Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

The horizon began to glow faintly, a delicate band of light creeping across the edge of Carcosa's warped sky.

"Ah," I let the victory breeze massaged my weary mind. "This should be my ninth day living in Carcosa."

Even though I had already been ascended into that of a demigod, my mind still tends to crave a proper rest as if it was an instinct of mine.

I didn't really need it, but it felt as if I had been longing for it, waiting, trying to find a solace where I could just close my eyes and let slumber swallow my consciousness.

But a peaceful slumber was nothing but an inaccessible luxury for the time being.

"To let all of your people fight and strive for your cause. Don't you even feel shame?"

"Another day, another unknown to tread and scour upon."

"Everyone is on your side, until they aren't."

"You think that you can rest? When danger lurks at every moment??"

The voices that were desperately haunting me, scratching behind the back of my mind violently.

All I heard were screams.

Aside from my usual struggle, morning had arrived, a rare reprieve from the night's horrors.

The spiraling moon slowly retreated, its maddening pull diminishing with every passing moment. The air, once thick with the oppressive aura of Calamity Objects, grew lighter, leaving behind the hushed echoes of the chaos that had dominated the past twenty-four hours.

The battlefield outside the Landship was an expansive graveyard of twisted forms and shattered entities. The skeletal remnants of the King of Skulls' army, countless severed limbs of monstrous beasts, and even fragments of dissipated conceptual horrors littered the ground. But none of it stirred.

The first light of Carcosa's day acted as a purging force, dispelling the anomalous energies and destroying the regenerative loops of the Hazardous Immortality phenomenon. What remained were inert corpses and remnants, tangible loot to be scavenged and repurposed.

I always liked this time of the day. There was this satisfying feeling of getting yourself rewarded after paving a path through darkness and ever constant threat of death whenever I tread the time of the Ordeal.

And at this point, I was in a comfortable enough position where I didn't even need to put in more than 100% effort for things to run smoothly, thanks to aides, people, and technologies that I had cultivated.

"I guess this is what it felt like to be a noble."

From the observation deck, I gave the necessary orders. The bastioneers and Heavenly Maids were to scour the battlefield, salvaging whatever the Calamity remnants, materials, and whatever interesting things they could find. I delegated the oversight of this operation to Amelia and Lydia, confident in their leadership and decisiveness, as usual.

"Make sure everything is cataloged properly," I instructed through the Landship's neuromorphic network. "If there's anything unusual or anomalous, send it to the laboratory immediately."

Amelia's reply came swiftly, her tone clipped and efficient. "Understood, Lady Narcissus. We'll ensure nothing is overlooked."

With that task delegated, I turned my attention to the hydroponic farm, where a far more intriguing matter awaited.

The artificial lighting of the hydroponic farm cast a soft, inviting glow as I entered, the hum of irrigation systems and faint rustling of leaves a stark contrast to the battlefield's chaos.

It might be a little bit excessive, but I ended up installing some sort of a ventilation system that made the whole farm feel more breezy and comforting like that of a morning time.

My hand was just that itchy to make and create something.

Carlotta had been moved to her own specialized growth chamber—a circular enclosure lined with neural alloy panels designed to regulate entropy-based energies. The chamber itself stood in a secluded corner of the farm, isolated yet accessible for observation and interaction.

Carlotta stood at the center of the chamber, her form radiating an almost childlike curiosity as her luminous, galaxy-like eyes darted from one detail to another. Her plant-like hair shifted faintly with each movement, the filaments swaying as though responding to some invisible current.

I couldn't help but think that she was much more than a simple plant turned sentient, but I lack the knowledge to access it, nor could I even enter Carlotta's soul to take a peek at her rightful history.

As if her existential height was higher than mine.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention. One by one, my confidantes entered the chamber, their reactions as varied as their personalities.

Verina was the first to step forward, her crimson gaze narrowing as she approached Carlotta. "So this is the newcomer," she said, her tone neutral but with an unmistakable edge. She circled Carlotta slowly, scrutinizing her with the intensity of someone evaluating a rival.

Carlotta tilted her head, her expression curious but unafraid. "You are… Mother's companion?" she asked, her voice soft but clear.

"Companion? Hah. If you think you can take my place, you've got another thing coming."

No, Verina, she will be nowhere to replace you!n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Verina, she's a day old, too young to be your rival. Please don't start measuring affection levels with her."

"Yet," Verina muttered under her breath, casting Carlotta one last look before stepping back.

Kuzunoha was next, her crimson eyes alight with barely contained excitement. She stopped a few paces away from Carlotta, her gaze darting across the alraune-like figure with the focus of a predator sizing up prey.

"A living entity sustained by entropy energy…" she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "Do you have any idea how unprecedented this is? I could spend decades studying you!"

"Absolutely not," I cut in before she could continue. "No experiments right out at the gate!"

She playfully pouted, crossing her arms. "You're no fun."

Carlotta shifted nervously, glancing at Kuzunoha with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. "Experiment…?"

"Don't worry about it," I assured her quickly. "It just means that she is very interested in you."

"Oooh."

Lupina, cradled as usual in Charis' arms, chimed in next. "Welcome aboard, junior!" She grinned, her tone playful. "Don't let anyone boss you around too much, except me, of course!"

Carlotta blinked, tilting her head. "Junior… does that make you… my senior?"

"Exactly!" Lupina declared proudly. "I'll teach you all the tricks of surviving this madhouse. Stick with me, and you'll be fine!"

Viviane, standing quietly at the back of the group, stepped forward with a measured look. Her orange eyes lingered on Carlotta for a moment before turning to me.

"Narcissus," she said, her tone calm but firm. "This isn't the same as creating a Cognitive Engine or tinkering with neural alloys. You've brought a new life into the world—a sentient, intelligent one. Are you prepared to take responsibility for her?"

I met her gaze evenly, the weight of her words settling over me. "Of course," I replied. "She's my creation. My responsibility."

It was the obvious.

Charis, who had been silent until now, stepped forward eagerly, her white eyes shimmering with excitement. "Does this mean she's my sister, Father?" she asked, her tone brimming with anticipation.

I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. "I suppose… in a way, yes."

"Of course, the two of you are sisters!" Lupina chimed in. "Just look at how similar both of you are!"

Right, since Carlotta inherited my appearance for some reason, it was also mean that her facial feature was similar to that of Charis'.

Or maybe it was the other way around, since it was Charis who gave me the entropy crystal...

Charis beamed, her expression lighting up. "Carlotta!" she exclaimed, turning to the alraune-like entity. "That means we're sisters! I'm so happy!"

Carlotta blinked, processing the information. "Sisters…" she repeated, a small smile forming on her lips. "I like that."

Charis immediately took on the role of a guide, eagerly explaining everything about the Landship and the hydroponic farm. She pointed out the various plants, described the irrigation systems, and even gave Carlotta a brief overview of our crew and their roles.

At one point, Charis leaned closer and said conspiratorially, "By the way, Father isn't your mother. Father is… well, Father."

Carlotta frowned slightly, tilting her head. "But… if Father is not Mother, who is my Mother?"

Charis hesitated, her excitement faltering for a moment. "Well… Father is both," she admitted sheepishly. "But it's better to call Father 'Father.' It suits… better."

Carlotta nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "I understand. Father… it is."

I rubbed my temples, feeling an imaginary headache forming. "This is getting needlessly complicated."

As Charis continued her enthusiastic interaction with Carlotta, I turned to Kuzunoha, who had been quietly observing the alraune-like entity with a calculating gaze.

"There's something… different about her," I began, keeping my voice low. "You already realize that, right?"

Kuzunoha nodded, her expression was still as casual and playful as always "No entity should be able to sustain itself purely on entropy energy. It's inherently destructive, not nurturing. Yet she's thriving on it. It defies many principles, but it is still not completely unprecedented."

"She's not just sentient—she's aware," I added "Fluent. That's not something a newborn should be capable of."

Kuzunoha's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's not just awareness," she said after a moment. "She has a soul. A mature one."

I blinked, taken aback. "A reincarnation?"

"Most likely," Kuzunoha replied. "Someone—or something—has been reborn as Carlotta, the Chaoto seed that you nurtured. Whether by design or accident, I can't say. But this isn't the first time I've seen something like this. In my travels, I've encountered entities that were… echoes of their past lives, to a coincidental extent."

We both turned to look at Carlotta, who was now eagerly asking Charis about the Landship's turrets.

Ah yes, the most exciting topic for young girls.

Defensive turrets.