> Quest: "The Silk City Lies"
Objective: Reach Threadvale via skyship. Investigate The Needle of Memory.
Bonus Objective: Don't fall off the airship. Again.
Reward: ??
Danger Level: Fluffy But Deadly
It turns out airships are not as romantic as anime make them seem. Mine was called the Cloud Trousers, and it looked like a flying sock with engines.
The crew wore matching polka-dot vests.
Blobert had motion sickness.
Sarcasmus was tied to the railing for "negative vibes."
"System, why are there so many birds up here?"
> Answer: Migratory Sky Chickens.
Status: Aggressive.
One pooped on my forehead. A dramatic pause.
"Okay. Someone's getting barbecued."
Upon arrival in Threadvale, we were greeted by a group of overly enthusiastic people wearing capes made of yarn.
"Praise the Thread!" one shouted.
"Weaving is truth!" another yelled, handing me a business card.
Sarcasmus read it aloud: "The Cult of the Stitch – We Patch What the Gods Tore." …This is going to end badly, isn't it?"
Spoiler: Yes.
Apparently, because I was glowing faintly with fashion energy (thank you, Laundry Plate Mk.1), the cult assumed I was "The Chosen Weaver."
So naturally, they made me do a "Trial of the Thread," which involved:
1. Sewing a shirt while blindfolded.
2. Walking across 100 feet of tangled yarn.
3. Defeating a Fabric Golem using only a thimble.
I passed.
Mostly by accident.
"Is it too late to admit I can't sew a button?" I whispered.
"Too late. You're their messiah now."
—Sarcasmus, drinking tea stolen from a nun.
---
New Skill Acquired!
> Skill Unlocked: Thread Control Lv.2
Description: Manipulate threads remotely. Create cloth-based constructs.
Bonus: Now you can tie someone's shoelaces together from 20 meters away.
"Oh, the possibilities…
That night, while messing with Thread Control, I tried weaving something cool.
It… worked too well.
> Item Created: Scarf of Lingering Goodbyes
Effect: Causes the wearer to recall every emotionally unresolved moment in their life.
Side Effect: Weeping. Lots of it.
Bonus: Extremely soft.
I wore it for five seconds.
Suddenly I remembered when my pet turtle left me in middle school.
"His name was Speedo... WHY DID HE LEAVE?!"
Even Blobert cried. Sarcasmus pretended not to be moved.
The Cult brought me to the "Needle of Memory," a giant silver spike embedded in silk-stone. It shimmered like a thousand forgotten dreams.
"Touch it," the High Stitcher said. "Become one with the Thread."
Naturally, I poked it.
> SYSTEM ERROR
Data surge…
Backlog of lifetimes uploading…
Unlocking Past Life Memory…
Flash. Flash. Flash.
Suddenly I saw visions. I wasn't just Kaito. I'd been someone else—a legendary weaver of time, fated to repair the fabric of the multiverse.
"Holy pants," I whispered. "I was useful."
Then the Needle cracked.
As I fled the collapsing temple (with Blobert surfing on silk), the sky above tore open. A flock of Elder Sky Chickens descended, wings glowing, eyes vengeful.
"They've come for vengeance!" I yelled, dodging an egg the size of a melon.
> Quest Updated: Sky Chickens: Feathergeddon
Objective: Escape alive. Do not get scrambled.
I leapt onto the Cloud Trousers, tossed Blobert aboard, and used Thread Control to tie the steering wheel.
The airship veered hard left.
Sarcasmus screamed, "YOU LEFT ME IN A SWEATER!"
We were airborne.
In every sense.