Quest 2, Part 18: [It is I]

Evening comes and I ready myself. This is when I come into play in the grand scheme. Heh, even I think that I sound like an egoistic bitch.

Of my guests that I never bothered to meet, only half of them stayed. This is better than I expected, I feared they will give up and I can’t set an example to the world. This is great, isn’t it? Then why are my hands shaking under the weight of this metallic cylinder? Although it is really weighty, above two hundred kilos, my high level body especially enchanted with magic and my mind forcefully calmed should have solved this problem.

It is I who cut open throats like a chef vegetables. It is I who order the death of many for my selfish desires. Why would I be afraid of some mass murder? It should be the other way around. When people don’t see the effects of their acts, they don’t really care about it, but they just freeze when seeing the face of their victim. There has to be a force, a push to get over the ledge. Following the rules of society unconsciously like trained lambs.

Maybe I just complicate it too much and it has nothing to with my way of thinking. Maybe my hands are only shaking because of the anger I feel. Maybe, just maybe I want to kill, murder and maim more than I am able to.

That might be so. That is very possible that I got addicted to it.

The feeling of unstoppable power, I can crush anyone easily. Those who talk wrong have no value, they have to be squashed like the inferior, mindless bugs they are.

It’s just a bunch of data on some server, in a very realistic game. Slicing flesh is nothing but some code changing. Their screams I hear echoing in my ears are just the effect of a debuff. My headaches are caused by the abuse of system bugs of an unfinished game, I am doing things and using magic no programmer ever thought of. I still don’t know much about my circumstances, but I can make an educated guess. There has to be a reason why I am here, even if I am thankful for it.

No. I don’t think I can convince myself by simple thoughts. Everything I say is but a lie, an illusion of my mind that appeared from fear. The one I can’t trust the most are my feelings.

Fiddling with the small device in my hands, the transceiver relaying this evening’s events to the whole world via magic, I think about what I am doing once again.

This will end one way or another, and soon. I’ll be gone but the world will continue forward. I have to make sure this place will be here to welcome my friends, even if I am not.

The magical-wavelength radios they made in the workshop just by my rough designs are outstanding. If I had more time, I could have used screens or holographic projectors. All this work we’ve done in such a short timespan is incredible.

Come to think of it. The whole time, I never stopped. From the moment I arrived here I constantly burdened myself to the point I wished I could just disappear for a while. Something like that even happened. But here, now, the only one I fear is myself.

I’m no better than the lambs I ridicule, my emotions rule me most of the time.

“Haha! That’s wrong cute!”

To voice suddenly appearing behind my back I reflexively launch a magical attack. When my reasoning comes back and I identify the voice, I am already behind a newly casted magical shield formation. I calm myself down and when my attack disappears after passing through the unharmed target, I dispel my defensive magic.

“You are rather rude barging in like that, but I guess I really am too tense, Deity.”

“Not even calling me on my name now?” Achlys smiles ignoring me. “Do you need help? You seem quite in trouble. You can call your favor in, you know? It’s the best opportunity.”

“Begone.”

This bitch. Of course I know what she is here for. No matter what, an entity inside the game is an entity. She is a powerful deity gifted with great powers who can’t just do as she wishes, the laws of the world prevents that abuse. But if I give her the ability to kill and earn experience… she will ascend above her already overpowered realm. Most likely the Dragon God is the only deity who had the opportunity to kill and level up in the game as a dungeon boss. A completely cheat, op and unbeatable boss that gets stronger every time you lose to him.

With this little push, just by the sudden anger taking over my mind for a glimpse of a second, I flip a switch and push a button. Not big and definitely not red. It’s pink, matching my little blooming Iris flower barrette I put on today.

Machines start to move and the the whole room vibrates from it, but it’s just the beginning. I step back, trembling and cover my ears.

A huge explosion, followed by twenty more in a second. Only the sound and the smell of burning crystal powder reaches me but it still throws my high leveled body back, I graciously fall on my arse.

My whole body keeps trembling as the mechanisms slide back, ejecting empty shell cases and accept new ones ready to repeat. I sit with the deity at my side who is laughing like a crazed maniac while we both watch as pure tools are used in wrenched, unforgivable ways.

Long minutes pass when I finally come to my senses. The dark woman is gone by now, it’s only me. I swipe my bloody tears away along with the thin smile on my face so that no one can see them. I walk to a panel with a map on it. The calculations are already done, I just have to set them up. I put a special made receiver in the slot of the panel and connect it to a phone sized portable device.

Heh. It’s like when the president orders a nuke attack in the films, just with magical cannons. I can level any place or city with a barrage with only a ‘phone call’. Well, this ‘phone’ only has two rows where I can input only coordinates, but who cares. It does it’s job and slaughters at my whimsical wishes.

Maybe, just maybe, I should just not care. I mean, not pretend that I don’t care, but simply ignore the fact. War means death. Even if the enemy who tries to kill you is weaker, even if some innocent has to die, it’s still better if my people can live in the end. I could, I could have mobilized everyone and slaughter armies from the skies with strong magic spells. I could, I really could have. But I don’t plan on making the whole world think that we are evil overlords trying to eradicate life. It’s much more simple for the brainless, untaught, uncultured medieval bastards to think they didn’t lost because they can’t win. They lost because the enemy is farther into the future technologically. They can believe that if they make friends with us and spy and steal they can become equal, then greater. Because I give them what they want. Knowledge, teachings, opportunity.

This way the only feared evil will be me and only me, the Witch using powerful magic artifacts to do her bidding and make the the world tremble.

As the symbol of power, replicas are placed on top of the inner walls around my mansion-palace. I tell them and show them that it was I, and I am proud of it.

I count the bangs and when I feel satisfied, I give new coordinates. Only a few seconds of pausa and the machine is already calibrated to murder more. I repeat this again and again, my face solidified like a stone.

Magic cannons. Weapons that I created for the purpose of killing my enemies and defending my home. It’s range should be enough to cover most of the continent, but people don’t have to know that. They gathered all their army into one convenient spot for me and I hate wasting my time and resources. This, war will impact us too. When they lose their men they will have not enough left to work and grow food. They will need food. Lot’s of food, that I don’t have. I can barely feed my own. What I do have is the will to stop this from happening. When countries lose their leaders and most of their men by death, they decide to run away. I don’t chase them. While I can’t stop their hunger, I can make so that they at least don’t starve to death. So kind and merciful, is how I will have it written in history. Not a single world will be mentioned of the peasants and villagers who are accidentally killed in the process.

It is I who win, it is I who write history and it is I who justice is with.