Chapter 213: Birth of Creation
Chapter 213: Birth of Creation
Surprisingly, the rest of their time in the caves passed without further incident. In a sense, that was an incident in itself.
In Prota’s last life, there had been a chimera that had come to attack them. In this life, however, no such beast arrived. At least, it hadn’t arrived yet, but even that was of some concern. If it showed up too late, that would be a whole new problem to deal with.
Otherwise, though, Destiny seemed to have resolved himself. Of course, they’d passed by the chimera research, and Prota needed to explain what it was to the hero, but other than that, the only thing left was to find the supplies.
He was helping the prisoners out of their cells, bringing them food and talking to them, trying to comfort them as best he could. Prota could only watch from the sidelines as he did his work, but that was fine with her.
“Anta,” she said quietly. “Where…”
“I don’t know, to be honest. It’s a little worrying. That thing is an enemy we’ll have to fight eventually,” Anta muttered. “But at the same time… ah, I don’t know. The things the [Author] does, the things the [Author] doesn’t do, it’s not something we should worry about.”
“But Destiny-”
Prota stopped. From what she remembered, Destiny hadn’t been the primary reason this monster had died.
She was the one who’d killed it.
If that were the case, then there was indeed a possibility it wouldn’t show up at all. And if it wouldn’t show up, then she didn’t need to care about it, right?
No, that wasn’t the right way of thinking. What Prota really felt was that as long as Destiny was involved, it wouldn’t become troublesome. She knew he would eventually become strong, and she did enjoy his company to an extent, but she was getting tired of having to ensure he grew up properly. When it came to it, she wished she could just beat everyone up on her own.
“...boring,” she muttered, looking down at her hands.
That feeling of lethargy was starting to kick in. With no real struggle, she was bored. Of course, other emotions swirled within her. Confusion. Pain. Isolation. But it was true that she was incredibly strong for this time and place.
“Don’t wish for things you can’t handle,” Anta warned. “You remember what these kinds of thoughts result in, right?”
“...nn.”
For now, it was best to enjoy the peace while it lasted.
~~~
As Prota had predicted, no chimera showed up. Destiny successfully contacted Albert, who helped bring the prisoners up. They were then sent to the church of Celeste, where they were well taken care of.
Just like before, Prota still didn’t trust the church entirely. This time, though, it wasn’t for killing her. She no longer had qualms about their members, especially since she’d met some of them personally.
No, what she no longer trusted was the god behind the church.
Regardless, she couldn’t do anything about it at the moment, so she would leave it alone.
Destiny and Danjo were hitting it up well, as they were meant to, which relieved Prota. If it’d been up to her to connect the two, she definitely would have failed. Neither she nor Anta really had the personality to do something of that sort.
A week later, though, she was called into Albert’s office. Unsure of what this was all about, she knocked on his office door and waited. Anta wanted her to kick it open the way John did, but there was no way she was going to do something like that.
Moments later, the door swung open.
“Ah. You’re here.”
Prota peered inside, but there was no Destiny to be found. She was a little confused. What was going on?
“Come in.”
She obeyed hesitantly, sitting down on the chair before the man’s desk. Come to think of it, this was the first time meeting Albert in such a scenario. Before it’d always been John who had confronted the man.
This time…
“I heard you did something incredible.”
“...me?”
“Don’t get coy with me. You know something we don’t, don’t you?”
Prota stared at him with a blank expression. Truth be told, she was incredibly nervous, but such emotion was unreadable to someone like the guildmaster, who hardly knew the girl.
“Why… do you think?”
“Oh, come on. You just so happened to challenge the dungeon that harboured an incredible lead, and you just so happened to bring alone Fate, someone who’s already involved in this matter. You know all of this already, don’t you?” Albert sighed. “I’m not going to question you, because, to be frank, I don’t think I can. But have you considered the consequences? The blowback?”
Prota flinched. Yes, she had considered such things, but… was there something she had failed to notice?
“I don’t know how old you actually are, but from the way you look, you don’t know how the world works yet. There is a reason we take our time. There’s a reason we haven’t fully dedicated ourselves to going through each dungeon, bit by bit.”
“...why?”
Albert flinched. Prota was simply being honest in her question, but that single word seemed to take Albert back quite a bit.
“I… strategy, girl! What if they go into hiding? What if they-”
“They won’t do that.”
“Yeah? And how can you be so sure?!”
Prota looked up at the man. For once, she wasn’t relying on Anta. In this moment, she didn’t need a scheming mind or persuasive words. There was no need for trickery or manipulation.
She just wanted to be honest.
“Mister,” she said quietly. “Are you going to let more people die?”
At that, Albert went silent. For a moment, he just stood there, eyes wide, hands on his desk. Slowly, he sat down, still speechless, unable to even convey a single thought.
Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing, a loud, roaring sound, ringing throughout the room. Prota winced, but she managed to recover well.
“That’s right! How could I forget?” He wiped his eyes, a wide grin spreading on his face. “Since when was I the type to care about all this political nonsense? We’re adventurers, aren’t we? To help other people… that’s the goal. Little girl. I apologize. It seems this office has influenced me a little too much.”
He stood up, turning around to stare out the window. Sunlight streamed through it, casting patches of light on the wooden floor and warming the room.
“You saved a good number of innocents. That’s more than good enough in my books. To question your motives… I’ll leave that to you. It seems you know what you’re doing.”
“...did Destiny tell you about souls?”
“He did. Why do you ask?”
“Making sure. Nn… also, they can use Final Stands.”
“Wha- what are you saying?! Someone sacrif-”
“No. Souls. Final Stands. Think.”
Albert’s eyes bulged wide. The concept was absolutely ridiculous, but Prota was saying it so casually. Still, it would be nothing compared to the other things Prota knew. In the long run, souls were nothing compared to [Deus Ex Machina].
Prota stood up, ready to leave. She was almost at the door when Albert called out one more time.
“I may be stepping over the line here, but… out of curiosity, why are you doing this? It’s my responsibility as the guildmaster. I’m vaguely aware of why Fate is here. But what’s it to you?”
Prota hesitated for a moment. Should she tell him? Was there a point in keeping a secret?
“Revenge.”
“Reven- wait, hold on, what are you saying?”
“No more.”
Prota didn’t look back. She’d just realized something in this instant, a thought that had always been lingering in her subconscious but hadn’t realized itself until just now.
“I’m going now.”
~~~
Doctor.
In her past life, he’d been an enemy because of the heinous acts he’d done, as well as the fact that he’d kidnapped John. Regardless of whatever else he’d done, the man was someone who needed to be defeated.
Now, however, there was a whole new reason to taking him down. This was the man who’d created her. Who, in part, had been responsible for her suffering. While Prota still viewed the world in a somewhat negative light, she couldn’t deny that things might have gone differently had she not been the creation of a madman.
In their past life, Prota hadn’t been directly involved in his defeat. Ultimately, it’d been John who’d done all the work.
But in this life, John wasn’t present.
And it was entirely possible that she had the abilities to defeat him on her own this time around.
“You idiot,” Anta suddenly grumbled. “Just because you’re stronger now, getting all cocky…”
“But we can do it.”
“You… seriously, you don’t give up, huh? Yeah, we technically can. But I thought your goal was John-”
“Anta. You know, too.”
The inn room went silent.
“Y-yes… I just didn’t even consider the possibility. But given how things are going now… I wouldn’t be surprised.”
In their previous life, Zero had often emphasized that he knew the general order of events that would happen, but not exactly how or when they would happen. Additionally, he had told John that they were capable of altering the [Plot] the [Author] had laid out, something even the soul hadn’t expected.
That meant that there were blind spots in the soul’s supposed omnipotence.
And if that were the case, then Zero would be incapable of leading John perfectly should Prota disrupt the flow of events.
Therefore, it was entirely possible that John wouldn’t show up to fight Doctor at all. Whether or not that happened, though, depended on Prota’s actions.
“But then…”
“We take his [DEM],” Prota insisted. “Because Zero will know where it was.”
“And if it’s missing… Zero will know it was us. But he won’t be able to tell John because of their promise,” Anta continued, her tone growing more and more excited. “He’ll only be able to tell him that someone is responsible. And-”
“And John will look for us. But-”
“But since John can’t track us and has no way of knowing who we are… it’ll take him time to find us.”
“And we’ll have [DEM].”
“Which means, if words fail…”
“We just have to win.”
Hope.
For the first time, there was a very realistic reason to have hope.
Prota still remembered that incredibly unreasonable power. That feeling of wielding a supposedly infinite amount of power, of commanding heaven and earth with the flow of mana. And that wasn’t even [Deus Ex Machina] energy. It was just [Infinity], an offshoot of that power.
So what could the power of an [Author] even feel like?
“Hey. If we want to go with this plan… we’re going to be risking a lot, you know?”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Prota tilted her head. She hadn’t heard of this. Of course, there was always a risk when fighting with your life on the line, but the way Anta spoke, it was more than that.
“Do you know what we need to beat Doctor?” Anta said quietly.
“...strong?”
“No. Well, yes, but not in the way you think. Prota, Doctor wasn’t a good fighter. He had strange powers, but he definitely wasn’t a match for you.”
“But Kit-”
“You weren’t paying attention to John’s reasoning, were you? Doctor’s power is control. He is capable of always being in control of the situation around him. It’s just like how Sofya’s powers were connected to desire. [Deus Ex Machina] energy connects to your core as a [Character]. That’s why ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■- ah. I can’t say that yet.”
“...huh?”
“Look, the point is, Doctor’s powers aren’t constrained by magic. They operate on a different set of rules. The reason John was able to win was because he can play on that level.”
Prota nodded. She vaguely remembered fighting against Doctor’s creations, as well as the fight against Sofya.
“We don’t have that power either. So, to get that power…”
A piece of a scarf materialized before Anta.
“We’re going to need to use some of this.”
Prota stared with wide eyes.
“You said… we need…”
“Yes. I did. But the thing about this power… it’s a little finicky. There are no rules as to how much is needed. There are no rules to this stuff at all. But the point is, we will only use enough to defeat Doctor, so that the amount we get back is more than the amount we lost.”
Prota nodded. That made sense.
“However. The risk behind this plan… if we fail, we won’t be able to confront John.”
“...I-”
“We won’t have enough for what comes next. So, make sure there’s a good reason we want to follow through with this plan, ok? Because it’s all or nothing. Either we get strong, so strong no one in this world will compare to us… or we lose everything.”
With that, Anta went silent. She was still there, but Prota understood she was being given time to think.
All or nothing.
The answer was obvious, wasn’t it?
“Hey,” Anta suddenly said. “By the way… why didn’t Doctor recognize us in our past life?”
Prota flinched.
Anta was right. If she really had been named by Doctor, if she’d been created by the man, then why hadn’t he recognized her? He’d identified her by name and everything. Then why hadn’t he tried to take her back immediately?
“...I don’t know.”
“Ah. Well, I know what John would say in this situation.”
“Nn. Lazy writing.”
“You catch on, don’t you?”
~~~
Doctor was furious. He wasn’t showing it the way he usually did, but all of the lab assistants knew to stay out of his way.
“Those brats… moving without the guild’s permission, hm?”
The only one who wasn’t backing off was Breaker.
“You should’ve seen this coming, no?”
“What? Of course not!” Doctor screeched, punching Breaker’s chest.
Of course, it did nothing. The man was too valuable for him to lose.
“Really? You, of all people, failed to anticipate a third party’s interference?”
“Of course! That shouldn’t be possible!” Doctor screeched. “The only ones who should be looking into this should be the ones I allowed!”
“...allowed?” Breaker frowned.
“Yes! I needed more adventurers! Do you think I couldn’t stay undercover? To begin with, things like money and power are not what I need. To reveal any part of myself to the public was my choice entirely.”
“I see.”
“But I cannot stay upset forever. I presume you are here to deliver some news?”
“Yes. The girl I told you about earlier, she is the culprit. According to our sources, she moved as if she knew where to go. As if she knew what our plans were and where we are located.”
“What did you say her name was again?”
“Prota. Prota Char.”
“Prota Char… hm… doesn’t ring a bell,” Doctor shrugged.
Breaker sighed. “Is this one of your memory problems again?”
“Why should it matter? Yes, I forget things on occasion, but I remember what matters. Just because the voices are loud doesn’t mean I am not louder.”
“Just… what if she is the creation you mentioned to me?”
At that, Doctor burst out laughing. “My creation? That’s impossible. The last time I saw that thing, it was a stumbling child, barely a toddler, and it had been dumped in the streets of a city with a rampant cultist problem. There is no way such a being could do what you’ve mentioned.”
“Didn’t you say you created it with exceptional quality?”
“Yes, but a living being is still a living being. I put it under all the correct circumstances to break under the weight of the world. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of it going on a rampage in a few years time. No, this cannot be the same being, Breaker. This must be some other mystical entity. A dragon, perhaps. That is the only thing that comes to mind. Maybe some type of hybrid? Regardless, it is good to know of this.”
Doctor leaned back in his chair, kicking his legs onto his desk.
“Ah. My anger has quelled to an extent. You may go, Breaker. I shall call for you when the time comes. Still, it would be best if we investigated her. Then, send for the team.”
“That… team? And it’s not yet complete.”
“That matters not. After all, I expect them all to die. What matters is that we gather the correct intelligence. Do as I say, Breaker, before you make me upset.”
Breaker nodded, leaving the room quietly. He secretly cast one glance back, only to see Doctor giggling at something he couldn’t see.
“...I don’t like this.”
~~~
“Ah, Prota!”
Prota made a somewhat displeased look upon opening the door to see Destiny. She didn’t exactly mind him being here, but she wasn’t exactly looking for other people to be around, either.
Of course, as the hero had yet to gain the ability to read her expressions, he didn’t notice any of that.
“Danjo… he’s someone really interesting, you know?”
“Nn.”
Prota still remembered the suit of armour the dwarf had made near the end of her life. It had been a truly incredible thing. Even with her powers, she wasn’t sure she could replicate the feeling it created. The idea of a suit of armour producing such power… well, she could fight in her own way.
She wasn’t sure if he would create such things in this life. After all, he’d apparently been inspired by John in her last life. But then again, he was a companion of Destiny’s, so he was likely to achieve greatness regardless of John’s involvement.
“Anyway, I just wanted to ask… what’s next?”
Prota hesitated in her response.
She had to make up her mind, and she had to do so soon.
For the time being, she was still walking the line, trying to play both sides of strategies that didn’t line up. She was trying to rely on Destiny, but at the same time, she was trying to take things into her own hands.
However, after talking to Anta, she’d come to the realization that this wasn’t possible anymore. She either had to follow the original [Plot] entirely…
Or she had to take things into her own hands.
Destiny needed to grow. That much was obvious. But how impactful would he really be? She’d gotten so caught up in thinking like John that she hadn’t realized John’s thought process was no longer valid. A [Protagonist] wasn’t needed anymore, because the enemy was no longer the [Antagonist]. To begin with, that role didn’t properly exist.
John wasn’t bound to such roles, after all.
So, she couldn’t worry about things like butterfly effect or changing futures. She had to do what she deemed best. If she was going to use [Deus Ex Machina] energy against Doctor to defeat him…
She had to resolve herself.
That didn’t mean leaving Destiny behind.
But that also meant she couldn’t keep tiptoeing around every little thing that might change.
If something needed fixing, she’d just have to brute force it. If there was a problem she couldn’t solve, she’d keep going at it until either she or the problem gave up.
John had always moved carefully, keeping the [Author’s] intentions in mind. But Prota was actively working against the [Author]. She was intentionally moving toward an ending that had been originally planned out for her.
And that meant that she didn’t need to care about any of the other things John needed to care about. This included Destiny.
In the end, he might help, but the final blow would be Prota’s responsibility.
This was something she, and she alone, had to do.
“Are you sure?” Anta said quietly. “This kind of decision… you can’t take it back so easily.”
Anta was right. Typically, such a drastic decision should be made in the middle of a crisis, or in a moment of enlightenment.
But Prota had had enough of that. She wanted to determine her own things when she wanted to, not when she had to.
“Nn. It’s ok.”
“Then I’ll tell him.”
Destiny’s eyes widened as Anta took over Prota’s body, immediately letting out a long sigh.
“Destiny,” Anta said quietly. “How do you feel… about being this world’s hero?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sure you’ve learned about it. Besides, the goddess told you about it already, right? This world needs a hero every once in a while.”
“Well… yes, but-”
“Then how would you feel if someone stepped up for you instead?”
Destiny paused for a moment. “Are you saying… you’re going to be taking over my role?”
“No. That’s not how it is. Look, hero boy. This world has problems that only you, the hero, can solve. Similarly, there are some things that Prota wants to take care of. They’re things that you could take care of too, I suppose. You were there in our past life. But there are two sets of problems this world is facing.”
“What’s… what’s your point?”
“The point is that, in our past life, there was a certain someone who tried to make sure you were involved. This time… that might not be possible.”
“So…”
Anta shrugged. “Whether you choose to keep up or not is up to you. But we’re not going to coddle you anymore.”
“You call dragging me off to a dungeon and showing me terrible horrors ‘coddling?’ are you insane?!”
“Maybe,” Anta smirked. “But you’re stronger as a result, aren’t you? You’ve been training harder, working toward your goals more diligently, right?”
“That’s…”
Anta shook her head. “I’m just here to let you know that your training is over. Everything we needed to show you is done. Whether or not you follow us is up to you from here on out. If you want some more guidance, try talking to Albert. He can offer some good insight on how to swing that sword of yours. Otherwise… what happens from here on out is completely optional, got it?”
“Ha… telling me to shove off, are you?” Destiny said, not without a hint of dejection.
“No. I’m simply telling you that we won’t be trying to guide you anymore. That didn’t work so well last time. So this time around, it’s entirely your choice. All we’re saying is that our journey isn’t that of the hero’s. This isn’t your fight to take.”
For a moment, Destiny was quiet. Then, a chuckle. A short laugh, one that slowly evolved into full blown laughter.
“Right, right! Not my responsibility, huh?” Destiny shook his head, his eyes full of vigor once more. “As if. I’m not going to give up on you just because it’s not my responsibility.”
“You’ve only known us for a month-”
“But you’ve known me for far longer than that, right? Danjo, too, based on the way you spoke of him. Kit as well.”
“But that’s a different life!” Anta protested, stunned by the sudden turn in conversation. “Just because we’re doing something doesn’t mean-”
“You’re backpedalling. You’re the one who told me a hero is a beacon of hope. You’re the one who said that you can’t do that. So if you won’t be a hero, I will. Not just to a few people. But to everyone. That includes you. Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to help. This is a burden far too heavy for you to bear alone.”
“Hey-”
“No. I’m not listening to objections. You don’t have to help me. But I’m going to help you. Got it?”
Anta sighed, defeated. “It’s going to get crazy from here on out.”
“That’s fine.”
“...you’re insufferable, you know? Just like my other self.”
“Prota?” Destiny said, surprised.
Anta laughed. “You’d be surprised at how stubborn she gets.”
“Well, that makes two of us.”
Anta laughed, handing the body back to Prota. The girl, with her blank expression, looked up at Destiny. There was no smile on her face, but for the first time, it seemed Destiny could see the expression in her eyes.
A single nod was all Prota gave.
But a single nod was enough. Destiny returned it in kind, a clear sense of understanding
“So. What’s next?”