The sun's rays played on the waterways and canals, which meandered like the veins of a living organism, nourishing and connecting the city into a single whole. The narrow pavements lining the canals were bustling with vendors shouting fish prices, women carrying fruit baskets, and children laughing as they played by the water's edge. Bright buildings in warm peach tones rose in tiers, like giant steps leading to heaven, and the top of the city resembled a majestic fountain, dropping water cascades.
Boats pulled by Yagara-buley, agile seahorses that looked so pleased that they seemed to be enjoying their work themselves. A pair of buley slaves—of a larger variety—were carrying a boat with goods, its captain shouting over passersby, demanding to give way. The tall King Bulls, designed for freight transportation, looked like rare giants among their smaller counterparts. Their smooth movement was almost hypnotic.
I walked slowly along the sidewalk of the shipyard, watching the colorful life of the city from afar. Everything here breathed the rhythm of the water — even the sounds: the lapping of waves on the pier, the roll call of fishermen, the rustle of water under oars. At one corner, I stopped at a shop where there were cages with exotic birds and small sea creatures that seemed to be doing their jobs in this city, too.
Status
Current name: Kuro Miyago
Paths: Fool (6 sequence), Faceless (100%)
(Would you like to advance at risk without ritual?)
Ritual: Move forward to the singing of the mermaids.
The goal: To reach the island of One Piece before the main character.
(There are 146 days left before the start of canonical events.)
: 1 meta point
Three months have passed since the events in Nemea. Although my arm still hasn't fully recovered, I was able to replace the bulky cast with a more flexible and comfortable counterpart. It did not require constant bandaging, although it remained an unpleasant reminder of the past.
The journey to the station was not so long: I rented a slave named Buley on one of the canals. This seahorse, although inferior in speed to the Jaguars, confidently moved forward, smoothly crossing the waterways.
At the station, I was greeted by an almost cartoonish picture: a sleeping grandmother with a bottle in her hand, her light green hair was so bright that it could clearly outshine the dawn. In front of me was none other than Kokoro, "one of the beauties of the five seas."
I barely had time to take a step when a girl jumped out of the house.
-hello! You're early. The train won't leave for another six hours! But if you want to buy a ticket, it would be better to do it in the city. Although I can arrange it here! She blurted out, pointing at the strange creature next to her. — I'm Chimney, and this is my cat Gombe! — There was clearly something wrong with this "cat" of hers: rabbit ears, ferret movements, and eyes that seemed to read minds. "But the grandmother who's sleeping is Kokoro!"
I grinned at her enthusiasm.
"Nice to meet you, Chimney." I'm Kuro. But I'm not here for the ticket, I'm here for your grandmother.
"Grandmother?" Good! grandma!!! Her voice shattered the silence of the station.
"Don't scream, I'm awake, Chimney,— a sleepy voice said. Grandma struggled to her feet, taking a sip from her bottle. "So, why do you need me, boy?"
Realizing that there was no point in hiding, I regained my true form. Now, until the moment when I start acting in the shadows, I didn't need to deceive anyone.
"I need your help,— I said. — I'm practicing a technique, and it requires the singing of mermaids to complete it. Unfortunately, it takes too long to get to their settlement. That's why I wanted to ask you to sing.
Kokoro didn't look surprised that I knew her background. Another sip, then she smiled.
— Sing? Na-ga-ga-ga! Okay, I'll sing it now! Her laughter turned into a song that sounded strange and a little hoarse.
"Wait," I interrupted her, taking out a fortune—telling pendulum. Calmly asking a question about the upcoming ritual, I waited. The pendulum stopped, indicating success. — You can continue.
Her singing filled the space, not particularly melodious, but strangely appealing. While her voice filled the station, I activated the panel.
Would you like to move on? (yes| no)
When I chose "yes," I felt my body begin to go numb. The feeling of diving into something unknown, deep, surrounded me. My movements became more and more slow, as if I were falling into a viscous liquid. But her singing, though not the most melodious, seemed to keep me on edge, not allowing me to completely succumb to stupor.
The sensations subsided, and I opened the panel again.
Status
Current name: Kuro Miyago
Paths: Fool(5 sequence, Puppeteer (0%))
Ritual: Kill the demigod with a grandiose performance and at the end you will be able to advance. (Hint: Anyone with high status and proper strength can be used as a substitute instead of a demigod.)
The goal: To swim to the island of One Piece, before the main character. ( There are 146 days left before the start of canonical events ) Reward: 1 meta point
The details of the new force began to clear up in my head. It was as if I was watching someone carefully train me, revealing step by step the secrets of manipulating the threads of the spiritual body.
Now I could see the thinnest invisible threads connecting the bodies and souls of every being. These threads are the spiritual basis through which one can influence the Body of the Soul, Astral Projection, the Body of the Heart and Mind, as well as the Etheric Body. Having understood their essence, I realized that through the etheric body it is possible to control the physical.
This opened up huge opportunities: I could find those who used invisibility abilities, whether they were some kind of disguise techniques or just fruits. Most importantly, the ability to manipulate threads allowed me to influence people directly.
The control process was divided into two stages.
The first stage: when interacting with threads, I could slow down the movements and thoughts of the target. Depending on her resistance and fortitude, it took anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds. At this stage, the target could still resist, albeit with difficulty: her actions became slow and uncertain. But as soon as the process was completed, the next phase began.
The second stage: if I held out long enough (2.5–5 minutes), the target completely became my puppet. At the moment of the second stage, the target itself loses the ability to resist. But if the control was interrupted (usually due to severe pain or a sudden stimulus), all work was reset to zero, and I had to start from scratch.
When the target became a puppet, she lost her will, but retained her soul. Her body was completely controlled by me, and the puppet herself could speak all the languages she knew in life. However, it was not my personal skill, but only the result of a connection with her memories. I could control the puppet within 100 meters, but over time the distance could grow to 200 meters.
In addition, my abilities were enhanced by 50%. For example, my Air bullet, which was previously equal to a pistol shot, has now become comparable to a rifle bullet.
I could also control the puppet's body directly, sensing everything it sees and feels, and using my abilities through it.
However, there were limitations. The puppets who did not know the will could not learn it or improve it, as their spiritual bodies remained practically dead. And the number was limited—right now I could only have one puppet, but after fully digesting the potion, their number would increase to three.
In addition, the Puppeteer's abilities have increased my mental abilities. Namely, I was now multitasking, and I could simultaneously perceive information and complete tasks.
Smiling at my new potion, I turned to Kokoro.
- Thank you for the song, I really appreciate it. Is there anything I can pay you with?
- Na-ga-ga-ga. If you want to have a drink with me at the bar after work. Kokoro answered me.
"I don't drink, but I'd be happy to keep you company," I smiled. "Shall we go?"
"No, young man," she said, smiling. - I still have a shift, but we'll go in the evening.
- Since that's the case, I'll be waiting for you in the city.