Chapter 13: first steps

(Lenia’s POV)

Being born is not a simple process, but being born from the life of another? The pain was excruciating, but eventually, the pain receded and consciousness was obtained, a new life had indeed been born. She opened her eyes for the first time. Adjusting her newly formed eyes to the light was difficult, but she soon gained focus. It was not just the physical form which was newly made, but also the mind, and her mind also took time to adjust to the very first moments of her existence. Once her eyes gained focus she saw for the first time the personage of the one that created her.

She knew he was the one who created her because it was driven deep within her psyche. Her creator, this man, was the one who she belonged to and no other. She felt an immense joy fill her very being, a joy she did not want to share with anyone. For she was jealous of that connection which bound the two together and afraid that someone might take it away. The woman quickly rose and kneeled before the man who had created her. She would not keep him waiting, her very being screamed to serve him with her life. It might have been an aftereffect of being so newly born, but she didn’t want the feeling to fade. This was more than just love, it was an absolute obsession.

This obsession possessed her like a burning flame and with such strong feelings she was uncertain how she should act or what she should say in front of her beloved creator. She could only look up at him with expectant eyes.

“M..a..s..t..e..r”

She spoke for the first time with some difficulty since her vocal chords were only recently shaped along with the rest of her body.

The one she had named master looked at her and spoke: “Your name shall be Lenia.”

He had given her a name. She was elated that her creator had deemed her worthy of one. She did her best to speak her name.

“L-E-N-I-A.”

It felt like a wonderful name with great emotion behind, but she would have liked any he had given her. She noticed a strange look in her master’s eyes but she was still too inexperienced to understand it.

It looked like he had some reaction to me saying my name? 

She asked herself within her mind but could only wonder in silence.

Even if her words were still shaky due to her new birth, her mind was already functioning somewhat properly. She would just need time to gain life experience to understand her master more. However even if her mind was functioning relatively as it should be, Lenia’s personality hadn’t fully stabilized yet. She exhibited emotional instability which resulted in her excessive servile behavior towards her master. She would always be his creation and as such would always be tied in some ways to his will.

This connection was mysterious but not unpleasant and once her personality had gone through its essential development stage she would begin to act more like an independent person. This would never negate her connection to her master but she would eventually be able to express a more individualistic behavior according to the core personality traits her master had set for her.

Aleks had never intended to create a puppet even if he felt a certain possessive nature towards his newly created being. It was impossible for him to remove the strange connection he had to those he created but he wanted each one of his creations to be their own person with their own will. Whether it was possible that in the future one of his creations might choose to go against him, he didn’t know.

Lenia was uncertain how to act, and so she continued to watch her master whose face suddenly changed from a look of pleasant pride and solemn contemplation to something unpleasant.

“Good. Now, take this dagger and go and kill every person in this building.”

Hmm.. why?

She thought to herself in a simple matter but didn’t dare voice the question. She was confused. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand his order but she began to wonder why he had asked her to do such a thing. However, the thought was only momentary. She took the dagger from his hand and walked out of the room they were in still naked. She was pleased to have been given an order from her master and she wanted to please him in the way a child wishes to please their parents.

The building she was in was strange to her, she had no knowledge of it but she felt as if she did. In fact she felt an urge of curiosity to look around but knew she couldn’t tarry long.

My beloved master is waiting after all!

She practically hummed a tune as she thought of what her master’s expression might be when she returned successfully to him.

Will he smile at me? Oh.. maybe he will say something nice..

The thought of her master complementing her or even just giving her a slight smile made her feel happy. As she wandered around she could hear many strange sounds she had never heard before and she wondered what they were.

Why are there so many people moaning? Oh.. those sound like cries of pain…

There were several doors before her in the corridor she was in. In the end, she chose the nearest door which happened to be unlocked and entered as quietly as she could. What she saw, she didn’t quite understand. A naked man was standing behind a naked woman who was bent over the bed. The man was thrusting violently at her rear while heavily panting. They were too engrossed in what they were doing and didn’t even notice her enter the room.

Lenia observed curiously for a moment much like an inquisitive child. She turned her head to the side cutely and placed her right pointer finger to her lip. She pressed down on her lip completely unaware of her unconscious act.

Why would anyone enjoy that?

It looked unpleasant to her but she couldn’t figure out what it was they were doing.

They haven’t even noticed me entering. Is that a form of torture? I think I will sneak up on them quietly!

Even though she didn’t understand what the man and woman were doing, it wouldn’t affect her completing her mission. Her master had asked her to kill every person in this building and so she silently approached the man from the back. She deftly put the dagger through the back of the man’s throat. He had no chance to cry out. Blood started gushing out and down onto the body of the woman who was bent over the bed. She had very little time to react to the strange sensation she suddenly felt as the man no longer was able to continue with his thrusting.

Lenia quickly withdrew her weapon from the man’s throat and then embedded it into the skull of the woman who had been bent over the bed. The two had lost their lives without even being able to react to the danger that they were in. She would never hesitate to kill for her master if so ordered. The movements were fluid and without hesitation. Lenia had been born with the might of a level 60 Knight and the skill of a hardened warrior. Her power was right on the threshold, just a step away from an advanced class. Killing these unfortunate people was like slaughtering insects, no more difficult than cutting through butter.

I thought I would feel something. Hmm.. I don’t feel anything at all about their deaths. Is that normal?

Lenia thought that she would feel something at taking a life, but she was surprised that she felt nothing. She felt no remorse, regret or grief. She wondered why she felt nothing. No, it would be wrong to say she felt nothing at all. She felt a degree of disgust.

“Eww.. some of their blood got on me..”

She stood there, naked, holding a dagger and some of the blood of her victims had fallen on her body. She felt dirty but not the kind of dirty you feel when covered in filth or grime. It was a much more debased kind of dirty, as if she had been soiled by some inferior being.

The feeling was strange. These humans didn’t appear much different from herself. She was human as well, but at the same time she felt as if they were nothing alike. She was not like those humans. As she looked upon them, it was as if she were looking upon an insignificant rodent whose sole purpose was to be exterminated.

This feeling almost overwhelmed her, but quickly faded soon after the outburst of emotions.

Oh well.. I’m not done yet.. I hope I don’t get any more blood on me.. Would master find me disgusting then?

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