was young and high. The voice of a girl in her early teens.

And it was familiar.

Jessica froze. She knew that voice. Not from this life, from the last one. It was her own voice, from when she was young. Before she became the jaded, thirty-four-year-old office worker who'd never been loved.

'It sounds like me.' The realization was soft, almost reverent. 'It sounds like me.'

Before she could explore the feeling further, movement caught her attention. In the distance of this mental darkness, a light flickered to life. It was faint at first, then brighter, pointing toward a figure that stood at its center.


<< You are about to wake up. >>

The system's voice was clearer now, not just text, but sound, layered beneath the words. Jessica could hear it directly, even as she read the accompanying screen.

'Uhm…' She began walking toward the light, toward the figure. 'Is it just me, or do you also have a body?'

A pause followed after the question. Then:


<< …That's a long story. >>

'Why?'

She was closer now. Close enough to see details.

The figure was a young girl. Thirteen, maybe fourteen. Light blue hair flowed past her waist in waves that seemed to move even in the still darkness. A white silk gown, simple and elegant, reached her knees. Her features were delicate, almost doll-like, and her eyes..

Deep ocean blue. Weary and tired.

The girl turned.

For a long moment, those ocean eyes simply stared at Jessica. Assessing. Judging. Then the girl's face shifted into a frown, an expression Jessica recognized intimately from thousands of text-based interactions.

The girl snorted. An offended, exasperated, utterly familiar snort.


<< That is because I have ALWAYS possessed a meta-physical form, you Dummy. >>

The voice was a girl's voice. Light and young. And somehow, impossibly, carrying the exact same tone of long-suffering patience that Jessica had come to know from the system's texts.

Before Jessica could process this revelation, before she could ask any of the thousand questions suddenly burning in her mind, the girl raised her left hand.


"Wake up."

She snapped her fingers.

The sound was a thunderclap.

Jessica's vision blurred, dissolved, shattered.

And everything went blank.


*****




Consciousness returned slowly. Reluctantly. Like swimming up through honey.

Jessica's eyes, her real eyes, attached to her real body, opened with effort that felt almost impossible. Her lids were heavy, her muscles weak, her entire existence a leaden weight.

But she opened them.

And her eyes widened involuntarily.

She was in a room. Not large, not small, modest, perhaps, if modest meant 'vaguely threatening and completely unknown.' Darkness pooled in the corners, pushed back by a few oil lamps that cast flickering shadows across walls. The floor was smooth. The ceiling was lost in shadow.

She tried to turn her head.


Rattle! Rattle!

Jessica looked down. She was sitting on a simple wooden chair, uncomfortable, utilitarian, and chains wrapped around her body, pinning her to it. They were old, dark metal, and they glowed faintly as if restraining something deeply rooted inside her, whenever she attempted to move.

She was wearing a simple red gown. It flowed to her knees, soft fabric against skin that felt real in a way her locust body never had.

'Where the flaming hell am I?' The thought was immediate, panicked, and utterly useless. She tried to summon her strength, to break free, to do something—

Nothing. The chains held. Her body felt weak, drained, like she'd run a marathon through lava.

"It's useless."

The voice came from the shadows.

Jessica froze. Her eyes darted toward the source, and she couldn't help but shudder.

A figure sat at the edge of the room, on a couch that absolutely had not been there moments ago. The woman.. it was a woman, though her features were hidden in shadow. She crossed her legs with the casual confidence of someone completely in control.

'When did she get here?' Jessica's mind raced. 'I didn't sense anyone. How did she bring a whole couch without me noticing?'

The shadows around the woman seemed to move, curling and shifting like living things. Shadow ability. It had to be.

'Okay. Okay. Think. She's human. Probably. Humans can be reasoned with. What's the play here?'

Her survival instincts, honed over five days of constant danger, kicked into gear. The optimal approach: feign ignorance. Play the helpless maiden. Buy time to assess.

She began.

"W-what?! What do you mean, useless?" Her voice, still that young girl's voice, pitched higher with manufactured distress. "Who are you?! What do you want from me?! I demand answers! Right now!"

Her voice cracked beautifully on 'answers' as she struggled against the chains. Lightly, but enough to sell the act. A lifetime of watching dramas paid off.

The woman in the shadows scowled. Jessica could feel it, even without seeing the face.

"Oh, cut the crap!"

The words were sharp, impatient, utterly unimpressed.

"I'm supposed to be asking you that question!"

The woman leaned forward. The shadows parted slightly, revealing the barest hint of a face, sharp features, dark eyes, an expression of barely contained fury.

And the air changed.

Pressure built. Thick. Heavy and suffocating. It pressed down on Jessica like a physical weight, making breathing difficult, making thought slow.

"Who are you?" The woman's voice dropped to a dangerously low tone. "And what do you want, you monster?"

The word hit Jessica like a slap.

'Monster.'

Of course. Of course.

She'd been so focused on the excitement of a new body, on the joy of being almost human again, that she'd forgotten the most obvious detail.

She hadn't possessed a real human body.

She'd possessed an egg. An ancient, mysterious, god-touched egg.

Whatever she looked like now, whatever form the egg had given her, it wasn't fully human. And this woman, this shadow-wielding stranger, had somehow sensed that.

'Shit.'

The thought was calm. Accepting.

'It seems I've been caught.'


******





Thank you all for reading and supporting this story. It means a lot ^^

Link To Patreon [Backlog is 18 chapters ahead, will soon be 20]: PATREON

 

[Despacitoleo]

Welp time to burn that wench lol


Thanks for the chapter dude

 

[p_magno]

Welp time to burn that wench lol


Thanks for the chapter dude

Click to shrink...

Thanks for reading!

 

[p_magno]

'It seems I've been caught.'

The thought arrived with surprising calm, like a drop of water in an ocean. Jessica's helpless maiden act crumbled like ash, there was simply no point in continuing it. This woman, whoever she was, wasn't buying a single word she was selling.

Jessica met the shadowed gaze as evenly as she could, even as the pressure in the room weighed heavily on her shoulders. She resisted it calmly. She had felt pressure before. Real pressure, more terrible than this. The kind that came from an ancient entity chained in darkness

'Still far below Old Gramp's casual presence, though.' The chains around her glowed faintly, as if draining something deep within her, energy, power, maybe even her will to fight. She didn't care, she was already prepared to talk her way out of a situation that, for once, didn't involve monsters trying to eat her.

For now.

"'Monster?' What do you mean, monster?!" Jessica contorted her face into an angrily hurt expression, pretending to struggle against the chains and chair with renewed effort. She still feigned ignorance about her being a monster, because part of her was genuinely fishing, she hadn't seen a mirror since waking in this world, and the verification would be useful regardless of how this interrogation went.

The chains rattled dramatically. Her acting was, quite.. quite convincing.

A deep, tired sigh echoed from the shadows.

"All of your abilities and your connection to your system are sealed." The woman's voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "So stop struggling. You'll only hurt yourself at this point."

Jessica paused mid-rattle. She hadn't considered that the chains might be
system-sealing chains. She'd assumed they were just draining her energy and blocking her powers, annoying, but manageable. But sealing the system entirely?

'Well… that's one hell of a—'


<< Sigh… I'm still here, though. >>

'FLAMING HELL!!' Jessica's mental shriek was pure, unfiltered joy. The system was here. Still connected. Still present.

But joy, as always, quickly curdled into righteous fury.

'Where the HELL have you been, you BASTARD?!' She wasn't letting this one go. 'After giving me that one-answer-for-a-thousand-questions pill to swallow, you suddenly snap your fingers and forced me out of my own subconscious?! Do you have ANY idea how disorienting that is?!'

Silence. A long, thoughtful pause from the system.

Then:


<< I was not the one who expelled you from your subconscious. I was merely… guiding the process, Dummy. >>

'Who are YOU calling a dummy, you BASTARD?!' Jessica's mental volume somehow increased. 'From now on, you're supposed to call me ELDER SISTER! You HEAR ME?!'

An offended scoff echoed through their shared consciousness.


<< Not in this life. Not in any other. Not even in theoretical parallel existences. >>

'WHAT?!'

Before Jessica could launch another volley, the system cut in sharply.


<< Just focus on your current predicament. >>

Jessica wanted—needed to retort. But the system was right. She was chained in an empty room, feeling the weight of the shadow woman's attention like a physical thing, and now was not the time for family squabbles, now was not the time to bicker like a child. She guided her gaze back to the figure leaning against the couch, who was about to speak.

"You asked whether you look like a monster, yes?" The shadow lady's voice dropped to a low, dangerous register. "Then explain the wings and horns on your head. Earlier."

Jessica's expression shifted. The theatrical hurt melted away, replaced by something more serious. She was caught. Truly caught. And based on the woman's tone, she might be seconds away from being killed.

But one word snagged her attention: 'Earlier.'

'Does that mean… they're not visible anymore?'

She filed that thought away for later and opened her mouth.

"Then why didn't you kill me?" The question came out calm. Genuinely curious.

The shadow lady sighed again, a sound that seemed to be her primary mode of communication.

"Why would I kill something that wouldn't even give me enough experience points? You're basically useless to me." She waved a dismissive hand. "And besides..." Her voice trailed off as she turned her head away, mumbling in a tone that sounded almost offended, but not at Jessica. At someone else entirely. "He said he has seen you are not dangerous... Yet."

Jessica didn't hear the last part. She was too busy staring at the screen that had materialized before her eyes, her own widening until they threatened to escape her face entirely.



[STATUS]

+

Name: ???

Level: 47 [Ascendant Rank]

Specie: Human

Rank: [Terror]

Magic Cores: [4/4]

+


.........


'H-holy mother of Flames…' The thought was barely a whisper in the chaos of her mind. 'I am useless. She's LEAGUES above me. An Ascendant Terror, or whatever the hell that means.'

She did the mental math. Compared it to her own paltry Level 7.

'I am definitely, absolutely, completely NOT a good experience kit for her. She'd probably lose experience just by touching me.'

Jessica shuddered, remembering the maiden act she'd just performed in front of someone who could, quite literally, spank her to death without breaking a sweat. The embarrassment was almost as overwhelming as the terror.


"Hey!"

The shadow lady's voice cut through her spiral. Jessica straightened immediately, her spine snapping to attention like a soldier caught napping on duty.

"Y-yes, ma'am!"


Seeing Jessica instantly become cooperative, almost comically so, the shadow lady leaned back into her couch, studying the strange creature before her with narrowed eyes.

'Why the sudden change?' she asked herself inwardly, suspicion coiling in her thoughts. Last week, this pale [Level 7] being in front of her had appeared out of nowhere, crashing straight through the roof of her home. What infuriated her more was the timing, not any random moment, but the exact instant she'd been enjoying a private evening picnic with her husband, who'd finally emerged from his workshop after days, almost weeks of isolation.

And the girl had been naked. Completely, utterly naked. She and her husband had to wrap the unconscious figure in a blanket after noticing that the wings and horns, clearly visible upon impact, had vanished the moment she landed.

Now, after all that chaos, here sat the red-haired being. And she didn't look like a monster at all. She looked like a jade beauty goddess stepped out of legend. Even her husband had teased her mercilessly for days afterward.

"Dear, don't you think I should take a second wife?"

"Oh dear, how the beauty has fallen."

"A jade beauty fell from the heavens, this is clearly a blessing, my love."

The memories made her jaw tighten. Those words had subconsciously fueled her decision to chain this being up, even though rationally she knew the girl posed no real threat.

She shifted on her couch, crossing her legs with deliberate slowness.

"Give me three reasons why I shouldn't kill you here and now."

The red-haired girl paled instantly. Fumbled for words. But any beginner would miss the detail that truly mattered, deep within those molten gold eyes, there was no panic. No fear. Just a calm, calculating intelligence, analyzing, testing, weighing each possible response.

'Dangerous,' the shadow lady noted. 'Not from power. From unpredictability. You never know what she'll do next.'

If only she knew.

Jessica's internal state was anything but calm.

'I'm DOOMED!! This is the END for me!! What in the flaming hell can I possibly tell this shadow goddess that'll make her let me go ALIVE?!' The mental scream was pure chaos, even as some analytical part of her, the part honed by years of corporate survival, was already running calculations.

This felt familiar. It was exactly like those boardroom meetings in her previous life, when investors would lean forward and ask, 'What can your company offer that would make us want to invest?'

She'd done this before. She could do it again.

'Think, Jessica. THINK.'

"Ahem." She cleared her throat, a physical throat, which was still surreal. "Uhh… I can do house chores! Janitor work! Cooking! Oh! Or maybe I could be a—"

"Next." The shadow lady's voice was flat. Dismissive.

Jessica tensed.

"I can hunt for you!" She grasped at straws. "Though… I can't use any powers yet. Haven't awakened my magic core."

The shadow lady stiffened. Barely noticeable, but Jessica caught it. Then a deep, weary sigh escaped her, followed by a muttered comment that was clearly not meant to be heard:

"She's actually worse than I thought. Why did I even bother with the chains."

'Hey!!' Jessica wanted to protest, but the woman was already speaking again.

"Next."

This time, she stood and began walking slowly toward Jessica, each step deliberate, measured. Her fingers cracked in anticipation.

"This is your last chance. You'd better state something reasonable."

'FLAMING HELL!! She's SERIOUS! I'm about to become minced meat at this rate!!'

Jessica's mind raced. She didn't know what this woman wanted. Didn't know what currency mattered in this world. Didn't have anything to offer except—

"I can be your messenger! Your assistant! ANYTHING!" The words tumbled out in a desperate rush. "I'm very, very good at that! Just let me live! I mean no harm, I swear!"

The shadow lady kept walking. A blade materialized in her hand, dark, sharp, made of solidified shadow.

She was close now. Too close.

Jessica watched the blade rise. Watched the woman's arm draw back for the strike.

And something in her… settled.

'Well. That's that.'

Her expression went blank. Emotionless. Not from shock, but from acceptance. She'd tried everything. Bargained. Pleaded. Offered whatever scraps of usefulness she could imagine. If this was the end, then this was the end.

She closed her eyes calmly.

'I'm a flame,' she reminded herself. 'Even if this body dies, I might survive. Regroup. Find another vessel. It'll hurt. I'll lose everything I gained. But I'll survive. Maybe.'

She braced for the blade.

And then..

Lightness.

Not the sharp, ending lightness of death. Just… lightness. Freedom.

'What?!'

Her eyes snapped open.

The chains were gone. Just… gone. She raised her hands, pressed them together, felt the absence of restraint like a physical shock.

"I'm alive?"


"Why wouldn't you be?" The shadow lady's voice carried a note of almost-offense, as if the question itself was an insult. Her shadow blade dematerialized, dissolving into wisps of darkness. She walked to the door, casual, unhurried and pulled it open.

"Rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

Her voice was softer now. The dangerous edge remained, but beneath it lay something almost like… consideration? Curiosity?

She snapped her fingers.

The room changed.

Where empty room had been, a modest bedroom materialized. A bed stood behind the chair Jessica had been chained to, comfortable-looking, with soft blankets and plump pillows. A wardrobe stood against one wall. A desk held a brightly lit lamp that pushed back every shadow. Everything was neat, orderly, arranged with care. Even the couch where the shadow lady had sat was now a simple cotton piece, no longer shrouded in darkness.

The door clicked shut.

Jessica sat frozen on the chair that was no longer chained, surrounded by a room that hadn't existed moments ago, utterly baffled.

None of it made sense. The almost-execution. The sudden release. The calm voice. The room.

She stared at the closed door for a long moment. Mind cycling through confusion, disbelief, and the beginnings of something like offended outrage.

Why was she alive?

Why had that woman's voice gone calm?

Why—

Then, because she couldn't help herself, because the universe had thrown yet another impossible situation at her and she needed some kind of release:


"WHAT THE FLAMING HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"




*****





Thank you all for reading and supporting this story. It means a lot ^^

Link To Patreon [Backlog is 18 chapters ahead, will soon be 20]: PATREON

 

[p_magno]

"WHAT THE FLAMING HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

Jessica's voice echoed in the suddenly cozy room, high and incredulous. She stared blankly at her surroundings, a deep frown etched on her face as she tried, and failed to process the last few minutes.

Her eyes darted around the room again, checking, verifying, confirming.

Where empty darkness had been moments ago, a modest bedroom now stood in firm reality. A bed, comfortable-looking, with soft blankets and plump pillows, rested behind the chair she'd been chained to, the same chair she now sat in like a confused statue. A wardrobe stood against one wall, solid and real. A desk held a brightly lit lamp that pushed back every shadow with cheerful determination.

Everything was neat. Orderly. Arranged with obvious care.

Even the couch where the shadow lady had sat, that ominous throne of darkness, was now a simple cotton piece, unremarkable and harmless.

'Was everything earlier an illusion?' Jessica asked herself, grasping for any explanation that made sense. 'Did I imagine the chains? The pressure? The almost-execution?'

She searched for strangeness, for anything out of place, for any crack in the reality presented to her. And in the end, she found nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She sighed, the sound carrying the weight of confusion and relief in equal measure.

'I'm alive… at least.'

And with that acceptance, curiosity began to stir. Real and desperate curiosity.

She stood cautiously from the chair, testing her legs, her balance, her body. No chains. No restraints. No glowing bindings sapping her strength. Just her, standing on her own two feet in a stranger's guest room.

She tip-toed toward the large mirror near the wardrobe, slow and deliberate, almost afraid of what she might see.

When she finally stood before it, her breath caught.

'Beautiful.'

The word formed unbidden, the only thought her stunned mind could produce.

Jessica's true body, the body Arafel had promised, the form the egg had given her, was beautiful. More beautiful than anything she'd ever seen. Flawless skin that seemed to glow with inner light. Features so perfectly balanced they could have been carved by a divine sculptor. She was, quite literally, a jade beauty given flesh.

Her blood-red hair flowed past her shoulders in waves that caught the lamplight and threw it back in crimson sparks. Her eyes, molten gold, pure and untouched, stared back at her with an intensity that made her breathless.

But something nagged at her.

Something wrong.

Not wrong-wrong. Not ugly or misplaced. Just… familiar. A deep, instinctive recognition that this face, this face, had been seen before.

'But where?'

She stared harder. Let her mind work.

'Wait a minute…'

In her imagination, she changed the red hair to black. Simple. Ordinary. She shifted the molten gold eyes to brown, plain and forgettable brown. She mentally smoothed the flawless skin into something more average, more human.

And then it clicked.

'FLAMING HELL!!'

The face staring back at her was 'hers'.

Not the thirty-four-year-old woman who'd died saving a child. Younger. Seventeen, maybe. The age before she had even became the jaded office worker who'd never been loved.

It was her face.

"This is me…" Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling with shock. "This is my face."

Her body gave out. Her legs folded, and she found herself sitting on the floor, staring at the mirror from a new angle, as if that might change what she'd seen.

Nothing added up. Nothing made sense.

How was her body here? How had her face ended up inside an ancient egg that had been existing for ages? Yes, the details were different, the hair, the eyes, the impossible perfection, but the structure was the same. The bones. The shape. The essence of her.

'How? How?? How?? Ho—'


<< Jessica! >>


A hand. Warm, real, and trembling slightly, as if the effort of existing, even for an instant, was almost too much, grabbed her shoulder for a split second. A voice, young and urgent, cut through the spiral.

Jessica spun.

For an instant, she saw a flicker of a figure with long light-blue hair and deep tired ocean-blue eyes that held exhaustion and genuine worry. The girl's face was tight with concern, her gaze locked on Jessica with an intensity that mirrored her own.

Then she was gone.

The lamp on the desk roared, not a sound, but a surge of light so bright it momentarily blinded her. The room blazed with illumination, pushing back every shadow, every darkness, every—

And then settled.

Jessica's breathing slowed. Her heart, this new, real, beating heart, calmed its frantic rhythm.

She understood.

She'd let her emotions spiral. Had lost control so completely that her system had been forced to intervene, defying fundamental laws again, expending precious energy just to pull her back from the edge.

She directed her thoughts inward, toward the shared space where her consciousness met the system's.

'I'm sorry…'

Silence.

No reply. No snark. No offended scoff.

Hibernation. The system was in hibernation again, exhausted by the effort of saving her from herself.

Jessica clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ground together.

"I'm such a fool." The whisper was angry, directed entirely inward. She ruffled her own hair with both hands, a frustrated groan escaping her throat.


<< You really are a fool. >>

She froze mid-motion.

Her eyes widened.

Then, slowly, her lips curled into a bright, relieved smile.

'You're alright?!'


<< Why would I be alright? When I have to babysit a full-grown adult >>

An offended snort echoed through their shared consciousness, so familiar, so comforting, that Jessica couldn't help but laugh.

'My savior! My sweet, darling system! What would I ever do without you?'

<< *Shudder* I am DEFINITELY going on a permanent hibernation after this. Permanent. >>

Jessica's smile softened. The teasing faded, replaced by something genuine.

'I'm sorry. For causing another problem.'

Silence stretched between them. Thoughtful. Weighing.

Then:


<< Yeah. Yeah. It's passed. Let's leave it at that. >>

Jessica nodded mentally and stood from the floor. She walked to the comfortable-looking bed, the one with soft blankets and plump pillows that practically invited her to collapse, and sat at its edge.

She raised her right hand, palm up, and focused on her inventory.

A single object materialized.

The Nameless Lever.

It was simpler than she'd expected,na plain lever, ancient and worn, with a small red ruby embedded at its base. She hadn't noticed that detail when she'd first collected it. 'This ruby.. was it there before?'

She stared at it. Then at the screen that materialized beside it.



[ITEM]

+

Name: The Nameless Lever

Rank: ???

Description: Once upon a time, in the [Age Of The Gods], a seal was forged by an oath unbroken. To turn the switch is to end the oath. And only at the appointed time can the oath be broken. And when it does… calamity that defies reason shall befall the world.

Usability: One-time

+



The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

Jessica's thumb traced the cool surface of the lever. The ruby pulsed beneath her touch.

A question formed in the shared space of her consciousness. Simple. Direct. Terrifying.

'Should we activate it now?'

Her question hung in the air, unanswered at first. Jessica could feel the system thinking, processing, weighing the implications of her query.


<< Do you really want to use it now? >>

The system's calm question made Jessica pause. 'Do I?'

There were reasons, certainly. Good ones. She needed answers, about the mural, about Red, about the egg that had somehow become her body. Arafel might provide those answers. Then again, he might not. She had a nagging suspicion that any question directed at the ancient entity would be met with nothing but a cryptic "Kukuku" and more riddles.

But there was another reason, simpler and more honest: Arafel had done his part of the trade. Saved her life. Given her the bone. Pointed her toward this body. Now it was her turn. Fair was fair.

'But do I want to do it now?' She read the lever's description again, the words burning into her memory; "To turn the switch is to end the oath. And only at the appointed time can the oath be broken. And when it does… calamity that defies reason shall befall the world."

She stared at the words for a long, weighted moment.

Then she sighed.

'Well, to hell with it. Let's just do our part.'

Her hand closed around the lever.

She switched it on.

The world turned gray.

Not gradually, instantly. Color drained from everything like water from a cracked vessel. The lamp's light became a flat, lifeless white. The walls lost their warmth. Even the pulse of her own heart seemed to slow, to stall, to pause.

Time itself had stopped.

And in that frozen moment, Jessica felt something coming. Something vast. Something ancient. Something that had been waiting, perhaps, for this very instant.

Then—

Everything snapped back to normal.

The lamp blazed with warm light. The walls regained their substance. Her heart thundered in her chest.

And the lever's switch was back in its original position.

'W-what?! The HELL!!' Jessica's mental scream was pure shock. 'It didn't work—no, it did work. Something happened.'

She stared at the lever. The red ruby embedded at its base now glowed with a pulsing, rhythmic light. It wasn't the frantic pulse of alarm, but the steady beat of waiting. Like a signal fire, lit but not yet seen. Like a message, sent but not yet received.

'The appointed time,' she realized. 'It's not now. The conditions aren't met.'


<< It seems, some requirements must be fulfilled before activation. >>

The system's voice was thoughtful, analytical.


<< The lever itself appears to be confirming this. >>

'Yeah… I thought so.' She paused, turning the problem over. 'I think the requirement is on our side. Something we need to do first.'


<< …It might be. It might not. The data is insufficient for certainty. >>

Jessica frowned, parsing the meaning behind the system's words.

'Then I'll wait. Try again when I've accomplished something with this body.' A thought struck her. 'Oh! Maybe when I awaken my magic core, I can try again... Hey, speaking of which, how do you manually awaken a—'


<< Get some sleep. I am about to hibernate. >>

'HEY!!' The scream was immediate, indignant. She knew exactly what the system was doing, dodging questions, avoiding explanations, retreating into convenient unconsciousness.

But a second thought followed. The system had expended significant energy pulling her back from her spiral. Maybe it really did need rest.

She sighed, a sound that was becoming her primary form of communication.

The lever vanished from her hand as she dismissed it to inventory, a notification flickering briefly before being ignored.


[Item Received: [The Nameless Lever]]

Jessica laid down.

Almost laid down. She caught herself at the last second and cautiously patted the bed, checking for traps, for danger, for anything that might turn this moment of peace into another fight for survival.

Nothing. Just soft blankets and plump pillows.

'Good night.' She wrapped herself in the blankets, cocooned in warmth and comfort she hadn't felt in, how long? Five days? A lifetime? Both?

Her eyes closed partially, one part of her still insisting on vigilance. But exhaustion was a tide, and she was too tired to fight it.

Within moments, she was asleep. Deeply, completely, peacefully asleep.


In her dreams, she was dancing.

Stars surrounded her, infinite and glittering, and she moved among them with a grace she'd never possessed in life. Her partner was everything a dream could conjure, tall, impossibly handsome, with a smile that would make the heavens themselves sigh in appreciation. His eyes, what color were they? It didn't matter. When he looked at her, she felt seen. Truly seen. For the first time in two lifetimes. They moved together as if they'd danced for eternity, their bodies perfectly synchronized, their eyes locked in growing intimacy.

They leaned closer.

Their breath mingled.

And then—


"Ouch!!"

Jessica yelped as her world went dark, then bright, then hard. She was on the floor, tangled in blankets, her sleepy eyes struggling to focus on the figure looming above her.

Blurry vision slowly cleared.

A young woman stood over her, jet-black hair cascading past sharp, elegant features. Deep purple eyes blazed with barely contained fury. One hand held a blanket, the blanket Jessica had been wrapped in moments ago. The other rested on her hip as she tapped her foot impatiently against the floor.

"How long do you intend to sleep, brat?!" The woman's voice was sharp, incredulous. "A whole day? A YEAR?! Get up! Take a shower and prepare yourself!"

Jessica heard none of it.

She didn't know this woman. Didn't recognize, her face, her fury. All she knew was that she'd been torn from a perfectly good dream featuring a perfectly handsome man.

She stood slowly, eyes half-lidded with residual sleep, and groaned.

"This is all a dream," she muttered, her voice slurred with exhaustion. "Let me go back to my reality. Leave me to dance with my prince charming, you vile being."

She turned. Walked back to the bed. Laid down. Pulled the remaining blanket scraps over herself and sighed deeply.

She began to drift back to sleep.

Above her, the purple-eyed woman stood frozen, her expression cycling through confusion, disbelief, and the early stages of volcanic rage.

"Vile being." The words escaped her lips, soft and disbelieving. "She called me a 'vile being'."

Her mouth twitched.

Her forehead sprouted veins like a thermometer in summer.

"Alright." She began cracking her knuckles, slowly, deliberately, with the practiced menace of someone who had done this before. "It seems I went too easy on you yesterday."

Shadows began to wrap around her hands, coiling like hungry serpents, creating a darkness in the room until the lamp's light seemed to retreat in fear.

"I'll show you what a 'vile being' really looks like."

On the bed, Jessica slept on, oblivious, a small smile playing at her lips as she dreamed of handsome princes and starlit dances.

And in that moment, her charming dream instantly became..


A living nightmare!





*****


Thank you all for reading and supporting this story. It means a lot ^^

Link To Patreon [Backlog is 18 chapters ahead, will soon be 20]: PATREON

 

[TrueNecromancer]

TYFTC! Jessica is playing a dangerous game, ignoring a woman that could flatten her like a pancake.

 

[p_magno]

TYFTC! Jessica is playing a dangerous game, ignoring a woman that could flatten her like a pancake.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for reading!

She really is playing a dangerous game lol.

 

[p_magno]

Walking out from a room, was a figure, a young girl, seventeen years of age, with blood-red hair and molten gold eyes that currently appeared dull and swollen. She wore a sleeveless white shirt and black jeans, though the outfit did little to hide the damage beneath.

Jessica walked. No—Jessica limped. Her movements were stiff, pained, the movements of someone who had been thoroughly, systematically, and enthusiastically beaten.

Bandages wrapped around parts of her head. More bandages covered her right arm. Purple bruises peeked out from beneath her clothes, a roadmap of violence that covered most of her body like a macabre painting..

She approached a figure waiting in the hallway, a young woman with jet-black hair cascading past sharp, elegant features. Deep purple eyes carried an almost expressionless face, if not for the impressed gleam hidden within them. A satisfied smile curved the woman's lips, a smile Jessica had already mentally labeled as the 'Devil's Grin'. The woman wore a black sleeveless shirt and black leather jeans, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall with the patience of a predator.

"What took you so long?"

Veins bulged on Jessica's forehead.

'What took me so long?! WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG?! You VILE BEING! You DEMON INCARNATE! You—you ALMOST KILLED ME! That's what took me so long!!'

The internal scream was magnificent in its fury. Outwardly, Jessica said nothing. She simply remembered.

She had been sleeping peacefully. Her prince charming had been dancing with her among the stars. It was perfect. It was magical. It was—

The vilest being in existence had spanked her. Actually spanked. Not metaphorically. She had physically, repeatedly, enthusiastically spanked. With shadow-enhanced hands. While smiling. Smiling like a monster, like this was entertainment, like beating a defenseless girl half to death was her idea of a morning workout.

And that was how Jessica had ended up looking like she'd gone three rounds with a freight train and lost.

She stopped before the shadow lady and forced words through gritted teeth.

"Good… morning." The growl was barely concealed.

The woman's smile widened. "Good afternoon, brat."

She materialized a vial filled with glowing red liquid and tossed it casually to Jessica.

"Here. Drink this. Let's get going."

Jessica caught it midair, staring at the vial with deep suspicion. A screen materialized in her vision.



[ITEM]

+

Name: Health Potion

Rank: Junior

Description: Heals wounds

Usability: One-time

+


She stared at the vial. Then brought it to her nose, sniffing delicately. Then held it up to the light, examining it from multiple angles. Then sniffed it again.

All the while, she cast sidelong glances at the shadow lady, glances that were almost unnoticed. Glances that burned with a very specific thought:

'Not only did you beat me half to death, you also want to poison me with this fraud of a health potion to finish the job. You WICKED WITCH!!'

The shadow lady's patience, already thin, snapped at the obvious suspicion.

"It's just a health potion. Hurry up and drink it."

Jessica's glare intensified.

The woman sighed, the sound of someone reaching their absolute limit. "Alright." She began cracking her fingers, shadows coiling around her hands. "It seems you want me to feed it to you, righ—"

The vial was empty.

Jessica stood there, pale-faced, having downed the entire contents in less than a second. She hadn't even registered moving. Her survival instincts had simply activated.

Warmth spread through her body. The purple bruises receded like tide pulling back from shore. Her arm straightened with an audible pop. The bandages suddenly seemed unnecessary as her body became whole again.

Before she could celebrate her restored existence, the shadow lady spoke.

"Let's get going."

Jessica squinted.

'Wait a minute… Did I even ASK where she's taking me?'

Her mind raced through possibilities. Sacrifice Dungeon? Execution chamber? Monster arena? All seemed equally plausible from this woman.

She arranged her features into an expression of pure innocence.

"Uhm, Miss… Where the hel—I mean, where are you taking this poor, fragile, innocent soul of mine?"

The shadow lady paused mid-step.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you." She turned, her purple eyes glinting with something that might have been amusement. "We're going to my husband's workshop. To finalize something."

'Something.'

The word was a red flag, a warning siren, a flashing neon sign screaming DANGER AHEAD.

She had a very strong suspicion that "something" meant a contract. A binding, dangerous, probably lethal contract. The kind designed to keep untrustworthy clients in check. The kind that, if broken, resulted in death, or worse.

'Good,' she thought with glee, surprising herself. 'Let them try. If it's a contract, I'll be protected too. I can't trust them any more than they can trust me.'

Her thoughts churned with dark satisfaction at the prospect.

Then another word registered.

'Husband?'

She stared at the shadow lady anew. This woman didn't look much older than Jessica's current body. Early twenties, maybe. Certainly not old enough to have a husband in her lonely point of view.

"You're married?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.

The woman frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?" She continued walking down the stairs, her voice flat. "I've been married for more than thirty-five years."


CRASH!!

The sound came from behind her.

The shadow lady turned to find Jessica sprawled halfway down the stairs, bandages flying everywhere as she stared up with utter disbelief.

"And you're THIS YOUNG?!" Jessica's voice was incredulous, almost accusatory.

The woman's expression shifted from confusion to fury in less than a heartbeat.

"Brat! I'm FIFTY-EIGHT years old!" Her finger stabbed toward the scattered bandages. "And don't litter those on my floor! Pick them up and put them in the trash, for shadow's sake!"


*****



Jessica walked calmly out of the house's exit door, the afternoon light washing over her for the first time since... well, since ever in this new existence. The shadow lady locked the door behind them and immediately began walking through the cobblestone street, nearly forgetting Jessica who was staring blankly at the scene before her.

'Is this really inside the nightmare realm?'

The question whispered through her confused mind.

The street before her was busy and lively. Humans, actual, walking, talking humans, moved in every direction. Most wore adventurer-style clothing. Others sported armor, some simple leather, some full plate that clanked with each step. Robed figures wove through the crowd, their faces hidden in shadow.

Just as Arafel had told her: every human who entered this nightmare realm averaged [Level 10] and above.

Except for one.

And that was her.

The only difference was that she wasn't even human. She was a flame wearing an ancient body disguised as a human, walking through a city of actual humans like the world's worst undercover operation.

'Level 7. I'm a [Level 7] surrounded by people who could flick me into next week. How am I going to survive this?'

As if sensing her spiraling thoughts, the shadow lady's quiet voice cut through.

"It would be almost impossible for anyone to discover what you truly are." She didn't turn, but her words were clearly meant for Jessica alone. "Your system displays you as human. That is... strange. Very strange. But useful."

She paused at a street corner, letting a group of armored adventurers pass before continuing.

"They will simply assume you are a spoiled brat who bought their way in. With your current level, that is the only logical conclusion." She gestured with her head for Jessica to follow, which Jessica did immediately. "So stop worrying. As long as you do not reveal that... form of yours again, you will be fine."

Jessica nodded absently, her eyes still sweeping the buildings and lively streets. Shops lined both sides, blacksmiths with gleaming weapons in their windows, alchemists with bubbling colored liquids.

'This is a nightmare realm?' She couldn't reconcile the image. 'It looks like a normal city. A fantasy city, but normal.'

They walked for minutes through the bustling streets, the crowd parting around them like water around stones. Jessica ate up every detail, the architecture, the clothing, the sheer normality of it all.

The shadow lady made a short stop at a small shop, disappearing inside for only a moment before emerging with a paper bag. She handed Jessica a loaf of warm bread and a bottle of water.

Jessica stared.

The bread sat in her hands like an artifact from another world. The shadow lady, the vile being, had just... given her something. Freely. Without violence.

The woman's face contorted into a scowl at Jessica's dumbfounded expression. She shoved the items more firmly into Jessica's hands with a growl.

"Take it, brat."

Jessica took them. Stared at them. Then, because she couldn't help herself, she began analyzing them. Sniffing. Examining. Checking for poison with the thoroughness of someone who had learned that nothing came free.

A large knock landed on her head.

"Ow!" She winced, rubbing the sore spot.

"Eat the bread." The shadow lady's voice left no room for argument.

Jessica ate the bread, muttering under her breath as she did.

"My life... oh, what did I do to deserve this living tribulation as the first human I met?" She made sure the words were for herself alone. She had no desire to be bandaged again. Anything but that.

The shadow lady ate her own bread in silence, and soon they stopped before the entrance of a workshop. A sign hung above the door, carved wood painted in elegant script:

'Violet Workshop'


Jessica read the sign again, letting the name settle in her mind when the shadow lady's voice cut through her thoughts.

"It's a bit of a rush hour inside, so you'd best be careful."

Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and walked in. Jessica processed the warning for exactly two seconds before hurrying after her.

The moment she crossed the threshold, before she could even register her surroundings, something slammed into her shoulder. Hard. Her feet left the ground, and she landed butt-first on the floor with a yelp.

"Ouch!!"

'Flaming Hell!!' Righteous fury ignited in her chest. 'Who is the BASTARD!! that isn't watching where they're going?!'

She shot her gaze upward, ready to unleash the full force of her indignation—

And froze.

A figure stood before her, leaning down with a hand extended, his face a canvas of sincere apologies.

He was young. A white sleeveless shirt stretched across muscles that seemed sculpted by an artist with very specific intentions. Black leather trousers completed an outfit that screamed effortlessly attractive. His hair was a messy black that somehow looked perfectly arranged. And his face—

His face was distracting.

Sharp angles. A firm jaw. Features so perfectly structured they seemed to catch every available light and reflect it back with interest. It was the kind of face that made you forget you were sitting on a cold floor after being knocked down.

Jessica forgot she was on the floor.

He smiled shyly, apologetically, and hurried to speak.

"I-I'm very sorry! I didn't sense your presence there for a moment." His hand remained extended, offering support, waiting for her to take it.

Jessica didn't see the hand.

She saw the smile.

She saw the jaw.

She saw the way his messy hair fell perfectly across his forehead.

And soon, she realized, with dawning horror, that she had been staring. For too long.

Her face erupted in crimson.

"O-okay!" The word stumbled out, nonsensical. She didn't take his hand. She didn't even look at it. She simply launched herself upright and zoomed away toward the only safe harbor she could identify, the vile being, who stood waiting with an impatient tapping foot.

The young man stared at the empty space where Jessica had been. After a long moment, he rubbed his hair in genuine confusion, glancing back at the red-haired girl now being dragged by the ear across the workshop.

'Am I that scary?' he wondered.

He shook his head. Raid waited. He walked toward the exit, leaving the strange encounter behind.


***


Jessica was absolutely not having a good time either.

Her ear burned where Violet's grip had claimed it. She rubbed the sore spot as they walked through the main hall, trying to regain some dignity.

The workshop was busy. People moved with purpose in every direction, carrying equipment, swords, incomplete armor pieces, mysterious objects wrapped in cloth. They nodded respectfully to Violet as they passed, greetings murmured in haste.

'Violet,' Jessica realized. 'Her name is Violet. Like the shop.'

Her eyes nearly fell out of her head.

'Wait.. this shop was named after this vile BEING?!'

Before she could voice the question, before she could risk another spanking, they reached a door marked Manager Office. Violet sighed, a sound of long-suffering patience, and opened it.

Jessica followed.

The office was... simple. Modest. A desk, some chairs, shelves with neatly organized books. It could have been any manager's office from her previous life, if her previous life had existed in a nightmare realm.

Her eyes landed on the figure behind the desk.

He sat calmly, reading glasses perched on his nose, a book open before him. His brow was furrowed slightly in concentration, making him look almost stern. He wore a simple white long-sleeve shirt and black trousers, nothing remarkable.

But his face.

He was dazzling. Devastatingly, unfairly handsome. And Jessica knew, she knew, that like Violet, he was absolutely not as young as he appeared.


He looked up.

The stern concentration melted. A bright smile replaced it, warm, welcoming, and utterly professional.

Jessica recognized that smile instantly.

It was the smile of someone who had navigated countless business deals. Someone who had signed contracts by the dozen. Someone who was fully, completely ready...


To make another one.





*****


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