Chapter 95
As an entire day inside the tower might be longer, Dane finally was able to step into the subconscious library again to train more and master additional spells. The construction of their new home continued as Siglorr Bouldergrov didn't disclose any information about what happened at the industrial district at Solnara Cererindu, as his wounds were fully healed.
Dane assured them that the merchant guild would look into how they obtained the lotus plant potion and, coincidentally, save the young man who had been living in the Anchorage Castle for many years. The plan is to use the Velvet Knight to be the one who took in a 23-year-old man that they unintentionally discovered living in the forest near the gorge. Dane had made all of these plans in advance.
This was to secure the background story they are going to use: that the 23-year-old man survived the gorge and was able to return safely, as the velvet knight helped his safe return after many years alone wandering the forest filled with monsters. This will be the simplest basis for his sudden reappearance. Duchess Elleena Rothchester was already brief prior to this, and she needs the help of Sylveth Melriel, the left archmage, as she has a divine ability to read spiritual energy. If the Duchess's spiritual energy is similar to the young man's, they are related, while the right Azure Archmage, Aithlin Hasterient, will conduct the blood test and check if they are similar.
And lastly, the cathedral church will affirm this by physical tests like similarities in DNA markers and physical appearance and any material proof he was indeed her lost son. This comprehensive approach will provide a thorough confirmation of the young man's identity and his connection to the Duchess Elleena Rothchester.
And finally the announcement of the tower voice will cement Dane's right and title over Duchess Elleena Rothchester's legitimate son. Dane has already absorbed the physical remains of the young boy's skull, including his spiritual essence.
Dane would travel toward Duchess Elleena Rothchester's residence to further manage the plan and make sure that only Head Steward Custodia will know about this. He placed importance on loyalty among those he encountered, so he gave his soon-to-be mother a bracelet similar to what the Bouldergrove head clan is using for communication. This is a physical item that came from the formless armor. and the insignia tattoo was placed as stipulated in their contracts as a symbol of their loyalty and connects them to Dane.
The formless armor wasn't just a copy of the original; when this armor was created, it was the essence and the collective embodiment of all those who were consumed by chaos. When Dane fused the six skills, he decided to do this out of curiosity, as the separated system that revived him allowed this, deviating from its original function, and that was to revive him as he was the biggest contributor in the virtual game The Old Gods, which was copied and made real.
The issue in this matter was that Dane assumed the details of the formless armor based on past memories, as he delegated the rest of the development of the arcane game to his teammates. Quality checking, implementation, and testing of all these were his responsibility. But because the main story revolves around countless scenarios, he saw that his teammates were the best in their field of work. And even though they were regarded as extraordinary individuals, he never once doubted them, and because they respected Dane being their leader, he trusted that they would deliver exceptional results. However, as the game progressed, Dane began to notice subtle differences between the virtual world and the real one, leading him to question the true nature of the Old Gods.
Nevertheless, Dane didn't dwell too much, as he was actually living inside the world he helped create. The entire day Dane would master his two elemental skills, especially the lightning skill, as he found that all materials beside plastic and rubber can be manipulated by using focus and control. And because plastic and rubber can only be created in the human world, the Gatekeeper's existence made these two materials very unlikely to step foot into the tower.
So as Dane made use of the long hours and roamed his new stronghold, he personally saw what spells he could create and use to gain the upper hand in the upcoming quest. Many saw Dane could move objects and even manipulate them to form into other shapes; a few dwarves that could see energy could see he was practicing his control over his lightning skill.
Imgrim and Nukra were particularly invested in seeing him use his skill, while Melgil was busy learning basic housewife skills to serve his husband. Wrenla Bouldergrove saw that she was truly in love with Dane; she would blush if Dane would wave at her and give her a casual smile every time he would see her, and because the area was still under continuous construction, they would see each other as Melgil would help out in rationing food and take care of minial work with
Elaria Syrune and Anika Roughbrook, while the Grey Ogre hunted and captured animals that could be domesticated and provided farm animals to the community. Despite the chaos of the ongoing construction, Melgil found solace in the simple tasks and the camaraderie of working alongside his new friends while interacting with Dane, who was also becoming more emotionally available and proactive, especially with Melgil, as they were deeply connected because of the chaos and mana in their bodies.
Within those two days, Dane absorbed everything like a starved man. The daylight hours were a whirlwind of activity, a vibrant tapestry of shared experiences that wove him inextricably into the fabric of his new family. He learned the specific way they notched their arrows, the subtle herbs they used to season their stew, and the old fireside stories that held their history. Training was a demanding but exhilarating dance of sparring and strategy, where every bruise was a lesson and every word of advice was a gift. He was no longer just a guest but a participant, his laughter mixing with theirs, his efforts contributing to their collective strength. It was in these moments of shared struggle and simple joy that the walls around his heart, built by years of solitude, finally began to crumble.
Yet, it was in the quiet interludes that the most profound connection was forged. The small tent Dane was using became a sanctuary not just for him, but for them both. As the boisterous energy of the camp faded during breaks, he would retreat into the stillness of his own mind. The process of entering his subconscious was intense and draining, a deep dive into a turbulent inner sea. But he was never truly alone on these journeys. Without a word, Melgil would slip into the tent and settle beside him. She would just sit beside him and lean her head on his shoulder and rest, her steady breathing a quiet rhythm against the chaos he navigated internally.
Her presence was an unspoken promise, a silent declaration of trust and comfort. For Melgil, it was a moment of peace, finding solace in his stillness. For Dane, her simple, physical nearness was an anchor. While his mind wrestled with shadows and memories in the vast expanse of his subconscious, the gentle weight of her head on his shoulder was a constant, grounding reminder of the real, tangible world he was fighting to be a part of. It was a symbiotic quietude; he provided the stable silence she needed to rest, and she provided the unwavering anchor he needed to find his way back. In the cramped, dim space of that tent, their bond deepened beyond words, built not on grand gestures, but on the shared vulnerability of a quiet moment.
Unknown to him, his parents already knew he was special in a very different way; at a very young age, he showed a lack of emotions and never hesitated on doing things that many children at his same age would hesitate and even run away from. He was resolute and without any second thought. He joined his father in camping at the very young age of five years old, and Edward, his father, saw these traits, and he realized he needed proper guidance, and because as parents they both carried the same unique qualities as their son the only way he would follow their instructions was to manipulate the situation so their son would decide upon himself that he wanted to learn.
Killing a living creature without even blinking was a sign and indication their son might have carried their innate trait gene to kill without remorse. As parents, they were trained to kill, as their job was to eliminate threats, but they knew they had to teach their son to control his instincts in order to live a normal life in society. And not succumb to the call and become a psychopath.
They saw the symptoms, and as parents they needed to mold their son to establish his own rule and not let his genetic predisposition define him. They were determined to provide him with the guidance and support necessary to navigate the complexities of morality and empathy, despite the challenges they faced as a family with a dark legacy.
His past was memories; the physical actions were not based on his own, but it was something he did because he wanted to know the reason and logic behind it. He excelled at hunting and didn't show any regret or any negative emotional response to killing, and as soon as he grew up and went to class, he never interacted socially and continued to train in close-quarter combat and hunting, as he saw it as a rule he needed to follow, and the only logical sense to do this was to actually fight a person like a spar, similar to what he did with his parents.
This was feeding his hunger to do risky and impulsive actions. He roamed the city armed with the thought that punishing those who are evil and bringing them to feel the pain they themselves inflicted on others was his way of feeding his own desire to randomly kill an innocent person. His parents told him over and over again,
"Be a mirror to the world; reflect back what is shown to you."
This side of his was hidden, and he took it seriously and never divulged it to anybody; even when all of those who knew him in the past were gone, he was never seen leaving his apartment, even when his parents passed away.
But unlike those who were diagnosed with autism that rarely left their comfort zones, he was able to adapt and function in society, albeit with some difficulty. Despite his reserved nature, he had a strong sense of discipline and dedication to his training, which set him apart from others. He was a prodigious savant. He might look normal, but his actions are dictated by calculation and precision, making him excel in his chosen field of expertise. His remarkable abilities and intense focus were truly awe-inspiring to those who knew him well.
So on those days, they thought he was locked inside his apartment room. He found a way to leave his comfort zone and hunt the city streets for those who were committing crime. News about the sudden drop of the crime rate was publicly heard and watched, but nobody could identify the person behind it. And because the criminal was not killed but severely beaten and mentally traumatized, as he showed these criminals how violent and brutal he could be.
Many of them became crippled and paralyzed with fear at the mere mention of the events that led to him. The mysterious vigilante became a legend in the city, with rumors swirling about his true identity and motives. Many ordinary citizens, and even police officers, would turn a blind eye the moment they accidentally saw him, and those that imitated him were also dealt with harshly, as they assumed it was something that he alone must do.
Those that respected his actions circulated stories that he doesn't want others to copy him, as he was doing this as a quest to carry all the burden on his shoulders and not let others get involved in the dangerous work he was doing. The vigilante's presence brought a sense of justice and fear to the city, leaving many wondering if he would ever reveal himself and his true intentions.
Damon Lazarus, aka Dane, continued this act. Until he turned 53 and the injuries he gained from hunting every night gradually took a toll on his body, forcing him to retire from his vigilantism. However, the impact he made on the city remained, with citizens still telling tales of the mysterious hero who once roamed the streets.
As Dane gains a new body and second chance in life, these memories are diluted, and because his syndrome also slowly dissolves from his new body, the conflict in his mind is confusing to comprehend and manage; his reaction and the narrative he is trying to make sense of are scattered and all over the place. Dane didn't even understand why he did those things in the past.
However, the bond he was forming now felt good, especially with Melgil, and the rest of the group was slowly changing his perspective on the importance of connection and companionship. Like when he was Damon Lazarus in the past, his true self wasn't complete and remained stagnant and isolated and never fully developed.
But now he was beginning to see the value in opening up and allowing others in. The sense of belonging and acceptance he was starting to feel was a stark contrast to the loneliness and detachment he had experienced for so long.
The small tent Dane was using would be shared with Melgil every time he would meditate in between breaks and enter his subconscious mind; she would just sit beside him and lean her head on his shoulder and rest.
While Dane's three familiars roam freely and gain autonomous experiences on their own, these familiars created out of Dane's previous memory were also evolving based on the traits created in his mind, like the serpent familiar that came from his recollection of his father, who was a retired, highly trained military black ops operative, and the horned owl that was created from his mother's love for nature and wisdom, and lastly, the fox was connected to the young wounded wild animal while he and his father were camping.
Each familiar had a unique purpose and skill set, reflecting different aspects of Dane's upbringing and personality. The bond between Dane and his familiars grew stronger with each passing day; these three soon gained their own respective identities and sentient personalities, becoming trusted companions and sources of protection and weapons against those who wanted to hurt him.
And because they were made from the essence of the formless armor that is fundamentally never-ending, it was chaos, as it was represented as the very soil where the skill sapling was growing on. The three familiars have finally evolved to grow separately from the parent sapling, similar to asexual reproduction. A phenomenon that Dane didn't know about.
The three, while freely roaming the land of Lúthien, hunting in the vast mountain range, each time they separately encountered an enemy, they would fight it and claim their prey. And because the creatures that dwell in the mountain no longer fear the Drake, many came out of their hiding, and due to hunger, these creatures also started to hunt. And because they can now move independently from the host parent of the formless armor, they grew and finally gained a humanoid form.
Within a short period of time, the chaos energy that gave them form and function also pushed their evolution to the limit, as it was within its feature the unpredictability and randomness from what was normal. Some living sentient creatures, like the evolved Drake, took many years to obtain these changes, but in the case of the three familiars, they decided to push their own limits to atone for their lacking in serving their master.
And the three stood up and saw they were no longer in their animal form; they had hands, fingers, and a human body. The joy they felt was overwhelming as they realized the potential that came with their newfound humanoid forms. The three took the opportunity to test their abilities and understand everything about their transformation. Like their master, the three asked questions on a rational scale, like if they can revert back into their animal forms, if they are still connected to their master's will, and what their unique skills are.
All their questions were answered as they continued to learn and understand. Meanwhile, Dane was inside the subconscious library and saw that the skill sapling manifestation that was planted at the heart of the library unexpectedly gained 3 separate sprouts growing near the sapling. As he viewed the details, he was amazed and at the same time delighted as he smiled and continued his research and training.
After the grueling hours of his training regimen, when his muscles screamed and his body was slick with sweat, Dane found his true sanctuary not in rest, but in reading. He was a voracious consumer of written knowledge, and it was within the pages of various books that he discovered a concept that would forever alter his understanding of self: the mind realm is not a physical place but a metaphorical architecture of the mind, a vast, internal repository where every thought, feeling, and experience is cataloged and stored.
On its endless shelves, memories weren't just fleeting images but leather-bound tomes, traumas were scorched and locked volumes, and skills were well-thumbed instruction manuals, all existing simultaneously and influencing the conscious world from the quiet depths. This idea resonated deeply with Dane, whose life was a study in contrasts between the brutal physicality of his training and the quiet intellectualism of his evenings.
He began to see his own mind through the looking glass. The muscle memory he honed on the training grounds was a thick, practical manual in his subconscious library.
This framework gave Dane a powerful tool for introspection. He learned that the library wasn't just a passive archive; it was an active, influential realm. The "books" one chose to read, or those that lay open on the reading tables of the mind, directly shaped perception and dictated behavior. He realized that to truly master himself, he couldn't just train his body; he had to become the librarian of his own subconscious.
He had to learn which volumes to study, which to respectfully place back on the shelf, and which forbidden sections to approach with caution, understanding that every page turned within that silent, internal space had the power to rewrite the story of his new reality as a player in word he crafted based on the things he dream of having when he was young.