Keeper of Totality [Time-Travel LitRPG]

"Wait! Vincent, don't step there, there's-"

"Woah!" The silver-haired man stumbled over a dislodged stone and nearly fell onto the remains of a shattered glass pane. Sir Albrecht caught him just before he fell, looking mildly frustrated.

"Ahem." Vincent adjusted his glasses with an embarrassed cough. "Thank you." He looked behind him. "How did you know?"

Annaliese blinked. "The ground was clearly unlucky there."

The two men gave her a bemused stare. "...right." Vincent shook himself and nodded to the Paladin. "I'm fine now. Shall we continue?"

"Yes. Let us proceed," Jasten ordered.

Vincent did so, walking in front. Sir Albrecht had remained behind Annaliese to better protect her.

Annaliese hummed as she practically skipped down the hallway, no sense of urgency at all. "Today has been a unique day, hasn't it? Lucy revealed a lot."

"I'm curious to know why she places so much importance on this organisation that she'd fear it even today," Vincent mused.

They both went silent. It continued that way for quite some time before Annaliese snuck him a glance. "Vincent, is it possible that Lucy had another goal when she revealed her time-"

"I don't buy her 'emotional' reaction for one second," he suddenly announced. He had just been given the excuse he needed to say it. "Perhaps it's true she was unsettled by the appearance of the language, but she's revealed to me that with her soul power she can experience time at manifold levels slower than us." The silver-haired man turned back to look at her. "She no doubt thoroughly considered what her reaction needed to be before 'showing' us." He clicked his tongue. "It's a shame I wasn't there in person or I may have been able to see how she acted while revealing that."

The Prophetess sped up to walk next to Vincent, making Sir Albrecht gain an annoyed look.

"Do you think she wanted to use this chance to reveal her secret to everyone else in a causal way?" she whispered conspiratorially, very much audible to the Paladin behind them.

Vincent shot her an amused look but shook his head. "I believe Lucille would prefer to keep that hidden, if only to stave off questions." He held his chin for a moment. "She seems to care more about how her time is spent than what she reveals about herself." He paused. "Possibly a distraction? But why would she be trying to distract us- or, more precisely, what does she want to distract us from?"

Sir Albrecht, who had stayed mostly silent, spoke up. "Prophetess Verdon is young and impressionable, so I can understand her… willingness to believe the Count, but I thought better of you, Sir Vincent."

Vincent stopped and looked back. He quirked an eyebrow. "Because I didn't outwardly claim to believe her?"

"Time travel to explain her knowledge... i-it's preposterous," Jasten argued. "I say this from a position of awareness of what the strongest individuals in All-Aeon Athenaeum can do... even the Mythos Zeta, Duke Deimos Haevaph. None have experienced 'false time travel'. You believe her tales?"

"She has implied it to be due to the System somehow," Vincent replied, a hand on his chin. "Considering what it's demonstrated to be capable of, I believe her 'false time travel' as you put it isn't so far-fetched." He smiled and shrugged. "Of course, I retain my scepticisms. If there's a more feasible possibility than her description, than I'm inclined to believe it." He pointed at the Paladin opposite him. "Do you have an explanation for both her soul age and apparent knowledge of what will come?"

Jasten remained silent.

Lucy's aide turned to face forward. "See? I believe Lucille wholeheartedly believes her theory is correct, therefore I'll put my trust in her. At any rate, she's my superior and I need to obey her. So far she's yet to be proven wrong with her knowledge." He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder beside him. "If I were you, Sir Albrecht, I'd place my trust in Miss Verdon here. She's the one with the stronger lie detection skills between you."

The Paladin paused and frowned at the girl. Annaliese looked between the two of them, then beamed. "Lucy told me about her time travel when we first met! I can promise you that there wasn't a hint of a lie from her!"

Jasten stared at her and then rushed to grab her by the shoulders. "Wait, this is the secret you and Raegan have been hiding from me?! If she truly knows the future then she's a threat to your position! Why have you been trying to grow closer to her? She could be scheming to have you disposed of to ensure her foresight remains relevant!"

Annaliese became flustered. "Well I-I-I was happy to know someone else shared the burden of knowing about my Grand Prophecy...I didn't even have to tell her. i-it's hard not being able to tell people about what I've seen!" she stammered.

Jasten shook her by the shoulders. "She knows the contents of your Prophecy?!? That's even more reason to avoid her! Not even I have been allowed by the Sages to know this, only they know what you told them!"

Vincent curiously watched their interaction with his arms crossed. Seeing the Paladin arguing with someone just past half his age was... entertaining to say the least. "I never did ask, but... how did Raegan discover this?" he called out over their arguing.

Annaliese got distracted and turned to Vincent, her shoulders still firmly in her guard's grip. "Oh, that was because when I visited him when he was hospitalised, I would tell him everything Lucy told me! I didn't know he could hear me at the time, so I was surprised when he revealed-"

"You mean you spilled these secrets in a hospital where who knows how many people were listening?!?"

Vincent chuckled as Sir Albrecht began berating Annaliese with renewed vigour, discovering another incriminating detail about her information security. The slight ringing in his head told him there was someone who wanted to contact them and he focused on her words.

'As much as it's good that Annaliese and you aren't too stressed, this is still an urgent situation,' Lucille's dry voice spoke.

Vincent gestured to the Paladin and Prophetess pair, forgetting Lucy couldn't see him right then. "I've keenly diverted the target of our Paladin's scrutiny to the Prophetess instead. Shouldn't you be pleased with me doing you this favour?"

'Thank you for the effort, but I can deal with Jasten Albrecht myself. I'm familiar with his personality.'

Normally he could just assume she was referring to the fact Annaliese's entourage had been visiting the Commission for a while now, but with the recent revelation Vincent could no longer take anything she said at face value. "You mean from the past timeline?" he asked pointedly.

'...the score is 9:1.'

"...what?"

'9:1. In my favour,' she repeated curtly. 'And don't let Scytale tell you otherwise.'

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The connection was cut, leaving Vincent confused.

9:1? 9:1 in what sport? It... wasn't mortal combat, was it. No, surely not... That would mean she made an enemy of the Citadel...

...winning an argument? That might be more plausible. Why would Scytale say otherwise?

Preoccupied with this newest revelation, Vincent zoned out the sounds of the Prophetess bickering with Jasten Albrecht and very soon, they were at the stairs to the next level.

It was silent among Lucille's group as the lift slowly descended. She extended her perception field just a little bit further to sense the room where they'd exit.

The moment when the lift stopped was tense, and the warriors among them bent their knees into a crouch to stealthily exit. The doors opened and the others waited for the signal to go ahead. Lucille crossed her arms and leaned against the back wall of the lift.

"What the hell is this?!"

...and there was the expected response from her bond. She rolled her eyes and walked forward. Marellen and Roa traded looks then followed after them, with Raegan dragging his feet behind.

Before them was a circular tabletop made of white metal. Neon violet projections floated above it to represent what appeared to be a hologram of the plane's topography, zoomed into their area of the Sundown Continent. The unusual underground structure of the facility was clearly depicted beneath the surface, curiously symmetrical.

Scytale wasn't looking at that, however. He was staring at the blank glass panes set at slight angles. Sparks of lightning mana drifted across them, but only several were active. And they showed a view of some of the rooms they had gone through on their surface... in fact, it was only the rooms Lucille's group had walked through that were depicted. The screens, as it was clear they were, were used for monitoring locations.

"Another fascinating aspect of this structure's technological development," Roa murmured.

"Where are the wizards?! The enemies!" Scytale groaned and threw his arms up. "I was raring for a fight!"

"What about Sedric?" Lucille supplied with a dry voice.

Her bond hesitated. "Uh, yeah. Him too. Where is he?"

Raegan pointed at something. "He's on the other side of-"

They all flinched and stared at the sealed mechanical barricade that had buckled under some sort of force, denting inwards.

"...that door?" Marellen finished weakly.

"So would our mentioned wizards, it seems," Lucille stated coldly. "We arrived through the intended method, so we ended up further into the facility. Don't worry, that door will hold for a while longer, judging by their impact. Everyone, ready your skills and spells. Raegan, stay back."

The others nodded and silently did what was asked, but Lucy didn't pull out Apophis and Ouroboros. She frowned and walked to the centre tabletop, tapping thoughtfully on the desk. After scanning the monitors she turned to the navy-haired mage in their midst. "Marellen... did the Master Channeler authority show any indication of someone being on this level before us?"

The silver-haired amphiptere to her right clicked his tongue and lifted his laser rifle. "Is that really important right now, Lucy?"

Lucy didn't answer him. She continued gazing at Marellen, waiting for a response.

After a moment of hesitation, Marellen grimaced. "The logs did say that someone had been on Ground Zero before our party had even arrived at the plane... but there were no signs of them having been anywhere else in the facility. We were completely alone!"

Garthe rolled his sleeves up and gripped his spear tighter. "I even used a life detection skill with my wood affinity and I couldn't sense the slightest hint of life," he answered absentmindedly.

I wouldn't think so. The Wight would've erased anything that lived within hundreds of miles. But...

...that could mean whoever was here isn't among the living.

Lucy realised quickly what that meant. A powerful source of mana built behind the metal barricade and she spun around to look at the door. Another massive impact struck it from the outside and metal groaned, barely keeping together. She glanced at the control panel to the door's left and a quick plan came to mind.

"Someone is here who will be a mortal threat to us all," Lucille stated solemnly. "It's intelligent enough to lie in wait but hostile enough that it'll stop at nothing to see us dead. We don't have time to deal with the wizards. We need to leave this plane as soon as possible... I said this before, but now I mean it. At all costs."

The others exchanged looks. "Not even you believe an exchange of words is enough?" Trisroa asked.

Lucy chuckled darkly. "If this was a normal intelligent undead, then maybe."

The others stared at her. "Undead? We couldn't sense an ounce of death mana here!" Larena argued.

"There are many types of Undead. Some of them only exist in soul form until they find a host." Lucille paced quickly. "Host... but who? Not a light wizard, impossible. They hate those with light affinity." Her hands behind her back clenched. "Where? Where did they meet? Someone with fire and dark affinities? There's no individual with the expertise demonstrated earlier short of the dark elementalists... wait." She turned to stare at Marellen's party. "Did any of you learn who lead the investigation of the vestiges left in the Sundown Continent's wasteland-"

The room rumbled as more force slammed into the door. One more blast and it might finally open.

"Lucy, we do not have time for this," Scytale stressed. "I know what you're worried about, we can share thoughts, but... isn't Sedric's safety the bigger priority?"

Lucille was torn between two decisions. She could either complicate things for herself further and prepare for an inevitable battle against an impossible ancient and powerful adversary, or risk it with barely a slightly less chance of the battle occurring, with a very tired and ill-prepared group.

There was one detail that might tip the scales, but only if someone was cooperative. And as he was very much an 'irregular' in all of her experience, while owing her a debt, he might choose to get rid of his debtor.

"Sir Jasten Albrecht," Lucy began tiredly. "Is your Divine Theurgical Descension off cooldown?"

There was radio silence for a couple of seconds. The others gave her quizzical looks.

'...is that, out of all things, truly going to be necessary?' Jasten replied. He sounded slightly incredulous.

"I wish it won't be," Lucille responded with a derisive laugh. "We can only hope."

'It's... available, but the cooldown will be-'

Lucy waved a hand. "I'll reimburse you with the needed crystalline tokens to recharge it."

'...fine. But only if I determine it's needed.'

"As you wish." Lucille swung her hands out on either side to block the others. "We'll make a pre-emptive attack. Just before they try to wreck the door completely, we'll attack them first."

Roa blanched. "If the force of spellcraft used to shatter Ancient-ranked metal hits us-"

"Not to worry. It'll hit me first." Lucy stretched her fingers and walked forward. She didn't take her weapons out. "Marellen, to the door. I'll need you to unlock it at the right timing. Everyone else, when I say Go, you attack. Understood?"

There were slow nods, her first statement not yet registering. Lucille didn't turn back to look at them as she placed her gloved hands on her hips. "On the count of three, Marellen. One... two... three!"

He pressed his palm to the controls and mana sparked across the metal barricade. Buckled and bent, by some miracle the metal gears and cogs still functioned and ripped the two doors apart.

The wizards on the other side were seen for merely a split second before the combined attack of seven light wizards blasted through the doorway.

The intense white mana, strong enough to slay a young True Dragon, sheared through the edges of the door and landed squarely on the dark-haired woman standing before it.

It was if the air warped with the mighty power because around her, everything distorted. For mere split seconds what looked like light blue chains appeared through the layers of the world and then all that mana... it was gone. It fizzled out of existence like radio static and swallowed by nothingness, the ringing in the air its only remaining proof of existence.

"What!" The leading wizard, standing there with his mouth agape, looked aghast that nothing had happened.

Lucille tilted her head slightly and licked her lips, a half grin on her face. "Why, thank you for that delicious mana. It was just what I needed."

Then she pointed at the ground and smiled slightly wider than was normal. "I'd suggest you watch your step, though."

"My mana!" someone yelled. "It's gone!"

They all looked down and blacked at the pitch black magic array that flowed out of the ground. Then it released its power.

"Dark Element Grand Spell," Lucille announced sweetly. "The Dearth of Darkness."

Then everything went pitch black.

Empty, save for the construction workers in the garden clearing out rubble... clearly fallen from the gaping hole punched into one side of the Commission's Headquarters.

...that was the side where his room was.

The scarlet and… and blue haired man buried his head in his hands.

I… don't store any of my belongings in that room when I'm gone anyway, but… I still have to be in a different room. I just got used to sleeping in this one.

"Ah, Sir Hargrave. Long time since we last met, no?"

Hargrave looked behind him to see the man with slicked-back hair approaching, a cane in one hand. Count Ravimoux smiled and placed his hands on the stick. "I had been informed of your arrival by my subordinates stationed at the planar arrays. You've found us at quite the difficult time."

"...Count Ravimoux." Hargrave glanced at the damaged building then turned to fully face the Count he had met briefly when requesting access to dragon bounties. "What happened- no, are the others fine?"

"All fine and breathing," the Count replied lightly. "Well... except Mr. Ferin. My Commission Head resolved to deal with this fiasco herself, though I believe it unwise. Yet..." He shrugged. "As a gatherer of information, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see how she'll deal with this."

Hargrave frowned and crossed his arms. "Sedric...?"

"A small case of the kidnapping. Nothing unusual."

The ex-mercenary stared. "What?"

"Now, now, there'll be time for discussion later." Count Ravimoux glanced over his shoulder. "As per Count Goldcroft's request, I have arranged residence in the Black Lily Casino. While perhaps not as fine as the Headquarters, it shall fit your purpose I believe. Come, I have a coach waiting for us."

Hargrave hesitated but decided to follow the man. He climbed into the carriage and sat opposite him, waiting for the disquietingly calm man to explain the situation.

That was until both of their eyes widened as a force shook the ground, spitting up earth and stone. They dived out of the vehicle as it toppled over, the magical beasts pulling it running away in a frenzy. Hargrave narrowed his eyes once he spotted the magical flames caused by haywire magical items blaring across the road. Screams and shouts of alarm sounded from the shocked passersby, and one building exploded before the sounds of frantic and chaotic running echoed out.

A horde of armoured rough mercenaries with feral grins and weapons raised high barrelled through the crowd, smashing shops and creating chaos. They ran in the direction of the Headquarters.

"Oh dear, that's not good. They have hired hands to finish the job," Count Ravimoux murmured. "I dare say Count Goldcroft didn't quite expect this when she chose to leave for another plane."

"What?" Hargrave turned to him. "The Commission Head isn't at the Casino?"

"Yes, well, I was going to tell you that on the way there, until we were so rudely interrupted," the man replied, sounding slightly miffed. The Count looked at his wrist watch and clicked his tongue. "Mere raffle, yet I will likely need to take care of this myself. I don't trust my subordinates to catch the perpetrators though..."

"Let me do it." Hargrave rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck muscles. "I was lost on what to do after seeing the Commission anyway, so this'll help me sort out my thoughts."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Count Ravimoux gave him a side eye. "Considering your particularly complicated identity, you may draw unnecessary attention to yourself."

Hargrave thought back to his newest power, one horrendously underutilised as of yet. "Not if it's a draconic beast drawing the attention."

The Count opened his mouth to refute, but paused, then nodded. "Actually... that... yes, I would greatly appreciate it if you could deal with this on my behalf."

"Good." Hargrave stormed forward as blue scales sprouted from his clenched fist. "I'll get to see how strong my 'Zilant' form really is."