Chapter 4: IV – Mind Over Matter (Not!)

“Me Cago en la Leche…” cursed Esperanza helplessly after she listened to what the being wanted. “You’re all serious about this, aren’t you?”

 

An interesting and peculiar phrase, that, foreign one. We will have to keep note of it. To answer your question, however, that is indeed the case. This unnatural, forced existence is tiresome, torturous even, and we never asked for it. We had thought that you’d be a kindred soul in this given what little we managed to glimpse from your memories, are you not, foreign one?

 

“Fair point… I guess…” said Esperanza as she shifted - or did she just think she shifted? Did she even have a form at the moment? - uncomfortably at the being’s words. “That said, can you quit it with the foreign one schtick? I have a name. It’s Esperanza.”

 

As you wished for, Esperanza. Is that more comfortable for your preferences?

 

“Better, yeah. Gracias. So… do you have a name? It’s a bit hard to talk without knowing what to call you, y’know?”

 

We have long lost the memory of the names that mortals used to call us by, and even then, what remained of us now is but a mere amalgam of remnant pieces forcibly bound together. If you so desire, Esperanza, we used to be collectively referred to as “the old ones from beyond the veil of time”, so perhaps that could be a beginning.

 

“Way too long. What about I just call you all ‘Oldies’ then? Good enough for you?”

 

We find it an amusing and acceptable designation.

 

“Right, Oldies, then. Question for you. You said you wanted me to gain power to the point that I could wrestle the system from the control of these pendejo gods. How am I supposed to do that if they are the ones in control of the system in the first place? Won’t they just like, you know, snuff me out like a bug or something once they noticed me?”

 

The gods are just as bound to the system as everyone else in this entire world these days. It has grown beyond them, and while they retained their control privileges, what they could do is limited. They are most definitely unable to descend to the mortal world themselves, not without the aid of a powerful receptacle that could momentarily contain their might, for example.

 

If they realized the reality of what you are and what you will do to them, they could order their worshippers to hunt you down, certainly. However, unless you told people related to them yourself, this is unlikely. We had learned enough about the system to use our remnant powers to prevent others from precisely finding out what you represent through it.

 

In a way, by now the system created by the gods had become so powerful that even its creators are bound to it, rather than the other way around. This is the weakness we hoped that you might be able to exploit to rise beyond them and grant us our long-awaited and much-delayed end of existence. We hope that helped to allay some of your doubts, Esperanza?

 

“Some of it. So you’re basically saying that you’ve gamed the system to keep me hidden until I can rise up to power? I guess that will help somewhat,” admitted Esperanza as she felt herself nodding to the logic of the Oldies’ words. “What’s this system about, though?”

 

It is already embedded into your soul, though we had interrupted part of it when we drew you towards us during your arrival. Attempt to think of the term [Status] in your mind, and it should show you your personal attributes.

 

Esperanza did just that, and the next moment, she felt as if she was seeing some game-like HUD screen in front of her, and took a closer look at it.

 

Name : Esperanza Marisol de Gonzalez Cabrera

Race : Human (?)

Age : 18

Class : [Spark of Hope Lvl1]/???/???/???/???

 

Stats :

 

• Body : ERROR! UNABLE TO DETECT! ERROR!

    - Strength : ERROR!

    - Dexterity : ERROR!

    - Constitution : ERROR!

• Mind : 11.66

    - Intelligence : 13

    - Perception : 12

    - Wisdom : 10

• Soul : E#13R$0R! $)!M1%* 3XC#1&ED!

    - Willpower : 14

    - Intuition : 11

    - Sanity : -74

 

Skills:

 

Class 1: [Spark of Hope]

• Far Down the Deep End :EX

• ???

• ???

• ???

• ???

 

General Skills:

• Respawn: EX

• Language Understanding: Lvl 1

• Gaze Unto the Abyss: EX

• ???

• ???

 

“Okay… Why are there so many errors on it!?” yelled Esperanza exasperatedly. She had played games before, so she had a general idea of what each of the statistics listed meant, but the glaring error messages were far more worrisome, as was that Sanity score all the way down in the negatives of all things. It even ticked further down after a moment.

 

It was inevitable, we fear, Esperanza. What we represent are elements that the gods and thus the system deemed as “undesirable” in this world, and they made it such that most of those that beheld us in full would descend down into insanity by their standards. You had been in our direct presence for a while now, as such it was inevitable for the system to judge things that way.

 

“Pollas en Vinagre! So you’re saying that to anyone in the world I’m headed, I’m some raving lunatic spewing gibberish from the mouth of mad gods. Awesome. Muy Bien.”

 

We have a scant few worshippers who lived in hiding and seclusion who would see you for what you are, but I am afraid that is how most would treat you indeed, should you let your status come to light. As such we recommend that you hide it except to those who you would trust with your life.

 

“And what’s with the errors on the body end? Assuming that I believe you on the sanity bit, that one seemed even worse to me,” asked Esperanza with a sigh - or what she thought was a sigh, as the sight of that glaring negative sanity made her unable to help but to question whether she was sane at all - at the being that called itself the remnants of the old gods.

 

That was just as inevitable. Remember how we had told you that while the other candidates were summoned in their physical forms, you were but bits of a remnant soul that had yet to dissipate? We meant exactly that. All that is you, right here, right now, are just bits of your soul that lingered even after death had taken you. The system could not detect a body because you had no body for it to detect.

 

“Hijo de la Verga! So what am I supposed to do then? Spook people when they go to the bathroom at night?”

 

While we already did all that we could in regards to the system itself, including the [Class] that you currently have access to and the ones you will be able to choose from in the future, we still possess enough saved up power to create a physical receptacle for your soul. Therein but lies one other problem still.

 

“Oh joy… What sort of problem?”

 

What parts of us that concerned creation was the one that the current gods first harvested and took away from us. As such, our… capabilities in this particular regard had been stunted, and we are uncertain that what we created would be similar to the physical vessel that your soul once inhabited. To put it in simpler terms… we do not think that we would be able to create a… human vessel for you.

 

“Anda a Cagar. So what? I’d end up as some sort of eldritch abomination that’s an affront to all that’s holy and good and the likes then?” asked Esperanza with some obvious exasperation in her voice. “Actually, now that I think about it, what’s the guarantee that you’re not just some Pinche abomination that’s trying to use me to blow the world up for shits and giggle?”

 

We cannot offer any guarantees that would not just make you feel more suspicious instead. We only ask that you see the world for yourself and make your own judgment on whether we had spoken truth or otherwise, for only in that way would your worry be assuaged properly, we believe.

 

“Okay. That’s honestly a pretty solid argument. I guess I’ll give you lot the benefit of the doubt for now, then. So what’s next?”

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We will craft the corporeal form needed to host your soul, then we shall allow the summoning that had brought you here in the first place to proceed as normal. You would then be transferred to where the other candidates are. Please make use of that brief chance to memorize their appearances in your mind, for if the gods attempt to stop you, it will likely be done through their hands.

 

“Wait up… so I’d be sent right where the other heroes are. As something not human?” said Esperanza as she pointed out the obvious problem with the situation the Oldies had described. “What would happen then? They’d welcome me as their fellow hero or something?”

 

No. You will likely have a few brief moments before you are killed by the temple guards. If you have the chance to, consider trying to take some of them down with you to improve your own power right away.

 

“... Why would all that matter when I’m dead!?”

 

We see that you have not paid closer attention to your skills yet. Try to focus on each of them, with a desire to know more, and you shall have the answer.

 

Despite the obvious doubts in her mind, Esperanza did as she was bidden. She first checked the glaring one called [Respawn] as it seemed most relevant to her worries. Sure enough, one look at its description helped alleviate some of her worries.

 

[Respawn]

Ultimate Skill

Level EX

Death is but a temporary nuisance.

Allows the user to return to life ten minutes after death at either their last location or the nearest safe location without any intelligent life. Number of uses increases with level. Level EX: Unlimited uses.

 

Normally that skill would revive one at the nearest temple of the gods, but given our situation, we believe you understood why we made a little alteration to it.

 

Esperanza just nodded at what the Oldies said. That one skill alone definitely changed the dynamics of a lot of things, and made a lot of what they asked for far more feasible. Of course, it also brought a question they had not considered before into her mind.

 

“If the heroes all have this sort of immortality cheat then how did the gods get them to become part of the system?”

 

Most of the candidates that were summoned were only told as much as the gods wanted them to know. They never reached the heights where they could feasibly contest the gods, and when they reached a desirable enough power, they would then be entrapped in a ritual that supposedly would have sent them back to where they came from. It was all a lie, as instead that ritual would shackle their soul and integrate their life force into the system, turning them all into a permanent part of it.

 

It is our hope that by being one outside the reach of the gods you would be able to grow in power, enough to rival and eventually topple them. If you could bring some of the summoned candidates to our side, all the better, though the chances of such happening are low in probability of success. Please also observe the rest of your skills, you will find that we had tailored them to help you avoid the eyes and attention of the gods.

 

[Language Understanding]

Common Skill

Level 1

Communication averts Disaster.

Grants the user general understanding and basic fluency of any language they come across. Level of fluency increases with skill level. Level 1: General understanding of basic terms, basic communication capabilities.

 

The language skill was pretty much what Esperanza expected. She guessed it would be pointless to summon “heroes” from another world if you couldn’t even tell them what’s going on after all. The other skills however, proved to be more of interest.

 

[Gaze Unto the Abyss]

Unique Skill

Level EX

And the Abyss gazes also unto you.

The blessings of the old gods shrouds the user in an impenetrable curtain and granted them true vision. User is immune to any sort of [Analysis] based detection. User is capable of seeing through any effects that blocked [Analysis] from succeeding. User is capable of analyzing the status of other beings within line of sight. Level EX: Permanent effects.

 

So she could identify anything in sight and in turn cannot be identified by anyone? That was handy, and Esperanza understood why the oldies included that into her repertoire. She could infer that there were abilities that allowed someone to analyze the status of another, and given her unique status, if she was found out it would have resulted in a manhunt that would likely mess shit up for her.

 

[Far Down the Deep End]

Unique Skill

Level EX

One cannot sink any lower when one was already at the bottom.

One who had witnessed the deities of old in their full splendor and yet retained their mind. Negative Sanity is treated as positive for skill check and unlock purposes. Converts any Sanity growth from all sources into negative values. Renders the user completely immune from any Sanity-targeting skills and effects. A mere glimpse of the User by those whose Soul level is less than 15% of the user’s total Sanity forces a check, with temporary to permanent derangement as penalty based on the margin of failure. Level EX: Permanent effects.

 

“So I’m some sort of creepy thing that causes people to go crazy when they look at me, huh? Mierda.”

 

We apologize that we are unable to create a more positive image, Esperanza. This was unavoidable given the limits of our power and how we are seen as anathema to the world that the current gods desired. If you so wish, you could simply reject our offer, and leave after you forget everything we have said, though we know not what sort of fate would await you should you do so.

 

“No… Hijo de Puta… It’s fine. I’ll give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen anyway at this point?”

 

The worst would be if they managed to capture and disable you, which would prevent you from escaping or respawning elsewhere. We sincerely advocate that you avoid such a situation at any cost.

 

“It was a rhetorical question. Anyway, I take it that the body you prepared was ready then?”

 

It is. We regret that we could not allow you to get familiar with it here, but physical beings could not exist within this soulspace, only remnant souls like you, or us.

 

“Oh well… YOLO it is then. How do I contact you later on, after I leave here?”

 

You merely need to think about it, though such contact will need quite a bit of power from our side. We would like to request that you refrain from contacting us more than once a week or so, unless it was an emergency.

 

“Gotcha. I guess it’s time to jump in then… Adios, oldies.”

 

We wish you safe travels as well, Esperanza.

 

Then the sensation of falling took hold over Esperanza’s senses once more, and she vaguely felt as if she had been squeezed out of a narrow tube or something like that, before she fell onto a flat, hard surface. Right at that moment, all sorts of sensory information flooded her mind, but two things jumped to the fore and gained her attention right away.

 

For one, she felt nothing remotely human from what she could “sense” of her physical form, though she was still getting used to the weird sensory overload.

 

And for the other, there was screaming all around her.

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