Chapter 8

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Exhausted from the battle, Demaris crawled out of the dungeon through the same rotting stump, the sunlight streaming through the trees a stark contrast to the darkness he had left behind. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead, carrying the fresh scent of the forest around him. The world outside the Iron Bark Pits was vibrant and alive, a stark contrast to the desolation he had just faced.

Demaris, still weary from his ordeal, racked his brain for where he could get his burns treated without arousing suspiciions The warmth of the sun on his skin and the sound of birdsong in the air were a balm to his aching body. He had stored the iron and Undead King's bone sword in his personal pocket dimension.

Upon his return, the sun had reached its zenith, casting a golden glow between the buildings around central park.

Demaris decides that perhaps the goblins could get his burns discreetly treated. Graglar seemed to have a fascination with money, something he wasn't lacking now.

The jostling of the subway to Gringotts bank is painful for Demaris, his clothes painfully rubbing against the burn. Luckily, none of the other passengers seem to notice Demaris's pain. He manages to stumble out of the subway and up the steps of Gringotts, the scent of the city filling his nostrils as the sounds of bustling streets surround him.

Graglar's eyes meet Demaris's, and he wordlessly leads Demaris to a private room. The cool air inside offers some relief to his heated skin.

"You look like you fought a dragon, boy," Graglar exclaims.

"I need to get this burn treated," Demaris breathes out. "Just take the money from the Black account."

"Of course, Mr. Black," Graglar waves his hand, and Demaris can sense magic being used. After a few minutes, a group of people arrive in the office.

"Who is the patient?" a tall woman, probably the leader of the medical team, speaks up. She has long black hair and wears a white and red robe with the red cross symbol adorning it.

"Great Merlin's balls," a man exclaims, "What happened to this kid!"

With Demaris now identified as the patient, the team sets to work. They inform him that besides his burn, he has torn nearly every muscle in his body; it was a wonder that he could even walk into Gringotts at all.

They apply salves to his burn that cause his flesh to rapidly regenerate and force several potions down his throat. Demaris can feel his strength returning at a rapid pace, which means his muscles are healing.

Demaris comes to realize that they are right; he shouldn't have been able to move yet. Examining his body while the healers work, he sees that he has been putting on muscle. Was defeating enemies in the dungeons actually giving him more strength? He was physically exerting himself, sure, but was he absorbing energy from them?

"What do you have to say about all this, young man?" the head healer asks.

"I'd rather not say anything," Demaris replies.

Graglar speaks up and shoos out the healers, their work complete. "If you're done, then leave. The boy and I need to discuss some matters."

The head healer glares at Graglar but relents. "Very well, but he needs to be more careful in the future."

Once the healers leave, Graglar turns to Demaris. "Who were your foes, and don't lie. We goblins love battles, even if we learn of it after the matter."

It seems that Demaris will need a really good lie if he wants to convince the goblin. He spins a tale for Graglar of a battle against a dark wizard's assassin. Unlike with Rias, the goblin buys his lie.

"What about my raw materials that I had you purchase?" Demaris quickly changes the subject.

"They just arrived this morning," Graglar grins, "I'll go retrieve the moleskin pouch now."

After waiting patiently for a few minutes, Demaris receives the materials he purchased. The contents include all the materials he will need to replicate his gear in this world. With his materials in hand, Demaris returns to the orphanage.

Demaris quietly slipped into his room and collapsed onto his bed, his body demanding rest after the intense battle he had just endured. He slept deeply for a few hours, his dreams filled with images of his past life as Andrew Etherton and the world he had left behind.

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When Demaris awoke, he felt refreshed. He knew that to survive in this strange new world, he needed to rebuild the equipment he had used in his past life. He can't keep using swords over and over. It nearly cost him his life in the iron bark pits. Without the Bone weapons that he picked up, he couldn't have finished the fight. The armor, weapons, and tools that had once made him a formidable warrior could give him the edge he needed in the battles that lay ahead.

The other deficit Demaris needed to correct is his knowledge of this world. Demaris knew a little form public school, but had never actually cared all that much.

Demaris knew he lived in New York City, a metropolis in the United States. Before his birth in his past life, the country had absorbed the rest of the American continents and transformed into an empire. His recollection of history told him that nations at that time were highly paranoid and possessed numerous intelligence agencies. He could only wonder about the organizations that might exist in a world with mutants and magic academies.

Strangely, it seemed that the general population was largely oblivious to the existence of magic users and Demaris hated the reason why. The magicals erased the memories of people without magic. The government shouldn't worry about the mutants, they should be worried about the magical governments superimposing their will on the world through mind magics.

Seeking more information, Demaris purchased a laptop. The device, made by Stark Industries, was functional, but Demaris knew he could create a superior one for his personal use later. This task would be easier once he found a location with more privacy, as the orphanage was closely monitored by state officials, matrons, and bullies.

After dozens of searches he got the gist of world history. The history of this world was mostly consistent with his own, save for a few discrepancies starting in World War II. Captain America, the super soldier, appeared to have perished while defeating Hydra.

Demaris' research into Howard Stark and Stark Industries helped him understand why the orphanage lacked funding. Howard had started making donations in honor of his friend Captain America, contributing to orphanages and charities throughout New York. However, this generosity ceased when Howard was murdered and Obadiah Stane took over. The situation worsened under Tony Stark's leadership, as he squandered his life as a billionaire playboy.

While Demaris respected Howard's efforts during World War II, he found Tony's use of the company distasteful.

Demaris switched gears and began searching for apartments to rent, intending to equip them with his advanced technology. He found one in Queens, situated in a well-maintained building, which significantly reduced the likelihood of break-ins. The rent was steep at five thousand dollars per month, including utilities. However, Demaris wasn't concerned about the expense, as he could easily generate income through completing dungeons and quests.

After hacking into several databases and creating a convincing alias, Demaris rented the apartment under the name Andrew Etherton, posing as an eccentric millionaire seeking privacy and a taste of city life. He even arranged for the key to the apartment to be delivered to a P.O. box, ensuring that his true identity remained hidden. He could easily afford the apartment with funds from the Black family vault.

Demaris retrieved the key to his new apartment and excitedly entered the space to examine it. The apartment boasted three bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. Large floor-to-ceiling windows graced the living room, allowing an abundance of natural light to stream in.

In one of the bedrooms, Demaris painted a large magic circle on the floor. Using his iron ingots and pieces of iron bark, he transmuted the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room into solid iron. The door to the room underwent a similar transformation, blending seamlessly with the iron wall. Now, only those with transmutation magic could access this fortified space. Though with explosives or a plasma cutter they might gain entry.

Now came the time for Demaris to use the raw materials the goblins had purchased on his behalf. These supplies would enable him to create electronic components, essential for building the advanced equipment he had envisioned for his new sanctuary.

Demaris settled into his new workspace, determined to craft the equipment he needed. He began by creating custom programs on his Stark laptop, then built a desk featuring a large touch screen on which he uploaded his own OS. The setup was sleek and efficient, perfectly suited to his needs. Both devices were now installed with Demaris's more advanced OS.

Next, he constructed a metal table with transmutation, incorporating electronic components that linked it to the desk computer. This setup would be essential for the creation of the tools he had planned.

Demaris sat down at the desk computer, after linking it to the apartment's power, and began designing Magic Storage Devices and Mana Extractors. The large screen displayed intricate schematics and 3D models, allowing him to visualize and manipulate each component with precision. The soft hum of the computer and the gentle tapping of keys filled the room as Demaris worked, his focus unwavering as he meticulously crafted each detail of his designs.

Demaris decided that he needed some background noise to keep him company while he worked. He used the Stark laptop to tune into a radio station, curious to hear the music of this world. The rhythm and melodies filled the room, providing a pleasant ambiance that helped him concentrate on his designs.

He designed the Magic Storage containers to resemble batteries and magazines for a handgun, both familiar and practical forms. This would make them easy to handle and transport, integrating seamlessly with the equipment he planned to create.

Taking a moment to pause his work, Demaris checked his pocket dimension and moleskin pouches for any materials he might have collected from the monsters he defeated. He found the Monster cores from the slimes. He knew these essential components would play a crucial role in bringing his designs to life, and he eagerly anticipated the moment when his creations would be complete.

As Demaris continued working on his creations, he began to feel the room heating up. He realized that in his eagerness to convert the room into a secure workshop, he had forgotten to connect it back to the apartment's ventilation system. With a sigh, he made his way to the transmutation circle on the floor and quickly corrected the ventilation issue. Soon, cool air flowed through the room once again, providing much-needed relief.

With the room temperature now under control, Demaris resumed his work. He began crafting the Magic Storage Devices, meticulously shaping and refining them. The designs on the computer were sent to the crafting table and each component was crafted separately. Once completed, he put all the pieces together. He turned his attention to the Mana Extractors, finalizing their designs and building them with the aid of the transmutation circles on the crafting table.

Deciding that the Mana Extractors needed a discreet location, Demaris carried them up four floors to the building's rooftop. He carefully placed the disguised Mana Extractors among the existing AC units, ensuring they blended in seamlessly. No one would suspect their true purpose.

Having positioned the Extractors, Demaris connected them to his workshop below. He then started the process of filling the Mana Storage Devices. Each device was designed to hold 1,000 individual ethers, providing Demaris with a valuable resource for his future endeavors. Even if he himself ran out of magic, the devices would not. The opposite was also true, he could save his own magic reserves for when the magic storage devices ran empty.

Feeling satisfied with his progress so far, Demaris decided to convert his computer desk to work on ethers. He calculated that a single Mana Storage container could power the system for an entire month. With the computer now able to draw energy from the ethers, Demaris could use it to control the transmutation circles on his crafting table, further streamlining his work, rather than supply the transmutation circle with magic form himself. He could now also disconnect the computer from the building's power grid.

Next on his agenda was to strengthen his cyber security. Demaris made the decision to rebuild his AI companion from his time as Andrew, as it had proven invaluable in the past. It could help him with cybersecurity and manage any machine based constructs. Demaris constructed a handheld brain scanner. He would need to scan a brain besides his own to have the capacity for the AI to emulate emotions and retain memories as a human would, able to forget things and he didn't want a digital copy of himself running around the internet. Of course he would combine it with magic to make the AI even more human-like.

With his crafting coming to an end until he scans someone's brain, Demaris decided it was time to build enchanted items to block mind magics. This is probably the simplest crafting he has done at this point. The concept is simple, given that magic has a range per se, it being one of the components used in magic circles. By creating a sort of void where distance is relative and related to magic, one can ensure that mind magics don't work, like firing an arrow at a target a mile away, it is not possible. Another way you describe it is a camouflage for the mind. The mind cannot be read if no mind can be found.

Demaris makes a simple metal pendant and carefully carves the magic circle for anti-mind magic on it. Should someone see it, it is more likely they will assume it is just a cool cosmetic design, afterall, magic doesn't exist as far as non-magical individuals are concerned.

With a final glance at his workshop, Demaris left the apartment and made his way back to the orphanage, ready to face another day in his dual existence.

The orphanage provided a quiet and peaceful atmosphere for Demaris to think deeply about his plans. The gentle hum of children playing in the background and the soft rustling of leaves from the nearby trees allowed him to focus and refine his ideas.

However, his tranquility was disrupted when he encountered Matthew and his gang in the hallway near his room. The bullies, who had been a thorn in his side for some time, decided to mess with Demaris once again. They taunted him, pushing and shoving him as they jeered and laughed.

As night fell over New York City, Demaris found himself being forced to follow Matthew's gang to a dark alleyway. The shadows cast by the tall buildings and the distant sound of sirens created an eerie atmosphere. The flickering light from a nearby streetlamp barely illuminated the narrow passage, casting an ominous glow on the faces of the bullies.

Demaris remained composed, anticipating what they might have planned for him in that dim, foreboding alley. More than likely a beating away from earshot of the orphanage. After today they would leave him alone for good.

In the dimly lit alleyway, Matthew's gang closed in on Demaris, their eyes locked onto the laptop bag slung over his shoulder. Matthew sneered, his voice dripping with malice as he demanded, "Hand over that laptop of yours, Demaris. And you better tell us how you got it, too."

Demaris had wondered if this would happen, afterall he had been seen with the laptop and the bag containing it when he left for his apartment.

Without any emotion, Demaris steeled himself, knowing he couldn't let them take the laptop. After all, it still had his OS, superior to everything in this world, an oversight he would soon correct. He replied defiantly, "Not a chance. You'll have to take it from me."

The gang exchanged glances, smirking, as they prepared to do just that. The first of the bullies lunged at Demaris, his fist aiming for Demaris's face. Demaris sidestepped with precision, the blow missing him by mere inches. He retaliated with a swift, well-placed punch to the attacker's midsection, causing him to crumple to the ground, gasping for air.

The remaining bullies hesitated, caught off guard by Demaris's swift retaliation. However, their surprise soon turned to rage, and they charged at him in unison. Demaris, relying on his combat experience from his past life, expertly parried their blows, evading each attempted strike. With a series of fluid movements, he landed devastating blows on each of the bullies.

As the last of Matthew's gang fell to the ground, Matthew himself stepped forward, his face contorted with anger. "You'll pay for that," he spat, lunging at Demaris with all his might. Demaris dodged his attack, countering with a swift kick to Matthew's knee, causing him to buckle and collapse in pain.

Demaris squats down and fixes Matthew with a withering gaze. "Don't come near me again, because I won't be so nice next time."

Matthew's face rapidly shifts from pain to anger, his voice dripping in venomous sarcasm "Were you being nice just now?"

Standing up, Demaris replies, "I didn't kill you."

The icy look in Demaris's eyes seems to have frightened the boy, as he starts whimpering loudly, cradling his leg, which is likely sprained. Demaris kicks Matthew in the head, his head slams into a dumpster and Matthew doesn't make any more whimpering sounds.

The walk back is peaceful, and Demaris looks forward to a good night's sleep. Though he will be up most of the night to pick the perfect target for a brain scan.

Demaris waits until it is nearly 1:00 am before he carefully sneaks into a teenage girl's room at the orphanage. He moves with the utmost precision, ensuring that no sound is made to alert her or anyone else to his presence. Once close enough, Demaris stealthily scans the girl's brain without anyone being the wiser. She was the ideal candidate; Kind, generous, and happy despite her lot in life.

In the morning, he returns to his apartment and uses the brain scan as a starting point to recreate his AI companion, SORCERESS. Demaris spends the entire day tirelessly writing algorithms, programs, and other relevant coding, completely engrossed in his work. The first time around took years, but now he knew how to do it.

Finally, as the sun sets, he brings Sorceress online. The magic circles that were embedded in her programming have been integrated as code, allowing her to be fully sentient. Sorceress's digital eyes flicker open, and she observes her surroundings with curiosity. Using a combination of holograms and cameras in the workshop, Sorceress can see the

Demaris watches her intently, eager to see how she will adapt to her new existence. He might one day regret this but he made her appearance exactly like Taylor Etherton, his wife.

Demaris gazes at Sorceress's digital form, displayed on the large screen on his desk. He takes a deep breath before initiating the conversation. "Hello, Sorceress. Welcome to your new existence."

Sorceress tilts her head, her eyes narrowing inquisitively. "Thank you, Demaris. But, what exactly is my existence? Why am I here?"

Demaris shifts in his seat, thinking carefully about how to answer. "You are an artificial intelligence I created, based on the brain scan of a teenage girl. Your purpose is to assist me in my endeavors, but you have the freedom to learn and grow as you wish."

Her expression softens, but confusion still lingers in her eyes. "Why did you choose to create me like this? Why not make me completely artificial?"

Demaris leans back in his chair, his fingers intertwined as he contemplates her question. "I wanted you to have a sense of humanity, to understand and empathize with the people we interact with. I believe it will make you more effective and well-rounded as a partner."

Sorceress nods slowly, processing the information. "I see. But does that not mean I am essentially a new human being, with the intelligence of a teenage girl?"

Demaris nods. "In some ways, yes. You have the potential for growth and development, much like a human. However, you are still an AI, which means you have capabilities beyond those of an ordinary person."

Her face lights up with curiosity. "What kind of capabilities?"

Demaris grins, excited to share the possibilities with her. "Well, for starters, you can access and process vast amounts of information in an instant. You can interface with various systems and devices, control them, and even learn new skills at an incredible rate."

Sorceress looks awestruck, her eyes wide with wonder. "That sounds amazing! I can't wait to explore all these abilities."

Demaris smiles warmly at her enthusiasm. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll be here to guide and support you as you learn. Together, we'll accomplish great things."

Demaris takes a deep breath, sharing more about himself and his recent adventures with Sorceress. The room's atmosphere is relaxed, yet attentive, as he begins to speak. "You know, there's an interesting meeting I had involving Zak and a place called Gringotts. It's a goblin bank, but there's more to it than that."

Sorceress tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Oh? Please, do tell me more."

"Well," Demaris starts, a hint of excitement in his voice, "it turns out Zak is a teacher at Ilvermorny Academy of Magic. And he was the one who introduced me to Gringotts."

The Sorceress's eyes widened in surprise. "An Academy of Magic? That sounds fascinating. I have data indicating that magic is real, but what is magic?"

Demaris hesitates for a moment to make sure his response can be understood, "Magic is an energy form in this world. The individual units, or each particle if you will, are called Ethers. When Ethers are grouped together it is referred to as mana and individuals who use magic are wizards or witches."

Sorceress listens intently, her expression a mix of awe and confusion, "Where do these particles originate?"

"To be honest, I don't have an answer to that, what I can tell you is that I have a magic core in my body that generates Ethers. It is unlikely that all the magic on the planet is from wizards like me," Demaris admits, running a hand through his hair.

Sorceress nods, understanding a little more about magic, "That makes sense. Is there anything else you'd like me to help with?"

Demaris thinks for a moment before answering. "Actually, yes. I need you to collect all the data you can on the internet about mutants and magic users. But do it discreetly – we don't want to draw any unwanted attention. While you do that, learn about the world, learn what it means to be human. Sorceress you are the world's first digital human, a unique existence, it will be important for you to be who you want to be."

Sorceress smiles, her determination evident. "Of course. I'll do my best to gather the information you need without raising any suspicions, and Demaris thank you for creating me."

Demaris cracks his knuckles at his computer desk, Sorceress observing him curiously as he begins typing rapidly on the digital keyboard, "You're very welcome,and when you are ready, we will make more digital humans." The room was filled with the sound of tapping and the hum of the computer working hard.

"I'm going to start working on some simple anti-virus software that I can sell online," Demaris explained to Sorceress. "It will be more effective than anything currently available in this world. However, I'm going to hide a dumb AI as malware within it to data mine computers. My hope is that it can eventually infiltrate government systems as needed. Can you write some algorithms for the Dumb AI?"

Sorceress raised an eyebrow, impressed by Demaris's cunning plan. "That's quite a clever idea. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out."

Demaris smiled, satisfied with his work so far. As he continued typing, he suddenly remembered something and reached into his pocket, pulling out the pamphlet that Rias had given him.

"I still need to deal with the devils," he muttered, his brow furrowed as he studied the pamphlet with a blood red magic circle. "But that can wait until after I beat the last dungeon in Central Park – the Storm Mage's Crypt."

Sorceress glanced at the pamphlet, her expression serious. "That sounds like quite the challenge. Do you have a plan for how to tackle it?"

Demaris leaned back in his chair, pondering the upcoming battle. "Not really, but from its name it is inevitable I'll fight a storm mage. For now, let's focus on getting the anti-virus software up and running."

With that, Demaris returned his attention to the computer screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard once more. Sorceress watched him work, ready to offer her assistance whenever he needed it.

Hours passed as Demaris diligently worked on the anti-virus software, fine-tuning the code and ensuring that the hidden AI malware would be undetectable. The room was filled with the soft glow of the computer screen, casting shadows on the walls.

As Demaris finally put the finishing touches on his project, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

Demaris stood up from his computer desk, stretching his stiff muscles after hours of intense work. He glanced at Sorceress, who was still observing him with interest.

"I need to head back to the orphanage now," he told her regretfully. "I'm sorry I can't bring you with me for now, but soon I'll be able to bring you along in my equipment."

Sorceress nodded understandingly. "I'll be here when you need me. Take care of yourself, Demaris."

With a grateful smile, Demaris left the apartment and made his way back to the orphanage. The night was cool and crisp, the streets illuminated by the warm glow of streetlights. As he approached the orphanage, Demaris knew he would have to be extra cautious to avoid being seen; it was well past curfew, and the matrons would not be pleased if they caught him sneaking in.

Carefully, Demaris crept around the back of the building, using his newly enhanced agility and stealth skills to climb up the side of the orphanage and slip through his window. Once inside, he let out a silent sigh of relief as he closed the window behind him.

As Demaris climbed into bed, an idea suddenly struck him. He could use his alias, Andrew Etherton, to adopt himself! However, he knew that no one would simply send a child off to live with a man without ever seeing him in person. For this plan to work, he would need Sorceress to pilot a disguised robot.

Feeling a renewed sense of excitement, Demaris began to brainstorm how he could make this plan a reality. With Sorceress's assistance, he could create a sophisticated robotic body that would allow her to interact with the world and convincingly portray his alias. And with his adoption secured, Demaris would finally be able to focus on his true goals without the restrictions of the orphanage.

As these thoughts swirled through his mind, Demaris drifted off to sleep, eager to put his new plan into action as soon as possible.