Respec On Death

Chapter Eighty – Tutorial – Part Three

Where is the rest?

-WSA Researcher Talia-

"I do have three separate questions and maybe a few tertiary questions before you pop out of existence again," I say, stretching my neck, somewhat content with the blood I've managed to squeeze out of the proverbial stone so far.

Mythren peers at me, like he's searching past the flesh, trying to understand what I want before I say it, "Speak them."

"First one, are you the one that warned me I'd be obliterated if I spoke about something."

Sera's eyes flash, her hand waving in the air, a shimmering veil glides over all of us. Reality ripples as Ulana moves to stand in the space between me and Sera, giving her a warning glance.

"I am," Mythren confirms.

"Why can't I talk about it?"

"Because, it is against divine law to alter the timeline without the Quorum of the Nine and the Holy Six convening on it."

"So, just the four of us know about it then?"

"No."

"Who else knows?"

Sera speaks, moving past Ulana slowly, "Not who, but what."

"Okay… what then, the Grand One?"

"Such a pretentious name," Sera says, moving to my other side.

The air vibrates as Mythren's eyes glow brighter.

Sera smirks at it, seemingly pleased she got a rise out of him. She steps again, now at my side, moving to place a hand on my shoulder.

"I wouldn't," Ulana breathes.

Sera's hand stops before it touches me, a wry smile on her face.

Stepping away from Sera and closer to Ulana, I look at Mythren, "My second question is this, since you are effectively making Abyss an item that wouldn't be considered divine, are you going to change the gates back to normal?"

"No."

I fight really hard to not sound pissed, "Why?"

"I cannot undo a recalibration, however, it will be balanced during the next phase change."

"Meaning?"

"It will increase the difficulty again, to what a normal phase two world with Earth's variables should be. Thus removing the problem, without creating more."

"Yeah, but what happens if Earth fails because you didn't recalibrate it?"

He tilts his head, "It already passed this year's quota." His eyes trace over to Sage and Terra, a strange look on his face, "Did they not tell you?"

I shake my head.

"That is… unsurprising."

"What are the phases anyway?"

"What was your third question?" Mythren asks, ignoring my last one.

"Am I going to get that tutorial at some point?"

He blinks, and I think I see the faintest whisper of a fraction of a dribble of a smile crease on his perfectly serene face.

"It will be arranged."

"Thank you."

He nods, and time rips back into full swing.

I look around, but he's gone. Ulana is back where she was before, and Sera is sitting at her table again, as though she never left. I wonder if they had another conversation without me. Letting out a sigh, I look toward Sage and Terra, still conversing.

"I'm telling you, we should ask for…" Sage pauses, turning around in a circle, sniffing lightly at the air, his eyes turn to me, "You met him? He was here?"

I nod.

"How did he look?" Sage asks.

"Uh… good?"

He smiles, like a strangely wholesome smile.

"Well, what did you agree to, meatsack?"

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"You will not call him meatsack," Terra says with an eyebrow raise, "He is our client."

Sage's face grimaces.

"Anomaly, what did you agree to?"

"More deference," she says.

Sage blinks three times, licking his lips and giving a strained smile, "Mr. Anomaly, what did you agree to?"

"I will ask the questions, dearest," Terra says, pushing him slowly back.

Sage lets out a strained shallow laugh, I can tell choice words linger on his lips, but they don't find purchase on his tongue. He's not that dumb… probably.

"Did you have fun?" Terra asks me.

"Fun?"

"Yes."

"Uh, I guess?"

"Good enough."

"Aren't you going to ask him what he agreed to?" Sage seethes, a vein bulging on his forehead.

"Why would I?"

"I don't know, so maybe we can ensure it was a good deal, obviously you…"

"You?" she asks, a grin slithering up her mouth as she presses into Sage, her face a mere breath apart.

"You… villainous vixen," he sputters.

I blink at his choice words. She smirks, adjusting one of the curls of his black and white checkered hair.

"I'm so looking forward to working with you again," she says.

Almost the entire courtroom is watching the exchange now, Terra leans her head close to his shoulder and breathes heavily for a moment before straightening herself.

Haethur coughs loudly, "As I said before, Mythren is understandably very busy, as such, if we are to wait on…" he blinks as a purple scroll drops in front of him. His eyes widen, he shifts in his seat, slowly unfurling the scroll with reverence. A surprised glance at me, then back at the scroll, then back at me.

"Must have been a good negotiation, Haethur looks like he's shit himself," Terra smiles, giving me a satisfied nod, "Well done, Anomaly."

"Still can't believe he actually appeared before a mortal," Sage sighs, "He could have at least let one of us be present."

"I don't think he's forgiven you, yet," Terra says.

Sage looks down, as though swallowed by regrets. He knows Mythren personally? Everywhere I look, more questions.

Focus on the task.

"Em, it would appear that the proceeding has already been settled, with the exception of two petitions."

"We allow Ulana to assume Prime Guardianship," Sera says calmly.

Ulana turns and measures her for a moment before looking back to Haethur.

"One petition still remains, the resurrection of Azeroc, which will need to be brought before…"

Sera interrupts with a hand raised in front of her, she laughs slowly, menacingly. She looks toward her side of the courtroom, peering directly at those in the Red group, "Why would I want to resurrect a failure?" All of them lower their eyes and bow their heads to her.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Then there are no open petitions remaining. Let the record reflect the proceedings have ended. The anomaly will be reincorporated at an undisclosed location on their home world."

"Mmm," Sera stands slowly, "I will decide where he reincorporates."

"That is against…"

A coin clatters to the ground.

Ulana stands, eyes glowing, two more coins fall to the floor in a separate pile. Sera grins, flicking her wrist. More coins. Ulana responds.

The center of the room swells as coins start pressing outwards. Thousands upon thousands.

Sage's eyes bulge as he blinks, even Terra looks surprised.

"Is this normal?"

Sage looks at me like I still have the intelligence debuff.

"No, this is absolutely not normal."

The coins spill out faster than Haethur can collect them. Both piles of coins begin merging, indistinguishable from each other filling the room and pushing back our table toward the exit. Terra grabs me, dragging me from the room as coins spill out into the place between places as well.

Haethur steps from a portal next to us.

Sage shakes his head, hands on his hips, "They need to be reported to the Quorum of the Nine and the Holy Six. This is madness."

Terra nods in agreement.

"You think I haven't already?" Haethur says, his face looks strained, "This is tame, some of their spats…" he looks at me for a moment, straightening himself again, "Anyway, I'm sending you to limbo, you'll receive your tutorial there, and whenever they finish, I'll send you back."

"Seriously?"

He nods.

"I don't have any say in the matter?"

"Meat…" Sage looks at Terra who gives him another eyebrow raise, "You don't have a say, unfortunately. However, we won, you will be returned soon…" he looks back at the growing coin pile spilling into the central area, hundreds of people and beings are pointing at it, each wearing a strange look of disbelief, "Hopefully, soon."

For fuck's sake. I just want to get back to Cortez and everyone else. I don't care about this stupid pissing match.

"Is there anything I can do to limit these fights they're having?"

The three of them laugh at my expense, Sage puts a hand on my shoulder shaking his head.

"Right then, off you go," Haethur says, snapping his fingers.

***

My eyes open to a familiar sight. Ethereal smoke travels upwards toward the sky filled with starlight. The obsidian colored stone is cold beneath me. I press myself up. It's the place I was earlier, the same place that I wandered before I got the Custom Respec On Death system. Shit, I should have asked them about that. Although, I guess I'm about to get the tutorial, finally.

***

Time slips by, I'm beyond bored, walking through the endless expanse of limbo. How much time has passed on Earth? If what Mythren said is true and they already passed for the year, then it's probably late November or early December. How long was I waiting in the void?

A flicker of light appears in my vision. A red text box.

[ Welcome to the… Error ]

Fucking hell. I blink, the text shimmers and shakes, turning gold.

[ Welcome to the Custom… ]

Thousands of boxes smash against each other. Red and Gold. Sera and Ulana.

"Mythren, I thought you said you'd arrange it? This is bullshit," I grumble, wishing there were rocks to kick.

I look down at the ground, I wonder what's beneath, I look up at the stars, I wonder if those are real or a ceiling of some kind. So many questions fill the void as I wait for them to…

A series of purple text boxes appear next.

[ Administrator Override… Success ]

[ Assigning New Respec Manager… Success… Mythren The Enlightened One ]

Did he just remove them from my Respec menu? Nice, I mean, I don't mind Ulana, but maybe this will be better.

[ Identifying Parameters… Success ]

[ Investigating Custom Menu… Success ]

[ Creating Custom Tutorial… Success ]

New boxes appear with fanfare.

[ Welcome, Jimmy Novak to the Custom Tutorial for your… Error… Custom Respec On Death ]

[ Beginning Tutorial… Success ]

Was there supposed to be an error in there… light spindles and gravity shifts as I feel myself being pulled toward something.