3rd POV:
There was an elderly woman who was looking for help. An assistant to assist her in her work at the pharmacy. Technology is all over the place in this world and the facilities that existed in Nox' old world that ensured a lot of medication was produced by machines did not exist here.
In other worlds, she was looking for someone that had the strength to prepare the plants into medicine. Grinding, filtering, packaging, that kind of stuff.
...
Why exactly pharmacies existed when magic existed was beyond Nox. Surely some healing spells existed.
Mmmm.
Maybe not everyone could use Materia?
Whatever. Nox was not going to complain at the opportunity that fell in his lap.
''Please! I saw the posting. I can read and I can write and I can do my numbers and I will do everything you tell me to do. Just give me a place to eat and sleep. I'm begging you!,'' Nox threw himself to his knees and hugged Ms. Eves knees.
He puffed his cheeks, let some tears gather in his eyes and acted like he was sniffing his snot back, trying to keep it in. He turned on his maximum child charm on to convey a desperate child down on his luck looking for help in order to pull at Ms. Eves heartstrings.
Pride?
Whats that?
Can you eat it?
Nox had his pride, but he was not above discarding it to secure a tactical advantage. Besides, he won't update his checkpoint for a while, so he can just undo this all if ever it pleases him.
''Scram off, kid. I don't care about your knowledge, just your stamina and strength. You arms look like a wet noodle and you look like walking downhill will tire you out,'' Eve rudely commented as she tried to pry Nox off.
Some of the passerbye looked and starred as they were passing by.
''I just look like it! I helped my parents on the farm lots. Please give me a chance, please, please, pretty pleeeeeeease,'' Nox pushed. He looked up at her with a vulnerable look.
Adults... normal functioning adults were hardwired by their instincts and mother nature to protect children. Especially when they show that they trust you.
As a king, he naturally had to learn to read people.
Eve was a hardass and did mean it when she said she wanted him gone. But Nox could see she had a soft side. Evidenced by the fact she only gently tried to pry him off with her cane, proving his analysis of her correct. She was old but not THAT old and he was young and weak in body.
''...And where was that farm?,'' Eve asked him suspiciously. White hair and red eyes? Albinism, definitely. And yet, when the sun rose it hit the the front of her store and home first. Today the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly and yet the kid looked fine.
As a matter of fact his skin looked slightly tanned. But only a little.
She needed her assistant to go outside every now and then, so that was one reason she refused him even if she wanted to give him the job.
''Gongaga,'' the boy replied.
Gongaga? That backwater village and he can read, write and do math? They had a school?
''I know what you are thinking. Shows what you know,'' Nox smugly preened and showed her his tongue.
This brat...
''Ow, ow, ow,'' Nox complained as he was pulled from his knees by his ear. Eve let him go when he was on his feet.
''Show me your hands, boy,'' Eve demanded and inspected them as he presented them to her. There were some scratches and marks, but not really any callouses. Hmm, maybe his parents did not make him do any hard work.
''Say, why are you here anyway? Did you run away from home. Won't your parents miss you?,'' Eve asked him.
''My parents are dead... and the villagers called me unnatural,'' Nox looked down and clenched his fists, while he twisted his heel in the ground.
Eve's heart clenched. Eventually she sighed.
''Fine. Stop begging like that. Your wailing is scratching my ears.
Here is what we are gonna do. I'm giving you a trial period. Show me that you can live up to my standard and I will employ you for real,'' Eve told him. Maybe she can ask around for a more proper job for a kid and keep him in safety till she finds him that other job.
''For real!?,'' Nox exclaimed.
''For real. Now stop wasting my time and come,'' Eve told him. Nox grabbed his bag and followed her inside.
She brought him to the second floor.
''Bathroom is there. This is my room and you can take the guest room at the end. Go drop your bag, we start work now,'' Eve told him.
''Now?,'' Nox asked her surprised.
''NOW!,'' Eve yelled.
''Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am,,'' Nox yelped as he bolted for the room.
---
A few days later:
Eve looked at Nox while he was grinding the plants firmly into paste. Eventually he would need to take the paste and dry it to turn it into dust, but while she was planning on making her assistant do that step too, she was giving Nox a difficult time by making him do only the hardest step for the past few days.
He was keeping up with her demands with no complaints.
And she did have to say, it was a very welcome surprise that he meant it when he said he can write and do numbers. She tested him, but didn't make use of that yet by making him write reports or the like. Or leave him alone to measure the ingredients.
''You are hard at work I see. I'm surprised you are not complaining doing the same thing time and time again. Aren't you bored or tired?,'' Eve asked him.
''My father once said,'' Nox stopped and held his finger up by his side with a serious face, clearly trying to imitate someone,'' 'If you want to do something, go all the way. Otherwise don't even bother trying',''
He resumed his work, using his shoulder to scratch his head a little. The wig that was keeping his hair from falling into the past was a little itchy.
''Yes, I am tired. But I said I will do the work and I would not have claimed that, if I didn't plan on delivering. I will NOT let you down,'' Nox nodded firmly at her.
So simple in logic.
Huh.
But... it was a good work ethic. She could respect that.
Eve continued watching him work.
He was a good kid, having obediently listened to her words and making no trouble. Initially she feared he would do so, since he left the house after work was done and returned well into the night. But that was not the case.
...
Maybe she could teach him everything she knew and have him inherit her pharmacy? Gods know she has no more children, all of them having died from sickness or war.
Fucking Shinra made her blood boil, but she was too old and to brittle and too fucking tired to take any sort of revenge.
...
But she was too proud to tell him that he had the job already. She would tell him at the end of the trial period. At least she wouldn't have to walk left, right, up and down anymore to ask other shops if they would take the kid and give him more appropriate work for his body.
---
''Woah, what's that? It is heavy,'' Nox asked her and pretended to be nearly crushed by the weight.
''Gil. Your Gil. For services rendered. Now go outside and enjoy yourself, kid. Don't spend it all today,'' Eve instructed him. She handed him the money at the end of the month for his work.
''My Gil...? For real?! And it is mine?,'' Nox asked her with shining eyes.
''For real. Now shoo, shoo. You don't have any work today since you worked so diligently and stocked up my supplies,'' Eve waved him off.
''Liar! I didn't go gather all the plants from around the city. You had some imported too. But I'm not saying no to a free day. Bye!,'' Nox waved and quickly scurried off before she could change her mind. The bell rang signaling his departure.
Eve made a grabbing motion, clearly annoyed and embarrassed for being called out.
But then she sighed and watched him go with fond exasperation.
''Go have some fun, kid. You earned it,'' Eve murmured.
As for her?
Well, she would wait around and wait for customers to enter her shop.
The bell rang again.
Speak of a devil...
...
Nox counted the money.
1500 Gil.
Nox couldn't tell if this was little or a lot by city standards. It is certainly more then Gongaga enjoyed in a year, give or take a few months.
Still, it did make things significantly easier for him. Since so much time has already passed, he did not want to risk stealing a Materia, getting caught and being forced to redo aaaaaalll these weeks again.
...
''One Fire Materia, please. How much?,'' Nox asked the vendor.
''Scram kid,'' the vendor waved him off.
''Hey! I'm willing to be a paying costumer. Tell me the price and I will pay if I have the money. Or are you willing to harm your own business by turning away a paying customer,'' Nox puffed his cheeks.
The man decided to humor the kid.
''For the Fire Materia? 1000 Gil,'' the man told him the genuine price.
Nox fiddled with his small bag a little and the slapped 1000 thousand Gil on the table, making the man blink.
He grabbed the money and quickly (desperately) counted the money. Then he counted it again.
Shit. He should have said a higher price.
''Well?,'' Nox pried from him. The vendor was standing around like a deer in a headlight.
''Hey, how about this. I'm also selling toys. And look at that at a discount at that, too. Wouldn't you like that more, then a stupid Fire Materia?,'' the vendor offered.
Nox was starting to get an idea why the man was so ... reluctant to sell him the Materia.
Stupid child body.
Also why was he selling such wildly differently categorizing items so close too each other?
''Are there any regulations that prohibits you from selling to children?,'' Nox asked him sharply, the expression and tone a little out of place coming from a child.
Regulations? Why? That sounded... utterly delightful and sensible!
''Yes, kid. I'm sorry, but I didn't have the heart to tell you... You're too young,'' the vendor told him.
Nox gave him a flat expression.
''You suck at lying. Fine. I guess I will just have to file a customer complaint that you refused to serve a willing paying customer. Who is your manager? Or better yet. Who is the shop owner? I demand to speak with them at once,'' Nox demanded to know.
''Ooooor I can NOT make things difficult for you, if you maybe hand over the Materia,'' Nox held out his hand with a grasping motion.
...Shit. Shinra will have his head if he turned away money. They are the ones supplying him with all the Materia he had.
With a sigh and still with some reluctance he grabbed the Materia and put it in the kids hand.
''I'm surprised it was that cheap honestly,'' Nox conversed, fishing for (hopefully) some new information.
''That is because that Materia is Shinra manufactured. All that I have in my inventory are, as a matter of fact. It would be more expensive otherwise,'' the vendor sighed, feeling guilty. The kid will probably harm himself and he would be the cause of that.
''Does that mean there are naturally forming Materia in the world? Are they more powerful then manufactured Materia?,'' Nox asked him for clarification, pocketing the Materia in the pocket of his pants.
''Well... yes. There are naturally occurring Materia out there and they are more powerful then manufactured Materia. But the problem is that that kind of Materia is rare. It doesn't happen too often that a natural one forms or at least it takes ages for one to form.
And rumors say that they are always found near dangerous or unconventional spots. Supposedly there is always a good chance of finding one near a Mako vein...,'' the vendor trailed off and cursed himself.
Whatever the boy wanted or whoever he was, he had an interest in Materia so he felt stupid possibly having given the boy ideas and putting him in even more danger.
''Look, kid,'' the man began, hoping to dissuade the boy from any idea.
''Calm down. I'm not suicidal, I was just curious. I won't go off to any adventure,'' Nox waved and walked out the shop making the vendor relax a little.
Yet. He won't go off to any adventure yet.
---
It took him a few days to find a safe spot, but on the beach there were some rocks in a certain formation shielding on from the world. Whenever the tide rose, because off ebb and flow, one had to swim a little to get to that chamber inside that rock.
It took him a few more days to determine when the optimal time was to go there.
There were several things he needed to keep in mind. WHEN was the flow? If it was during working hours, it would be problematic. Was it during a time where people were on the beach? Could he get there and back without arousing suspicion, since the place was a little outside of Gold Saucer? He would have to walk there and back quickly.
Eventually, Nox realized that the only time he COULD go, without raising suspicion was when it was night.
And THEN it he would have to wait for the right night, where he would be sufficiently rested before hand, because all things considered he would be most likely forced to pull an all nighter and stay awake for 24 hours and maybe more.
All in all it took another month till he would finally get the chance to push forward with his plan.
At least he continued to learn about the flora and fauna here from Eve and learned some more information. So it was not like it was a complete loss.
Nox closed the door gently and adjusted his cap. He would have to hide his hair, because it was a very distinct feature and it stuck around even at night. As a city Gold Saucer enjoyed streetlights.
He softly advanced across the hallway, walking past Eves room and eventually made his way downstairs. Using his own key to the house he opened the door, exited and then closed it just in case.
He looked around and then casually began walking to his destination. There was no one around, but if he tried to sneak around it would be obvious he had to hide something. There were no alleys he could take to keep himself out of the spotlight, so he had to work with this.
There was an art to sneaking, he knew. How else could he have evaded the old government so well otherwise?
(Thought it did take a very long and painful trial and error.)
...
Nox undressed and his clothes in a small crevice outside on the rock formation. His skin would dry faster then the clothes and that he did not want.
As it was night, the water was very cold. He suppressed a shudder, took a deep breath and then submerged under the water. It was dark, so he effectively swam blind, but it was a straight path and he already explored the path a few other times.
When he came out, he made the nice discovery that the room was lit up. Very weakly in fact, but he could make out the silhouette of his hand and other objects. The water was clearly reflecting some moonlight into the room.
This was the first time he came here while it was dark.
Anyway.
He looked at the Materia he kept in his hand throughout all this after he undressed.
There was... something telling him what it was. The Materia. Even without knowing that it was a Fire Materia, he knew it was a Fire Materia because he felt it. And that it could get stronger too. (Somehow. Here the Materia was silent. Nox had to assume that it was a matter of killing monsters. He remembers how those monsters on the path from Gongaga to the Mako Reactor turned to, what Nox presumed to be, Mako and then dissipated in the wind. If Materia was condense Mako, then maybe it could get 'denser' and thus more powerful if he feeds it more Mako.)
It was ... the best way Nox could describe the matter.
He 'instinctively' knew what it was...
And what to do.
How... so very pleasant.
Nox was worrying and fussing about how he could get the thing to work. Especially considering he has never done magic and has no experience in it. But now that he was here. Now that he focused only on the matter at hand, how to get the Materia to fire a fire spell, it was... clear to him.
As if a voice was talking to him, imparting knowledge on him.
In a way.
Nox did not know and he was not certain.
Honestly, the way he described it sounded silly in his head.
And yet...
''Fira,'' Nox held out his hand and cast the spell.
The wall of the room was hit by a small intense flame, the room lighting up for a brief moment in orange hues and massive shadows, courtesy of Nox' body.
Well, that solved his greatest worry. If he could cast spells or not.
His body felt just a little drained, but other wise fine. Probably a matter of Mana/ Mako.
But that did not mean he was done. There was many more things to do.
Conducting experiments.
He was not sure if that was the power ROB spoke of 'that fits the world' or if it was a byproduct.
Nox put the Materia down and out of reach and then held out his hand again, focusing on the previous felling.
He took a deep breath and then called out:''Fira.''
Nothing happened, nothing stirred inside him. No orange hues, no black shadows.
Nox did not let that deter him and focused again.
''Fira.''
''Fira!''
''Fiiiira.''
''Firaaaa.''
Nox hummed, looking at his hand as he clenched and opened it. Absolutely nothing.
Hmmm.
Fine, he'll put a rain check on that.
He remembered SOLDIER and how they are said to be enhanced by Mako, evident by their Mako eyes.
Hmm.
Nox closed his eyes again and picked up a rock. He gripped it with strength and wished to possess the strength to crush it in his own hand.
...
...
...
Nox sighed and rubbed his chin.
Nothing again. Huh?
...
Over the next few hours, he tried various other things.
Absorbing the Materia for one. (For some reason he had the feeling someone was calling him very silly.)
Then he tried to eat it. Not his brightest moment, considering it was basically the same as the previous experiment. Also his teeth were hurting a little.
Then he tried casting Fira on the Materia...
Yeah, Nox had no idea why he thought this would work at all.
In his defense, some times someone has to go the neanderthal way and just hit things together and hope something comes of it.
Some of the greatest discoveries happened by pure serendipity. Like penicillin for example.
Nox tried one thing.
He tried a second thing.
And a third.
And then he tried some more.
He was sure the sun was about to come up and he wanted to leave a little earlier to let his body dry. He needed that extra time.
One more thing and then he will leave.
Nox took the Materia and positioned it between a few rocks to keep it in place and then he picked up another rock.
Probably a very dumb idea, but it was not like death meant much to him. Except old age clearly.
He slammed the rock down.
Again and again and again, with all the strength his little body could allow him.
It was a though nut to crack, resilient, but Nox kept going.
And moments before he was about to give up.
*Crack*
He did not know why. Maybe it was because it was a manufactured Materia and not a naturally occurring one, but after all that hitting, eventually, a very small crack appeared on the green sphere.
Nox had no idea what he wanted to expect. He doubted he would absorb the Materia now, when it previously didn't obey him, but that is what experimenting was for. Hopefully he will get something out of this.
He resumed his activity and after a few more times the Materia shattered into a thousand particles, similar to the monsters he killed in Gongaga.
He instinctively shielded his eyes, but then he forced himself to look at the sight anyway with the hope to catch anything.
Was that...?
Yes. Just for a brief moment, he was able to catch a faint shimmer around his hand... like faint strands...
That... was definitely worth looking into. Hopefully it was an answer to the question he sought.
Also for some reason, he felt ... feelings wash over him. He could not put it into words, but that is what it kind of felt like.
No matter, he quickly dismissed that peculiarity. But he kept it in the back of his mind, just in case he needed that feeling to discover what that shimmer around his hand was.
With his time being done here, he quickly swam back and stood around for a bit before getting himself dressed up.
He came back home to his room, just in time for the sun to rise up and for Eve to call him down for work.
---
''Hatchu,'' Nox sneezed.
He got sick a few days later.
''No, no. Stay in bed,'' Eve told him firmly, hiding her worry. Her heart clenched when he sneezed again, sounding as if his lungs tried to leave his body.
''But I need to work. I promised you,'' Nox whined. He learned a lot from her and already had his objective completed.
Well... half completed.
Nox doubted Shinra picked this spot as a tourist spot for its lack of poisonous plants, but it was a happy coincidence anyway. Sure there were the monsters, but that could not be helped.
There were no poisonous plants around the area. He asked if Eve ever imported poisonous plants and she asked him why she would do that. He shrugged and hasn't opened up the subject since. So, he was currently in a stump in regards to a way to inconspicuously kill himself.
Good old knife it will have to be.
Also, sunk cost fallacy was a thing. He was just about to finish his schooling in this trade anyway, so he might as well learn about the rest of the plants on Gaia.
And he wanted to do that as quickly as possible, considering he was almost done. Then he can return to his checkpoint a few months ago and continuously break into the library.
The quicker he was out of her hair the better. Their relationship started on a lie and she would not appreciate finding out that he took advantage of her.
This way she will remain ignorant.
Ignorance is bliss, as they say.
''Normally children try to avoid work. You are the only one that wants to work while looking as if you are standing at deaths door. I'm not angry with you,'' Eve told him gently and put some warm cloth on his forehead.
''You're going to kick me out. I'm wasting your time,'' Nox despaired and chocked up.
''Nononono, shh, shh,'' Eve gently stroked his hair and his cheek,'' Don't say such things. You did so well till now, why would I be angry with you over something outside your control? I can tend to the shop for a few days by myself.''
''I promise to get healthy as soon as possible!,'' Nox declared.
''I hold you to that promise,'' Eve smiled at him, then grabbed something from the tray,'' Here. I brought you some medicine. It should open up your throat and nose a little to better breathe.''
Nox looked reluctant to take it, but sfter some reassurances from Eve he took it.
''Ms. Eve?''
''Yes, Nox?,'' Eve gently asked him.
''You said... that I am about to finish learning my trade soon. Could you...could you, teach me at least the theory. When I'm better I can immediately know about that and I only need to study half as much by practicing my theory,'' Nox looked proud of his solution, but he also looked worried about something. Eve guessed he feared that his request would make her angry somehow.
''Yes, I suppose the quicker you get back to work the better. I will come tonight and read you from my books and show you the pictures instead of the samples. That alright with you?,'' Eve asked him gently.
''Yes!,'' Nox raised his hands and removed his blanket a little.
''But you have to work with me and do everything I say, so that you can get healthy as fast as possible. OK?,'' Eve asked taking his arms and putting them back under the cover, then she pulled the blanket all the way to his chin.
''Gotcha, Ms. Eve,'' Nox nodded,'' I will see you tonight.''
''See you tonight, Nox,'' Eve said and then leaned down intending to kiss his forehead.
She stilled and then awkwardly patted his shoulder instead.
It was awkward after she lost her children, to get so attached to another child like this. A small part of her was afraid she will get too attached and then...
No. Best not think about it.
---
Nox hasn't completely recovered yet, but he pushed himself upright in his bed. While he hasn't recovered, he has finished his trade.
And he needed to continue his investigation.
He rubbed his throat while looking at his hand.
Magic, from the way things seemed currently, was relatively straightforward in this world. Hold a Materia, cast a spell, no need to study a life time like you were Gandalf or Dumbledore.
So, with a little bit of hope, Nox closed his eyes and focused really hard on his wish to manifest these strands.
After a while he opened his eyes and was a little startled at what he saw.
It was not just an illusion after all and there were faint green shimmering floating strands around his hand. Particularly around the back of his hand.
Ok, that was nice. But what could it do. Should he eat it? There weren't that many. Only about... ,it looked like, a few hundred. Was there a way to increase the number? Maybe destroying the Materia helped somehow?
Hmm. Were they even solid?
Nox looked at the tea cup near his table, the one he drank his medicine and hot tea with and brought his hand close.
Then he retracted it.
Actually no. Let's test the range as well.
He kept his hand a good one meter away from the cup.
With some effort, the strands sluggishly advanced towards the tea cup. It was getting thinner and thinner until it stopped shy of stopping it.
Hmm. Shame. Unless more strands means more range.
He brought his hand closer and watched as the strands struggled to lift up the tea cup. But lift it up they did, he kept his other hand under the cup just in case.
He put the cup back down.
Then he tried to detach the strands from him. Nothing of the sort occurred.
Mmmm.
He tried shaping the strands into a ball and then having it only be attached by one strand. Ehhh, it worked in a way, but it was not one strand but several. Maybe he just lacked the control, but it was a huge boon that he could manipulate the strands like this.
They needed a name.
Considering their appearance? Everything in the world revolving around Mako? And the way Materia and Monsters exploded into Mako after they got defeated?
He was going to call them Mako Strands.
He dismissed them and then willed them to appear on his other hand. It happened.
He tried to split the strands between both hands equally... with varying results.
Ok. So a few new goals on his chore list now that he fond out about the power.
-How to increase the strands?
-Learn to control it more efficiently.
-See how else they can be applied with some creativity and experimenting.
...
Hmmm.
He was done here.
Nox grabbed his bag from under his bed and searched around for a bit till he stumbled upon the sheathe of his knife.
He unsheathed it and put it at his throat, but... he was hesitant to kill himself.
Because of an idea he had.
He put the knife back and summoned the Mako strands back, then shaped them with some difficulty into a blade.
...
Nope. The past few months were not a waste, but at least now he had a inconspicuous way to kill himself. Also a certain, better, less risky way then a poisonous pill considering that one could stop the poison with magic (he just realized).
He thrust it at his jugular and winced.
Top priority. Learn efficiency and control quickly.
The blade was dull. Very dull.
After some more pain, failed attempts and fine tuning he got it.
Blood splattered the ground.
As the world turned dark, he only hoped that the strands functioned like muscle memory.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He came back to himself on the bench after he arrived in Gold Saucer.
He began impatiently tapping the arm rest of the bench, mighty impatient about his Mako Strands. Whether he had the control over them as he did before he came back or not.
He can always kill himself again to removed any passerby's memories.
He flexed his hands and they obediently came to him at his call. The sight attracting the gaze of a few passerby's.
Well, that is a relief. Looking at them they seemed to number the same as previously... God, he could only hope that this was a 'muscle' that would travel back in time with him. It would get tedious fast to bring back the number of strands up, every time he died.
Forming the strands into scissors, they cut at his neck almost to the vertebrae.
He bleed out incredible quickly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nox pumped his fist proudly. The biggest issue resolved, he only needed to see how far he can push this ability of his. And of course find out the other ability down the line.
Now though?
Time to become a thief.
---
It took him several tries and deaths.
But eventually he got inside the library.
He says library, but it was more correct to say that this was the mansion of a Shinra executive who either wanted to brag or genuinely made use of these books. Whose mansion it was he did not know, but hopefully he gets some more answers.
But... looking at the MANY books, this will probably take a while...
Maybe a few deaths too.
---
Promised Land?
Mako is the condensed energy of the planet, taken from the Lifestream. It is said that the Promised Land contains infinite Mako. Alas, only the Cetra, also known as the Ancients are said to know how to access it, for they are the only ones said to 'communed with the planet'.
Nox paraphrased a lot from what he read, but that was the essences of it.
Ancients again. Or Cetra, he supposed.
There more time passes the more curious he gets about how the fuck they died. A war with humanity. If so, was it a matter of race or were there sociological and cultural differences that created a rift.
And Nox also guessed that confirms which public opinion was right.
Mako was a finite resource and Shinra was looking for this Promised Land for infinite Mako to secure their power over the world. Yeah, he knew all too well how corporations worked.
But... that did beg the question.
Was Shinra actually looking for this Promised Land or were they looking for alternative resources for Mako? Because if it was the former, then it meant Shinra was certain or had evidence that somewhere out there on Gaia a group of Ancients still lived.
Either way, Nox firmly put Shinra on his list of enemies. Albeit they lacked priority. First the BBEG. And if he survives and lives to old age here, then he wanted to enjoy this fantasy world, because who wouldn't want to enjoy a fantasy world.
He would know. Mundane worlds were boring, it was a trill, at times, to make everyone dance as if they were his puppets, because of his powers.
---
Midgar had the biggest Mako Reactor in the world and could 'boast' of a desert spanning several miles around it in a circle. Past the desert was an almost instantaneous transition from desert to lush grass.
Yeah. Nox never was a scientist, but if that evidence did not speak for itself, then he did not know what did.
(As for Midgar itself? The less said, the better. Nox did not want to imagine the disparity and rift the creation of the Upper Plates and the Lower Plate caused. There was a lot classicism involved.)
---
AVALANCHE? An eco-terrorist group bombing Mako Reactors in hopes of liberating mother earth and placating her cries.
Looking at the things they did, Nox was not impressed. As a liberator, rebel, and revolutionary he was left wanting from their actions. Bombing Mako Reactors was all fine and dandy, but one should treat the disease not the symptoms. And besides, unlike him, it is not like they avoid or could undo mass civilian casualties.
Of course, people will die either way, but it was the way of things.
Maybe...
Nox shook his head.
No.
Priorities.
---
Something about how Shinra was founded and made and how it rose.
Blah, blah, blah. Glorious, great and mighty was used quite often.
Nox supposed it was nice to know more about this worlds history, but he was not about to feed into their propaganda.
---
After a few nights, almost two weeks, of breaking and entering into the library he stumbled upon a man, dressed in a suit.
As a head of state, he immediately recognized the mans profession. They ALL carried themselves the same way. Whoever he was, he worked in espionage or the sort.
Considering the circumstances and who he was, Nox decided to forgo any risk for the desire to gather information and immediately went for the kill.
The man bolted in surprise towards him, as Nox' Mako Strands cut through his own throat in the form of scissors.
The man tried to heal him with some magic, was the last sight Nox saw, but alas it was too late and the damage too great.
...
All things considered it was a very humbling experience. He will not take such risks again, until he was much older and stronger.
---
The Turks was what they were called. Shinras Espionage Division that is. Naturally, they did what all Espionage Agencies did.
Apparently they received a very small dose of Mako treatment to enhance their bodies. The ones that do not met the standards to make it into third class SOLDIER, but still have some Mako tolerance. Or the ones that get directly recruited and can tolerate the Mako.
---
Mako poisoning was a thing. Best not fall into an exposed Mako Vein then.
Apparently the effects ranged from coma to death and worse.
Mako was definitely involved in the making of SOLDIERs, Probably through some arduous process?
If he jumped into a Mako Vein could he come out enhanced after a few tries?
Mmmmm. No, better not risk it at all. There are talks about delirium. What if he, in his delirium updates his checkpoint. ROB warned him not to get the world stuck in a loop and he did not want to risk seeing him pissed.
Yeah, Better not risk that at all.
---
Internet existed. But they were very heavily guarded. With fortresses. Nox took that as a sign that their encryption is not strong enough...yet. This mansion did not have a PC and even if it did, he would not be able to hack it at all. He never picked up the skill and he doubted he would pick it for a while.
PHS or phones existed forthe public though, with limited Internet and communication capabilities.
They were also expensive.
Nox was sure either way everything was all monitored.
(It also told him that there must be cameras around here. One he may have not seen and that is how the Turk came. Maybe. He didn't stick around to ask after all.)
---
Nox starred at the Map of the World.
Considering the Incident with the Turk, he would need to go back and steal the map from a vendor, maybe some food as well. Because he had a course of action.
But for now, studying the one in this library suited him fine.
He had two options.
Seek out a swords master to train him or go to Midgar.
The more he looks at matters and the more he finds out, the more Nox is convinced that the Cetra play a pivotal role. Either in defeating the BBEG or to lure them out.
Shinra would have to hold some answers in regards to that.
BUT.
That would be walking into the lions den.
And he did say, he wanted to be very powerful before he takes such risks again.
Nox tapped his finger on the world map for quite a while.
He was tempted to go with the latter.
All things considered, there were only two places that really guaranteed him any sword training.
Midgar with their SOLDIER program. But that brings him back to his previous problem.
Or Wutai.
All things Nox read indicated that it was a japanese styled country. Which meant Katanas. They would have to do, but Nox hoped they could train him in a long sword too.
There are two problems though.
The way there is dangerous, Which in itself is not that much of a mood killer for him, but they are distrusting of outsiders. He was not about to got all the way there and then risk being turned away. And even if they let him in their country, there was, again, no guarantee that someone would take hims as a student.
And the second problem was that Shinra was negotiating (aggressively) with Wutai for them to join the government and abandon their sovereignty. It also meant allowing them to build a Mako Reactor on their soil.
Wutai will refuse like any self respecting country (or by sheer virtue of people not wanting to give up power) and he will just skip to the end.
War.
Which brought him back to the previous problem of walking into the lions den.
...
...
OR.
The idea struck him just now.
He forgoes any sword training, he forgoes even buying any sword (till maybe much later, if ever) and just uses his Materia and Mako Strands (in the form of a long sword, once he finds a way to increase the strands, but a dagger for now) to train through trial and error.
He can live of the land any fruits he finds. Look at that, learning the trade from Eve was really worth it after all.
It is a stupid idea, Nox recognized, but it carried only controlled risks. He knew what to expect from beasts and monsters. Getting mauled to death. Which didn't deter him.
Humans on the other hand? There were a few ways they could screw him over.
It also kept him outside the radar of Shinra.
It allowed him to stumble upon natural Materia.
There was the risk of him learning something wrong and then making it a habit. Unlearning that would be a pain in the ass. But maybe he would be lucky enough and stumble upon a wandering soul who would be kind enough to teach him.
Maybe?
Who was he kidding?
Anyway.
Three options and a choice that needed to be made.
Nox resumed his tapping on the world map and pondered nearly the whole night.
...
He did not hate himself despite how it may have seem. But he really liked making his life more difficult. Huh.
He formed the Mako Strands and killed himself again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nox removed the mask from his face and stuffed it in his bag.
In a way it was a little hilarious, if it wouldn't be sad too in a way.
Chronologically speaking Nox arrived in Gold Saucer via transportation by a kind stranger and then in the same night he committed several thefts and was about to leave into the big wide world.
Nox stole a map, some food, a sleeping bag, a Fire and Ice Materia, a pan and a bottle (for him to turn into a water filtration system) from various vendors. It was now heavier, but at least, he covered the most important stuff. A necessary sacrifice.
Toilet paper? It existed, but Nox was not about to make the bag even heavier and leaves would do. Though he probably needed to wash his hands especially in some form immediately afterwards and of course his body.
It is not the first time he survived in the wild, he knew what to do. Though considering it was a fantasy world, things would be a little differently here.
Oh well.
What didn't kill him made hims stronger.
Nox mouth twitched at the joke.
'Welp then, time to move,' Nox thought to himself as he began his way, departing the Gold Saucer.
He wouldn't update his checkpoint for a while.
Just in case it proved a horrible, terrible idea, his checkpoint would be in a safe spot. But once he updates it, he will be committed to his choice.
...
Far away from Gold Saucer he brought out his Mako Strands, wanting to train his control. As well as see what else he can do with them.
Instead he stilled, stopping on the road.
There were... far more strands now then they were before.
But ... how?
After the Turk he killed himself every 12 hours after breaking into the library. (He arrived in the evening and called it quits after the sun rose.)
He didn't get to do anything that would increase his strands.
So it was not the Materia that did something to his strands, but...
Nox suppressed a chuckle.
How morbidly fitting.
His own deaths increase the number of strands. Nox was sure of this conclusion.
Truly ROB has a twisted dark sense of humor. Nox could see joke in giving hims such a power and could not hate him for it, despite circumstances.
Hmm. He would not go to crazy for now, but... let's see what the next few years bring.
When he is satisfied with his powers, he will go to Midgar.
For now, his next destination would be North Corel.
(A.N.: 7272 words. Hope you enjoyed reading that. Cheers.)