CHAPTER 332 GEMINI
Everything was black. No feelings assaulted me in the darkness. I was nothing. No shred of a semblance of a body. I was part of the nothingness. It felt like I drifted for an eternity. Part of the void as I disappeared into the ether that was death as everything did at some point in their life. Then, out of nowhere, the world filled with a screen.
You have died. Would you like to activate the Gemini
Skill?
Yes/No
I had picked the skill at random after losing my last Challenge. No hands to click it I thought Yes. There was no reason not to. As the screen disappeared, a white light shined in the distance. The light increased until it filled my vision, causing my world to flood with something new. With a blink my vision was overloaded with other colors as I took a step. Looking down I had a body again.
Blinking over and over the memories began to flood in. The death, destruction, pain, and anguish washed over me like the worst shower imaginable. My eyes wide, I focused on nothing as it all came into focus over long seconds. Looking around, I was in the midst of a sea of kids. All wearing similar uniforms. I was lost for a moment, fearful I was dreaming. But as I looked around I realized something, I remembered this.
It was my first day at Havrion Academy. People that had died in my arms walked past. Their faces younger now, I knew all of them. I remembered this all so vividly. So long ago I had been at this exact point. A pop-up appeared.
Gemini Skill Activated
Skill assignment complete.
With a frown I wasn’t sure what that meant, so I dismissed the window. About to bring up my status screen I stopped as I heard a familiar person.
“What the fuck?” A voice asked. I wanted to agree with them but turned to see a mirror image version of myself. Frowning, I thought I was seeing a mirage for a moment or maybe a mirror. The person next to me was exactly like me in every way. Same dark hair, haunted look in their eyes, and everything.
“Who are you?” I asked, confused. I racked my brain trying to remember if I had a twin in this world. It was always a possibility that I never thought of, but it was possible.
“Weston,” the man said.
“No, I’m...” I said and brought up my Status Screen.
Name
Weston Woon
Current Quest:
World 1:
Second Life Ranker
World 1 Quest:
Pass Tutorial
World 2:
Returner’s Magic
World 1 Quest:
Passive Skills:
Memory Meld
Dead Man Walking
Handicap
Dismiss
Gemini
Active
Summon:
Hancock
Summon
1 Challenger Slot
Usable Abilities:
Status Screen
Other
3 Challenger Slots
World Escape
Chakra
Conqueror's Haki
“Fine, be boring, don’t ask,” he grumbled. “Death skills are skills that activate upon death. They usually don’t come into play until the 3rd season. When people have a few different ways of resurrecting under their belt. But you have reached that stage early. Earlier than I thought you would. Gemini is a Tier 4 skill, that when you die, you will be split into twins if you are brought back to life. Your Dead Man Walking skill also played a little part in this whole debacle as well.” He let out a defeated sigh.
I looked at him confused. He sighed again. “Dead Man Walking. One of it’s many uses is to ignore death-restricted skills. Basically you are already considered dead. So skills that only undead and vampires can use, become open to you. Gemini would have required your death to allow you to split. But Dead Man Walking, dying, and being “reborn” caused it to activate sooner than expected...”
I remembered dying in the last World. But being reborn was a stretch. I was starting to remember more about the story, and I wasn’t too sure how the original MC went back in time. He died too and got his memories from the future, but I didn’t think being reborn was what happened. Maybe whatever brought my memories back was the same as the canon. I didn’t know since I never finished the story. But I pushed it out of my mind as I asked the real question of the Moderator.
“So we can go to 2 Halls at once?” I asked.
“Yes,” L said, still bored. “Or, I can offer you compensation.” He looked between us. “What do you say? 3 Challenger Slots. Just give up the Gemini skill.” I looked at my twin. We shook our heads in unison. L sighed. “What about a Passive Skill Challenger Slot?”
“What?” I asked, my twin reacting the same way.
“That’s right. Your precious World Lasting Physique could become your challenger slot. I can’t give it to you, but I can give you 3 free Challenger Slots and tell you the secret to getting a Passive Skill Challenger Slot.”
I was tempted with that offer. “But...” I said.
“Too good to be true,” my twin finished. We nodded, in agreement that if we gave up this opportunity we would probably regret it. We had an idea on how to get the World Lasting Physique anyway.
“Fine,” L said. “Two more questions, that’s all you’re allotted. Then I’m out of here to patch the terminology this stupid world uses.”
“Uh,” I said, unsure. I had forgotten he counted questions.
“Can we reabsorb into one another?” My other self asked.
“Currently...no. I’ll...help you with that.” He waved his hands in our directions. I didn’t feel anything but he stopped and said, “There, just hold one another’s hands and you can become one,” L said, bored. “But be warned, if you do, you can’t split again and your Gemini skill will disappear. It is a one-time-use skill.” I felt like maybe he tricked us by making it so all we had to do was touch, but was still too lost to care.
We nodded, understanding a little better. I struggled to come up with a good question. I blurted the first thing that came to mind. “And we will absorb the skills of the other when we do fuse back together?”
“Yes,” L said. “And because you have Memory Meld, you get all the memories too. Quite the boon you received this time, Weston. I really thought you had given up. Mikhail was becoming a fan favorite after your little breakdown. But maybe you really can turn it around.” He moved to snap his fingers but hesitated. “You really should have asked me what happens if one of you dies. Maybe you lose the skills.” With a snap he was gone.
My clone and I locked eyes. “He is fucking with us,” I said.
“Yeah,” my clone said. But both of us were a little worried by the comment. What would happen if one of us died? We ignored it for now as we began to talk and plan.
—
I summoned Hancock. She looked from me to me, confused. “What the hell?!” She yelled. It took time but we caught her up with everything that had happened to us since entering the last world.
“That’s...great?” Hancock asked, confused.
“It is,” I said. “Easton-er sorry. That’s what we are referring to him as.” My clone waved. We had both wanted to be Weston. But that was too confusing. We decided that whoever won in rock-paper-scissors would be Weston. But since we shared the same memories, we chose the same thing every time. Then we tried guessing numbers, which again was a draw. We ended by doing a staring contest. Which ended in my victory. “Easton is going to leave the Manhwa hall.”
“I’m sorry...” Hancock said, looking between us. “I am still very lost. I barely got any memories from the last world before you brought me here. Why are you leaving?” She asked Easton.
“I-We have always sort of felt rushed in these worlds,” I admitted, pointing at he and I. “We only had 5 years to defeat as many worlds as possible. Now...we potentially have 10 years. He can go to a Hall, train, and we can do the same. We can meet back up when the 5 years are done. Become one person again and be ready for our next challenge.”
Our true plan was to try to upgrade the Gemini skill so we could split and recombine when we wanted to. We had talked in codes to one another, not willing to say what we wanted aloud. Since the Moderator listened to most everything, we didn’t doubt he would try to keep such a skill away from us. Especially since he offered so much to keep us from it.
“That’s...confusing. Will I go with both of you?” She asked.
“No, just me,” I said. “He doesn’t have you as a summon. Our summons were split between us.”
“I have Nibi,” Easton said. “And half of his abilities.”
“So you’re weaker now?” Hancock asked.
“Yeah. We will have to figure it out,” I admitted. “But you should be able to reawaken Nen in me.”
“What about chakra?” She asked Easton.
“I don’t have chakra, or the Chikyugi,” he admitted. “I don’t want to risk touching you. He and I could fuse back together again. And it’s not like we are up for some gay action.”
“But we could have sex,” Hancock said, perking up. “With both of you. I could have sex with you both.” She took on a more than excited gaze as she looked between the two of us. “I mean...for chakra.”
“Yeah...don’t think either of us wants that,” I said.
“I love you babe, but sorry,” Easton said.
“You’re so boring,” Hancock mumbled, her shoulders dropping. “Fine, what now?” She asked when she recovered a little.
Easton pulled a piece of paper out of his Inventory. “I am going to write on a piece of paper which doors I have been to. You two need to stay away from them. We don’t want to accidentally touch, and if you go into a world I’ve been in, who knows where the story will be?”
“Shouldn’t my other selves be in all of the worlds you go to?” Hancock asked.
“Yes, I will try to make contact with them,” Easton admitted. “So when we are 1 again, you and I should already know one another.”
“Perfect. You have my permission to have sex with me,” Hancock said, as if making a decree.
Easton and I barked a laugh. Shaking our heads, we locked eyes. Studying one another for a while. “I don’t think there is anything else,” I said. “Where will you go?”
“Comics probably. If I go to Books I will leave the paper in the Junction room,” Easton said.
“Smart,” I said with a nod. I was about to shake his hand, but thought better of it. I waved. He waved as well. Kissing Hancock on the cheek he walked out of the room.
“Are you sure walking into a new Hall will work?” She asked.
“Not 100%, but the Moderator said we could. L was pissed we got this skill, so it has to be good,” I said. “I told Easton we would spend 1 day in a world. If he is outside the door when we get out, we will just fuse back together.”
“Which door?” She asked.
I pointed back to Returner’s Magic Should Be Special. “I was hoping to dig into this world a little more,” I said.
“Good,” Hancock admitted. “I am still rather confused about this whole thing and would like to finish what we started.”
“I agree.” I stared at the exit to the room for a moment. A part of me envied Easton. His freedom and opportunities. Then again he was off to comics. Who knew what kind of crap he would have to put up with.
I was actually kind of happy to be with Hancock. Since I had the Chikyugi I was horny all the time. With her I didn’t need to worry about not being able to empty my balls. And besides, I did love her. I had a lot to figure out in the Manhwa Hall with her yet, but I felt we would have plenty of time to get a feel for one another in the coming years.
“I’m sorry, dear,” I said, walking up to her. “Let’s go back to this new world. I think I could use some fun with you.”
“Good.” She said, smiling down at me. “Tell me about this world. Do you have a woman that can join us in the bedroom already?”
“Oh not right now, but I have some ideas,” I said as I turned us back into the door. “If not we can go check out a smut world and release some steam.”
“Deal,” she said with a smile as she grabbed my hand. Holding it we stepped into the door once more. “You should see the me in this world. I have a really cool magic trick that allows....”