Jas rose cautiously to his feet, gaze darting about the large cavern in search of potential danger.
Other than Crimson Hydra, however, all was still.
The cavern was a series of subtly compartntalized segnts, each distinguished from the rest by columns or curtains of stone that intruded just enough to give a sense of separation. Thick fur rugs were thrown over the polished stone floor, and vividly painted landscapes and portraits hung in heavy gilt fras from the walls. The ceiling was high above, and combined with the sparse furnishings gave the place an airy sense of tranquility and stillness.
This, like, his pad? asked Yadriel, shifting down to his human form.
Caveman-chic, said Denzel, tone approving. Look at the size of that bed. He couldnt live here alone.
The last room housed a bed big enough for six. But Jas saw no signs of other people living here. No clutter. No dishes - no kitchen, for that matter. The place was stark and beautiful, but it felt more like a mountain temple than a ho.
Look at that view, breathed Miriam, moving to the edge of the open wall to stare out over the jungle far below. Oh - is that a dinosaur?
Everybody moved to joined her. Amongst the mist-wreathed trees moved great saurian beasts, their necks long, heads tiny like brontosauruses. A hooting cry rang out from their number, a strange, feral trumpeting, and as one the herd of huge beasts turned to head along a different track.
What is this, Jurassic Park? asked Jason quietly.
Jas moved to crouch beside the dead angel and froze. The massively muscled, Conan-like figure had disappeared to be replaced by a vaguely octopoidal creature. Its purple head was rubbery, bald, and heavily wrinkled, and its mouth was a powerful beak. Black silk clothed the rest of its body which seed to be a ss of boneless limbs.
Jesus, breathed Serenity, moving up alongside him. Is this?
Its in the sa spot, said Jas. Everyone, take a look.
The crew tore themselves away from the edge to startle at the angels new appearance.
Is that what it really looked like all along? asked Miriam, hand going to her mouth. Jason slid his arm around her shoulders.
If so Kerim crouched before the dead creature. It would seem that the angels are illusions crafted to et our expectations. Illusions that disappear upon their deaths.
But this bitch died when he was hit by a black ball, yo, said Yadriel. So that was a fake death?
Fake death, agreed Denzel. Fake as hell. More like he got tagged out of the ga.
And he was - what? Olaf moved up to stare in fascination at the dead creature. Coming back here to relax?
Could be, yeah. Jas moved closer, half -expecting the creature to jerk back to life at any point. He was powerful enough to be an Archangel, but not more than that. When he tagged out he opened up a portal to this place. Maybe to relax until he was summoned again?
Jas, set that device on the floor so I can scan it, asked Jessica.
Jas examined the wand in his hand. It was heavy, solidly built, but the spherical head was clearly intricately mobile, the hundreds of rune-inscribed keys ant to be depressed, with four bands of gold which could spin about them all.
Jessicas Omni hovered over the staff and emitted a blue light over the device.
So, aliens? asked Serenity. These the creatures running this show?
Might be, said Jas. But this guy wasnt running much of anything.
Miriam and Jason had moved off together, slowly inspecting the rooms contents. Hey, said Jason. Look, this is him, here. He took up a frad photograph and raised it for them to see.
It showed a group of nine octopoidal people underwater, their limbs intertwined, each of a subtly different color. They ranged from dark jade to light aquamarine to golden yellow, but the figure in the center was clearly their guy. The purple skin and distinctive black sports along the side of his head gave him away.
Miriam took the picture, studied it, then stepped back and looked at the walls. So of these people are in these paintings.
Jas pivoted around on the balls of his feet. The heavy gilt fras held portraits of other octopoids, he saw. Each was a solo portrait, the figure floating in blue waters, vividly painted and distinct.
Nine, said Jason. Just like us.
A crew of nine? Serenity walked over and took the picture. You think maybe his world was hit like ours was?
Who knows? Jason ran his hands over his buzz cut hair. But if so, this is where he ended up. Why? Did he fail to get to the bottom? Or was this his reward? To play-act as an angel in another species trial?
Right till we showed up, said Serenity softly, handing the picture back. And ruined his day.
Perhaps Kerim rubbed at his goatee. Perhaps this was his reward? Its almost useless to speculate, but his belonging to a group of nine is highly suggestive. As an Archangel he was powerful, but not overwhelmingly so. Perhaps he didnt reach the bottom of the Pits, but still did well enough to be rewarded?
Or forced to work for the demons, spat Yadriel.
The demons work for soone else, said Kerim. Rember? Its possible theyre not even demons but beings like this forced to wear an illusion for our sake.
Thats fucked. Yadriel scowled. To go through all this and then be forced to fuck with another world as a reward?
Kerim smiled. Whover is running this show has yet to demonstrate an ounce of interest in concepts such as fairness or comnsurate rewards.
Jas couldnt tear his gaze from the octopoidal corpse. What had it been through? What had it suffered? Were the others in the portraits alive or dead? He thought dead. There was sothing celebratory about the paintings, sothing sad. They looked idealized in a way he couldnt quite pinpoint, as if the light were ennobling them. Had it suffered as they were suffering now? Been visited by their own apocalypse and forced to fight against ever more extre odds till at last he had ended up here?
Jas regarded the cavernous apartnts once more. Youd think hed want to relax underwater.
Maybe they didnt want him getting too comfortable, said Kerim. Or perhaps these are work apartnts? He gets to go ho after our apocalypse wraps up?
Not anymore he dont, said Yadriel with a grin.
Interesting. Jessica turned off her scanner and rose up. This is a piece of incredibly sophisticated machinery. Far beyond anything we have ever dread of back ho. Its core is incredibly dense. Im talking center of the sun dense, or even black hole dense. The keys are a ans to control the power within it, but I cant tell more than that without access to my chanicus and lab back ho.
He must have used it to open the portal to this place, said Jas. Right?
Its entirely possible, yes. Which ans that it could be used to open portals to all manner of places. But I cant tell from here.
So we go ho? Serenity raised an eyebrow. Can you teleport us back from here?
Should be able to, yeah, said Jas.
Will that put us back on the map for the bad guys? asked Serenity.
I an Jas trailed off and spread his hands. Yeah. Probably. But what are they going to do? Weve got ten days or so of ti purchased from beating the Pit thus far. They could always fast forward things again, but at that point their whole pretense about their being a system at all will collapse.
At that point that might as well just co find and kill us, said Jason.
I could see that, said Serenity.
This tool is our ticket out of here, said Jas, picking it up warily. If we can unlock it and figure out how to use it, we can jump right to the bottom of the Pit. Skip everything. Then we have ourselves one big fight to defeat whatevers down there and see what happens next.
Olaf frowned. Then we go into last fight with no more levels.
Big mans got a point, said Yadriel. We aint got no more XP yet because shits been easy. But Level 19 and on are ant to make us work, right? Stands to reason wed start leveling. We jump right to Level 27 we might be underpowered.
But wed all be together, said Serenity. Unless you forgot what that demon punk kid said, how were all supposed to die permanently before getting there so only Jas arrives?
Point, said Yadriel.
That and I dont want to do anything were supposed to, said Jas. Fuck them all. No more grinding, no more trying to level up the way were ant to. I say we research this tool, figure it out, then cut to the chase and confront whoevers running this. What do you all think?
Im down, said Serenity.
Sa, said Jason, and Miriam nodded with him.
Yes. Kerim took off his spectacles with a sigh and rubbed them on his sweater. At the very least we get to satisfy our curiosity before were killed.
Nice, complained Denzel, shoulder bumping him. Super cheerful. Love it.
Kerim put the spectacles back on and shrugged. There are forces at play beyond our comprehension. Say that tool has a black hole contained within its core. After what I saw upon digesting the Reservoir Cube, Id not be surprised. And were supposed to out-maneuver whover designed it? Unlikely.
That ans were in, said Denzel apologetically to Jas.
In, agreed Olaf. I say we na it the Bifrost. The rainbow bridge to Valhalla.
Its gold, not rainbow, protested Yadriel. Makes more sense to call it the One Ring.
I like Bifrost, said Jessica.
Olaf bead. Jessica is woman of culture.
Fine, Im in, too, sighed Yadriel. Though under protest, youd best believe. If we die because we show up to Level 27 like a bunch of weak-ass punks, Ill be pissed.
Youll be dead, said Denzel.
And pissed, insisted Yadriel.
Then lets head back. Jas resisted the urge to thwack the Bifrost into his palm like the head of a heavy wrench. Take one last look through this place to see if we find anything else of value and then well get going.
They split up, poking around, but the bare bones nature of the place made for a quick search. Miriam pulled a weird sensory board out from under the bed that looked like a mass of carved pockets filled with different oils, but nobody could make sense of it. One of the drawers was filled with heavily salted fish jerky, but nobody felt like tasting it.
All right then, said Jas. The fact that nobodys co busting in here after us ans thisll be a safe place to return to if we need.
We should dispose of the body, said Jason grimly. If sobody does co in, theres a chance theyll not notice anything off if the corpse is gone.
Oh look, said Yadriel. A huge fucking hole in the wall. How convenient.
Jas nodded and knelt by the corpse. Whover you were, Im sorry. He tried to think of anything else to say, then sighed, grasped the creature by its black silk shirt, stood, and hurled it out the missing wall.
The body flew out so forty yards, the silk uniform surprisingly tough, and then it fell away from sight and was gone.
Happy eating, T-Rexes! shouted Yadriel.
Dude, said Jason. Try to show so class.
Fuck class, said Yadriel. I am who I am.
We all ready? Jas spent an Aeviternum to summon his teleportation circle. This ti Fortuna didnt save the point, bringing him down to 14. Lets go. Ill take us in sowhere quiet and we can assess from there.
As one they passed through and erged a mont later in the penthouse apartnt of the Marriott Hotel. The living room with its grand central fireplace and assorted armchairs was exactly as theyd left it; the lights were all off but for an embedded spotlight above the bar, and the city outside their windows was still dark and without power.
But it all felt so much more real. The chill of the air, the familiar scents, the empty glasses left on the bar, the muted color tones, their world, Earth.
On so level that Jas couldnt understand his mind and body intuited that theyd returned ho, to their own plane of existence, a subtle tension theyd been carrying finally left.
I gotta use the head, said Yadriel, breaking away hurriedly.
I will check on Kimmie, said Olaf, following after.
Drinks! Serenity made a beeline for the bar.
Jas pulled up his status window.
Protect the Divine Heart for 5 Hours 31 Minutes
To Unlock the Next Level
Looks like the countdown is still working, he said to no-one in particular. Guessing its for the next level whose na we never caught.
Miriam blinked. What happens if were not there and the Heart gets taken?
Jas made a face and then slowly shrugged.
We bought Earth about ten days, said Jessica carefully. Though now the new levels have been accelerated to 6 hour cycles. Failure to defend the Heart could result in ti lost? Or Im not sure, really. Id best get to examining the Bifrost.
Jas extended the wand. Can you carry this?
The Omni floated over. A small panel slid aside so that an articulated claw could erge, its three fingers closing around the Bifrosts shaft. Ill be quick.
And she zipped to the front door. Soone get this for ? I dont want to have to destroy it.
Miriam ran over and opened the door. Jessica disappeared.
I dont like this, said Jason. Tis we dont understand, consequences that could affect the whole world.
Um, Jason? Could I have a word? asked Miriam timidly. In private?
Um? Oh. Yeah. For sure. The pair of them hurried down the hall and stepped into one of the bedrooms, closing the door firmly behind them.
Fuck, I think we should have a conversation, too, said Denzel. Kerim?
Hmm? About what?
About, you know. Denzel made a face. Ive got questions. About what its like to be a secular Muslim.
Oh? Oh! Oh. Kerim flushed and nervously adjusted his spectacles before glancing around at the others. Well, sure. Weve a little ti, dont we Jas?
Jas grinned. Plenty. If anybody else wants to go screw their brains out, nows the ti.
Kerim opened his mouth, mortified, but Denzel just grabbed him by the hand and hauled him away.
Yadriel grimaced. I dont believe it. Im the most fucking eligible bachelor in the world and Im not banging? Who does that make any sense?
Serenity poured out three fingers of Scotch. The worlds full of mysteries, babe.
Hey, Serenity. Girl. Yadriel eased up to the bar and clucked his tongue. I ever tell you that youre a fine-ass piece of at? Girl, your legs go from here to tomorrow, and that ass? He winced as if in pain. That ass. Should be the official logo of the state of Georgia. How bout you and go find so place quiet and He trailed off, eyebrows raising hopefully as Serenity leaned forward, elbow on the bar, chin on the palm of her hand.
No, keep going, she said. I cant believe Im hearing this. Whats your closer?
Closer? He grabbed himself between the legs, this is my closer right here.
Serenity frowned. Man, you were so close.
Yadriel pouted. That a no?
Sorry hon. A million tis over.
He scowled. Fuck. Maybe Ill have better luck downstairs.
You gonna go find a hook up? Serenity laughed. Now?
Whens better? He moved to the front door. If demons or angels or shit show up, tell em to give three hours. Thats all I get going.
Peace, hon, laughed Serenity again, straightening as Jas moved to sit at the bar. Talk about hope springing eternal. Though on so level, I cant believe it took him this long to hit on .
Hes a man of respect, said Jas, sitting down with a sigh. A man of culture.
Why you sitting down? asked Serenity.
Jas froze. Youre pouring drinks?
Drink, solo. You got places to be.
I do?
Jessicas down there in the basent. You should go check on her, see how shes doing.
I should?
Serenity raised an eyebrow at him.
Jas flushed. Oh. Yeah. Sure. I should.
Good man. Knew youd get there eventually.
Jas stood, tugged at his clothing, and turned to the front door.
Oh, and Jas?
He looked back at her.
Youre a grown-ass man. Dont forget that. Won like confidence. Assertiveness. Tell her what you want, and if she wants it, too, well. Enjoy.
Jas took a ragged breath. Thanks, coach.
Just dont take too long. This aint the ti for the Kama sutra, yeah? Shes got a Bifrost to figure out.
Copy. Jass heart was pounding. With the power out hed have to take the stairs.
Or not.
He opened a teleportation ring to the underground parking lot, gave Serenity a two-finger salute, and stepped through.
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