Chapter 202: Pick Mi and Mi

Chapter 202: Pick Mi and Mi

I like them, Delta said as the unconscious woman who had just lost to Jellagon was carried out by the Guardgoyles. The rest just trailed behind with intense Mana Poison.

Jellagon, already shrinking now that the offenders had been punished, gurgled.

Not the worst, was his verdict. Delta hummed as she turned to see Nu appear once the adventurers had left the floor. He was staring at the innocuous knife on the floor left behind by the Gun woman. Delta was already upgrading the womans gun since the lingering essence of Wyin still let her mess with the weapon before it became set.

What even is that thing? Delta asked but she was answered by someone not Nu.

A gift, or... you could say a transfer, Mharia said as she appeared from the shadows, her green eyes glowing.

You know this knife? Delta asked, trying not to frown. Mhaira was her only potent source on the Silence but what she chose to reveal and what she didnt reveal, always seemed to be a balance of playful and misleading.

That knife? No. The idea? Yes, Mhaira admitted as she floated around the knife but didnt seem to get any closer to it.

Its filth! Nu said and sounded upset as well. Delta was beginning to feel like a third wheel that had no idea it was attached to a bicycle.

Why do you say that? Mhaira asked Nu who seemed to consider the question for a moment.

Its the opposite of us, the Dungeon, he said and turned away as if the knife was painful to look at for too long.

Delta frowned and peered at the weapon, trying to recall what she saw of the gun lady. The knife had a pulsing not Mana inside. It was hard to really describe it other than it was either the utter absence of a soul or such a concentration of life that no details could be made out.

That didnt help Delta at all since the idea that something was either nothing or absolutely everything was a strange idea to consider.

The knife had been reaching into the gun lady, riding the entry Deltas mana had made, until it found her seed. Delta had seen the knife not convert the seed, but make it blossom. It directed its tendrils into her soul this way and that. It was horrifying but also very revealing that the knife made the seed grow a certain way, the thickest changes around the brain and eyes. Delta finally intervened when the seed was going to start changing the woman. It was altering her brain to be shaped differently, as if it was trying to make her into someone else. The process would have taken years. Even in Deltas Dungeon but Delta put a stop to it then and there.

Frowning even harder, Delta focused on her mirror Dungeons, finding there was a group of stoic people fighting Fran in one of them. They wore a mix of strange outfits, some clashing horribly, while moving in almost predetermined paths to lead Fran this way and that way. They didnt have the same sort of weapons as the gun lady, but Delta peered into them, trying to examine them as beings. Delta tended not to do this as looking into people let her see everything at a glance. Shapes, marks, scars, internal organ status, and process occurring. Delta liked to respect boundaries but this was a medical and/or eldritch emergency.

After a few seconds, Delta stared at the group fighting. It was in a different state of progressions, but all their brains were slowly being changed into the exact same shape. Some seemed to be stuck in the change while the leader and most outlandish one was well on his way to be converted.

Kite. Proc slow traps in 10 seconds. Back up buffs in 20, the man ordered, his eyes glued to Bacon, Frans pig mount, as if deeply wanting it for himself. Just to have it. To own it.

The speed of 10% movement and the bulk would be great tanking potential. The thing could be used for a suicide charge and opening trap hallways. If it was subpar, Delta could make ten more with better armor rating.

Focus, Mhaira said, slapping Deltas face with a harsh smack and Delta blinked as the world stopped looking like a toy store.

What was that? she muttered.

You let it echo in your head. Youre more vulnerable than mortals. They have fleshy bits that can mitigate the Echo, but youre pure energy, Mhaira chided Delta like she was an old woman, not a child. Wait... Mharia was actually an old lady.

Can you explain? Anything? Delta asked, giving the fairy lich her full attention, which for a Dungeon was pretty heavy. Mhaira winced but relaxed a moment later.

Of course I can. Anything for Delta, she said sweetly and focused her magic, lifting the knife up in a coil of green magic.

Echoes, the manifestation of the Lost Brother, are potentially infinite in number but at any given time theyre cannibalizing each other, devouring the weaker to form a large current. Once they gain enough strength, they emerge into this world. Even with a physical form, their nature doesnt change. They find each other, grow, and search for more. However, Mhaira said slowly and before Deltas eyes, the knife began to vibrate.

Echoes can be clever or lucky, just like people. After all, everyone carries a little bit of the Lost Brother in them, converted or mutilated, its always there to a degree. Echoes can even use people as hosts to manifest. An Echo that manifests with power or lack of care can use the seeds too, they find people and make the seed vibrate on their particular... wave. An Echo is just a reflection really. Why cant they make the Echo, themselves, repeat over and over? Mharia asked intently as the knife began to break down into two smaller knives, then five dart-like tools.

But it should lose power, Nu interrupted.

If it was only the seeds, yes. Infinite growth with limited supplies is a fools dream, but people arent just their seeds, no? Mhaira smiled darkly as she used her own magic to feed into two of the darts, turning them back into slightly large knives.

Dreams, hopes, love, hate, fear, courage, heroes, villains, gods, and demons. Fertile soil in which the truth can sprout, the fairy said and the knives glowed with her dark mana now instead of that weird aura from before.

How did yours spread? Your Sun? Delta asked and Mharia paused then looked a little bothered.

He never needed to. He was formed so strong, so powerful. He knew what he wanted and had a dream. He only needed to lead and others naturally followed, Mhaira said with her arms crossed.

Im sure all fanatics say the same about their idol, Nu said nastily. Mharia turned and her face began to melt.

Sun is different. He has the power to even suppress his own nature. He conquered another Echo and didnt even consume him, that wretched Echo serves my Sun, Mhaira said hotly and then inhaled to calm herself. Delta opened her mouth when a sudden memory hit her. It was almost like a flash of a dream, but she grabbed it, pulled at it and soon it came tobe a shared memory of what Renny had shown her when she contracted him.

My dear ringmaster! How very rude of me! Let me formally welcome you to the Tunnel of the World. Grand title but this homely little home is mine so I dare say I do own some proper manners fitting the Lord of the path of Ending Light

That man that trapped Rennys circus in the ground. The man who had something in his head, wriggling and moving...

His name is Felcore. You may have some beef with him in time, Mharia commented, as if sensing Deltas thoughts.

The One of the Ending Light, She of Settled Darkness and He of the Broken Silence, Delta recited, remembering the words of Runilac the demon smith.

Indeed, but to sum up what this knife represents? Mhaira returned to the object as it began to burn from her magic.

Its an infection. Its a ringing cry from a trapped Echo. Desperate to escape a prison, but in return it cannot escape its guise. A pitiful thing, she declared.

I agree with her, Nu spoke up, if this Echo needs so many avatars to even exist, it's sad, he said and Mhaira shot him a strange smile.

A single avatar does tend to be more dramatic, she responded.

There must be some way to stop this? This Echo infection, Delta asked with concern that these Echo people might be all over the world and beyond Deltas ability to help.

Infect them all first. You are the anti-virus of the soul, Mhaira said with a shrug, her wings fluttering once as she got ready to leave.

Please! Delta said, moving closer and Mhaira halted.

All Echoes have a prime avatar or form. If it is consumed or destroyed with rare tools, such as Soul Fire, then it can perish. It might only make room for other Echoes but theyll be spread out and prone to fighting, Nu said and Delta stared at him. Nu looked almost lost at his own words.

How do you know that? Delta asked as Jellagon watched this entire exchange silently.

I... Nu trailed off.

I told him before, when we went to the Trinity Dungeon, Mhaira interjected with a casual tone.

Y-Yes, I believe that was it, Nu said and looked shaken. Delta couldnt quite blame him. This Echo stuff was insidious on all levels.

But how can I stop the avatar if I cant leave my Dungeon? Delta mused as she began to pace.

We could ask Ruli or Quiss, Nu stated.

I could, but they might get infected or swayed. I dont want them getting hurt, Delta said then shook her head. No, that way lies the loner anti-villain route, she told herself.

How are you even going to find the Echo? Mhaira asked dryly as if this was an issue.

Oh, I already know where he is, Delta said without looking at her.

What? How?! Mhaira blurted out as if she was ready to tease and bargain for the info. Delta brought them into her map and showed the mana she borrowed from the group in her Mirror Dungeon. Tons of tiny dots appeared on the map but there was a massive glowing blip right next to the Dungeon.

All of them are becoming the same person, so their mana is too. I just needed a sample from any of them, she explained.

This map is cheating, Mhaira muttered darkly.

Memetic Hazard infection is cheating, Delta countered.

She focused on the map, bringing into focus as she focused on Durence, turning the map until the 3D model rose into the air, the massive dot under the village. There were another two dots around the village, but they kept moving rapidly, fading in and out of focus as if they werent entirely in this dimension.

Delta labeled them Sun and Felcore mentally.

The Sewers? Delta said slowly and made some mental estimations.

We could send Alpha, Ruli, and Quiss to check it out. We know Quiss has Soul Fire... somehow, Nu said and Delta was beginning to notice he was slipping terms and facts that seemed to come from nowhere more and more these days.

We could or maybe we could just handle it ourselves nice and quietly? Delta said brightly as she formed a map of the Dungeon, finding the closest point of the Dungeon to the town of Durence. It was a little tricky since Dungeon Space worked on a sub-dimension which let it fit a crazy amount of stuff in the space of a farmers field.

However, there were some points of her outer walls that were closer to Durence than others because of that bending of space.

Objection! Prim interjected with an alarm.

Yes, Prim, sweetie? Delta asked kindly. The primal system that she accidentally gave sentience formed a bunch of windows, all of which proclaimed the security issues of breaching Deltas space and escaping into the world.

Abomination! You will become twisted! You will change! You will cause panic! Prim insisted.

Or I could save the world from a munchkin infection! Delta said gently.

I will not aid you. Prim said stubbornly and Delta wasnt too worried, she could handle this by herself easily enough.

Your art proves otherwise.

Deltas eyes twitched before she smiled, becoming serene again.

I got this, she said.

And again, we can just ask Quiss to burn it, Nu said and Mhaira coughed, drawing attention.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

Theyre imprisoned for a reason, she said and waited, getting no response. She sighed as if her talents werent appreciated.

Echoes ring the loudest when their forms perish. Thats how they consume each other by fighting. So, if someone is standing feet away when they die, they get the full force of that death rattle, Mhaira said with a wave of her hand.

I havent even gotten close to cleaning Quiss seed. Its really developed, Delta muttered, thinking of the fire mage.

The Echo is sealed away and these followers only seem able to harm themselves and a slight number. Why not accept the victory where you can get it? Prim asked, sounding so frustrated.

Because I dont accept outcomes that are either bad or worse. I want a damn happy ending, Delta insisted. She looked down at the ground.

I dont want to live with I had no choice or It was for the best. I want to try, she said quietly.

Twin Dungeon stable, not stable, stable, normal response.

Diseased Right arm Penta-Dungeons currently in smog cloud, results pending!

Forge Dungeon stable.

The tension built inside her jaw as she followed the map along, coming closer to the west portion.

Shroom Dungeon... results uncertain. Waves indicate this is the source of the debris but no infection of the nearby dead Mana Vein detected. I dont... understand, the worker called over and Jenia focused the map over that area.

Records should be Delta. It named itself. I dont want records out of date again. It can get someone killed if they dont know the Dungeons name in future negotiations, Jenia said and the worker shrank under her gaze.

She read the signs, double checked the mana measurements, and came to one conclusion.

The Dungeon had resisted going Abomination meaning that someone had tried to force it or an outside influence had strained it. No matter how Jenia cut it, it was illegal and immoral for all that was concerned.

Still, data and numbers would mean little.

Report.

Jenia hid her wince and turned to the leader of Fairplay who stared at her impassively.

Director Ripdoy, she began, trying to figure out how best to tell the man his child may be in the blast radius of a second Dungeon going Abomination.

She could have guessed his reaction, honestly.

---

Delta waved her hands in a daze.

Find Durance... find shield... she mumbled as she stared up at the cave ceiling behind the waterfall. A rectangular blob of blue came close and in her confusion, Delta presumed she had done just that.

I am so good at this, she mumbled as she grabbed the shield on both sides victoriously.

Release me before I find a way to remove your hands violently, Nu warned.

You're not a shield, Delta sighed as she sat up. Nu, having returned to his menu form, huffed.

I am the tool to bludgeon fools with. Not a flimsy piece of metal to protect idiots, he agreed.

Have we ever found a magic shield? she asked as her head began to clear and the hole in her Dungeon cleared up.

Not unless you count Estal who is a shield on impractical heels, Nu admitted. An idea suddenly hit Delta.

Mharia! she called out and found the fairy reading a murder mystery novel in the library with rather vivid descriptions.

You rang? Mhaira asked without looking up.

Did a man named Durence ever beat the stuffing out of you with a magic shield? she asked and Mhaira snapped the book closed, face so expressionless that it looked like a corpse.

Try that again, Mhaira said and her voice radiated death. Even if Mharia was a forced contract, Delta still felt a shiver down her spine.

Uh, did you ever do deadly mortal combat with a powerful warrior wielding a legendary shield of power and the outcome was undecided? Delta said slowly. Mharia blew out a sigh.

The damage to my ego is already done. Yes, I recall Durence. The heroic man of the hour. His shield more so. You dont often see Seeds bloom into a Self-Echo of the person, she admitted and put the book back on the shelf.

So, you know where the shield is? Delta said excitedly. Mhaira gave her an odd look.

Its gone. No Durence... no shield, Mhaira said slowly as if Delta had issues understanding simple concepts.

But Echoes spread and live on if their other selves die, Delta argued, feeling like she had all the wrong pieces to this puzzle.

Because Echoes dont care whom they twist or why. Many of them do it unconsciously. When a hero or a murder enthusiast creates a Self-Echo, it only bounces between itself and the host. One goes, the echo just fades away since it cant bounce off the material it needs to make that particular echo, Mharia said, sounding bored. I suppose a person could infect others, but they would have to naturally want to control or subjugate people and then become powerful enough to Self-Echo, which I havent seen yet, she added.

So, Self-Echoes are really rare, Delta mused.

Emphatically so. Youve actually had quite a few Self-Echoes moving through your halls over time, Mharia admitted.

I have? Delta blinked, not sure shed notice amazing weapons of legendary status.

Delta, Self-Echoes arent just physical weapons. Some are, but your little friend Deo? His mother has a Self-Echo that was once Silenced and is now only returning, Mhaira pointed out.

Wait, how did you know about Isanella? You werent here, Delta asked, eyes narrowed.

I know what to look for. The Silence are very interested in those with Self-Echoes. For if they can be offered to include an Echo, the harmony they produce is multiplicative, not additive, Mhaira said with a shrug.

You sound well versed, Nu interjected. Mharias face half-melted.

I discovered my own dreadful Echo so many years ago. My hatred of life and the divine made me destroy life ever so effectively. My Sun explained so much, but he never did harmonize with me. He said we were incompatible Mharia shrugged and floated around to another shelf.

So, all powerful people Self-Echo? Delta asked slowly, taking this all in.

Echoes need compatibility? Nu asked quickly after.

I should be getting paid per question... Mharia grumbled as she pulled out a medical textbook on unicorn dissection.

Why are you just telling us this? Delta asked before Mharia could speak again. The young fairy beamed.

Because it doesnt matter. The end is what it will be. You win, happy ending. I win, new world order. Either way, something changes and I do love change, Mharia said brightly.

As for your other questions. No, not all power is Self-Echoes. Some people naturally just infused themselves with the power inside. Some Self-Echo to grant them tangible strength. Some do it as a response to pain or trauma. Some Self-Echo because they understand the world is wrong. But in general, for every five naturally powerful people, there is one that Self-Echoes. Seed Weapons, as you call them, are effective against Silence. Less so on other things, but power and seed weapons? Hm delicious power, Mharia grinned as she eyed a depiction artwork of a gray unicorn being robbed of one of its kidneys by two demonic leering shadows in a forest.

And yes, compatibility is everything. An Echo that rages and has fire to its name will ill-suit a shy maiden who earnestly seeks truth and justice, Mharia told Nu who listened quietly.

Echoes can cheat, of course. Use a tool of theirs long enough, being around them for a time, or even just allow them close to your heart... and then they can bend you just enough to be compatible. Then you can never be unbent, Mhaira finished with a calm voice.

The knife, it was bending that gun lady, Delta said and Mharia nodded.

Its a method. Not one I would personally use. Its chaotic and without control. The Echo is depending on remaining undetected or having all his little toys not fall to the bottom of a swamp, she explained.

Echoes, bending, shapes, self, and experience. Delta felt the words were heavier than she was understanding them to be.

Close to the heart, what does that mean? Delta asked and Mhaira blinked then for the first time, considered her words carefully.

When you love someone. Truly love someone, be it a lover or your family, your shape will bend for them. Not cruelly or unnaturally, but as if trying to fit together in harmony. If you let an Echo shape this love. You can be changed beyond reckoning. When you radiate love, your shape is the most malleable. The most insidious and cruel Echoes do this, Mharia said and for the first time, Delta heard disapproval in her tone.

I can be affected by it. Golems and spirits can. Dungeons can. Love is a weakness and I do not mean that in a villainous monologue manner, Mhaira said and floated off.

So, maybe Durences shield survived because of love? Delta called out after her.

The man would have to be adored for that to happen. He was just some weirdo adventurer in the end, Mharia called back with a laugh.

She had no idea...

Still, this talk of weapons made Delta curious about something.

I wonder how Gamma handles Self-Echoes? she mused, knowing that Gamma was a weapon shifter.

Thats not who Im worried about, Nu said darkly.

---

I dont think I need it, Alpha admitted as the strangely calm group invited him to sit at their table as they bartered between themselves using knives, gloves, and amulets that all made his skin tingle.

A +3 protection puts you above most, a woman said with a detached voice. Alpha could understand that, his shield magic skill was quite high.

You should always be upgrading. Stagnation implies weakness, another man interjected and Alpha didnt want to stagnate, not just when he found Delta.

You should get twinked out so you can raid early. Better drops make you a more valuable teammate. DPS only get selected if theyre really good, someone pointed out. Alpha had a moment of panic, thinking that maybe he would get ditched if Delta found a stronger mage or hero unit.

No. someone interjected and Alpha leaned back in surprise as two sets of hands dragged him back.

Begone with your unholy number talk! Amenstar warned and Poppy at his side huffed out smoke.

Dad said Calcs deal in absolutes which can wear you down, Amenstar said as he put himself between Alpha and the people at the table who were offering amulets and coins.

Alpha watched as the boy in mostly black glowed with a dark cool aura.

You all follow guides to live your life. I make my own way, he said and a cool breeze made Amenstars hair shift. Alpha had never seen these two without Deo, but the boy was oddly absent.

Nothing wrong with... being content, Poppy said with disdain at the group.

Join our group, healers and mage welcome, the group stood up and Alpha finally saw past his own panic to see a haze over them all. A dark oozing haze of someone who enjoyed winning, even at the cost of enjoyment.

It was so familiar.

So painfully familiar.

Come on, Amenstar insisted and Alpha let himself be dragged away.

Alpha had questions and he didnt know who had the answers.