"No One Signed Up to be a Hero"

"Ah Since everyone has a habit of formerly introducing oneself, I shall follow suit: My name is Athena. I am a goddess. My Magic Circuits are attuned to Knowledge!" Athena introduced. She wore a white, long-sleeved dress with swirling gold accents. A pair of golden wings extends from either side of her head accented by her silver curly hair, while voluminous tufts of white feathers adorn her shoulders. She also donned a long, deep-purple cape.

Even though she was sitting down while floating Vince could tell she was taller than her.

"Uh-- Is that a thing?" Vince asked.

Andromeda didn't reply.

"For convenience, I'm classified here as a Cleric type, primarily for finding information but that is a pitiful understatement of my abilities ," Athena laughed a little at the end.

Andromeda scowled "another one. she's also part of the Killing game?" she raised her sword prepared to fight again.

"I Doubt it, from her earlier statement she seems to only be a spectator." Vince remarked.

"Oh-- Andromeda Nyx! Lower your blade. I am not here to fight!" Athena refuted. Andromeda looked even more on guard assuming that was possible.

"How about I help you out, since you amused me, -not an easy feat I assure you- I'll let you ask anything and provide answers." She remarked, her steel grey eyes shining with curiosity at what they would ask.

A pause.

'There must be a limit so I'll only try to ask the right questions. That said,' Vince thought. "Can anyone explain what is going on?" Vince held up a hand.

"Pardon?" Athena asked. Her expression briefly clouded with confusion before smiling again.

"Yeah I'm a little confused about Subdivision Mages, True Berserkers, Viruses all that stuff," Vince admitted.

"Can I get an explanation?" He asked. At this Athena smiled.

"Viruses are reformed incomplete magic circuits given physical shape and animation by the supply of magiaglyphs and life around them. True Berserkers are simply a class of magic users from before the era of the Apocalypse. There are also True Summoners, True Elementals and True Wizards among other magic users. And their numbers are still quite common. The rarest type of magic user is Breaker Class. They are able to break anything be it reality, concepts or the concepts of magic." Athena elaborated.

Andromeda looked at the awe on both Vince and the Virus. She rolled her eyes.

" Some people aren't born with magic circuits that take in magiaglyphs properly to convert them into magic. These people are simply conduits who absorb magic and are popular for damage control and people unskilled in their abilities, but unsavory things concerning them have been going on lately." She explained then hurried on to her next topic.

" Subdivision Mages aren't like most pre Apocalypse era humans in terms of magic circuits. They do still have them of course, and perform flawlessly on the battlefield. But when killed the energy keeping them alive disappears- everything they were- all traces of them included."

Vince looked distraught. As did the Virus next to him.

"And there has been an increase of them due to impurities in the magic circuits of their parents. Their existence is similar to a normal person with full magic circuits being born into the world and doing what they must to survive just as any human.

"As for you three... I can tell you are a Berserker, Alignment Destruction," Athena supplied. Andromeda bristled but then relaxed when she didn't elaborate further.

"You are a Summoner with no predetermined elements but almost two thirds of your abilities are sealed." Athena explained looking at Vince.

Andromeda glanced at him curiously. The Virus also looked curious.

Vince blinked blankly. "Oh well that's -"

She then moved on to the Virus who gasped in shock at Vince.

"That's odd....My intel on you isn't complete, .....but implies that you are a Summoner. " She remarked narrowing her gaze at her book which had partially unidentifiable text.

"Well she's a newly formed virus. Maybe things for her aren't set in stone just yet," Vince responded. Soothing the girl's worried expression by patting her shoulder.

But Athena frowned. "That shouldn't be the case-"

Andromeda then spoke over her. "Alright we'll take you up on the offer," she responded.

"First things first, Where are we?" he asked.

"The place you are in now is known as the planet Midgard, this region is Qruhbrough Jaacester to Subdivision Mages. A part of the continent Terravalonia. Perhaps we called it that first and the others picked up from us or perhaps that is the name best suited to this realm." Athena smiled. Vince almost felt relaxed with how often she did so. The pages in her book hastily flipped to a random point that was now filled with writing.

"Midgard... Terravalonia...?" Andromeda asked softly.

'This place, has a name...' Vince thought.

"The planet Midgard has eleven regions, each one corresponds to one of the Original Creators," Athena held her book in one hand and spread her arms wide. A pen materialized and scribbled on the book. In front of her it displayed the layout of the land mass on the planet. Eleven rough octagonal polygons connected by several lines, some lines linking to the center some linking to other polygons.

"Our current location as of now is the Eleventh Region. Represented by the creator Zeus ,"

Andromeda blinked owlishly.

"What the hell kind of sick joke is that?" Vince yelled.

"Who's in charge of this place?" Andromeda asked as she stared at Athena who either didn't notice or didn't care.

"You defeated the Dominion Kiara Sumire. there is no one in charge," she stated happily.

"We'll need to place someone in charge. Someone not psychotic," Vince decided. The Virus nodded, likely just to be agreeing with her new companions.

'I can't just drop that responsibility on this girl even if it keeps her from vanishing,' he glanced at the girl. "It turns out that may be an interesting search." Vince muttered quietly.

"Anyway back on topic," he remarked and thought for a moment.

"Can I write something?"

"You may," she remarked and a sheet of paper slid out of her book, a quill feather appeared from somewhere so he could write. He found it off he didn't hear any paper tearing. But supposed that could be equated to her having a magic book.

Vince mimicked the writing on the front of the house. Doing his best to properly redraw the scratchy writing of lines and circles that he remembered from the name plate of the house.

"Could you use that book of yours to find someone by the name of whatever this translates to?" He asked.

"... pardon?" Athena blinked. Her eyes read the writing. Intrigue showed on her face.

"Maybe we should try something simple like the last known location" Vince suggested politely.

Then he blinked, "That reaction...you knew him too, right?"

"Not at all," Athena caught herself swiftly.

"This person... He's," she hesitated.

Vince narrowed his eyes. He was about to ask something but the Virus interrupted him.

"hey!!.... Vince ? What do you suppose is a good name for me?" The Virus asked abruptly.

"... uh--, I gotta think about that," he remarked. "I leave the questioning to you, Andromeda," he smiled as he walked away pulling .

"His name is Absoleum," Athena responded finally. She wasn't smiling and looked... Concerned..?

"Why are you worried?" Andromeda asked.

"That boy leads a dangerous path," she answered.

Andromeda thought about what question she should ask. She felt only had one question left.

One that mattered at least.

"What does this boy-- that name- Absoleum look like?"

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"Alright there we go," Vince said as he helped the Virus jump down from the balustrade right as the remaining stairs crumbled to dust, the energy used to create and sustain them having been spent.

"Did you make that stairway? it's a pity you couldn't use it for yourself," he remarked.

The Virus shook her head. "I didn't make anything,"

'Andromeda likely didn't make it she was too busy fighting... then did Athena..?' Vince wondered.

"oh Andromeda - sama you're back," the Virus said snapping him from his thoughts.

'That drawing she showed me. It looked like a black haired and violet eyed version of Vince..' Andromeda mulled over the details.

'She mentioned he also has doppelgangers... Perhaps he's reincarnated somewhere and is waiting for me,'

" Athena left after giving me what I asked for," Andromeda responded.

Vince looked disappointed. 'I can just ask someone else my questions I suppose,' he thought with a shrug.

"So you know what He looks like now," Vince turned and smiled and for a fraction of a second she thought the boy -Absoleum was standing there. An almost identical carbon copy of Vince, barring the color difference in hair and eyes, he was also slightly taller than Vince.

Andromeda blinked and the vision vanished. She looked away so they didn't see the tear that threatened to fall. 'Why do I feel sad?' she wondered.

"Wait!" A voice called, it wasn't Athena's.