Chapter 1351: Boundless Origins - Morrigan

"I can't take it anymore!"

BANG!

Within a small cabin built within a forest area near the Gougane Barra Lake, there was a weak-looking older woman who cut a striking figure despite her hunched posture. Her face was rugged, shaped by decades of frustration and hatred, warping any remnant beauty that might have been there.

She had a hooked nose along with sharp cheekbones and gray eyes that gave her the look of someone who had outlived hardship rather than avoided it, despite living in the middle of nowhere.

Her string-like silver hair was tied back into a tight, no-nonsense bun. She wore a heavy woolen shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders along with a thick sweater and worn corduroy trousers that did little to hide the gauntness of her limbs.

On her feet were common leather boots that stamped faint mud from outside onto the clean cabin floor.

The cabin itself was simple, with wooden walls and floors that held the faint scent of fireplace smoke as well as old wood. A wood-burning stove sat near the far wall, a kettle atop it that was unused at the moment.

Two mismatched chairs flanked a small table cluttered with old newspapers, tea mugs, and a rusted radio. A single coat rack stood by the door with a tattered canvas jacket and woolen cap hanging loosely, still damp from the morning mist.

One window faced the lake with its glass fogged with cold air, above it hanging a faded triskele which was a rather obscure religious symbol.

This old woman had currently thrown down a bowl of what looked to be Potato Leek Soup with beefy chunks spread out within.

Her old face was locked in an expression of raw fury and accumulated hatred that seemed unable to be suppressed anymore. Her body shook with literal hate, her eyes wide and her breaths heaving, all due to the scene she had just witnessed on the old decision before her.

Her back was hunched over and her bony hands were curled into claws, seeming less human and more like a hag wearing human skin. Given that her eyes had blackened over and her body began to radiate a certain dark energy, this was not as far-fetched as one might think.

"Grandma!"

A sweet female voice called out and immediately, it was as if the sun had brightened. The gloom that was building up in the cabin dispersed and the hatred on the face of the old woman was swept away, along with her strange changes.

"Oh, dear Bridget!" The old woman cried out as she rushed into one of the cabin's rooms, where a frail young girl was seated in a wheelchair, watching the television with rapt attention.

Bridget was a twenty-one-year-old girl with a delicate figure, her long blonde hair soft and untamed, cascading in pale waves down her shoulders and back. Her hair highlighted her pale face that held the last traces of youthful glow, her skin smooth but sallow, stretched too tightly over her cheekbones.

Still, there was an unmistakable beauty in her features, from her soft red lips — slightly parted in wonder as she stared at the screen — to the shape of her chin which was pointed but elegant, like the curve of a fragile porcelain sculpture.

Her most striking feature, however, was her amber eyes. They were wide and expressive, seeming too bright and alive for a body so clearly diminished.

Bridget's figure, though cloaked in an oversized wool cardigan and a thick fleece blanket draped over her legs, couldn't fully hide the strong femininity underneath.

Her sizable chest rose softly with every breath and her narrow waist was barely concealed beneath the folds. Her hands, pale and resting gently on the blanket, were thin but graceful, the kind of hands that might have once played piano or painted before her world shrank to the dimensions of this cabin.

The wheelchair she sat in was old but well-maintained, clearly handled with care. A tartan shawl was wrapped around her lower half, tucked in lovingly, and a hand-knit cushion supported her back.

Seeing that her granddaughter was fine, the old woman sighed with relief and glanced at the television, but it was only showing what she already witnessed in the main hall of the cabin, the scene at the summit center.

The screen was fixed on the image of the nine seated upon their thrones, with two seats empty. The old woman's eyes fell on one of the two empty seats and her expression warped right back into the dark one from before, air swirling around her as her aura began to rise.

This alarmed the young girl in the wheelchair as she turned over, finally tearing her attention from the screen.

"Grandma, stop! You know that using your power hurts you!"

The young lass spoke in a crisp tone with much more force and energy than her frail body projected, causing the old woman to barely restrain herself once more. She wisely decided to look away from the television and took in a deep breath.

"Bridget dear, you must remember this scene, this humiliation! Our noble Lineage, once one of the pillars of humanity, standing atop the filthy sub-humans, now reduced to just you and I!" The old woman said seriously.

Bridget, the young girl, nodded softly. "I know, grandma. But no matter what, that hatred is for me to carry, not you."

Hearing this, the old woman's shoulders slumped significantly. "You're right, dear. So much weight has been put on your shoulders and you haven't been able to have the life you deserve because of this."

Bridget moved her wheelchair forward and came before the old woman, a gentle look on her face as she reached out a frail hand to place against her grandmother's wrinkled cheek.

"No, it is my duty as the last heir of Morrigan to uphold justice, by any means necessary. I will live my life free and unfettered, doing as I please with my power!"

The old woman heard this and was extremely moved, but also glanced at the wheelchair and hesitated. Bridget seemed to see what she was thinking and smiled softly, taking her hand away and placing it against the wheelchair.

"Oh this? Don't worry about it grandma, it's just a temporary setback. I have already discovered a way to free myself of this weakness."

The old woman was alarmed. "How?"

Bridget glanced at the television, which was showing replays of the summit center meeting and smiled. "For that I'll need your help. Here's what we need to do…"

.........….

"Dear, are you sure about this?"

The old woman was nervously assisting Bridget in entering a game pod that was distributed by the newly established Supreme Human League, which she had to go and fight to queue for. Unlike the Virtua Helmets which were easy to acquire and were freely given, the game pods actually still cost money, though not nearly as expensive as before.

Luckily, the old woman still had some small savings and nearly bottomed it out getting this pod bought and installed in their cabin, which was out in the boonies.

If it was not for her niece assuring her that this was the way to achieve their long-awaited revenge, she wouldn't have been so agreeable about it. Even now, the old woman was having regrets and cold feet, wondering if she should have said no previously.

Bridget saw this and gently reached out. "Don't worry grandma, I have been preparing for a while. Previously, I could not easily blend in among our enemies without revealing myself, but now they have opened a gap."

Bridget soon lay flat as the pod came to life. "This is our one and only chance to strike from within, otherwise with the power they've shown, we will forever have to hide our faces and perish ignobly."

The old woman breathed out deeply and relaxed, nodding to show that she understood. With a smile, Bridget activated the pod, which sealed its entrance and began filling the tub with nanites that feel less like a liquid and more like a warm solid.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and got ready to enter the fabled world of Boundless, which was said to hold the secrets to everything, even the power that Draco had just premised the entire world.

More than that, Bridget hoped that this game would bring a miracle to her life like it had for many others, allowing her to stealthily eliminate her congenital weakness and be able to fully muster her power.

Thinking like this, she was incredibly motivated and looking forward to experiencing the wonderful world of Boundless!

Soon, her consciousness was submerged by the pod and transferred into the world of Boundless, where she appeared in the character creation area. She was first amazed by the fact that despite possessing the same figure as outside, she could freely move in this space like a normal person.

Bridget immediately forgot to even set the parameters as she began to play around and move her body, her eyes bright with joy as she danced, did gymnastic moves and some fake karate.

Her happy laughter filled this quiet space for long enough that she realized that this wasn't the time or place to be doing this. There would be plenty of time once she descended upon the world of Boundless and emerged among the various beings there.

Coughing with slight embarrassment and thankful that no one could see her, Bridget set the parameters for her character, especially her looks which she maintained.

｢Loading...｣

｢Brain scan initiating… please wait… 1%... 2%...3%...｣

｢Brain scan complete.｣

｢Welcome to Boundless! This world is governed by the unique AI hive mind of GloryGore Studios and for all intents and purposes is not liable for any harm, suffering, or damage you receive or claim to receive while playing this game. If you agree to this, continue to register and if you disagree, please leave the game as soon as possible. Among other things, GloryGore seeks to protect the fragile AI within the game and in accordance with World Council Prerogative III, will take various measures to protect their safety. A full list of regulations is provided here: [Hyperlink].｣

Bridget raised an eyebrow. The AI is fragile and must protect itself? Isn't this the same AI that can now decide the life and death of anyone in the world by blocking their access to the game?

And World Council Laws? Wasn't that dismantled just today? Or it hadn't had time to update?

｢Would you like to initiate the tutorial? Y/N｣

The system did not care for her questions and proceeded with the typical starting procedures for all new players.

Bridget thought about it and nodded, deciding that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, and she would lose out on nothing by being properly prepared for what came next.

She was then brought to a special area where she was taught to fight, use skills and what classes and Tradeskills were about.

｢Please create your Boundless account.｣

Bridget paused here and thought of a suitable name for herself that was actually put up on impulse.

｢Username: Morrigan

Password: **********

Account Status: Special (Primogenitor)

Package: Master (Automatic).｣

"Huh?" Bridget exclaimed.

She did not remember asking her grandmother to buy the master package, which they definitely could not afford, and what was that 'special' account status?

｢Warning! Detected Morrigan Lineage bloodline in host body, forcefully locking in pod.｣

｢Greetings, young bloodline progenitor. Under the rules established by God King Draco, all bloodline holders of the final two Lineages who enter the game are to be brought into the fold by any means necessary.｣

｢Please remain calm and await collection by the God King. Do not attempt to run or escape, as that may harm you or your loved ones.｣

Bridget's face changed into one of horror, not knowing that outside, where the cabin was, a space portal had opened revealing a giant palm that smashed down towards the cabin, the old woman kneeling on the floor in utter fear and horror.

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