Streamer (Tier 3): Stream your own sense of sight and hearing to a familiar audience and read their responses, reactions, and other feedback. This cannot be turned off. Output is censored during bathroom breaks or scenes of nudity. This skill works retroactively. Half of your Tempor reserves are locked for this skill's use.

Upgrade: Internet Explorer (7SP) ✔ Upgrade: Stream Administrator (7SP)

Internet Explorer - Allows free access to the internet familiar to you. Download only. Costs DP to use. Stream Administrator - Allows use of video calls for DP, showing system windows and playing ads from the cameraman's point of view, and further expands your multitasking abilities.

Purchase the [Streamer] skill upgrade [Stream Administrator] for 7 skill points? Y/N

'Stream Administrator' skill upgrade unlocked!

Initiate video call with user: BrandonStew? Y/N (93258 DP available)

Call with BrandonStew Requesting video call. Please wait…

One ring…

Two rings…

Three–

The black screen suddenly turned into a picture of a blond bearded man with glasses. His eyes widened a moment later.

"Hello? Officer Stew?"

"Ah, hello there. Didn't expect this."

"Yeah, I got an upgrade! I can do video calls now!" I grinned.

I could finally see people. It had been way too long.

"I see that. That's pretty convenient." He grunted with a nod. "Now before we begin, are you doing alright? I saw some of what you had to go through in that messed up trial. Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

I grimaced.

"I… Well, I'm doing better. Been just resting these past few days… and I also have access to Earth's internet now! It doesn't let me upload or post anything, but it's still nice just being able to watch Snitch or ViewTube to unwind."

"Hmm. Glad to hear then. Well, then let me cut straight to the chase then."

I leaned forward, eager to hear updates on the ash situation.

"The scientists concluded that your ash is alive."

I froze my jaw falling.

"I have zombie ash?!"

He snorted.

"Not quite. I don't understand the specifics, but they compared the situation to mushrooms and mold. You're the mushroom, the ash is the mold."

I frowned, tilted my head, quirked up the side of my lip.

The fuck?

"Basically, it's technically still human, just in a different form. By all means, it should be dead since it's missing every vital organ, but something is keeping it alive. Luckily, it's dormant, so you don't have to worry about any walking dead version of you. Probably."

"What the fuuuuuck…?" I murmured.

What the hell did it mean that it was still alive? Could the ash feel things? That was royally messed up!

And more importantly, would that mean that the ash was the original Nana? And I some… clone? Or what?!

"My thoughts exactly."

"What… What am I supposed to do with that information…?"

"Well, I don't know. The guys figured they shouldn't poke the magical ash TOO much until you make it back to Earth, just in case they needed magic to contain magic. Others thought they should keep researching it anyway. It turned into a pretty heated debate, I heard."

I pursed my lips.

It felt really weird to have people fight over what was essentially my living corpse. I… I needed to get back as soon as possible and reclaim it.

Now, I had no idea what I would even do with it once I got my hands on it, but it was the principle of the thing.

My magical ash. Hands off.

"Other than the ash, well, the mysterious website and your stream are as weird as ever. They assembled a whole IT team trying to figure it out, but didn't get very far yet. Though last I heard, they were trying to test the theory the signal comes from the past, the future, another dimension, or a combination of these. No idea how they are doing that, but I saw some photos of cables stretched across the room and some measuring devices stationed around. A lot of technical mumbo jumbo I'm not familiar with, but I think they mentioned using lasers to figure out if there was any time dilation…? However that works."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Well, damn.

I had never thought that deeply about it, but I guess a mysterious website accessible from anywhere and a stream that couldn't be shut down would be a pretty big deal, wouldn't it?

"That's… kinda crazy."

"Really is, isn't it? Well, exactly because it's this crazy, a lot of other people started taking notice of your situation."

"Oh, yeah…" I frowned. "Chat told me. Someone figured out my previous name and identity from what I said and did in the last trial and doxed me. And now my sister is getting hounded by reporters."

Which made me feel guilty. But I couldn't do anything while still stuck here.

Stupid assholes on the internet. I'd known I should have been more careful not to dox myself.

"Ah, that's messed up. But no, that's not what I was getting at. I meant that the government is now closely following you and will probably try to recruit you the moment you manage to return. Maybe even sooner."

"Wha– The government? Why?"

"Not sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion they don't want the person capable of blowing up buildings to work for other countries."

I grimaced.

Ugh, of course some people would only see me as a weapon of mass destruction.

"Great…"

"And, well, besides that, I heard rumors about a cult worshiping you starting. Pretty messed up."

"Oh, come ooon…" I rubbed my brow. "Do they have to? Why are they even worshiping me?"

"People aren't always rational. Especially not cult members," he grunted.

"...Yeah."

I was in for one hell of a welcome once I got back to Earth, huh?

"'Sides that, well, as you can guess, the investigation had to be put on hold on our side. Not much we can do when both the victim and the perpetrator are not even on Earth at the moment."

"Hmm, makes sense."

"So, yes. This isn't an official report by any means. I just wanted to inform you, since I promised I would. Honestly, I'm bending the protocol here a little already, but I figured you deserve to know all of this."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks. I appreciate it." I smiled.

"No problem… Oh, right. One more thing. Now that you can do video calls, the people interested in you might get into contact. I imagine some talk shows are very eager to get you on."

I blinked.

"Talk shows? Huh… That actually sounds pretty cool."

He grunted.

"If you think so. Anyway, that's it from me. I'll let you know if there's any more developments."

"Ah! Thank you, Mr. Stew! You didn't have to do this!"

"I think I did." He reached up and touched his police badge. "When I got this thing here, I swore to serve and protect. So if nobody else is willing to tell you anything, then it falls to me."

That was… weirdly cheesy for someone as serious as him.

Nice.

I gave him a wide grin.

"You're awesome! Thanks again!"

He nodded.

"Good luck out there. I hope you make it back soon."

"...Yeah. Me too."

The call ended.

I let out a sigh and leaned on the tree as I craned my neck to look at the blue sky.

Get back, huh…?

I'd said that I would, but was it at all possible? My only lead were the incausal rifts. I had assumed I was meant to go back in time to prevent the apocalypse that wiped all living things off this world or something. But…

'Do not break the timeline'

The Fate Weaver had clearly warned me. He didn't want me to change anything in the past.

Or maybe it was reverse psychology...? Or rather, why should I listen to him? He was my fucking enemy! Screw whatever he said!

...But maybe breaking the timeline would be world-destroyingly bad?

Argh!

I groaned and smacked my fist into the dirt beside me.

The ground exploded and showered me in soil.

"Gah! Wha–"

What the heck? I hadn't punched that hard! Why…

I stopped, then slowly craned my head to the side where John view was.

To make my conversation with Mr. Stew private, I'd sent John off high into the sky to look at the office building dungeon in the distance. Which meant that chat currently couldn't see or hear me.

"Muted Nightmare."

The title. It hadn't worked before because chat still saw and heard me. But if I sent John out, nobody could see me. Just like the title's description demanded for its effects.

I stared at the ground for a moment as the realization dawned and then snorted.

I shook my head and looked at the sky wryly.

"Well… Whether I break the timeline or not, I can't give up."

The stream itself already crossed the worlds' boundaries, so in the worst case scenario, I just had to figure out what exactly it did and then… replicate it somehow. Send myself through.

After all, the Fate Weaver might be an expert on all things space-time, but that didn't mean others couldn't learn how to do nonsense like that.

And even if I couldn't learn it, then killing the Fate Weaver ought to give me some of his powers, right? That was totally how slaying a god worked.

I giggled to myself.

Yeah.

Stay positive.

I would return to Earth.

No matter what.

No eight-eyed space-time abomination would stop me.

With renewed purpose, I stood up, brushed the dirt off of me, stepped to the side, and stuck my hand in front of the tree before teleporting John back down to look at it.

Three, two, one…

"Heeello, my little Aquamarines! It's me! Aoto Nana! Your favorite aspiring godslayer!" I yelled with a wide grin.

"It's been a while, but it's finally time to get moving again!"

trelipideliberitation: yesss!

"We have several goals! My two main goals right now are to return to Earth and to kill the Fate Weaver. That's probably gonna take a while, so I also have some short term goals! First, this thing!" I pulled out the demon horn. "We're gonna try to find the place this is pointing at. Hopefully something comes out of it. And maybe we'll also run into an incausal rift on our way there! The jerk said to not break the timeline, but I don't know… maybe that's how you kill a Fate Weaver!"

trelipideliberitation: wait breaking timeline sounds bad

I shrugged.

"I'll burn that bridge when I get there! Maybe he won't even let me break it once I get the chance. Who knows?" I shook my head. "Anywho! Before we go on our massive journey, we still have some unfinished business right here! In fact, you guys have been looking at it right before the stream started! That's right, now that I'm uber powerful, I'm gonna try to go to the office building dungeon! I still have no idea what's even in there, but if our theory is right and it's an Intra dungeon, then I'm confident I can get decently far! Honestly, I don't even need to clear it. Just want to explore a bit since I'm here. Might not get another chance to do so if I'm about to commit time travel, you know?"

I paused and remembered something.

"Speaking of unfinished business. I should probably try to take a look at the spaceship dungeon too. Get some payback on that crappy robot, hmm? See just how much stronger I am now!"

trelipideliberitation: heck yes! trelipideliberitation: laser gun loot trelipideliberitation: add to your own gun

I perked up.

"Now that's an idea, Trelip! Yes, I want a laser beam setting for my gun!"

I laughed.

"But the spaceship is a bit far away, so that's for later. First, the office building. It's not that far, I can probably make it there today."

I looked out into the distance.

"Well, no point in delaying. Let's get going!"

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