16 Upgrades

"T-The Council has spoken! Contestants, please leave the arena at once!" a mechanical voice puts an end to my well-deserved rest.

The doors to the waiting room open and the guard that brought me here appears in the hallway leading to the small area. He looks at me with an expression that I'm having trouble to decipher; it's almost like… he's frightened or something.

No, that can't be right. The Werewolf is three heads taller than me and could easily rip me to shreds with a single finger, so it's obvious that I'm just imagining things.

The guard doesn't even look me in the eyes as he grabs my arm and teleports me in the middle of my apartment before sinking into the shadows. Seeing the messy room again makes me fully realize what just happened during my trial; my gamble paid off, and I somehow beat the Hidden World equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction.

I fall on my bed and take a depth breath, fully savoring the lingering scent of coffee permeating the air.

*I never knew that I would be so happy to smell that again…*

Another sigh escapes my mouth as I stand up and rummage around to re-activate the Timed Rewinders hidden around. However, the sweet sensation of victory soon fades and transforms into dread when I remember how Erdis Scalebound glared at me. The combination of the incommensurable hatred that swirled in those reptilian eyes and my brief experience with the Council let me guess that my actions will have repercussions.

*Really, I feel like I just traded a deadly threat for another…*

I shake my head: The repercussions shouldn't be too horrible since the Scalebound looked affluent enough, meaning that Alza will be quickly healed.

After all, I'm sure that my little trick can't compare to most of the magical attacks that exist in the Hidden World.

…

A cough from my mother broke the oppressive silence that fell on our group during the trial.

"…Are you two happy now?" she asks.

However, I stay silent since I know that arguing with her when she looks so serious will get me in trouble. The scenes from the trial replay in my mind; John's primal and distorted screams were bone-chilling, but it was nothing compared to the desperate wails of the poor dragonewt getting destroyed from the inside.

I had no idea that he had access to… such effective methods, and I won't lie and say that I'm not a bit frightened. But at least that confirms the idea that had been brewing in the back of my head for quite some time.

John isn't a normal human; in fact, he's far from it.

That's the only way I can explain what happened the last few weeks: his instantaneous regeneration, the brutal efficiency he displayed in his fights against Edmund and Alza, the distorted litany that still makes me weak in the knees when I remember what happened in that cave…

It's clear that he's hiding something.

Maybe he's a hidden member of an esteemed Family… that would explain how he got hold of a shield capable of enduring Alza's strikes. If it isn't that then I have no idea how he was able to buy one in such a short amount of time. Because shields that are that strong are only made as a special order and take months to build.

"I asked you a question." my mother's stern voice takes me out of my thoughts.

"Why are we even having this meeting?" Steve interjects. "He won fair and square, so why are we acting so gloomy?"

She sighs. "It's not that simple… If he had just beaten her then the Scalebound's image would've taken a big hit, so they would try to assassinate him once or twice. This would have been easy to deal with since I would've just allocated one agent or two to protect him from the shadows until the Scalebound calm down. But now…"

"…We're on the brink of war." I finish her sentence once I realize the seriousness of the situation.

Steve's jaw drops while Alice raises an eyebrow, "And what makes you say that?"

"Like you said before, if he would've just beaten her then the repercussions would've been easy to deal with… But he nearly killed Alza, and her healing will take time and leave her weakened. This is bad for her reputation, and we know how much those lizards care about that. So they will likely attack him until he's dead. And if we protect him then it'll be taken as us supporting his actions, thus causing the conflict to escalate."

She snorts. "Impressive. You're mostly correct. I guess you're more observant than I thought."

My mother looks out of the window and sigh, "But it's much worse than you imagine. Something like the wounds Alza received… She'll be lucky if she can walk again."

Oh.

This is bad.

"Erdis groomed his daughter to be the perfect warrior and his successor ever since she showed talent in fighting. But now, it's very likely that she'll end up as a wheelchair-bound cripple for the rest of her life. I used Mana Sight during the fight, and what I saw was terrifying: The only way to really heal her would be to remove every single trace of the metal from her body, anything else and it would just grow back."

*For fuck's sake John, what did you do…*

"I'm sure that this will be a long and painful process, and it's likely that she'll have to endure the extensive procedure at least once a week to stay alive. So your analysis isn't quite correct since it's no longer a simple vengeance, it's a blood feud. Alza was the rising star of the Scalebound so Erdis will not stop at anything to get his revenge, even if it means starting a war."

I almost fall to my knees once she finishes her sentence, and my brother is also speechless.

"So that's why we will not, no matter what, intervene in case they attack your friend. That's a direct order, and I'll throw you two into a prison if you disobey me again. Is that clear?"

…

Two days passed since my battle against the Dragonewt and nothing out of the ordinary happened since then. Going back to the daily grind after everything that happened still feels weird, I guess I got used to constant battles…

But I know that my days of peace will soon come to an end because of the looming threat of Scalebound retaliation.

Browsing the HiddenNet also revealed that Alza's cancellation of all her public appearances for the foreseeable future is already known. With my luck, it's just a matter of time before someone leaks what happened… I think it'll just paint an even bigger target on my back, but it's too late to change anything.

I shake my head to chase all those negative thoughts away; I'm taking a break from all of this bullshit for a few days.

And what's the worst that could happen anyway? They can't possibly do anything in two days…

Something tells me I shouldn't have said that.

I stand up from my bed and sigh. For all I know there are scaly assassins heading towards me at this very moment. I curse inwardly for wasting time and browse the HiddenNet. One of my main concerns is my lack of mobility, something that didn't cross my mind until the duel against Alza revealed how slow I truly was. I wouldn't have won without my makeshift shield since there were attacks that I couldn't dodge, like that large flesh-melting inferno.

Shivers go down my spine when I think about it. Melting alive isn't something I ever want to experience again, even if I can survive it. My regeneration is still a mystery to me, and I found nothing even remotely similar despite scouring the HiddenNet for information.

*And I can't rely on it forever since I don't know if it's something permanent.*

But being without protection isn't something I can seriously consider. It still hurts like hell to endure spells, even if I come out unscathed at the end.

And I'm pretty sure I already endured enough pain to last me a dozen lifetimes.

A good shield is something I desperately need since relying on the terrible bolt-action glove isn't an option. The system is simply too flawed, the entire artifact is cumbersome, hard to conceal and only lasts for eight cartridges despite taking nearly twenty hours to complete. On the other hand, the bracelet I bought from the weapon store is too weak; it would not last even a second against a simple strike from Alza.

My research produced actual results this time: I open the website of a store specializing in personal armor. It advertises all sorts of armor, some look like they are ripped straight out of the Middle Ages while others are more modern looking.

*The full suits of armor are providing good protection, but I'll have to keep in mind that'll have to wear it constantly. And I doubt I could walk out in the street wearing any of these.*

Not to mention the incredible weight of those suits of armor. My speed is already subpar so I don't want to decrease it too much, and I would pass out if I ran with those for more than two minutes…

So I leave the section for full armor and select the one for concealable devices. The first thing I notice is the massive price hike compared to the last section since a bracelet equivalent to the worst armor on the catalog is more than thrice the price.

To make matters worse, the best bracelets are only on par with the mid-tier armor while costing a fortune. They are also made to order and the current waiting list is more than six months long, and that's not even counting the manufacturing process listed as three months minimum.

I obviously don't have that much time so I instead focus on items meant to boost my mobility. Sadly the entire section is filled with spell books and scrolls that I can't use. The only enchanted item available is a pair of big clunky metal boots that improve the speed of the wearer when he pours mana into them, which means nothing in my case.

My head hit my pillow and I stare at the ceiling of my apartment in silence; I'm frankly disappointed in what I found since browsing other websites produced similar results.

*Not having mana is more of an obstacle than I thought, so this only leaves me with one option…*

I didn't want to go down that route but it looks like the only reasonable option is to make my own artifacts.Spending years repeating the same day is not something I ever want to do again, so I hope my current skill level is sufficient…

"I don't know what to do now…" I mumble before letting go of my pen and reviewing the sketches I drew for the last hour.

Detailed diagrams of the new version of the Shield Glove are laid in front of me, and I review them in details: The most obvious difference is the replacement of the big and unwieldy manual bolt by a closed system actuated by an electric motor. At first, I wanted to use enchantments to move the system, but the runes required to produce movement are way above my mediocre skill level.

But the intricacies of the cartridge feeding system aren't the only thing that makes me want to pull my hair out, since the materials to engrave are also a problem. My previous experience taught me that steel wasn't enough to handle the overcharged runes, so I had to gather information on the more exotic materials exclusive to the Hidden World.

The ability to buy something from an infinite number of universes does sound good at first, but navigating the various listings quickly became a nightmare. The complete lack of a unified classification method or even an agreed upon naming system made my research more than difficult.

I'm not even exaggerating, any given material has at the bare minimum a thousand different names, and that's not counting the different ones that share a name… I got a headache after two hours of research.

However, my hard work did allow me to narrow the list of possibility to several dozen candidates, even if it didn't really help in the end. One of the problems with the types of materials I need is that they all have a high amount of mana in their structure, giving them self-repairing properties.

This meant that it would return to its base state after some time has passed. Of course, there existed ways around that problem, but the craftsmen that can work those materials are few in numbers. And they always were in high demand, meaning they all had a very long waiting list.

And I didn't have the leisure to wait for that long.

So, instead of solving the problem, I bypassed it.

I spend hours in Rewound time to redesign the entire Glove to put all the runes that would actually be damaged by the Overcharge on a single, small disposable steel plate. The idea is that the plates would feed from a magazine, and a fresh plate would be inserted into the circuit once the previous one crumbled.

*And that also means I can stamp the plates instead of engraving each one individually… But I would need a hydraulic press for that.*

A quick look around causes me to sigh since there's no way I can fit any sort of heavy machinery inside my small apartment…

So let's fix that.

Five hours later and I'm the happy owner of a mansion on the outskirts of town, and the 500 acres that surround it. The way the estate agent's attitude changed when I said that I had a seven figures budget had put a smile on my face, and I giggle like an idiot when I look at the pictures of the property displayed on my computer.

*The power of money is incredible.*

"I'll almost miss this place…" I say while glancing around my apartment. The agent said he would handle all the paperwork and I'll just have to pick up some documents and the keys at his office in a day or two, so I plan to move to my new home at that time.

But I still have some preparation to make on my own, like finding a way to defend my house against potential intruders. I remember how the Werewolf who dragged me in front of the Council appeared in the middle of my room, and the idea of a Scalebound assassin doing the same isn't reassuring.

…

I can't wait to be home!

*My head hurts…*

*I'm hungry. I should pick up something before I go home!*

I dismiss the various thoughts swirling around me and sigh, once again there's nothing interesting.

"Hey Sarah, what's with the gloomy face?" the small woman sitting next to me asks.

"Don't worry Cynthia, it's nothing."

"If you say so…" she looks at me with worry, but her attention quickly shifts back to the chocolate bar in her hand.

I make a wry smile. The red-haired woman stays thin no matter how much she eats. I wonder how she does it…

We're sitting on a bench near the campus to take a well-deserved break from our classes. We probably look like two normal women in the eyes of everyone else, even if the thick red woolen sweater and her pigtails coupled with her boyish body make her look like a child. On the other hand, while Cynthia sometimes gets mocked for her child-like appearance, most people instead choose to ignore me.

My face is unremarkable and my shoulder-length black hair looks like a bird's nest, I'm also always wearing a sweater that's too large for me. I'm also convinced that my glasses are slightly crooked…

But it's better to be unremarkable in my situation since I have a certain ability that's more like a curse than anything else.

I can read minds.

Hiding my ability became a strict priority as soon as I discovered it. At first, I tried to talk to my parents about it, but hey just dismissed it as the ramblings of an over-imaginative little girl. So I kept to myself and quickly retreated from others since I couldn't control it at all at first, meaning my head was constantly flooded with a cacophony of thoughts from people all around me.

But it's not like I had much choice anyway, I quickly became disgusted by other people since I could hear what they were truly thinking about me…

However, things changed when I met Cynthia, who was the first person to not hold me in contempt. She's a truly nice and pure girl, and she even introduced me to her friends from the Occult Club. At first, I was a bit wary since I thought they all would be creepy, but they were really bright and cheery people and we got along well.

*She looks so gloomy today. I hope she's okay…*

Cynthia's thought resonates in my mind, so I turn around and smile at her. She smiles back before focusing on her phone that just rang, so I look away and sigh to give her some privacy.

*I wonder if I should tell her…*

But I shake my head to dismiss the idea since nothing good can come out of her knowing. Especially knowing our current situation…

The Occult Club always tries to investigate rumors about supernatural events, but we never find anything. I'm glad that's the case and I even sometimes steer them in the wrong direction once they get too close to the truth.

I need to protect them from the terrifying reality: A lot of the people on the campus are not human, and we're watched closely by a Werewolf spy that pretends to be one of us.

Everything started when I absentmindedly read the mind of one of my classmates, and almost screamed in horror when I found out that he was some sort of fish creature. At first, I didn't want to believe it and thought it was just my imagination playing tricks on me.

So I began scanning the mind of everyone around me, and I was forced to accept a new reality.

Magical creatures existed, and they were living amongst us.

I wanted to report my findings to the Club, but the information I gleaned from reading the minds of unsuspecting creatures reigned in my enthusiasm.

Those creatures apparently lived in what they called the Hidden World and were forbidden from revealing their existence to normal people, who they called Outsiders. I don't know what would happen if they broke that rule, but scanning the mind of the Werewolf spy in our club revealed that he's a member of the Enforcers, some sort of brutal police force for the Hidden World.

I stopped rummaging through his mind and never did it again. I'm too afraid that he would somehow feel me sorting through his thoughts and memories. And from what I found in there, I doubt I would have stayed alive for long if that was the case.

The Hidden World is a place filled with death and violence, and I don't want my friends to be involved with it.

"Hey! Are you listening?!" my friend's high-pitched voice takes me out of my thoughts.

"W-What?" I stutter.

She pouts and sighs, "You were lost in your thoughts again… I asked if you wanted to eat there tomorrow." She says as she points to the fast food joint in front of us.

"The Hot Spot? I heard good things about it, but it's always so crowded…"

"Yeah, but I want to try it!"

*I won't say that I'm not curious…*

"All right," I say in a defeated voice. I knew Cynthia well, and she would throw a tantrum until I agreed if I didn't accept right off the bat.

She smiles and types something on her phone, so I look around and scan the minds of the passersby to pass the time. Most of the thoughts are uninteresting trivia, but doing that always had a relaxing effect on me.

A blond-haired man carrying a large flat box out of the Hot Spot catch my attention.

I wonder what's in that box…

I activate my ability, the world around me freeze and turns black and white when I reach my target.

"...Huh?" I gasp, this has never happened before.

*Did my ability change or something?*

But my thoughts are interrupted by a flood of disorganized memories. I can't control them as scenes flash before my eyes, scenes of death and suffering.

I want to scream and make it stop, but I can't move a muscle and I can't stop the torrent of images. It sounds like a cacophony as they overlap over each other without any order. The man screams in pain as he's burned, torn apart, and his body is rotten away by some sort of robed zombie. I stop myself from vomiting as I continue to endure the memories.

*What's all of this?! How is he still alive?!*

I focus as I try to cancel my ability, sadly to no avail. So I keep watching the horrible scenes and start to notice a pattern in some of the overlapping memories. Some start identically so I thought they were just repeats, but I notice minute differences between each of them. Most of the memories are abruptly cut off, but some of them continue and add to the already confusing mess of images and sound.

A whisper suddenly echoes in my head. At first, I didn't notice it since it was covered by the sound of other memories, but it grows in intensity and soon another voice joins it. The number of voices grows and increases in volume, and I can finally make out what they are saying.

We cannot be stopped.

The voices distort as they repeat the same words, again and again, each time louder than the last one. They become so distorted that I can no longer recognize the words, and my head starts to hurt like never before.

*Stop, I want it to stop!*

"Sarah! Are you all right?! Talk to me!"

The world suddenly restarts and regains its colors. I blink a few times before noticing Cynthia is gripping my arm with a worried expression.

*W-What was that?!*

I feel tears rolling down my cheeks and tremors are coursing through each of my limbs, my breathing also became ragged and irregular.

"Sarah!!"

"I-I'm fine…" I answer my friend and stabilize my breathing while my pounding heart is still resonating in my skull.

I don't know who this man is, and I'm not in a hurry to find out…

In fact, I hope I'll never see him again.