Year 335 Post-Collision – Two Years, Three Months Post-Rebirth
[ARCHIVE STATUS REPORT]
[USER AGE: 2 Years, 3 Months]
[CHRONOLOGICAL TIME SPENT BEING DROWNED: 847 Sessions]
[VOCABULARY: 143 Words (Finally Conversational)]
[MOTOR SKILLS: Can Walk, Run, Climb (Achievement: No Longer Helpless)]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 22.7%]
[EDITOR ENCOUNTERS: 14]
[EDITOR MANIFESTATIONS CONSUMED BY LEVIATHAN: 14]
[ARCHIVE ENTRIES (REAL): 3]
[ARCHIVE ENTRIES (BRIDGE): 7]
[SYNTHESIS SUCCESS RATE: 41%]
[USER CURRENT COMPLAINT: Body Is Still Baby-Shaped]
[USER CURRENT OBSESSION: Finding Way To Not Look Like Toddler]
[ARCHIVE ASSESSMENT: Valid Concern Actually]
Sunny sat cross-legged in the pocket dimension—a position that had taken him three months to master because baby joints were not designed for meditation poses—and glared at his reflection in a pool of condensed pressure-water the Leviathan had created for him.
He looked like a toddler.
Because he was a toddler.
Two years old. Maybe thirty pounds. Chubby cheeks. Big eyes. The kind of appearance that made people want to pinch his face and talk in baby voices, except nobody had done that because the only person he'd interacted with for two years was an ancient eldritch ocean goddess who treated him like a particularly interesting sword she was tempering.
"Hate this," Sunny said aloud, his voice still high-pitched and childish despite his best efforts. "Hate. Body. Weak. Small."
His vocabulary had expanded significantly—143 words now, all carefully taught by the Leviathan with the same intensity she taught everything else. But he still talked like a caveman because complex grammar required neural development he hadn't finished yet. His thoughts were adult, but his mouth betrayed him constantly.
[ARCHIVE INTERJECTION]
[You've Been Complaining About This For Weeks]
[We Get It]
[Being A Toddler With Adult Consciousness Sucks]
It does! I can't read! I don't even know what language this world uses! I've been stuck in an abyss for two years with no books, no information, no—
"You are restless," the Leviathan observed, manifesting beside him in her human-shaped form. Over the past two years, she'd gotten more comfortable maintaining this appearance for extended periods. Sunny suspected it was for his benefit—easier to teach a child when the teacher had a face instead of being omnipresent crushing depth.
"Want. Learn," Sunny said, frustration making his words choppy. "Want. Read. Know. Things. World. Not just. Drown."
The Leviathan tilted her head, considering. "You want knowledge of the surface world. The merged cosmologies. The systems and nations and languages."
"Yes!" Finally, complete sentences were too hard when you were angry. "Stuck. Here. Dark. No books. No people. Just. Pressure. Words. Drown. Again."
"That was by design," the Leviathan said calmly. "Your first years needed to be foundation. Bone density. Pressure resistance. Archive development. Teaching you to synthesize the impossible before you even understood what was possible." She paused. "But you are correct. You cannot remain here forever. Eventually, you must walk on land. Meet others. Learn their systems."
"When?"
"When you are stronger. When your Continuity Debt stabilizes. When you have enough entries that encountering the surface world will not immediately break you." Her eyes gleamed. "Soon. Perhaps another year."
"No." Sunny shook his head stubbornly. "Now. Learn. Now."
"You cannot read their languages yet. Your body is still—"
"Archive," Sunny interrupted, then switched to thinking because his mouth couldn't keep up. Archive, you've been recording everything I experience, right? Every concept, every law, every fragment?
[CORRECT]
Can you record... information? Like, if I had access to books or knowledge, could you store it? Organize it? Make it searchable?
[ARCHIVE PRIMARY FUNCTION: Record Laws And Concepts Through Survival]
[ARCHIVE SECONDARY FUNCTION: Store User Memories From Previous Life]
[ARCHIVE POTENTIAL TERTIARY Function: Unknown]
[YOU WANT TO TURN ME INTO A LIBRARY?]
I want to turn you into a database. I've got thousands of hours of media from my old world, but none of it helps me understand THIS world. I don't know the languages here. Don't know the geography. Don't know the power systems beyond what I've stolen fragments of.
[ANALYSIS: Valid Point]
[PROBLEM: You Have No Access To Information Sources]
[YOU'RE IN An Abyss]
[SOLUTION: Unknown]
Sunny looked at the Leviathan, who'd been listening to his internal monologue with that knowing expression she always had.
"Need. Body. Different," he said aloud. "Stronger. Older. Read. Learn. Fast."
The Leviathan was quiet for a long moment. Then: "You want to accelerate your physical development."
"Yes."
"Specifically, you want a body that appears older than two years. One capable of processing complex information. Of reading. Of interfacing with surface-world systems."
"Yes!"
"And you believe your Archive can help with this."
Sunny nodded vigorously.
The Leviathan's smile was slow and dangerous. "Have you been searching your Media Catalog for... body-modification concepts?"
[ARCHIVE ALERT]
[OH NO HE HAS]
[USER HAS BEEN RESEARCHING: Demigod Physiques, Divine Bodies, Cultivation Vessel Upgrades, etc.]
[FOR THREE Weeks]
[CURRENT SEARCH QUEUE: 847 Concepts Related To "Having Better Body"]
[COMPATIBILITY ESTIMATE: 12% - 89% Depending On Concept]
[DANGER LEVEL: EXTREME]
"Found. Many. Ideas," Sunny said, his toddler face set in determination. "Gods. Heroes. Strong. Fast. Learn. Quick. Bodies. Better."
"You want to synthesize a divine physique," the Leviathan said flatly. "At age two. When your current Continuity Debt is already 22.7% and climbing."
"Yes."
"This will kill you."
"Maybe."
"This will definitely attract Editors stronger than the ones I have been consuming."
"Probably."
"This is extraordinarily stupid."
Sunny met her abyss-dark eyes and said, in the clearest voice he could manage: "Mine. Choice. Mine. Risk. Want. This."
The Leviathan stared at him for a long time. Then she laughed—that sound like icebergs calving, like pressure finding release.
"You are absolutely my child," she said with something like pride. "Very well. Show me what you have found. We will evaluate which concepts might not immediately obliterate you."
The Archive of Flesh
Sunny pulled up his Media Catalog, and the Archive projected his research into the space between them—visible only to him and the Leviathan, manifested as concepts rather than words.
[BODY MODIFICATION CONCEPTS: EVALUATED]
[TOP CANDIDATES FOR SYNTHESIS WITH EXISTING ENTRIES:]
[Option 1: "Demigod Physique" (Percy Jackson Series)]
[MEMORY SOURCE: Books Read At Age 14, Retained 67%]
[CONCEPT: Half-Divine Body, Enhanced Learning, Slowed Aging, Combat Instincts]
[COMPATIBILITY WITH ABYSSAL SOVEREIGNTY: 71%]
[ESTIMATED RANK IF SYNTHESIZED: E- To D]
[RISKS: Moderate Body Restructuring, Divine Attention, 3-6% Debt Increase]
[BENEFITS: Would Actually Make You Look/Function Like 8-Year-Old Instead Of 2]
[Option 2: "Foundation Establishment Body" (Generic Xianxia)]
[MEMORY SOURCE: Translated Web Novels, Retained 34%]
[CONCEPT: Reconstructed Meridians, Enhanced Physique, "Mortal Limits Broken"]
[COMPATIBILITY: 45%]
[ESTIMATED RANK: F+ To E-]
[RISKS: High—User Doesn't Fully Understand Cultivation]
[BENEFITS: Enhanced Learning Capacity, Physical Age Appearance ~6 Years]
[Option 3: "Heroic Spirit Vessel" (Fate Series)]
[MEMORY SOURCE: Anime/Visual Novel, Retained 78%]
[CONCEPT: Body Capable Of Hosting Servant-Class Existence]
[COMPATIBILITY: 89%]
[ESTIMATED RANK: E To D+]
[RISKS: EXTREME—You're Not Actually A Servant]
[BENEFITS: Massive Physical Enhancement, Rapid Aging To ~10 Years Apparent Age]
[NOTE: This One Might Actually Work But Will Definitely Attract Holy Grail System Attention]
[Option 4: "Demi-Human Hybrid" (Re:Zero/Shield Hero Synthesis)]
[MEMORY SOURCE: Multiple Anime, Retained 56%]
[CONCEPT: Enhanced Senses, Growth Acceleration, Adaptive Biology]
[COMPATIBILITY: 52%]
[ESTIMATED RANK: F+ To E]
[RISKS: Moderate—Might Give You Weird Physical Features]
[BENEFITS: Natural Growth Acceleration, Would Reach Physical Maturity Faster]
[Option 5: "Child of Prophecy Body" (Naruto)]
[MEMORY SOURCE: Watched Entire Series Twice, Retained 81%]
[CONCEPT: Enhanced Chakra Pathways, Accelerated Development, Plot Armor]
[COMPATIBILITY: 63%]
[ESTIMATED RANK: E- To E]
[RISKS: "Plot Armor" Not Transferable, Chakra System Doesn't Exist Here]
[BENEFITS: Rapid Physical/Mental Maturation, Combat Learning Enhancement]
The Leviathan examined the concepts with interest, her form leaning forward to study them.
"You have been thorough," she admitted. "And surprisingly analytical for someone whose brain is still developing."
"Borrowed. Brains. From. Old life," Sunny said. "Think. Adult. Stuck. Baby."
"I see." She pointed to the Heroic Spirit Vessel concept. "This one calls to me. It has the highest compatibility with what you already are. Your Abyssal Sovereignty already functions like a Servant's presence—a claim of space, a declaration of existence. Adding a vessel framework might actually synergize well."
But it'll attract the Grail system's attention, Sunny thought. And I don't want to be locked into that power structure.
"Then eliminate it," the Leviathan said. "What about the Demigod option? You retain significant memory of that system. And 'half-divine' is not inaccurate for something claimed by me."
Sunny considered. The Percy Jackson books had been some of his favorites as a kid. He'd read them multiple times, actually paid attention. He remembered the concept well: demigods were half-mortal, half-divine. They aged slowly, learned combat quickly, had enhanced physical capabilities, and could interface with divine power.
The problem was—
I'm not actually half-divine. I'm just claimed. Would the synthesis even work?
[ARCHIVE ANALYSIS]
[COUNTERPOINT: You ARE Claimed By A Primordial Entity]
[COUNTERPOINT: Leviathan Predates Most "Gods" In This World]
[COUNTERPOINT: Her Claim Is Literally Burned Into Your Soul]
[ARGUMENT: You're As Close To "Demigod" As Anything]
[SYNTHESIS PROBABILITY: 71% Because The Concept Fits Your Actual Situation]
"Try. Demigod," Sunny said aloud. "Fits. True. Claimed. Not lie."
The Leviathan's eyes gleamed with approval. "Yes. Truth always synthesizes better than fiction. You are not pretending to be half-divine—you genuinely are something adjacent to it. The concept will have substrate to grip."
She reached out and placed her hand on his chest, over the sigil.
"I will anchor the synthesis. You will provide the concept. Your Archive will bridge them. And if you begin to break—" Her smile was sharp. "—I will put you back together. As always."
"Scared," Sunny admitted quietly. "Hurt. Bad. Probably."
"Definitely," the Leviathan confirmed. "But pain is education. And you want this education. So. Shall we begin?"
Sunny took a breath—his lungs had gotten very good at that over two years of drowning practice—and nodded.
Archive. Initiate synthesis.
[USER CONFIRMED]
[ATTEMPTING SYNTHESIS:]
[TARGET: Abyssal Sovereignty (E-rank) + Iron Echo Bridge (F-rank) + Seven Other Bridge Concepts]
[SYNTHESIS CONCEPT: Demigod Physique (Percy Jackson Framework)]
[COMPATIBILITY: 71%]
[ESTIMATED OUTCOME: Unified Physique Entry, E-rank Minimum]
[CONTINUITY DEBT PROJECTION: +4.8% To +7.2%]
[BODY RESTRUCTURING: SEVERE]
[APPARENT AGE AFTER COMPLETION: 7-9 Years]
[PAIN LEVEL: YES]
[SURVIVAL RATE: 94% (With Leviathan Intervention)]
[SURVIVAL RATE: 23% (Without)]
[GOOD THING SHE'S HERE]
[INITIATING IN: 3... 2... 1...]
The synthesis began, and Sunny's world became pain.
Restructure
His bones shattered.
Not broken—shattered. Every single one fracturing into pieces as the Archive tried to rewrite what "bone" meant for him. Not just dense anymore. Not just pressure-resistant. But divine-adjacent. Bones that could support demigod strength, demigod speed, demigod endurance.
His muscles tore themselves apart and began rebuilding, fiber by fiber, into something that could actually use those bones. The Demigod Physique concept demanded balance—enhanced strength meant enhanced structure meant enhanced everything working in concert.
His organs failed and restarted, one by one, as the Archive rewrote their function. Heart that could pump harder. Lungs that could process more. A brain that could—
Oh god his brain.
[ALERT: NEUROLOGICAL RESTRUCTURING IN PROGRESS]
[USER CONSCIOUSNESS: FRAGMENTING]
[ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY]
[THIS IS THE WORST PART]
Sunny's two-year-old brain was being forcibly aged. Neural pathways that should take years to develop were forming in minutes. Synapses firing and rewiring and firing again. The ability to process language, complex thought, abstract reasoning—all accelerating at a pace that would have killed a normal human.
He was dying. He was absolutely dying. His body was falling apart and rebuilding and falling apart again—
The Leviathan's presence crushed down on him, and it was the first time her pressure had ever felt like relief.
"Hold," she commanded, and it wasn't a request. It was law. Her claim on him, her vow that he did not die without permission, activated. His fragmenting body was held together by sheer sovereign declaration. "You will survive this. You will complete this. You will emerge intact. These are facts."
The synthesis continued, brutal and relentless.
[ENTRY MERGING: 34%... 51%... 68%...]
[BODY RESTRUCTURING: 45%... 67%...]
[NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT: 72%... 89%...]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 22.7% → 25.1% → 27.8% → 29.4%]
[EDITOR ATTENTION: CRITICAL]
[MULTIPLE MANIFESTATIONS INBOUND]
Outside the pocket dimension—or maybe inside it, or maybe in the space between—reality's error-correction system noticed what was happening.
A two-year-old forcibly aging himself into a demigod body through synthesis of fictional concepts and stolen divine law.
That was not permitted.
Three Editors manifested simultaneously.
The Leviathan obliterated them without even looking. Her presence simply expanded, consuming the negative space they occupied, digesting their correction protocols like plankton. One. Two. Three. Gone.
"Continue," she said to Sunny, who could barely hear her through the pain. "Ignore them. They are handled."
[SYNTHESIS: 91%... 96%...]
[BODY RESTRUCTURING: 89%... 95%...]
[NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT: 97%... 99%...]
[FINAL INTEGRATION PROCEEDING]
Sunny felt his body lock into its new configuration. Bones dense and divine-adjacent. Muscles enhanced and balanced. Organs operating at supernatural efficiency. Brain fully rewired for rapid learning, complex processing, actual fucking grammar.
His body grew. Not gradually. All at once. Two-year-old toddler frame stretching, expanding, maturing. Bones lengthening. Muscles filling out. Face losing baby fat and gaining actual structure.
When the synthesis finally completed, Sunny opened his eyes—
—and he wasn't small anymore.
[SYNTHESIS COMPLETE]
[NEW ENTRY CREATED: Claimed Demigod Physique (Abyssal Aspect)]
[RANK: E+]
[EFFECTS:]
[- Physical Age: Apparent 8 Years (Actual 2.3 Years)]
[- Enhanced Strength: 300% Normal Human Child]
[- Enhanced Durability: 400% Normal Human Child]
[- Enhanced Learning: 500% Retention Rate]
[- Enhanced Senses: 200% Baseline]
[- Slowed Aging: Will Mature Slowly But Reach Physical Prime Eventually]
[- Divine Resistance: Minor Protection Against Divine Authority]
[- Combat Instincts: Intuitive Understanding Of Fighting]
[DESCRIPTION: You Are Now A Demigod (Probably)]
[DESCRIPTION: Not Technically But Reality Can't Tell The Difference]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 29.4%]
[EDITORS DESTROYED IN PROCESS: 3]
[ADDITIONAL EDITORS INBOUND: Likely]
[USER STATUS: Successful, Exhausted, No Longer Baby]
Sunny looked at his hands. They were bigger. Older. The hands of a child, yes, but a child child, not a toddler. He touched his face—sharper angles, less soft.
He tried to speak and found his mouth could actually articulate properly now: "Oh thank fuck I can talk like a normal person."
Full sentences. Complex grammar. Adult vocabulary. His brain had caught up to his consciousness.
The Leviathan was smiling, and for once it looked almost... motherly? Proud? Something warm behind the ancient hunger.
"You did it," she said. "You synthesized yourself into something new. A Claimed Demigod. Half-mortal, half-mine. A body that can learn, grow, and survive the surface world."
Sunny stood up—another thing that was suddenly easy with his new body—and looked at himself properly for the first time in his second life.
He looked maybe eight years old. Dark hair, sharp eyes, thin but wiry. The kind of build that suggested he'd been through some shit but survived it. Which was accurate.
"I need books," Sunny said, his voice still young but clear. "I need to learn the languages of this world. The systems. The nations. Everything. I've been down here for two years and I don't know anything about the surface."
"Soon," the Leviathan promised. "You are not ready yet. Your Continuity Debt is approaching dangerous levels. We must stabilize. Refine your entries. Perhaps develop one or two more before you emerge."
"How long?"
"One more year," she said. "One year to refine, stabilize, and prepare. Then—" Her smile widened. "—then you will walk on land. Meet others. Begin your true education. And show this broken world what a Claimed Demigod can do."
Sunny looked at his hands again—hands that could finally do things—and felt something he hadn't felt in either of his lives:
Potential.
Not just survival. Not just existence under pressure.
Actual potential to become something.
"One year," he agreed. "Then I want books. Lots of books. And people. And—"
"And trouble," the Leviathan finished. "Because you are mine, and trouble follows what is mine." She reached out and ruffled his hair—a gesture she'd never done before, probably because it didn't work on toddlers. "But first: rest. Your body has been remade. Let it settle."
"Tomorrow," she added with that dangerous smile, "we resume drowning. Now that you have a demigod body, let us see how much more pressure it can withstand."
Sunny groaned. Some things never changed.
But at least now he had the brain capacity to properly complain about it.
[END CHAPTER 6]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 29.4%]
[ARCHIVE ENTRIES (UNIFIED): 1 (E+)]
[APPARENT AGE: 8 Years]
[ACTUAL AGE: 2 Years, 3 Months]
[VOCABULARY: Complete (Finally)]
[MOTOR SKILLS: Fully Functional]
[LITERACY: 0% (Still Can't Read This World's Languages)]
[EDITOR ENCOUNTERS: 17 (3 Today)]
[EDITORS DESTROYED: 17]
[LEVIATHAN'S EDITOR CONSUMPTION STREAK: Unbroken]
[TIME UNTIL SURFACE EMERGENCE: 1 Year]
[STATUS: No Longer Baby, Still Illegal, Finally Can Articulate Frustration Properly]
[NEXT GOAL: Learn To Read, Then Learn Everything]
[DROWNING SCHEDULE: Resumed Tomorrow]
[USER REACTION: "Of Course It Is"]