"So, why aren't those two idiots back yet?" Alistair yawned, tossing the last Pocky stick to Hwa.
"I don't know. I'm not close with them," Hwa replied, catching the treat. "As a 'Doctor,' my job is just to exist nearby so they can recover. I have no interest in getting to know them. They'll probably be replaced in a few months anyway."
"Cold," Alistair remarked.
"Takes one to know one," she shot back.
"By the way, shouldn't you all be 'working' over in the Demi-Human District? Why come back here?" Alistair asked, scrolling through his phone.
"Why else? The old farts at the top," Hwa explained around her Pocky. "They hate the Demi-Human District. Even though the two sides are technically at peace, there are always those who want to stir the pot. Those two guys wanted to come back, so they became my 'bodyguards'."
"I feel like you're the one guarding them," Alistair joked. "I had to beat them into the dirt before you stepped in."
"I have plenty of tools. The elders gave me artifacts so I wouldn't be kidnapped. I've killed at least five assassins like that kid over there," Hwa said, nudging the unconscious brown-haired boy with her boot.
"Tools?" Alistair's interest piqued. Hwa's handgun had nearly pierced his mana-reinforced skin. That wasn't a normal firearm.
"Artificial 'Mystery' items. Natural ones are too rare, even for the government. But the government possesses a specific 'Mystery' item that can forge others—imbuing objects with mystical effects. They have a time limit of about six months, but it's enough."
"An item that makes other items? Interesting," Alistair mused. That meant the government had a massive, albeit temporary, arsenal. For him, this was excellent news—more "Nodes" to harvest.
Alistair knew his current toolkit was limited. The twelve Talismans were his bread and butter, and his uncle's magic was scaling slowly. He was at 78% progress toward his next threshold. His plan was to hit the bottleneck and then head to the Demi-Human District. He hadn't forgotten the Demon Blood in his ring—it was one half of a "Credential," and the other half was held by the "Acting Manager."
"The 'Mystery' item used for imbuing is held by the leaders, while the others are scattered in the Demi-Human District. Why? You need them?" Hwa asked.
"Something like that. Also, I want to activate my 'Weapon.' What do I need for that?"
"Just yourself. But you need a specific magic circle. The government keeps one in the base over there," Hwa pointed toward the complex. "Just inject mana."
Alistair walked toward the building marked with an inverted triangle and three intersecting circles. Inside, the room was pitch black. He found the ritual array on the floor.
"Let's see what I get." Alistair poured his mana into the array.
Wait... something's wrong. The circle was a bottomless pit. Alistair pumped in enough mana to refill his entire pool twice over, yet it kept sucking more. If not for his Sheep talisman allowing him to draw mana from the atmosphere, he'd be a husk.
"Hwa, how much mana does this thing need?" he called out on his phone.
"Not much usually. The more you give, the deeper the awakening, but you can't use someone else's mana. Why?"
"Never mind." Alistair cut the limiters. He pumped mana in until the room glowed with a blinding, celestial light.
Fwoosh!
The runes rose from the floor, spinning around him before slamming into his body.
"A tattoo?" Alistair looked at his skin. Then, he remembered the "Orochi" tattoo he'd gotten previously. The new runes merged with the old one, shrinking and migrating until they formed a pentagonal mark on his tongue.
Information flooded his mind:
[Linked Logic: Word Soul] Link to the Origin of the World. Exercise the power of Laws. What is spoken becomes reality. Note: My words are irreversible.
What the fuck? Alistair was stunned. The Orochi mark actually had a sliver of the World Will's power, and the ritual had mutated it into something godlike.
"Open," Alistair said, looking at the door.
Creeeak. The door swung open effortlessly. No mana drain.
Let's try something bigger.
"Clear," Alistair whispered, thinking of the base.
Hummmm—
In seconds, every building in the vicinity disintegrated into nothingness. Not just destroyed—erased. Even the top layer of soil vanished.
"Holy... shit..." Alistair collapsed, his face pale. The "Word Soul" had interpreted "Clear" as total annihilation. The cost had drained his mana and stamina instantly.
"My god... what happened?" Mustache and Owen returned to find the base replaced by a perfectly flat, empty plain.
"Yo," Alistair waved, not daring to speak too much.
Wait... why did my mana just dip again? Alistair realized Owen and Mustache suddenly looked perfectly healthy and energized. By saying "Yo" (interpreted as a greeting of well-being), the Word Soul had "healed" them to a state of being "well."
This is going to be a problem.
"Alistair... did you do this?" Owen asked, trembling.
Alistair nodded silently.
"Does it cost a lot to use?" Mustache asked.
"Yes," Alistair replied shortly.
"What exactly is your ability? I need to report it," Owen said, pulling out a notepad.
"Trance," Alistair whispered.
Immediately, Owen and Mustache's eyes went vacant as their minds were forcibly emptied into a state of aimless wandering.
"Word Soul?" Hwa asked, walking up. She was well-read enough to recognize the phenomenon.
"Yes," Alistair wrote on a piece of paper. I can't turn it off. Every word I say becomes a command to the universe. I have to stay quiet or I'll accidentally erase someone.
"That's a double-edged sword," Hwa mused. "Go to the Demi-Human District. The 'Old Monsters' there—beings who have lived for millennia—will have a way to help you seal it. Plus, our Weapons work better there."
A month later, Alistair was back at home, still struggling with his "silent" life. Even the semi-divine women in his life were baffled by how he'd managed to "hack" the world's source code at his level.
His uncle appeared on a video call. "I have a recommendation letter from your grandfather. It's for a position as a 'Sponsor' at a Demi-Human Academy. I thought you'd need it in a few years, but it looks like you're heading there early. I'll mail it to you."
Alistair sighed. Between the upcoming "Goddess Cult" meeting and the Summer Festival, he had a busy week. But after that, it was time to head to the Demi-Human District. Plans change, indeed.