Chapter 97: Strange New World
After Hugo's ridiculous recap of what had happened to him in the last two years, the cohort went on to explain their side of the story, even if it was less crazy than his.
He was not comfortable with sharing the entire truth of what had happened to him just yet, and thankfully they respected his choice.
As for what happened to them in the last two years...
The return of the sleepers of the Forgotten Shore, nearly one thousand individuals, changed the world entirely.
All of them became awakened and most of those individuals were talented young men and women who were quickly sought after by the government and the great clans.
In fact, the return of those sleepers was said to be a blessing to humanity itself. After all those awakened had the potential to become ascended and later on those ascended could become Transcendents. Even if it took years.
It was truly astounding, the impact that Hugo had on the world by simply using a divine memory... Without the Azmuth's ship, more than half of those individuals would have died at the siege of the spire.
It was a nice feeling, knowing that Hugo was responsible for saving all of those lives.
However that was not the most bizarre thing that had happened after the return of the sleepers of the Forgotten Shore.
The people of the outskirts that followed Nephis were still alive, they formed the Fire Keepers. A group of talented hunters who went on to challenge the second nightmare with the cohort...
That was the part that surprised Hugo the most.
Nephis was targeted after her awakening and the formation of the Fire Keepers, and so to give herself better standing, she and Cassie created a devious plan to get more than one hundred and eighty awakened into the second nightmare. Using Cassie's visions and making the Fire Keepers go through intense training, they managed to conquer the nightmare without any losses.
Making the Fire Keepers one of the most powerful groups on the planet, after the great clans.
So now Valor and Song were forced to negotiate with them and take them in on their own turn.
Nephis herself seemed to hold some kind of grudge against the great clans but Hugo, and the rest of the cohort did not know the full details.
The Fire Keepers —and the survivors of the shore— all seemed to like Hugo as well, seeing him as this messianic figure who sacrificed himself for their salvation... Which Hugo found utterly ridiculous.
There was also that fiend, Mordret of Valor... The fourth divine aspect wielder in existence, well technically the third considering Hugo was not one of them anymore.
What later followed was a bunch of exposition about the current state of the great clans and its politics, and the fact that the cohort had their own citadel called the Ivory Tower was also interesting.
"So, to summarize, you guys accidentally freed a murdering psychopath who also happens to possess a divine aspect, found the citadels of the daemon of underworld and the daemon of hope, challenged the second nightmare with nearly two hundred awakened and became one of the most powerful groups on the planet, all so that you could get out of the hot water you were in with clan valor, but that didn't work out well because you freed their last heir. Did I get that right?"
Cassie nodded "Yes, however, the negotiations with Valor are now less 'They want to kill us all', and more 'They want to recruit us all'."
Hugo looked at the group with a dubious expression, wiping his mouth from the food he had just devoured. "Marvelous... And let me guess, I'm now involved in this political crap because I'm associated with you all ?"
Nephis shook her head "Yes and no, the pressure you would be getting might differ, considering that no matter how exceptional you are, you are still a single individual. So you would naturally have an easier time rejecting the advances of the great clans, unless you decide to form your own group of awakened which will make you a priority target just like us. "
"I see" Hugo relaxed a little in his seat after hearing that.
Forming any type of group was not really his goal anyway, at least not for now.
He still had a lot to figure out, he needed to get readjust to society, explore his new powers and make plans for his future.
"Ah, so what now?" Effie asked, breaking the silence "I don't want to ruin this awkward reunion or anything, but I'm pretty sure the entire world knows about your return"
She calmly opened one of the kitchen curtains, revealing the dozen reporter outside before quickly closing it.
"See?"
Hugo shrugged "You guys can make some statement about me being in a coma or something right? I really don't think I'm ready to be surrounded by that many people right now."
Nephis gave him a reassuring nod as she got up from her chair "Me and Cassie can manage that."
The blind seer nodded as she got up as well "Well then, we should get going, the faster was handle the situation the better."
And with that, the silver haired girl and the blind seer left.
Kai and Effie followed shortly after, having business of their own.
Which left him and Sunny alone in the giant manor.
" so... I guess I'll be living here?" Hugo asked, remembering that having a house is actually something necessary in this day and age..
"Of course, Nephis and the Fire Keepers would be glad to have you" sunny got up from his seat and gestured for Hugo to follow "Come, I'll show you around"
Hugo got up and followed Sunny, as he showed him the interior of the Immortal Flame Manor.
It was the biggest house Hugo had ever seen. Well, it wasn't really a house—it was a manor—but Hugo had never been to one, so he didn't really care about the difference.
It had hundreds of rooms for servants and Fire Keepers, and multiple levels, each fancier then the previous. It came with private bathrooms, multiple kitchens and even several special grounds for the awakeneds, such as labs and training grounds.
Hugo whistled as they moved through the long corridors, then said in an amused voice:
"Talk about being rich... It makes sense considering the Immortal Flame clan was one of humanity's biggest clans but still...."
"I was surprised when I saw it for the first time too" Sunny added in a calm voice, although there was something wrong in his voice, as if he was not really there.
Hugo noticed that but did not really want to bother Sunny, considering he knew that his friend valued his privacy more than anything else, so he tried changing the subject:
"How do you guys even afford all of this?"
"Killing and selling nightmare creatures, among other things. Selling soul shards, memories and even making some contracts with the government to create public events that we get paid for." Sunny answered..
"Public events?" Hugo knew some awakened did that, but he was surprised the Fire Keepers did as the idea itself was only common among awakened that did not want to slay nightmare creatures and face the dangers of the dream realm.
Sunny nodded. "Yes. Nephis goes to hospitals and heals sick children, doing similar campaigns a few times a month. Kai was already a celebrity, so using his fame, we were able to increase the Fire Keepers's popularity and public support. Effie herself became a symbol of strength and health, sponsoring many products along the way. While Cassie manages the entire operation—from finances to communication with the great clans. I personally don't contribute much in terms of publicity as I prefer staying out of the spotlight."
Of course, that did not mean Sunny did not contribute to the group. If anything, he probably killed the most nightmare creatures among the cohort, and so he technically generated as much money as they did, or even more, He just didn't like admitting it.
Hugo found the idea both funny and a little scary, as he knew how deadly sunny was as a sleeper... So he could not even imagine how lethal he had became now that he was an ascended.
"Wow... You guys have been busy..."
This whole situation was insane. It felt even weirder than the horrors he had faced in the Dream Realm. At least in the Dream Realm, the monsters were honest about wanting to kill you.
Hugo noticed they had passed two private rooms that Sunny deliberately avoided mentioning. In fact, he seemed reluctant to even glance at them.
Hugo didn't want to pry, but curiosity gnawed at him.
"What's in there?"
Sunny sighed, as if he was waiting for that question. "One is where Nephis's mother is kept. She's a hollow. The other..." He paused for a second, "The other has your body."
Hugo blinked, wondering if he was hearing right "My body?"
"Yes. After we escaped the Forgotten Shore, we found out your body hadn't actually died—it had become a hollow. We couldn't leave you at the academy, so we brought you here. Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."
"No," Hugo said quickly. "I'm glad you did. It means a lot."
Sunny pointed to the door on the left. "That one's yours, if you want to see it."
Hugo nodded and stepped inside.
Inside was a modestly decorated room, with a window at the far end. Near it sat a young man in a wheelchair. His eyes were wide open, but there was nothing behind them, just a hollow, empty stare.
Hugo exhaled slowly as he approached his former body.
It was surreal, seeing himself like this. This was the body he had lived in for most of his life, the body his mother had given birth to and the body that had carried him through every painful memory of his life.
And now it was just... empty.
Even though he now possessed a stronger, ascended body, seeing his old one like this—dead and lifeless—stirred something deep in his chest.
In a way, he was looking at his younger self. The angry, bitter boy who blamed the world for everything. The stupid, reckless kid who didn't know any better and thought that he was entitled for better...
And that wasn't a bad thing, in a way.
Because no matter how flawed that version of him was, Hugo understood him now, more then that, he accepted him.
He just hoped that boy would be proud of the person he'd become.
Hugo placed a hand on his former shoulder and smiled faintly.
"We made it. Despite everything... we're still alive."
With that, he turned and left the room, having no more words to say to his younger self.
Sunny was leaning against the wall, waiting for him.
"Done?" He asked asked.
"Yep." Hugo answered, but then his expression shifted slightly ... He really didn't want to pry in, but he had to check if his friend was fine.
"Hey, Sunny... I noticed you've been acting weird around me ever since I woke up... Are you alright?"
Sunny's face changed at those words. He clearly didn't want to talk about it, and Hugo's question only made it worse.
"I'm fi—" He stopped abruptly, as if something had physically cut him off.
Hugo frowned at the sight... before quickly realizing it.
'It must be his flaw...'
He remembered all his interactions with Sunny on the Forgotten Shore and finally confirmed his suspicion that sunny flaw was that he could not lie or that he was forced to tell the truth.
That confirmed it. Sunny was indeed not fine.
And now that Hugo thought about it, he understood why.
Sunny was still blaming himself for what had happened to Hugo. Hugo's death—the catalyst for everything that followed—had been indirectly caused by Sunny's plan, back in the ashen barrow.
Hugo sighed, disappointed in his friend.
"Sunny, I'm going to tell you this once, and never again. What happened to me on the Forgotten Shore was not your fault. At one point, I thought blaming you might make me feel better, but it did not. And as time passed, I realized I was full of shit. I was always the type to blame others—my father, the Nightmare Spell and even the world itself—for my misfortunes. But I learned that it's just life. Life is one mean bitch. That corrupted devil spawning near the Soul Devourer Tree and killing me was Not your fault, it never was and will never be. It was just life being shitty to us. Everything after that was the same, just life being life."
Sunny gave him a confused look. "What are you on about..."
"What I'm trying to say is—take it easy on yourself. Blaming yourself for something that was outside of your control isn't good, and it won't change what already happened. I don't hate you for it, I don't blame you for it and you shouldn't either."
Sunny remained silent for a while, staring at the ground. Whether he was unsure how to respond or wrestling with his own guilt, Hugo couldn't tell.
Eventually, Sunny looked up, looking at him with a hesitant expression.
"...Thank you. I really needed that."
Hugo gave him a thumbs up with a smile. "No problem. Now that we're done with all the emotional baggage, can you show me to my room? Staying in this dress thing is not comfortable."
Sunny gave him a dubious look, then nodded.
"Oh right, you're still wearing that."
With that, sunny showed him where he can stay and the two went their separate ways.
Hugo found himself in another yet beautifully decorated room, one that had a shelf full of books, a desk with a PC, a large bed and a bathroom on the side.
It was not even comparable to his room in his old house.
'right... I'll probably have to go see the old man soon...'
He really didn't want to deal with him right now, so he simply cleared his mind and entered the shower, letting hot water drown his worries...
It was a nice feeling, after all, he had not showered in ages.
After that, he stood in front of a mirror, examining himself properly for the first time since he woke up.
Hugo did not care about his looks, however he was feeling a lot of different things right now.
For one, his height had increased slightly as his current body was noticeably older than his teenage body. He was not as tall as Kai or Effie, but he was only slightly shorter than Nephis.
'Definitely taller then Cassie and sunny though '
His body was lean and masculine, which was common among ascended, although his in particular was unusually pale... Infact the color was almost silver.
'Maybe its because of the [asura] attribute?'
It seemed the peculiar metal even changed his skin, which was not necessarily a bad thing.
His hair was darker than usual and way longer, reaching down to his waist. Hugo was not sure if he should cut it or not, but he liked the feeling of having long hair.
As for his face...
Hugo suddenly scowled, as he examined it closer.
He looked awfully similar to Ben Tennyson in terms of looks, with the two of them being nearly identical twins, except for the fact that Hugo's eye color was blue and Ben's was green.
It made him feel... Weird. After all, Ben Tennyson was alive right now, in the depths of the Dream Realm, stuck in the fake Primus with his people.
And Hugo still held the key to their salvation, after all when he becomes a saint, he could use the [Primus] trait of his Omnitrix to teleport there and bring the entire civilization back to the waking world, one by one.
'I guess that's a moral decision future me can make, when I reach Transcendence'
Transcending was not a matter of 'if' for Hugo, it was a matter of when. That was because he had no other choice but to ascend, or he could risk his soul being devoured by the thousands of seeds of corruption in his soul.
Indeed, Hugo still remembered Azarax and Eurys words. He would be turned into a nightmare creature if he does not ascend as fast as he can and destroy the seeds of corruption in his soul.
Using simple logic and calculation, Hugo guessed that the corrupted imprints in his soul would be automatically cleansed once he reaches their rank.
For example, every dormant, awakened and ascended imprint in the Omnitrix should be clean as of now, and he should be able to access them if he explores his soul maze thoroughly.
The same logic should apply for when he becomes a saint, a supreme and lastly sacred and divine.
The last three ranks terrified Hugo the most, because that would mean he had category four, five and six gates in his soul sea right now, which would likely spawn a great, cursed or unholy nightmare creatures if they fully bloom.
He could not allow that to happen, and so ascension was his only path, not only for his survival but the survival of humanity as a whole.
"No pressure, definitely."
Hugo walked away from the mirror to wear the clothes he found in the closet...
But he suddenly got a better idea.
He smiled as he touched his Omnitrix and activated the system pad via the [Master Control] trait.
A blue screen appeared displaying the following:
-Modes
-Network
-Playlists
-Features
-New Tab
He smiled, enjoying how useful the [Master Control] trait is.
'I should connect the Omnitrix to the network of this world, what would be better than getting a communicator'
Clicking on the Network tab, he waited for a moment, seeing a loading symbol appear on the screen. then his Omnitrix fully connected to the network of the waking world, showing him various sites and apps used for entertainment and communication.
He created the necessary accounts and called it a day.
Then he turned his attention to the Modes tab causing the following to appear:
-Stealth Mode
-Classic Mode (Cosmetic)
-Factory Mode
-Uniform Mode (Cosmetic)
-Protection Mode (Passive)
-Custom Mode (Cosmetic)
-Recharge Mode (Passive)
Hugo did not feel the need to customize his Omnitrix right now, as he liked the sleek white, black and blue wristwatch form it currently possessed. However, he was interested in seeing the Uniform Mode.
He clicked it and as he did, blue light emerged from the Omnitrix, spreading across his body and weaving together to create fabric around it.
In a few moments, Hugo found himself covered in an unusual uniform.
It was a full body suit, made out of a bizarre fabric that doesn't exist in the waking world, its colors ranged from white, black and blue, with white being the dominant color.
Black was found near the legs, belt area and the arms, while the rest of the design was pure white and in the chest area, there was a big Omnitrix symbol that was blue and black.
The Omnitrix remained the same, and the overall design was not too bad. If anything, it was stylish and modern by the standards of the waking world.
"Well then, now that's finished... It's about time I try out my new abilities"
Hugo muttered to himself.
Getting rest, and dealing with all the things that had happened to him was definitely necessary, of course. However, testing his new and old aliens was also a much needed thing for Hugo.
After all, no awakened could resist the urge of using their new aspect abilities.