With the last week I had to prepare for what was coming, I prepared advanced weapons that could be done here and now. My first thought was the six shot revolver, cowboy style. The real trick to making that is making the bullets trigger right.
Thankfully we have magic. Qian Yu knows fire magic, so she covered the striker of the revolver with fire chi so it's guaranteed to ignite the bullets, and launch the bullet.
It became a hot seller fast, for the worse honestly. I didn't expect it to go bad immediately. But it did.
My own town's bandits tried to rob me. And nobody came to help. Because they think I can handle it just fine. I saw it coming too. Because the men bought a copy of my blueprints for 100,000 tae.
It was three days later when I got the premonition. I saw a gang of men outside my home, opening fire with the pistols.
Then it actually happened five days later. At 9AM on a Tuesday. I sense the malice spark as they approach. They're less than a hundred feet away when they get serious in their minds. And it's enough for my senses to go off. And I laugh.
Because in magic land, safety measures are a bitch. As they get close, I control each and every one of their guns. Their strikers specifically. To make them all fire and hit their Users in the foot. It works to an extent.
I step outside after the gunfire goes off. 3 out of 7 men have foot wounds. It's delightful. I make it worse with my own two revolvers. And poison darts. Which as per usual, just kind of fly out automatically when I really want to murder someone. It was honestly overkill.
We shot at each other, they all died from bullets and poison. Bullets went through me, but I healed thanks to the Mask. As my Future Sight knew would happen. The Mask just wants us to entertain it. And I do it all the time.
So as I stand on the road, full of holes. The Mask activates. A boom of Yin and Yang fill the skyline as it flies to me from wherever it was at like a shooting star, And within seconds, it smacks onto my face a bit roughly. But I begin healing as it infuses me with Immortality.
The Mask is the toy born from the love and potential of the two most powerful beings ever. And the Mask is its own fickle thing. It's a toy that Edward's future self understands better.
"It's a God born from the sparks of great potential meeting. The Mask simply wishes for great people to grow into their most powerful forms, and shape reality as they can. And it facilitates it the most by giving them Immortality." he says annoyedly. "The real joke is it's not even the only mask. They're all linked."
So now I heal my wounds, and it flies off into the night. For a second. It does a sharp nose dive over the north side of town. Great. I hope there isn't a riot.
The entire town's Oracle Senses goes off. Suddenly I see a vision of the town, on fire. With me as the sole survivor with all 14 other Oracles. Cause we all are going to kill everyone else except for our loyal soldiers if that Mask doesn't leave town.
Because all of the non-soldiers are criminal psychopaths. Who are about to be told to do another battle royale for glory.
I do not see the forms of the Oracles, only 14 pairs of golden eyes. And Artemis, who just waves with a warm smile.
"We need you to stop the riot and win it before it goes out of hand and we get a new Immortal. Nobody likes the results for if someone that isn't one of ours becomes an immortal." Artemis says warmly.
The Vision ends. And I see him. Wu Bin. Outside my shop with a horse.
"It's for you. Use it to save us from this disastrous God." Wu Bin says calmly.
Wu Bin is an old, skinny man with tanned skin. He wears white and black robes that are stained with dirt stains and grass stains. The most obvious sign he uses Earth magic. All the real ones are always stained with the Earth.
"I thank you, Wu Bin. It is appreciated." I say warmly.
I approach the horse, and jump on it.
"You're welcome. Just try not to kill anyone useful. I will send you a telepathic message when you must not kill. Be warned, some of them are our kids who are trying to be immortal. So we ask you be delicate with them." Wu Bin says tensely.
I nod, smirking amusedly. I'm going to traumatize the Oracles' kids, it seems. Delightful.
I gallop away, and explore the town for an hour. It pops off when I'm inside a drug market. Cause the Mask decides to do a joke.
I witness the whole thing. First, a man does so much opium, he overdoses and dies. On the street. Then the Mask flies onto his face, and revives him with Yang magic. Then buffs him with Yin magic to make him a seven foot tall, extremely buff juggernaut.
Then it pops itself off, and begins trying to rant. I shoot it with a revolver before it can talk. It breaks into pieces, then reconstitutes itself immediately. It glares at me, and I sigh. Then let it talk. It smiles like a showman, and begins.
"Ladies and Gentleman of the Broken Cage. It is I, the Mask of Immortality! Here to ask you all this: Have you ever wanted to get as high as you wanted? Without worrying about death?" it asks happily.
I shoot it again, it dodges.I keep trying as it rants.
"Want Immortality!? Fight for my amusement! Beat that psychopathic woman over there, and I'll give you immortality! Kill her!" Mask yells with a showman's malice.
They turn on me, several people in the room. And I sigh angrily. Especially as the Juggernaut approaches me, filled with newfound strength.
"I need him so I can feel this good forever. Immortality is better than opium." Drug Addict Juggernaut says with euphoric bloodlust.
He's too high to even be angry. He's smiling like a drunk as he casually rips a metal fence pole out a man's yard. And approaches me with it. I shoot him with my poison darts a few times instinctively again. It doesn't phase him despite his veins turning purple. It must be the opium and immortality. He can't even feel his death approaching him. If he can die.
I create the scimitar of poisoned steel. I approach him with a pretty, intimidating stride. Weapon held out to the side, showing my strength. When we get within melee, we both begin swinging wildly. I aimed for his knee, ducking beneath his swing aimed for my head. I cut into it, but he doesn't falter. An overhead head swing aimed for my spine. I sidestep, and cut into his kidney with a graceful swing and a twirl of my feet. He still feels nothing. Or I missed the organ. Shame.
I begin channeling my chi, focusing on the metals beneath us. I crave them to come near the surface, so I may attack with impunity. Thinking of metal gives me an idea. I just need to strike the right spot.
We are staring each other down. He is struck with drugs to the point he's dim witted. He won't see this coming. I begin swinging wildly at him, and he dares to block with his meaty hands. As he holds my blade with both hands, I shoot poison darts into his heart. And will them to dig deeply into him.
They begin glowing bright purple, and spinning deeper into his heart. He finally groans with pain, and begins trying to rip the needles out. Until it finally happens. Too much poison. He begins having a seizure. How delightful, he's out for the count.
As I wrestle my blade out the corpse's hands, I look around. And see three young men and a woman approach me. Followed by a vision from an Oracle. I witness her form this time. An middle aged woman with blonde hair tied up in a tall bun. She wears a pink and white kimono, and sits on a old purple chair. She stares at me, smoking a cigarette on a long golden stick.
"Those are my chosen ones. I need them for many prophecies. Don't kill them. Test them." Amethyst Dragon says seriously.
I smile and nod. The Amethyst Dragon is a woman who became immortal because she was blessed to be a wife of a Dragon God. She has used this gift and his wealth to become a Shadow Manipulator of society. She is an intriguing foe to deal with. Especially as her ultimate goal is to manipulate the men of society, even her Dragon God husband, into doing all the work. While she looks like a pretty, rich wife.
But for now we work together. But our fates are linked. Linked enough to where I consider an alternative. Killing these four brats. And honestly: it looks like war breaks out in this town immediately if I betray the Amethyst Dragon now. This is a check of loyalty between the Immortal Women.
Her prophecies might as well be her handing out quests to Adventurers. She is just a middle man, she isn't even important. She holds us back if anything.
But officially she hasn't done anything to offend me yet. And these could be good kids. I suppose I could test them as we fight.
"You went through a few stages of grief there? You were angry and determined a lot. You feel like giving up yet?" Blue haired man asks smugly.
I growl angrily. But restrain my poisonous rage.