Not just me, but Yolan and Lili were also confused and shocked. Even IM, who supposedly knew everything about me since he was the Harbinger connected to my power, was taken aback.
"Hmm? Your memory seems to be fragmented, doesn't it?" the man observed, his voice still filled with reverence.
A memory? Could I have been reincarnated or something? I wondered to myself, trying to piece together any fragments of a past life that might explain this man's strange behavior.
I shook my head, unable to recall anything.
"You are the Fool God, the Mindless God," the man declared, his voice resonating with a deep conviction.
A wave of confusion washed over me. "Fool God? Mindless God?" I repeated, the words sounding foreign and unfamiliar. "I don't understand."
The man rose to his feet, his gaze still fixed on me with an unwavering intensity. "You are the one who possesses the power to shape reality with your thoughts, the one who can bend the very fabric of existence to your will," he explained, his voice filled with awe. "But you are also the one who is unaware of your own divinity, who wanders through the world without a clear purpose or direction."
"That's why they call you the Fool God," he continued. "The one who holds unimaginable power, yet lacks the wisdom to wield it."
I stared at him, my mind reeling from his words. The idea that I was some kind of god, even a mindless one, seemed absurd. I was just a high school student, struggling to navigate the complexities of adolescence and the awakening of my extraordinary abilities.
"I... I don't know what to say," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.
The man smiled gently. "There is no need to say anything, Your Majesty," he said, his voice filled with respect. "But it is surprising to see you here, in human form... Now, I just want to tell you about my master. He is a lucky individual with a high chance of luck. He wishes to join you, if you are willing to accept him."
He placed a piece of paper with an address on it.
IM took the paper and looked at it. "His address?"
"Yes, please bring him here," the man said, then vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
The room was enveloped in a heavy silence. Everyone stared at the spot where the mysterious man had stood, their minds reeling from his words. The revelation that Xian was the "Fool God" hung in the air, a shocking truth that none of them had anticipated.
Dove finally broke the silence, her voice filled with a mix of awe and concern. "Xian... is it true? Are you really..."
She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
Xian shook his head, "I don't know. What is a 'Fool God'?"
Yolan took a deep breath, her expression turning serious. "The Fool God... it's a figure from ancient legends," she began, her voice hushed. "It's said to be a powerful entity, capable of shaping reality with its thoughts. But it's also described as... unpredictable, chaotic, even dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Lili echoed, her eyes wide with alarm.
Yolan nodded. "The legends say that the Fool God is easily swayed by emotions, its actions driven by whims and impulses rather than logic or reason. It can bring about both creation and destruction, often without any clear intent. The Fool God, as this man mentioned, has been referenced several times in ancient texts, often with the phrase 'O Praise the Fool God.' Those books are said to be connected to demonic rituals."
"I can't be that Fool God. I'm not even stupid," I protested, crossing my arms defensively.
"I agree with the 'fool' part of the title, but not the 'god' one," IM quipped, earning a playful nudge from Yolan.
I glared at him with a side-eye, a mix of amusement and annoyance flickering in my eyes.
"But... is it true if that Harbinger said that?" Lili asked, her confusion evident.
"Hmm... from what I've seen as a Harbinger myself, that Harbinger was dangerous and possessed great power... like one of the ancient ones who always seek a worthy master," IM replied thoughtfully.
"Oh right, there are many Harbingers who don't have bodies or masters, right?" Yolan added.
IM nodded.
I looked at IM, my thoughts racing. If there were Harbingers without masters, then what about him? Was he older than me?
"How about you? Who was your master before me?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
"No one. When you were born, I was born," IM replied simply.
"So you're saying... you were born with me?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise.
IM nodded. "We're connected, Xian. Your existence brought me into being. We're two sides of the same coin."
I pondered his words, trying to grasp the implications. It was a strange and unsettling thought, to be so intimately linked to another being. But it also explained the deep connection I felt with IM, the unspoken understanding that existed between us.
"So, if I'm the Fool God, then what does that make you?" I asked, a playful smile tugging at my lips.
IM chuckled. "I guess that makes me the Fool's Jester," he replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Always by your side, offering advice and comic relief."
I laughed. "Well, I'm glad to have you as my jester, IM. I don't know what I'd do without you."
He smiled back, his gaze warm and sincere. "And I'm glad to be your Harbinger, Xian. No matter what challenges we face, we'll face them together."
The weight of the revelation about the Fool God still hung heavy in the air, but for now, we chose to focus on the present. We had a mission to complete, a corrupt official to expose, and a world to protect. And with each other by our side, we knew we could overcome any obstacle.
***
It was morning again, and once more we found ourselves at school. IM and I were slumped over our desks, fast asleep, exhausted from our late-night activities.
Thud! The teacher slammed both of our desks, the loud noise jolting us awake.
"Wake up! Class has already started!" the teacher yelled, her voice echoing through the room.
Our friends chuckled, amused by our disheveled state.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Ugh, what time is it?" I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep.
"Almost lunchtime," Marcel replied with a grin. "You two were out cold."
I glanced at IM, who was still yawning and stretching. "Sorry, Mrs. Tina," I apologized to the teacher. "We were up late last night."
Mrs. Tina raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Oh really? And what were you two up to?"
I exchanged a nervous glance with IM. We had agreed not to reveal our superhero activities to anyone at school, not even our closest friends.
"Just... studying," I lied, trying to sound convincing.
Mrs. Tina chuckled. "Sure, studying. Now, how about you tell us the answer to the problem on the board?"
I looked at the board. It was a physics problem. Without hesitation, I got up and went to the board.
"A small block of mass 'm' is placed on a frictionless incline of angle θ. The incline is then rotated about a vertical axis at a constant angular velocity ω. Find the minimum value of ω such that the block remains at rest on the incline...?" I read the question aloud.
"That's right. Now, find the sine and cosine components," she instructed.
Imagine I know the answer, I imagined, focusing my mind.
I confidently wrote the answer on the board:
'ω = √(g * sin²θ) / (h * cosθ)'
I looked back at Mrs. Tina and saw her eyebrow raised in surprise.
"The answer is correct, but... how on earth did you get that without working through the problem from scratch?" she asked, her confusion evident.
"Um... in my head?" I replied, trying to sound casual.
"I can't believe it..." she mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Then I don't need to do anything, right?" IM asked, still looking tired.
Kringg! The bell rang, signaling lunchtime.
Mrs. Tina sighed, "No need, IM. Just... go take a rest," she said, then looked at the rest of the students. "Everyone, it's lunchtime. Better use this time to study for the upcoming exams, remember!"
Two more days until the exam... tomorrow is a holiday again, then the next day is the exam. That should be easy with my power, I thought to myself with a confident smile.
I looked over at IM, who was already packing up his things. "Ready for lunch?" I asked.
He nodded, yawning. "Yeah, let's go. I'm starving."
We left the classroom and headed towards the cafeteria, the usual lunchtime chatter and laughter filling the air. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the upcoming exam. With my imagination manifestation, I knew I could easily ace any test. It was almost like cheating, but I justified it by telling myself that I was simply using my abilities to my advantage.
We arrived at the cafeteria and joined the queue, our stomachs rumbling in anticipation. I scanned the menu, trying to decide what to eat.
"Hey, Xian," IM said, nudging me playfully. "What are you going to do with all that free time tomorrow?"
I shrugged. "I don't know yet. Maybe I'll catch up on some sleep, or maybe I'll practice my powers some more."
"You don't need to practice. You just imagine something, and poof, it happens," he said with a chuckle.
< Chapter 140 > Fin.