The Sixth School

Author's note.

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All Characters in the story are 18 years of age and above...

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Chapter Seventy Six: Morpheus...

Greg sat in the small diner looking at the figure of his high school math teacher Mr Jones. His gaze couldn't help but roam around the familiar diner. An old couple was seated at the next table over, Mr Jenkins and his wife, they'd been their neighbors for as long as Greg could remember. Looking at the other side, a group of four girls that Greg could vaguely remember from his high school were seated, giggling about something that Greg couldn't quite pick up on. His gaze even dropped to the hot mug of black tea in his hands. He could feel the heat of the beverage seep through the ceramic mug and into his hands. Despite being perfectly aware that all this was a mental construct, an illusion concocted by the being seated across from him, he still couldn't get over just how real it all felt. Greg didn't know how long he'd been out of it after he'd ceded control over to the being connected to his eyes, but after some time, he'd just found himself seated in this diner at this table.

"I just can't wrap my head around it," A feminine voice reached him causing Greg to look across the table once again. The being had already changed forms taking the form of a girl about his age that Greg all too easily recognized. Nicole, a brunette with bright hazel eyes and a smile that seemed to brighten the room. Greg couldn't help but look away from the form of the girl he had his first-ever crush on. "A whole world with zero magic," the being continued, looking around at the diner with genuine interest. "Mundane humans, that I can understand as they are there in almost every realm I've ever had the chance to visit. But a world devoid of magic... I'd think you were trying to trick me if not for the fact that you're far too weak to attempt such a thing," the being in the guise of Nicole stated.

"The concept of a world full of magic was just as shocking to me," Greg replied, looking back at the being to find him having taken the form of some news anchor that was popular in his hometown. Greg however, couldn't quite remember what their name was. It was fast becoming clear that even in this space, the being wasn't content to stick to just one form. Greg would just have to ignore his constantly shifting form lest he miss what the being actually wanted to say. "To me, this simple world where horrors don't appear from the abyss to try and kill you is what I knew is the norm. It's been a year, and I thought I'd begun to wrap my mind around my new reality. Recent events, however, have soundly disabused me of that notion," He added with a bitter smile.

A snort of derision sounded from across the table. "If you consider that weakling to be a horror, then yes, you are in for a rough road ahead," he stated.

"Just because you can easily swing a hammer, doesn't mean you should fault a toddler for not being able to do the same," Greg calmly replied. While he hadn't been in control, the last thing Greg had seen through his eyes before passing out was how easily this being had dealt with the abyssal creature. His words weren't just hot air, he had the power to back them up.

Greg had to fight the urge to roll his eyes when the next form the being took was that of a toddler swinging around a rather large hammer. "I'm not faulting the child, I'm just letting them know that they'll have to contend with far bigger hammers in the future," The being answered him.

A dark look crossed Greg's expression, with him being marked by fate, the being's words weren't just a guess, but a certainty. He was the toddler in this analogy and unless he found a way to become powerful quickly, he would find sledgehammers swinging his way before he could even handle a simple claw-hammer. "Thank you," Greg said quietly, genuine gratitude clear to be heard in his voice. "I know you have no reason to care whether she lives or dies, but it means a lot to me. I'm grateful that you chose to save my teacher," he said.

"Think nothing of it. I was just returning a favor," the being replied dismissively with a wave of the hand that wasn't holding the hammer.

A brow arched on Greg's face at the reply. "Returning a favor?" Greg repeated, his confusion evident. This being had been sealed away in the pair of eyes Greg received from the deity-level being that reincarnated him. Even when Greg underwent his ascension, all this being did was glance at his teacher and nothing more. Beyond that, his teacher hadn't even been able to detect this entity's presence. Just what favor was he talking about?

"Yes. If she hadn't discovered one of the higher planes' ascension methods, I never would have been able to connect with your body the way I did," The being casually dropped a bomb. For a while, Greg could only open and close his mouth, words failing him. "Now, don't get me wrong," the being continued, unbothered by his reaction. "What she discovered was rather crude and never would have worked without the help she got from the primordial to straighten out the kinks. But be that as it may, she played a pivotal role in my newly gained freedom and so I helped. I'd strongly caution against expecting it a second time," The being, now in the form of a police officer Greg vaguely remembered, advised. There was no anger, coldness, or malice in the being's tone as he said this. Much like a chore that he'd crossed off his list, the being was just letting him know that he wouldn't intervene to save his teacher a second time.

Pressing his lips together into a straight line, Greg nodded resignedly, knowing that he didn't have any way of forcing the being to do anything if he didn't want to. "I'm grateful all the same, but I assume you didn't bring me here just to hear me thank you," Greg said, allowing the discussion to move on to what the being wanted.

"It's simple really, I just want to let you know how you can make full use of my eyes," he said with an amused smile.

Greg couldn't help the bit of skepticism that he felt at the being's words. Despite his gratitude to the being for the intervention, he still hadn't forgotten that this being was reduced to a pair of eyes because he betrayed the deity-level being that reincarnated Greg. That he would want to help Greg, an agent of his killer, was more than a little suspicious. Also, every time the eyes have been activated so far, Greg would lose control and this being would take over. Was he being tricked? Would this being eventually take over completely if Greg ceded control enough times? All these questions fleeted through Greg's mind in quick succession at the being's words.

The being seated across from him, exaggeratedly rolled his eyes. "This is exactly why you are here right now," he said, not bothering to hide the fact that he was privy to Greg's thoughts. "The seals placed on what little is left of me weren't placed there by some random nobody. If I were to attempt to break through them, I would be killed immediately. Just shushing you almost killed me!" The being stated sounding genuinely miffed.

Greg was once again left speechless as he remembered the moment. It was the first thing that the being had done after Greg woke up post-ascension. In the form of an old Buddhist-like monk, seated in the lotus position atop the sigil in his teacher's cave, the being had shushed Greg when he tried to point him out to his teacher and familiar. Greg hadn't noticed anything off with the being thereafter that would suggest he'd almost just died. But then again, the figure that Greg saw out in the real world, wasn't the actual being but a projected illusion, so it didn't mean anything that the illusion had continued as if nothing had happened. "Why would shushing me almost kill you?" He asked.

"Remember how she intended for you to use my eyes. You'd first have to provide mana for the eyes to do anything. This was the simple explanation given to you. In reality, the rule she implemented in the seals that she placed on me is far more stringent. Unless you first initiate something by directing mana to my eyes, then my eyes are practically incapable of doing anything. Circumstances clearly changed when the last remnant I left of myself awakened. The seals, however, adapted and now apply all the same restrictions to me. Forget forcefully taking you over, even talking to you without you initiating the communication could kill me if I'm not careful. Whatever else you might say about her, Mother doesn't do things in half-measure," The being said.

From the way he muttered the last part, Greg could tell that it was more a stray thought absentmindedly verbalized than something the being actually meant to say out loud. Still, it left Greg completely stunned. "Wait, you are her son?" he found himself asking, his shock evident.

Some of the carefree air that had been about the figure before him vanished. Greg couldn't be sure if this was all an act, but he got the impression that the being hadn't meant to expose that last bit. A smile that had a lot less mirth than the ones that came before pasted itself on the being's lips. "If she heard you say that, she'd probably kill you for it," The being stated. For some reason, this was the first thing that the being had wished to sound lighthearted but came out with absolute seriousness. "But, yes, I am... was, her son," He confirmed.

Greg was brought up short, remembering the way the deity-level being that reincarnated him had spoken of the eyes as if they belonged to some random subordinate that she didn't pay much attention to. "I took them off someone who forgot their place and thought they could plot against me". That was literally the entirety of her description of the owner of the eyes. And yet, that "someone" was actually her son! "What did you do?" Greg asked, curious what would drive a mother to essentially kill their child and only keep their eyes as a memento.

The look on the being's face, now in the form of a sheriff Greg had seen from time to time, turned dour. His gaze dropped to the table and for a long while, he didn't say anything. Greg was starting to think that he wouldn't answer when he finally began. "She was growing too strong too fast. We, the other gods that shared a pantheon with her, felt threatened. At first, it started with whispers, then secret meetings then the formation of alliances. By the time they came to rope me in, all the other deities were basically in accord that she had to die. 'For balance', they claimed. I should have seen through the veneer to the naked greed that lay beneath. They were lusting for her power, each wanting it for themselves. However, how could I, when I too was blinded by the same greed for power? I too was green with envy at the heights that she seemed to be climbing to. Heights I couldn't even dream of reaching. When they came for me, I was all too happy to join them. 'It's either I side with them or they kill me alongside my mother', that's the lie I told myself to justify my cowardice. But in the end, it didn't matter, we were all clowns. Lambs dancing before a dragon thinking that just because it hadn't snapped us up, we could measure up to it," He said in a tone of self-mockery.

"You see, Mother had always been aware of those conspiring against her. However, she isn't the type to immediately lash out when someone steps out of line. She will sit back and watch, allow you to play out whatever little scheme you have hatched up, and right when you least expect it, descend on you with the fierceness of a storm. Seventy-one of us came together to attack her that day. I was to be the bait. Using her trust in me, I was to guide her to a place suitable for ambush," A smile crossed the being's face at this point. There was, however, no joy in it. Instead, it was the self-mocking smile of a fool that suddenly became aware of their folly.

"She walked with me, smiling and laughing all the way as we headed to what I thought would be her demise. Just as we were about to reach the place, she calmly turned and asked me, 'Is this where they plan to kill me?'" A mirthless chuckle escaped the being's lips at the memory. "There was no fear in her eyes, her smile didn't even falter and her steps didn't pause. Leaving me behind, frozen like a statue, she walked to the exact place we'd planned to ambush her. The others, not having received any warning from me, immediately attacked... That's when we learned just what a colossal mistake we had made."

"Mother had already grown far more powerful than any of us could ever imagine. What we were sensing of her growth was in truth the bit of her power that she could no longer suppress. With her power, she could have easily appointed herself as head of the pantheon, and no one would have been able to say a thing about it. The only reason she didn't was because she hadn't been interested in that little bit of power. If we hadn't attacked her, she probably would have ascended to higher ranks and left us alone to continue our mediocre existence. Unfortunately for us, we let fear and greed guide us. And by the end, a pantheon of seventy-two gods in total was reduced to just one. And of the other seventy-one gods, only a pair of eyes was left," the being relayed.

There was a long silence before Greg spoke up. "She let you live." This was the only logical conclusion he could come to after hearing the back story. If his mother was as powerful as he claimed her to be, then there was no way he was hidden in the eyes. Perhaps she hadn't expected that he'd somehow reawaken because of an accidentally discovered ascension method, but there was no doubt in Greg's mind that his mother knew, on some level that her son was still alive within the eyes.

A bitter smile crossed the being's face. "I mean, she did keep me locked away in my eyes for close to seven hundred thousand years before you came along. I'm not sure you can exactly call that living. But then again, I did try to kill her, so I can't exactly be mad that she didn't go looking for a body for me," The being seemed to be trying to work out his feelings on the whole issue in the present time.

Greg, on the other hand, was agape. He knew that beings at this level lived long lives, but to hear seven hundred thousand years mentioned as a jail sentence and not even a full lifespan left him staggered. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the concept that beings could live for that long. "Wait, but if she was already that powerful that long ago, why does she need my help?" He asked.

The being across from him, now a little girl in a pink tutu and a plastic tiara on her head, seemed to consider the question for a while before answering. "There are three possible reasons I can think of. One, she is injured and in a weakened state and needs you to act as her agent to help in the recovery process. If not that, then her power has hit a plateau and whatever she plans to have you do will be the key to breaking through that barrier. Finally, if it isn't either of the two former options, then she has eyes watching her, restricting what she can do openly. You, my friend, are the secret agent that she is nurturing to act on her behalf on matters that she can't be seen to have her hand in," the being presented him with the possible options.

"She managed to kill another seventy-one gods with your level of power, and that was almost a million years ago, what could possibly injure her?" Greg questioned the first option, which was also the one he was most skeptical of.

An amused smile crossed the being's lips. "One thing you should keep in mind, no matter how powerful you get is that there is always, always, someone more powerful than you are!" the being replied. From his tone of voice and demeanor, going so far as to repeat the word 'always' twice, Greg could tell that this was as much a fact to the being before him as the sky being blue. "Power is like a ladder that stretches from the ground all the way to infinity. It may have a bottom, but no matter how far you climb, you will never reach its limit," He declared.

Greg would have raised objections to the other two reasons given, not because he knew something that the being across from him didn't, but just to try and see if they could narrow down the possibilities. The answer given by the being, however, effectively stopped him short. If there was always more power to be obtained, then yes, he might be a tool to help his reincarnator grow stronger. Similarly, if there were always those more powerful than you, then yes, he could also be someone his reincarnator needed to act without being found out by those more powerful than she was.

"Let's say for a second that I believe you. If what you are saying about how you were sealed is true, then didn't you go against the seals two more times other than when you shushed me?" Greg asked bringing the discussion back to where it began. "First, during my ascension, you acted without my say-so, and almost killed my teacher, while you were at it, I might add. And secondly, just now, I asked for your help but didn't send mana your way until after you had agreed to help me. If just shushing me almost killed you, how did you manage to speak a whole sentence without my mana?" He challenged.

Taking on the portly shape of his mayor from Greg's past life, the being answered. "Seals are like a computer code. They are meant to achieve a specific task within certain parameters. Like a guard dog trained to attack anyone wearing a black ski mask. What happened during your ascension is that a man in a pink ski mask appeared. Now, if the target of a seal changes in ways that the seals weren't meant to accommodate, then, depending on the skills of the one who set up the seal, they will either break or adapt. The seals placed on my eyes were placed there by my mother herself. So, as you might well guess, they are not easy to break. However, even if a seal adjusts instead of breaking, there will be a small window of time before it reconfigures itself to apply to the new target. During your ascension, I simply made use of that window to integrate myself into your mana circulation system," The being answered him.

"As for the second instance, it's simple really, sometimes you have to suffer a bit to get to a greater goal. Believe me when I say that the seals punished me severely for that one statement, but with the mana I've accrued since I awakened, I was able to at the very least preserve my life," He stated with a shrug.

"And what was your greater goal? " Greg asked, both curious and suspicious.

"Isn't it obvious? To bring you here and have this discussion with you," the being replied. "I could act all mysterious and give vague hints and clues as to what I want, but I'm going to take a page from my mother and be direct with you Greg. I have one, and only one goal. Freedom. I want to create a new body for myself and use it to disappear. I tried to kill my mother and in return, she kept me prisoner for almost seven hundred thousand years. In my books, that clears any debt I might have with her. I won't lie and say that I'm happy with what she did, but there is no great hatred between her and myself. The moment I have my new body, I plan on finding a remote corner of the infinite realms to live out the rest of my life in peace and pleasure," He declared.

"Unfortunately for me, that means I have to depend on you. I may be able to connect to your mind and even exert some power whenever you allow me control, but still, all I am currently is a pair of eyes. I will need your help to collect the things I need to create a new body. Now, it doesn't take a genius to realize that you are nowhere near powerful enough to collect the things a deity would need for their body, let alone create that body. This means I'll have to watch over you and help you along until you are strong enough to help me create that new body. This will be my payment to you for the new body you will be helping me create," the being laid out.