♤ revised v.1 ♤
Arch stood in the center of the shimmering blue dome, a wide, manic grin splitting his small, blood-stained face. He felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of coolness. He stood tall, looking out over his domain with the eyes of a conqueror.
"Haha... haha... GURARARARARARARAH!" He laughed, the deep rumble of Whitebeard clashing with the high-pitched voice of a five-year-old. He pointed a finger at the empty air. "Weaklings can't choose how they die. You'd be wise to remember that."
He paused, basking in the silence. "I can't believe it. I have Law's Fruit? The Ope Ope no Mi? This is the best day of my life. Wait... I feel terrible. My memories are a mess, I'm covered in blood, and I'm five... but at least I have a Room!"
He shook off the looming threat of a mental breakdown and focused on the blue light. "All right, let's do some research. How big is this field? I think it's... uh... a bunch of meters? Feet? Yards?" He scratched his head. "System, help me out. Use your fancy math and measure this blue thingy."
CREEAAAAKKKK.
[ DIMENSIONS: 10ft x 10ft ]
Arch nodded sagely. "Ten times ten is twenty. Simple. So the Room is twenty feet. Host, you are truly impressive, aren't you?"
The System didn't respond. The silence felt judgmental.
"Hey, System! Don't ignore my brilliant performance! That's legacy right there, baby!" Arch's imagination took over. He felt like a supreme being being slighted by a mere tool. He raised his hand, his voice dropping into a hoarse, dramatic roar.
"YOU DARE TO IGNORE MY CALL? BRACE THYSELF!" He reached out his palm, slowly folding down his fingers until only the middle one stood proudly in the air. "WITNESS MY ASCENSION, FOR I SHALL END THIS DECEPTION! DOMAIN EXPANSION: SYSTEM EROSION!"
CREEAAAAKKKK.
The System window turned a dark, menacing shade of violet.
[ SYSTEM: YOU HAVE MADE A MISTAKE, HUMAN. YOU HAVE BEEN UNDER MY GENJUTSU THE WHOLE TIME. ]
"What? But how—"
[ DEMONIC ILLUSION: SHACKLING STAKES. ]
Arch's eyes went wide. Suddenly, the world shifted. He felt invisible, giant iron stakes slamming through his limbs,pinning him to the wooden floor of the Kominka. The pain felt terrifyingly real, freezing his nerves and locking his muscles.
[ 30 MINUTES OF SPIRITUAL TORTURE LATER ]
Arch lay face-down on the floor, twitching. The illusion had faded, but the mental exhaustion was absolute.
"Damn... fuck this system," he wheezed, pushing himself up. "You take everything seriously, don't you? Fine.You win this round. But one day, I'm taking the reins."
[ SYSTEM: WHATEVER. ]
"Right. Moving on." Arch focused back on the Room. "If I can make it this big, can I make it... bigger?"
He closed his eyes and pushed. The blue dome surged outward, swallowing the house like room , the drakness, and reaching toward the outside. But as it grew, a sudden, crushing weight slammed into Arch's chest. His vision blurred, and his knees buckled.
"Oh... right. Stamina. Larger Rooms kill the user. Bad idea. Very bad idea."
With a desperate gasp, he pulled the power back, shrinking the dome until it just barely covered the interior of the house again. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Ha! Jokes on you, world! I didn't pass out this time! I'm a genius!"
He clapped his cheeks to stay awake. "Okay, next step. In this space, I am the surgeon. I should be able to feel everything... wait."
He stopped talking. His eyes narrowed. Within the blue sphere, his senses had shifted. It wasn't just sight; it was a spatial awareness that felt like having a thousand invisible hands touching everything at once. He sensed the wood grain, the dust motes, and the cold jewels of his coffin.
But then, he felt something else. Behind the "Little Palace," tucked away in the shadows where the floorboards had rotted away... something was there like a shining paper,card, leaf...what's that....
Arch turned slowly, his heart skipping a beat. "What the hell is that?"
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TO BE CONTINUED