Year 335-336 Post-Collision – The Year of Preparation
[ARCHIVE: TRAINING LOG INITIATED]
[FORMAT: DAILY JOURNAL ENTRIES (SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS)]
[USER NOTE: "If I don't write this down I'll go insane from the monotony"]
[ARCHIVE NOTE: "Bold Of You To Assume You're Not Already Insane"]
Day 15
I can read 300 characters now. That's enough to stumble through basic sentences in the primer. Turns out the common trade language is actually a fusion of like seven different pre-Collision languages that got mashed together when the worlds merged. Nobody speaks it perfectly because everyone's coming at it from a different linguistic background.
This makes me feel slightly better about how hard it is.
The Leviathan says I'm learning "acceptably fast." Coming from her, that's basically a glowing review.
We started combat training today. By "combat training" I mean she manifested pressure into the vague shape of an opponent and told me to fight it. The pressure-opponent kicked my ass seventeen times in the first hour.
My demigod body has instincts, which means I know how to block, dodge, counter—my body just can't execute it yet. It's like having the mental muscle memory without the actual muscle memory. Frustrating as hell.
Also: still not used to being in a kid body. I keep overestimating my reach and underestimating my center of gravity. Fell on my face four times trying to throw a punch.
The Leviathan found this hilarious.
[ARCHIVE STATISTICS]
[LITERACY: 8.2%]
[COMBAT WIN RATE: 0%]
[TIMES FALLEN ON FACE: 4]
[LEVIATHAN AMUSEMENT LEVEL: HIGH]
[DAYS REMAINING: 350]
Day 47
Attempted my first synthesis of the year. Went for "Pain Tolerance Training" based on Guts from Berserk. The concept was simple: survive enough pain that pain stops being a limiting factor.
The synthesis worked.
Too well.
Turns out forcibly increasing your pain tolerance by drawing on fictional examples of "man literally too angry to feel pain" is... not great for a kid body. My nervous system tried to rewire itself, I spent six hours convulsing, and the Leviathan had to intervene to stop me from permanently damaging my pain receptors.
The entry stabilized at F+ rank. It works—pain doesn't stop me as quickly now—but the Continuity Debt jumped 2.3%.
Worth it? Maybe. But I need to be more careful. I'm at 31.7% debt now. The Editors are getting more frequent. The Leviathan's eaten five this month alone.
[NEW ENTRY: Pain Tolerance (Berserker Aspect) - Rank F+]
[EFFECT: Pain Impacts Performance 35% Less]
[COST: You Still Feel Everything, You Just Don't Stop]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 31.7%]
[SYNTHESIS SUCCESS RATE: 42% (Barely Improved)]
[EDITORS CONSUMED THIS MONTH: 5]
[DAYS REMAINING: 318]
Day 89
Three months in. I can read now. Not perfectly, but functionally. Finished the primer and started on a book the Leviathan salvaged from another sunken ship—some kind of adventure novel about a merchant who becomes a dungeon conqueror. It's trashy but it's teaching me vocabulary.
More importantly: I'm learning about the world.
The book casually references things I've never heard of:
Rukh (some kind of fate-determining spirit particles from Magi-style dungeon systems) Command Seals (Grail War binding magic) Wave Cycles (Shield Hero disaster events) Return Nodes (Re:Zero checkpoint system) MMO Contracts (binding agreements that alter reality) Djinn Kings (dungeon rulers who grant sovereignty)
All of it exists simultaneously. All of it overlaps. The world is insane.
Combat training is going better. I can last three minutes against the pressure-opponent now before getting my ass kicked. My demigod instincts are finally syncing with my actual body. I'm starting to flow instead of just react.
The Leviathan says I fight like "a cornered rat with delusions of competence."
I think that was a compliment.
[LITERACY: 67%]
[COMBAT WIN RATE: 0% (BUT LASTING LONGER)]
[WORLD KNOWLEDGE: EXPANDING]
[FIGHTING STYLE ANALYSIS: "Cornered Rat (Aspirational)"]
[DAYS REMAINING: 276]
Day 134
Tried synthesizing "Spider-Sense" today. The combat precognition concept from Marvel. My Archive said it had 84% compatibility with my Claimed Demigod Physique because demigods naturally have enhanced danger instincts.
The synthesis took four hours and hurt like hell, but it worked.
Sort of.
I didn't get spider-sense. I got something... adjacent. The Archive called it "Pressure Sense"—the ability to feel incoming danger as changes in metaphysical pressure. It's not precognition exactly. It's more like... I can feel when something is aiming at me. When space is about to become hostile.
Rank E-. Useful in combat. Cost me another 1.8% Continuity Debt.
I'm at 33.5% now. The Editors come almost daily now. The Leviathan doesn't even bother manifesting fully to deal with them anymore—she just sort of... erases them with ambient pressure.
Starting to understand why she said I'd attract attention. I'm not just breaking rules. I'm accumulating so many violations that I'm becoming a category of violation.
[NEW ENTRY: Pressure Sense (Danger Detection) - Rank E-]
[EFFECT: Feel Incoming Threats As Pressure Changes]
[RANGE: 3 Meters]
[ACCURACY: 73%]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 33.5%]
[EDITORS PER DAY: ~1.3]
[LEVIATHAN'S DELETION EFFICIENCY: 100%]
[DAYS REMAINING: 231]
Day 186
Six months. Halfway point.
I can read advanced texts now. Been going through everything the Leviathan has salvaged over the decades. Ship manifests. Merchant logs. Adventure journals. Even found a partial dungeon manual that explains how Djinn-style conquests work.
The more I read, the more I understand how complicated this world is. Every system has different rules. Different power ceilings. Different authorities. And they're all competing for dominance.
Combat training has progressed. I won my first match against the pressure-opponent today. Took me 186 days but I fucking did it. Used Pressure Sense to anticipate, used my demigod speed to close distance, and used my Pain Tolerance to ignore getting hit while I landed the finishing blow.
The Leviathan manifested a second opponent immediately.
Lost in thirty seconds.
"You have learned to beat one enemy," she said. "Now learn to beat two. Then three. Then seven. Then faceless numbers."
Started meditation on my Media Catalog. Really diving into it. The Archive can sort and categorize everything I've ever watched or played or read, but I need to understand it systematically.
I've been treating my past life knowledge like a random pile of tools. Time to organize it properly.
[LITERACY: 94%]
[COMBAT WIN RATE: 11% (AGAINST SINGLE OPPONENT)]
[COMBAT WIN RATE: 0% (AGAINST MULTIPLE)]
[MEDIA CATALOG ORGANIZATION: IN PROGRESS]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 33.5% (STABLE)]
[DAYS REMAINING: 179]
Day 243
Synthesis breakthrough today.
I figured out why my success rate was stuck at 42%. I was trying to force complete merges between my real entries and fictional concepts. But that's not how the Archive wants to work. It wants to build bridges. Connections. Not replacements.
Instead of trying to synthesize "Enhanced Regeneration" directly into my physique, I created a bridge concept: "Recovery Acceleration (Troll Biology)" based on every fantasy game I've ever played where trolls regenerate.
It worked better. F-rank bridge, but it actually functions. When I activate it consciously, my demigod healing speed doubles for about ten seconds. Costs stamina instead of Continuity Debt if I use it right.
This changes everything. I don't need to make perfect S-rank abilities. I need to make a network of shitty abilities that support each other.
[SYNTHESIS REVELATION: "BRIDGE NETWORK THEORY"]
[INSTEAD OF: One Perfect Ability]
[TRY: Many Connected Mediocre Abilities That Synergize]
[NEW ENTRY: Recovery Acceleration (Troll Aspect) - Rank F]
[EFFECT: Double Healing Speed For 10 Seconds]
[COOLDOWN: 5 Minutes]
[COST: Stamina, Not Debt (Mostly)]
[SYNTHESIS SUCCESS RATE: 42% → 58%]
[DAYS REMAINING: 122]
Day 287
Reading is second nature now. I can parse complex texts, understand context, even recognize regional dialect variations. The Leviathan gave me a book on MMO Contract Law and I actually understood it.
Contract Law in this world is terrifying. Words have literal binding power. If you agree to something properly witnessed or sealed, reality enforces it. Break your word and you take metaphysical damage. Sometimes you just... stop existing. The contract eats you.
This explains why names have power. Why the Leviathan insisted I never give my real name. If someone knows your true name and you've made a contract, they have a vector to your existence.
Good thing I'm just "Sunny" to everyone who isn't her.
Combat training is brutal now. The Leviathan has me fighting seven pressure-opponents simultaneously while she randomly spikes the ambient pressure to simulate "hostile environments."
My win rate is up to 34% against multiple opponents. Not great, but improving.
Attempted synthesis on "Weapon Manifestation" based on Unlimited Blade Works. Wanted to create temporary weapons from concepts.
It half-worked. I can manifest pressure into blade-shapes for about three seconds. They're not real weapons. They're solidified force. But they cut. Sort of. Rank F.
The cost was high—3.1% Continuity Debt—but now I have a way to arm myself even when empty-handed.
[NEW ENTRY: Pressure Blade (Manifestation) - Rank F]
[EFFECT: Create Blade-Shaped Weapons From Compressed Space]
[DURATION: 3 Seconds]
[SHARPNESS: Mediocre]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 36.6%]
[COMBAT WIN RATE: 34%]
[LITERACY: 99%]
[DAYS REMAINING: 78]
Day 329
Less than two months left.
I can fight now. Really fight. Not just survive—win. My demigod body has fully integrated with my combat instincts. Pressure Sense lets me predict attacks. Pain Tolerance lets me trade hits. Recovery Acceleration keeps me in the fight longer. Pressure Blade gives me offense.
It's not a perfect kit. Everything is F-to-E rank. Everything is scuffed and barely functional. But it works.
More importantly: I understand how my Archive functions now. After a year of meditation and synthesis, I've mapped the system:
Real Entries (from this world): High power, high cost, draw Editor attention Bridge Concepts (from my memories): Low power, flexible, can be combined Synthesis Network: Multiple bridges supporting each other creates emergent effects
I'm not supposed to have one ultimate ability. I'm supposed to have a library of mediocre abilities that combine in unexpected ways.
That's my advantage. That's what makes me "illegal."
Every other power system in this world is specialized. Djinn give specific powers. Grail Servants have specific Noble Phantasms. MMO contracts grant specific authorities.
I have options. Combinations. Adaptability.
Even if each option is trash-tier.
[ARCHIVE SELF-ASSESSMENT]
[POWER LEVEL: Mediocre]
[VERSATILITY: High]
[POTENTIAL: Unknown But Significant]
[CURRENT ENTRIES: 6 (1 Real, 5 Bridges)]
[SYNTHESIS SUCCESS RATE: 67%]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 36.6%]
[COMBAT COMPETENCY: Functional]
[LITERACY: 100%]
[DAYS REMAINING: 36]
Day 365
Last day.
The Leviathan manifested fully this morning—not her human shape, but herself. The full weight of her presence, her actual form, the abyss made conscious.
"Tomorrow," she said, "you surface. You walk on land. You meet others. You begin the next phase."
I stood before her—no longer a baby, no longer helpless, no longer naked (thank god)—and felt... ready? Terrified? Both?
"I'm ready," I said. Meant it.
"No you are not," the Leviathan corrected. "You are prepared. Ready implies you know what awaits. You do not. The surface world will try to categorize you. Claim you. Use you. Kill you. You will be illegal there just as you are illegal here."
"But you'll be there?"
"I will be there," she confirmed. "Though not as I am here. On the surface, I am... diminished. Not weak. But not absolute. I will protect you when I can. But you must survive on your own merit."
She reached out and touched my chest, where her sigil had burned three years ago.
"You are mine," she said. "That has not changed. Will never change. But now you must prove you are worth the claim. Show the surface world what a Claimed Demigod can do. Show them what happens when someone is raised by the abyss and taught to synthesize the impossible."
Her presence began to recede, pulling back into me, into the bond between us.
"Rest tonight. Tomorrow, everything changes."
She vanished, leaving me alone in the pocket dimension.
I looked at my hands—bigger than they were a year ago, stronger, scarred from training. Looked at my Archive display:
[FINAL YEAR ONE STATISTICS]
[AGE: 3 Years, 3 Months]
[APPARENT AGE: 9 Years]
[LITERACY: 100%]
[COMBAT COMPETENCY: 67% Win Rate]
[SYNTHESIS SUCCESS RATE: 67%]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 36.6%]
[ARCHIVE ENTRIES: 6]
[EDITOR ENCOUNTERS: 487]
[EDITORS SURVIVED: 487 (Thanks To Leviathan)]
[TIMES DROWNED: 1,095 (EXACTLY 3 PER DAY ON AVERAGE)]
[STATUS: PREPARED (NOT READY)]
[NEXT OBJECTIVE: SURFACE]
I thought about my first life. Rajah Williams dying on a sidewalk over a phone full of failed dreams.
I thought about my second life. Sunny—no last name, no history, nothing but what he'd stolen and synthesized and survived.
Tomorrow I'd walk on land for the first time.
Tomorrow I'd meet people who weren't ancient primordial calamities.
Tomorrow I'd start building whatever the fuck I was supposed to become.
But tonight?
Tonight I was just a kid in the abyss, wearing pressure-clothes, able to read and fight and manifest garbage-tier abilities, holding a name that meant "king" close to his chest where no one could steal it.
"Sunny," I said aloud, testing the false name one more time. "My name is Sunny. I'm nobody. I'm nothing. I'm just a kid."
The Archive responded:
[CORRECTION: You Are A Heresy]
[You Are Illegal]
[You Are A Bridge Between Worlds]
[You Are Claimed By The Abyss]
[You Are Exactly What You Need To Be]
[NOW GET SOME SLEEP]
[TOMORROW YOU HAVE TO PRETEND TO BE NORMAL]
[THIS WILL BE DIFFICULT]
I laughed and lay down on the floor of the pocket dimension, feeling the pressure settle around me like a weighted blanket.
One last night in the abyss.
Tomorrow, the surface.
Tomorrow, everything.
[END CHAPTER 8]
[END: YEAR OF PREPARATION]
[BEGIN: SURFACE ARC]
[CONTINUITY DEBT: 36.6%]
[ARCHIVE ENTRIES: 6]
[LITERACY: COMPLETE]
[COMBAT TRAINING: COMPLETE]
[SYNTHESIS UNDERSTANDING: COMPLETE]
[MEDIA CATALOG: ORGANIZED]
[EMOTIONAL STATE: TERRIFIED BUT COMMITTED]
[CLOTHING STATUS: MAINTAINED]
[NEXT CHAPTER: FIRST CONTACT]
[STATUS: AS READY AS A THREE-YEAR-OLD ILLEGAL DEMIGOD CAN BE]