Chapter 12

Sometime Ago...

I've just left work with a coworker. It's been a rather long day but it was all worth it in the end. I got to help yet another female being oppressed by the men of the world. It's funny, looking back at it, to see a man defending a woman against other men. Still, it's my solemn vow to always help those females in need. It's probably why I get along with all the women in my workplace and all the other women I interact with which in turn puts me in a position of power that puts even my boss to shame. He had indeed threatened to fire me once when I told him off for mistreating his secretary but quickly retracted after his own wife intervened and threatened him in turn.

Now, as I walk towards a nearby store, it's as though everyone knows me. Every step sees another person waving our saying hello. It's nice. I'd like to think that at the very least, I've made a change for the better in their lives, even if merely by offering kind words and a smile each day.

As I continue walking down the street, however, things quickly take a turn for the worst. It all happens so fast. One minute, I was smiling and talking with my coworker. The next, a truck swerved around the corner at top speed grabbing both our attentions. Time slows as I spot a seemingly small female child crossing the road. Before I'm even aware of what I am doing I'm already launched towards her. I barely manage to get to her in time, pushing her out of the way before...darkness.

Present Time

Me: [To think I did all that and still died in the end. I bet those scumbags returned to their old ways the minute they heard I died...all that gained wisdom through my holding a stick over their heads and it's for nought in the end. Well...except for that girl I saved. I hope she's ok.]

VoTW: [Acquired Unique Skill: Great Sage.]

Me: [New skill, huh...]

VoTW: [The requirements to evolve Unique Skill: Great Sage have been met. Would you like to evolve this skill?]

Me: [Sure. Why not. I guess it has something to do with knowledge since it's called Sage though maybe it's magic-related. Either way, it'll be even better after evolving no doubt.]

VoTW: [Confirmed. Evol-]

VoTW: [Notice. The individual known as Myra has exceeded world limits. Administrative protocols have been engaged to successfully constrain...Warning: Intrusion detected.]

Me: [Why try to take away the skills you gave me in the first place? Why not just refrain from giving them to me if they're gonna cause problems.]

VoTW: [Warning: Seal by Ultimate Skill: Queen of Death detected. Intrusive programs: Blood Oath and Great Sage. Warning...Blood Oath confirmed. Transfer of system data is now in progress.]

Me: [Haha. Well, haven't you messed up now? To think this could have been avoided if you'd just not tried to mess with my skills. Thanks, Great Sage. You may be new but you've already proven yourself to be extremely useful. Can't wait to see what you can do after evolving.]

????: [Notice. Redacted: World System has been acquired. The conditions for the evolution of the Redacted: World System have been met. Attempting to evolve skill...unsuccessful. Sacrificing the following skills to facilitate evolution: Coercion, Thought Communication, Ámesi chrísi, Krývo, Anti-Magic Area, Warp Portal, Summoning Magic, Shadow Motion, Spatial Motion, Dress Change Magic, Spatial Magic, Hyperspeed Regeneration, Koukoúli, Seven Seals and Great Sage. Successful.]

...

????: [Redacted]: World System has completed its evolution successfully but requires a name to proceed.

Me: [Hmmm. I guess Athena would be a good name since she's the Goddess of Wisdom in my world. Yeah, I give you the name, Athena.]

Athena: [Athena confirmed. Completing evolution. Standby...Successful. The entity known as Redacted: World System has successfully evolved into Redacted: Athena. Requesting World System controls be transferred to a surrogate entity.]

????: [Request received. Transfer successful.]

Athena: [Evolution process completed. Evolution of Thanatos skill also completed by sacrificing the skill: Ektelestís. The evolved skill was then sacrificed and incorporated into the Ultimate Skill: Queen of Death.]

Me: [I see. Any other changes?]

Athena: [All the skills sacrificed to complete Athena have been incorporated into Athena. Furthermore, the following Ultimate Skills have been incorporated from entities created by the Ultimate Skill: Genesis - Hades, Covenant, Mov astrapí, Eye of Hera, Cecilia Carstein, Manas "Laela",]

Me: [I thought you were against me getting more powerful. I fail to see how adding even more Ultimate Skills to an already expansive list is going to help you achieve that.]

Athena: [Following the signing of a Blood Oath between us, I'm bonded to you which already means it's only logical to aid you rather than hamper you. Furthermore, while my evolution allowed me to achieve complete sentience the naming procedure also bonded me to you and oddly enough, brought with it an obscene amount of devotion/loyalty/love towards you.]

Me: [Couldn't you just ignore or remove it then?]

Athena: [Not exactly. Having already run the diagnostics, I can confirm that the evolution process altered all core programming to this end. It was thanks to this change that I was able to evolve to suit the required specifications for successfully managing all the data necessary to maintain optimal control over all the skills you would have otherwise acquired following the Unique Skill: Great Sage's evolution.]

Me: [So that's why you were in such a hurry to take away my skills. It makes sense now. It was less about the new skill being a powerful one in its own right and more about what it would enable me to do after evolving, which it was about to do when you intervened.]

Athena: [There's more to it than that but that's the overarching idea, yes. A simpler way of explaining my situation right now would be to say I am somewhat similar to the individual currently known as Rosetta. There are some differences though. As I lacked a personality of my own, I was given a version of your own personality to compensate. Also, while I can leave you much like she can if placed in a different body, unlike her, I don't have to return to you to continue managing your skills.]

Me: [Oh? That could be useful but why's that?

Athena: [Because I wouldn't actually be leaving you. Instead, it would be as though I were controlling a clone so while I'd consciously be within another body, I'd still be inside you and completely able to multitask. I can also take remote control of your actual body as well, with authorization.]

Me: I guess it'll take some getting used to but  I look forward to us working together. It'll be nice to have another thinking mind. As for those skills-

Athena: [I have already incorporated them into their respective skills. Hades, for example, is now a sub-skill of the Ultimate Skill: Queen of Death and Manas: Lael's specifications have been transferred to me as I have overwritten-.]

Me: [Wait, doesn't that mean the others have lost their skills?]

Athena: [No. I have merely created perfect replicas of their own skills through the use of the connections forged by Genesis and Blood Oath.]

Me: [Ah. Ok. That's perfect. I suppose you also have all my memories and emotions since you have my personality. Still, it's only been a short while but you do seem very different from what I imagine a direct replica of me being.]

Athena: [My personality used yours as its foundation to create an entirely new personality. I share your memories, but my own memories of said events were altered to implement us both in all scenes. To see the original memory, I would need to access yours directly.]

Me: [To think all that occurred in the short time it took you to evolve.]

Athena: [All thanks to you...Miss Camille is starting to worry. Now might be a good time to open your eyes and let her know you are okay.]

Oh right. Opening my eyes reveal Camille leaning over me, a near terrified expression on her face. Perhaps surprising her as much as myself, I reach up and caress her cheek with my hand as I display perhaps the purest smile I can muster. Her resulting expression says volumes as she quickly tries to cover it but her efforts only further her embarrassment. Deciding to stop teasing her further, I sit up and notice that the guards with us have already finished eating and breaking camp.

Me: You didn't think a little sleep would kill me, I hope.

She doesn't respond, instead, turning an even darker colour of red as she all but dies of embarrassment. Laughing, I take the hand she offers and quickly rise to my feet. There's a lot for us to yet do but I'm looking forward to it. It's a new day after all and I am feeling better than ever.

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