Pneuma 3: Grounded
I had another bad dream. I keep getting these a lot lately. It was very vague. I saw someone get killed right in front of me. I don’t think I know this person but it made me feel certain things that I had never felt before. It was strange and uncomfortable.
I tried to remember the dream after I woke up but it slipped my mind. I hope I don’t get stuck in another nightmare dungeon.
It was a cloudy day and it was raining heavily. I don’t mind the rain. The elves were still sleeping in their dry leaf huts.
I sat on the rock and waited for them to wake up. I had so much to do. There is no guarantee I will finish this at all. It might take me 100 years to finish this. Isi hadn’t given me a timeframe of how long it took for her friends to make that vessel. It did seem as if the human lived to see the fruits of his labor so it shouldn’t take too long theoretically.
They knew about the subject however; I am a complete noob. I heard thunder rumble and saw some lightning flashes. I noticed the electrical charge flushing away from one of the elven huts. I connected to the air leyline currents and directed the resulting lightning flash to myself and sent it into the ground.
How unlucky are these elves even nature wants to kill them now. They aren’t cursed, are they? I couldn’t find any curse on them. They might need to have Greg check on them to be sure. I still need to get rid of these 3000 or so curses on me.
How lame would it be if I keeled over from some random curse when fighting that tomato goddess? At this point, a fight with her isn’t an ‘if’ it’s a ‘when’. I don’t think she will stop unless she dies. Unfortunately, I won’t have the luxury of dying if she catches me. But if I were to die, I want to at least take her down with me.
I want to die in a cool way not a lame curse!
“Curse? Die? Who’s dying?” Jyno got out of his leaf hut. He made a leaf umbrella and made another one and handed it over to me.
I’m already soaking wet; I don’t need it but thank you for the gesture.
“Water users always do that…” The other elves came out of their huts. 1 chick and 2 dudes didn’t bother making an umbrella while the rest did. I guess, ‘spot the water users’ is a too easy game here.
“What a terrible weather. How about we wait till this is over?”
I can just run and bring you home, it won’t take long.
Jyno walked over to me. “Let’s not do that. The humans will come after you if they notice what you are, also wasn’t a goddess chasing you down?”
I think I’m safe for now. I’m covered in layers of illusions. Her army shouldn’t be able to find me.
“And that must be exhausting right?”
He wasn’t wrong but I think it would be better if we would get back to the village before I run out of steam. I wanted to speak up but I got hit by elvish magic which drastically reduced my energy consumption.
“Please, we have to look out for each other. We don’t lose anything for taking it slow as long as we are careful.”
I wanted to protest but maybe Jyno was right. Doing things my way always gets me into trouble so I nodded.
So, what are we going to do in this storm then?
The thunder was quite loud, it was almost above us and the rain was unrelenting. I suddenly felt a brief wave of nausea.
This is absurd, the thunder is loud but not that loud to rip a hole into the dimensional fabric. I opened the correct filter and I found a small tear that was slowly opening. I jumped up to the dimensional fabric, rewound time, and blasted it with foxfire.
More strange 7-sided crystal rocks. I should find out what its properties are. I was about to close the filter when I noticed an electrical charge rushing away from the elves.
Don’t they always say that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. I jumped to the ground and redirected the lightning away from them and into the ground again.
Guys, something is off, this is the second time lightning tried to strike you guys.
“I guess, we’re really unlucky. Let’s make a better shelter. The hair on my tails started to stand up. We were stuck in a strange electrical field. I hope this is Raishin getting back at me and not something else. I shifted my stance and tried to counteract the charge buildup. A large lightning bolt struck behind us and a figure appeared from it.
“Heh, I’m so lucky, to think I would find the one Biian is looking for.” A short guy with spiky orange hair appeared. He was wearing a hoodie and yellow sneakers.
And who the fuck are you?
“I am Dyn a god of lightning.”
A god of lightning and not THE god of lightning, eh? Are you a pushover like that snake god?
“Agnis, we need to run! We can’t fight a god!” I looked at the sky and sighed.
What did that bitch promise you?
“She would let me meet the Sarian god of lightning if I catch you and bring you to her.”
I see, how about this, I make a clone, you bring it to her and everyone wins.
He shot a red [lightning bolt] at me which I evaded. “You know that’s not going to work.”
I have no idea how I stand against weaker gods but as far as I know, the stereotype of lightning users being fast is true, so if I want to escape with these elves, I will have to either distract him or beat him up.
So, what do you know about me actually?
“Biian wants you.” I got unpleasant shivers through my body after hearing that. Something about that wording disgusted me. If this is the only thing he knows about me then he is screwed. I repurposed half the illusions on myself to create a double image.
The illusion will keep the current situation while the real me will take the elves and get out of here. My illusion kept stalling for time and I picked up the elves. They were also getting fooled by my illusion but I don’t care.
“Huh, what?”
Guys shut up please and go with this.
I shifted my stance and dove into the river. I made water veils around the elves and used [Waterfall] and rushed off. I just have to hope that I don’t encounter a random god of the river or something stupid. My illusion had successfully provoked the sneaker god and it dashed north with the god in pursuit.
What is the point of sneakers if he doesn’t even run on them? He was just floating and flying after my illusion. I’m disappointed. But I guess this makes it extra unsafe for me to just run around now. She's sending minor gods and humans after me. This is not funny.
I resurfaced because I had been using [Waterfall] for almost the whole day and I was getting exhausted. The sneaker god was still chasing my illusion and the illusions on myself were getting thin so we set up another camp.
“Are you alright?”
I’m just exhausted that’s all. We might arrive tomorrow if we’re lucky.
“Will you be, ok?” 136 gold elf chick seemed to be overly concerned.
I’ll be fine and you can stop feeling guilty.
“That’s easier said than done…”
I should have wiped their memory about this but I can only wipe memories shortly after an event. I had missed my chance. Maybe I should drop an ‘Eslana Village illusion’ on them here so that they can get an attachment to each other and forget their guilt. It will block my Elgards eyes though. If another god appears in that window, then I’m screwed.
It was painful to see how the elf chicks were also trying with the elf guys but they showed no interest. Jyno is a cool dude but he could use a nice elf chick. I have decided. I will give them the Eslana experience. I will find out later how to deal with the aftermath.
Can one of you hit me with more of that elven magic? And for how long will it stay? Will it persist if you guys fall asleep?
“It should persist don’t worry.” They cast the elven magic on me and I felt less exhausted.
Perfect! Can I have your attention?
They all looked toward me. I felt a bit sorry for them but this is better for them. I made a 3-layered illusion to hide the mana wave that erupts when I go 9t mode and I used [Elgard Overload] and stretched it for as long as I could. Because the effect that I force upon these elves isn’t something unrealistic or impossible it’s possible to stretch this out. I can't do this unfortunately when I actually need impossible things to happen.
I could only manage 22 minutes this time. They seemed to have the time of their life. I would wipe their memories of this event but the interpersonal connections would stay intact. They should gravitate toward each other at some point. 2 guys will be unlucky because there are 3 chicks but I think elves do polygamy so it might not be a big deal.
My [Elgard Overload] dropped and it kicked me out of 9t mode. I could still use my Elgards eyes. Is this because I used it in 9t mode? The only times where I could still use my Elgards eyes afterwards was when I used it in 9t mode. Without 9t mode, I lose access. Maybe it's just looking for a trade off, the one that’s the least likely to kill me.
Dropping out of 9t mode is inconvenient but it shouldn’t kill me, losing my Elgards eyes in combat, however… The fight against Cygnus demonstrated it. I turned them off because they were relatively useless and I got ambushed by Casi and broke some ribs.
I was extremely exhausted. All my illusion layers had dropped. Even the illusion sneaker god was chasing. The elves were sleeping and I was in a vulnerable state. Why do I keep doing this to myself? I am probably a beacon for tomato goddess’ followers now. I picked them up with my tails and got my protesting body to move.
I ran quite slowly. Slow for my standards. It took running until the morning to reach the forest. I had to zap myself to keep myself awake and energized. I launched myself into the elven village with controlled [Explosions] because my body refused to move.
The elves were of course alarmed and rushed at us. I’m sure they had a lot to say but I wouldn’t know what they said because I passed out.
So I first got scolded by Greg and Raishin, then by Inna, then Byron and his family, and then by Jyno. I was also grounded because the elves I saved had told the story to the whole village, including about the Sneaker god. I wish they would have at least kept that part a secret.
But! The 8 became quite close ‘for no reason’ and it even seemed the guys showed interest in the 3 chicks. I guess there was a silver lining.
Hey, Inna why did you volunteer to watch over me?
I was still immobilized on my couch.
“Because we’re friends!”
I’m sure this goes a bit too far for friends…
“Who knows, maybe that’s what I’m going for?” She flashed a mysterious smile.
So Raishin in his brilliance had suggested that Inna moved in with me to keep an eye on me. Now Greg and I thought it was a terrible idea but the elves agreed with him. He isn’t slowly taking over the elven village, is he?
So now I have an extra resident in my house. How am I supposed to get her off me now…