That Time a Bookworm Got Ascended in Tensura

Ch.8 Dying Backwards

Myne's pov: 

I opened my eyes, and for the first time I heard something I didn't even have the faint memory of the last time I heard it.

{Notice: Requirements met for evolution into demi-spirit.}

What did that mean? Evolution? I know monsters evolved. Wait, was this the voice of the world? Why is the voice of the world talking to me? I didn't do anything, right? 

{Constructing spiritual body out of excess magicules, success.}

Spiritual body? Humans don't have those. I knew that much, it was one of the reasons they had such a hard time using magic. I knew humans could get them, something about a sage? It was vague in details. I didn't expect the world to explain it to me though. 

{Reconstructing physical body, successful. Acquiring resistance to spiritual attack, acquiring weakness to physical attack, acquiring resistance to elemental attack, acquiring pain amplification, successful.} 

Wait, what was that last part? Pain amplification! That isn't fair, I was already so frail! ;-; I guess I have no choice, this would certainly be interesting. Did this mean getting revived turned me into a monster? Could even I go back to Ehrenfest after this? 

{Acquiring extra skill, [Magic Sense], acquiring intrinsic skill, [Imperfect Fusion], acquiring intrinsic skill [Cast Annulment], successful.} 

Woah, woah, woah? Skills? Did I have any of these before? Those sound really cool! Except that [Imperfect Fusion] thing, It sounds ominous. I wasn't sure what any of these did for sure, but I had a pretty good idea what [Magic Sense] was, I knew Ferdinand had it himself. I think he can teach me how to use it. 

{Evolving intrinsic skill, [Frail Body] into unique skill, [Self Sacrifice], successful.}

Oh, Apparently I did have a skill before this, but only one. It seems like it was a bad thing too, was Myne born with that? Jeez, this really does explain a lot. I suppose Its, good? It seems less harmful now at least. 

{Evolution complete, now individual, Myne, will be entering evolutionary sleep.}  

Sleep?! Wait, oh. I really do feel tired. Wait, what has been going on around me? I saw Lutz I think.  Before I could do anything though, I just fell to the ground and closed my eyes.

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Lutz' pov:

I was standing in front of Myne, I had seen what had happened. Rimuru had actually done it, I saw her soul. It was hovering above her body, and it went back into it after she was healed. I was so overjoyed. She even opened her eyes moments later, I wanted to run toward her and hug her. 

Though, immediately after she opened her eyes she started glowing, really brightly. I had to shield my eyes and turn away to stop it from hurting my eyes very badly. A few moments later it stopped. I turned back to see her, she was taller now. Her hair had gotten longer and straighter and she looked. Somehow she looked cuter, which is saying a lot, she was so cute already. Wait! Forget I said any of that. She was taller too, instead of looking like a four year old, she looked like a five or six year old now. She still wasn't the size she should be for her age, but she definitely looked older. 

After that she suddenly collapsed and she closed her eyes. I immediately rushed to help. I tried to pick her up to carry her, but it was hard now that she was bigger. I felt her pulse, but it felt, different. Now instead of feeling like her heart was beating, it felt like the blood just circulated constantly. It was like a faint rush of liquid under her delicate skin. As well I noticed something alarming, she wasn't breathing. Her chest wasn't even moving like she was trying to. 

It immediately got me into a frenzied panic, what was going on?! I turned around and saw all the people who had been revived were also asleep, it seemed like every monster in the town was asleep. Then I saw someone running toward me. 

Tuuli was dashing toward me, at a full sprint, she soon slammed into me, and we bonked ours heads together, luckily Myne was not caught in the collision. Tuuli yelped and rubbed her head, the thing she was holding had been thrown away as a result of the collision as well. "What is her condition!?" She said in a rush, she was clearly in a rush to make sure Myne was ok. 

I turned to her and held out Myne for her to hold, since she was bigger than me, she took Myne immediately. "I don't know. She was glowing after she revived, but since she had revived she hasn't breathed at all. Her pulse is also, weird." I said it at a hurried pace, hoping to convey everything I could as quickly as possible. 

Tuuli went pale and set Myne down. She put her ear to Myne's chest and looked worried. She couldn't hear anything from the expression on her face. She looked incredibly solemn suddenly. Though, she seemed confused at the same time. Like something may not be quite wrong. Just, different. 

As I was about to run to go get Effa, Benno, and Fran, suddenly a tall man in a black noble suite seemingly teleported next to us. He looked down at Myne, inspecting her carefully. I noticed the sclera of his eyes were a boundless black void, and he had a complex iris that were a deep yellow, with red lines stretching out from them and into the sclera. His hair was black with streaks of red and yellow. "Kufu, she is fine. Truly phenomenal. Master can even cause humans to evolve in unexpected ways. Though I can tell something was unique about her already." He said with a giddiness and a bit of glee in his voice. 

I was so confused and scared, immediately. I felt immediately uneasy the moment he was nearby. I knew he wasn't human, but I didn't know what he was either, exactly. I stepped back slowly, instinctively. Though I stopped, not wanting to get too far away from Myne. 

The man stood and stepped away from us, then spoke. "Sorry for intruding. Though I did want to inform you she is fine. She has simply evolved beyond the need for things like breath, or food. As a former human however, I assume when she wakes from her sleep, she will still want them." He said it concisely and simply. Explaining what had happened. An evolution, apparently? After that he disappeared, dissipating into a thin smoke in the air. 

Tuuli seemed much more calm now. She was holding Myne tightly, hugging to her. She kept Myne's head up high and cradled her softly in the embrace. "I will stay here with her, you go get Ferdinand. Maybe he can explain this." She said it with a serious expression, though there was still a tinge of tenderness in her eyes while she held her sister. 

After hearing her order I quickly ran to get everyone. Passing each of the monsters that had been revived and currently were sleeping. I ran straight to the hotel, not stopping despite winding myself while doing so. 

Benno, Fran, and Effa were all on the porch. They had decided to stay here while the town guards were all out of the town to engage the outpost, though soon after they came back, the guards had mysteriously fallen asleep. So they stayed here longer. 

I was in a rush to talk to them. "Come quickly! Get Ferdinand! Myne is back, though she is different! She is asleep right now, Tuuli is with her!" I was yelling my words, and breathing heavily while doing so. Stopping to pant and regain my breath and composure. 

Effa was the first to stand, and she simply started running in the direction of the Plaza. While Benno walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. Fran had walked inside to get Ferdinand, I wasn't exactly sure why he was inside. 

I looked up to Benno and stared into his eyes, they were filled with a tenderness, not often seen. I wanted to hug him honestly, he had assured me Rimuru was being honest, and in the end it actually worked. I got closer and actually did hug him, while I had a family, over my time as his apprentice I had come to see him as a mentor figure more than them. 

Benno looked surprised, but didn't push me away. He simply lightly hugged me back. Though it was only for a short time. Soon he turned back to see Fran and Ferdinand walking down the steps. "Let's go, alright kid?" He said it somewhat sarcastically and a little coldly, but I knew he was just trying to do this comforting his way. 

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