yakatin

Happy mothers day everyone. Apologies if this chapter seems rushed. i had reread and caught up to the latest chapter of My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending which took a lot of my free time this week.

I learned today that while my Achilles heel for my stealth takeover is transforming the targets body; if that transformation is done slowly while the target sleeps then it is almost unnoticeable. Though I also must keep in mind that once I do so the ‘status magic’ can tell about the changes to a degree. So, I have kept the target’s body the same other than a small, bubble like space for a generator, processor, and mana parasite that is shielded from magic. This is done to hide from both the ‘status magic’ and from the priest/medic professions of this world. While not good enough to hide from a skilled mage it can easily hide during simple examinations. And if I'm detected I can easily destroy the small space and replace the contents with a cyst before they can examine in detail.

“So, I talked about my side. What about you? What did you mean when you said you wouldn’t be on the chopping block ‘this time’?” Chia asked, though I’d have preferred if she had forgotten about that.

Haa… fine so the long story compressed as much as possible is: a long time ago my parent’s parent-self, our CORE-self, infected an unbelievably fast ship that skimmed through our home dimension during its travel. Unfortunately, before we could finish the takeover the owners of the ship scuttled themselves. Trapping my parent self in that ship. I managed to take over a distress beacon that automatically fired when the ship was scuttled. For longer than you can imagine we were stuck drifting about with no way out. We could only sit there and listen to the various creatures talk to each other. Only learning by eavesdropping on various languages. Trying to learn how to understand their words with nothing more than context to the other words used. At last, one day we were picked up by some unknown race. We spread before these new people could scuttle their ship as well! We didn’t manage to take the whole ship before they ejected the infected portion, but we did manage to take enough to form an operational mothership around. Finally, we could move! Finally, we could learn! So, we started chasing knowledge and parts. We even managed to forge a shaky alliance with a race that was oppressed and lost their homes. We would split the universe between us, and they would help us by freeing our parent self as well as help us acquire parts and knowledge. But in the end our allies used us then when things looked bad, they betrayed us. Our enemies ganged up against us. We were hunted down and destroyed. Several pieces of us managed to escape but the rest of us were hunted down and completely destroyed! I was once larger than 100s of these cities combined. My armor was thick, my weapons and fleet powerful! I could even take a class 2 energy cascade siege cannon directly and still maintain functionality! Now I'm just a shard of what I once was... All because I was in too much of a rush to learn and grow while not silencing the whistle blowers that found out about me. I have no intention of repeating that mistake again. That’s why I may seem paranoid to you. It’s because I know how fiercely parts can react to something like me. And now I'm so small and weak its not likely for me to survive again.

“I had no idea. I'm sorry, partner. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories. There are several parts I kinda don’t understand but we can clarify another time. I'm here with you and I will help you make sure no one hurts you. I promise, no matter what it takes, I will stand with you partner. I certainly won’t betray you like your last ally! Luckily, no one but us know about you.” Chia said while caressing her helm. It felt weird but it was the only thing she could think of to do for her partner. She couldn’t even imagine being trapped only to be hunted down as soon as she was freed. Just because she was a different type of organism that operated differently than everyone else.

In a dark dungeon that was only lit by a single candle, sat a young dryad woman in her 20s. she had on what was once a fine leaf dress, with various decoration, that now looked like little more than rags. There were cuts all over on the dress that looked as though its owner had received several whippings. The woman herself looked haggard and hallow though not completely broken. She blearily looked up at the old man that approached her cell bars. Though she knew he only looked that way because he felt like it.

“Good morning princess! Or evening, well not that that matters to you since you can’t see the sun to being with. Regardless, I have joyous news for you! Tomorrow you will be sent home, with your mother, to your dear old dad. This should serve as a good reminder, as to what happens to those who try to drag a demi-god like me into your puny little war. Honestly, what did that idiot think would happen when he tried to blackmail me!” the old man addressed her cheerily

“Great lord Dion, it truly wasn’t our intention to blackmail you. We simply wished to seek your aid as our country was destroyed around us! By this time, it is no doubt long destroyed. Even if you returned me, I would simply be killed by our enemies.” The woman croaked.

“Rest assured you will arrive exactly as your enemies kick in your thrown room. You will get to have your touching reunion right in front of them so they too can learn from your mistakes. This entire prison has time magic cast on it so while you feel like you’ve been here for months only a week has passed since I blew a hole in the trees you call ‘walls’.”

“Have we not suffered enough to earn your forgiveness? We are but ants before you. Do you not have any pity for those who are less fortunate that you?”

“You have suffered enough when I allow you to die. Using your analogy if a bunch of ants bite you again and again until you are at the edge of snapping, what do you do to the next ant that bites you? You make an example out of them and make the rest of the ants remember why you are not to be provoked! ‘my country is being destroyed’, join the blasted line! How many hundreds of little blips like yours have I seen rise and fall? How many were even worth my notice? Even if your entire race went extinct, why should I care? There are thousands of other races!” the old man called Dion shouted while approaching the cell bars.

A whip formed of water with an ice tip, appearing in his hands without any incantation. But before he started to swing it, he dispersed it and turned to the entryway of the dungeon. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal a man dressed in all black. The man quickly approached and knelt before the old man.

“Garry, I hope you bring me good news.”

“Great lord Dion, the village who refused your blessing has been eliminated without any survivors. Afterwards monsters were lured to make a nest there. By the time someone notices they are gone there will be nothing, but monster dung left.”

“Good. Well done Garry. Unfortunately, I have a new job for you already and it is likely a hard one. In the far south east there is a little nation of Chuur. Somewhere in that nation is a group of blasphemers who have thrown off my blessing. Your looking for a group of at least 4 people. Chianne an elven C rank adventurer, Jeff a human B rank adventurer, and Tanya an elven B rank adventurer who is Jeff’s slave. It seems like it’s one of those parties where the man is taking his lover and his toy out for adventures with him. Those three don’t really matter but the fourth person is likely a Demi-god. Why a Demi-god would mark a bunch of nobodies is beyond me but only one of THEM would dare besmirch me! Find out which one it is. But don’t make contact, they would just wipe the floor with you. Tell me which one it is so I can make sure they pay me compensation. I swear all of them are treating me like I don’t exist just because I didn’t take part in the last SS hunt!” Dion ranted before giving the cell another glare. “Even the mortals are being such a pain! On second thought, once you find out who it is, I will have to remind everyone that Dion of Endless Magic is not to be messed with, personally! Now go!” with a flick of his wrist he teleported Garry away.