I never thought a day would come when I'd need to hold back my laughter, but there I was.
Completely fooled.
The man from disorder was devoid of any doubts, I was and would certainly be part of the main boys.
Now I just need to wait a few-
"Take all your belonging. We're leaving as soon as you're ready."
"What?"
"What do you mean what? You expect we leave someone from the main family with these dogs? However far removed you are, you are still part of the path of Disorder."
"What does it even matter? I'm still a no-"
"Don't. There are some explanations now. We don't care, but we don't want the other families talking about illegitimate kids around the world."
Oh, that totally make sense.
I nodded thoughtfully, it was the only possible solution. Even if they were mostly alcoholics, the path of Disorder, at least in fighting and magic prowess, was up there at the very top.
"I have everything in my inventory, I was ready to stay in this pris- establishment until academy days."
"Oh gods, prison is actually so accurate. Either way, let's go."
"Where?"
"The capital of the Duchy of Disorder, Merridion."
"…"
"You can't be serious, it's not normal to not even know the politics of the world you live in."
"No no! I know! Centralised government that keeps every power player in balance, Military power forged throughout blood and sweat on the front, 10 dukes the share and maintain the continent. So on and so forth."
"Then what are you confused about?"
"Why do we need to go to the capital?"
"Oh! That's easy!"
"So?"
"Intense physical training, and lessons to put you on the needed standard of someone belonging to Disorder."
I should have said I chose the shifters.
*****************
Whatever happened next, was a whirlwind of madness.
The civil servant kept apologising for doubting me and complimenting my obviously beautiful ears.
The man from Disorder was making call after call, sometimes even more than 2 or 3 calls at a time.
Witchcraft I say.
And in the span of a few minutes, a black car kidnapped me, someone literally stuffed me with pills I didn't even understand while the main culprit of all this madness kept pouring me wine.
I'm 17 man! That's illegal.
"In the Duchy, we start drinking at 15. It is essential for our cultivation to be able to stand enormous amounts of alcohol."
"Why?!"
"The rune of confusion and the subsequent ones together with our mana, it's extremely toxic. Also, those pills that you've been ingesting are: nutrition, poison amplifier, antidote, mana exiter and the clear mind pill."
What the fuck? THEN WHAT ABOUT THE RUNE OF ILLUSION? WHAT ABOUT THE ERROR MANA?!
I was starting to panic already foreseeing my death. Would the illusion rune make me develop some kind of schizophrenia? What about the Error mana?
Probably seeing my distress, the man I still didn't know the name of, but kidnapped me anyway, started to explain.
"Poison, antidote and wine are to further condition your body, we will stop when you unlock the passive [poison resistance] skill, that's the very basic to counter our mana, the clear mind pill is to counter the confusion rune, we will also stop when you unlock the [serenity] passive skill."
"Then what?"
The man exhaled in distress.
"If we had known from the beginning, you'd have a perfect body and perfect mind pill during your link, so that the reconstruction would have stabilised you all at once…"
"Don't tell me…"
"Yeah, you're in it for a hell of pain once again."
"FUCK NO! I WAS ABOUT TO DESTROY MY ENTIRE CONSCIOUSNESS INTO NOTHINGNESS!!"
"Listen! It's already a miracle that you survived. What do you think will happen when you become a Runner of Fermentation?"
"No… please…"
I was on the brink of sanity and depravity once again.
Never, ever would I have thought that I'd suffer that treacherous reconstruction again, but to suffer it at every rank up?
"This is madness! Why would we subject to such pain!? VOLUNTARILY?!"
"You're still green, but trust me when I say it. Once you understand the difference between Walker and human, your thirst for power will only increase. Now shut up and stop me when the skills unlock."
That was it. No more explanation nor excuses. Eat, ingest, drink and repeat.
I don't know for how long, but in the haze of all this madness, I'm sure I must have puked a lot.
There was no smell however, probably some magic.
Although it did take way to long for my liking to unlock two passive skills.
[passive skill: autocorrected body, acquired.]
That's definitely not poison resistance… but I guess close enough.
"POISON RESISTANCE! PLEASE STOP! STOP!"
I was a mess, sweating bullet, throat destroyed, crying like a baby, but finally, finally the torture was over.
"Good, now we focus on [serenity] get ready, we'll continue with the clear mind pills, but this time… I'm sorry…"
"No… NO! NO!"
"I'm sorry, [Haze]"
My mind blanketed, nothingness, I couldn't think for a few seconds, just until the pill took effect.
"[Unbalance]"
The world slipped away and I felt like in an endless fall.
"[Anguish]"
Extreme sadness possessed me, I felt like a slave to fate, like I meant nothing in the grandiose world I lived in.
"[Terror]"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAHHHHHHHH HHHHH HHHHH"
Heavy breathing, cold sweat, tremors, panic was strangling me.
I had enough.
No more.
I never asked for this!
WHY THE FUCKING RUSH!
Slowly, runes started to flood my mind. I need to do something, I needed to stop this madness.
Something.
Anything.
And then they appeared in the perfect sequence.
Illusion, confusion, reflection.
I wanted everything that I experienced, to be sent back. Everything.
The pills cleared my mind enough to act.
"ENOUGH! [MIRROR]"
All at once everyone in the car stopped. Automatic brakes hit the fan.
And in the next second, hell broke loose.
Screams that almost seemed to come from another dimension erupted all around me, all three of my captors were scratching at their heads drawing blood and in that moment I was paralysed.
Oh fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck!
"What the hell have I done?!"
[congratulation, you have crafted your first illusory spell. Two remaining.]
[passive skill: disillusioned, acquired.]