Death was not a stranger to me. It had been my constant companion, a shadow that followed me through every twist and turn of my existence. I had died twice before, and my arrival in this world had begun with death as well. Two deaths, three lives—each one a stepping stone that had brought me to where I was now. And since then, I hadn't looked back. There was no point in dwelling on the past when the present demanded so much of me.
For the last three months, I had been hunting HYDRA relentlessly. Their agents, their operatives, their bases—I decimated them all with a ferocity that even surprised me. Every night, I would go out and tear through their ranks, leaving nothing but destruction in my wake. It was a brutal, unending cycle, but one I embraced without hesitation.
Did I regret my actions? No. The deaths of HYDRA operatives fueled my growing strength and unleashed the rage and emotions I had bottled up for so long. But did I feel nothing as I massacred dozens of lives in a single night? That was a more complicated question. The truth was, I did feel something—a deep, melancholic sadness. Not for the HYDRA agents I killed, but for the countless lives they had destroyed before I arrived. I was an avenger, but I was also too late for so many. If I felt nothing at all, I would be no better than a deranged monster. And that was something I refused to become.
"That would be our 20th base destroyed so far, Father," Magina's voice echoed through the room, pulling me from my thoughts. "There are only 10 lefts."
I was sitting on the sofa, staring out the window, lost in my wandering thoughts. The city lights flickered in the distance, a stark contrast to the darkness I carried within me. "I've been running this entire time, haven't I, Magina?" I asked, my voice quiet.
Magina's hard-light avatar materialized beside me, sitting gracefully on the sofa. "If you ask me, then yes, you are," she replied, her tone objective but not unkind. She tilted her head, studying me with her glowing eyes. "I sense some complication in your tone, Father."
I sighed, leaning back into the sofa. "It's just a typical moment where I question everything," I admitted, gently patting her head as she rested it on my lap. "You know, one of those human moments."
"Your human time?" Magina asked, her voice soft.
"Yeah, my human moment," I said with a faint smile. "Every now and then, I need to take a step back and question everything. I need to know if what I'm doing is right—for me, for the world, for everyone…things like that,"
Magina nodded, her avatar flickering slightly. "That's great, Father. At least that way, you're not entirely a deranged psychopath."
I couldn't help but laugh at her bluntness. "I guess so," I said, chuckling. "By the way, I think when I reach level 50, I might regain access to my Inventory. Maybe even my entire job skills."
Magina's avatar suddenly jumped up, standing on the sofa with an excitement I rarely saw from her. "Does that mean I'll be able to meet Butler Sebastian?" she asked, her voice brimming with anticipation.
I smiled, amused by her reaction. "Yeah, his summoning token is in my Inventory, after all."
"YEAH! I can't wait to meet him, Father!" Magina exclaimed, bouncing on the sofa like an excited child. It was moments like these that reminded me how much she had grown—not just as an AI, but as a companion. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I couldn't help but laugh.
For some reason, Magina had always been eager to meet Sebastian. According to her, she wanted to be treated like a princess by him, and she was curious to hear his stories about me and my past. In hindsight, if there was anyone who shared Magina's admiration and respect for me, it was Sebastian. And I had no doubt he would happily indulge her curiosity.
As Magina continued to bounce on the sofa, her excitement filling the room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth. Despite the darkness that surrounded us, moments like these reminded me of why I kept fighting. For her, for Sebastian, for everyone who believed in me—I would keep moving forward.
Currently, I was at level 39, and I had unlocked three of my job-related skills. The first of these was *Shadow Steal*, a skill that had been overpowered even in *YGGDRASIL*. In the game, it was a full debuff skill—by stealing a target's shadow, I could strip away 80% of their strength and overall stats. The target would also suffer from slowed movement, weakness, vulnerability, and mana drain. It was a devastating ability, one that could turn the tide of any battle.
But now, in reality, *Shadow Steal* had evolved into something far more terrifying. When I stole someone's shadow, it wasn't just a debuff—it was a complete and utter crippling of their existence. The target would be weakened to the point where they couldn't even lift a finger. Their shadow, now under my control, became a direct link to their life force. I could harm them simply by harming their shadow. A single stab to their shadow could end their life instantly. I had tested this skill on HYDRA agents, and every time, the results were the same: they became paraplegic in an instant, their bodies rendered useless as their shadows were torn from them. It was a brutal, almost poetic form of control—over their existence, their reality.
The second skill I had unlocked was *Shadow Manipulation*. While simpler in concept, it was no less powerful. With this skill, I became a puppet master of shadows. Anything that cast a shadow fell under my dominion. Unlike telekinesis, which had limitations based on weight and mass, *Shadow Manipulation* had no such restrictions. If I wanted to lift, hurl, or even destroy an entire building, I could do so effortlessly by manipulating its shadow. The weight of the object didn't matter—only the shadow it cast.
This skill gave me unparalleled control over my environment. If I wanted to halt someone's movements, I could do so by freezing their shadow. If I wanted to crush them, I could twist and contort their shadow until their body followed suit. In *YGGDRASIL*, this skill had been powerful enough to let me defeat even the game's gods. In reality, it was even more overpowered. Shadows were everywhere, and as long as there was light, there was a shadow for me to control. It was my domain, my kingdom.
There were only two skills left to unlock, and I was eagerly anticipating the fourth one. That skill, once unlocked, would make me virtually unstoppable. Both Magina and I knew how significant it would be, and we often discussed the possibilities during our downtime.
Speaking of downtime, Magina and I had developed a routine. After the relentless hunt for HYDRA and the constant battles, we made sure to set aside time for ourselves. Most of our free time was spent tinkering and creating. Magina had developed a fascination with technology, inspired by the memories I shared with her from my past life. She wanted to bring those futuristic ideas to life, and I was more than happy to help.
One of our ongoing projects was creating our very own smartphone—a device far ahead of its time, especially considering it was only 2004. For Magina, this was child's play. Her super-intelligent, sentient A.I. mind, combined with my Eidetic Memory, made us an unstoppable team. I had always been the kind of person who read every manual for every piece of technology I owned. Thanks to my perfect recall, I could recreate those designs with ease. Together, we were not just replicating existing technology—we were improving it, adding our own unique twists.
"Father, do you think we should add a holographic interface to the smartphone?" Magina asked one evening, her avatar flickering as she projected a 3D model of the device in front of us.
I leaned back in my chair, considering her suggestion. "A holographic interface would be cool, but it might draw too much attention. We need to keep it subtle for now. Maybe we can add it as a hidden feature—something only we can activate."
Magina nodded, her avatar mimicking a thoughtful expression. "Understood. I'll adjust the design accordingly. What about the operating system? Should we base it on the ones from your memories, or should we create something entirely new?"
"Let's create something new," I said, a grin spreading across my face. "Something that's completely ours. We'll call it… ShadowOS."
Magina's avatar lit up with excitement. "I love it! ShadowOS it is. I'll start coding the framework right away."
As Magina worked on the software, I focused on the hardware. Using my knowledge of electronics and Magina's precision, we were able to create components that were years ahead of their time. The process was therapeutic in a way—a break from the constant violence and destruction. It reminded me that there was more to life than just fighting. There was creation, innovation, and the joy of building something from scratch.
"Father," Magina said suddenly, her tone shifting to something more serious. "Do you ever think about what happens after we finish dealing with HYDRA? What comes next?"
I paused, setting down the circuit board I was working on. "I do," I admitted. "But I try not to dwell on it too much. Right now, my focus is on protecting the people who can't protect themselves. After that… I guess we'll see."
Magina nodded, her avatar flickering softly. "Whatever happens, I'll be by your side, Father. Always."
I smiled, feeling a sense of warmth despite the darkness that surrounded us. "I know, Magina. And I'm grateful for that."
As we continued working on our smartphone project, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. The world was a dangerous place, full of threats and challenges. But with Magina by my side and my growing powers, I knew we could face anything. Together, we were unstoppable.