From my previous life.
There were times when I didn't feel like having a conversation. The thought of explaining it to them for whatever reason felt so draining.
You know, just like how a woman expects to be understood. I Shouldn't Have to Tell You- You Should Just Know!-- something along those lines.
I want that.
How about just a way to impart what I want them to understand fully, directly to their minds? Misunderstandings wouldn't be a thing then. And people who don't want or just plainly never listen will understand, a fucking Anti-Dumbass spell if you will.
It can even be used Academically, just literally slap knowledge into their liquified brains.
I can somehow do it with my current abilities but it's just not the same, you know?
Shit would've been so damn convenient for many situations. For example, my situation right now.
"Is that all?! HAHHAHAHA WEAK!" That's what I said but man, oh man, damn Pain Nullification can't heal trauma, fuck electricity. Her Electro felt so different from Kujou Sara.
With my Pain Nullification and Electric Current Resistance and Kujou Sara not taking it seriously (She wants to kill him.), it felt nothing compared to this.
The difference is, that Ei is not holding back at all (She is)! Must've been my threat level being through the roof inside this space, and also probably because she's a god.
As expected of this great me! To be taken seriously by someone as great as Her Excellency, Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder.
Anyway, she's the reason as to why I'm saying what I said earlier.
Be fully understood without having to state everything, alas, shit's impossible. After all, not everyone is as great as I am! What a pity indeed!
I can do it now though.
But the thing is, that is not something I want to do now.
"Disappointing!" As I spam sword beams with my Excalibur Image. From what I remember from the game, she can fight herself for 500 hundred years straight or more without even taking a break--Sigh, this would go on forever... There's no way I could last THAT long.
"Can't you just listen to me?" I said as I looked at her with a bitter smile.
Not letting one of her slashes split me in half, I used my skills to put an image in her head of what 'I would do', messing up her predictions and then completely do a different thing instead of what's on her mind.
"You're the one who attacked first, did you not?" She said as she saw me punch the side of her sword, deflecting it.
"Haha. Well, I have this gut feeling that you'll attack as soon as you see me." With my hands already raised above my head, my sword materialized as I stepped on her foot, ready to slice this grumpy woman--However; before I could lock her in place, she jumped, doing a roundhouse kick to my ribs.
As my arm's still in a position above my head; a pose that usually indicates a powerful downward slash and her legs cackling with power, electro and pure elemental energy coursing through them, one thing is certain: I wouldn't be able to defend against that kick.
My Thought Acceleration, Magic Sense, and All-Seeing Eye had been overworked since the start of the fight flared once more--however, the kick for some reason didn't get any slower.
"You are not wrong." Her words echoed through my ears normally, It didn't slowed down as I initially anticipated, It sounded as if I didn't have Thought Acceleration, Magic Sense, and All-Seeing Eye in full throttle.
But, what's clear is.
I am fucked.
"Shi--!" My body flew, skidding through the snowy field for a few meters leaving nothing but trails because that's how it should be when you get kicked like that.
---
Ei watched as his body flew from her kick-- No, He shouldn't have flown that far.
It's already outside her influence.
As we fought, she realized something about this place. Everything here bends to his will. Everything within this domain is an extension of his will, molded as effortlessly as a swordsman wields their blade.
In this place, HE is OMNIPOTENT.
It bears similarities to the Shogun, a vessel of her design. [1]
Even so, he's holding back. Despite having the power to push her out of this place, he's choosing to fight at her "level", "matching" her strength. [2]
What arrogance.
Because If this fight were to happen elsewhere. He wouldn't even have the chance to make a noise.
From the moment she struck the first blow, she has been expanding her Plane of Euthymia around her, trying to push back his influence. It's draining far more energy than usual, but she doesn't have a choice. Without it, he would just heal himself as if the attack never happened. [3]
Her attacks wouldn't be as effective against him nor she would be able to do anything with him in full control of everything, therefore; she had to remove his influence within a certain distance with her as the center point, ever-expanding.
Layer by layer, until his dominion is erased and overwritten by her own.
While she had a numbers of ways to deal with him, this one ensures that every effort is as effective as her strongest move.
'But most importantly'
"Are you mocking me?" The words leave her lips. Her gaze fixed on his crumpled form.
He lay sprawled in the snow, blood staining the pristine white around him. The metallic scent lingers in the air, sharp and acrid. He clutches his side, convulsing as more blood spills forth.
That vulnerable move he intentionally just did... and this.
Even now, he continued vomiting while rolling around the snow, holding the part where she kicked him.
Five seconds pass in silence, save for the labored sound of his breath. He ceases his rolling, propping himself on his knees. His gaze meets hers, and then—
He smirks.
A smirk is so absurd, so deliberately provoking, that it tests the limits of her restraint.
"Why...?" he rasps, his voice weak yet laced with insolence. He pauses, then contorts his face to mimic a troll face, making it as natural as humanly possible. "Aw wo moukking moui?---puwhk"
The moment his words registered in her mind was also the moment she, for some odd reason, found her heels already planted on his smiling face.
---
Without a delay after uttering those words, Dantalion found his head planted into the ground with the Booba sword's foot pressing the back of his head with her heel.
How? Well, The first kick sent him flying, then the Electro grump appeared behind him then Bam! She kicked the back of his head, and she then proceeded to continuously kick him till his head could not be seen anymore, completely buried underground with only his body sticking out.
He just got hit with a combo, Dragon Ball style.
"It WAS funny tho--puwk" The Electro Archon not interested in hearing him, picked a rock, performed an Asian squat, and without even letting him say anything more, she repeatedly smashed the rock to his still imbedded head; similarly to how you beat up a mochi.
It was not funny, it seems.
As Ei continuously smacked Dantalion with a rock, another woman joined in the fun, the woman picked a rock, performed an Asian squat, and repeatedly smacked a rock to Dantalions head, their smacking coordinated, the other hitting the head while the other still above preparing the hit and vice versa.
Ei was startled, seeing a familiar hand doing the same thing as her, 'Kujou Sara.. why is she here?' She wondered as her gaze bore to her General.
Sara, feeling the gaze, stopped what she was doing, and addressed the questioning look the Shogun was giving her, "Shogun-sama, It's not that I have no faith in you getting rid of him from my body, It's just that, I--" Panicking at first then slowly regained her composure as she speaks.
'This sense of duty.' A small soft smile appeared on Ei's face while listening to Kujou Sara explain herself, still though, she disobeyed her order to not come in here while she was dealing with him.
"I thought it was already dealt with after you left my room--BITCHITSSTILLMEHAHAHAHAHAHA" 'Kujou Sara's' expression changed as the rock she was holding to the side expanded to a size larger than a two-story house, and as if weight didn't exist, she swung the boulder to Ei which caught the Electro god off-guard.
Mockingly "OoOoh noo, I am sooOo caught ooOff-guard, what do I dooOo?" She said as her small soft smile remained.
With her great reflex and strength, she planned to deflect the boulder by punching it, why punch? The distance-But oh no, what's that? There's another boulder on the opposite side of the one she was about to punch! Just a millimeter away from her!--And so she got clapped in between two boulders.
"ENOUGH!!" Splitting the two boulders into countless pieces with her energy slashes that burst out of her body, "Quit it with these games." She said as if she wasn't doing it too, dozens of times earlier, "Are you a child? You won't cease unless you're the last hit?"
"What are you saying?" Dantalion, now sitting on a chair chair with an outdoor tea table and patio umbrella asked her, "I've been sitting here all this time, waiting for you to join me."
"Yet you keep insisting on fighting like some savage." He continued as Ei looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Look at the time, It has already been 4 minutes with nothing resolved."
He sighed disappointingly.
"Just take a seat."
Ei gripped her sword hard as veins started bulging on her forearms and neck.
---
Inazuma, Kujou State.
Kujou Sara with the Raiden Shogun, snitchi--discussing all about Kujou Sara's investigation of Dantalion.
"----," Sara reported, her voice steady but tinged with frustration. "He switches between forms and personalities with ease, making it difficult to discern his true intentions. I cannot even determine if what he is showing me is truth."
'He also has an extremely thick face.' Adding to herself, considering how the guy pretty much never cringes nor regrets it when doing something so embarrassing in front of her. [5]
The Raiden Shogun, serene and composed, nodded thoughtfully.
Sara hesitated for a moment before continuing. "As for his abilities, It's..." Her eyes drooped down a little as she started to state everything Dantalion could do based on what she saw from him. "...Furthermore, he has a way of getting into one's mind, twisting thoughts and emotions. He can make a simple annoyance grow into something more intense."
The Shogun nodded, appearing to be in deep contemplation. While that might be somewhat true, what she was doing was trying to convey the information she had just gathered to her moth--Electro Archon who was currently fighting the very being Kujou Sara was describing.
{We're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again.}
{We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service at this time, fuck you!}
{Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system--}
That is what she keeps hearing.
Then, unbeknownst to both of them, magicules started spreading, it started from Kujou Sara. These tiny particles, imperceptible, began to disperse into the air, carried by the natural wind.
The particles were so small and insignificant, so scattered that neither of them noticed.
Starting from Inazuma, the magicules began to spread, seemingly carried by the winds to every corner of the nation. Regardless of race or status, as long as a being breathes, they inhale the magicules.
From the bustling city streets of Narukami Island to the quiet, serene plains of Kannazuka, every living being was slowly but surely coming into contact with the magicules.
The spread was insidious, subtle, and unnoticed by all. The magicules drifted into homes, markets, and temples, slipping past the most vigilant guards and the most sensitive sensors. They mingled with the natural environment, becoming part of the air, water, and soil.
But the magicules didn't confine themselves to Inazuma's borders. Carried by winds and refugees, they drifted across seas, reaching the other six nations.
In Mondstadt, the city of freedom, the winds brought the magicules into the very heart of the nation. From the peaks of Dragonspine to the depths of the Whispering Woods, the particles spread.
From the passing merchants to a passerby who's just buying breakfast.
In Liyue, the land of contracts, the magicules blended with the bustling atmosphere of Liyue Harbor and the tranquil serenity of Jueyun Karst. Even the adepti, ancient and powerful beings, did not sense the presence of the magicules.
In Sumeru, the land of wisdom, the magicules seeped into the lush rainforests and the halls of Sumeru City. The keen minds of sages and scholars failed to detect any change. Throughout the desert, Eremites of great might, likewise, carried on their lives unaware.
In Fontaine, the nation of justice, the magicules wove through the grand architecture and the clear waters. Judges, enforcers, and citizens alike breathed in the particles, none the wiser.
In Natlan, the nation of war, the magicules spread through the landscapes, Saurians, and tribes. The people focused on something else, did not notice the tiny intruders in their midst.
In Snezhnaya, the land of ice and snow, the magicules mingled with the cold air, spreading through the frozen tundras and the bustling cities. Even the Fatui, with all their power and resources, remained unaware.
With each breath, magicules spread further, from being to being.
The gods themselves, powerful and perceptive, did not notice the magicules. The change was too small, and too insignificant to be detected.
Yet all the while, the magicules were searching for something, someone, as their master willed.
Within a week, they found them.
---
The sun began its ascent over the horizon, casting a glow across the land. Mondstadt, the City of Freedom, was slowly awakening to another alcoholic day.
Noelle, the earnest and ever-diligent maid of the Knights of Favonius, was already wide awake, doing her duties with her characteristic enthusiasm.
As she swept the courtyard in front of the Knights' headquarters, she couldn't help but hum a cheerful tune. Although she was proud to serve as a maid, Noelle harbored a not-so-secret desire to become a full-fledged Knight of Favonius.
Lost in her thoughts, Noelle didn't notice the faint glow that hovered in her peripheral vision until it became blinding. She dropped her broom in surprise and shielded her eyes with her arm.
When the light faded, she cautiously opened her eyes and gasped.
Before her was a floating panel, filled with text and icons, somewhat resembling the adventurer's logbooks she had seen but far more sophisticated.
The panel was semi-transparent, in black with the text in contrasting colors, and as Noelle looked around, she realized she could see the real world through it. It was as if the panel was overlaid with her vision.
===
*System Panel: Initiated*
*Welcome, Noelle.*
*-Status- -Chat room- -Quests- -Map-*
===
Noelle blinked, wondering if she was still dreaming. She reached out to touch the panel, and it responded to her touch, scrolling and selecting options.
Then something happened, she doesn't know exactly. But, without warning, the text shifted.
===
*Status:*
Name: Noelle
Class: Muscle Maid
*Quests:*
1. Morning Duties: Sweep the Courtyard (0/1 Completed)
2. ----
3. ---
4. -
5. Deliver Lunch to Amber (0/1 Completed)
6. Help Flora at the Flower Shop (0/1 Optional)
*Status:*
- I want some Satisfying Salad right now.
*Map:*
- Mondstadt
===
"Is this... What is this exactly?" Noelle whispered to herself. She glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed, but the courtyard was empty.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to continue with her duties while ignoring the system.
She finished sweeping the courtyard, and a pleasant chime sounded in her head.
===
*Quest Completed: Morning Duties*
*Rewards:*
- 10 EXP
- 1 Saint Quartz Fragment
===
She thought for a moment, 'It's still there.'
"What do I do..! Did I eat something strange?! Was I hallucinating now as a result..!?" She held her head for a moment, seemingly getting a headache from just the thought of it.
'How careless… I still have a long way to go before I can become a knight--'
Noelle's thoughts got interrupted by a sudden gust of wind--a wind strong enough to drag her a few steps.
'Why suddenly--'
The wind got stronger until she got knocked off of her feet.
===
*System Panel: Answer--*
- Assess system functions independently to confirm authenticity.
[1/3]
===
Noelle groaned, after pushing herself up and dusting off her garments. She frowned at the prompt.
"T-then.." She trailed off, checking her next quest. Helping Flora at the flower shop seemed like a good place to start.
With swift efficiency, she completed all her tasks at headquarters for the day.
As she made her way through the bustling streets of Mondstadt, she greeted the townsfolk with her usual warmth. The familiar sights and sounds of the city were comforting. The system panel floated unobtrusively in the corner of her vision.
When Noelle arrived at Flora's flower shop, the young florist was already arranging a fresh batch of dandelions.
"Noelle! Good morning!" Flora greeted her with an enthusiastically bright smile. "Thank you for coming. I could really use your help today."
"Of course, Flora. What do you need?" Noelle replied, matching the enthusiasm shown by the other.
"Could you help me arrange these flowers? We have a lot of orders today," Flora said, handing Noelle a bouquet of windwheel asters.
As Noelle finishes assisting Flora, she notices another quest completion notification.
===
*Quest Progress: Help Flora at the Flower Shop (1/1 Completed)*
*Rewards:*
- 15 EXP
- 1 Saint Quartz Fragment
===
The day continued with Noelle moving from one task to another, each completed quest adding to her sense of purpose and progress. She delivered lunch to Amber, the Outrider, who was busy training recruits outside the city gates.
"Noelle, you're a lifesaver! I was starving," Amber said, gratefully accepting the meal.
"It's no problem at all, Amber. Just doing my part," Noelle replied modestly.
===
*Quest Completed: Deliver Lunch to Amber*
*Rewards:*
- 20 EXP
- 1 Saint Quartz Fragment
===
As the day wore on, Noelle found herself at the Good Hunter restaurant, where she ran into Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain. He was leaning casually against the counter, chatting with Sara, the owner.
"Noelle, what a pleasant surprise," Kaeya said with a charming smile. "What brings you here?"
"Hello, Captain Kaeya. I was just passing by after finishing some errands," Noelle replied.
"Why don't you join us for a moment? Sara was just bragging about a new foreign dish she's trying out," Kaeya suggested.
Noelle hesitated for a moment but then nodded. She sat down and listened as Sara described her new acquisition. As she did, a new quest appeared on her panel.
===
*New Quest: Taste the New Dish at Good Hunter*
*Difficulty: Minor Inconvenience*
*Rewards:*
- 5 EXP
- 1 Saint Quartz Fragment
===
The dish was delicious, and Noelle enjoyed the brief respite from her busy day.
As the sun began to set, Noelle made her way back to the Knights of Favonius headquarters to check anything she might have missed doing.
Inside the headquarters, she found Jean, the Acting Grand Master, walking in the hallway, poring over some documents. Jean looked up and smiled when she saw Noelle. [6]
"Noelle, good to see you. How was your day?" Jean asked.
"It was wonderful, Master Jean. I completed all my maidly tasks and even helped Flora and Amber," Noelle replied with a smile.
"That's excellent. But don't be too hard on yourself, okay?" Jean said warmly.
Noelle hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell Jean about the system panel. "Master Jean, something strange happened to me today..."
She told her about how the system panel appeared without a warning, the sudden strong wind, and everything that Noelle knew about it.
Jean listened attentively as Noelle described the panel and its functions. When she finished, Jean looked thoughtful.
"That is indeed unusual. It sounds almost like a blessing from the Anemo Archon," Jean mused. "But whatever it is, it seems to be helping you. If it aids you in your duties and your goal to become a Knight, then I see no harm in it."
Noelle felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank you, Master Jean. I promise to use it wisely."
The Acting Grandmaster's gaze lingered on Noelle for quite some time as she watched her walk away.
She got inside her office and as she sat down, a glow materialized in front of her.
---
That night, as Noelle lay in bed, she reflected on the day's events. The system panel had turned her ordinary duties into a much more rewarding experience, and she couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring.
She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.
She seems to have forgotten something, something about testing the system for yourself to determine if it is real. No, It's probably nothing.
However, little did Noelle know, she was not the only one, nor the first.
---
5 Months and 2 weeks before the Muscle Maid got her System Panel.
In Fontaine, in some mountain somewhere in the Beryl Region, stood a hut.
A hut where a woman can be seen looking at a floating panel in front of her, small tears escaping her eyes.
'This is a waste of time.' She thought, but despite saying that, the tears wouldn't stop flowing as she kept wiping it with her sleeves but to no avail.
'What am I doing?'
---
-Chapter END-
Latest Chapter: Chapter 14 - The Blind (4)
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[1] : THE GLAZZINGGG RAAAAAAAAA
[2] : The glaze is getting to his head already, calm it down!
[3] : No reality marble clash.
[5] : I don't remember why I added this number...
[6] : This is six months before the traveler arrives. So yes, Varka just left mond.