Another Stupid Isekai

A few days went by when I wrote in my notebook. I even found myself looking for books around the alien houses for inspiration. I gathered a couple and started looking at what was inside. At first, it was just a bunch of signs that I couldn’t understand at all, but after few minutes of studying my skills kicked in, and I started to read like I always knew the language.

Kashram was the name of their alphabet, and it was a pretty difficult one. with many letters indicating similar sounds, but the most troubling part was that some of them put next to others were changing the whole meaning of a sentence, and also the way how it should be spoken.

The reading was a slow and tiring process, but the poetry I read and the stories made me fell in love with it. There were a lot of epic novels of individuals fighting the oppression of the collective, usually in some form of Xuvi masters.

Poems were about freedom and love. Something that a few years ago wouldn’t probably interest me much, but now it was hitting very close to home.

I spent hours digging through those texts, and also, inspired by them, putting the first parts of my story on the paper.

My endeavors in the literature world were soon stopped, though, as The Great One contacted me.

– There is a ghost you could take on. Just one, but this one might be hard. I wouldn’t propose it normally, but we might not have other options for a while, and if you won’t be reckless, you should handle this.

– Give me a moment to prepare, I’ll come to you when I’m ready – was my response, as I put down the notebook.

I went to eat something, and then put my things in order, before I headed out to him with my weapon in my hand. As I walked there, the loneliness of this place hit me again. It for sure was because of this strange silver light, and the darkness in the far parts of this ridiculously big cave. I knew that all those houses I was passing by were empty.

[0)ᴠʟ I somehow got rid of this melancholy, as I approached the building he was occupying. I got inside, and found him again, reading the poetry.

– You don’t ever take a break? – I asked, as it was so damn strange that every time I came there, he was always reading.

– I do, although this body stays here, my mind often travels far away. Are you ready to proceed, Peter?

– Yes I am.

– Good. Because this, or maybe the next one, and you should be ready to finally open the pathway. I’m telling you this because I have faith in you, but please remain patient, and don’t be reckless. The fight might be very hard.

– I’ll do my best – I said, immediately activating ‘Shadow fusion’.

He had to take that as a signal and transported me to another, yet again different city.

I found myself in a perfectly symmetrical environment. There were large blocks of buildings clustered together. They weren’t tall but very cubic, although all the edges were smooth, more modern.

Some of those complexes were higher, some smaller, but all clearly destined for the population to live in. There were also different types. A silver pyramid-shaped, gargantuan skyscrapers. They were smoother the what I was used to seeing pictures from Egipt, and sometimes the walls were slightly caved in, making the top prolongated, and more pointy.

It was night there, but the whole city was illuminated by strange drones, flying all around.

The part I appeared in wasn’t destructed at all, but just a bit further, I saw signs of complete devastation. Even one of those great pyramids was ripped apart, showcasing the innards made of steel, or maybe some other type of metal.

I looked around carefully because I already had my fair share of experience hunting ghosts. I noticed him before he did notice me, emerging from the residential complex, blown apart in the middle, like something blasted it open from the inside.

It was mostly just black robes, torn to shreds. It had to be several layers because none of his skin was showing except grey hands and feet. No fancy jewelry, nothing. Just a weapon. He was walking, dragging a gigantic sword, that from sheer weight was striking sparkles.

He froze, as I rushed towards him, and then screamed so loudly it influenced my vestibulocochlear nerve, and I found myself stumbling for few steps, before catching back my balance.

This wasn’t definitely a normal scream, but rather some kind of skill. I recognized this immediately and reinforced my body with KI, and other stuff to be at my peak.

He rushed at me at the same moment, leaping few dozen meters in the air, which made me reposition, several times, and create a bunch of firebirds, to hit him, as he landed.

And he did, heavily, on the ground nearby, rising a cloud of dirt. I send all of them, and the chained explosion shook the ground, creating a cloud of flames, but that fucked shadow walked out of it, delivering a swing from above, which I blocked, that was so strong, it brought me to my knees.

He immediately repositioned, and for a couple of moments, we did a shadow walking dance, avoiding each other strikes be split of a second, before he landed another one, sending me flying. I slammed into a wall and pierced it through. I immediately got the hell out of there, before a tightly connected wrap of several lightning bolts, out of nowhere, struck it burning out a hole in the roof, and exploding inside, sending pieces of ruble straight from that hole.

The building collapsed partially in the few next seconds, but I wasn’t even looking out there, too busy praying the next few strikes. I had to make his blade slide on mine, to avoid the full impact. This tactic at least made me go toe to toe with him.

Sadly, I definitely couldn’t win it in such a way. I needed to find a way to hit him back, which wasn’t easy under such a barrage of swings.. They were so strong, that the air was whirring, raising clouds of dust and small ruble from the streets.