Daily Short: Kyo 23

ACT  963161069-33889.20.(M11.D14-M12.D21)Fluffy Alchemist Kyo

After dinner Kyo watched Talos depart the mansion. She didn’t ask where he was going, and the older cat hadn’t volunteered the information. Sene had cleared him to depart for most of the month on his secretive business. Turning away from the window after Talos’s back exited the gate, she placed the dishes into the sink for cleaning. Scrambling down from the step stool she took a deep breath and then let the world twist around her before it resettled into the familiar shape of her lab.

The first time she had teleported with her own mana, but Felix had given her a lengthy lecture on the idiocy of that. There were countless energies present in the universe. Many of them connected to worlds or dimensions that defied understanding. Like lighting a bonfire, teleportation was far easier if she used such things. A small spark of her own mana was used to attract a large portion of the Meatworld universe’s mana. In that manner, teleportation was accomplished with minimal cost.

She made the requisite mana crystals for the next shipment, and then considered her next move. As it was now, the people who had almost murdered her ran free. The resources to take revenge would be astronomical. She was still pondering what to do when Mr. Clay appeared floating nearby. Kyo held up three fingers. Mr. Clay held up five pebbles. She still didn’t know where the pebbles came from, but that was beside the point. Scrunching her face Kyo trembled and held up four fingers. Her expression was as if the world had lost color and red rain was bleeding from her heart.

After Mr. Clay agreed with pebble-signaling he teleported away in a flash. Kyo muttered with dissatisfaction, “He’s made of evil and cruelty! What could he possibly need four sausages for!?” It took a few moments for Felix’s Steed to return with her Shunka-En Bonsai. On the floating ceramic’s rectangular back was a small pot with high-quality fertilizer. It was within this pot that her green friend sat in contentment. Kyo chose to ignore the round conical chair with spiked stands that was clearly Felix’s sunbathing suit. The blue demon crystal had taken over the forward end of Mr. Clay for evil purposes.

Kyo knew her world was a place of magic and wonder, full of fantastic creatures and powerful wizards. In theory, the Wasteland was billed as somewhere anything was possible. A sandy dream where the impossible became common, and where every possibility would come true. The bards and such would say the Wasteland was rife with opportunity. She knew their entire spiel was hogwash, as it only could be true when you had money. She hadn’t had enough to do things before, but now she had money from her mana crystals. Enough to take proper stock of things.

Enough to take revenge.

She teleported to the top of the mansion with Mr. Clay following her. The sky was a vibrant shade of blue, and the clouds were fluffy and white. The sun shone down on the land, casting a warm glow over everything. It also baked the world in an oven, but you couldn’t have an omelet without breaking eggs. The trees were tall and lush, and the flowers were vibrant in color. Her garden lay beneath surrounding the mansion from all sides now. It was a paradise compared to where she lived before made possible by her Patrons and Plant Manipulation IV.

As the sun began to set, a group of adventurers was visible in the far-off streets heading to the Bazaar. The city was massive from up high. However, in her ring, it was peaceful with only a few buildings and a small square in the center nearby at the crossroads. She knew adventurers were a varied group, each with their own unique skills and abilities.

Kyo looked around the town, taking in the sights and sounds. She could hear the laughter of children playing in the square close by and the clanging of metal from the blacksmith's shop in the distance.

As she gazed upon the town, Kyo's thoughts turned to the people who had tried to kill her recently. They were part of a criminal organization that desired to use her magic for their own gain. The money from the mana crystals she could create was just too enticing. A rival of the Lion had decided to take action, and they were most assuredly linked to Werebeasts. She knew that because Felix had informed her as such. As soon as they found out what she could do, and how they couldn’t capture her, they attempted murder instead.

Kyo had managed to eliminate them all, but they had left her with a deep fear of being wounded and alone. Fear that was only assuaged by delicious meat. She had been forced to lie low in this mansion, where she had barely managed to survive the boredom. Even potions lost their luster under the demonic blue crystal’s training. It had taken almost a month to recover from her mental illness, but during that time, she had honed her magical skills and created her own mana crystals to draw upon in combat.

Now, she had the power and the resources to take her revenge. She had been biding her time, waiting for the right moment to strike. And now, with Talos away on his secret business, the time had finally come.

She closed her eyes and focused her mind, calling forth her magic. She reached out with her senses, searching for the location of her enemies. Her space magic abilities were far greater after a month of Felix’s training. She could feel the tendrils of their existence in space, pulsing like dark veins in the fabric of reality.

With a burst of energy, Kyo teleported herself to their hideout. She appeared in a dark, damp room, filled with the stench of mold and decay. The walls were lined with weapons and other nefarious tools, and there were several people in the room, all of them armed and dangerous. The entire group gave a guttural growl as if scenting fresh meat.

Kyo stood her ground, her eyes locked on the leader of the group. He was a tall, muscular werebeast because only a Were could be that ugly, with a scar across his face. He sneered at her and raised his sword, ready to strike.

Slow. Kyo thought with derision.

Kyo was faster after training under her harsh blue Patron. With a wave of her hand, she sent a burst of spatial sheer forces towards the leader, knocking him off his feet. The other members of the group rushed towards her, but Kyo was prepared. She summoned vines from the ground creating them from the mold already under her command, wrapping them around her attackers and immobilizing them. There was a brief moment where mercy flickered in her eyes before it vanished. Felix had explained that mercy to enemies was cruelty to one’s self. Spore Cloud burst out melting flesh from bone. It didn't matter that the creatures could regenerate because they couldn't do it fast enough to matter.

In a matter of seconds, the fight was over. Kyo had defeated her enemies and turned them into high-quality mulch. She had taken her revenge and proved to herself that she was stronger than those who had tried to hurt her. She didn’t forget to plunder their base placing every possible item of value into Storage.

As she teleported back to her mansion, Kyo felt a sense of satisfaction and contentment. She knew that there would always be those who would try to use her powers for their own gain, but she also knew that she had the strength and the skill to defend herself from mere thugs. Felix’s inhuman training worked. And that was a terrible truth she would always live with.