Being a Summoner on our Evolved Earth

The Real Me (15)

In another part of the world, in a small village full of mud huts and small fields, a group of fighters trained together. They had simple wooden staves and shields as they practiced fighting. In the mix were a couple women, one who looked like a man and one who was still a tad chubby. Despite not looking as athletic as the tomboy, the chubby girl was able to keep up and even had the upper hand sometimes in their duel. Soon the signal to break was given and all the fighters grabbed their water skins to drink and towels to wipe away their sweat. 

"Thanks again for joining me in the militia Jay. Still, to think the men here are all so concerned about fighting with me. It's not like if they poke my fat I'll explode... Jeez." The chubby girl complained in a hushed voice while passing the tomboy a towel.

"They are a bunch of cowards is what they are! Don't care about them anymore Lucia." Jay said without minding that her voice wasn't hushed. A few side long glares were sent their direction but neither girl cared anymore. They had this conversation every week in an attempt to get one of the men provoked enough to duel them so they could prove they weren't worthless. They tried asking nicely, but were always rejected because of false 'chivalry.'

"Honestly, if a woman is willing and able to wield a weapon to fight and kill they should be treated equal to a man doing the same thing. I'm willing, all they have to do is find out I'm also able." Lucia sighed while re-adjusting her wavy brown hair in her ponytail that was tied up with a vine. The vine had come loose during the duel just now, so she pulled it tight again.

"Seriously though, you were more of a couch potato than me, so how are you so good at this?" Jay complained after downing a few large gulps of water.

"I suffer from paranoia remember? I studied methods of self defense and even bought a couple weapons in case of a zombie apocalypse. Though I must admit, the world's reset was the best motivation to lose weight and properly practice. I do miss the safety of my games, but it's kind of invigorating to actually do what my characters always could do!" Lucia twirled the staff around her in a circle to show off while grinning. Jay who was smiling alongside her, soon switched to a frown as she glanced at something behind Lucia. Lucia quickly turned around and saw the man she most disliked in their little village. He proclaimed himself an apostle of god when he showed up a couple days ago and used some trickery to fool everyone into thinking he knew magic. Now he got all the best of everything anyone had with just a point of his finger and even men and women were throwing themselves at his bed. 

"Ugh, it's Mickey, what the hell does he want?" Lucia grumbled as her good mood was ruined just from seeing him.

"I bet he's hunting for unwilling women again..." Jay added while slamming the end of her staff into the ground. 

"Can you believe he forced Emma into bed? She's married and declined him in public! Yet he had some of those fanatics who idolize him drag her to his bed! He's a freaking rapist and no one cares to stop him... Let's leave his line of sight fast. I don't want to look at him anymore!" Lucia whispered to Jay and they quickly tried to make their getaway.

"Wait one moment young ladies with the sticks." Mickey called out to them only to be ignored. So he pointed his finger at them, and a pair of guards who followed him cut off Lucia and Jay. Their faces turned ashen as they turned around to look at Mickey with faces of disgust and anger.

"Well what do you want? We're busy." Jay questioned with crossed arms and impatiently tapping her foot.

"I noticed that you are the only two women who chose to join the militia. Thank you for your dedication to the village's protection. I was wondering if you'd join me in my hut so I may perform a ceremony to grant you powers to surpass the men and be true fighters?" As Mickey spoke his hand started to let out a mysterious glow that caused everyone to look at the girls with envy.

"We are true fighters, and if I'm going to get stronger, let it be through my own merit. I will not take your shortcut. Please offer it to someone else who is willing." Lucia declined while holding back her negative feelings to keep a neutral tone.

"Yeah, pick someone more willing to wave their ass in front of you. We won't go anywhere near you, you rapist!" Jay however didn't have a filter as she laid into Mickey with her words.

Mickey narrowed his eyes while maintaining his smile, just as he was about to play another trick a shadow flew down from the sky and collided with Lucia. Lucia collapsed to the ground unconscious while everyone looked at the sky in panic and fear. 

"Lucia! Lucia! Wake up! Please be okay!" Jay bent over Lucia to check for injuries and tried to shake her awake.

Meanwhile, Lucia's consciousness was a field of grass up to her knees as she stood there in a daze looking at her video game character standing before her with simple leather armor.

""What's going on here?"" Both Lucia's couldn't help but ask at the exact same time. A grey fog soon appeared before them and wrapped around each of their left hands then pulled them together. 

"So you're also me?" The brown haired Lucia speculated.

"What do you... wait my sealed memories, are they you?" The black haired Lucia realized. They didn't resist as their palms collided and the black haired Lucia fused with the brown haired Lucia and they became one once again. The memories from both bodies fused together which caused Lucia to have a headache, but she was also excited. 

'Did I really do all that in the dungeon? How exciting! Can I do that now?' She thought as she found herself waking up in a mud hut alone. She sat up and quickly checked that all her clothes were in tact before sighing in relief. Then she tested the flow of mana through her hand from her memories  and found the space backpack had turned into  a tattoo on her left hand. She found all the items still inside it and she cast [Minor Healing Spring] on herself successfully.

"It wasn't a dream?!" Lucia felt the excitement bubbling up, then reason caught up and cooled her down. 'I need to be cautious with showing these powers. For all I know Mickey spewed lies that what happened to me was caused because of how we treated him. I need to find Jay first.'