"A new body?"
"Correct!" Trinity responds back to me.
I stare at him incredulously.
"Well…" he starts, "...it's not exactly a new body. But! It is a new structure, a new way for an infusionless peon like you to compete!"
'Peon…'
I felt veins appear on my neck as I held back from biting him.
"So… how will this work?"
Trinity seems to smile at him, his dozens of eyes flickering and squinting.
"Well, allow me to replace your skeleton and muscles!"
I blink at him, "Wha-"
SEAR!
Immediately, immense pain floods every nerve in my body, but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. My body no longer felt like it was mine, my legs turn into a wobbly mess as my hands fall downward.
"O-oh…" I stumble forward a bit, catching my breath and placing my hands on my knees.
"What… the…" I pant out, feeling sweat dripping down my brow and some more wetting my back.
"Ugh…" My vision blurs and hazes. I swear I could feel my body being reconstructed at a cellular level.
Trinity giggles from in front of me, patting my back, "Haha! Feels funky, doesn't it?"
He helps me stand back up and continues, "Your next reward is this!" He reaches across my head and tightens the cloth that was held over my missing eye.
"What is this…?"
"Abyss Wyrm silk."
My face pales as he mentions that, "Torn straight off of my suit!."
He shows me his sleeve, a long stripe missing from his wrist and up to his elbow.
It took everything I had not to drop to my knees as he mentioned an Abyss Wyrm.
"I… I see." I felt the silk suddenly cascade down my back, making me flinch as I whip my head around to check what it was.
'Abyss Wyrm's silk… even an ounce of this is worth a fortune… An Abyss Wyrm's silk can make formal attire as strong as pure armor…'
It was much, much longer than it originally was. Long enough to reach the middle of my waist despite being tied around my head, and it was much thicker and broader.
Enough to be worn as a scarf.
"And to mask your new body's strength, take these as well." He taps my forearms, the torn fabric I was wearing whisking in the soft, night breeze.
Soon, dark cracks formed in my skin, making me reel back and attempt to scratch at them instinctively.
"H-hey…!"
"Hahaha! Calm down, it's just a silly tattoo, it's to make people believe your strength is from these marks on your forearms."
I gulp and nod slowly, gently squeezing my arms.
I could already tell. Even though my arms were as thin as before, maybe a bit thicker…
…the muscle density was through the roof. An inhuman amount so.
I look at Trinity, "But what about the glow…? Don't infusions' glow represent the mana held inside?"
He looked at me and a few of his eyes blinked, "Ah… right."
He scrubs my arm and the marks he made quickly vanish, "Nevermind then."
He suddenly turns a bit serious, "Now… for your last reward."
I blink and nod a bit nervously, swallowing my saliva.
"It's this…"
"..."
Trinity holds out a little scabbard. I raise my eyebrow a bit as I take it.
"What…?"
Trinity taps his finger along the side of the scabbard and unsheathes what's inside.
It's a thin blade. It has a dark, silvery kind of look to it. It's quite small too, but still a bit larger than the daggers I discarded earlier.
"A tanto."
I could feel his smile forming as he stared at me.
"A tanto…?" I questioned.
"It's basically a tinier sword, it might work out for you, but we'll see."
He takes a breath, "Some blacksmiths started manufacturing them in the east, and others say it's a very good second option to carry with you."
It's the first time I've heard Trinity not exaggerating. It was a bit scary.
"I see… Thank you."
Trinity releases the scabbard in my hands, letting me take full hold of it as I put it on my waist.
"Welp… ah! One last thing…"
Trinity smiles as he opens his mouth.
I gulp in anticipation.
"..."
"...gotta go! Cya, kid! I hope you show me some more interesting things!" He takes a hop backward and literally vanishes into thin air.
"…"
I stare into where he just vanished in shock.
Veins bulge in my neck as I feel anger bubbling.
'He's the first god I'm going to manage to harm…'
I sigh and sit down carefully, not used to… me.
I glance up at the sky.
The ashes cleared up.
Tenna's destroyed.
The Devourer is gone.
Hale-… Hale…!
I quickly leap to my feet, shooting forward at an alarming rate.
"Ack-!"
Crash
I land in some rubble a distance from where I jumped.
"Ugh…" I lean up and rub my head, "What the hell?"
I look from where I jumped, my eye widening.
'T-that's at least… 20 meters…'
I swallow as I slowly stand up and look at how far I jumped.
"Isn't this… a bit much…?"
…
I run back to where the flags stood, much faster than before I got my new body. I head there and see Hale sitting on the ground against the wall. He's covered in dirt, sweat, and grime.
"Hale…!"
I rush over and slide toward him on my knees, "Are you okay?"
He slowly turns to look at me, "Fault…?" HIs eyes widened, "Fault!"
He glances over me, his eyes watery and filled with a light that hadn't been there before. He tugs on my torn clothes and checks over me.
"I thought you- how are- you're alive…!"
He tears up some more and lets out a heavy sigh, falling onto his back.
"Oh my god… we did it…" He pants, his chest heaving a bit with each breath.
I smile a bit and nod slowly, "Yeah… we're alive."
I step over carefully and gently, ever so slightly sitting down next to him.
"Why are you moving so slow…? Are you hurt?"
"N-no, I'm okay."
I finish sitting down and rest my head against the wall behind me, letting out a relieved sigh.
"It's over…"
Hale stays silent for a moment, then speaks up, "We should head to Gate City. Over at the Xyren Domain."
I register his words and only let out a mumble of acknowledgement.
"Gate City… so we're heading to the royal domain…?"
"Mhm."
"Alright…"
The royal domain.
Fifteen territories that make up over 80% of human civilization. It's right in the middle of the human continent.
Tenna is on the southwestern edge of the domain, so it'll take a little while to get there.
Perhaps a few days to a week walking. Or maybe just a day or two on horseback.
'I doubt we'll find that out here in the sticks, though…'
Unless someone passes by.
…
I turn my head so that my one good eye can see what remains of Tenna. Some ashes are still rising from the rubble, but it's more or less all dissipated out now.
Looking up, I could see the night sky.
The white dots cover the sky, some of the brighter ones even flickering a tiny bit brighter. One either side of my vision is both of Aeon's moons.
The silver moon and blue moon.
Strength and intelligence is what they represent, I think.
It's endearing.
Endearing to know that at least Hale, Trinity, and I weren't the only ones to bear witness to what happened tonight.
I feel myself growing a bit more weary, my body getting heavier as my muscles start to ache.
I slowly look down at my tattered blouse and trousers. Most of the fabric is ripped apart, leaving open holes in my clothing that show my lean torso underneath.
I'm covered in dirt and ashes.
"Huu…" I let out another deep breath, "Say, Hale…"
"Hm?"
"What do you think about Ayen Academy?"
He leans up a bit and sits next to me against the wall, "Ayen Academy?"
I nod and turn to him.
"Uhm… isn't that where only the most talented can go?"
I nod again, "Think we could make it in?"
Hale gives me a long look. I can't tell what he's thinking.
"We could try."
I smile.
"Good enough for me."
I look back up at the stars, my left hand absentmindedly tapping along the silk tied around my head and eye.
'I might not make it in… but maybe Hale could once his infusion awakens.'
I wonder when that's going to happen.