Reincarnation: Origins

Chapter 17: Finally, some answers

"And WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING WITH SOMEONE AS VALUABLE AS THAT."

Lucien peeled open his eyes to loud, shrill screaming. The only other person left in the tent was Tatheo, who was snoring softly. Peeking out of an opening in the seams of the tent, he took in the appearance of the blond-haired loli giving a piece of her mind to an unapologetic Chell and Lune.

Prepared to emerge from the tent to defend his friends, what he heard made him pause.

"He could be what our guild has been looking for. A chance to finally harness His power and crush others who look down and oppose our guild. including that damn church."

Chell expressed a grim visage, while Lune kept his favorite impassive expression. None of them gave the bold reaction Lucien was looking for. Now truly ready to break out, Masha continued.

"But why exactly would He give him to us. Knowing fully well what we can do with him."

~~

Mr. Sobel tacked away at his keyboard, keeping a watchful eye at the numbers and letters that flowed through the screen. To him, this was all a game. his game. He had originally wanted to be the first person to create and release the first ever VRMMORPG, but ever since the characters became self aware due to an unknown virus that had appeared 7 or so years ago, he had to change his plans.

The virus had even gone as far as to give them the NPCs the idea that they could potentially come to reality.

Mr Sobel snorted, as if. Technology hasn't advanced that far yet.

He had spent countless hours observing the effects of the virus, trying to determine a way to reverse them. In the end, he had concluded that he would create a virus of his own to face it. The one problem he ran into was the method of creating one. He couldn't just create a mindless bug, on no, he had to give it soul. He had to give it life. That's where the fun is, he'd thought.

In the end, he had found a way to send his one and only son in to do most of the wiping. Time flowed quite a bit differently between in-game and reality. He'd made sure of it, and even going as far as to keep a watchful eye over the events that played out within.

At the moment on one of his many screens, the self-aware guild leader that he had programmed so fondly--almost like his own daughter--looked to be thinking hard about something. Surrounded by pixelated trees and a couple of other NPCs that Mr. Sobel did not bother to give a second thought to.

Everything played out accordingly on the palm of his hand. It wasn't that he was the bad guy...he just wanted to complete a game that the consumers had demanded. This had taken years to do and he could not bear to watch it slip away.

~~

"What can I do." Lucien interrupted, stepping calmly out of the tent. "What even am I?"

He scoured the faces before him, looking for possible answers. From Chell's concerned facade to Masha's nervous front, he wasn't surprised to get nothing. He had always been bad at reading faces.

"Uh hello?" Tatheo called out. "Please tell me I wasn't ditched ag...ain.."

He stepped out, voice dying in his throat as he read the atmosphere. "You know what, I'll let you all talk things out." He retreated happily.

"I need some answers. Even to why I had to die twice!"

Masha cleared her throat and was the first to speak "Well, you know the whole story about trying to harness divine powers..."

"yes?"

"Well apparently, you're the key."

As if it wasn't already high enough, the tension heightened.

"So you plan to use me?"

"Well I'm not the one who came from The Other." she snorted in defense.

"The hell is an other" Chell and Lucien asked in unison. Lune just gave a soft grunt.

"Not just an other. The Other. I would know, I've seen it with my own eyes. Back when I was younger." she stressed the words like they bore corporeal weight

How much younger can you get, you literally look 8. Lucien thought.

"I wasn't even exactly born. I was...created."

"Hold on, Tatheo should hear this." Chell went back to the tent and came back with a hand tugging on an indignant Tatheo's ear.

She looked around the little group, registering each face. "We're all apparently things called NPCs...simple characters that can be disposed of."

Tatheo completely ignored the remark, rubbing his throbbing ear. "You could have just called me, you know"

It did not take long for Lucien to put the pieces together. Complete with the vocabulary that sounded foreign from Masha's lips. He could conclude that he was in a game...sent in by someone.

Classic story of self-aware mobs. Lucien snorted to himself. What struck a cord with him was how she had assumed that he was just another NPC. One whose origins were a mystery even to himself. He zoned back in just in time to catch the end of Masha's sentence

"-back to that witch, Ionia" Masha concluded.

"Oh you mean the leader of the village that you nearly burned to ash?" Lucien scoffed. "I was perfectly fine there, might I add. Learned lots of things"

Masha side-eyed him for a moment before continuing with a sigh. "Damage of that degree is nothing for her. I'll admit I overreacted at first..." her speech deteriorated into a mumble towards the end.

"What?"

"...but i knew what she could handle!" she raised her voice, a waver of exasperation woven into it.

Chell and Lune sighed in unison. They had collectively come to a conclusion that this guild leader was nothing more than a hot tempered child, disregarding age.

A/N: *sees 70 notifications waiting for me* I'm still here...writing!! ;u;

I've also been considering rewriting this fic...mebbe. Because lord jesus, I've been very very inconsistent and I cannot give enough apologies to make it up :'(

<ON HIATUS>