We entered the village and the joy hit us like a physical tide. The euphoria was contagious; from the elders to the children, everyone had left their homes to sing and dance under a sky lit by spheres of magical light that bathed the streets in a vibrant, festive glow.
The shouts of jubilee, the aroma of roasted meat, and the constant flow of drinks created an electric atmosphere in the heart of the jungle. When they saw us appear, an overwhelming roar shook the settlement: we were the guests of honor, the catalysts of their new era.
Hannah and I were lowered from the warriors' shoulders in the main plaza. After a few brief words from the leaders, the music resumed its frenetic pace. At first, we watched from the sidelines, but the alcohol and the rhythm of the drums soon took effect. Hannah, taking advantage of the confidence she gained during our adventure in the past, mingled among the warriors with surprising grace, dancing as if she had been born into that very tribe. I wasn't far behind, becoming the center of attention for a circle of warriors who celebrated my every move.
As the hours passed, I retired to the side with an exhausted but smiling Hannah. From our position, I watched the party evolve. The Amazons, freed from the weight of war, brought their men out to dance with renewed energy; affection became increasingly explicit, and more than a few couples began to retreat toward the shadows of the trees or the discretion of their huts.
A predatory smile formed on my face. My thoughts began to drift toward more... tempting terrain.
Noticing that the children had already retired and only the adults remained surrendered to the festivities, I began to release [Lust] subtly, letting the aura filter through the vapor of alcohol and the heat of bodies. The air grew dense, charged with a primitive need.
It seems that, after all, I will have my orgy with the Amazons...
...
While for Hannah this return to the present was a relief, for me it meant an immediate return to stress. The instant I stepped out of the adventure, my clones automatically resumed their pending tasks. I am used to this constant multitasking, but I can't help but think that it's been a long time since I've done something simple. I am always submerged in complex projects, and though I tolerate them, I am beginning to feel tired.
Anyway, here was one of my clones, in the middle of a primitive and secluded forest within the Fief, engaged in one of my most ambitious works. It seemed I was simply standing there, playing with the air, but in reality, I was performing an experiment of dangerous complexity.
I wasn't alone for long. Elise's avatar appeared, walking elegantly to my side. She sat in silence, without disturbing me, limiting herself to admiring the process until I finished. In the end, I frowned; I felt that although I was close to the solution, vital details still needed polishing. Giving up for now, I sat beside her.
"Is it really that important? I never see you this serious for so long..." Elise said, rubbing her muzzle against my hair. "Even if you try to hide it, I can feel that you are stressed more frequently. What is haunting you?"
I sighed deeply before speaking.
"I'm aging, Elise," I said with a solemnity that seemed to chill the air.
"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head. "My senses tell me otherwise. Your body is young, and I thought that was a problem you solved long ago. If you need my divine power, I could..."
"No... not in that way. Physically, I am intact, but mentally and spiritually..." I stared at the horizon, contemplating the landscape of rivers, forests, and mountains I had built in the Fief over time. "I've lived too much. The campaigns, the adventures from the Board... the truth is, I don't even remember how old I am. I sealed my memories as a superficial measure, but over time I realize the weight is still there. Besides, I've become too powerful. I've reached a point where I can look demigods in the eye."
"And isn't that good?" (Lys)
"Yes and no. The thing is, I feel increasingly distant from everything. From my girls, from my goals... The world is becoming something so inferior to me that my perception of it is distorting. It tends toward indifference." I let out a bitter laugh. "I was researching the subject. At first, I thought it was something related to the divine... starting to approach the state of a god... but it's not exactly that."
I stood up and stretched, taking a few seconds to organize my thoughts before continuing.
"It's what happens when a mortal becomes immortal, or when they rank up too fast without gradual growth. There is something called an 'Immortal Mind,' something an eternal being needs to keep from eventually growing bored of existence and seeking death. Many seek immortality without understanding that if you obtain an eternal body but keep a mortal mentality, you condemn yourself to future torture."
I stopped, looking Elise in the eyes.
"Death is, in part, a rest for the soul. Reincarnation is a restart for saturated souls; it's emptying oneself to start over, eliminating tension and flowing light again. But for beings like you or me, who tend to live without end... we need that immortal mentality to avoid becoming saturated with reality."
"And is that what's happening to you?" Elise asked, with that constant concern that marks her every reaction when it comes to me. "Do you lack that... immortal mentality?"
"Heh... almost. Actually, I discovered I'm developing it, but so slowly I barely notice," I replied with a mix of irony and melancholy. "Perhaps it stems from my own nature upon reaching these levels, or from skills like [Essence of Infinity]."
"So you just have to... wait? Does it mean there's no real danger?" she insisted, trying to simplify the complex.
"In theory, yes. If I simply isolated myself from everything, like your main body does in the void for who knows how long... it would probably resolve itself." (Red)
Elise's eyes brightened instantly.
"Then let's do it!" she exclaimed with a spark of excitement in her avatar. "Let's huddle in the void together."
Her enthusiasm was almost childish. But I shook my head.
"But I can't," I stated, watching her mood deflate instantly. "You know I have pending business... and don't tell me they aren't important, because you know they are to me. The reason you don't fully understand is because you already possess that immortal mentality."
"I have it?" Elise blinked.
"Aha... and it's not that you had to work for it like I do. It's something innate in you. I think it's due to your simplicity, and I don't mean that pejoratively," I said, holding her head between my hands. "From the beginning, you were someone simple in your desires. Beyond the strong emotions you might have felt at times, you only longed for a quiet place. And since we've been together, your only ambition is for us to be united, regardless of anything else. If we stayed sleeping in a cave for all eternity, you would be satisfied. That is the perfect base for immortality; upon reaching divinity, you simply built on that base." I rubbed my nose against hers in a gesture of absolute tenderness. "But I'm not like that, Elise. I am restless, ambitious, and complex. It will take me much longer to reach that state of perpetual peace."
Elise remained silent, torn between frustration and acceptance. Deep down, her deepest desire was for us both to step away from the noise of the world, but she would never impose that loneliness on me if she knew it would make me unhappy. At least, not her current self.
"So... what are you going to do?" Elise finally asked.
"I've planned something much more powerful than a simple sealing. A total partition of my being. Going back to basics, in a way," I said, feeling a spark of excitement; I was very close to achieving it. "I need to weaken myself, stop being so overwhelmingly powerful, at least on the outside. Which will also help with the other problem... I must stop using so many clones simultaneously; it's not healthy to process so many lives in such a short time. My plan is to separate the bulk of my power and contain it here, in the Fief. I will create a sleeping version of my maximum potential and leave a more limited projection outside... something inspired by your own avatar."
"So... it will be like one of your clones?" Elise inquired.
"Yes and no. My real body will retain a base power, more suited to the challenges of the outside world, while the bulk of my energy, my accumulated experience, and certain complex knowledge will be retained here. I will become a common mortal, so to speak." (Red)
"Wouldn't that... be dangerous?" she asked with palpable concern. "If you lose your power and mental sharpness out there, couldn't something bad happen to you?"
"No, because I will establish security conditions. I've designed an internal programming: if I or any of my girls are in real danger, that power will return to me instantaneously. I want to recover the joy of living at a mortal level, but I'm not going to be negligent. I'll have to balance that distribution of power," I explained confidently. "While I go back to being someone normal, this withdrawn power won't stay stagnant; I'll use it to continue expanding the Fief, but for that, I'll need your help."
I looked at her with absolute seriousness, but with a crooked smile.
"Me?!" she pointed to herself with her hoof, surprised.
"Exactly. I can't manage it myself through my clones, or I wouldn't be solving the problem of mental saturation. But, if I entrust that essence to you so you can control it in my place..." I smiled slyly. "You could direct my resources without my 'outer' self even realizing it. It would be like a video game for you. You're the only one with the capacity and affinity to handle something like that."
"Control... your power?" she repeated slowly, letting out a small, involuntarily perverted whinny.
"Hey! Not in that way... and if we're going to do something perverted, I want to be fully conscious of it!" I protested amusedly. "In essence, it would be like creating an avatar born of both of us. With that power, you would continue overseeing the larger campaigns and adventures while I live my life."
"Mmm... I think I could do that," she finally nodded, processing the magnitude of her new task.
"Great, because I want to start as soon as possible. Besides the issue of the immortal mentality, I discovered that the more powerful I am, the harder it is for me to obtain new skills. There seems to be a biological or mystical limitation: the last skill cost me facing a God, whereas at the beginning, I obtained them through simple daily achievements."
I stood pensively, reviewing my skill list. The frequency of new acquisitions had plummeted since I began strengthening myself at high speed; most were limited to improving what I already had. To evolve again, I first had to become "inferior" once more.
"Why do you seem so desperate for these new skills?" Elise asked, tilting her head in genuine confusion. "I've seen you create spells, and if you need anything else, I can grant you divine power myself."
"That's true, creating spells is a matter of technique... and upon reaching divinity you can manifest almost anything using divine power. But this is different," I shook my head. "My skills are the core of who I am. They are unique, strange pieces... some even show resistance to divine power. They are my essence. Though, ironically, they are also the origin of my asymmetrical growth; still, it's the only way to keep moving forward. At most, if it happens again, I'll repeat what we're about to do now."