Chapter 50: Repeat Offenders

Chapter 50: Repeat Offenders

Chapter 50

Repeat Offenders

Sylas was humming. Perhaps for the first time since actually coming to this world, he was worry-free. He was happy. Content. One could even say he was magical. As it turned out, after all, the ability to use magic did stay through the loop. Granted, he had to re-feel the energy all over again, but considering he knew how to do it, instead of taking hours, it took minutes. Technically speaking, he was a mage. A wizard. In his soul, he could hear a collective, envious cry of hundreds of millions of people from Earth. And it fulfilled him.

Nonetheless, just because he could summon a tiny ball of light that would literally kill him if he used it for longer than five seconds didnt mean all his problems were solved. Among them, however, one stood outfinding out who was Dyns coconspirator. All else aside, he first had to figure out how to deal with the bandits and the criminals and the like. While Derrek was an interesting point to pursue, it was moot if there was an invasion hanging over their heads.

As such, he decided to play out his current loop as close to the one where first met Dyn as possible. He wanted to replicate all the major bits, namely the timing of the 'ball', where he stood, and his conversation with Dyn in which the two set up a meet at the big hole. It wasn't easy, actually, since he'd forgotten some portions of itas such, he had to restart the loop twice before getting it right.

However, he didnt waste those two loopsbesides continuously refining his magic, allowing him to hold the sphere for up to twenty seconds without dying at his peak, he also continued to learn about talismans from Ryne. In fact, she also taught him how to use magicbut, to Sylas disappointment, it was pretty much the same path as the one Derrek taught himthe power of visualizing. Though he managed to stun Ryne with how quickly he grasped the basics, inside, he was feeling quite bitter as his dreams of being a dual-elemental-whatever mage were crushed.

Learning magic did further increase his knowledge when it came to talismansin fact, he was even capable of drawing up some of the most basic ones. Though his success rate was beyond abysmal, tear-inducing even, standing at the staggering one in a thousand, according to Ryne, that was perfectly normal as, until ones hand is learned of the symbols and movements, most talismans that do come out right come out so through pure luck, her own beginnings included.

The two loops, altogether, were quite bountiful, but they also taught Sylas a very, very valuable lessontime management. Though it sounded like it made no sensesomeone who could live infinitely within a loop needing to learn time managementthere was a lesson there. Sylas wasn't keen on limit testing his repeats. In fact, each time he died, there was a singular part of him that felt terror that death would be his last. That was why he tried squeezing a single loop as much as possible before resetting it unless some factors altered the reality of things a bit too much so that he couldn't gain what he was after.

That was also why he always decided to save when offered. If the pattern was to continue, the loops would only grow longer and longer, points between save times extended further and further. He knew thered be time to just lounge about and dedicate months if not years to something specifically before resetting. For now, however, loops were too short and his ability to learn was too constrained. Hed already gone through a good chunk of the books in the library, most of which were just boring, dull, historical fan-fictions, really, about the supposed legendary figures who could do legendary things. As with most history books, it was desperately trying to make the past seem far better than it actually was, and Sylas was hardly a fan.

Furthermore, even if he did repeat a single loop over and over, there was still a limit to how much he could learn, doubly by the merit of how much there was to learn out here, but also due to the limitations of his own psyche. Hed been at this loop quite a few times, and he was already getting bored with a lot of things about it. Everything was slowly beginning to seem the same. Outside his personal interference, the world was dull. Single-minded, even.

Huh? Whats it matter?! Answer me!

I wont unless you tell me who that is, Sylas persisted.

Bah, its one of your Captains, Ah, Sylas groaned. Te-te-Te something, I dont know.

Its Tebek! Ah, goddammit dude! The captain yelled out and unmasked himself, staring angrily at Dyn. I thought part of the agreement was that you wouldnt expose me!

Its too late now anyway, so who cares? There you go, I answered all your questions. Now, you need to answer mineor I shall kill you where you stand!

Tebek dude, really?! FUCKING REALLY?! Sylas completely ignored Dyn and turned toward the red-faced captain. Firstfirst it was the fuckin wall,

Wait, how do you

AND IF THAT WASNT ENOUGH, Sylas roared. Now now this?! What the fuck is wrong with you?! No, seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?! Did someone scramble your brain?!

YES!!! Tebek roared back, his voice sounding less enraged and more simply terrified. Of course of course it has!! I I heard you!! I heard you talking! In the forest! Oh, no What you saw, what you found way up there, in the north. I heard it! An army an army of the dead? One pitiful invasion nearly ended us! And and youre telling me theres an army coming?! Of course of course I want to leave! But if I leave Id be labeled a deserter! The worst bunch! II had no choice! No choice!

"" Sylas sighed, realizing that there was no return. Tebek, much like Dyn, would have to die. In part, it was because he kept betraying the castle, but mostly it was because he knewand it was unlikely he'd keep his yap closed forever. Eventually, he'd leave far enough to where his fears would subside. And then and then he'd talk. Even if just one person in a thousand believed it, one by one it will grow.

Miserable, Sylas said. All of this is miserable. Goddammit, he reached into his pocket and took out a knife, stabbing himself in the throat. His plans, once again, needed to be reworked. Not to mention the fact that he still didnt know why Dyn did what he did. I need to trick him differently in the next loop so he'll yap about it instead of just assuming I know haaah, fuck my lifeUpdated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m