The strange aura around me fades, my hair returning to its usual silver. I snap Rexy’s leash back on, shrinking her down to pocket-size.

  With Caesar’s memories fresh in my mind, I undo the dome’s metal lockdown and promptly exit.

  A quick change of clothes later, I’m back at the bar where I met Dante. Finding a quiet corner, I slump into a seat.

  Some years feel like days, some days feel like years… and today definitely feels like one of those days.

  After ordering a drink and some bar food, Rexy wriggles out of my hair, stretching on the table. I let her have the meal while my mind replays the events of the last few hours.

  Bailey is now in Duke Mercer's hands. He needs a Synthar like Bailey for something, and I have to assume it's nothing good. Otherwise, he would have just ordered Bailey's release.

  So, my next move is to find out where the Duke is hiding Bailey.

  Lawrance is my… well, my ticket to the Duke, seeing as he's his grandpa. Since he doesn't remember me, befriending him seems like the best move here. Efficiency is key!

  But getting Bailey back is probably going to be another tough battle. Diplomacy isn't going to work here, especially considering Bailey's… special circumstances.

  I just hope that after all this is over, I can finally get back to my slice-of-life isekai adventure… Or, better yet, back to my peaceful afterlife.

  My theory about my… powers seems to hold up. My hair flares up, all iridescent and powerful, in two distinct scenarios.

  Someone or something dying within a certain distance from me—of course, there are exceptions. But aside from the memory reel in the other dimension, I don’t really get anything else.

  It’s like being forced to live the life of anything that dies around me, which is a pretty awful power…

  Another trigger is Adamantine—exposed Adamantine that isn't encased in gold. After the incident with the divine treasure art piece, something happens.

  It's like I leveled up. Ever since, my control over my powers has grown immensely…

  Each time I expose Adamantine, my hair absorbs it, and in exchange, gives me a duration where I can use the iridescent strand powers. It can also give me pretty much unlimited Qi for that duration.

  Adamantine is like my MP and EXP. Next time, I probably shouldn't test these things in such dire moments. But I can't really waste this Adamantine.

  Nyotha… the tree-shaped form encasing my essence in the afterlife dimension… is a deity?

  Rexy licks my hand, so I give her chin a tickle. "You were the one who dug up the Adamantine for Dr. Keyser, weren't you?" Rexy nods proudly.

  "Can you find more for me?" I ask. She instantly turns her head away. Guess she really hates that job.

  After a quick check of my remaining Adamantine bars—not many, I used a ton during the fight with Caesar—I figure I have enough to handle one or two bad situations.

  Futuristic lasers and railgun bullets might not leave physical wounds, but the force of their explosions still throws me around.

  I'm definitely not immune to being trapped. I'm not strong enough to brute-force my way through these high-tech defenses.

  The mecha-style armor the guards wear, and their shields, are a real pain.

  Thinking back to the fight at Caesar's mansion, I can't help but wonder: with all the robots doing every other mundane task in this world, why didn't I face an army of robots?

  Wouldn't that be way more efficient than putting humans in mecha-armor? Strange Isekai…

  Oh well. Being the Isekai Main Character means battles are pretty much unavoidable. The rich and powerful never listen to reason until you… persuade them.

  And considering how advanced this civilization is, thanks to the Harbingers, my 21st-century caveman knowledge isn't going to cut it when it comes to economic leverage.

  So, brute force it is.

  Which makes this cultivation thing super important. Qi gives me all the enhancements I desperately need for fighting and information gathering.

  It's a readily available resource, and the most important part is it's FREE!

  Sensing within myself, the orb of Qi in my abdomen is practically empty. It's so annoying that I have to drain it completely before I can recharge.

  It bugs me way more than it probably should, but hey, I'm the type of person who reloads after firing two shots in an FPS.

  This power to sense and control Qi is pretty unique... where did Dr. Keyser get those texts, anyway? I wonder if there are any other users.

  As I continue to cycle and cultivate, I focus on the orb of Qi in my abdomen. The tiny ember within still flickers, just like it always has since it first appeared.

  There are probably other elemental types of Qi around this world… That’s probably a side quest…

  Qi: free, but requires constant micro-management and training.

  Adamantine: crazy expensive and rare, but way more powerful when I’m in a real pinch.

  Rexy suddenly dunks herself headfirst into my drink. Can she even drink that stuff? I shake my head at her antics.

  Rexy’s transformation attracts way too much attention. And, more importantly, it costs a fortune in Adamantine… we’re talking a small bar every couple of minutes.

  Of course, if everything goes sideways, Rexy’s transformation is definitely one of my trump cards.

  After paying my bills, the announcement blaring from the speakers stops me in my tracks as I head out of the bar.

  “Citizen Broadcast: Mercer Mansion Incident.” The amplified voice booms.

  “This is a city-wide alert. Security Services confirm a catastrophic event at the Mercer Mansion. Upon arrival, security units discover extensive structural damage and, tragically, 249 fatalities.”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The broadcast continues, listing the casualties: mansion staff, security, an Astralis Table associate, and even Lawrence Mercer.

  “Caesar Mercer remains missing. Citizens are advised to be vigilant and report anything suspicious.” The broadcast repeats. “Citizen Broadcast: Mercer Mansion Incident…”

  They’re all dead?!

  No way. Their wounds… they all closed when their memories were taken. How… how is this possible? How did they all die?! My hair isn’t even flaring up. They can’t all be dead.

  A wave of dread and regret washes over me. I hurry back toward the mansion, keeping my distance as my senses reach into the dome.

  The entire dome is completely surrounded. Some bodies have already been moved, but most are still there.

  Hundreds of people scream and cry on the lawns of the mansion. Their wailing rings in my ears.

  My senses envelope each body, searching for wounds and a possible cause of death. Nothing. No blood, no wounds, nothing. I even check for common signs of poisoning.

  They're all dead without any visible injuries… it's like they're sleeping, but without a heartbeat, not breathing…

  “Do you know what happened?” I ask Rexy, perched on my shoulder. She shakes her head.

  “They were alive when we left, right?” I ask, desperately needing confirmation. Rexy nods reassuringly. I sigh in relief.

  However, I’m immediately dragged back into the vortex of emotions.

  A woman cries and screams, clutching her husband. Elderly parents sob beside the body of their son. Children stare blankly at the body of their mother, not understanding.

  Glimpses of the memories from the past day still linger in my consciousness. I know they were all someone’s parents, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers.

  For some, their entire family’s livelihood rested on their shoulders. The abyss of emotions… if it were my loved ones who had died so suddenly… I’d probably go insane.

  Why… Why did this happen…? Who is responsible…? Is this blood on my hands?

  “What do I do now?” I mutter to myself, slapping my hands on my face, hoping to wake up from this nightmare.

  If only I’d stayed a little longer. Maybe things would be different. If only… These two words are popping into my mind way too often in this isekai.

  “No, Master Caesar! Where are you?” A voice cries out.

  “Why, harbingers, please protect Master Caesar.” Another calls out.

  Caesar! Where is Caesar?! He isn’t among the dead. My senses scan the whole dome, even extending underground. Nothing. Caesar is not in the dome.

  The dark, cloudy sky casts a long shadow over the entire dome city.

  After changing my appearance again, I dash through the shadows of the city, restlessly extending my senses into every home, every corner to find traces of Caesar, but I come up empty-handed.

  What went wrong? I’m sure they were alive when I left. What in the world could kill so many people so quickly? Why?! Why kill all these innocent people?! Is Caesar responsible?!

  A hundred possibilities race through my mind, but none of them explain what happened. Unless there’s unintentional damage from memory extraction…

  But there’s no way I could have killed them, right?

  And two things still don't add up. If there's damage from memory extraction, Rexy's perfectly fine. Also, where did Caesar go? He's the one who had the most memories extracted.

  Unable to find or think of any logical explanation, I lean against a wall, sighing. “Whoever’s responsible for this…” I mutter, clenching my fist.

  As rain begins to fall outside the dome, I find myself in front of an unfamiliar building. I notice a massive sign that reads “Vault” above the reinforced-looking entrance.

  What is this…? It reminds me of a certain post-apocalyptic game I played back in my teens.

  This is… where Dante said Bailey left all his stuff!

  After entering the building, a humanoid robot quickly approaches.

  “This vault is a neutral storage facility operated and owned by the four great dynasties. No one can access the personal vaults without the owner’s permission, under any circumstances.”

  “Anything else I can help you with?” the robot asks.

  Well, looks like I’m out of luck until I find Bailey.

  On a whim, I decide to try something. “I’d like to access a vault for… Val.”

  “One moment, locating client information,” the robot says, then freezes for a second.

  “Client found! The owner requests an answer to a security question to access the vault. How many times does one press the Adamantine Bar? You have one chance. An incorrect answer will lock the vault for five years.”

  This has Bailey written all over it.

  “Four!” I answer without hesitation.

  “Thank you. Please follow me,” the robot says in its monotone voice.

  Alright, buddy. What did you leave me? Hopefully something to save your skin.

  I follow the robot deeper into the building. Several checkpoints, each guarded by heavily armed human guards.

  The inside resembles a massive, highly secure storage room, lined with giant metallic doors.

  We finally arrive at Vault B25048. Inside, hundreds of smaller storage cells fill the space.

  The robot opens one, retrieves the bag I left with Bailey, and hands it to me. The robot then led me out of the building.

  Looking for a safe place to check the contents, I walked into a luxurious hotel. I ask about a room, and the front desk quotes me a price.

  “Fifty Adite for a presidential suite?!” I stare at the elaborate decorations in the lounge. Considering how fancy this place looks, the price sounds low.

  “Yes, would you… like that?” The woman at the front desk seems startled.

  “Yes… that’ll do,” I say calmly, pretending to be high-class, of course.

  She pulls out the familiar-looking card machine when I request the presidential suite. Ding!

  Reaching my room—a full-on loft, no less—I promptly collapse onto the bed.

  Oh my god! Even though this body is indestructible and never feels tired, I feel overwhelmingly emotional today.

  Rexy curls up on a nearby pillow, and I crash on to the bed. The comfortable embrace of the mattress engulfs me.

  Even though my body doesn’t technically need sleep, I’ve discovered my mind definitely needs a break.

  Lying there, my thoughts begin to drift. My consciousness slips away, and before I know it, I’m blinking awake. It’s late afternoon.

  That’s the first time I fell asleep since, you know, being reborn and all. I guess this is really happening. Not a dream.

  Carefully getting up—Rexy’s still fast asleep—I tiptoe over to the table and rummage through my bag.

  There they are. Two massive bars of Adamantine. Still safe and sound. Bailey even thoughtfully packed some clothes for me.

  And finally, two things that definitely weren’t there before: a notebook and a letter from Bailey.

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  Hello Val,

  Knew you'd pull through! Since this is the closest town, I left your gear here. Asked a pal to keep an eye out for ya, not sure if you two crossed paths.

  Anyways, looks like I've got someone on my tail, so I gotta make a quick getaway. That's why I stashed your things in the Vault – gotta travel light, you see.

  I made a copy of Master Keyser's notes for ya. The real deal's given off some kind of radiation, too dangerous to keep in the Vault, they said, so I'm finding another spot for it.

  Not sure which way I'll go just yet, gotta shake this fella tailing me. But I'm planning on heading towards Crythala.

  If you happen to be heading that way or nowhere else to go yourself, maybe we can meet up there.

  Been right glad to have met ya, and I'm hopin' we'll cross paths again soon. Haven't forgotten about that meal I owe ya, nor the promise to travel together!

  Bailey

  __________________________________________________________________________

  What a useless letter! How am I supposed to help him if that’s all he left me with?!

  Staring at the letter a couple more times, hoping for some hidden message or maybe even invisible ink. Nope. Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.

  As the sunlight starts to fade outside, Rexy finally wakes up and crawls up onto my shoulder again. She must have had a good nap.

  The plan to befriend Lawrence is no longer an option.

  No matter how much I hate to get more involved with Raven, she’s the only person left who might have some answers.

  After arriving at the auction house again. Wilfred, clearly expecting me, greets me and lead me inside.