Chapter 34: I Cannot Close My Eyes

Staring at the blue wall, I shake my head.  ‘I did not realize it would be something like this… Though, truly, I did not have any notion of what it would be like.’

I poke my finger through the wall, testing it. ‘It is similar to the Cosmic System. Does this confirm Terra is in the Beta? Or is this kind of thing common nowadays...? It does resemble that lap-top thing she showed me.’

I take a moment to ponder this until I conclude that there is not a point to musing it.

‘I will not mention it. I do not know if being in the Beta is unusual for “spirit-like entities” or not. I will operate under the presumption she is in the Beta, but it is safer to wait for her to tell or ask me rather than me informing her myself.’

Shrugging my shoulders, I read the message. The message is interesting, but the closing section sticks out.

‘It seems I should be more careful in the future about whom I take items. Evidently, using unknown items can be dangerous, but I like to believe I am fairly decent at determining someone’s disposition. I do think Terra has some reason to be so kind to me, still, I also do not believe her to be a wicked person.’

Moving on, I open the technique revealing a detailed procedure that Terra seems to have extended and amended with her own words. Yet, the biggest dilemma is the very first sentence, which simply reads, “close your eyes.”

‘Aye… How vital is that first step? Perhaps, I could simply find a dark place? Nay, that would not work either due to the way my vision functions.’

I recall an adaptation that had something to do with eyelids, brows, and lashes.

‘Earl, summon the wall with the eyelid adaptation.’

Seeing the adaptation, I nod. ‘So with this, I would lose my night vision when using the adaptation. If I was somewhere sufficiently dark, this might suffice. I was already interested in this particular adaptation, as I am interested in looking a bit less terrifying. I imagine from Terra’s perspective, speaking to someone who does not have any eyelids is both difficult and eerie…’ My eyes move to the note and then the Essence requirements. ‘I do not have the necessary Essence, and it appears I must eat more chicken breast to acquire this.’

I cross my hazy arms, pondering ways to retrieve the necessary Essence and breasts. An idea comes to mind as I move to the edge of the thicket and peer across The Lake. My eyes focus on the abandoned Boathouse and café. I think back to all the food I saw coming out of the café when I was spying a few days ago and how much Essence that would give me.

‘I believe I shall make a swift stop at the café tonight. It is either that or the chamber pot tunnels, and I am not certain of my ability to battle the wretched rat if it appears.’

My gaze shifts toward the Terrace and the noble’s guard, who rarely leave the black road above the grand staircases. ‘I think it is possible if I wait until the middle of the night, break a window near the back, eat all the food, and run back here. They may not even realize until morning something has happened.’

Resolving to infiltrate the café later tonight, I move to advance my skills and stats. I look around, noticing a stick stuck in some bushes nearby. ‘Oh! That was one of the items I brought with me. I guess it got stuck.’

I raise the stick in my hands, look away, and turn it inward toward the shell.‘I wished to avoid this, but I need to raise my sturdiness.’

Prepared for pain, I bring the stick down upon the kiln.

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As I have been for a few hours, I sit tapping the stick against the shell of the kiln.

Shaking my head, I toss the stick to the side. ‘I cannot do this any longer.’

After I began trying to increase my Sturdiness, it did not take me long to discover that my arms are so weak that hitting the kiln feels itchier than it does painful. I still tried in hopes it would work, but alas, I doubt it will.

‘I am just going to have to use the cattail. The stick will break before it does any real damage to the shell.’

Unwinding the tendrils, I grip the stick and raise the cattail. I do not bother bracing myself this time but just bring it down upon the kiln. The stick shatters. Pain surges through me.

‘Good lord!’

One of the Cosmic Systems walls appears displaying the injury, but I fall onto my side, and it vanishes. My hands move to the kiln, like someone who has just been punched in the stomach. I find a tiny crack, running along the place where the stick struck.

‘Why… Why did that hurt so much! It was just a stick!’

I stare at the stick with a fury, as if it is its fault this has happened. With great pleasure, I engulf it within the cattail to make it pay for what it has wrought.

‘Foreign Essence and Mana?’ I think back, realizing where the stick came from. ‘Ah. That limb was near “node 1.” Perhaps, the sticks from that tree are sturdier... Who knows, but it hurt!’

‘Well, at least my stupidity was rewarded. Time to retrieve the food from the café.’

Looking toward the sky, I see that it is already sundown. I shall find a place to hide in my Domain so I may heal, and then I will find a bush near the café. If all goes well, it will be a simple eat and dash operation.

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‘Dash! Dash!’ Breaking from my stupor, I flee toward the broken window of the café. ‘I am not certain, but I believe it was that sliced ham that made me feel… delicious, for lack of a more fitting word. Of course, thanks to that Title, everything I steal is delicious!’

Instead of returning to the Terrace, I flee in the opposite direction. Behind me, I can already hear the noble guard yelling. ‘How on earth did they know something was happening!?’

I hear footsteps approaching, so I hide behind a tree. To block my eyes, I raise my hand and move my face close to the tree. I tighten the cattail around the kiln to obstruct the light of the flame. A bright white light illuminates a portion of the area, including the opposite side of the tree I am hiding.

“Officers in the area of The Lake, please, be advised of a possible 10-21 at boathouse café.”

“Fuck again!” a man's voice says. “I gotta piss.”

He starts to approach the tree. ‘Nay. Do that somewhere else!’

I start making sable copepods as he is about to spot me. The light bounces around as he fiddles with his trousers. As he approaches my side of the tree, I rotate to the other but eventually come across a bush, meaning if I go any further, the kiln will make a noise.

He slows down. “Goddamn belt.”

As he is about to move, I release a dozen mouse-sized sable copepods onto the tree. They scurry about, looking akin to huge cockroaches.

‘This should scare him.’ This thought turns out to be the biggest understatement I believe I may have ever made because this man screams like a banshee.

Between his screams, he only manages to say, “Fuckin’ fuck!”

He trips, kicking away from the tree. With his screaming, I take the opportunity to leap into the bush.

A group of lights comes charging in this direction. “It's the police! Who’s screaming?”

I move away deep into the bush and listen in.

“Johnny? What the hell happened? Weren’t you on leave?” a gruff voice asks.

“C-chief? You’re here,” Johnny stutters.

“Yeah, I’m here, trying to figure out what's happening,” the man, Chief, reaches down to help him up. “Go home, Johnny; you shouldn’t be out.”

Johnny goes quiet before saying in a voice that sounds like he’s holding back tears. “Yeah. I should go.”

“Get back to the café. Tell them I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t let The Consortium touch anything! No matter what they say,” Chief says.

Johnny and Chief leave.

‘Why do I feel more guilty now than when I infected the shrieking man...’

The last two noble’s guards start having a conversation.

“What the hell is wrong with him?”

“He was supposed to be on leave.”

“Isn’t he pretty new? Did something happen to him?”

“He… uh, found a woman’s torso the other day.”

“A torso?”

“Yeah. A body, well, a torso like I said… and I’ll just say it was infested because I don’t wanna think about it either.”

The two talk for a moment longer and then leave, heading back toward the café. When they are out of sight, I continue, fleeing. With the paths around The Lake blockaded, it is actually easier than it has been.

Soon I am back at the thicket of trees across from the Terrace.

‘Ah! I was hoping it would advance. All my hiding and sneaking around, it was only a matter of time.’

Studying the blue wall, I hesitate to choose the skill that seems to be unmistakably the best for my needs.

‘The Confined Sneak has its uses yet is a bit too specialized. The Sneak II is fine, and I could make use of it, but… Tenebrous Sneak seems to be ideal for my needs with my ability to see perfectly in the dark. I suppose what I dislike is that it shares the name with the Tenebrous Place, but I should not let that hinder me. Besides, I do not know the actual name of that place; that is simply what I named it.’

I select Tenebrous Sneak.

Pictures appear in my mind of myself and an expressionless man. Each image is varied: one with me hiding in a shadow, another with me in smoke, and finally, one of me in the bushes. In each, three of the same expressionless men are at various distances from where I am located. The closest points at me as if detecting me, the second stares curiously at where I am hiding, and the farthest is utterly clueless of my presence. Depending on which and how I am hidden, their distance varies. The vividness of the pictures fade.

‘I shan’t ever get used to that.’ I take a moment to think through what I saw. ‘So it seems simple enough. The Cosmic System was merely showing me the distance I would need to maintain in each situation to avoid detection or suspicion. Helpful, if not a bit underwhelming. Regardless, a welcome boon for sure, but now for the membrane. Today is quite the day for advancements! Now, Earl, summon the wall. This lady is ready to have some beautiful eyelids, brows, and lashes!’

I select the Negating Membrane, the kiln glows bright, and white haze exits it at every angle. The white haze drifts up to my neck, and for a moment, my vision turns dark before the haze settles above my eyes.

‘Huzzah! I cannot wait to look, but…’ In the distance, red and blue lights surround the café. ‘I shall have to wait until tomorrow. I should focus on Terra’s technique, my skills, and stats for the next day and night.’

Lowering myself, I move close to the ground to block as much light as possible and then attempt to close my new eyelids. At first struggling, I eventually manage to close them...

An indescribable dread grips my very mind.