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Eldritch Horror? No, I'm A Doctor
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!f ɪ w€rΣ hØld!ng b∆ck, yøυ w0µld h@v∑ d!ed, m¥ ch!ld.
The words crashed into Ren's mind like waves against rocks, not heard through his ears but inscribed directly into his consciousness. Each syllable carried weight that pressed against the inside of his skull, making his brain feel swollen and tender. The sounds weren't quite sounds. They existed in a space between language and pure concept, bypassing the need for translation while simultaneously being completely incomprehensible.
Th∑ pµn!shm∑nt h@ѕ αlrε@dy bεεn dεl!vεr∂, sØ ɪ w0n't s∆¥ mØr∑.
Ren heard the words echo in his brain, bouncing off the walls of his consciousness in repeating patterns that made him dizzy. His hands were still pressed against his face, still holding the warm, wet tissue that used to be his eyes. The pain had faded to a dull throb, replaced by a cold numbness that was somehow worse.
"What the fuck is he saying?" Ren muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The words in his head made no logical sense. They were garbled, corrupted, like audio files that had been compressed too many times and lost their original clarity. Yet underneath the distortion, underneath the incomprehensible syllables, he could sense something. An impression, a feeling.
The tone was kind.
It shouldn't have been possible to detect kindness in sounds that hurt to process, in a voice that existed outside normal human perception. But there it was, undeniable. Like a parent scolding a child who'd touched a hot stove, disappointed but caring, stern but gentle.
ɪt'ѕ 0k∆¥, ch!ld. ¥0u mµѕt h∆v∑ ѕµff∑r∂ f0r α l0ng t!m∑.
The words washed over Ren like warm water, soothing despite being incomprehensible. His trembling began to ease slightly, his racing heart slowing from its panicked sprint to something closer to a jog. The presence before him felt vast, infinite, but not hostile. More like standing at the base of a mountain. Overwhelming in scale but not actively trying to harm him.
ѕ0 ɪ w0n't g0 0n t00 l0ng. l∑t m∑ g!v∑ ¥µ ѕ0m∑th!ng th@t w!ll h∑lp ¥0u.
Ren felt something touch the top of his head. Not a physical hand, but the impression of one. Like the memory of being touched, or the idea of touch given form. It was gentle, caring, the kind of gesture a parent might use to comfort a crying child. His head was caressed with a tenderness that made his chest ache with emotions he couldn't name.
System Notification: You have received Fragment of the Outer God.
Ren's breath caught in his throat. The notification appeared in his mind's eye despite his physical eyes being gone, the blue text floating in the darkness of his consciousness. His first thought was shock, pure and simple.
What the fuck did he just give me?
The question echoed in his mind as he tried to process what had just happened. A fragment of an Outer God. Not a skill, not equipment, but a piece of something fundamental. Something that existed beyond the normal rules of the system.
System Notification: The Fragment of the Outer God is being synchronized with the system.
Ren could feel something changing inside him, like gears clicking into place or circuits completing their connections. The sensation was strange but not painful, more like his body was being upgraded at a molecular level. The system and whatever the One Above All had given him were merging, becoming compatible.
System Notification: You have received a familiar.
"Huh?" The word escaped Ren's lips before he could stop it. His eyes shot open in surprise.
Wait. His eyes shot open?
Ren blinked, and realized he could see again. The darkness was gone, replaced by a ceiling of warm wood beams and soft ambient lighting. He was lying on a long, luxurious couch that felt like it had been specifically designed for maximum comfort. The cushions beneath him were so soft he felt like he might sink right through them.
"Hey you, you finally awake."
The voice was familiar, dry and slightly amused. Ren turned his head, his neck muscles protesting slightly from the sudden movement. The room around him came into focus. Bookshelves, leather furniture, the comfortable atmosphere of a well-lived-in study.
"Hah, am I in a Viking RPG?" Ren asked, the words coming out before his brain fully engaged. The phrase felt natural, like a reflex response to waking up after trauma.
"What are you talking about?" Levi sat in a nearby chair, his posture relaxed and casual. He held a hardcover novel in his hands, the kind with a worn spine that suggested it had been read many times. Their eyes met across the short distance.
Ren felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Sorry, I must have been half asleep." He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, his body feeling strangely heavy. Every movement took more effort than it should, like he was operating at half capacity.
"How are you feeling?" Levi put down his book with deliberate care, giving Ren his full attention. The concern in his voice was genuine, the kind that came from actual worry rather than polite obligation.
"Like shit," Ren said honestly. His head throbbed with a persistent ache, and his body felt like it had been wrung out and left to dry. Everything hurt in a vague, general way that was impossible to pinpoint.
"Hahaha, that's pretty normal." Levi's laugh was warm and rich. "How was the meeting?"
"I can't see shit, Mr. Levi. I gouged my eyes out when I caught a glimpse of him." Ren's tone was matter-of-fact, but there was an edge of disbelief in his voice. Like he still couldn't quite believe what he'd done to himself.
Levi's eyes simply widened, his expression shifting from casual interest to genuine shock. "Wow." He drew the word out, making it three syllables instead of one. "Consider yourself lucky, you lunatic. How deranged must you be to try to catch a glimpse of him?"
The words should have been harsh, but Levi delivered them with such obvious affection that they came across as more impressed than critical. His smile was broad and genuine, the expression of someone watching a friend do something incredibly stupid and somehow survive.
"Hahahaha," Levi laughed again, the sound filling the comfortable study.
Ren smiled bitterly, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. He knew his behavior had been stupid. Reckless, even. The kind of decision that should have ended with his permanent death rather than just temporary blindness. But curiosity had always been his weakness, the thing that drove him forward even when common sense screamed at him to stop.
"Well, what did you receive from him? It must be good, right?" Levi leaned forward slightly, his curiosity evident in his posture and expression.
"Well, I received a fragment of something and a familiar." Ren's tone was uncertain, like he still wasn't sure what to make of the gifts he'd been given.
System Notice: Do you want to summon familiar?
The blue notification appeared in Ren's vision, floating there expectantly. He stared at it for a moment, considering his options. Then, with a mental shrug, he tapped yes.
Vrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
"What the fuck?" Ren jerked backward on the couch, his body instinctively recoiling from the sudden noise.
The sound of something like a machine rang out, loud and aggressive and completely out of place in the quiet study. It wasn't the gentle hum of electronics or the soft whir of fans. It was harsh, mechanical, the kind of sound that set teeth on edge and made people instinctively nervous.
And then it appeared.
Vrzzz. Vrzzz. Vrzzz. Vrzzz. Vrzzz. Vrzzz. Vrzzz.
The sound continued in rhythmic pulses, each one accompanied by a flash of something in the air above Ren's lap. Reality seemed to tear slightly, creating a gap through which something was pushing its way into existence.
"What the fuck," Ren repeated, but this time his voice carried wonder instead of alarm.
The familiar floating before him was not what he expected.
It was a chainsaw. A rustic, well-used chainsaw that looked like it had seen decades of hard work. The metal was dark and slightly pitted, bearing the scars of countless uses. The blade teeth were sharp but worn, each one showing signs of having been sharpened many times over the years. The handle was wrapped in old leather that had been stained dark with oil and time.
But it was floating.
The chainsaw hovered in the air at chest height, spinning slowly on its axis like a planet rotating in space. The engine, impossibly, was running. That was the source of the vrzzzz sound. The motor purred with mechanical satisfaction, the blade spinning in lazy circles that suggested readiness rather than aggression.
Ren stared at it, his mouth hanging slightly open. Of all the possible familiars he might have imagined, a floating rustic chainsaw had not made the list. Not even close.
"Is that..." Levi leaned forward, squinting at the floating tool. "Is that a chainsaw?"
"Yes," Ren said slowly. "Yes, it is definitely a chainsaw."
"And it's floating."
"Yes, it is definitely floating."
"And it's running."
"Yes, Mr. Levi, it is very much running."
The two men sat in silence for a moment, both staring at the impossible object hovering between them. The chainsaw continued its gentle rotation, seemingly content to just exist and make noise.
"Well," Levi said finally, his tone carefully neutral. "That's certainly... unique."