Love for Life

I have to dig a little to find it...

I summon my iridescent pickaxe. According to the Merchant, it can instantly harvest stone and ore veins. 

I'll try not to be so quick. Where's the fun in that?

I swing the pickaxe, breaking more and more of the red stone. I heat the head of the tool to make each impact more powerful. Then, it hits something hard.

Let me see... here! This is the ore I was looking for!

A red and black metal glows in the darkness, calling to me. I strike it with my pickaxe, activating the vein miner's ability. Each nearby clump coalesces into a chunk, which I collect and store in my Stocker.

I created this ore and this biome. Although I somewhat regret the latter now, since lives are in danger because of stupid spiders. But this ore is still useful for crafting equipment.

I stop for a moment, looking at the firelit cave.

All is peaceful here now that the spiders are dead... but I cannot destroy the hearts, or the mountain will begin to move.

I keep exploring, but I don't find anything useful other than ore.

That should do it. I'll see what Barik can do with it.

I sit on the edge of the cave that leads to the chamber containing the giant spider's cocoon.

God, this is so strange... I've always dreamed of going to another world. A world full of fantasy and the supernatural. But now I'm getting used to it. As if I were born here first.

I keep telling myself and others that I'm stuck here, but I truly love this place more than anywhere on Earth... I don't regret anything I did there, especially creating this story.

I don't miss Mom, Akira, or Momiji. Well, kinda... I wish they were with me now. I wish they knew me as I am now. Who I always wanted to be. But I don't want to go back.

I wonder how they are doing now...

I look up, searching for an invisible eye.

Sun: "I know you're watching me, Anima. I know you brought me here, somehow. You've made me suffer a lot, but I'm grateful. Suffering with purpose is worth a million more than having no soul."

I wait for a response, knowing it won't come so soon.

Sun: "Also... thanks for reviving me so many times. Thanks for giving me so many chances. It must be tiring for you."

I leave the cave and go meet the others, in the same village as before. Nebula runs to me and whispers:

Nebula: "Brother... who is Anima?"

Sun: "Ah... I forgot you were listening to me."

Nebula: "I'm sorry... I know you could take care of yourself, but I couldn't help myself."

Sun: "I know, you care about me. Thank you, Nebula. About that name... I'm a little scared of what might happen if I tell anyone. Can you keep it a secret?"

Nebula: "Are they our enemy...?"

Sun: "I'm not sure yet. That's why I'm afraid."

Nebula: "Understood. I will try not to think about it."

Sun: "Thank you, Nebula. Shall we meet everyone? I have something to tell you all."

She nods. We walk over to the others.

Sun: "Hey everyone, I've gathered enough ore for Barik to craft some equipment. Would you like some?"

Slinger: "Depends. What can it do?"

Sun: "The metal's quirks are mostly related to blood and regeneration. I was planning to make some armor for myself since I'm the tank. "

Nebula: "I forgot that your equipment is quite outdated, besides the Excalibur..."

Sun: "Now I don't have to die so soon. I'll try my best not to leave you behind this time."

They smile. Slinger seems bothered by something.

Sun: "What's up this time, Slinger? Are you planning to betray us again?"

Slinger: "What? No... I'm just thinking of a strategy."

Sun: "I was joking. But for what? To fight Mitsurugi? Relax, we still have some time."

Slinger: "We can't wait for her. We need to strike first."

Sun: "I'm not wasting any time. We still have one more place to go. It's another 'weapon' for Miguel."

Miguel: "For me? Is it strong?"

Sun: "Not as strong as the phoenix, but still reliable. If you can control it, of course."

Miguel: "I can control all types of life, depending on their power level. If it's too powerful, I can use the help of Nebula's book."

Sun: "Really? I thought you could only control... what should I call them? Monsters? Beasts? Non-sentient beings?"

Miguel: "Every living thing is sentient to some extent. I know this because I used to talk a lot with animals and bugs. They have feelings too."

Sun: "Damn... I feel sorry for them."

Miguel: "Don't be. You'll overload your brain with moral comparisons and never be able to enjoy life."

Sun: "Speaking from experience?"

Miguel: "Yes... I've learned to desensitize myself, but it still hurts to kill a living being. So it's better to think like a food chain. We're in this world together to compete, not cooperate. We can't thrive on mutual relationships alone."

Sun: "But everything is relative, right? We're not parasitizing each other."

Miguel: "That's why we must form opinions about who should be on our side and who is our enemy. We can always resolve things through peace. But if that's not an option, we have to take the initiative."

Sun: "Miguel, you're scaring me..."

Miguel: "Sorry, I got carried away by my feelings. Something I'm telling you not to do. Sometimes I can't stand the way things are. My parents told me to follow their instructions, but I also want to feel satisfied with my purpose."

Sun: "I feel that way too. I don't want to help the world. I want to help myself first, then the people I love, and then the world."

Miguel: "Making a difference fills us with purpose. Any size is enough, as long as you feel satisfied with it."

— Um, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but...

Sun: "Oh, right! Sorry for the wait. We're going to destroy the mountain now, okay? Cover your ears, just in case. We're also going to leave. Can you defend yourself after that?"

— Sure! We have weapons.

D: "We've cleared most of the surroundings."

Sun: "Great. If you need any help, call Karen. She'll get back to us."

I ride on the back of the phoenix.

Sun: "Come on, everyone! Let's get rid of the infection!"

The villagers cheer. We fly into the sky, far away from the mountain.

Sun: "Alright, Miguel, focus. We have time. Don't destroy anything other than the mountain. The infection will slowly subside after that."

Miguel: "Don't have to say twice, boss."

The phoenix begins to gather in the nearby air, forming a large fireball. It's hot, but not nearly as much as the nuclear one. Then, the bird spits out the fireball, leveling the entire mountain. The shockwave destroys some nearby trees, but that part's inevitable.