Lisa knew changes and flow in Order and Chaos were like a never-ending loop of wind. Ends or New Beginnings, these were the stakes that few would ever get to understand, yet everyone and everything had so start and vision to their birth and death. From all sorts of powers and deaths, new generations were rising constantly, while older ones were getting stronger through ti, or stopping when they could no longer bear with anything.
Living was sothing that advanced. The ti would never stop.
The surroundings around it could be also an issue or a simple lack of choice. Well, in any case for Lisa, the ti was the cause. Battleworld was a savage place, and she knew that her appearance and status weren't anywhere near what she dreamt of.
It was true that the world changed for so reason; she did not doubt that its people did too. So were more prone to it, so she wondered what the future held if Ravine was seized and Boosts ceased to exist.
Lisa finally got soone whom she could trust with things she lacked. It was even soone she knew, which put a weird power dynamic between them, but she bet Murai wouldn't find it problematic even if he was awake. He accepted her position and help. What else was needed? Unfortunately, what ca with that might not be what he preferred.
Murai was a stranger in so sense, though Lisa had to rely on whatever moved within him or around him, even if he was the kind of a problem that could take the world by storm. She understood that idea, so what if the world was storming him instead? What was there for her or him?
She would help as much as she could, even if that ant forcing others into the path of no return. Being savage, ruthless, and truthful, she was thinking of her past selves right at this mont and gazing into David with unhinged desires and Will.
David heard her Will and words clearly and without any surprises. He hadn't expected to see her ever again, while the help she was ntioning wasn't sothing small at all. It was his entire life after all that she was seeing and wanting, yet what was his point in finding them? What did he want? Lisa wondered about it, as he had yet to ntion that.
David considered her as his endless benefactor that befitted him more than his own fat ass. Wiping his face and forehead with a piece of silk cloth that he grasped from his pocket, David collapsed to the sofa, giving up on anything other than talk. He accepted her demands and those reasons he was yet to ntion will be revealed.
“I am fine with this business in any capacity. You were indeed like a God to , so with that said, we can make this work when we talk and question one another. I have changed too, Lisa. My mories didn't, while you are different yourself. What you are and what surrounds you is a rather peculiar thing. It sniffs of a War, to be honest. Dreams too. Drears do...”
“B-boss?” Marthosh mumbled, shocked to see his boss talk like this to so... weirdo, but it seed this situation was well beyond his capacity to understand. He was David's fetch-boy so to say, so he didn't know nearly enough of what his boos truly thought and desired.
“Pipe your breath, brat,” David shot him a helpless look. “Relax, sit, or take this to your head in silence, for this is our hope and business, as well as an opportunity for you to beco your own boss. For now, this goes deep, and she is soone deserving of this service more than anyone else. Even if it ans sothing worse to us than taking so Grade S missions, or Tasks directly under the Will of the Battleworld, it is sothing I will do regardless if it is a curse. Got it, boy?”
David spoke like a true boss. His voice and tone changed in ti, albeit Lisa thought he was as serious as hilarious.
Marthosh nodded and kept his wonder be where they should remain. Murai was still under his armpit, sleeping, and not knowing anything about what was happening.
Lisa would make sure to talk to him about this later; he deserved it after enduring Gate 2 through many days of suffering where she wasn't one bit important, even if she could've been.
“I will talk. Consider it as the past karma,” David said when Lisa eased her body and went through less stress.
She scoffed at him. “Fuck off with the karma. That thing is useless in almost anything and anyone,” Lisa angrily said, floating in place with crossed arms after she tossed Murai's spatial pouch, ring, and Token to the table. It was ti to talk business.
David winced his body in discomfort that was apparent on his posture and face. “Well, for the start, let's start where the start is,” he pointed at Murai as he glanced at him with wonder. “I suppose I will take the context of everything as truth as law. There are always so variants and words set from Mindarch to the public, but the superiors might think otherwise. I did look at sothing strange and wanted a correction as so idea going. Anatidae is part of it... Then... we have sothing else.”
“It is all politics. Mindarch sents only what Manager Kil or others decide. Oh, and that spirit can think for himself. Don't kid yourself, David. You can go on.” Lisa said nonchalantly, glancing at David's surprised face. He hadn't heard soone talk so casually about the uppermost echelon of this place like this in a long ti.
“As you must know, there is a lot to say about the information and overlapping Challengers. Knowledge is power. Power has prices. My company strives for that sort of idea, acting as sothing that deals with many such things. Here, when said Challengers co here to stir trouble, it might be a chance for those hungry to eat. I am very hungry for sothing, so call it my choice.”
“Doesn't seem that many were that hungry to ,” Lisa said, “or it might be because this is Pivotal City that has so Overlord present right now? I would think that Levandis would take care of any troubles in her backyard, so... what is going on? Is the world safe or is this place unnervingly ignoring it?”
“You get why, right?” David asked. “What Surface, Skies, or Depths takes this for is all different. This place has its stability and it won't change because so power is gone.”
“Rules changed, I know. The world is hungry, or starving instead.”
“Indeed it all changed. Sothing within the Will of the Battleworld stopped, posing as trouble in the Sky, or sothing very wrong occurred in a place no one on this planet knows. Anyway, Boosts ceased to exist, and so did the voices, ssages, or even any of its constructs. Cards, adventure permits, rcenary badges, and so on stopped across the continents. I spent a small fortune to ensure the validity of this claim. You have my word on that.” He fist-bumped his chest, giving her an assured look.
“Been in Longing rchant Groub just before finding your boy. I've got so idea what goes on. The world, huh?” Lisa figured so things might be ssier than this place could see, or what David could tell or know.
“Rules are nowhere, so the status that holds many things together slowly cracks apart, giving so nasty figures lawless chances, or giving Gods difficult tis,” David helplessly added. “In so places where those relying on it all grew in ages, you get the picture. I imagine those wanting to stay safe will begin to make so drastic moves. For Gods anyway.”
“Do you know why? Are there any rumors?” Lisa asked seriously, knowing about so bits from glimpses and official posters in Longing rchant Groub. So bits were public here anyway, so she wondered what was the situation like on the Surface, or if it was truly widespread and encompassing this entire planet.
If that was true, that was a ridiculous and tough topic. She had no idea what could've caused it besides so problem involving this entry planet or was it sothing exactly like that, or what if Lordis neglected the origin of his world? It all might be even more ridiculous than herself. Lisa didn't like questioning herself and her work, let alone this damned planet she ended up on.
“Knowing is having a clue,” David shrugged his arms. “There are none besides so official glimpses through so churches on the Surface that know sothing. They are trying to tidy things that stopped, lest the Mortal Wars break n. You can imagine the havoc where rules stop working in such a world, right?”
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“Surface? It is a problem coming from Divine Kingdoms, so many would try to calm the loss. Mortals should take it the worst, couldn't they? Thinking that the Gods abandoned them is easy to assu when their gifts stopped.”
“No Lord was held accountable or accepted any responsibilities. It is most likely an internal strife over there. But... why did the Order of Boosts or any voice or touches have to cease to exist? Does soone want to destroy this world or what? I would imagine so temporal suspension, but this? It reeks of sothing divine.”
“It won't destroy this world that easily. People and Gods in power will strife for Order anyway, and let's not forget about the Gods in question who rely on mortals like fools. This world has its validations, similar to the churches. You ntioned them. Wars? So will happen because rules stopped. So nasty ones could remain. Laws won't be stopped that easily. Or oaths.”
“Yes. I thought about it too, but not much is there for . This is a place overseen by Lady Levandis. She has her eyes high and rules close. In this Gate, things didn't beco crazy. Yet. Surface churches all try to tell that temporary issues prevail. So say that no Mortal War would go unnoticed, though many bandits or anyone with a troubled mind would take advantage of it. Don't bla them. Hells might move as well, but...well, I don't see that far. They are trying to calm the situation down and protect and take it all with a grain of doubt that it will calm sooner rather than later.”
“Naive, unless they know what we don't.”
“That is possible.”
“What is the situation like for this place?”
“Mindarch works the sa. As an independent spirit etched into this temple, it also has Levandis and Overlords, albeit a clutch of this problem won't stop because of them. Perhaps they could do so if they are very vivid about it? I an, Mindarch is still Mindarch.”
“Doesn't seem to that way, or they might plot sothing. We are here, so... this might be bad. Like really bad.” Lisa said and thought about it quite a lot. Her face cald yet sona moved.
“It is common sense. Everyone is afraid of an Anatidae striving for this place. Or by you. Don't you re... Oh, you don't. The last visitor of this kind,” he pointed to Murai still in Marthosh's clatch, “had been ssy. No rules to stop its sses were right. I hadn't gotten a glimpse of that ti because I was away. What a poor luck. And luck! I am here this ti around. With you before my eyes!” David cheered and felt his confidence rising like his belly.
“Hmm,” Lisa wasn't that impressed and remained skeptical. “Still can't see reasons for this Chaos when Mindarch should solve it too. He knows this duck is no troublemaker if not threatened. But everyone depends on Boosts anyway, and the leveling Limiters and rules aren't working yet pertain to the individuals. So things work and could beco close to Breaches and unknown Taboos. Everyone can butcher fools left and right or use this chance to advance while being unnaturally stupid and savage.”
“That is correct. And it isn't even that long since it all started. Five hours at most.”
“Seeing well and old built system burn, the powers and Gods must be in a frenzy. Everything is different now, isn't it? Had Levandis made a statent?”
“Not yet. Only the stations responsible for information gathering under armies and so Overlords had so of her words, stating that all shall be counted under so military curfew soon enough. It is expected to be powerful to not cause her subject unnecessary suffering. Temporary too. Mindarch or soone will need to take the reign, otherwise, this Gate will turn upside down too.”
Lisa kept frowning as if contemplating over this ss. It didn't make sense to her what had occurred for this to happen. Boosts were one thing that kept the flow of power and godly authority going, so stopping it didn't ant stop the power, but the majority of beings in this world were taking it all as blessings that never ceased away.
For it to end, there were countless layers and problems following that. The rules of its flow and voices ceased to stop, causing the historical and political power of the highest proportion involving billions of lives to halt.
That ant boundaries crumbling in heads and places devoid of logic, or full of greed, and who knew what else, changed for the worse and turned mortals into frenzy. Hell, what if so Gods were included in this too? That seed unnatural. They relied on these machinations for a long ti. Hell Gods included.
What did it an for the general population and the hierarchy that relied on it like growing trees on great soil and sun?
Lisa could imagine a lot of things from David's words alone, so she feared the consequences of those ideas because she knew how effective they could be in wreaking havoc. Without it, there were no stops besides churches or Gods, who were prohibited from interfering with anything on the Surface with their physical bodies. The Surface harbored most living beings, so it wasn't a surprise. They had their stakes, supervised by the Judgent Tribunal made of Gods of Chaos or Order of this planet's pantheons. It was an independent political position, away from the other worlds, but stating things that affected other Gods and this planet.
Places like this temple with Gates had similar stakes to the Surface, though not as vast. Levandis was not so haughty chick who could ignore the Judges, let alone the whole Patheons. But she was Rank 1 God and owner of her own Hell, so her position was among the best on this planet. Everyone in Hellscape was a small responsibility and subject to so of her authority. So held more onto it than others, for it was her domain. Her Hell.
Anyone could kill and plunder because punishnts and everything else ceased to stop, allowing the beast to run rampant, bandits or powers to unleash Mortal Wars without notice, and so on.
“Alright. Let's stop talking about that ss for now,” Lisa said, knowing that worrying about the world wasn't fine right now, although she soon realized what it ant for her and Murai.
What happened with the Encounter? Could... others attack Murai without any fear of repercussions? They could. There was no doubt about it. Hunt could be the sa, though it might not be normal either. Mindarch still had its voice and power, yet he gave them the location of Ip'ur Mountain already.
Lisa felt stunned.
She doubted Mindarch would keep Order in this unique place that was full of Chaos and greedy pigs.
Levandis made sure of it, as Hells were still Hells. Lisa believed that no amount of military rules or words would help this situation. Not with Murai in the way.
David confird it. “There are no fears for us right now. So could take it badly, but within Levandis Hell, this will pass as another storm that isn't even like a War. There is almost no way for Surface Wars to reach this place. If it will happen...well, Levandis can descent and crash the opposition as ruler of her Hell, but who knows what other Gods take this storm for.”
“Agreed. It is wonderful and terrible, but not for . What else is there?”
“That is all. So let be frank. It isn't stopping my business, and the reason I even looked for this... opportunity, was a story of another Anatidae coming to his place. It was a hot topic, albeit it stopped when the storm above appeared. It didn't stop you both at all, unsurprisingly, nor the flow of information.”
“All because of Mindarch, so one would wonder what sort of ss is happening in other places,” Lisa added sothing that David could not help but agree with as well.
“Naturally, I got to know and get the anings of so things. Encounter is one thing. It is a gamble, but with my position and a hefty amount of information and work, I thought of taking sothing massive, albeit it is small instead...” David said and his gaze lingered on Murai for longer than usual. He looked at the Token as well but for a split second.
“How well-detailed are we talking about? Information, I an.” Lisa demanded.
“Enough to get less context from seeing it myself, I suppose. That is false by the way. You changed it.”
“And you've accepted it?”
“I sure did. So let ask that too. It's a case of a Blessed Anatidae, right? The one that ca from the Beyond the Sky? Not the native, or soone from the Divine Kingdoms?”
“That is correct.”
“Fuck backward then. I am taking this without any doubts now. This is glorious!” David laughed, shaking his head while trying to lean to get so drink from the table. Lisa stopped him from doing so, floating close but not touching him either.
Her face was serious, and her words carried enough weight right now to change his face and act.
“Right... You are his Life companion. What a joke of the world for you, I suppose.”
“It's not as half as bad as one would assu. It's like another chance in life. One has to change to make it work and get used to it.” Lisa argued and did not beco overly angry. She either accepted her Fate or had thoughts about sothing else.
“I bet you took it like any storm, Lisa,” David still laughed. “Blessed Life Companions are a pretty big deal, and you've ended up with... sothing interesting, as well as soone interesting. You aren't Blessed any longer, but still hold certain privileges, don't you?”
“I am not taking this topic further, David,” she said coldly. “I have my stakes and worries to worry about. Him.” She shot Murai a half-a-second-long annoyed glare. The kind that David saw countless tis.
“Is that so? I bet you don't mind it, but considering your past that I know of, this is weird to . I must say it is also surprising and funny, followed by different things that I would rather not say, but feel like I should.”
“What would you know,” Lisa barked at him, “about the world I knew and the lives I had? Who were you?”
“I was without you for so long! Knowing your history was one thing I took for granted. I an, look at you. You've died without shredding a care for others. That is your sake as mine. You left , us, or whoever else was aside of you. And for what?” David said with a surprising amount of agitating shouts, giving his eyes a serious sparkle. Even his fat danced and lessened in weight.
“Ti flows, kiddo,” Lisa said without changing her face or deanor. She expected this much, and knowing her past off the top of her head, David's situation wasn't even half that bad. Leaving others when one had to was an inevitable thing. Rembering her past, she didn't want to give this topic more weight.
But she miscalculated those who cared for her, which put weird thoughts in her head.
“Why would I not be fearful and sad that you've died?” David asked. “I should've been glad, to be honest. You tortured like a slave but gave a chance, gifting and teaching reason in life to get it started. It's never enough. Nothing is. You never took it back. You gave a life so good, yet disappeared just like that. It was terrible and good at the sa ti, but let tell you sothing. You begin to miss things that are no longer possible. Away from reach. I will never forget, seeing you...” David hesitated, half questioning his emotions, a mixture of agitation, tears, and smiling expressions.
It made him look kind of stupid in Lisa's eyes; she wasn't sure to read his emotion from him. He was always an open book for her alone, and be it an old man or a brat that she found in this place on her first visit, she couldn't give this topic any more clarity.
She had no excuses or words to give him. She was out of his sight, unlike things that she wanted in her past life.
It changed. Like wind. Storms. Hearts.
“Shut up for my sake. You are one of the many who feels so regrets or hopes shattering. Get back to the topic, or I will slap your head backward and call you nas.” Lisa said, sighting.
“R-right. Perhaps I wouldn't mind that,” David muttered, changing his face back to normal. “But I am honestly glad to see you.”
Lisa cracked her hand, compelling him to go back to the proper topic with a deep sigh and eyes lowering.
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