Vines.

—

Once again, Richard breathes out molecular clouds and forms the template gravitational force using his ionized flames. He creates Venus at a one-to-one scale. After completing the formation and while still under his fine-tuned control, he is plagued by anxious thoughts of potential failure. Although he understands that failure is a common experience that scientists must overcome to progress, Richard has a nagging sense of foreboding.

Everything seems to be running too smoothly, with few failures encountered. It feels as though an invisible hand is guiding his every step toward success and wisdom in this multiverse, and this sensation makes him uneasy. Still, he must press on. Looking back at Venus and controlling the graviton particles that make up the gravity field of the surrounding system, Richard finally lets go after keeping silent for quite some time.

One second, two seconds, three seconds. One minute, two minutes, three minutes. As ten minutes pass, Richard shouts at the top of his lungs, "FUCK YEAH!"

But…

"No… no… no."

Crash.

Seeing Venus and Mercury collide with the Sun once again, Richard feels dejected. His body weakens, and he slumps to the ground, mumbling, "Why? Why is this so hard? Everything is perfect. What is wrong with it?"

He doesn't understand. Everything is perfect, every detail meticulously placed. Even the gravitational field is similar to his previous world. But why did it fail? It's the same physics, the same fundamental forces, the same everything. But why did it fail? He just can't understand.

"Perfect is a matter of perception, my friend."

Startled and not sensing the other person's presence at all, Richard instinctively stands up and draws his swords while employing his Sun Breathing technique.

"Try attracting more Higgs Bosons."

Ignoring the man in the green cape, Richard backs away, intending to leave.

"Careful… Look where you're stepping."

Turning around and seeing he's almost touching atoms with strange and charming quarks that could make him follow bizarre rules, Richard decides, after a few minutes of silence, to drop his paranoia. Taking a deep breath, he replies, "Thanks."

"Now, focus on your work again, but add more Higgs Bosons to the northern pole of Venus."

Skeptical, since his calculations were perfect and there was no need to add more mass, Richard shakes his head but decides to follow the advice. There is no harm in trying. With an open palm, ionized plasma fire, and a deep breath, Richard creates the same replica of the Solar System but this time adds more Higgs Boson particles to the northern pole of Venus.

After fifteen minutes of silence, Richard blurts out, "But how?"

"You already succeeded. However, because this place is not dark space, your system is disturbed because of that. As a result, it is hit by a lot of cosmic noise."

Face-palming himself for not considering such a simple issue, which could easily be solved by clearing the empty space of any atoms, Richard sighs in lamentation and says, "Thanks."

"No problem."

Seeing the man holding the vines smile as if they were old friends, Richard finally examines him closely. The man wears a black-green crown with long horns made from a metal similar to Uru but superior, a cape connected to green vines that occasionally snap and rejoin, and simple boots showing signs of walking in a timeless place. Richard introduces himself, "Richard. Human."

Chuckling, the man replies, "I can't shake your hand yet. But… Loki. Asgardian."

"Oh yes, I forgot," Richard says, noticing that Loki's hands are occupied with holding a vine that occasionally snaps and reattaches to a distant branch. Wanting to ask why Loki was holding the vine, he then remembers the group of women he saved on Undvik and focuses on the last sentence. "Wait, you said Asgardian?"

"Yes, the one and only. One of the princes of Asgard and the god of mischief."

Nodding to the man's title, which Richard does not fully understand, he says, "I think it is a fortuitous encounter to meet you here. In the Physical Realm, or mortal realm as you call it, there is a group of women titled Valkyries who would be delighted to see a countryman like you. They are Eir, Geirahöð, Geiravör—"

"Come again?"

"They be Eir, Geirahöð, Geiravör—"

"No, not that. I mean the whole sentence. Making sense of it in modern English just takes a bit of time."

Looking confused as to why Loki needs to translate his language to modern English while clearly speaking Common Speech, Richard retells his sentence: "I trow 'tis a fortunate happenstance that I encounter thee here. For in the Physical Realm, or mortal realm as thou dost name it, there is a band of women known as Valkyries who would be gladdened to see a countryman such as thyself. They be Eir, Geirahöð, Geiravör… Hold a moment. Why dost I speak in this strange manner? How hath I come to understand thy tongue?"

"Ah, I understand! You said there are Valkyries that have already arrived in this world, yes?" Loki asks for confirmation.

Nodding, Richard simply replies, "Aye."

"Sorry, I'm just not accustomed to the old English dialect," Loki smiles apologetically.

Shaking his head, Richard responds, "Nay, 'tis well." He then continues to muse to himself, mumbling, "But how so? I comprehend thy speech as though it were second nature unto me. And yet, why am I the one speaking strangely this time? 'Tis plain this matter is not wrought by the laws of the cosmos, for this is not a Physical Realm. But how can I grasp thy language so clearly? Wondrous."

"Thy speech… your speech… 'tis plain… clearly… laws cosmos… rule of the universe… Ahh, yes, yes, I understand! You asked why you can understand modern English clearly but are unable to speak it fluently, yes?" Loki asks, finally solving the language barrier puzzle.

Sighing, Richard replies, "Aye. But, fret not, for I believe I ken the answers to that. 'Tis merely that in mine erstwhile world, I spake modern English. Hence, I was able to understand thee."

Frowning, he then mumbles silently, "Yet, why can I not speak modern English with fluency? Verily, 'tis important knowledge that must needs be copied. Is it owing to my form? My form that resembles his? Is it because I am a blending of two? Thus, as long as the inspiration is well understood betwixt us, the tongue spoken doth matter not, for 'tis become abstract knowledge within mine own head. Hence, we grasp the language but cannot utter it. Yet it doth not make sense—why doth the Elder Blood do thus? Why is mine attire clearly woven by loom and not by machine, yet the swords are but cheap adornments from Amazon? Why is the head fashioned of carbon atoms from the 21th century, whilst the rest of my form is of the 19th century? And why two bodies? Why doth mine emotions ever be in chaotic turmoil whilst mine intellect remains in a state of orderly cognition?"

Richard Tsugikuni continues to ponder these questions until he hears the man holding vines, with strands snapping and rejoining into a distant branch, providing clues.

"Hmm… Blending two… Resembles his… Why two bodies… Ah, I understand your concern now! Friend, let me ask you something. You've never seen a variant of yourself, have you?"

—