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

The hydroponic farm's serene hum seemed at odds with the air of curiosity and experimentation crackling within its confines.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Rows of plants glistened under the gentle bioluminescent glow, and somewhere near the corner of the farm, I stood before Carlotta, a curious fusion of chaos and nurturing life.

She tilted her head, her galaxy-like eyes shimmering faintly as she observed the setup I had prepared.

Right now, we were about to push the boundaries of her ability to enhance and ascend.

"Naosi," I called out to the bastioneer that was lucky enough to become the subject of my current experiment, gesturing toward the nervous figure lingering at the entrance to the farm. "Come here. You're going to assist us with a little experiment."

Naosi hesitated, her hand brushing against the doorframe as though considering fleeing back into the safety of the workshop. Her deep yellow eyes darted nervously toward me, then Carlotta, who waved at her with a vine-like tendril that seemed as friendly as it was ominous.

"Again…?" Naosi asked, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Why am I always the test subject for these…"

"You're uniquely suited," I replied dryly. "And resilient. The Mirroring Well event proved that, didn't it?"

"That's not exactly reassuring, Lady Narcissus…" she nervously chuckled, though she finally approached, her gait slow and reluctant. "You know, radiant one, Erika would be overjoyed if you chose her on this occasion instead."

"But she doesn't have an experience in her curriculum vitae as a test subject."

"Ahaha, I shall comply with this, just because it is you who I vowed to serve for the rest of my life."

Carlotta watched her curiously, her glowing eyes flicking between Naosi and me. "What will I do?" she asked, her voice soft yet eager.

"You'll try to do what you did with the Solum Vitae," I explained. "Enhance her. Help her ascend in some way."

I noticed the hint of intrigue on Naosi's formerly defeated face. "Ascend me?"

"Yes. If this is successful, you might become some sort of a demigod and the like."

"Now this is the kind of experiment that I like!"

And just like that, now I have a willing participant.

Naosi' complexion brightened, but still clearly bracing herself for something bizarre to occur, and positioned herself a few meters from Carlotta.

My alraune-like daughter extended a vine-like appendage, which shimmered faintly with chaotic energy as it reached toward Naosi's arm. As soon as contact was made, Carlotta closed her eyes, her expression one of concentration.

For several long moments, nothing happened.

The air grew tense, and Naosi finally broke the silence. "Uh… is it working?"

Carlotta frowned, her tendrils retracting slightly as she opened her eyes. "No," she said simply, her voice tinged with confusion. "I feel… nothing. She cannot grow…"

Naosi exhaled loudly, disappointment washing over her face as she stepped back. "Aww man."

I folded my arms, pondering the result—or lack thereof. "Interesting. It seems your ability doesn't extend to living beings beyond plant life."

Carlotta nodded slowly, as though processing this limitation. "I wonder why my ability doesn't work on Naosi," she said. "She is… different."

"Don't get discouraged. An early failure is merely an early guidance to a proper solution." I said, moving to the nearby workstation to jot down observations. "Let's test things further."

"Am I dismissed now?" Naosi asked.

"Yes, you are," I answered with a smile. "Thank you for being my test subject again. I'll be depending on you next time."

"Ahaha, if that pleases you, Lady Narcissus."

The next two hours were spent putting Carlotta's ability to the test across a variety of subjects.

I tried imbuing her chaotic energy into materials like Neural Alloy, fragments of Theotech, and even Cognitive Engines. Each time, the results were the same—nothing happened. She could enhance and ascend only plant life, and everything else remained inert beneath her touch.

While this narrowed the scope of her abilities, it was still groundbreaking.

The plants she ascended displayed extraordinary traits—enhanced growth rates, heightened resistance to disease, and improved yield. Upon testing using the growth-enhancing Theotech, their fruits were richer in nutrients and had properties that could significantly benefit the bastioneers' recovery and bodily strength.

In a world like Carcosa, such enhancements were no small thing.

"I wonder…" I mused aloud as I observed Carlotta imbuing life into another test plant. "What if we took this a step further?"

The thought struck me suddenly, and I immediately called for Kuzunoha. Within moments, she arrived, her crimson eyes alight with curiosity as always.

"You've got that look," Kuzunoha said, grinning with fear and excitement. "The one that means you're about to ask me to do something absurd."

I smirked. "Not absurd—innovative~"

For a minute, I briefed about my findings.

"As such, I want to create a Cognitive Engine with a plant-based vessel rather than an inorganic structure," I said, donning an evil smile. "Imagine a plant-based army equal to that of demigods under our command."

Kuzunoha's grin widened into a villainous curve. "Now you're speaking my language."

Together, we began the process.

Using excess plant biomaterial from the Solum Vitae project, we crafted a crude yet functional vessel resembling a small cactus.

Its spiny exterior was more aesthetic than functional, designed to resemble a living organism while still serving as a container for a Foundational Template.

Once the vessel was complete, Kuzunoha implanted a Foundational Template into it—a rudimentary and near-perfected building block for Cognitive Engine on any kind of vessel.

The cactus flickered faintly with life as the Foundational Template integrated itself into the organic material.

The process was smooth and uninterrupted.

"It's operational," Kuzunoha announced, a hint of amazement in her voice.

Now comes the real test.

I handed the cactus-like Cognitive Engine to Carlotta, who accepted it with care, her tendrils wrapping gently around its spiny surface. "What do I do?" she asked.

"Do what you did with the plants," I said.

Carlotta nodded, her glowing eyes closing as she focused. The energy around her began to shift, a vibrant surge of life and chaos flowing into the organic vessel. The Cognitive Engine's faint glow intensified, its structure pulsating with a newfound vitality.

When Carlotta finally withdrew her tendrils, the cactus-like Cognitive Engine was no longer the same. It radiated an almost palpable presence, its spiny exterior shimmering faintly as though animated.

"It worked," Kuzunoha said, her voice tinged with awe. "You actually did it, darling~!"

"I-I did it!" Carlotta then faced my direction with excitement. "Father, I did it!"

"You did it indeed, Carlotta."

A small celebration broke out as we marveled at the ascended Cognitive Engine. It was a fusion of organic life and neuromorphic intelligence, a creation that defied conventional boundaries.

However, the excitement was short-lived. Carlotta swayed slightly, her vibrant glow dimming as she placed the ascended Cognitive Engine on the workbench.

"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately moving to her side. Stay connected through empire

"I… feel empty," she said softly, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Hungry."

It took me only a moment to realize what she meant. The energy she had expended came from her core—the entropy-based energy that sustained her.

"I see, it seems like it's time to call your sister," I turned toward the nearest communication panel, sending a message to Charis. "Come to the hydroponic farm immediately. Bring some of your entropy-based energy reserves."

Within moments, the faint echo of footsteps heralded Charis' arrival. She entered the chamber, her expression calm but curious. "What happened, Father? Is Carlotta alright?"

"She's fine," I assured her. "Just... in need of a meal, it seems. It looks like enhancing and ascending plants consumes her entropy reserves. She's been using her own energy for these experiments."

Charis's concern softened into understanding as she approached Carlotta. The alraune-like entity perked up slightly at the sight of her 'sister,' though she still seemed weary.

"I can help," Charis said, extending one shadowy hand. From her palm, a dark, swirling orb of entropy energy coalesced, its chaotic surface pulsing faintly.

Carlotta's galaxy-like eyes widened, and her tendrils stretched out toward the orb instinctively. "May I…?" she asked, her voice hesitant but eager.

"Go ahead," Charis said warmly, holding the entropy orb closer.

As Carlotta's tendrils made contact with the energy, it flowed into her like water into parched soil. Her form seemed to brighten with renewed vitality, her glowing eyes regaining their shimmer. The chaotic energy danced across her vine-like appendages, infusing her with life once more.

When the transfer was complete, Carlotta sighed contentedly, her posture relaxing. "Thank you," she said, her voice soft and sincere.

Charis ruffled Carlotta's hair with a fond smile. "That's what sisters are for."

Carlotta's ability to infuse life into plants—and now even a Cognitive Engine—was extraordinary. But it came at a cost, one that required a steady supply of entropy energy to sustain her.

"It seems we've discovered her limit," Kuzunoha remarked, breaking the silence. She was still examining the ascended Cognitive Engine, her crimson eyes gleaming with intellectual hunger. "This kind of enhancement is taxing, especially for a newborn like her"

I nodded, deep in thought. "It's a limitation, but one we can work around. As long as Charis—or someone else with access to entropy energy—is nearby, Carlotta can continue to contribute in ways we never imagined."

As Charis led Carlotta to a nearby seating area to rest, I turned my attention back to the ascended Cognitive Engine. Its presence was palpable, almost as if it were alive in a way that transcended even the most advanced neuromorphic systems we had developed.

Kuzunoha chuckled softly, her voice laced with excitement. "So, what's next, Narcissus? Shall we make a grove of these plant-based Cognitive Engines? A living, organic network of intelligence?"

I smirked, though my mind was already racing with possibilities. "One step at a time. Let's make more prototypes before we start turning the hydroponic farm into a Cognitive Engine forest."