B2: Chapter 13: Migraine

[Year 23 Month 0: 7 Months after entering Limbo]

[ Congratulations, user! You have successfully been transported from Limbo. ]

There were several other notifications waiting for my acknowledgment, but something else was going through my mind instead. Quite painfully if I might add.

‘God, my head is pounding.

It’s like a migraine that drank three shots of espresso, fifteen shots of vodka, and two bricks to the face. In short, really bad.

What wasn’t so bad were the voices calling to me. Of course, the first ones to notice my return were my assistants, all directly connected to me and overloading me with data.

Metis, Codex, and even Athena were speaking to me, flaring my headache and making me respond quickly. “Alright, alright. You three decide who to speak for the group; I cannot handle a lot right now.’

While it was important I was updated on recent developments, as it’s been just about half a year since I’ve been gone, ‘Way better than it could have been.’ There were a few priorities, and right now the literal needle in my mind was desperately clawing its way to first place.

So far, my hitchhiker hadn’t spoken up, and while I was angry with Daisy and could feel pain radiating from where their consciousness was still lodged into my own, they were almost… absent.

‘It’s possible they are in some type of dormancy. The main question is whether Daisy’s sleep is imposed by the system, or by themselves? There is really no way of telling until they wake up.’

Having decided who was going to speak, Metis decided to speak. “Welcome back, User. Since you left, there have been several developments in the last few months. Let me-”

Something grabbed my attention; I hadn’t noticed before as I was still readjusting to my full senses, but two powerful mana signatures were in my influence, and one of them was right next to Salfi.

‘The damn bounty hunters!’

Instantly, I was at Salfi’s location, readying a fully charged [Crystal Bloom], but instead of magic spells being slung around and weapons clashing, I was at a hot tub. Specifically, a hot tub with several laughing ladies all having a blast.

‘I…’

Baffled is the right term. Salfi, Penelope, and even Astrid were all together hanging out, which, while uncommon, wasn’t impossible, but what was really unexpected was the Ubrian elf, Vaelen, who was also wearing swimwear that wouldn’t look out of place on Earth.

Despite my struggling for words, three people noticed my presence. First, of course, was Salfi, as she was the closest in connection; second was Vaelen, and strangely? Astrid, whom I felt some form of bond with.

‘A class evolution?’ I thought.

“Gol!” Salfi called out, faster than the other two, “You’re back! When I felt the connection snap shut, I was worried. What happened?”

“The system sent me somewhere out of reach. I made a mistake.” I said, opting to answer her question before asking an inquiry of my own, “That’s not what’s important right now. Are you okay? Why is the mage here? Better question. How?”

Raising her hand in a calming gesture, Vaelen spoke in her own defense, somehow still managing to sound haughty. “Where else am I supposed to go? There’s no escape from that mist, and the people who were likely going to kill Arnold and me for failing to capture the prince are probably dead by the same damn mist.” She shrugged, a little smug, “It’s surprisingly nice. And to answer that last question? Your ‘assistants’ reconnected to the dungeon.”

Making a split-second decision, I focused the weight of my presence onto the Ubrian elf, careful to leave the others untouched.

While at first, Vaelen appeared unbothered, the pressure did not relent. While my influence was nowhere near the strength it had been in limbo, my mind projection was exponentially stronger than before, and by the third second, the Ubrian elf began to shake and try to speak.

Not relenting just yet, I only withdrew when the water itself began to slightly compress, not wanting to disturb the other women too much.

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Gasping for breath as my mental weight lifted, Vaelen struggled momentarily, and while I doubted the others approved of my heavy-handed approach, I needed to make sure she understood that within my influence, she would be watched, and if need be, I had the power to enforce the peace.

Sure, maybe the two bounty hunters had changed in their year-long retreat, but I didn’t want them to even think of harming anyone.

“Vaelen.” I said, speaking only to her, and not the others, “I watched you closely the last time you were within my domain. If I notice you attempting to harm any of my residents, I will know. I will put you down if needed, without hesitation, understand?”