CHAP 41: Discoveries

When i had started working on my ICE, it was already pretty late, and by the time i was done, it was already the morning of the other day. My job interview would happen later today, so i would have an bunch of free time. If you're wondering why i am taking this role as an teacher in the first place, it comes from an supposition. 02 is proof there are anime characters in this world, and what place do most anime happen on? Schools, and where are those schools? Tokyo, or an place based on it.

With those thoughts, i would check if the students had status, since i had learned in Kansai that most people don't have one, only those with strong enough existences would develop an skill, so even if an person was good at something, if their existences were not concrete, they wouldn't have an skill in what they were good at. I am assuming this happens because this is not an real world, but something the Game made, so basically only the protagonists have statuses, or someone who entered in contact with me for long enough, such as Akira.

My stay on Tokyo would depend on whether i found any protagonist at the school or not. If i did happen to find one, i would start making some preparations to either put them in my hands or kill them. If i didn't find one, i would move on to Night City immediately. The job as an teacher is an ruse, and if i happen to find an important character, an means of approach. So i got out of the sofa, and started making some coffee for myself and the women.

"i don't understand"

'What?'

"you were so uncaring to your lovers in your past life, what makes you act so different now?"

'They were not lovers, they were flings, dead-weight. I didn't have an use for them past that, but i do have an use for these current women. There is no better leash than love.'

"is that really it? an case of utility? i thought you said you were no longer the Spider?"

'Did it pass through you head that i can lie to myself?'

"it did, but it does not seem to be the case. maybe you're finally changing for the better, Gray, isn't that what you wanted before? isn't that what you wanted to achieve after the discovery of your cancer?"

'It is, but what i realized as well is that i would never be capable of achieving such an thing in my state.'

"your state has changed already, Gray. you're no longer nameless, you're no longer only known as the Spider. you're an new person, keep the past to the past."

[She's right, Fraudator. An name is important, i've already told you this.]

'An personality is affected by the name?'

[Not the personality, the existence.]

That Monika would be the one to make me think about this is unexpected. Maybe i'm getting sloppy? All that stress is finally getting to me? It can't be, this body is young, new. Maybe i really am starting to shed myself of my old skin. It would make perfect sense. Spider wouldn't do what i'm doing, wouldn't be so human. Is that what i lacked all my life? An name? My head hurts.

|Host has concretized his existence.

An seal has been released on the Collector.|

I almost burned my coffee because of all this existential shit. I sat down, poured myself an bit, and sipped on it. The Collector has had one of it's seals released? Is it more powerful now? I decided to check. I summoned the case Death had given me. I could summon the Collector and the case instinctively with magic, i really need to learn some spells. I opened the case and the Collector was there, with it's appearance modified.

Whereas it appeared like an slightly modified 500 S&W Magnum before, it now had an more sophisticated look. The grip was now made of some very good black leather, i couldn't identify what animal it came from. The barrel now had rails on the inside, so the bullets are accelerated electromagnetically, but the chamber still fitted bullets with casings, even if they were the size of what could be considered an anti-material rifle in my old world. The chamber had two vertical stripes of gold, and the weapon itself was very long, but surprisingly balanced. The barrel had an phrase on it: "colligitur nec redit", my latin is very rusty, so i don't know what exactly that means, something about never returning? I'll see it later.

While i analyzed the beautiful gun, Samantha and Makina entered the kitchen. Samantha poured herself an cup of coffee, while Makina sat in front of me, with an questioning look.

"Are you after my body?"

I looked away from the gun and at her, with one of my eyebrows raised.

"What makes you think that?"

"First you didn't kill me at the prison, next you saved me from those things. You don't seem to be one who does things for free, so i ask again, are you after my body?"

"First off, lady, you think of me very rudely. Secondly, if i were after your body, wouldn't i already have taken it? i literally had you weakened, on an bed, in my house. Thirdly, if i was after something, it was after your abilities, since you were the security head on an very secure prison."

She stopped to think for an bit. While this was happening, Samantha was sat on my side, supporting her head with her hand, looking at me. Seriously, is the Collector secretly the Cupid's bow and arrow or something, or did she see something when we linked our existences i'm not aware of?

"So you are not after my body, but my abilities? I can live with that, since i am in your debt. Won't be killing any innocents, though."

The more i think about the current situation i am in, the more i am weirded out. Is this an effect of not being the Spider anymore? In any case, it's better to not think too deeply about this. Women and their mysteries.