Chapter 6: Stepping Back

-Alexander POV-

Lights projected by nanoparticles dance across my eyes, feeding me visual information as I scroll through Earth Bet’s extensive internet.

Yeah, there was only so long I could build buildings along my tunnel before my creativity ran out and I started getting sick of it. I needed more room to properly express myself, but there was no point making more room down here because I was the only one who was ever going to be here.

Probably.

Which is why I was now lazily reclining in a giant beanbag and catching up on this planet’s forums.

They were shit by the way.

There was no anime thanks to that lizard fuck, and most of Earth Bet’s entertainment revolved around capes. Sure some of it was good, but when you’re watching a movie about Alexandria saving orphaned children while knowing the real Alexandria would probably grind them down to mulch if it furthered Cauldron’s plans it created some dissonance.

Fuck, I had even gotten so bored I had started actually writing fanfiction instead of simply consuming it like the consummate lurker I am.

Fuck, I was going stir crazy and according to my GPS I was still quite a way away from my next target. Could I get there faster? Sure, with my matter manipulation I could convert air into rocket fuel and use that to propel me there in mere minutes.

But that would probably get me mistaken for a rocket, and I really don’t feel like answering questions from pissed off border controls.

Yes I’m an Endbringer but I still find the thought of talking to officials scary.

That being said talking to someone would probably be a smart idea. You don’t want the person who can transmute the surrounding environment into Fluoroantimonic acid to go crazy, it definitely wouldn’t end well.

Thankfully this wouldn’t require that I go out and talk to actual human beings!

Nope!

SilkPunk Level 2- A mesh of magic and technology with an aesthetic that mirrors East Asia. It is a mesh of both technology and poetry where art has meaning beyond simply beauty. Now includes magical rituals and spells related to the tales and myths surrounding East Asia.

My toiling through endless bedrock had paid off with a shiny upgrade!

I had already used this to give my dismal tunnel a swanky miniature sun by invoking the likeness and story of Ama-no-Iwato, the cave where Amaterasu hid herself and now I was planning to use it to craft someone to talk to!

What’s that? This choice doesn’t sound healthy? What do you know imaginary voice in my head?

Wooden shoes sprout from the ground, tendrils reaching upwards to complete the internals working before wood and a skin-like polymer cover the insides. Ink was woven in dizzying patterns, the kanji imbuing sentience into the wooden doll. Nanites crawled over the construct, their metallic sheen slowly changing to a rosy pink. Finally ceramic armour engulfed the figure, the design was what you might find on a typical samurai if not for the hum and whir of electric motors betraying its more advanced nature.

I stepped back and regarded my creation with distant pride. The stocky figure coddled in advanced armour made for quite the sight. Almost like a character straight out of a space opera had burst through the screen and into the real world. A twist of my will popped the figures helmet off, revealing short red locks of hair framing a dour and serious face.

The rush of stale air made the figure sputter slightly and they opened their eyes for the first time. The blue orbs darted from place to place, first looking at the shining fake sun above us before looking around the sleek houses melded into rock and stone. Then, at last, his eyes settled on me.

I was briefly confused when his eyes widened and he dropped to the floor in some weird crouch

Oh wait, he’s bowing.

My eyes widened.

Oh fuck, he’s bowing.

“My lady! A thousand apologies for the disrespect! I have no excuse for my lapse in judgement!”

Uwwwwaaaaahhhhhh!

Please stop bowing my guy, I made you so I could Netflix and chill with someone. Not this!

Also did he just call me ‘Lady’

Ugh, I hate this! Modelling him after the platonic ideal of a samurai was a horrible idea!

-The Nameless Samurai POV-

Oh what shame and disgust fills me!

I knelt on the floor, a piece of me desperately wishing to sink into it’s welcoming embrace and disappear into the stygian depths.

Just a minute ago rapture had filled me, the absence of being sundered by divine will acting upon this base reality. Light and awareness had filled my empty vessel while my purpose became clear: obey and carry out the will of my divine progenitor, woe be to any blasphemers who stand in my way!

Knowledge had filled my soul, of a wise and graceful entity. A god who had lifted a doomed and desecrated island from the abyssal grasp of the sea! A titan who had remade that island in her own image, who had tilled the soil and made life flourish once more! A lady who had built a city for the world to marvel over!

I am, of course, speaking of my very own blessed progenitor!

But alas the bright glare of light and the glorious vistas robbed me of my first sight being of her. It stole that moment from me, and revealed how unworthy and crass I was in front of my very own creator!

The short sight of her had been enough to rob me of my wits, and I failed to show my creator her proper respects. The long delicate arms that seemed to encompass the world itself in her grasp, the soft supple features gazing at me expectantly.

And I had failed! Fool! Moron! Incompetent of the highest degree, now she will-

“Rise”

My body obeyed automatically, rising to a picture perfect stand, back straight and shoulders squared. All except my face, still turned downwards in shame.

“Look upon me my creation”

I raised my head slowly, my eyes meeting the brilliant sapphire eyes of my creator.

“I find little reason for you to debase yourself like this. For what reason do you beg for forgiveness?”

The question brings my mind to a screeching halt. Surely she should know? A perfect being should doubtlessly know of my impertinence, of the breach of personal conduct!

Gazing into those confused eyes I was forced to consider that she may genuinely not understand.

How could-

Ah, no, this makes sense. Why would a god deign to understand mortal customs, such a thing would be infinitely beneath them.

“Ah, my lady” I began, only to stop as a frown flickered across her face. “My liege, I was apologising for not showing my honoured creator the respect they deserve. Such a resplendent being deserves the utmost respect and worship from a lowly being such as I.”

My liege continued to stare at me, their thoughts an enigma. Hidden from the unworthy such as he.

-Alexander POV-

…Wordy little bastard isn’t he.

Yeah, I definitely cranked up the loyal retainer aspect of a samurai way too high.

Fuck.

-The Nameless Samurai POV-

“I see no reason to condemn you for this” his creator finally responded.

Relief flooded my body, untensing every fraught muscle in my body. I hadn’t failed, I wouldn’t be abandoned! The feeling was almost intoxicating to me as I bowed before my too forgiving creator.

“I offer my deepest gratitude for your beneficence!”

The god waved my earnest thanks off and turned to regard a nearby dwelling, no doubt contemplating ways to elevate it far beyond my understanding.

Yes. My creator was too forgiving, too perfect for this base world. As their loyal retainer it would fall to me to ensure proper reverence and respect was given by the plebian masses.

“Soooo…wanna netflix and chill?”

The words were incomprehensible to me, which was understandable. The concepts and ideas of a god would always be as such to me. But I understood that my liege wished for me to complete some arcane task for them.

I was ready!

I was prepared!

I would not fail!

“This nameless samurai is ready to serve, my liege”

The silent stare I received did little to daunt me this time. For I knew that I would ‘netflix and chill’ like no one ever had before!

-Alexander POV-

Oh fuck I forgot to give him a name!

Shit! Quick, think up a name, any name!

Red hair. Samurai. Loyal. Put that together and you get-

“From henceforth, you shall be known as Renji” I announced, cringing inwardly.

Fuck, why did I decide this was a good idea?

-Emily Adams, PRT Researcher POV-

Emily tiredly reclined on the sinfully comfortable seat, some type of smart foam probably, watching the distant trails of smoke rise in the distance. The crack of gunfire echoed through the city, frightening at first but when it goes on for several hours you gradually become used to it.

She shook her head ruefully. That was an insane thought.

The occasional thump of a heavy book landing on a table and the flip of pages as her fellow researchers worked was a far more preferable sound.

“How much memory do we have left on that device?” asked Brian, one of her colleagues.

“Only a few Megabytes” she responded, idly massaging her eyes. The leaden weight of her eyelids and the fuzzy headache making her want to curl up and fall asleep on the spot. Only rigorous experience and far too much caffeine preventing exactly that from happening.

“So only a few more pictures then” he cursed “Can we still not get any messages through?”

Her raised phone showing the multiple failed calls was the only answer he needed.

“If we can’t send an email we might need to send a runner to inform them” Another member quietly said.

Brian scoffed at that “Ah yes, let’s send one of us out there” He gestured out the window where the sounds of battle still raged in the distance “what a great idea!”

“Stop being a prick Brian” she groaned, sick of this conversation that had probably come up ten times by now.

“What? You know I’m right!” Brian retorted.

She huffed, resigned to being drawn into this argument again.

“Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. It doesn’t really matter. We still need to do our jobs, and that means finding the most important parts of this library and photographing them to add to that” she finished, gesturing at the thumb drive.

She was still cursing herself for not bringing anything more, but how was she supposed to know she would find a treasure trove while on break?!

Or that the situation would go to hell when she did find it?!

“Emily, that’s not going to take us too much longer and we’re going to have to start talking about what to do after.”

Goddammit Brian she knows!

“Sure. But that’s not now, so stop arguing and start searching!”

Brian grumbled a bit but began flipping through the book in front of him again.

They were all strung out, running on stimulants and panic for twelve hours straight would do that to anyone. Whoever thought it was a bright idea to add everything important regarding the city in a single library was doing the tempers of the team no favours.

Seriously! Every book was crammed with knowledge to a neurotic degree, even to an engineer like her this shit was as dry as the Sahara!

Grammophones, tires, wallpaper, toy robots, artificial leather, a new type of bullet proof windows.

All of this was in the one book she was looking through, by the way. Whoever sorted all of this sucked ass! It was almost like someone gave up halfway and started chucking in every topic they could into each book!

She rubbed her temples, vainly trying to calm her sudden migraine.

“I’ve got some sort of automatic medical system here!” One called out

“I’ve got the schematics of one of those electric cars we found in that garage a few days ago.” Another added.

“Add the automatic medical system to the drive but not the car, the others have probably already got data on it from pulling a few apart” Brian snapped out before returning to frantically flipping through the pages of his book.

She sighed to herself. Just a few more and they could go. Just bear with it for a few more minutes.

Her head snapped up and she quickly stood up from her table. There were a few mutters and stares from her colleagues but she ignored them. Was she mistaking that sound, was she just imagining it.

No, it was getting louder by the second. Even the others had gone quiet, recognising what she had a few seconds ago. The echoing growl of an overworked motor was slowly but steadily coming towards them!

Her head turned to Brian “hide the thumb drive” before turning to the rest  “we should get upstairs, quickly and quietly.”

The energy of the room was kicked up into a quiet storm as men and women did their best to quietly move across the chairs and tables of the library towards the lone door leading upstairs.

They weren’t always successful though. Each creak of a bumped chair and quiet whisper making her cringe.

The room was a mess. Stacks of books, half empty shelves and empty coffee cups. It was obvious people had been here, but they didn’t have time. They could only hope that whoever was approaching either didn’t enter or was friendly.

Because otherwise they were all going to die.