Life was simple at first. Education I knew suspiciously well. Not enough to be perfect, but it felt too familiar. To the point, the most powerful Yang mage called me out in front of my adoptive mother. And another priest.
"The Ancestors are strong with this one, aren't they?" High Priest Euclid accuses seriously.
We are both confused. He explains further.
"Kobra has knowledge she shouldn't have. It's because ghosts of the past and perhaps even the future whisper to her. My religion calls them the Ancestors, cause it's often those of your family even in the afterlife helping you. Even with demons." High Priest Euclid explains seriously.
"No, I'm just smart!" I lie tensely.
I was 13, it was too obvious.
"What even are grades? You're just done with school when your mother says so." High Priest Euclid says annoyedly.
My eyes widen with shock and I facepalm. I literally said a concept too advanced for them to grasp because education is dumb in this century. And my future self didn't know that.
"So is she considered a demon?" Seraphina says, tense and angry.
"Oh good heavens, no. We're just gonna suggest we stop educating her. She's smart enough as is. Just buy her books on subjects she's curious about, let her self-educate as necessary. You're wasting money on us." High Priest Euclid says warmly.
At this point, I'm left to my own devices until I turn 18. This is because I was considered an adult in mind, but nothing else. I just jumped through hoops to get a good job in town as a Bank Accountant. At 18.
My life as an 18 year old with poisoned blood was rough. I was famous in my new hometown for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, everyone decent at magic can sense your Chi and its polarity. And everyone knows my Chi is seeped in Yin. I only have a few pockets of Yang, and it's only useful for healing myself. I can't attack with it, only Yin.
I lived a lonely life cause of it. For that, and another reason. I once revealed when I was 14 to a boy my age I had poisonous blood. And drank rat's poison as a funny dare. He got mad and called me a "Ruined Whore". And told the whole town. They think I have what my future self calls Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Basically nobody dates me because they think their dick will turn blue.
So I live a lonely life at a bank. And at home. Cause my mother comes and goes. Due to how she keeps chasing the urge to charge the mask. The Mask urges us to do it early by any means necessary. With her, she's very active. Seraphina has basically become a criminal at this point. She sells drugs and beats people up to charge the mask, and fix her wrinkles. She does it once a month, a beating or a murder. If she murders someone that's a cop, it charges the mask for a year's worth of life apparently.
"I have a extra 50 years already!" Seraphina says happily.
The Mask says it's not ready for my adventure yet.
"We wait until you pop off naturally, Kobra. They already walk all around you." Mask of Immortality says, amused and serious.
"They're scared of your blood, dear. They always worry about punching you in the mouth cause if you spit blood on them, they'll be poisoned." Seraphina says amusedly.
It's funny and bullshit. Nobody dates me but they don't hurt me either. It's a sad plotline. Until I get bored. And decide to go explore. Anything. It's a few days after I've been paid, and I decide to explore the town to find a nice shop. I'm literally so cocky about it because my life is so sad. I'm walking, moping with thoughts like this.
"I won't even get raped. I bet they'll think my vagina fluids would poison them."
It's only true if they know of me. Which I wasn't as famous as I thought. Because it happens. Someone tries to rob me. With a knife. It's a tall man with a bald head wearing a torn shirt as a mask over the lower half of his face. He has brown eyes.
"Give me your money, bitch!" Criminal snaps angrily.
It's been a long time since I was a child. My adoptive mother forced me to train in one thing before I could have any true degree of freedom as a child. Self control of my poisonous Chi. That was it.
And here and now, I was ready to fight without poisoning this man. For a stupid and funny reason due to absurd arguments I had with my adoptive mother when I was 15.
"You're such a stupid child of Yin. You can't kill everyone because they rob you!" Seraphina yells angrily.
"Why not!? They're thieves!" I snap angrily.
"Yeah, but it makes us look bad. You could go to jail if their friends lie on their behalf." Seraphina says angrily.
"I'll kill their friends then." I say angrily.
"What if your husband leaves you cause you kill too many people?" Seraphina says angrily.
I cried about it then and there. Now in the present, I avoid killing people so I can have a husband.
I strike fast and true, right in the throat with my right fist. He gags on his breath. My bloodlust says it's not over yet. So I get behind him a bit, and wrap my right arm around his throat. And lock it in with crossing my left forearm over it.
I choke him out while he falls to his knees. And eventually falls unconscious. I sigh with happy relief. And walk away whistling.
I managed to shop for an hour without any issues whatsoever. Until it happens. The man shows up with two more thugs. While I'm inside a weapons shop, considering buying a sword. We are still in a Martial Era after all, as Edward said.
The Shop Owner is sexist however. I didn't even notice the Thugs enter, as we're arguing about whether or not women should be allowed to fight.
"Just get a husband! Or get your brother to fight for you!" Shop Owner says angrily.
"No, I'm a grown woman! I can fight for myself!" I say angrily.
"Why do you need such a big sword anyway? Why not a dagger just to be safe?" Shop Owner says angrily.
"I want to be able to fight well. I want a longsword." I say seriously.
"Civilians aren't even supposed to have swords." Shop Owner says angrily.
"How do so many people have swords then?" I ask annoyedly.
"They're Bounty Hunters or Guards." Shop Owner says annoyedly.
I'm holding a longsword in my hand as we were arguing. At this point, the Thugs grab weapons off shelves and pull them on us both.
"Just let it happen, old man. The girl owes me for a crime she did earlier." Criminal 1 says with lustful anger.
I glare with malice at the Criminal. And it happens. I lose control. And two bolts of venomous Yin shoot out my eyes like thin needles. And embed themselves in the criminal's throat. His veins turn purple, and he falls to the ground. Beginning to have a seizure. Everyone looks at me with sheer terror. And the Owner is still a bit mad.
"You don't even need a sword, you have magic! Go away before I have you arrested! All of you!" Shop Owner yells angrily.
I leave first, walking through the aisles of the store to avoid the thugs while they try medicating the dying Criminal with what's on the shelves. While the Owner is still yelling at them to leave.
This is when my Future Self shows me a vision of what she calls the Edward Special.
"Accountability is a bitch. We'll be in jail within a day. Don't fight the Guards, fight everyone else who is a dick." Future Me says seriously.
The vision just shows what they'll currently do to catch me. Which is just use Oracles and their visions of the day to verify what could possibly happen that's a crime in that area. Then investigate every crime ever in real life until they come to me. So unless more important crimes happened, I am screwed.
Which I was. They were at my home. Edward Abaddon was. With a Guard Captain. And I had just bought a new shortsword at another blacksmith. It was a nice black sword too. In a brown leather sheathe.
Edward is my height exactly. 5'11. He wears a black and white long sleeved shirt, black pants, and a gold necklace with a silver cross.
Edward just slaps the cuffs on me. And I don't even get a trial. I just go to jail for a year or so. Then I'm released at 19. Where they expected me to be ruined. Until Edward is there, outside the prison, telling me what my next job is.
"You're gonna be a Waitress at a nice restaurant in town. Please don't kill anyone." Edward says seriously.
"Why are you giving me a job?" I ask warmly.
I'm pleased and charmed until he tells the truth.
"Good news and bad news Kobra. The good news is that it's cause life is better if you have a job. The bad news is cause you will kill people if you're a prostitute. And I wish it was cause you're a poisonous woman. No, it's cause you're gonna kill men's wives when they try to kill you cause their husband fucks you when you're a prostitute, And I don't need a long chain of prostitute murders and robberies happenings. So just go to work. You will never not have a job as long as you don't be a murderous psychopath. Cause I hate that when you are one." Edward says, bitterly annoyed.
"I haven't even done it yet." I say, offended.
"Yeah, but we're both Oracles. We both know you're going to be one of the most powerful people in existence. And that's why I'm making sure you have a job. So you don't be an assassin or something dumb and criminal." Edward says annoyedly.
I sigh annoyedly. And go back to my home. Where everything is dusty, and some stuff is stolen. But there's enough to live happily. My adoptive mother even kept my stash of tae so I can get fresh food and stuff.
On my official first day of work, the next day, Edward is outside my house. And he seems tense.
"I'm walking you to the restaurant so you know where you work now. Also, I'm going to give you as much advice as possible. Try to memorize all of it, it's important. We need you perfect so that you can survive as a woman in this society, and many more to come. Let's just both admit it. You're stuck in a man's society for a thousand years." Edward says nervously.
I sigh bitterly at that.
"You sure know how to keep a woman happy, huh?" I deadpan sarcastically.
"Let's walk and talk," Edward says nervously.
We walk through the city. It's nice. Black, brown, and red wood everywhere. Simple houses with pretty roofs. It's lame. I wish the future would come for unique houses already. The town is lavish for this era. But we both look at it with boredom.
"When do we get colorful lights?" I ask nicely.
"Not until America is born, I know that much." Edward jokes wryly.
We both groan a bit.
"We're already both American in our hearts due to being Oracles. Especially you. Most women just get married in this era." Edward says warmly.
I giggle a bit at that.
"I'm sure it'll be fine in the end." I say warmly.
"We can only hope. But due to women like you, I doubt it." Edward says nervously.
"Why can't we make it work now?" I ask annoyedly.
Edward sighs, and looks at me with caution and fear.
"I will tell you. But please don't go on a Crusade." Edward says seriously.
"I probably won't." I say happily.
"You will eventually. I see it as a guarantee. I'm just gonna rip the band-aid off cause you get involved no matter what once you live too long. We all do." Edward says seriously. "The Oracles of society are fighting for control. And as you'd expect of evil men, they are orchestrating society to have control of anything they want. Even the women. In positions they love. And that's it. Society molds around what women and men are meant for. And people like you oppose it. Mainly because while some jobs will always be male dominated, women always want in a bit. And it's annoying cause even because of jobs, you will end up in fights with men for money. If not politics. Or worse, just because you get sick of having only a few jobs for the next three hundred years."
I giggle a bit at the end, but otherwise it's a fearsome situation I already understood a bit. Until he mentioned I'd only have a few jobs for hundreds of years.
I look around too hard as we walk silently to the restaurant. Until I finally say it.
"Edward, I can't be stuck in this society as a woman. There's almost nothing for us to do until we make woman's suffrage happen." I say angrily.
Edward sighs bitterly.
"Kobra, I promise I will get you a better job. Just don't do anything dumb." Edward says, tired and serious.
We are almost to the restaurant when I see my opportunity to do the last thing Edward would want me to do.
There is a training ring for local guards being used by soldiers to recruit for the Ba Wang's army. The Ba Wang is the leader of this city-state, at least. If not more. I don't know how much our Ba Wang controls yet.