Die

On the next day, free of the effects of the NZT, I leave my apartment to eat a good breakfast in a family restaurant. Using your brain must really burn a lot of calories, I’m famished! So I will treat myself to something nice this morning. 

Entering the restaurant, I sit discreetly at a table that gives me a good vision of the door, ask for my food, and open the notebook where I wrote my ideas yesterday. Whoa, it’s almost like it was written by someone else!

As I read I remember the ideas, the fictional worlds commented here and I can only agree with them. I can’t even add or change anything. This was really well made!

And the best thing is that is not a tight-laced plan or straight path to follow. There are a lot of options for what I can do. All of this because when I took the NZT I didn’t become a super smart robotic person, ignoring feelings and prioritizing reason and efficiency.

I do not want to only acquire power, I want to have some fun adventure too. And NZT-boosted Hector remembered that. There are some plans that tone down how fast I get stronger so that I can enjoy the experience more.

I think that is important, It’s not like I have an enemy or limited time… When I acquire immortality, I can take things easily.

Talking about immortality… There are a looooooot of options here. As expected of the Omniverse, immortality is something trivial.

………………………

 After going around buying some necessities for my travel, I walk back to my apartment, ready to dip to somewhere else. The night is great for me to move because no one would notice me flying at high speeds. But I will need to wear a thick coat.

I bought things that I could run out of during a long travel. Like toilet paper or trash bags… Shoot out to the one that invented plastic. One of humanity's great inventions. Trash bags are so convenient too! It helped a lot when I lived on the streets.

“...” When I open my door, I stop for a moment and sigh.

Closing the door behind me, I look at the mess in my apartment

“Dude, I just organized everything…” I say to no one in particular, but I know he is here “Are you sure that you want to do this… Eddie Morra?” I turn to him.

I remain fearless facing the barrel of the gun.

“Just give me the NZT and I will go.” He says calmly. 

I can’t help but open a wide smile seeing his posture… His confidence. He had nothing of it yesterday. He was a fearful mess, but now the tables turned.

Unfortunately to him, I will not give him the pleasure of seeing my fear.

“Oh Eddie… I gave you a chance… left a door open to you. You could have lived a nice life, but you closed it because you saw another door full of gold…” I shake my head “Too bad you didn’t see the dragon behind it.”

“Returning the favor… I also don’t want to shoot you, so just give me the NZT.” He points the gun to my forehead, nudging me to comply with his demands.

But I ignore him. He already checked everything and he didn’t find the NZT that I kept on me, so because of the chance that is not with me, he will not shoot for now.

“I should have known that you would figure out that it was me. One can never underestimate smart people, they are dangerous… In truth, I knew of the dangers and did it all the same. I could have not given you any NZT and have no worries, but I gave it to you… Do your big brain can figure out the why, Eddie?” I can’t help but smile at him.

“You’re not a bad person, a murderer, or anything else… You are just like me.” He answers “That’s why I’m giving you the chance to give it back without hurting you.”

“Pfft! Hahahahahaaha! I laugh “Me? Moi? A good person?!? Pffft! Hahahaha!

I haven’t laughed this much in a good time.

“Haaah~ Haaa~” After wheezing till I recover my breath I look at him without hiding the amusement “It was a test, Eddie.” I reveal.

“...”

“I was curious to see what you would do…” I can feel my face stretching in a big smile. This is fun~ “I took the risk because I am curious about the human heart, Eddie. You know… I never had any friends… my family hated me… The closest thing that I have of a relationship was a girl inviting me to eat cake…” I shrug “I’m a traveller, Eddie. I want to know places, tastes, people… I want to know and understand people, Eddie. And now I understand you…”

“...” I can see his interest in my words

“You are a loser, Eddie. An ambitious entitled loser that can finally achieve the position that you think you deserve… I gave you the chance of having a good life, a little better than almost everyone but you can’t let go of the chance of being better than everyone.”

“...” His eye twitched.

“Did I touch a nerve? People often get angry when someone exposes their true feelings… Their dark desires…” I smirk again at him “You are just experience, Eddie. Thank you for the lesson… By the way, I was never at risk. Do you want to know the weakness of smart people?”

“Go on… Run your mouth.” He says, his voice tight “But your last words should be the location of the NZT.”

“Smart people's weakness is… unpredictability.” I reveal “It’s the lack of knowledge… It’s dumb people's actions… It’s irrational feelings…It’s the unreasonable forces of the universe… It’s unimaginable things…” My smile turns mysterious

“...”

“Chess players can predict so many moves forward because they know how the pieces move… They know the pieces' limitations, the rules, the board limits… They know what their opponent can do. Pro players in any game are like that. But real life can be unpredictable, Eddie. You are not infallible.” I shake my head again “For example, you can’t even pull the trigger because I’m locking it with my telekinesis.”

“...?!!!”

click

“That was the sound of me moving the safety pin…” I say before Bam I hit him with a telekinetic blast, and he was sent flying till he hit the couch.

“See, Eddie? You didn’t know that I could do this… That’s why you lost, Mr. Big Brain.” I hold him down with my telekinesis and make his gun float around me. Then I flip him over to see his shocked face “You didn’t have enough imagination… I’m like a strange chess piece that can move differently from any other… A recently released character in a video game that you don’t how to counter.”

I stood above him, taking my gloves out of my pocket and putting them slowly.

“You are a writer, right? I will give you a paraphrased quote from Dr. Manhattan: ‘I’m disappointed in you, Eddie  I’m very disappointed. I can fly. I can move objects with my mind. I can travel to other realities and I have infinite potential. But you, Eddie, you’re just a man. The world’s smartest man poses no more threat to me than does its smartest termite’.”

“You-Guh!” he was gonna say something but I kicked his ribs to shut him up.

“Shut up. You didn’t deserve to talk anymore. I gave you the chance, Eddie. You are out of chances now… you won’t even have the chance to beg for mercy.” I let the gun fall on the ground harmless

And slowly kitchen knife floats to my hand, his eyes follow the knife path. He is smart enough to know where this is going.

“I gave you two choices, and your decision would impact on how I would respond… Why do you have to be so greedy, Eddie? That’s why I didn’t like you when I watched the movie… you are… overeager attention-seeker. Entering in stocks and not even faking a little? Attracting attention to yourself even when you can die as easily as any other? Flaunting something that you did not earn? Relying on external help? Everything about you goes against my style…”

I’m a much more discreet guy… Even with the powers of a god, I will move under the radar. Maybe in the future, I can play god in some weak worlds, but I’m too cautious to do what he did. Thinking himself special and untouchable… Pfft.

I hold the knife tight and crouch down above him, knee on his stomach.

“You are my experience, Eddie. A lesson that I learned…” I raise the knife above us “I will use a knife to make it personal, like with you, I’m curious to see how I will react after killing a person for the first time.”

He pleads with his gaze, it seems that even his super brain can’t come up with a solution at this moment.

“Do you know what your last name means in Portuguese?” I ask.

Whoosh Thud

“Die(Morra)!” I stab him in the heart, he jerks up at the impact.

I watch unblinkingly as he struggles against the brief pain, his eyes losing the light, his body going still…

I stand up white leaving the knife on his chest.

Hmmm, nothing?

No puking? No feelings of guilt? That… That was surprisingly easy.

A stab and someone died… It’s not like I’m banalizing the weight of killing someone, but…

What before was a person, filled with dreams, ambitions, feelings, memories, and potential… now is only 70kg of meat.

But it was easy. A moment he was there, and now he doesn’t… And I don’t feel much.

Maybe only a little of the weight of my actions… The weight of my future. The path will not be that easy, and I will do worse things…

But only that… it’s just the cold truth.

Am I a psychopath? Nah, I have feelings. Well, whatever…

“I have the eternity to self-reflect…” Time to go.

Ah, Eddie messed up my things, look at this… I turn to look at his corpse.

“Maybe I should have made him suffer a little… just a little.” Look at that, I’m a little petty. This I discovered about myself too.

……………..

I bag everything with a tranquility one would not expect of someone who just murdered a human being. First of all, I’m not having a breakdown or anything. I know that is just a matter of time before I take my first life and my little mind-trick/shift-blaming kinda helped in get rid of any guilt… After all, if Eddie was not greedy, he would still be alive, the choice was in his hands.

Second, Eddie has no one. No one to miss him, at least for some days so I don’t need to fear the police knocking on my door.

But, I will be the primary suspect. I didn’t bother moving his body and killed him in my apartment. The landlord's young Asian wife will give my description and all that.

But again, how does this affect me? Not much… I’m leaving the country. I can already fly at a very good speed. The United States is big, but I can be in Mexico or Canada before a sketch of my face appears on the news.

And even in the WORST  case scenario, even if I’m caught and go to jail… One year later I will jump to another universe and leave the consequences behind. Obviously, I will not let myself be caught. Please… I have telekinesis, no prison will hold me. And I don’t want to lose my loot.

I take everything and leave through the window, the veil of the night covering me.

“See, Eddie?” I fly high and enjoy the chilly breeze “This is what power is for… Not to show off, but to live without consequences!”

Not like I don’t plan to one day show off or play god in some weak worlds, but I’m a quiet guy. The type that would create a tower and live in seclusion.

As I fly to the rooftop of a nearby building, I think about the day that I will be able to build a home. The very nature of my power is against settling somewhere… But I think is a temporary thing. 

When(and if) my powers grow stronger, and I will be able to freely travel like I have a Portal Gun from Rick and Morty, I plan to create a base. Heck, I don’t even need to wait till my powers are super-free, just need to lower the [World Attunement cooldown].

I take a coin from my pocket…

“Then I just need to choose a post-apocalyptic world and build a home. Or maybe an empty world… Or maybe one with lower technology where I can be treated like a god. I can’t underestimate the value of human resources.”

I take the coin and throw it into the air. “Head, Canada… Tail, Mexico”

If I go north, I will settle in Canada somewhere isolated. If I go south, I will travel through South America. It’s a beautiful place, maybe before I go to see the fantasy-like wonders of fictional worlds, I should see the normal wonders of nature.

This way I can enjoy it more.

I catch the coin, not even bothering to put it in the back of my hand… I simply open my palm and… Head.

“So, Canada…” I nod to myself “Okay, I like the cold more anyway. It’s closer too.” And without wasting time, I go north.

Thanks internet for teaching even a noob like me how to travel. I promise that I will learn to not be dependent on you so that I can go to low-tech worlds without a problem.

But till there, I will continue abusing modern worlds.

………………………………..

As expected, it was easy to cross the border.

Pennsylvania is already pretty close to Canada, so I just messed up my sleeping schedule, traveling at night and sleeping in cheap hotels during the day. Sometimes I just slept on the streets or the roofs of big buildings. My secret places are those last ones… What better way to be safe than in an inaccessible place?

I didn’t even need to leave Pennsylvania. Well, I kinda need to fly over the border of Ohio at night, but it was brief. The next day I was close to London. Yep, there’s a London on Canada  Discovered just now.

“Now here I am.” I pause, floating high in the air “Land of the beavers, nice people, Robin Sparkles, Terrence & Philipp and… Eh, I can only remember those.” After having a little fun I continue flying, I plan to stop at Ottawa.

As good as small cities are, big cities also present their advantages at hiding places. Too many people, you are just another one. And I want to do some tourism too, sell things, buy others, maybe settle for a month…

………………………………

I settled for a year.

Canada during 2011-2012 is a pretty good country to live in, not gonna lie.

I like the cold, people keep to themselves, I can buy anything around here and I lived pretty well in an isolated small city that is close enough to a big city so that I can do my things.

Inside my cozy apartment, I sit on my chair with my hot beverage.

In this last year, I studied a lot, but I lost a little muscle mass. In other words, I prioritized mind over body… Not that I neglected it, but I didn’t hit the gym, only exercised at home. I didn’t go back to being sedentary.

“And in the next world, I will solve this problem…” With my telekinesis, I bring my notebook to my hand, the same notebook that my super-genius self wrote.

On it, there are tons of ideas of new worlds, with things that I can acquire and all that. There are also things I need to do to get more information about my abilities.

For example… I open a certain page.

“Check the Laws of the world…Interaction of [World Attunement]. Applicability of Videogame Mechanics- Pokemon, Minecraft, RPGs…”

This section is about testing different worlds' laws and principles. What would happen if I go to one of those isekai worlds where everyone has a Status Screen and can level up? I will probably gain one too… Not that I will gain a cheat skill or anything, but it would be a boost.

But what about other game worlds? Like Minecraft? Would I gain the building powers? That would be huge. And what would be the difference between Pokemon from the games and the animation? Would people act robotic and the legendary Pokemon stay in a single location? And warcraft? Is there a difference between the game and the normal lore? And those isolated movies of superheroes? And the list goes on…

There are many ways to cheat to the top, but I also don’t want to take away the fun of the accomplishment. If I get too strong too fast, there will be no challenges.

I still plan on being stronger than the verses that I will visit, but I can’t be Superman and then go to the world of Naruto. Not even learning jutsus will be that fun.

A steady progression is the key, it will be safe and fun!

The Path I planned is simple. The first 5 years before I’m able to use [World Attunement] again. I have 3 more jumps before I’m able to use [World Attunement] again. 

Anyway! The next worlds will be to make my entire being better. Different for MCs of novels/mangas/fanfics, I need to get those things on my own. Yes, I’m still a little bitter about it.

At least, I have a good and versatile power and the key to super-intelligence already.

I know that I’m not even closer to being a smart guy from anime or comics, so I will try to make the effect of the NZT permanent.

Next is enhancing my body, gaining some defenses, and then immortality.

With that, I will have a good foundation where I can work forward. During the cooldown of [World Attunement], I will go to words that have hige level of technology or magical artifacts, to collect them.

That will be the First Phase. 

Then it will be the Shonen Arc, where I will go around using [World Attunement] to learn the power systems of those shonen mangas and animes. With jutsus and Haki, I can be considered a strong guy already.

But there’s a little problem… I still have to confirm that my theory that [World Attunemt] gives me a small boost in everything, but if is true… I will need to go around a little using [World Atuunement] before acquiring the Power Systems, after all, it will be better if my talent is higher, right?

Maybe do 10 [World Attuenment] before starting learning shonen power systems.

“But 10 is 50 years…” I sigh “That’s why I need immortality. Or at least Unaging.”

Lucky for me, the Omniverse has a lot of options of where I can pick them.

After drinking my hot beverage, I put my book down and prepared myself to go to bed.

Tomorrow I will jump again. Luckily for the random store owners around, I still have a lot of jewels. I kinda destroyed a lot of the tech things I stole, but I kept the ones that I use.

I even used pirate sites to download a lot of media and store it so that I could continue reading offline. I can’t carry a lot of books yet. 

By the way, how fun is that? Reading fiction is important to my future! I will never not find it funny! Haha~ I have a second notebook where I write things that I saw that I want… From items to girls~ I’m not that horny, but I need to be crazy to not go bang some Disney princesses.

I even have a list of easy pussy that I can get. Ecchi and Hentai worlds, low-level worlds, girls that are in trouble, girls that have a certain trigger to go all lover-dovey with me…

Pussy, like any other thing in the Omniverse, is easily attainable to me, I just need to be at the right place at the right time. Exhibit A: Boa Hancock… Like, punch a Tenryuubito and then not care that she is a slave. Exhibit B: Darkness from Konosuba… I don’t need to say anything more.

Maybe that is why I have no interest in those normal women that I see every day, many are even super pretty… but the promise of some premium named waifu out there keeps me in check and focused.

“I need that physical boost, if not I will die by Sun-Snu.”

………………………………..

“And this physical boost is what I will get now.”

Standing with all my things in my hands, this time I’m not filled with backpacks and duffel bags, but even so I’m still loaded. “I really need that Pocket Inventory.”

Before travelling I better put a disguise. Like in those last two worlds, I plan to get what I want first thing after arriving and live a leisurely life afterward, but my next world is a little more problematic.

I plan to go off-grid, so it will be better that I do not leave loose ends. This time I did not shave my hair, the cold here made me keep it longer. But I will do it before putting my foot on the road in the next world.

I can also use a mask… I went to some anime/comic events in the last year. Bought some souvenirs, even some masks. I will take this very plain one…

It’s a simple white mask with holes in the eyes, something that you can see in any generic anime. I bought it with a specialized stand filled with masks, I think this one is an original piece. 

“But it remembers me of someone… Arthur Leywin’s mask? Sniper Mask?” I try to remember… It looks a little like them but is another one… A hero “Ah… Eidolon!”