Reconstruction

Jody felt accomplished in this endeavor.

He had faced a vicious beast and emerged victorious, all while gathering valuable resources for his mother. Originally, Jody had been fighting fierce beasts, but he quickly discovered their weakness. No fierce beast had more than 10 bp, and it was like a limit of the mortal truth.

Even though Freshmen rarely possessed 10 bp, Jody was no typical Freshman Sage. Outside the cave, he found the other spiritual herb Xavier mentioned, the Oxypearl vine. As he continued to search for herbs and treasures, he returned to the high state and spread his perception out twenty meters. This was not his limit, but he had rather developed a habit.

There were eyes everywhere, after all.

Sniff, sniff

Jody suddenly got a whiff of medicinal fragrance. Many herbs on his list were medicinal in nature, so he immediately dashed toward the smell. Speaking of the high state, he silently contemplated smoking some of the extra herbs to examine the result...

"They smoke medicine where you're from too?" Xavier asked in surprise, as his father always smoked herbs.

"Yeah, but mainly narcotics for recreation," replied Jody absently.

Sek Si glanced at him strangely.

As he ran, he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that he had to be on his guard, as dangerous beasts could lurk in the forest. However, his thoughts were soon interrupted as he stumbled into a clearing, facing a group of bandits.

"Hey, brat!" One of the cloaked men said. "What are you doing all alone in the woods?"

"Look at his gear...that's some high-end combat gear," commented another goon.

"Nuts..." Jody cursed his luck.

These guys were moving very silently in camouflage class combat gear, so he hadn't perceived them. The bandits were all heavily armed, brandishing sharp blades and menacing glares. Jody stood frozen as they closed in on him, his mind racing with fear and uncertainty. If these bandits included an elite, he knew that he had to think fast if he wanted to stay alive.

Suddenly, one of the bandits lunged forward, his blade aimed directly at Jody's chest. Jody spun out of the way, his fists blazing with astral light as he delivered a powerful punch to the bandit's jaw, breaking both it and the guy's neck as the goon crashed into a companion. The other bandit staggered backward, his eyes wide with shock.

Jody didn't even stop for an instant. He knew that he had to keep up the pressure if he wanted to win. He charged forward, his fists exploding with power as he unleashed a flurry of punches at the bandits. They tried to dodge his attacks, but Jody was too quick, and his fists connected with their bodies, sending them reeling and making many of them vomit blood and their lunches where they landed. Jody's Light of Truth punches were like mini raging suns, exploding with a bright light that blinded the bandits' vision.

As the bandits stumbled backward, Jody grabbed the bags they dropped and ran for it. He could hear the bandits cursing him as they gave chase, but Jody knew that he could outrun them. He darted through the forest, his heart racing with adrenaline as he dodged trees and leaped over obstacles. In a few moments, he had lost those bandits in the dust. He made a mental note to learn more about those jerks and finish them off later. This was his mother's territory.

They should submit or die.

As Jody drew closer to the source of the smell, he began to feel a sense of unease. The forest grew darker and more twisted, and the trees seemed to close in on him. He had a feeling that he was being watched. His heart racing, he clenched his fists and prepared for battle. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a woman dressed in dark robes and wielding a long staff. As she studied him, her eyes glinted with malice, and Jody felt a chill run down his spine.

"Who are you?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice steady.

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she began to chant a dark incantation, and Jody knew that he was in trouble. He charged forward, his sword gleaming in the dim light of the forest. The woman was quick, however, and she dodged his attack easily.

"Jody." Came Sylvester's voice from the host space.

"Not now, Sly," Jody spun around, trying to keep the woman in his sight.

She was a formidable enemy; he could feel her aura pulsing with dark energy. He charged again, determined to take her down. The woman blocked his attack with her staff, and Jody felt a jolt of pain run through his arm. He gritted his teeth and struck again, but the woman quickly dodged his attack.

"You're weak," she taunted, a cruel smile curling her lips. "You'll never defeat me."

"Jody!!" Sylvester barked this time.

Temporarily ignoring him, Jody refused to give up. He was a Sage, damn it, and he refused to be taken down by some dark sorceress. He gathered his battle force and lunged forward.

In the host space, Sylvester shook his head, a pitying look in his eyes as he and Xavier watched their host attack nothing but bushes.

"Light of Destruction! Destructo Fist!"

BANG!

Jody felt more mana and astral light draining from him but frowned immediately as the feedback feeling in his fist was all wrong.

"Impressive," came the soft voice of a girl.

This voice gave Jody goosebumps as he remembered it well. Only...he didn't remember how he remembered it. Jody couldn't help but be reminded of Bright at this moment. For some reason...it felt similar. Not similar...the same. This feeling...it was same. If he had the call it something it would be...

Nothing.

As soon as he had this thought, numerous memories somehow swarmed his mind, like a damn was broken. Back in House Trillwolf, he had met a little girl with sapphire eyes, but he could never properly see those eyes. She was also strange and unique. She spoke well, and made Jody feel like he finally made a worthy friend. She left a deep impression, but he forgot her soon anyway.

At the imperial palace, he met a little girl with sapphire eyes, but one of them looked brown to him by the end of the conversation. She was gorgeous and elusive as if he were the only one who could see her. She had given him something...and he had never failed to keep it with him since. How was that?

Jody suddenly reached into his trouser pockets and retrieved a tiny golden falcon. Why had she given him this, claiming he would need it? What was it she said exactly?

He also heard this voice while listening to the deity Jody presumed was Anubis. She called him Dad. The last thought seemingly sobered Jody up.

The daughter of a deity?

A scion of the underworld?

A strange presence that made people forget?

Wasn't that similar to Bright?

Jody had realized recently that the key to remembering Bright was focusing on his name. This didn't make it so Jody never forgot about Bright, but it did allow him to remember. A name...what was her name?

"Topaz," Jody said calmly as he turned around to face a beautiful little girl who appeared to be nine or ten.

She had caramel brown, smooth skin, and a smile that could light up the dark sea. Jody couldn't help but feel drawn to Topaz. She had an alluring presence that was both captivating and mysterious. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he knew her from somewhere before but couldn't quite remember where or how. Wait. Hadn't he just remembered?! Damn, it almost slipped away again!

'Topaz, Topaz, focus on the name,' Jody thought to himself, frowning.

"I'll help, temp host! I'll focus on her name. You just talk to her," replied X from the host space as he spread his intention and focused on the name Topaz Novi.

Jody felt immediate relief as he no longer forgot about this girl every few seconds.

Meanwhile, Topaz's little face wore shock as this boy turned to face her and uttered her name! It may not be her True Name, but it was the only name she had given him. How could a mere envoy identify the princess of the underworld? Topaz suddenly found herself incredibly interested in this boy to whom the dark seers prophesied she would belong.

"Hello, Jody," Topaz said sweetly while fluttering her eyes.

She whispered his name softly as if trying to savor it on her tongue. Jody was briefly surprised that she called him Jody and not Josiah. 'Little minx,' Jody thought to himself while pausing intentionally for a moment.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Jody finally asked, feigning forgetfulness.

He felt this girl might become guarded if she knew he could remember her words, and he was hoping she could shed some light on their strange connection. Topaz smiled sweetly, her sapphire eyes twinkling in the sunlight. This boy was different, sure, but he was still too weak for now. He couldn't possibly negate her ability without knowing her True name or comprehending nothingness.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she said softly.

Jody shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm afraid not."

"That's okay," Topaz said, her smile never faltering. "We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other now."

Jody felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach as Topaz approached him. It was like a magnetic pull that he couldn't resist. He reached out to touch her hand, and when he did, he felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. At that moment, all the memories flooded back to him.

Jody was stunned to realize that he had both seen and been around Topaz way more than he or anyone around him had known. She had never stopped following him since the day he met the shaman! She had literally always been somewhere nearby! He would notice her frequently but immediately forget. Even his sky wolves seemed none the wiser! What a terrifying ability! But why would she make him remember like this?

"I remember you now," Jody said softly.

Topaz nodded, her eyes never leaving his.

"I knew you would," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jody stepped closer to her, and Topaz didn't move away. In fact, she leaned in closer.

"Why is it that you're following me?" Jody asked calmly.

This girl had always been close but never made a move either against or for him. She clearly didn't wish him harm, but somehow, he didn't trust her motives. Still, he didn't intend to be hostile towards her. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by Topaz's beautiful, doll-like face as he looked at her.

"I came to find you, silly," Topaz giggled, twirling a strand of her curly silvery hair around her finger, hair that Jody only fully noticed now.

Wasn't it black?

"I needed to give you something important."

Jody's eyes widened as he watched Topaz dig into the pocket of her dress. She pulled out a small, intricately carved dagger. The blade glinted ominously in the dim lighting, and Jody couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over him.

"What is this?" he asked, eyeing the weapon warily.

"It's a gift from my father," Topaz replied, her expression growing serious. "He wanted you to have it. It's special, Jody. It has the power to destroy evil and protect the innocent."

'Her father!? Is her dad really the True Pharaoh of Death?' Jody's mind raced as he examined the dagger closer. He didn't know what to make of it, but he knew that he couldn't ignore the feeling of importance that seemed to surround it.

"Thank you," he muttered, slipping the dagger into his own pocket. "But why would he give me this?"

The moment Jody touched the dagger...

[Imp: Nightmare class Nethershard detected.]

[Imp: Can be reconstructed into a Divine Labor of Death.]

[Imp: Reconstruct? Yes/No]

'No.' Jody didn't want to experiment right now.

He didn't know what changes it might cause.

[Imp: The True Pharaoh of Twilight is watching!]

[Imp: Host command overruled by administrator!]

[Imp: Reconstruction beginning.]

[Branding main body with death laws.]

[Imp: Reconstruction complete!]