Chapter 106: Duncan’s Gift
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As Vanna’s vivid, dreamlike seascape began to dissolve, the illusion faded like a morning mist. She felt her consciousness retract, settling back into her physical form. With a deep, grounding breath, she opened her eyes, feeling a sense of urgency. She stood in a chamber resembling an underwater cave, complete with rock formations and a shadowy atmosphere. A roaring fire in front of her provided light and warmth.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bishop Valentine stirring back to reality, his eyes opening slowly and contemplatively.
The sensations and visuals from the psychic gathering remained vivid in her mind, almost as if they had just occurred. Without thinking, Vanna glanced down at her palm, half-expecting to see something. However, her hand was empty; the piece of parchment from the psychic assembly was gone, confined to their shared vision’s realm.
“We just broadcasted the notice about the ‘Doll Coffin’ going rogue,” Bishop Valentine sighed deeply, burdened by the world’s weight. “It seems we need to issue another announcement now.”
Flexing her wrist thoughtfully, Vanna turned her gaze toward the aged bishop. “The real question is, what should this new announcement state? Apart from rebranding Anomaly 099, we’re in the dark about other details.”
The elderly bishop sat in contemplative silence, struggling to formulate a solution for their precarious situation.
Although Vanna returned from Vision 004 with news of renaming Anomaly 099, the details ended there. Perhaps she gleaned more comprehensive information from the tomb’s guardian—information that might include changes in the anomaly’s characteristics after its renaming to “Doll.” However, such data seemed lost, possibly left in the spectral chamber where the torn parchment disappeared.
After a long pause, Bishop Valentine finally spoke, “For now, the best course is to announce the renaming of Anomaly 099 from ‘Doll Coffin’ to ‘Doll.’ We should note that its characteristics may have undergone ‘potential changes.’ Given its status as one of the most dangerous anomalies, even a simple name change could lead to unforeseen consequences. Its powers, activation requirements, containment protocols, and physical form could all be radically different now. Relying on our old information would be inviting disaster.”
Vanna nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation.
The grim reality was that while Anomaly 099’s rank on the list of dangers might not have shifted, its essence had evolved from a quantifiable threat to an enigma. All the lives sacrificed in the past to understand this anomaly now seemed wasted as “unknown” became its new and most alarming attribute.
Captains who had ventured across the world’s vast oceans might have been prepared to engage and contain the “Doll Coffin” based on existing intelligence. However, from this point onward, they would have no choice but to steer clear of the renamed “Doll,” hoping the guardians of humanity’s four major religious and philosophical traditions could once again find a way to seal this unfathomable threat.
The chamber fell into thoughtful silence, dense with the weight of their discoveries and looming mysteries. Vanna and Bishop Valentine seemed to retreat into their own worlds, each lost in contemplation. After a period that felt timeless, Vanna finally broke the stillness. “All the systems we have for numbering and categorizing anomalies and visions—these all originate from Vision 004, correct?”
Valentine looked up, acknowledging her with a nod. “Yes, that’s correct. What brings that thought to your mind now?”
“My mind keeps drifting back to that tomb in Vision 004. The unidentified entity within it, and the ever-silent tomb guardian,” Vanna articulated, her eyes narrowing as if trying to penetrate the mystery. “Who or what are they? They aren’t human or even physical entities as we know them. They’re neither gods nor echoes of ancient divine beings from another dimension. So why do they interact with our world in such a specific way, offering what seems like assistance? How do they, or rather the tomb’s master, decide on the rankings and descriptions of anomalies and visions?”
Valentine met her gaze intently, holding her eyes as she laid out her questions. Finally, he sighed. “You’re not alone in wondering about these things. Many who visit the tomb for the first time return with questions much like yours. Despite our growing knowledge about various anomalies and visions, the essence and motivations of Vision 004 remain an enigma. The tomb is obstinately secretive about its nature.”
“You’ve been there before,” Vanna shifted her gaze, examining the old bishop with renewed interest. “What did you learn during your visit? Was it information about an anomaly or a vision?”
Valentine shook his head reluctantly. “No, not in the conventional sense. Although most experiences within the tomb yield insights into anomalies or visions, sometimes the tomb’s master delivers messages that are… unconventional. They can range from peculiar to downright inexplicable. When summoned by the tomb guardian, there’s no way to anticipate the sort of information the master wishes to impart. What I can say, however, is that whatever comes from the tomb is always irrefutably accurate.”
Sensing the bishop’s reluctance but driven by her inquisitive nature, Vanna pushed further. “What exactly was the message you received?”
Valentine hesitated as if debating internally whether to share it. Finally, he spread his hands open and intoned, “July 24th, clear weather in Pland, southeast wind at levels four to six.”
Vanna’s eyes widened in disbelief, a look of incredulity overtaking her face.
“Don’t give me that look,” Valentine said, massaging his forehead to dispel a nagging headache. “The anomalies and visions we deal with are inherently unpredictable, and that capriciousness manifests itself in various ways, including the types of messages we might receive. My message, as peculiar as it is, is one of those instances. If you’re going to laugh, do me the courtesy of turning around. My years have long passed the point where I find such things amusing.”
“I’m sorry,” Vanna said, her mouth twitching as she struggled to maintain a composed expression. She turned her head slightly to the side to hide her amusement. “Honestly, I can’t help but feel a tinge of envy. A weather forecast seems positively mundane compared to the cryptic and unsettling journey I undertook today. Sometimes, isn’t the absence of weirdness a welcome change?”
Valentine looked at her, his eyes betraying a mixture of amusement and resignation. “Ah, well, I suppose I’ll have to take your word on that.”
Elsewhere, in a grand, somewhat antiquated mansion perched at the edge of the upper city, Heidi stared incredulously at her visibly uncomfortable father, Morris. “So let me get this straight,” she began, skepticism thick in her voice. “A few days ago, you visited one of your student’s homes. While there, you spent several hours casually conversing with the parents and a mere twenty minutes discussing the student’s academic progress. Then, as if that weren’t enough, you spent over three thousand soras on an old dagger and a fake crystal pendant made of glass?”
Seated behind a desk cluttered with an eclectic collection of knickknacks, Morris glanced nervously at a shelf behind him where a purple pendant lay, the price tag conspicuously removed. He chuckled nervously as he spoke, “Well, in my defense, the pendant was thrown in for free as a promotional gift.”
Heidi rubbed her temples in exasperation. “So you’re saying the situation is worse when you pass off that free trinket as a thoughtfully selected birthday gift for me?”
After a moment’s pause, Morris spread his arms in an admitting gesture of defeat, “Look, that shop had nothing of genuine quality or significance worth picking out.”
Heidi just stared at him, her eyes a blend of frustration and bewilderment.
Finally, with a resigned sigh, she said, “Never mind. This isn’t the first time you’ve been taken for a ride. Why do you always manage to be the sucker in these situations?”
“I assure you, this time I wasn’t the one being swindled—it was Mr. Duncan,” Morris hastened to clarify, suddenly defensive. “I got the dagger at a price twenty percent below market value.”
Heidi was about to shake her head in disbelief when her eyes widened upon hearing a name that triggered her recognition. “Did you say the antique store owner’s name is Duncan?”
Morris, oblivious to her reaction, casually replied, “Yes, Duncan. There were all these rumors about him being an alcoholic and a gambler. But I found him witty, charming, and well-informed. Why the sudden interest? Is something about the name bothering you?”
Heidi hesitated, wrestling with whether to disclose more. “Well, let’s say I’m currently involved in a very delicate ‘case’ where that name has significance. Hearing it from you now gives me an odd feeling.”
Morris nodded in understanding but looked increasingly worried. “What kind of case is it?”
She dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. “It’s beyond your expertise, so don’t fret. It’s unlikely to involve the same individual. How could a rumored ghost ship captain be the same Duncan who owns an antique shop in the lower city?”
“That’s certainly a stretch of the imagination,” Morris conceded, visibly relieved by Heidi’s dismissive remarks. As a father, he had always worried deeply for his daughter, especially given her involvement in consulting work for City Hall and the Storm Church. These jobs often had her investigating cases bordering on the otherworldly, involving entities and phenomena that defied rational explanation. So, any hint that a potential threat wasn’t directly connected to her was comforting. Eased by her words, his eyes drifted to the purple crystal pendant on the table. “So, about this pendant, you still want it?”
Heidi snatched up the pendant with surprising rapidity, “Are you kidding? It’s not every day you remember to gift me something, even if it’s a promotional throw-in.”
Morris considered this before offering a suggestion with mock solemnity, “Well, you could choose to believe I spent a small fortune—over three thousand soras—just on this pendant for you. And let’s pretend the antique dagger was the real freebie here.”
As she fastened the pendant around her neck, Heidi shot Morris a look—a blend of playful irony and genuine admonition. “If you’d spent that much on a piece of glass like this, I’d have to lock you in my therapy room and evaluate your financial decision-making skills!”
I suspect the “weather forecast” isn’t as simple as it seems.
In a world where reality is pliable and the past itself can be interfered with, what does a promise of “absolute truth” mean? It means sticking a pin in history, providing a fixed point of certainty that limits the scope of any future corruption. To break it, one would at least need stronger influence over reality than Vision 004.
It could also be an attempt to communicate something within the bounds of the soul who is receiving the message. At the very least, you should make damn sure you understand all the reasons behind that temperature differential, even if the phenomenon itself isn’t uncommon. In that scenario, though, it’s probably avoiding certain problematic things according to a built in rule system. Like things that involve gods, or the old era. I don’t think the vision is conscious. I don’t think a being that exists “outside of time” to that degree could be conscious in the way we understand it, or if they were then it would be a cursed consciousness that could only follow its predetermined path despite seeing the pitfalls ahead. Vision 004 is likely governed by a very vigorous set of rules that allows it to interfere with the flow of history without DESTABILIZING the flow of history. By acting with absolute regularity, it can cease to be an agent of history in exchange for becoming something like a natural law that governs it.
I’m not sure if it is capable of directly sensing and ordering visions and anomalies by their distortion value, like measuring the gravity well of a black hole, or if the numbering is based on a more indirect metric like the number of deaths they’re capable of causing across various timelines.
I think that 004 is one of those ancient kings of the dessert that have the power to predict or prophesied. When he “see” the cataclysm that would befall his Kingdom he tried to change it. But, alas everything he see is already predetermined so he make a deal with some abyssal gods, in exchange for his everything. Ofc the unmentionables twisted his request to something else making what he is now.
it is the need for comic relief and the retarded misunderstanding tropes that show up here, there is no reason for them to think that if a powerful being gives them a weather forecast that there is nothing more to it, only shallow fools would think that way.
People who thinks that their opinion about certain story bits is the correct one then pretend they are the epitome of intelligent being, calls anyone who doesn’t think the same dumb (this guy above me), are pretty funny. A lot of the time, people like that are the ones that would actually fail to read important details.
I was puzzled by the existence of gods in this world, and their understanding of the higher strata of reality, because at the same time the “old world” seems to still exist and definitely lies more on the side of order than the current world. I was able to change my perspective in a way that makes more sense to me, now.
Instead of a simple stratified spectrum of chaos and order, as I had imagined, I think the setting of the world in the broadest sense is like a universe composed of ideas. Subspace is more accurately “conceptual space,” where anything and everything can exist all at once but is devoid of any consistent order that can actually manifest that existence. Floating in subspace are various “worlds” that are local accretions of order that have their own “setting,” possessing completely separate rules of reality.
Rather than the old world(s) being much more stable islands in that chaos, there seems like there could be material planes outside the bounds of subspace, but the lines are blurred and I’m not sure. A key point here is that I think the conceptual nature of this universe includes fiction and writer’s block as central themes, and if you look at this world as if it were reality the existence of elves and dwarves and science fiction becomes extremely questionable. The old worlds were probably worlds composed of settings, the original occupants of the current world exiles that passed through the walls of their reality due to immensely destructive events ripping them open momentarily. The protagonist is probably from a real material world, although the fog indicates he partially left it. The fourth wall is probably meant to be ignored and it’s supposed to be taken as “our” world.
The current world is more like a gathering of flotsam than the other, stable, islands of order. That the initial settlers arrived all at one time is probably indicative of time itself not existing in this layer of this world prior to that moment, it being a manifestation of order on its own. It also indicates that no legitimate immigrants are accepted once the world is properly established, only erosion from ideas that want to use the world to come into being. I’m not sure what’s up with the gods exactly, but the inner layers of this world, except perhaps the innermost layer, probably came into existence in a similar way. A layer can either break down completely under the erosion of subspace or establish a solid enough bulwark of order that a new border with chaos can begin developing beyond them, acting as an additional shield. The inner core with the gods might be a degraded world of settings that is no longer remembered in the material world or something, though.
Anyway, the protagonist trapped in the fog is probably a manifestation of the psyche of his true body in subspace, and Duncan has probably become an existence akin to his muse. A self-insert character, lol, but from the perspective of the people of the conceptual world possession from a creator god level being.
Sorry about the length, the intersection of ideas and reality is fascinating territory for me.
You make very good points in both comments
These comments are all really interesting, and it’s genuinely delightful to know there are other people intelligently analyzing this from various perspectives.
Tbqh I’ve been reading for pure entertainment and escapism and haven’t thought deeply about it. My offhand guess is that the pyramid is a vision/anomaly whose purpose is to establish a stable framework for reality, essentially a shard of Order with a capital o. One that seeks to minimize reality warping and supernatural effects but isn’t able to directly as direct action will itself destabilize reality, defeating its purpose.
It can give some information, but only information that itself won’t form an anomalous causal connection between the bearer of information and whatever anomaly/vision it concerns. The incredibly specific weather prediction might have been a hint or a sign of frustration from it, that it can know a lot of information, even something as changeable as weather, but there’s a relationship between how much the data will alter reality and how much data can actually be conveyed.
The interesting thing would have been to see if they could change that weather. Presuming they can, as they have supernatural powers from the Goddess of Storms, it could indicate one thing if they could change it and another if it failed, or the Goddess wouldn’t allow it. If they simply can’t change the weather any more than you or I could, it indicates another message.
that neckalce gonna be worth more than 300 because of the reality bending traits of ducan
The necklace might not become more amazing, instead it could be a connection to Duncan. For spying and whatever else. To be seen whether it benefits the wearer.
I am disappointed that Morris never connected the dots of a sailor knife and then Duncan.