Chapter 526

A/N

Read the feedback, will do some changes and some additions tomorrow after driving up to my dad's place.

@***@

I sat on my butt, looking at the twisted world around me, silently.

Eventually, I fell on my back and looked up at the strangely beautiful sky. It was sort of cracked and warped in a way that reminded me of those kaleidoscope toys, but without the myriad of colors.

Rather ironic, considering everything.

[Are you seriously waiting here like she asked?] Ddraig’s voice sounded in my head.

“I’m just….taking a moment.” I let out a sigh. “Less than an hour, Ddraig. I did absolutely nothing, if anything, I did a good deed by overpaying for the stuff I just bought. And still, less than an hour, and something happens.”

[I heard some rumors that Gremorys had some bullshit luck.]

“You think it’s because of my bloodline?” I questioned him.

[Well, no. But I thought it would make you feel better if you could blame it on that. Honestly, I think you’re just a magnet for trouble.]

“….thanks Ddraig.”

[Like seriously, you get into more trouble than I did in my life. I actually caused trouble intentionally, I can’t remember the last time that you tried to cause trouble rather than it just happening because of your presence.]

I let out a sigh again.

“I’m going to complain to her manager.” I sat up.

[What if the monk girl is the manager?]

“Then I’ll write a bad review.” I stood up, brushing myself off.

[Alright, Karen.]

Though, this place was kind of interesting.

I immediately took out Mirage and stabbed it into the ground so I could begin some calculations about this strange place I found myself forcibly put in.

Obviously, I could pretty much leave whenever I wanted, but for what reason was I here if not to explore new and interesting things?

While that was going, I took out my wand and put a pile of books on the ground next to me. Figured I could multitask while that was going on, and one of my goals was to get a beter mastery of this wand-based magic system that was developed where Kunou is staying.

I had skimmed these books here and there, basically with cursory glances mostly. I kept telling myself that I would sit down and study them properly later.

The thing is, these books aren’t what I would call….reliable, in every context. Some of them were meant for younger readers, some of them were…..let’s say generous with their explanations on how certain things works.

For instance, the Snake summoning spell!

Just one of the hundreds of spells I’ve glanced over that made me question the purpose of it being added to the systematic learning conventions they developed.

What possible use would someone have to summon a snake compared to one of the thousands of other spells they could potentially learn?

One of the baffling things I suppose. Not to say I’m ever against additional and non-dangerous knowledge being freely available.

Simply, it’s one of those head scratchers that I wish I could peek into the minds of the authors.

But I digress, I was going off on a mental tangent.

The most hilarious thing was that the book stated quite authoritative that the snakes were ‘created from thin air’.

Yes, clearly every Witch and Wizard was creating life from nothing with a casual wave of their wand a handful of words to accompany it.

It just made me roll my eyes.

No, it was a summoning spell. It summoned the nearest creature matching the spell’s structure to your location. Which, was ingenious enough that I don’t know why they had to bullshit it with that other nonsense.

Though, it was a bit of a misnomer.

Reading up on it, looking over its spell structure, it could also summon other things closely related to snakes, mostly other reptiles. However, there seemed to be a limit to the mass. I’m pretty sure I could summon a baby Alligator with the same spell if I tried.

Why was any of this important? Well, this place I was ‘trapped’ in, I couldn’t sense any life so rather than just waste time trying to examine it closely, I was just going to overpower this spell and see what happens.

I flared my substantial Magical Energy. “Serpensortia!”

I felt the spell actualize, I was experienced enough to catch it just based on feeling, however, it sort of fizzled after a moment or two.

I clicked my tongue and twirled my wand in my hand absentmindedly.

Honestly though, I wasn’t surprised. Just one of those things that I tested just for the sake of it. This basically implied that there was no ‘life’ within dozens of miles of myself.

Sure, I guess there could be something else, but with such a vast area, if no reptiles existed, then no proper ecosystem existed, which heavily implied no life.

I had some first guesses at what this place actually was, but before that, I flipped through the books quickly again until I found the spell I wanted.

Humming to myself, I looked it over then found the corresponding detailed text in another book. It only took me a few moments to get a proper understanding of it. I always admired simplicity when it came to spell casting.

Getting the job done in the most simplistic manner was a mark of talent in my eyes.

I looked around to find a suitable target and noticed a trash can not far away.

“Bombarda!” He flicked my wand at it.

The trash can immediately exploded as the light from my wand connected with it.

It was rather loud and boisterous, perhaps even moreso than the equivalent of blowing it up with the same correlated amount of explosive.

The spell was actually intriguing though. As the name implies, it causes things to explode, rather violently.

But that didn’t quite do it justice because nothing else around the trash can exploded with it.

Based on what I read and my own observations, the spell seems to specifically cause the internal structure of the object it connects with to explode rather than causing an externa explosion around the object. Despite it literally being a spell to blow the shit out of something, it was very constrained and delicate with its effects.

I also took note that some of the pieces of the trash can were suspended in air, like they were frozen in time after the explosion occurred.

I walked over and flicked one, it sort of glided through the air a bit more, like it was pulled by a string, before it came to a stop, still floating in the air.

This place was certainly strange.

One last experiment, there was a secondary activation associated with the Bombarda spell. On the surface, there was an additional spellword and a slight deviation in the wand movements. However, underneath that, the spell sequence changed drastically, yet still retained the same overall identity.

This time, I wanted to see both the effects of pumping it up and what would happen to the surroundings, so I set my sights on what looked like a ten story building just a bit down the street.

“Bombarda Maxima!” The light erupted from my wand and collided with the building, and a thunderous explosion rang out, sending shockwaves throughout the false city.

Like glass, the building shattered into millions of pieces, a stark difference compared to the real world.

I also noticed that nearby structures or object were also damaged. It was rather easy to see because no ‘dust’ or ‘debris’ was kicked up as it doesn’t exactly exist in this place.

Interesting, the Maxima combination removes the limiters of the spell and just pushes it past its original constraints into a full on explosion.

Well, I was satisfied.

[Seems like a good place for some training.] Ddraig commented.

“I had the same thought. I’ll see if I can’t mimic this somehow. I’m sure Scáthach and the others would love the ability to cut loose for whatever reason without the concern of collateral damage.” I nodded along.

Because I was sure this wasn’t a ‘real’ place.

Casually, I walked back to Mirage in the ground to see what the calculations it finished it. Of course, it’s not like the numbers just gave me an absolute answer as to what this place was, but it was enough that I could solidify my hypothesis.

I went over and double checked them a few times and pursed my lips.

“It seems like a higher dimension was quite literally pulled down around us.” I summarized.

[Like a godly realm?] Ddraig asked. I’m not surprised that’s his first thought, considering what he’s used to back home.

“Kinda, sorta.” I tilted my head back and forth. “There are hundreds if not thousands of smaller dimensions connected to the Dimensional Gap back home. Of course the more famous ones are known, as that’s where the gods had carved out their own domains. Olympus, The Nine Realms, Heaven, Takamagahara, etc etc. But not all of them are godly in nature, some just exist by happenstance or by other creation. Take that Soul Cairn we visited awhile ago.”

[So what, just a weird reflection of reality?]

I shrugged. “I’m not omnipotent, I’m only guessing at a few things at the moment. But yeah, it seems to be the case. This dimension we’re in doesn’t really do anything by itself.”

I made it sound mundane, but it’s actually really neat!

Not many forces play with dimensions like this, it’s a rare thing to come across. If nothing else, this little discovery made the trip worth it just for the intellectual value. I think gramps would absolutely love the data I’m collecting on it as well. Don’t know where it will be useful, but I know it certainly will be later at some point.

[Can you copy it back home?]

“Probably not, it’s a dimension native to this world and connected to it. It’s like asking if someone here can step over to Asgard back home.”

Regardless, it was time to leave, I got all the information I needed here.

Some quick calculations and I opened up a new portal, about to step through, but I came to an abrupt stop.

[…pretty sure that’s not where we came from.] Ddraig said first as I looked through the portal.

The stench of death and decay immediately invaded my senses. Almost right away, I was reminded of how it felt to go to Yomi for the first time.

Not to mention it was very dark and eerie on the other side, no stars or moon or sun could be seen. Yet, there seemed to be some strange aurora that hung overhead, illuminating the place, if barely.

I pursed my lips because I was certain I copied the same coordinates used previously.

“Ah….” I blinked. “Seems things were reversed somewhat. Like how my calculations would have been turned upside down when trying to go to the Fae Realms. Similar concepts, really.”

I just feel silly for not realizing immediately.

And easy fix, literally could do so with a snap of my fingers, but now I was curious.

Where did I accidentally connect to?

Fuck it, I’m here to explore, so I stepped through.

@***@

The place was, exactly how it looked from the proverbial outside.

It also felt strangely….familiar, like I should recognize it despite never being here before. I knew for a fact it wasn’t Yomi, nor was it the Land of Shadows and it certainly wasn’t Hades. I can’t think of any other place that would elicit a familiar feeling from me that also had such a strong sense of Death.

It was well and truly a Death Realm like the ones I’ve been to before.

Hmm, there wasn’t nothing here again.

Well, there was atleast more of ‘nothing’.

I kicked a rock and it….behaved like a rock when it rolled and cracked and broke into pieces.

Weirdly, this Death Realm seemed more in tune with normal universe physics than whatever that previous place was.

With a shrug, I took out my Kaleidophone and just took a few pictures. Realistically, I had nothing else to really peer into the mysteries of this Death Realm with.

Calculating its location in relation to Earth is…..irrelevant? I’m clearly adjacent by how I managed to come here and I could easily come back now after knowing the initial Calculations.

Though, I paused because I did notice something.

There were a bunch of stacked rocks not far away. Stacked in a way that is clearly by design, not something possible through random chance or whatever.

Oddly enough, there was another. And there seemed to be more going off into the distance.

I followed them, like a trail left behind by someone. They weren’t…of anything in particular, it looked like someone was just seeing if they could stack stones as awkwardly as possible without them falling.

Someone must have been really bored….

I followed along several dozen, maybe walking a couple miles before I finally found something, noise and I picked up my pace.

Someone cursed in a language I didn’t recognize, and there was the sound of rocks hittings rocks and seemingly falling over.

There was a woman, with messy black hair, in some sort of green – albeit torn – body suit that looked to be some kind of leather.

My presence did not go unnoticed because with a rock in her hand, she froze, turning to me and her eyes widened.

There was a moment where it seemed like the world around us froze.

“…..house cleaning?” I blurted out.

“Odin!” She bellowed and threw her hands forward. Out of the air, swords seemed to appear in the dozens and fly towards me.

Flying words, a woman after my own heart!

Actually, that’s very literal.

Because they were most certainly aimed at trying to kill me.

Jesus Christ, I felt it now, she’s a Goddess.

I dodged out of the way from her abrupt attack but more and more swords were seemingly throwing magically through the air.

And they weren’t something to swat away either, each one of them had the oomph behind them to bury themselves dozens of feet into the ground if they missed.

Also, don’t know what’s going on, but fuck Odin.

“Stop throwing swords at me!” I shouted, as more came at me.

“No!” She screamed hysterically.

“What did I do to you!?”

“Exist!”

Seriously, why is everyone so hostile towards me!? What the fuck did I even do? Did I somehow time travel and piss off everyone in this world without knowing it?

Screw it, I let all my swords flash out and they spun around me deflecting her own sort of deathly swords she kept manifesting.

Was that Gradation Air? A form of it backed by Divine Power?

Sparks began to fly as my swords danced in the air protectively, clashing with her thrown swords. Mine were winning out in quality quite easily, shattering her deathly swords with ease, but hers kept coming.

I of course shot her a smug look.

She noticed because her own expression twisted and she seemed to erupt with a bit of power and the sky turned a strange hue, the aurora above reflected off the glistening edge of tens of thousands of swords hovering in the sky.

Huh.

I think for the first time, I’ve felt inadequate in my life.

“We can talk this out.” I said evenly.

She looked at me tilting her head, and pushed through the sky, a dozen or so massive sky-scraper sized blades emerged, pointing down at me.

“Die.” She responded with a hiss.

I scrunched my nose in annoyance.

Actually, why was I even staying here, waiting for her to attack me?

I raised my hand, pointing behind her. “Odin, is that you!?”

She jerked her head around without a second thought. I was genuinely surprised she even fell for that.

But I didn’t waste time, my brain went into overdrive and I quickly went through everything I had in my ring.

No.

No.

No.

No.

Ah, that’ll work.

The split second that took her to turn her head back towards me, white frosting already splattered across her face.

[Did you just….throw a piece of cake at her?] Ddriag asked incredulously.

Yes.

[Why?]

I didn’t have a brick on hand…..

Very slowly, the unknown goddess wiped it away from her face and stared silently at me with a very clear and distinct anger.

@***@

Screams followed as I quickly jumped through a portal.

Screams of anger that is.

Along with plenty of sharp edges trying to stab me in some very unpleasant areas.

What’s wrong with everyone here though?

That’s two times now, I did absolutely nothing wrong and I get targeted like that!

Hmph.

“Just wait until I come back.” I promised.

[Why would you want to go back?] Ddraig asked.

“My pride was challenged. I can’t lose out on flying swords, Ddraig.” I just needed to finish my Mystic Code, then we’ll see who can throw more swords at whom!

Where was I now?

I looked around, noticing I was back in London and nodded to myself. I knew it didn’t take much to correct my previous calculations.

Actually, I wasn’t too far from where I was before.

Oh and look at that, I noticed some spells being cast in the area. It seems like all the humans around just stopped what they were doing, with glazed eyes, and started leaving the immediate vicinity.

Followed by that, some people dressed in similar monk attire to that first woman were running around for some reason.

Hmm.

I wonder if I can follow them back to their home?

I think I’m owed some compensation for the emotion distress I was put under.

Let’s go see what goodies they have.

@***@

A/N

Wilhelm: Exists.
Strange woman: Angry Goddess noises.

Woman continues to exist in MCU which seems to be a problem in of itself.