Pinkie was focused on one thing and one thing only, to truly become the Passive Tyrant. She had decided to strip away everything that made her who she was. She never really cared much for her old self anyway. Throwing away lingering attachments to reach the pinnacle of strength and potential was just the obvious choice.

The Passive Tyrant—Ayla, had told her that it was a bad idea and that Pinkie should step back and try to stabilize her Legend properly… but at that moment, Pinkie realized that it was a trap.

Stepping back from a challenge because you had to adjust wasn’t something Ayla Winters would ever do.

A paradox.

Pinkie needed to stabilize her Legend, but if she stepped back from this then there was a good chance that she might never get to embody the Passive Tyrant in her entirety.

So… she pushed, pushing herself further than she had ever had before. Turning into a senseless formless ball that was focused on one thing and one thing only.

Truly becoming the Passive Tyrant.

Her spherical form had multiple human brains within, each one trying to find that combination that made the Ayla truly her.

What was instinct but a coalescent of experience, genetics and soul?

Pinkie just let herself go…

Deeper into the class, further than you could imagine into the flesh, using Ayla’s senseless willpower to forge on ahead.

And in time the Mystical Shapeshifter…

Was left with one.

The body began to form around it.

New Legend Detected…

[Mystical Shapeshifting] -> [True…

Stabilizing Legend…

[True Shapeshifting: AYLA WINTERS]

Two bleeding hands pierced into Pinkie’s side and instantly infected the form floating within. Pinkie did not have time to react. Foreign blood and mana flooded inside.

But more importantly than either.

Were the emotions.

Emotions that a psychopath could only fathom flooded into her mind. 

Pinkie tried to scream, but she had no mouth.

So she created them. Mouths, draconic, humanoid, animals formed on the exterior of the ball of flesh—

All so she could scream.

And with it, memories.

Of a mother’s love.

Of a daughter.

——

“Push! Push!”

“Honey, you’re doing great!”

“I swear if you call me honey again, I will hex you so much that—AHH!”

Xie Lihua crushed a tanned man’s hand. There was more than a little regret at having to want to experience childbirth like an ordinary human. With her resources, the [Witch] had hundreds of ways to mitigate the pain and any sort of other things but had decided to go with the most natural option.

She was no stranger to pain. It just was the first time she’d gone through this one.

When she heard the infant start crying all she felt was relief.

The [Healer] brought the baby close.

Xie Lihua immediately banished the pain so she could focus on her child. The baby girl with black hair noticed her immediately and blinked, then stopped crying.

Both parents’ hearts sank in their chest as they saw evidence of the oddity they were afraid of.

A baby freshly born, staring at them like she was trying to comprehend what was going on instead of continuing to cry out loud.

The father Gamar asked the [Healer] in concern.

“Is she… okay?”

The dragonslayer tier [Healer] shook his head.

“I do not know. While she is physically healthy and well… her condition can mean any number of things.”

They had detected the odd condition in their child ahead of time.

The infant had a mana core while she had still been in the womb. 

It was a rarity even amongst powerful elves. The oldest elves had only seen it a handful of times and it almost always ended in tragedy. Cursed children some elven villages called them.

Half the time the infant died during pregnancy, and the other times they had developmental issues… like taking several times longer than ordinary elves to grow up, or worse, growing far, far too quickly.

No other dragonslayers had this issue. All of their children had grown up fine, healthy and perhaps even a little supernaturally talented.

Xie Lihua would have taken that outcome over what they were dealing with now.

A stroke of bad luck or perhaps something more sinister. Perhaps the [Witch] had spent a little too much time messing with fate and it was finally catching up to her.

Xie Lihua’s contacts from the greater cosmos did not have much advice either beyond letting things take their natural course. They did not have some of the more advanced technology to deal with it so they could only hope and pray.

The parents stared at a newborn infant that was now staring at her mother’s mana core with wide unblinking eyes, reaching for it.

Xie Lihua lifted a finger, about to weave a spell that would keep her daughter in stasis while they could take time to analyze it further.

A hand stopped her.

Ayla Winters had been sitting silently in the room with them, waiting for all of this.

Ayla lifted a finger to her lips and winked at Xie Lihua, then poked the infant in the nose.

It startled the infant out of their contemplation, the baby stared at the offending finger then at the face of the poker. And the Passive Tyrant gave the child a bestial grin that would have any monster running.

Gamielle started crying and wailing.

Ayla ignored the glare from both the parents and the [Healer] and chuckled.

“Aw, I think she’ll be fine.”

And that was all that was needed for Xie Lihua. While the other two in the room were dubious, she knew better.

There was nothing more trustworthy than Ayla’s instincts

——

Pinkie continued to wail as the memories came flooding in. An eternity, or a lifetime? Who knew how much time went past, what she did know…

Was how the story would end.

——

Just as predicted, the baby grew up happy and healthy. If a little too boisterous for a child her age.

“Mummy, mummy, look at what I can do!”

She was levitating a bunch of kitchen tools including a knife that Gamar had to snatch from her. Meanwhile, she sprinted around her mother. Xie Lihua let it happen, then, when the child inevitably exhausted her mana, she nudged one of the metal chopsticks so that it hit her daughter in the head.

Little Gamielle started crying.

You had to teach them that there were consequences for ignoring their parents.

——

Pinkie could not look away nor could she do anything to change the outcome. Her own Legend was being overwritten by a much more well-developed one.

The steady flow of blood pumped into her malleable Legend and it was changing.

But Pinkie could only see the memories, the remembrance.

——

Her daughter was floating!

At the tender age of five, her daughter had developed enough of her mana core and was expertly using her mana to levitate. Not an insane speed, mind you, but even then!

Such a display would bring fourthers with brand new mana cores to their knees.

Xie Lihua couldn’t help but look on in heartfelt pride, searing the memory into her mind for all of eternity.

——

No. Gamielle, no, no, no.

——

“Mommm! Why do I have to do this by hand!”

“A [Witch] must learn to get her hands dirty.”

“But I don’t want to be a [Witch]! I want to be a [Mage]! Like dad and uncle Xavien!”

Xie Lihua dropped the bucket of milk.

——

I don’t want to feel this. Take it back, take it back.

——

A pre-teen Gamielle was crying.

“Do we have to move away? She didn’t mean it. I shouldn’t have told her.”

Gamielle had revealed to her best friend the truth about herself, taking off the amulet that had her looking human instead of a half-elf. Her friend had lasted a few months before telling her parents the secret. An impressive feat if the Witch Tyrant had been honest.

The Witch Tyrant had used a mix of bribes and thinly veiled threats to keep the family silent.

But there had to be consequences to mistakes… so they were moving away.

“A lesson to be learned. I told you to be careful with who you trust.”

“I thought I could trust her! She’s my best friend!”

“Don’t be angry at her, you have to remember, she is a child.”

“I’m a child too mom.”

“Yes, but you know you’re different.”

The initial punishment of separation from her current life, then she would give a present to let both children still be in contact. If they matured suitably, the Xie Lihua would bring her daughter back here.

Gamielle sniffed.

“Can you not just wipe their memories?”

“That is not a field of magic I will dabble in, and neither will you. Understand?”

“Yes mom.”

——

Please.

——

Gamielle grew incredibly quickly in terms of her mental age. Her true physical age seemed to develop normally, as if her body was purposefully keeping in pace with the friends she had made.

Book smarts, social skills, magical affinity and physical talent.

There was nothing that wasn’t prodigious about her.

And her control of mana… At this point she could learn spells faster than evolved adventurers in the fifth realm.

Gamielle was, perhaps, too talented for her own good.

Xie Lihua could see it in the times her daughter talked with those of her age. A side she’d never reveal to everyone because she simply couldn’t. Even that old best friend she had tried to cultivate over time could not keep up with her daughter’s mental development.

They drifted apart, as people often did.

Gamielle probably felt the same with everyone around her.

Sometimes, Xie Lihua felt like her daughter just acted her age because that was what her mother wanted of her.

It wasn’t a problem Xie Lihua knew how to fix.

Her daughter did not grow up sheltered, but neither did Gamielle grow up not knowing who her mother truly was. Xie Lihua did not believe in fooling her daughter for decades just so she could live a more ordinary life.

But she did want her daughter to be socialized properly instead of the mask she wore.

So… the attempt to enroll her at the best tuition across the world. Using a false name and the father, Gamar’s identity, they enrolled her with a few other children of adventurers.

Xie Lihua had hoped to find peers for her daughter.

But of course, there was none.

If Gamielle put her mind to it, she would outlearn and eventually outskilled any talent in any field they taught.

So, to fit in, Gamielle hid most of her talent. Only allowing herself to show some modicum of skill in artifact control.

It broke Xie Lihua’s heart.

——

I’m sorry.

——

Gamielle spent most of her time practicing with her mana core. From time to time, her auntie and uncle tyrants would drop by and she would learn from them. Listening to their stories, talking about their exploits. Surprising them with her spellcraft.

All of them loved her, everyone treated Gamielle like she was their child, it was perhaps the only time Gamielle could be herself other than with her parents.

For the most part, Xie Lihua was happy despite her failure to find peers for her daughter. Gamielle had grown into a well-adjusted and thoughtful individual that did not let the presence of her mother’s status go to her head.

And surely someone, somewhere out there would be capable of keeping up with her daughter’s pace.

If not, then well, Gamielle would one day reach the level of the Tyrants. 

…

Something had changed in recent years.

Her daughter had been more focused lately, more driven than before at working on her talents.

“What are you hiding from me, daughter?”

“I thought you told me you wouldn’t read my emotions anymore!”

“I am not. A blind amperdon would be able to tell that something has changed with you, and I, am no blind amperdon.”

Gamielle stuck out her tongue. "Not telling! I’m allowed to have secrets right?”

Xie Lihua blinked.

And her daughter’s rebellious streak began.

——

…

——

Time passed.

Gone was the precious, conscientious daughter that cared about her mother’s feelings. It was like someone had come in and replaced her daughter with a rude brash girl that just didn’t listen to reason.

“That’s just called puberty, honey.”

“Call me honey again, and you will find yourself hexed.” It wasn’t a real threat between the two parents, just something she liked to say. “I don’t understand, she was so perfect, why is she like this now?”

Gamielle was seventeen now, well into her puberty but the change was so drastic it made no sense.

Gamar shook his head.

“Sometimes, that’s just part of growing up. Also ‘perfect’ isn’t how I’d put it, you weren’t the one giving her magic lessons. Xavien and I were having headaches trying to figure out what was and wasn’t appropriate to teach her.”

Gamielle picked up spells like [Rogues] picked up weapon proficiencies. If you didn’t keep her busy, she would try to figure out pre-existing formations on her own, something that was absolutely too dangerous to be doing by herself.

It just felt wrong to Xie Lihua. But perhaps this was what all parents felt sooner or later.

Her daughter was growing up.

——

…

——

Adventurer Gamielle was a whole other menace. Nineteen at realm six. Working with a team that was far, far below her standards.

Gamielle could have soloed each and every Trial with her insane mana capacity and breadth of spells, but decided to take an even more difficult route:

Teaming up with the most incompetent adventurers she could find. Then carrying them through the trials without letting them realize that she was the one that made it so easy.

All to maximize her achievements.

She did not need to do this. Achievements were more than just taking risks with your life. Doing what others found impossible was even more important for achievements.

In this case, it meant that Gamielle did not actually need to do anything special to maintain S grades in her realm grades. All Gamielle needed to do was learn new spells at each realm that the vast majority of people would find to be impossible. That alone would push her into S grade territory.

But for some reason, that wasn’t enough for her. Gamielle obsessed over getting S+ on every single trial.

She made her life harder on herself with a purpose. It was just, nobody knew what or why that was the case. She chased achievements like a woman possessed.

Though she wasn’t.

Xie Lihua had checked. 

Her daughter, of course, had problems with that.

“Stop looking over me! You hovering over me is probably half the reason why I didn’t get and S+ in my last Trial.”

“I would not be hovering if you weren’t taking such inordinate risks. I have had enough, one should not treat their safety life like this, you are forming bad habits that I cannot condone.”

“And what are you going to do, lock me up?”

Xie Lihua did just that. Less for her safety but because of the cheek. You had to remind your children there were consequences every once in a while.

It was just… Gamielle had managed to find a way to free herself in under a month.

——

Gamielle. No. Don’t…

——

Gamielle was hooded, in a bar with some other seedy patrons in the city of Vitalia. Of course, she knew her mother was watching over her, though none of the other patrons did or they’d be running for the hills.

This was a place for adventurers to come and operate in less… legal fashion. Far away from the more regulated inner Sectors but still incredibly lucrative with steady flow regeneration potions from Sector Eight.

Plenty of blacklisted adventurers traveled through here. 

Though only one figure had the Witch Tyrant worried.

That hooded figure grabbed Gamielle’s arm as she was about to leave.

Xie Lihua’s finger twitched, ready to smite her down and damn the consequences.

And so did Gamielle, though she did not show it on her face.

“Can I help you, miss?”

The orcish woman threw a bunch of knucklebones onto the table, she sniffed, her bone necklace jangling as she stared at Gamielle.

“Child blessed by mana, will you not have a drink with me?”

“I’d rather not.”

But the orc [Shaman] stared at the knucklebones.

“You hide many secrets.”

Both Gamielle and Xie Lihua stiffened. The [Shaman] kept reading into her bones.

“You are wise beyond your years, keep your secrets hidden well, for if the Witch Tyrant learns of it, you will never be free from her web again.”

Gamielle ripped her hand away from the dragonslayer tier [Shaman].

“Thank you for your advice. I would have appreciated it more if it wasn’t obvious I was keeping a low profile.”

Indigo lowered her head.

“My apologies Child of Mana. Go in peace and grow strong in secret, for that may be the only way we will one day throw off the yoke of the Tyrants.”

——

She no longer wished for it to stop.

——

Gamielle had reached dragonslayer and Xie Lihua finally stopped monitoring her daughter as much. While there were still dangers in The Realm, at a certain point, she had to let her roam free.

Though perhaps that was largely due to Gamielle’s growth as a [Mage].

She was now capable of seeing through her mother’s illusions and escaping her gaze.

A point which Xie Lihua could do nothing but concede. Gamielle had truly grown up and was more than capable of taking care of herself.

So, instead of hovering and potentially pushing away her own daughter, Xie Lihua stayed in a little cottage in Sector Ten, waiting patiently for her daughter to come back and talk about her adventures.

It had a better effect than anticipated. Gamielle lost some of that frantic edge that had plagued her in previous years. She was now a fully grown adventurer and knew how to take care of herself.

“I hate them all, seriously mom. Guy adventurers are the worst, and the girls are almost as bad. Cindy, no wonder you can’t cast [Rain of Fire] when you’re sleeping with half the damned dragonslayers and have another kid on the way!”

Xie Lihua chuckled.

“Maybe it’s time for you to settle down and try some of that yourself. I certainly had no regrets with your father.”

“Ew, mom gross.”

“I am just saying, I would not mind a grandchild at my age. I will accept it even if it’s out of wedlock.”

Gamielle shuddered at the idea. She shook her head, firmly rejecting the idea.

“We can live forever at this point. I have time.”

“That we do.”

The two of them drank their tea as they continued to chat, Xie Lihua cherished each and every moment.

——

I should have never stopped watching over her.

——

Then… At the height of the superhero generation, the nations of Earth launched a plan.

It shouldn’t have worked.

While the Witch Tyrant was distracted, her daughter was attacked. If it was a single team of competent adventurers she was confident in her daughter winning. Unfortunately, it was three teams.

She did not find out until it was too late.

Xie Lihua remembered waiting in the portal room on Earth, waiting for her daughter’s revival.

Only to realize Gamielle had been using her advantage as a Destined to leave a body on Earth. A careless mistake.

A nearby facility blew up only moments after the revival timer was up. 

The rest… was history.

–-—

Present…

The amount of real time that had passed was only a few seconds. Though to the ball of flesh that had been Pinkie it was likely a lifetime.

[True Shapeshifting: Ayla Winters The Witch Tyrant]

The mass of flesh unraveled, revealing a naked elven woman that was in anguish, tears streaming down her face as she wailed her soul out.

“GAMIEEEEEELLLEEEE, MY DAUGHTERRRR.”

Have you ever heard the sound of a parent losing their child?

Blood, emotions and memories of the Witch Tyrant, it shaped a malleable Legend just as it had formed. One where the original user no longer resisted and wanted the memories and the emotions it never felt before.

The clone wasn’t even thinking about her original self, just the loss of her daughter.

This was always the plan you see. She had considered using Pinkie as a true body for the Fallen Gamielle but didn’t want to risk failure due to a lack of her daughter’s blood. Plus, her daughter would actively operate against her and she did not need less control over her own skill.

So, the Witch Tyrant went with someone that would be sympathetic to her goals, someone that would be able to help multiply her power when she brought it to bear against the Trial System itself. 

That someone was herself.

A true and complete shapeshifting. Younger perhaps, and possibly missing the [Remembrance of the Fallen] that had formed her, but still impossibly powerful for what was a new Legend.

The original Witch Tyrant stood coldly above the other as robes of white settled on her copy… no, her twin. She nodded.

“Yes, you understand too, we must get our daughter back. You will help me and become the backup in case I fail.”

The new Witch Tyrant grabbed the original’s robes. 

“Let me see her, let me talk–”

“LIHUA!”

The original turned to stare at the Passive Tyrant. Her old friend was looking at her in horror and realization. Ayla finally understood that this was not the same person she knew all her life.

The copy did not care about the shouting from Ayla.

“My daughter, let me see her. I—”

The Passive Tyrant’s voice shook the world.

“Gamielle was right about you. I should have listened.”

“I will do whatever I need to to bring my—our daughter back.”

“No, you need some sense knocked into you.”

“And how are you going—”

[Remembrance

[M A N T L E   R I P P E R]

of the Fallen]

A thin line ripped through reality itself, it cut through the Fallen [Chieftain], tearing apart his immortal existence, it cut through half of the Witch Tyrant’s clone, it cut through the Witch Tyrant’s arms and would have cut through her head too if she hadn’t already been dodging.

A deep ravine opened up in the ground where the Witch Tyrant’s clone [Shapeshifter’s] halves fell.

Whatever it was now, it was too lost to try to stop itself from falling.

The Passive Tyrant stepped forth, no holds barred, trying to take out the Witch Tyrant’s safety life.

The Witch Tyrant created arms out of light and shot backwards. She was less focused on the Passive Tyrant trying to kill her and more focused on the falling [Shapeshifter] with a torn out Legend. She would have to try again…

But first… she had to deal with the strongest creature in The Realm.

This time, every single creature in The Realm shuddered.

////

Welp, this was always coming, I just didn’t realize how fucked up it’d be writing it out.

I also cut Gamielle's final moments part out. Didn't like that I was abbreviating and dedicating only like 500 words to it. Will hopefully be a full chapter later I think.

Let me know what you think.