The Fisher of Men (1)
As he passed by the shore of Galilee, he saw Simon casting his net into the sea. They were fishermen, and Luke said unto them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they abandoned their nets and followed him.
Having wrapped up my brief midnight adventure, I returned to my dormitory room and lay down on my bed.
Since I'd confirmed that Io was fast asleep before slipping out, there was no need to worry about her.
I peered at the small pill cradled in my palm.
No, my hidden piece!!!
Where did the artifact go? It had turned into a pill!!
A pill, huh….
Was Ivan Perishich well-versed in alchemy or medicine too?
He was a brilliant mage, leaving behind vast legacies in artifacts and magic, but a pill was a first.
The Avatar was an artifact embedded with magic that duplicated the user's body to create a single clone.
But the clone produced through this artifact wasn't some ordinary copy.
It shared not only my exact appearance and abilities but even the subdimensional storage space of the original body.
And the best part? If the clone acquired new abilities or stats, the original body gained them too.
Conversely, even if the clone took heavy damage, the original suffered no harm.
No matter how advanced magic was in the world of Deus ex Machina, only Ivan Perishich's artifact could produce such a clone—it was that rare an item.
On top of that, it had a function to assist the original's cognition, allowing the user to freely control both body and clone simultaneously.
Well, the game settings allowed for that in theory, but creatively exploiting it wasn't possible due to the system limitations. At best, events ran simultaneously in two locations at the same time.
But now that it was reality, I could exploit this item's potential to 100 percent.
The downside was that the clone couldn't stray too far from the artifact, limiting it to the academy grounds. But without such a restriction, it'd be ridiculously overpowered.
Through this item, if my clone trained separately or consumed spirit medicines, the rate at which my total mana increased would double.
That was why I'd sought this artifact—and why I figured Ignis had urged me to get it, for the sake of my mana capacity.
At least, that's what I'd thought before seeing this pill.
Ivan Perishich's hologram had called it a "secret art."
Secret art—didn't that sound like a skill?
Did swallowing this turn Avatar into a skill or spell I could acquire?
If so, it might be more convenient than carrying and using an artifact….
I still didn't understand why Ivan's hologram message changed or why the hidden piece's contents had transformed. Even if my presence had altered this world, that only accounted for the last ten years.
Ivan had lived two hundred years ago.
…Anyway, time to eat it.
It was Ivan's pill. It wouldn't harm me.
The next day.
"Welcome, new students. I'm Marcus, and I'll be teaching you 'Combat Self-Defense' for this semester! Nice to meet you!"
I was attending the one class every Kallandra Academy student had to take—"Combat Self-Defense"—alongside Sunny and Andre.
"I know you all possess considerable skill. However, even the most capable Gift users can meet a sudden, screaming end—that's life. This 'Combat Self-Defense' class is designed to help you overcome such dire situations!"
Right now, my eyes saw Marcus, the first-year instructor for 'Combat Self-Defense'.
And….
At the same time, the sea came into view.
Kallandra, the city where the academy stood, was deep inland.
Even the nearest coast required at least a full day on horseback.
Yet here I was, seeing both the academy's 'Combat Self-Defense' class and the ocean simultaneously.
As if sharing someone else's viewpoint like a game split-screen.
After swallowing the Avatar pill yesterday, I'd gained its power.
Similar to the Avatar from Deus ex Machina as I remembered, but with a key difference.
It shared vision, abilities, and inventory just like the original—but without distance limits.
When I first gained the Avatar ability, the clone spawned not in the academy but in Ivan Perishich's room, where I'd teleported before.
It was too late yesterday, so I'd slept on it, but this morning, while heading to class with my main body, I'd had the clone smash through the room to escape.
And in searching for its location, I'd ended up here at this sea.
Even more amazing—no disorientation from controlling two bodies at once.
Truly wondrous. I'd had plenty of strange experiences since arriving in this world, but this topped them all.
Focusing on the clone didn't scatter my main body's attention. It felt like my brain had dual cores.
While my main body attended 'Combat Self-Defense' at the academy, the clone continued exploring unknown territory.
The sea, huh….
Where could this be?
Even Ivan Perishich wouldn't have built a hideout outside the Kallandra Empire.
If it was within the empire….
Coastal territories: Galilee, Haifa, Beersheba, Hebron.
Hard to pinpoint from terrain alone. Guess I'd need to ask someone.
As I wandered aimlessly, I spotted fishermen tidying up along the shore.
They'd finished fishing and were docking their boat. Oddly, their nets were empty… Poor catch, I supposed.
"Excuse me."
Being thrown into a situation alone like this was a first; awkward words slipped out.
Until now, I'd always had Hans or stuck to familiar places.
"Wh-who are you?"
The fishermen, startled by my sudden appearance as they unloaded from the boat, froze.
My clone perfectly mirrored my original looks, and I'd donned a luxurious robe from my subspatial storage, so they pegged me as nobility.
"I am Luke."
The name escaped me unbidden, surprising even myself. No real thought behind it… but they were just passersby, so no harm done.
"I've lost my way and stopped to ask directions. What territory is this?"
"Ah, I see. This is Galilee."
Galilee. The one bordering beastkin lands.
Pretty far out. I'd heard it suffered flood damage recently—never thought I'd end up here. Well, my clone had, anyway.
"I see. Thank you."
Now, what to do next.
My original plan was to use Avatar in the academy—hunt hidden pieces during class or train to boost my main body's power….
But with no distance limit, that was unnecessary.
I could gather hidden pieces outside the academy that I'd missed before.
For now, hmm….
"Simon, bro~! Hard day's work? I brought food… Huh? Wh-who's this?"
Then, from the opposite end of the dock, a woman approached carrying a basket.
"Looks like a lost noble. Check out that air of refinement."
The fisherman who'd spoken to me whispered to her. My mana-enhanced hearing caught every word.
"Whoa, yeah. Um, hello?"
"Greetings."
But that woman… she felt familiar somehow.
Then—
It hit me like a flash.
Why hadn't I remembered sooner?
The Galilee episode!
In Deus ex Machina, students visited Galilee for field training.
Academy cadets handled missions for nobles, and there they met a pair of siblings: Simon and Iaco.
They lived as fishermen in a rural village, wielding strength and unique Gifts far beyond that life.
But during the boss fight, Simon died, and Iaco earned a special scholarship to join the academy.
To think I'd run into them here!
Simon's ability was incredibly powerful and unique, but he exited the story early—a shame. If I saved him, couldn't I recruit him?
Wait a minute.
Why had I only thought about collecting hidden pieces?
With my Deus ex Machina knowledge, I could recruit powerhouses like these as allies.
Why hadn't that occurred to me until now? As if my subconscious had blocked it.
…Alright.
Decision made.
This clone would gather talent and opportunities outside the academy.
Plan completely changed.
Not what I intended, but better this way.
"Bro, catch many fish today?"
"Nah. Nothing bit today."
Decision made—no more agonizing.
"Simon."
"…Yes? Were you calling me?"
He wouldn't follow a total stranger just because I said so, noble or not.
But if I showed him this, things would change.
"Cast your net into the deep waters once more. You will catch fish."
"Noble sir, we've toiled all night without a single catch… But since you say so, we'll cast the net."
…Huh? I'd prepared arguments, but he agreed just like that?
Oh, right—in this world, to commoners, nobles carried that weight.
They dared not risk punishment by defying me.
Even without guards, this was a world of magic and sword auras. Nobles had to possess something special, so Simon didn't even consider attacking—he simply launched the boat to fish.
Whatever the reason…
As long as he'd set sail, that was what mattered.