Free Web Novel"But be quick about it."
The voice didn't respond right away.
Matt opened one eye.
"And direct."
"I will be."
"And if you start with anything about trusting the queen, accepting my destiny as a princess, or fusing with Iris, I'm going to pretend you don't exist no matter what happens."
The voice let out a small laugh. Then it spoke more calmly.
"If the queen came looking for you, it means you're more competent than Iris."
Matt stared at where he couldn't see her.
"Don't state the obvious."
The voice paused.
"Excuse me?"
"Get to the point."
"That's what I was trying to do before you interrupted me."
Matt clicked his tongue.
The voice continued:
"We should create an ego weapon."
Matt went still. Then he started laughing.
"Ha."
The voice said nothing.
Matt brought a hand to his face.
"Are you an idiot?"
"No."
"That goes against the rules."
"No."
Matt lowered his hand.
"No?"
"The rule prohibits changing weapons once the trial has started."
Matt frowned.
The voice continued:
"But there's no rule that prohibits creating a new one."
Silence fell.
Matt looked at the bow-spear on his legs. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Then at the cold forges.
Then back at the empty air.
"Right."
"Matt…"
"No, no. I get it."
Matt lifted the bow-spear slightly.
"So your grand idea is that I turn this into a sword too."
The voice went quiet.
Matt continued:
"A bow-spear-sword."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I am because your idea deserves it."
"Although…" The voice paused. "It would certainly be interesting to see if you could modify a weapon to that degree."
Matt narrowed his eyes.
"No."
"That wasn't the point."
"Good."
The voice spoke firmly.
"I don't want you to modify the bow-spear."
Matt didn't respond.
"I want you to create a completely new weapon, and I think the best option would be a gun."
Matt went still for several seconds. Then he started laughing.
This time louder.
"Ha… hahaha…"
The voice sighed.
"I knew you'd react like this."
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"Because it's the stupidest idea I've heard in a very long time."
"Listen to me."
"No."
"Matt."
"No." Matt raised a hand. "First of all, reworking the entire bow-spear to turn it into something like that would be a nightmare. The current structure doesn't work for that. The mana flow is designed for tension, not for—"
"I didn't tell you to rework it."
Matt stopped.
The voice continued:
"I told you to create a new weapon."
Matt looked at her without seeing her.
"And where do I get the materials?"
"Did you forget that the materials reappear here when you sleep?"
Matt closed his mouth.
The voice said nothing.
Matt looked at the cold forges.
The tables.
The tools.
The metal pieces that always ended up neatly arranged again after each rest.
His eyebrow twitched.
"That doesn't mean I can make a gun."
"Why not?"
"Because a weapon is more than pieces of metal."
"I know."
"No, you don't."
"Matt."
"It's not just the shape. It's pressure. Chamber. Barrel. Mechanism. Resistance. If something goes wrong, it blows up in my hand."
"Then don't let something go wrong."
Matt smiled without humor.
"Brilliant."
The voice spoke more seriously.
"Did you forget that you're not a normal human?"
Matt went still.
Then his expression cooled.
"Say that again to yourself."
The voice took a moment to answer.
"I'm sorry."
Matt said nothing.
"What I meant is that you can do things a normal human couldn't. If you use more of your blood, your mana, and the authority you have over the material by giving it your blood, you could alter it enough."
Matt gritted his teeth.
"If you'd learned anything from me, you'd know that—"
"Yes."
The voice cut him off.
Matt went quiet.
"I know it disgusts you to use anything related to being a vampire."
Matt didn't respond.
"I know you hate that blood. You hate the wings. You hate regenerating. You hate that your body responds to the queen. You hate everything that reminds you of her."
Matt looked down.
The voice continued, more firmly.
"But if you don't use those powers, you won't be able to make that weapon."
The silence stretched.
Matt gripped the bow-spear.
"Fine."
"Matt…"
"Let's say I make that gun."
"Good."
"What do you want me to do with two weapons?"
The voice didn't respond.
Matt raised an eyebrow.
"Awaken both ego weapons? Stay here two years shooting things until both of them start talking to me and take turns ruining my life?"
"No."
"Then say it clearly."
"You have to do it if you want to guarantee your freedom."
Matt let out a dry laugh.
"What does a gun have to do with my freedom?"
"Everything."
Matt waited.
The voice spoke more quietly.
"You've spent too much time here."
Matt didn't respond.
"The queen has probably already ordered Iris to train with Eleonora."
Matt frowned.
The voice continued:
"Maybe Iris is no longer as useless as before."
"That's a very generous sentence."
"But given what you did by entering this cave again, choosing the maximum difficulty, and spending so much time getting a weapon out of it…"
Matt pressed his lips together.
"The queen is going to make you pay for it."
Matt smiled without humor. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"With interest."
"Yes."
"That's why I'm going to kill her when I get out."
The voice sighed.
"There's no need for that."
Matt looked up.
"There isn't?"
"Not if you create another weapon."
Matt said nothing.
The voice continued:
"If you manage to create it, I could use it."
Matt went still.
"What."
"I could stay with the queen."
Matt didn't respond.
"With Iris."
Matt stayed silent.
"With the castle."
The voice paused.
"And you could go back to your human life."
Matt looked at where he couldn't see her.
For a few seconds, there was no sound.
Even the fountain seemed to stop moving.
Then Matt let out a low laugh.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does."
"No."
"Matt."
"It's absurd."
"I know."
"No, you don't understand." Matt got up from the bed. "It's so absurd that it almost looks like a trap designed by someone who thinks I'm an idiot."
"I don't think you're an idiot."
"That also sounds suspicious."
The voice was quiet for a moment.
Then it spoke carefully.
"If I do that, I can take the place the queen wants you to fill."
Matt didn't respond.
"An existence born from your vampire blood. With your observed memories. With your knowledge of the castle. With enough of a connection to you to be useful."
Matt tightened his fingers.
"And with an ego weapon of its own."
"Exactly."
Matt listened in silence.
The idea was stupid.
Too much so.
Create another weapon.
Awaken it.
Give that voice a way to defend herself.
Separate her.
Let her take his place.
And him…
He would go home to his mother and sister.
To a normal life and probably a terrible job.
But human.
Matt swallowed.
No.
This was too comfortable.
Too perfect.
"Do you really think I'm going to trust you?"
The voice didn't respond.
Matt smiled just barely.
"You have the same origin as Iris."
"I'm not Iris."
"That's what you say."
"But it's true."
"Odds are you've devoured some of my memories."
The voice went quiet.
Matt narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
"I didn't."
Matt let out a dry laugh.
"Right."
"I didn't devour your memories."
"Then what did you do?"
"I observed them."
Matt went still.
The voice continued:
"To learn."
Matt didn't respond.
"And to keep myself entertained a little."
Matt slowly raised his gaze.
"That sentence does not help."
"I know."
"I don't believe a word of it."
"You can look."
"Look for what?"
"A memory."
Matt let out another laugh.
"Are you stupid?"
"No."
"How would I know if a memory is missing?"
The voice didn't respond.
Matt pointed at his own head.
"If I forgot something, I can't remember that I forgot it."
There was silence.
"That's true," the voice admitted.
"Very helpful."
"But I didn't lie."
Matt closed his eyes.
The voice spoke more quietly.
"Iris was desperate. Impatient. Hungry."
Matt said nothing.
"She did devour memories. She'd rip them out when she wanted to understand something quickly or when she needed to take more control."
Matt clenched his jaw.
"I didn't do that."
"Sure."
"I only observed."
"How thoughtful."
"It was the only way to learn without hurting you."
Matt opened his eyes and his expression was still cold.
"I don't believe you."
The voice sighed.
"I know."
"Then stop trying to sell me trust."
"I'm not selling trust."
"Yes you are."
"I'm proposing a deal."
Matt looked at the bow-spear.
Then at the forges.
Then at the door of the room.
"An absurd deal."
"Yes."
"A suspicious one."
"Also."
"And very convenient for you."
"Also convenient for you."
Matt didn't respond.
The voice spoke more firmly.
"What do you have to lose by trying?"
Matt frowned.
"Matt, I'm already in your mind."
The silence returned.
"That part already happened."
Matt gritted his teeth.
"It doesn't matter whether you trust me or not. You can't ignore me. You can't remove me now. You can't pretend I don't exist."
Matt looked down.
"But if you try what I'm suggesting, you might gain something."
"What?"
"Time."
Matt didn't respond.
"A way out."
The voice paused.
"And maybe a guarantee for your family."
