Chapter 555

Chapter 555

Im not much of a planner.

Most people might think otherwise considering the sheer amount of time I spend lost in my head, but I never really got the hang of plotting and scheming. Its too complicated for me. Take chess for example, which is a decent measure of ones strategic ability. A novice thinks about what move theyll make next, while a good player will think two or three moves in advance. A grand-master, however, is on a whole other level, able to not only plan multiple moves ahead, but also lay out several contingencies during each step for what their opponent might do. At that point, both players could probably play the game out in their heads, but its not just about the movement of the pieces. Theoretically, if both players played using only the most optimal moves, then every game would probably end in a stalemate every single time. The thing is, humans arent perfect, so sometimes, the perfect move is in fact a sub-optimal move, which may or may not throw your opponent off their game.

Which is pretty much how I play chess. My opponents cant anticipate my moves if even I dont know what Im gonna do. Big brain play right there.

My point is, even in a structured game like chess, there are near infinite variations of how it can play out, because humans are predictably unpredictable. You need to keep that in mind when planning ahead, and life is far less structured than chess, which as one might guess, Im not great at. In life, I make one plan, one back up plan, and then thats it, because beyond that, things get way too complicated to keep track of. If both plans fall through, then its time for a new plan. Thats how I do things, and its worked for me so far, so if it aint broke, dont fix it.

Still, since I had plenty of time to sit around and think, I did my best to come up with a good plan of action to deal with this assassin crisis, as well as a backup plan if things dont work out. I decided to keep things simple. Once Mom, Akanai, and everyone else are done meditating, well head back to the citadel together with Taduk, Guard Leader, and my floofs. Once there, Ill ask Dad to gather his allies and bring them with me to request no, demand an audience with the Legate, not as a show of force, but of unity and solidarity. Okay, it wouldnt hurt to show a little force, but in a subtle sort of way, not with swords drawn and bows bent, but just a friendly group meeting with my most powerful allies at my side so I can ask the Legate what he intends to do about his enemies who are actively trying to kill me.

And you know, maybe subtly, non-verbally hint that Im ready to wash my hands of this entire war and head back home with my people. I dont want to do it, not just because it would be an act of desertion in wartime, but also because I want to do my part to help keep the Empire safe. The thing is, fighting the Defiled is stressful enough. I cant handle Imperial backstabbing on top of it, so something has to change.

Assuming Luo-Luo is right and the Legate intends to do nothing, I came up with a whole system to try and change his mind. The first step would be to Demonstrate my value, by bringing up all the things Ive done and could still do to help him, as well as utilizing the sunk cost fallacy and reminding him of how much hes already invested in keeping me alive and healthy, which would all be for nothing if I kick the bucket now. Next, Id try to Engage him physically to appeal to his empathy and remind him I am a living, human being. Nothing sexual of course, since his tastes probably dont run that way and Im definitely not pretty enough to tempt him, but a simple gesture like shaking his hand or touching his arm or something, maybe even a hug if hes up for it. After that, I would Nurture dependence and point out all the enemies he still has, because the other four Supreme Families just tried to spit in his face, and I could quite easily draw attention away from his other endeavours.

Heres where the plan gets devious. Having done all of the above, I would then Neglect the Legate, and be all like I dont even wanna be your bitch boy anymore, making him think Im really ready to walk away, or worse, contemplating an alliance with another Supreme Family. Not sure what theyd want me for, but I must have value or else the Legate wouldnt work so hard to recruit me in the first place. I could even hint at using Luo-Luo as a peace offering, which I would never do, but the Legate probably believes otherwise. Now that hes panicking, its the perfect time to Inspire hope and say I would much rather work with him than the alternatives, but Im only considering those alternatives because Im afraid. This puts the ball in his court, and with a little luck, hell be convinced to take care of me until Im ready to Separate entirely.

Its called the D.E.N.N.I.S system, and I think its pretty brilliant. Im also pretty sure I stole the idea from some genius mind from my previous life, possibly even a guy named Dennis, but good planners create, and great planners steal. I wasnt looking for much, just an invitation to tag along with the Legates convoy while he makes his way to the Central Citadel, just to keep me safe. As for my back up plan, it was ask Luo-Luo for help, but then both plans went right to shit from the very first step.

After a few hours of sitting around, Taduk declared he was too hungry to keep waiting and we were heading back to the citadel without everyone who was still meditating, which was everyone besides Song. Although I was worried about their safety and wanted to wait until everyone was done, Guard Leader assured me that her veiled underlings were perfectly capable of keeping everyone safe, and that Akanai and Sarnai (whom she referred to as the girl and little rose) would be the first to send me back to the Citadel for my own safety.

Which is true, but hurts a little, because I didnt think about how theyd probably be safer without me hanging around. And the worst part? I couldnt even use Songs restrictions as an excuse, because she was the only person to come out from meditation. Something about her Insights requiring real world practice, though to me, it just looked like she was Demonstrating Tiger Swipes the Rushes over and over and over again. She also didnt pick up on my intent when I implied she might want to stay in the garden to meditate some more, instead flat out refusing and saying something about knowing her limits and wanting to talk to her Papa.

So already, things werent going great. I wouldve loved to hear what Luo-Luo thought of my plan before confronting the Legate, and more importantly if she had any less confrontational alternatives to offer. Lets be honest, I wasnt really planning on going through with my plan, because I wholly expected Luo-Luo to come up with a better one, so the ride home was stressful for reasons beyond possible assassins lurking in the shadows. There werent any, which was a little anti-climatic, but also reasonable considering Dad went out of his way to murder them all so I would have a safe trip back.

Upon returning to the citadel safe and sound, I discovered the Legate set out for the Central Citadel only hours after I left for my disastrous trip to the farm, thereby neatly ruining the rest of my so-called ingenious plan. With nothing else to do, I sit down for a small and subdued family dinner with only Taduk, Guard Leader, Lin-Lin, Song, Charok, and the twins, because everyone else is still at the grove or had already eaten and had jobs to do. As the shit topping to the shit sandwich thats been this shitty day, Du Min Gyu even stormed in mid-meal and ripped into me for leaving Yan vulnerable and defenceless. I barely got a word in edgewise, mostly because I had nothing to say because Id taken Guard Leader at her word when she said everyone would be safe, but she didnt utter a single word throughout the whole haranguing, and didnt even acknowledge a single one of my pleading looks.

So after the angry Grandpa Du stormed out of the dining room to head back to the farm, I give Guard Leader a dirty look and ask, Would it have killed you to say something?

No, She replies, and then goes back to stroking the poorly-named Pepper lazing in her arms. The spotted she-bun is one of Taduks favourites, or at least I thought she was until today. Now Im thinking Pepper is Guard Leaders favourite, and thats why Taduk always picks her when hes in need of a Spiritual Herb sniffer. I really wish I understood their relationship, or at the very least, knew if it was familial, friendly, or romantic in nature.

Is she his Ancestral Beast mother? Former lover? Both? Im picking up all sorts of mixed signals and its super confusing.

No need to fret, little Rain, Charok says. You did the right thing coming back. The Supreme Families have no reason to target your family, so staying out there would have only put them in more danger. Du Min Gyu will understand, and if not, then your mother and grandmother will set him straight the first time he opens his mouth to complain.

Now that would be a sight to see. Mom and Akanai have elevated scolding into an art form, and itd be nice to appreciate it from a different perspective besides the receiving end for once. Stamping out the minor surge of guilt which arose from not actually being worried about everyone at the grove, I smile at Charok and say, Youre right. Turning to the twins with a twinkle in my eye, I continue, You should always listen to your Papa, because he is a wise and powerful man. Did he tell you? On his way back, he was the first Sentinel to draw blood from our enemies, a grand honour amongst such exceptional company.

Though pleased by the compliment, Charok rolls his eyes and waves me off. None of your teasing now, I got enough of that from the others. Id heard about it from Dad, when he stopped in to check on us, all puffed up like a bantam because the other Sentinels were talking about how lucky he was to have such a talented son and son-in-law. Theres no Chi trick to piercing through Concealment, or at least no basic, widespread method of doing it, so unless youre lucky enough to have a Talent or Awakening which is suitable for overcoming Concealment, it generally comes down to perception and awareness, which Charok has in spades.

Apparently some Sentinels are even whispering about how Charok might even follow in Khagatis footsteps and become the greatest archer and scout of his generation.

As for me, it probably goes without saying, but I have no idea how I see through Concealment so often. It could be a Talent, or maybe I just played a lot of spot the differences games in my past life. Probably the latter. Or maybe theres something about the Peoples amber eyes that we dont know about, but I doubt it. Khagati had brown eyes, like most citizens of the Empire, and Gerel, Naaran, and the handful of other amber-eyed Sentinels have never mentioned anything about improved perception, but the Mother works in mysterious ways.

Which is essentially code for I dont know shit, without really sounding too too ignorant. Gotta say, sometimes faith isnt all bad...

Making sure to thank Charok for his cooking, I bid Taduk, Lin-Lin, Song, and Guard Leader goodnight before standing well out of view of the front door while they head off to their respective homes. A preventative safety measure, to ensure I dont give my watching enemies an opportunity to strike, but like... we live in an open courtyard manor. Chi Scrying aside, any assassin worth their salt could Cloud Step for line of sight and take me out while I sleep with a toss of their arrow-like swords, but far be it for me to argue with the Experts doing their best to keep me safe. I am a little miffed they wouldnt let me put Sir Inky in the lake or spend any time sitting with Ping Ping, but alas, such is life.

.........

Something is wrong. Im not in bed. Theres no pleasant support of my pillow beneath my neck, no cozy warmth of my blanket wrapped close around me, no comfortable weight of bunny or wildcat resting on my chest or legs. In their place is a weightless nothingness, a familiar, empty sensation which I have not felt in long months which might as well be an eternity, and I almost dont want to open my eyes for fear of disappointment. What if its not real? What if its just a dream? What if Im not suspended in the void, surrounded by the eternal darkness of my Core?

But... what if I am? What if Ive found Balance again?

I open my eyes.

And close them again, as the crushing disappointment overwhelms me. This is not the void, I know that much, because theres too much colour around me. One colour, really, in varying shades, all blue everywhere as far as the eye can see, which is enough to know all my hopes were for naught. Resisting the urge to curl up and cry, I take a long minute to deal with my emotions before finally opening my eyes again. Still blue, as far as the eye can see. Water in every direction with no sign of familiar sights, such as Taduks hut, Milas forge, the cliff overlooking the village, or my bedroom where I lied to myself about all the things I didnt want. None of it is here, which means unless I accidentally remodelled my Natal Palace, theres no way this is my Core.

Which means...

Pong Pong! I call, looking around for a giant moon-sized eyeball. Where are you? I accidentally slipped into your Natal Palace again.

The world shifts around me, and suddenly I find myself face to face with the tiny turtle, whos not so tiny anymore. Hes not ginormous either, merely large, and not even as large as Ping Ping. Instead, hes about the size of a minivan and still adorable as always, with his head cocked in curious question while wondering how I got back in here again. No idea buddy, I reply, answering his unasked question with a helpless shrug. Why are you so small this time though? Slowly reaching over to pat him, he cautiously shrinks back and hits me with a literal wave of warning.

Not a literal wave, but literal warning.

Thats Aura.

Pong Pong used Aura.

Its... effective. On me. Even though it doesnt work in the real world.

Whats going on?

Working on more instinct than thought, I tap into my confusion and unleash my own Aura in response, and I feel it work even before Pong Pong widens his eyes in surprise. Unused to controlling Aura again, my charmed adoration leaks through and Pong Pongs mouth opens in response, squeaking ever so happily as he headbutts my hand. I immediately set to scritching him, and am rewarded with pulsing waves of contentment in response. Glad you enjoy it, I say, trying to hold back my smug satisfaction while allowing my amusement to seep through. Seriously though, why are you so small this time around? Unable to put the question into emotion, we go back and forth with our Auras without really communicating anything of substance, until he hits me with a surge of amusement followed by a (literal) wave of water which washes me away.

Oh, so he wants to play? Its on.

Flipping around in the torrent, I part Pong Pongs wave with a thought and find my bearings before belatedly realizing I can manipulate the water around me. Its like... its a part of my body, an extension of my arms and legs, ones I cant control quite as well as my flesh and blood limbs, because these new limbs still more or less behave like water. I can make them flow one way, then another, bubble in one area and swirl in another, but I cant form a dagger or hammer of water or anything like that.

But despite all those limits, and even more I discover with each passing second, its still... magical.

Throughout this all, Pong Pong patiently waits with his mouth open in happiness, and I grin back as I propel myself towards him with my newfangled control. Its on, Pong Pong! I call, and he paddles off with a delighted squeak as we resume our games inside his Natal Palace. You can run Pong Pong, but you cant hide! I call, picking up speed through the water as I learn the ins and outs of the currents around me. Bursting at the seams with giddy delight, the not-so-tiny turtle twirls effortlessly around me and dodges my grasping hands by the barest of margins, even though he could easily leave me gasping in his wake. Hes taunting me, a fact which becomes even more evident as he darts down to the coral-studded foundation of his Natal Palace, zipping in and around the colourful seabed and obscuring plants without ever wholly leaving my sight, and I dart down after him with a smile stretched across my face.

Im pretty certain these powers are all thanks to Pong Pong, and they wont stay with me after I leave. This is his Natal Palace, where he makes the rules, and he decided I should have more control over water to make it a fair game, just like he decides our respective sizes. I dont know how I got here with my Core being shattered and whatnot, but while Im curious to know more, I have more important matters to tend to right now, so the questions can wait until later.

I mean, cmon. How many people can say theyve played water tag with a Divine Turtle?

- End of Volume 30 -

DENNIS System

Follow up to the DENNIS system