[Old Version] Ch 0.2 These Tragic Souls and a Sword Reborn in an Intergalactic Space Opera (Patreon)

 These Tragic Souls and a Sword Reborn

in an Intergalactic Space Opera 

Story Intro: "Welcome! I'm an evil god, though not really that evil of a god!" is what they woke up to. Join Shirou, Rin, and Illya, together with a new group of allies, and "Who's that purple-tinged soul grouping with us?", as they explore this vast new galaxy they've been thrown into. Still, first they need to escape the gravity well of this seemingly empty but verdant planet.

Story Starts

-=&<o>&=-

Book 1 - The Empty Twin 

Ch 0.2 Prologue

[Part 2 of 3]

"Oh, and as a final piece of advice, take your time; effort will never betray you!"

Looking at my interface while still feeling irritated at the comment below my karmic points. ‘Can’t really decide if this number of points is actually my karmic value or if the evil god is just doing whatever,’ as I ponder this while thinking of scratching my currently non-existent chin with my non-existent hand.

As I scrolled through the list of things that I could “purchase,” I thought, “This is a disorganised mess!” A few others coincidentally shouted that out loud in frustration.

Right after my outburst, a search bar manifests. As I look around, many of the souls around me seem to react simultaneously. It looks like everyone got the same upgrade on their interface, and as I looked at our “evil” benefactor, he was sitting arrogantly on his throne with a taunting smirk while looking at me. 

Ignoring him, I turned my focus back towards the interface. ‘Hmmm… if I think of typing options. Oh– this is pretty responsive and intuitive.’ 

‘Looks like there’s no options interface, so why did it respond to wanting to sort my selection? Hmmm… maybe sort?’  As the search was completed, “Auto-Sort Skill” and “Manual-Sort Skill” remained.

‘Wait, sorting is a skill, and it costs points. 37 points for the auto and 5 points for the manual.’   Judging by the number of skills listed, it would take me weeks to complete the task of sorting.

“Excuse me!” Someone from the myriad of souls exclaimed out loud, interrupting Zelretch’s babble about moving an infinite number of guests into rooms related to a prime number and their seat number. “What if there’s a skill that you want but it’s not available on the list?” 

While he says this, I completed my first purchase of 37 points, and the word “Auto-Sort Skill” appeared in a different column titled “Purchased.” Upon purchase, everything on the list was summarised into categories, though I do wonder why this isn’t alphabetised. ‘ Maybe this is suited to my preference.’ I saw Inheritance at the top of the list, and as I clicked on it, the following appeared.

“Inherit Previous Body’s Skills” - 69 points”

“Inherit Previous Life’s Assets” - 80 points”

“Inherit Claimable, Unclaimed Inheritance” -150 points”

‘Damn it, Zelretch might actually be a good-for-nothing evil god if he’s selling me things that I already know and own. Though that last thing intrigues me.’

“You want skills that aren’t on the list? I don’t mind! Go ahead, tell me what you want. I’ll add them if they seem reasonable.”  As if on cue, a cacophony of noise explodes around us, providing a myriad of suggestions. As a new category popped to the top of my sorted list: “New Skills” As I clicked on this. ‘Woah, this list is pretty crazy!’

As the list grows in number, I confusedly look at the skills being added. “Plunder-80 points, Copy-skill - 100 points, Heroic Aptitude - 120 points, Demon Lord Aptitude - 110 points, Sage Aptitude - 130 points…” ‘Wait, you even get EXP modifier skills?!’ 

I furrowed my nonexistent brow confusedly. ‘Will our next life actually be game-like? And I thought there weren’t going to be cheat skills.’ As I ponder this, I scrolled towards the end of the list that’s still growing, but it looks like it’s beginning to slow down. I deadpan stare at the two floating souls beside me when I spy, at the end of the list, “The Kaleidoscope - 999,999 points” and “Heaven’s Feel - 999,999 points” written down in bold letters.

“Oh, and,” Zelretch suddenly interrupts everyone out loud and again in our mind, “to those unfamiliar with this trope of a gamified prequel to your next life, I’ll provide a help guide.” 

“Help Guide” flashes at the bottom of my list. “This benevolent god will also add a small basic description and a tiny description of each skill, but if you need something more in-depth, I suggest you purchase the Help Guide. ”

I resisted the urge to shout out loud, ‘You should have added that at the start, you useless god!’

As I clicked on my purchased skill, it said, “Auto-Sort Skill: Sort things by preference. Non-refundable.” ‘Looks like I was correct in my assumption of how the skill works.’ I scrolled up towards the top as everything resorted to my preference. The top two skills taunting me are Heroic Aptitude and Copy-Skill.

With these, I can reclaim what I once dreamt, what I gave up, and the promise to my father I no longer follow. In the end, perhaps nothing truly mattered anyway. The other option, however, would simply reinforce my “Faker” moniker. ‘I’m sure Goldie would be rolling in his grave at such a travesty.’ I thought sarcastically. “Once a mongrel, always a mongrel!” I imagined him saying.

As I hover over the two skills, their descriptions pop up.

“Heroic Aptitude: Pretty much self-explanatory, what are you, a moron? Non-Refundable - 120 points”

“Copy-Skill: Copies a skill 😐. Non-refundable. - 100 points”

‘aARgh..’ I frustratingly scroll back to the previous skills.

“Inherit Previous Body’s Skills: Pretty much self-explanatory. Non-refundable. - 69 points”

“Inherit Previous Life’s Assets: Pretty much self-explanatory. Non-refundable. - 80 points”

“Inherit Claimable, Unclaimed Inheritance: Pretty much self-explanatory. Non-refundable. -150 points”

As I focused on the cost of the last skill, my thoughts froze. ‘150 points.. Wait,’ I mused, ‘this is even more expensive than anything on the new list, excluding the price of the 2nd and 3rd magic.’ 

“There will be no cheat skills,” echoed in my mind. ‘That’s what he said, so will there be a catch?’. I scrolled back again, and the new skills are now sorted as third on my preference list.

“Help Guide: Provides guidance and eases your decision-making with your selection. Non-refundable. - 20 points.” I instantly purchased this just so I could allay my doubts. My remaining points now went down to 603, and Help Guide is now underneath my Auto-Sort Skill. 

I scrolled up towards the top, and it now says:

“Heroic Aptitude: Gain the ability to learn almost every light-aligned and neutral skill. You’ll be a magnet for all the events and trouble plaguing your new reality. It’s up to you to save everyone, hero! Non-Refundable - 120 points”

“Copy-Skill: Can only learn new skills through this. Must know the exact name of the skill and its current level; otherwise, it’ll be locked. Successfully copied skills always start at level 1. You can only learn how to use and level the skill through the person you copied it from. Non-Refundable - 100 points”

‘The Copy-Skill has potential, though the first sentence implies something troubling. Glad I dodged a bullet with the Heroic Aptitude.’  I sigh as I read the troubling descriptions of the other newly added skills. 

‘He might actually be an evil god.’ I confirmed for the nth time today, as I ponder what percentage of the souls here will buy the help guide. Hopefully, my companions will purchase at least the guide, and hopefully they’ll get the auto-sort as well.

“Plunder: Steals skill away from the target. You can use and level the skill as if it were originally yours. You do not need to know the name of your target skill, as it will easily target what you want. Stolen skills and their current level will return to their original owner upon death. The user’s life span will be reduced by 4% x the level of the stolen skill; that total amount will be transferred to the target. (Any skill that has no levels is treated as level 5. Any skill with a letter ranking will start at level 5 x the numerical value of their nth place +/- 2.5 for each - or + symbol after. The lower the rank, the lower the number.) Non-refundable. - 80 Points.”

‘I will be scared of the person who willingly buys this skill despite having the Help Guide.’ As I finish browsing the list of new but dangerous skills, check if there’s anything there that has some potential, like Copy-Skill. I concluded that Magic Aptitude: Omni is the only other thing I’ll consider, as it at least guarantees that I can learn other magic outside of my current elemental alignment. 

Even with the caveat that every magic, implying even the one I am currently aligned with, will significantly increase the difficulty of learning. ‘Anyway, before I proceed, I must gather information.’ 

As I backed out of the list of “New Skills”. I first thought of information while looking at the search bar. On top of the list in this category is General Knowledge.

“General Knowledge: This is the aggregate average knowledge known by sentient beings in your reality. Non-refundable. - 15 points”

After purchasing General Knowledge, I suddenly learn that the reality, or at least the part of reality we’ll be transported to, is a large-scale galactic empire. This empire is equally governed by both nobles, led by a Grand Emperor, and a democratic side, led by a Grand Chancellor. Unfortunately, this galactic empire isn’t the only governing body in this massive galaxy–a galaxy so vast it could easily swallow 150 Andromeda galaxies with room for dozens of Milky Ways as dessert. 

In this galaxy, skirmishes are common in frontier space between various entities: governing bodies, syndicates, pirates, neutral systems, and unreasonable beings. At the centre of it all, a neutral party consisting of cosmic space monks tries to mediate between everything for the greater good of the galaxy.   

As other information kept flowing into my mind, integrating as if it had always naturally been there, I thought about my options. I then went straight to the 3 skills I have been hovering over since the start. With just a few moves, my previous balance of 588 karmic points just went down to 289.

‘Wait, I don’t know how my previous purchase affected me?!’ As I scrolled around, I saw that my list shifted again. Upon reaching the top, I saw “Status Screens.” 

“Basic Status View: A basic status summary is tattooed on your back. A basic blood ritual can copy your status to a physical medium for your viewing pleasure. (Your status, written in runes and symbols, is only readable by souls transported to the same reality as you. Your tattoo disappears over time, but will reappear during your next blood ritual and other special circumstances. While in between realities, you can view your current status on screen.) Non-Refundable. - 2 points”

As I quickly scanned the other options for status screens, I cringed at the price of even the next level, as it starts at 30 points for just the basic augmented reality status screen. ‘I guess I don’t really need a convenient way of viewing my skills.’ Still, I purchased the Basic Status View, knowing I could at least view it right now through a screen. ‘Well, according to my newly integrated knowledge, I could get AR implants later that can show me information on my current health.’ 

Regardless, as I returned to the main menu, my interface screen had updated. Instead of the column showing my purchased screens, it now provides much more information.

Name: Shirou Muramasa-Emiya (Updated)

Age: 25

Race: ??Processing??/Sword Incarnation (Updating)

Element: Sword

Origin: Sword

Magic Circuits: 27 | Total output of 270 units.

Magic Crest: Muramasa Family Crest - 91 | Total output of 637 units. (New)

                      Emiya Family Crest - 10 | Total output 80 units. (New)

          Phantom Arm - Partially Integrated | Increase the output of circuits on the left 

                                                arm by 100%| Total additional output: 230 units. (Updated)

                      Avalon - Integrating (Updating)

Total Od Output: 947 units (Updated)

Skills:

Dual-Wielding: Lv. 48

Melee Weapon: Lv. 33

Close Quarters Combat: Lv. 25

Unarmed Combat: Lv. 20

Bajiquan: Lv. 21

Marksmanship: Lv. 73

Archery: Lv. 90

Magecraft Aptitude: Lv. 20 

Gradation Air Aptitude: Lv. 36

Alteration Aptitude: Lv. 46

Tracing Aptitude: Lv. 68

Reinforcement Aptitude: Lv. 73

Bounded Field Aptitude: Lv. 7

Runes Aptitude: Lv. 5

Alchemy Aptitude: Lv. 3

Reality Marble: Externalized - Lv. 6

                         Internalized - Lv. 1 (New)

Magecraft: C- (Updated)

Magic Resistance: D Rank (New)

Mind’s Eye (True): B Rank (New)

Clairvoyance: C Rank (New)

Muramasa Magecraft Aptitude: Lv. 1 (New)

Emiya Magecraft Aptitude: Lv. 1 (New)

?Processing? Magic Aptitude: Lv. 1 (New)

Auto-Sort Skill (New)

Help Guide (New)

General Knowledge (New)

Basic Status View (New)

Equipment:

Bag of Temporary Holding (Expires within 18 galactic months.) (New)

‘Looks like my investment in the inheritance skills bore fruit as I now have almost the same output of Od as Rin. Yes!’ I did a mental fist pump. Looking back at the list of skills, I still can’t decide what I want to do.

I centred myself to assess my current situation. First, hopefully, when I get my second life, Illya and Rin will still be with me. Should we get separated, I'll need the necessary skills to explore the galaxy in search of them.

That'll probably be the worst-case scenario that's actionable. The scenarios where we'll either get reborn without our previous memories or in different realities entirely are ones I can, in theory, find a solution for. This is true notwithstanding my promise to endlessly search for her. ‘I can do that with Rin, Illya, and Sakura if the second, truly unavoidable scenario occurs.’

‘Now, what would be my goal in general in this upcoming new life?’ I pondered this, as I have been utterly confused about what to do ever since I rejected a significant part of myself. During that time in that mannequin Illya constructed for me, before they were able to hire Touko Aozaki for a new body, I was actually conscious and still connected to Archer. 

Having to witness everything he– or should it be I–experienced, feeling every emotion he felt as all his ideals got perverted. Plus, the endless cycle of self-hate just so he can undo his mistake. That put many things into perspective; unfortunately, upon waking up, I felt lost. 

It was through the support of Rin and Illya and the goal of earning enough for Illya and Sakura’s new bodies that anchored me. I’m really thankful to them for realising how hard it was to keep up with me, as I was already a broken person ever since that great fire, and my ideals–the very thing that defined me–were shattered when the Holy Grail ended.

While we did a lot of missions for the Clocktower, The Wandering Seas, Atlas, and even the Church, I was also encouraged to find myself. Thus, I balanced magus lessons, trying to find hobbies, taking culinary classes, and taking missions; I even had a rebellious phase, ‘OF WHICH WE SHALL NEVER SPEAK OF! EVER!’.

So with that thought, provided that the people whom I consider as family are with me. I would like to complete my goal of reaching her, fixing Illya’s body, and finding a proper vessel for Sakura now that the Touko option is gone. Other than that, I would like to enjoy my new life in this new reality.

‘Experiencing an adventure as we explore the vast galaxy we’ll be thrust upon sounds like an excellent goal.’ That's what I finally thought.

‘Speaking of which,” as I peeked at the two souls beside me, ‘hopefully Rin sees the inheritance tab, as she’s the one who wears the jewel to which Illya transferred Sakura’s essence.’ 

‘Well, if she doesn’t, hopefully the jewel can be classified as Inherit Claimable, Unclaimed  Inheritance.’ I thought this as I clicked on the Temporary Bag of Holding, where a list of items popped up.

‘Woah, even some of the groceries that were in our rented apartment are here.’ As I kept scrolling, some of my worries suddenly evaporated as I saw written underneath Thompson Contender is Tohsaka Family Jewelled Necklace.

‘Hopefully that’s the jewel which holds Sakura’s essence.’ While I feel a tiny bit lighter, doubts still persist at the back of my mind.

Mentally shrugging as I exited the list of items, I scrolled over to the list of magic aptitudes; as I hovered over the Magic Aptitude: Omni, the purchase button had been greyed out.

‘Hold on a second.’ I froze, as I quickly scrolled through the other elemental alignments, actually, even the icons of these abilities are slightly greyed out. I backtracked to my main screen and checked the list of categories. ‘The icons for race, sex, elemental magic, and mana source have now been greyed out.’

As I looked at my status again, ‘I understand sword incarnation, but what’s that “Processing” written in my race and 2 other instances in my status? And am I no longer considered human? I’m not even going to bother with Muramasa appearing on my name, well, for now. ’. My General Knowledge does not provide any information about what was happening. 

‘I guess my inheritance did have some downside.’ Looking at my new name, I presumed Muramasa was my family name before the fire. At the same time, I shall never forget being Kiritsugu’s son. I realised I probably look into my family, especially now that I somehow inherited their crest. 

Rin did say that a magus family’s crest contains not only family spells but also the knowledge, wisdom, and history of the family. A practical failsafe in the event disaster strikes a family, like what happened to Rin’s.

‘Anyway, that’s future me’s problem.’ I scrolled around what else is available, thinking if there’s any other magic aptitude skill I can learn. My list has been reorganised again to show 3 skills. Since each Lv. 1 of these magic aptitude costs a total of 37 points, I quickly purchase, Non-Elemental Psionic Aptitude, Non-Elemental Magic Aptitude, and Cosmic Force Aptitude. 

Well, according to the help guide, aptitude means that you have an instinctual understanding of how these work and will develop it over time as long as you work hard on it. Aptitude level is also like a muscle; the more you use it, the more it increases. Of course, if someone teaches you correctly, learning might come more easily. 

‘Hmmm..’  Though I currently have a problem, even with General Knowledge, I don’t really know what other skills I need to survive in this new reality. ‘While I currently have loose ideas as goals, I do really want to see and explore the galaxy.’ With that thought, my screen reorganised again to show just one option.

“Hint: Your benevolent evil god will provide you proper guidance so you can achieve success! Teehee.. - 2 points. (Doubles in cost after every purchase.)

‘What’s this “Teehee” in the end? I’m not looking up, I'm sure he’s taunting me again.’ Even with that thought, I still purchased the Hint as the Help Guide and General Knowledge so far have been pretty helpful, and the only troublesome things that I’ve seen are the skills added by request.

After the purchase, a message bubble suddenly popped up to my right. “The best way for you to explore the galaxy without much problem is to be either in the military or become an adventurer/mercenary/bounty hunter. I assume that you value your freedom, so we are going with the latter option. The skills and equipment for being an adventurer, mercenary, or even a bounty hunter aren’t really that mutually exclusive. So here is what I recommend.”

My screen reorganised again into 3 categories. “Transfer Process”, “Knowledge and Learning”, and “Other Skills”.

‘What’s this transfer process?’ As I clicked on this, I almost screamed out loud in frustration.

“Reborn as a blank slate: You get randomly reborn into a new life with your potential but without your previous life’s memories. You will be reborn x years in the past, where x is your current age multiplied by a random value between 0.01 and 1. (You might get random flashbacks, and the possibility of unlocking your previous memories is not 0%)  - 0 Points. (This is your default choice.)

‘I really hope they see this option.’ Slightly panicking about what I shall do if they get reborn as a blank slate. ‘Scouring the whole galaxy for them will be such a pain.’ As I look at the only option that appeals to me.

“Direct Transfer: You’ll physically appear in a randomly selected place that’ll give you the best opportunity, though success isn’t guaranteed. (You’ll not have any official records, but getting that eventually will not pose too many problems.) Non-refundable. - 20 points.

Going back to the previous menu screen, “Knowledge and Learning” and “Other skills" are what remain. ‘Please display all recommended skills under both categories.’ I nudged the interface with this thought, and it readily acquiesced. At the same time, I requested that the text bubble to my right be moved. “Since you will be directly transferred to your new reality, acquiring skills that aren’t just at the basic level isn’t recommended.”

As I ponder this recommendation, I have been mentally rearranging the recommended skills by order of importance, well, at least this is what I believe is the correct order, since auto-sort seems to tap into my preferences.

“Adventurer, Mercenary, and Bounty Hunter Knowledge Bundle: Rank E | The knowledge, wisdom, tactics, and skills needed in these professions. Non-refundable. - 5 points” 

“Riding: Rank E | The innate ability to use any mount/vehicle. As long as it moves and it’s controllable, it falls under this purview. Non-refundable. - 5 points”

“Weapon & Armor Smith Aptitude: Lv. 1 | The aptitude to build and maintain modern weapons & armour. Non-refundable. - 4 points”

“Engineering Knowledge: Rank E | The knowledge, wisdom, and skills needed by someone who is a non-specialised engineer. Non-refundable. - 4 points”

“Flora, Fauna, and Fungi Knowledge: Rank E | Non-specialised knowledge on flora, fauna, and fungi around the galaxy. Non-refundable. - 4 points”

“Learning Aptitude: Lv. 1 | The ability to learn new things. (As this covers everything, your ability to learn will be half as slow as a specialised aptitude. This stacks with other aptitudes.) Non-refundable. - 4 points”

“Modern Computer Knowledge: Rank E | The ability to navigate modern software around the galaxy. Non-refundable. - 4 points”

“Monster Knowledge: Rank E | Specialised knowledge on monsters. Non-refundable. - 2 points”

“Adventurer, Mercenary, and Bounty Hunter Aptitude Bundle: Lv. 1 | The ability to improve your knowledge, wisdom, tactics, and the skills needed in these professions. Non-refundable. - 2 points” 

“General Economics Knowledge: Rank E | General knowledge on the production, distribution, consumption and value of goods and services. Non-refundable. - 6 points”

‘My problem with this system is that I can’t just hover over points before purchasing it, I’m a little afraid to over-commit when upgrading these skills. I guess we’ll just need to take things slow.’ 

After 227 karmic points, much stress, too many escaped sighs, and with 7 points to spare, this is what I came up with.

“Adventurer, Mercenary, and Bounty Hunter Knowledge Bundle: Rank B - 34 points” 

“Riding: Rank B - 34 points”

“Weapon & Armor Smith Aptitude: Lv. 16 - 32 points”

“Engineering Knowledge: Rank B - 30 points”

“Flora, Fauna, and Fungi Knowledge: Rank C - 25 points”

“Learning Aptitude: Lv. 13 - 24 points”

“Modern Computer Knowledge: Rank C - 20 points”

“Monster Knowledge: Rank D - 11 points”

“Adventurer, Mercenary, and Bounty Hunter Aptitude Bundle: Lv. 6 - 11 points” 

“General Economics Knowledge: Rank E - 6 points” 

‘Before I finish, what do I do with my remaining 7 points?’ As I do this, I again mentally nudge my interface to show skills that cost 7 or lower. As I look at my top choices.

“Cooking Aptitude: Lv. 1 | The aptitude to prepare edible dishes around the galaxy. Non-refundable. - 3 points”

‘Why didn’t I think of this?’ Mentally smacking myself in the head. ‘The food and ingredients might be vastly different in this new reality. So in my opinion, this is a must buy.’ Looking at the 2nd choice.

‘What do you recommend for my general actions in the first 2 years of my new life?’ I thought this as I purchased my 2nd hint from our “Benevolent” Evil God.

“Times-up!” Zelretch stood up while raising his right arm above his head, and with a snap of his finger, more than half of the souls vanished. “Those are the ones who either didn’t set their transfer process or intentionally wanted a clean slate without their previous life’s memories.” 

I sighed in relief as my two companions were still here. ‘Wait, who’s that orb tinged with flecks of purple?’ 

Another snap was heard around as 3/4 of the remaining also vanished. “Like the previous batch, those are the ones who want to be reborn old-school-style but with their memories intact.” 

With a shit eating grin Zelretch gestured to the remaining souls. “That’ll give the rest of you a goal if you get separated from your friends, families, and or loved ones.” He paused for effect. “Don’t fret, as generally the souls near you will be sent to the same realities, so the possibility of a reunion is not 0%.”

I breathed a nonexistent sigh of relief as my companions didn’t choose to get reborn from scratch. 

“Again, generally your destination has already been set, but souls closest to you will be transported into the same place in the other reality, so bunch up.” As Zelretch raised his hands, ready to snap his fingers, he began counting down. 

10….

My companions and I, plus the one with the purple tinge, began to huddle up. 

9…

Then, as I looked behind my companion’s soul, I saw what looked like a silver soul herding a group of 3 towards our group.

8…

7…

6… 

As this happened, I tied as hard as a small floating ball of light to gesture to my companions away from the group of 4 barrelling towards us, so I too began herding them. 

5… 

4...

3…

Unfortunately, I didn’t see the group of 3 who remained stationary, huddled together in the direction from which I was trying to herd my group away from the group of four.

2…

In the end, two more souls from opposite directions came crashing behind the group of 4 and the group of three beside us. 

As I resign myself to this fate, ‘I do hope these new people won’t be trouble.’

1…

‘HEY! I PURCHASED A SECOND HINT!’ That was my last thought before everything turned dark.

“Develop the frontier planet. Your adventure will begin beneath the bottom of the dungeon. Register your team at Tarmein Prime.” 

-=&<o>&=-

END

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