Reached 10 stones, here's the bonus chapter!
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I was thrown from the portal with violent force, crashing into something solid that rang out like a thunderclap on impact. Pain shot through my entire being, and I coughed uncontrollably, the taste of exhaustion filling my senses.
I struggled to get my bearings, my body aching, when a gruff, deep voice rumbled from behind me.
"Drink, or your soul vessel will break."
I blinked, craning my neck to look upward. Standing above me was a short, muscular figure. His body seemed forged from iron itself, with dense muscles that rippled beneath his open-sleeved tunic. His chest and abdomen were visible, carved with raw strength. A wild, unkempt beard framed his face, his hair equally disheveled, and his eyes burned with a sharp, penetrating glow.
He stepped forward, holding a flask in one massive, calloused hand. "Here." he said. "Hurry."
I didn't have the strength to argue. My hands trembled as I took the flask, tilting it toward my lips. The liquid inside was thick and warm, tasting faintly of metal and herbs. As I drank, I felt a soothing energy wash over me, the pain easing, the cracks I hadn't even noticed in my translucent form knitting back together.
"What… what's happening?" I croaked, my voice weak. "Where am I? What's wrong with my body?"
The man turned away from me, his heavy footsteps echoing as he approached a glowing forge at the far side of the room. He set down a pitch-black hammer on a rack and turned to face me again.
"I suppose you absorbed more than one orb, right?" His tone was accusatory, but there was a flicker of pity in his gaze.
I nodded, and his expression hardened as he shook his head. "Foolish. Mortal souls can't handle more than one Fate Orb. Your soul vessel could've shattered completely."
"Soul… vessel?" I asked, the unfamiliar term tripping over my tongue.
He pointed at me. "That translucent body of yours, that's your soul vessel. It's the physical manifestation of your soul. Fragile, unstable, and now barely holding together thanks to your stupidity."
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. "I… I didn't know. I just-"
"Let me guess." he interrupted. "The conceptuals assigned your case to some lazy, brainless entity. Typical. This mess is exactly what happens when they outsource the management of souls."
He sighed heavily, clapping his hands. "No time to waste. You've been sent here for a reason, so let's get this over with. What were the colors of the orbs you absorbed?"
"Light blue and grey." I answered honestly.
The man's brows furrowed, and he nodded slowly. "The light blue is the Random Reincarnation Orb. The grey one… that's the Item Selection Orb."
My mind raced at the implications. "So, I get to choose an item?"
He snorted. "Yes, but don't get your hopes up. Your karma's too average for anything overpowered."
I frowned. "What about a system?"
"No."
"An Omnitrix?"
"No."
"The seven Dragon Balls?"
"Absolutely not."
I racked my brain, desperate for something useful. "What about… the nano machines? Like from Nano Machine?"
The man paused, his sharp gaze locking on mine. "...Yes."
I blinked in disbelief. "Wait, really?"
He nodded. "Yes. But don't start grinning like an idiot just yet. You won't be getting the exact version. I'll forge something similar, better in some ways, but without their inherent flaws."
I nodded quickly, still stunned. "Can I customize my next life, then?"
"No." he said bluntly, turning to the forge. "Now, stay quiet while I work."
He clapped his hands again, and the forge roared to life, flames leaping higher as intricate runes carved themselves into the stone around it. From the wall, he retrieved a set of tools that looked both archaic and futuristic, hammers, tongs, and chisels that shimmered with energy.
"The version I'm making will consist of nine trillion nano machines." he explained, his voice steady as he worked. "Each will be deployed throughout your body and soul, linked directly to your brain. They'll be undetectable, thanks to the materials I'll use."
"Nine trillion?" I repeated, stunned. "How many did the original have?"
"Six billion, four hundred eighty-two million, forty thousand." he answered without missing a beat.
The contrast was staggering. I watched in awe as he began to craft the machines, his movements impossibly precise. He melted down rare metals and infused them with glowing crystals that floated into the forge on their own, guided by unseen forces. Sparks danced through the air as the tools struck the molten material, each impact resonating like a bell.
"I'm combining mystical elements with advanced technology." he explained, his voice calm but focused. "This alloy is self-repairing and adaptive, designed to grow with you. The nano machines will integrate seamlessly into your being."
He waved his hand, and a sphere of light appeared beside him, displaying a holographic blueprint of the machines. Each component was detailed down to the atomic level, the design impossibly intricate.
"With this." he continued, "you'll have enhanced regeneration, physical augmentation, and a network of nanobots capable of analyzing and adapting to most situations. But don't expect miracles. This isn't some deus ex machina."
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes away from the process. The forge's flames turned a brilliant blue as he infused the metal with energy, chanting in a language I didn't recognize. The runes on the forge glowed brighter, pulsing in rhythm with his words.
Finally, he held up the completed orb, a shimmering sphere of silver and blue. "Here." he said, tossing it toward me.
I caught it instinctively, feeling its weightless energy sink into my chest. My soul vessel shimmered briefly before stabilizing.
The being stood back, wiping his hands on his tunic as the forge's flames died down. "It's done." he said, his gruff voice softening slightly. "Now, it's time for you to reincarnate."
I felt an odd sensation pulling at me, like the threads of my very existence were being unraveled. My translucent body began to shimmer, bits of it breaking away and fading into the air. Panic bubbled in my chest.
"Wait-" I started, my voice trembling. "Before I go… what's your name?"
The being paused, a faint, knowing smile spreading across his rugged face. His eyes sparkled with an emotion I couldn't quite place as he leaned slightly closer.
"I'm the A¥t¢£r." he said, his deep voice carrying an enigmatic weight.
I tried to process the words, but as my form dissipated further, his voice became faint, muffled, and incomprehensible. The meaning of his words slipped away, lost in the haze of my fading consciousness.
Darkness claimed me once again, the last thing I saw being the faint, mysterious smile of the being who had sent me on this strange, new path.
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1131 words.