Republic of Heroes
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 END ExtraChapter 56
Eyes snapped open as he gasped from the long slumber of being unconscious after being secluded in a white room for what appeared to be years in his mind rather than a week of staying there.
It was hell for him, where all his senses were deprived of him, cutting his senses of vision, taste, hearing, touch, and smell altogether, leaving only the negative thoughts and hallucinations that haunted him all day long.
Slowly getting up with his worn clothes having mysteriously returned and his form normal, he began to scan around his surroundings, taking note of how everything seemed otherworldly in his eyes as there was nothing but endless snow falling down and an empty icy rock landscape that went on forever and beyond.
Is he still hallucinating? Possibly dreaming? He was not sure as he stared down at the ground near him, where Sebastian and Yumi were unconscious, lying down on the hard surface of the ground on opposite sides of where he was laying on.
Not only his wearing his clothes again and his body shape looking healthy instead of his bony, malnourished appearance; the two aren't moving or showing any signs of being alive. He curiously glances at the two while still being unsure if they are actually real or just his delusional mind playing tricks on him.
But when he looked up at the sky, his whole body became still, his gaze followed a fully exposed starry cosmos with no sign of air molecules or clouds giving oxygen for the plants and animals to breathe, making it impossible for any person to survive.
And yet here he is, still breathing and feeling rather comfortable despite how cold it is; if the planet they are on was created for him to stay, he wouldn't mind being stranded here for a few moments rather than having his body restrained by scientists by being poked and prodded in various places of his body.
In order to learn where he is, Carter begins to focus on the constellation of stars just to get a glimpse of familiar patterns that can guide him in making a logical guess of figuring out where the three are currently or just using his own knowledge in astronomy to know their location through the stars.
After a minute, his eyes widen in horror. "I'm on Pluto?" That is impossible; he does not recall traveling to outer space, let alone even visiting other planets, as he has never been one of those individuals who has an interest in leaving Earth.
He should be dead at this instant; being completely naked with no protective gear, the cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures of this planet should have killed him, or at the very least made him suffer through excruciating pain and agonizing moments before having his body freeze solid.
"What is even going on...?"
Unlike the unsuitable planets of their solar system, earth is protected by a magnetosphere to shield erosion from the atmosphere by solar winds, particle radiation by coronal mass ejections, and cosmic rays from deep space. It provides natural protection from the harmful effects of the sun.
On the other hand, Pluto has no such natural protection from the sun or its other cosmic neighbors. It's smaller than the size of Earth's moon, and it's been long thought to have little or no atmosphere, making it inhospitable and dangerous for human life. It's been visited by spacecraft before, but not by a person, and even if it were possible to explore, it would require extensive preparation and technology to survive.
And the lack of natural defenses makes life on Pluto very precarious. A tiny gravitational force might not seem like much on Earth, but here, it can easily knock something out of orbit if you're not careful. Without a thick atmosphere, the intensity of cosmic radiation is much greater than on Earth, making it a risky place for astronauts to spend too much time.
Of course, it's not entirely clear how the three of them survived this far without being harmed by the harsh environment. The possibility of being transported there or using a portal of some sort to transport them from a ship or a plane must have been a factor. It would explain a lot, but it's unclear if it would protect them from dying if they stepped onto this hellish planet.
Moving to Sebastian and Yumi's bodies, he crouch down on the ground, inspecting the two with great caution and curiosity before checking for their pulse. Finding both their heartbeats still beating, which he finds logically impossible in a situation like this.
"This is both crazy and amazing at the same time," Carter said to himself under his breath, finding it rather farfetched to even think about. "I want to believe I'm dreaming, but..." he could be still in that white cell, dreaming madly about this and not really having escaped from his imprisonment.
However, just by the mere touch of his servant's skin and the surface of this dwarf planet, he knows this is one hundred percent real, as if it weren't, then his perception would be distorted or warped into a surreal nightmare. That isn't the case at all; all he is seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling, and experiencing is genuine and real.
He may not understand the purpose of bringing him here or the reason he and his servants are even alive and conscious at this moment. But one thing he knows is that he needs to head back home with them before anything else happens.
A random thought came to his mind as he stood up, caressing his chin with contemplation: "Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to leave this place without proper equipment or means to traverse the vast area of this dangerous terrain," beginning to walk as his brain continues to churn with ideas: "With my intellect, it is not possible to start building with just rocks, and I highly doubt there is civilization around this planet that can provide us with a spaceship."
The power of these human hands lies in their ability to create, to shape and mold the world around them, and to improve the quality of life for themselves or others. It is something that sets them apart from other species: the ability to imagine and create beyond what nature can provide.
It is also the power to dream and make those dreams a reality—to take what is and create something new and wonderful. It is the power of creativity and innovation—the power to adapt and overcome any obstacle.
Stopping in his tracks, he brought his opened palms near his face, staring down at them with the intent of using them to make something—anything that could help him and his companions return to earth without resorting to wandering aimlessly and trying to find a way out.
Something sparked within him; his eyes widened upon realizing what he learned astronomically, especially about Pluto of all places. Nearly everything has substances or materials that can be used to build useful items, such as a space vehicle; it can be ice or the surface of this planet itself. He has the ability to use the matter of this planet for his own benefit if he wants to.
Everything in existence is made up of atoms and molecules; even the hardest objects, such as steel or diamonds, are made up of small particles that can be arranged in different ways to create something new. The basic principle of transmutation is to change the arrangement of atoms and molecules to create a new substance that is beneficial to their needs.
In being incredibly smart and studying every book that humanity has to offer, Carter felt more relieved than worried that he could create something with his own hands without having to worry about his lack of experience in trying to create something with his own inventions. The problem of lacking the required knowledge is now solved thanks to his superior mind.
Now it is time to see what he can do to create his own spaceship that can get them off or perhaps even help them find a way back to earth. Without saying a word, he proceeded to search for usable material across the rocky land as his mind was set on creating the most advanced spacecraft capable of sending them back to earth, and he was not going to stop until he finished building one.
When he started to walk again, however, he heard a girl's voice calling out his name in an unexpected manner, causing him to spin in motion just to see a smiling little girl no older than ten or eleven with her long black dress and hair in a seemingly casual display.
Freezing in his spot, he was taken aback by seeing someone other than him and his servants: "Are you one of my hallucinations again? " Carter asked in a cautious tone, taking a step back in case this girl suddenly changed into something monstrous or whatever she might be.
Instead of responding to his question, she laughed with amusement at his behavior, finding the whole scene to be humorous: "What do you think, Adam?" The girl responded gleefully as if the young man made some kind of joke, "If I am not mere hallucination, then who would I be if not someone important to be here in this barren landscape?" She spoke, tiling her head innocently, her smile not faltering on her face.
Carter blinks for a moment, uncertain of what to make of this strange occurrence or how he should react to seeing a person, let alone a kid, out in this dangerous place if it were no big deal. Especially when she called out his actual name from his previous life.
His eyes narrowed. "Hallucination then," he answered, not surprised by having his imagination playing tricks with him. "I'm having an illusion of myself talking to someone in the form of a little girl in the middle of nowhere," he replied with slight shock in his tone. "This is both worrying and weird at the same," commenting on how strange this situation has become.
"Really then? I suspect you knew who I was after showing myself to you," she added in delight, acting like an innocent child despite her identity and knowing the obvious truth, making everything ever more suspicious.
Carefully examining her body language and eyes, it didn't take long to realize who she was: "Your Nya?" Remembering that woman he saw her back in the amusement park when Eve was still alive, but this brat is supposed to be that person? "What the hell are you supposed to be?" Getting straight to the point, Carter is unwilling to play whatever game this entity intends to play with him.
Smiling casually, "don't act so surprised at meeting me like this after all those years, I have been watching you ever since that virus brought you to this world." The girl said with a giggle in her throat, making the young man scowl in annoyance that his actions were all observed by this entity throughout his entire life, "However, I prefer being called Nya; it suits my personality and design more compared to the many human forms I take."
"Tell me, are you really Nyarlathotep?"
If she is, there is nothing he can do to protect himself from such entity that exit outside of the omniverse; reading ancient, folklore, and history books gives him the necessary details of understanding in who he might be dealing with.
She yawned lazily, stretching her arms above her head before relaxing as her gaze stayed locked on to him. "Well, that's what some people would like to call me; I consider it to be nothing more than a nickname than my true name; however, it is still close enough to what I was called by those who worshiped and feared me."
Her eyes glowed with purple. "do not assume I'm one of those false gods that you humans used to worship and give offerings to," her face darkened. "I'm much worse and far more dangerous," she remarked, her voice laced with threat as the mood between them shifted into menacing air.
Sweat fell from his face by the worsening atmosphere between them, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this thing standing before him is an entity capable of doing whatever it wants because she or he has the near-omnipotent power to do so.
Swallowing hard, Carter continues to watch her despite being afraid of what she may do if he moves his eyes anywhere other than at this freak. "Why am I here then?" He asked in an almost timid manner, unable to keep his composure against this monster, especially when the odds were not in his favor, "Is there a reason for saving me and my—"
Her once cool and relaxed posture turned to a grimace, glaring daggers at him with such raw emotion that he felt the sudden urge to recoil backwards. Stunned by the fact that this creature's appearance may be that of a human girl, but her reactions and attitude are not one bit friendly or gentle like one.
Black veins formed from beneath her skin, black goo flowing underneath like lava, changing her features at a rapid pace as he watched in silence, too shocked to even speak another word as he realized that she was anything but a human child.
Nya growled, a feral growl that reminded him of the demons that he spent in hell; a terrifying reminder of that event in his life as he clenched his jaw in fright of what she may do to him. "Save...you?" She doesn't like that word; she hates it, and hearing it from his mouth just made her want to crush him into a bloody pulp.
"You believe that I have saved you and your worthless friends; this is true that I shielded the three of you from death when you foolishly believe I'm doing this out of altruism," Nya whispered in a low, demonic voice, sounding like multiple voices coming from her mouth as she slowly walked up to him.
By the time Carter noticed that he was backing up, his back hit a rocky wall as he watched in fear of this entity approaching in calm and steady strides. "Human, you don't have the slightest idea what I can do, what I'm capable of, what I am, or what my intentions are." He couldn't see her face, but he knew that she was grinning from ear to ear. "The only reason why I did this 'kindness' is because you interest me," stopping inches from him, "I enjoy watching you struggle; I enjoy seeing you cry like sad little pig." The echoes of tragedies roared in his mind, causing him to wince painfully from them.
"O-oh w-w-wow," Stuttering to finish his words, Carter can feel himself trembling before this thing. He is never great at handling powerful entities that are out of this world. "S-sorry f-for assuming, n-n-nya..." apologizing, hoping that he may just live to see tomorrow when he doesn't want to die just yet, "can I still ask for reason why you saved us in the first place?"
For a moment, she took a step back and stared at him from head to toe with an indifferent expression as silence hung heavily between them before finally, Nya calmed down with her veins slowly disappearing back into her body, allowing her human disguise to return.
"Believe it or not, I've grown fond of your story," she admits openly, appearing to be pleased instead of displeasure, "and out of the many evils I brought and done to existence itself, you are the only one who not only resisted temptation but also showed signs of struggling against it," complimenting of his perseverance and willpower, "a sign that you're different from others in the sense of how you defy against evil and chaos despite knowing what will happen to you in the end."
He has no idea what she is trying to say or cares about the things that have happened in his life; all he cares about is getting out safely.
Taking a deep breath, Carter slowly recovered his posture, making the best effort he could to stop himself from shivering and trying his best to find the right words that he hoped wouldn't offend Nya in the wrong way that could lead him to dying or getting tortured again.
"If you expect me to thank you for letting me live, then you better kill me right now and save yourself the trouble of dealing with me," Carter commented as he looked over her. "Because I would rather die than follow orders from someone like you," he bluntly stated with clear hatred in his tone.
As expected, he heard a soft chuckle emitting from the entity that sounds like a mixture of a normal girl and a deafening, loud, inhumane voice making his hair stand up, reverberating loudly around them. "Good, that is exactly what I want to hear from you," Nya explained of her interest in him. "I do not care about your pitiful existence, only the entertainment you bring for me," she said before letting out a loud snap with her fingers.
Moving to the side, revealing a wooden table and two chairs placed neatly between them, she pointed over it with amusement, wanting him to sit. "Come on, Adam, join me in this conversation," she offered in fake politeness, walking over to it before taking a seat. "Take this opportunity to ask as many questions as you want about me," she waved him over, her expression having a wide grin.
"Fine," Carter grumbles, hesitantly heading towards the table, having a bad feeling about this as he is unable to ignore this request of hers, taking a chair and sitting on it, "then I guess the first question I want to ask is how I'm capable of using my gift as the protagonist of my own story," asking the most important question.
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