Mirlnir
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Optimistic Game Chapter 74.5
🕑 Added 2025-01-23 12:55:04 +0000 UTCHey, this chapter is available for free from the get-go after I realized that chapter 74 (The one where Reid fails the first battle against the Necrosidereus before deciding to resurrect his dad) desperately needed some clarification. This will also be posted on QQ and FFN in a few minutes.
This chapter was originally supposed to be written around chapter 90, but it turns out I'm a bit of an idiot. Credit to QQ readers for pointing it out and thanks to Priapus for helping me figure out a hopefully satisfying solution.
P.S. This obviously doesn't affect the next chapter poll. Consider it its own thing. A bonus, if you will.
Enjoy~
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Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu
– "Zen" –
Gazing out at the ravaged landscape before her, a faint sense of sorrow washed over her as she contemplated the countless lives lost by what had amounted to a stroke of bad luck. The ground lay scarred and lifeless, a testament to the ferocious conflict that had raged between two formidable forces—an insurmountable clash that had left the villagers powerless and hopeless in its wake.
Zen grabbed a fistful of the ashy ground, watching the grains of what had once been vibrant soil slip through her fingers like sand. Their once-green land lay dead, tainted by the disease that had drained the life out of everything it touched—simple villagers who had been provided with an unfair destiny.
This horrific scene, unfortunately, wasn’t new to Zen. She’d been to countless worlds and planets, and for every utopia, there would be a thousand others that were nothing more than a living hell. She’d seen many who’d lost their lives due to pure misfortune.
She could not detect any energy signatures in this desolate, ash-covered expanse. Only a few individuals were striving earnestly but hopelessly to resolve an impossible problem.
Of course, she knew of the situation. It hadn’t taken her long to figure it out. After all, she kept an eye out for the boy after realizing that whatever he had, it was important to her successor. Important enough to spend this much of her time on his development.
Naturally, it wasn’t rare for her to tamper with the progress of her experiments, usually to ‘spice it up’ as she put it, but her tampering was ultimately harmless. Zen had never seen her so invested in one of them. For once, this didn’t feel like one of her games. This one felt like it had a purpose.
Even so, Zen didn’t care what that idiot had planned. She could no longer ignore this. It was about time she took action and confronted the injustice that had gone unchallenged for too long. Standing idle was no longer an option.
Zen exhaled as a fluffy white tail wrapped around her waist, scanning the wasteland and quickly spotting the reanimated beast as it searched for its prey. She raised her arm, and a brilliant sphere of energy ignited in her palm. The orb pulsed with a crimson color, sending arcs of electricity crackling around her fingertips as her overwhelming power electrified the air. An attack that would surely vaporize the undead monster into nothing, thus ending its influence with it.
“What are you doing?”
Zen’s eyes twitched, feeling her presence before she’d even spoken. She kept aiming her blast at the rampaging monster for a few more seconds before extinguishing the attack and lowering her arm, knowing it was futile now that she’d showed up. She wouldn’t let anything or anyone hinder this vile experiment of hers.
Zen turned around to face the demon, who looked at her sharply as she rested her right hand on a cane. It was clear right away that she wasn’t pleased. But she hadn’t been ever since she’d noticed Zen’s presence—the only one who could oppose her.
“You know you’re not allowed to interfere.” The demon added. “I let it slide once when you went to speak to him, but this crosses the line.”
“I never agreed to such arbitrary restrictions,” Zen responded tonelessly. “What you’re doing to the boy is unacceptable. Cease this at once.”
“Oh? And since when did you care?” She raised an eyebrow, tapping her fingers on the cane.
“Since you started expecting miracles from teenagers.”
“Oh, please. So many others before him went through the same thing—”
“Others before him were never set up to lose.” Zen cut her off, pointing at the devastated landscapes. “You trick him into diving headfirst into a disaster, deprive him of his tools, then make a fuss about him begging you for help? This is not like you at all. You’ve always tried to be fair to allies and enemies alike.”
“If I was so unfair to him, then how come he never tried to say so?” She argued. “He doesn’t fear me enough not to call it out.”
“Because he’s desperate.” Zen deflected. “You’ve made him desperate. What else was he supposed to do?”
The demon remained silent as Zen gazed toward the beast again.
"Those you blessed before him never had the displeasure of being pressured.” She continued. “You left them to their own devices, let them grow on their own until they’d eventually get themselves killed once they bit off more than they could chew. But what you’re doing to the boy? You’ve never done such a thing.”
“And that got you interested enough to investigate?”
“You want— no, you need him,” Zen said. “You are trying to break him down. Overwhelm him until it becomes easy to mold him into something. I do not know why or what for…”
She glared at the idiot.
“But you will not get what you want.” She proclaimed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I’ve had enough of this. You will cease this savagery, or I’ll end it myself.”
As she made that demand, Zen felt that things might have to be decided in a battle. It wasn’t the first time they had disagreed, nor would it be the last. While they usually resolved their disagreements through dialogue, Zen refused to let this cruelty continue.
But oddly enough, the demon started to chuckle, finding this amusing rather than annoying.
“For a recluse, you’re very perceptive. Almost frighteningly so. But that’s what I should be expecting from ‘The Champion.’” She said.“You’re right. For once, this experiment has a purpose that’s more than just entertainment.”
She stepped forward and stood next to Zen, peering over the lands and tapping her cane a few times.
“He is simply insurance.” She added, a cigarette appearing in her hand. “Just like you are.”
“Insurance…?” Zen frowned in confusion.
“Yes. We don’t want another case of your predecessor now, do we?” She answered, although very vaguely. “One omniversal disaster is one too many.”
“What’s this supposed to mean?”
“Usually, you would be enough for that role. In this case, he is backup.” Her successor ignored her question, lighting the cigarette. “And for this backup to be viable, the undesirable parts of it need to be crushed.”
“If you wanted a ‘perfect servant,’ then—”
“Insurance, not servant. You don’t serve me, after all. Besides, I said viable. This so-called ‘perfection’ doesn’t exist.” She responded as a puff of smoke left her mouth. “Oh, if only he would understand that anytime soon…”
Zen’s eyes widened in realization.
“That silly little complex of his. ‘Only I can do this.’ ‘Only I can save these people.’ ‘I need to be perfect; otherwise, I’m unworthy…’” Her smile dropped. “What a ridiculous mindset. It was about time he learned that he was nothing special.”
“And you believe this is the proper approach?” Zen questioned almost incredulously. But from this idiot, it should’ve been expected. It was always the extremes with her. “You’ve not once thought about speaking to him first?”
“He’s too stubborn to listen to words. Not from me, not from anyone. Isn’t it funny? For someone who preaches how much he loves those closest to him, he doesn’t even trust them. It’s only him, him, him. Only he can save the world. Only he can make a utopia. He doesn’t need help. He’s fine, always been fine, always will be fine. After all, a hero can’t show any weakness, right?” The demon argued. “No, he needs to face a nightmare that will pulverize his arrogance into dust and make him realize that he’s no chosen one. He’s no hero of justice who will save the world from evil. He’s a wailing little boy who tries to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, throwing a tantrum whenever someone asks him to share the burden.”
“You’re delusional.” Zen accused. “You criticize him for having placed unreasonable expectations on himself, then turn and do the same thing.”
“Unreasonable? Please, I’m expecting the bare minimum.” The big idiot shrugged. “He just needs to understand his place.”
“This is not going to make him understand anything,” Zen said, her tail whipping the ground out of frustration. She was being incredibly unfair. “You’ll only make him double down. He is only going to try harder.”
“Naturally. His mental fortitude for a child his age is absurd. This isn’t enough to make him crumble.” She nodded. “But his will is not unbreakable. Eventually, he’ll come to the realization.”
Zen clenched her fist in anger, opened it, and aimed another blast at the beast before—!
“If you release that blast, I will kill him.” The demon warned. “You should know not to underestimate how spiteful I can be.”
“Spiteful? This is childish.” Zen scowled, holding the attack. “It’s unlike you. I’ve never seen you so invested in anything like this before. What is this ‘insurance’? Is it so important you’d break nearly all of your self-imposed rules?”
“More important than you could possibly imagine.” The demon responded.
Yet, for a split second, Zen spotted a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. Before she could ask, however, the demon sighed.
“Tell you what? Since you’re so devoted to helping him, I have an offer for you.” She said, throwing her cigarette away. “You will be allowed to visit him, speak to him, and help him understand through your own way. However, you’ll only occasionally do so whenever he truly needs someone who would lend him an ear. And if you try to do anything that would directly affect either world in any way, shape, or form, then I promise you won’t see him again.”
Zen paused and thought about it.
“When you say affect the world—”
“Helping him defeat adversaries or solving any problem other than what we’ve spoken about today.” She clarified. “You will not help him or his friends in combat or other personal problems. In fact, you will be invisible to the rest of the world, and you won’t be able to access most of your power to ensure your cooperation.”
Zen narrowed her eyes, the energy gathered in her hand dispersing.
“What are you scheming?”
“Call it a challenge.” She smirked. “If you’re able to help him see his mistakes before I can, then you win. I will admit I was wrong, won’t bother you for the next few eons, and you won’t be restricted in Remnant anymore. You can do whatever you want with him. Save the world for him, befriend him, train him— I don’t care.”
“And if I fail?”
“Then you have to swear never to interfere with my experiments again.” The demon said, offering a hand. “So? Do we have a deal?”
Without hesitation, Zen shook her hand with a nod.
“Good. Happy to see you playing along for once.”
“Spare me the obnoxious god complex. I am not playing your pointless games,” Zen responded tonelessly. “I am trying to help someone out of the undeserved hell you put him through.”
“You can call it whatever you want.” She snorted. “I’m just glad that, for once, your plan was ‘ask first, punch later’ instead of the usual. No wonder you get along with that dumbass. Just as meatheaded as he is.”
Zen said nothing, watching the real dumbass start to fade away.
“Good luck.” She said, disappearing completely.
And with that, Zen was left alone. Although she was protected from this plague due to her ‘invisibility,’ she felt most of her power vanish. Unpleasant as it was, she knew it was for a worthy cause.
She peered over the ravaged lands again, looking where she sensed Reid Astera’s energy. Her expression changed from its usual blankness to one of concern, whispering words of encouragement.
“Hang in there.”
Comments
Vali_Bernkastel
It’s Akane, and looking at her personality from her own story, yes it actually would
ArgoDevilian
Had to go reread the prev chapter on QQ to see what the hell happened ngl. Personally, not a fan of how it seems like Akane is influencing the story to further some kind of background plot. Mainly because we know this story is limited to Remnant. And whatever background plot Akane is working to have Reid as the 'back up' for, im 90% certain will not affect this story at all. So as an overarching "mirlverse" plot, it sort of makes sense (I think Akane is rushing a bit, but there could be a reason for that. But the chapter is so vague that who the hell knows), but as a story centering a Gamer in Remnant, not so much. Also, is it just me or is Akane hypocritical here? Her actions and words imply there's some big bad coming in the future, but instead of telling Zen about it to get her assistance, she keeps the info to herself and just trains up the 'insurance' and the 'back up'. Like she expects to deal with the issue herself, but has the other two in case she dies. This really sounds like Reid, who pretty much also expects to deal with the issue himself, but has Ruby and the others in case he dies.
Tristan R Mitchell
The Goddess is Akane, from Like a Devil. A few million years after that story, but still Akane. So yeah, it just might.
Z3DeltaGhost
Would it really kill the goddess to just be upfront and talk to Reid?
