Respec On Death

Chapter Ninety-Two – Inventory – Part One

There was a time when I thought quotes were cool, now I just wonder if people have too much free time. Instead of always thinking up cool shit to say, how about you go fix some shit… How's that quote sound? Good, right? Yeah, I nailed it.

-WHA Hero Starman-

Light slowly envelops me, everything feels slightly off, with a mint chocolate taste… fuck. In front of me, Mythren's purple eyes are glowing fiercely.

"Follow."

He turns on his heel, walking down a corridor made of darkness meeting light on the edges. The floor is a black metal that taps as my ethereal feet stride across it after him. I hear screams coming from portals that line the walls.

"Where are we going?"

He doesn't answer. His stride is even and measured, but his footsteps, they sound angry somehow, almost like he wishes I was the floor. Well, I expected him to be pissed. Doesn't change what I want.

After a time, we enter a portal that has intricate runes swirling on the edges. The room we enter is strange, there's a fireplace in here, purple flames dance on white logs. The ashes of the tree seem to glitter as they are pulled up the chimney. The room isn't large, but isn't small, it looks similar to a rich person's study. Thousands of books line every crevice on the walls. Alternating with the book shelves are shelves with… trinkets? I look at one, it looks like a miniature fishing pole that's been shrunk down. I move to touch it.

"Don't touch anything." Mythren extends a hand toward a chair across from his high backed one, "Sit."

I do as he asks, fighting the temptation to put my feet up on his desk. I know why he's pissed. Because I'm about to exploit a loophole in that very unspecific gentleman's agreement we had in regards to Abyss.

"So, how do you want to do this?" I ask, leaning back and folding my arms, "Also, if I'm here, what's going on with my body?"

His expression is hard to read, he's quietly pissed, I think. Nonetheless, he swipes his hand through the air. A projection of my body back in… reality? The real world? Anyway, back where everyone else is, I see myself, standing, petrified, glowing faintly purple. There's a dumb expression on my face, like he took me mid sentence, which he did.

"Shouldn't it be against a rule to pull a Hunter from an ongoing quest? What happens if something attacks me?"

"That aura around you is an extension of my power," he leans back in his chair, eyes narrowing at me, "So long as the power does not exceed my own, while it is active, you are untouchable."

I squint at the projection, I see Verantha yelling, but I can't hear her, there's no audio, she looks hysterical.

"What's she saying?"

He sighs, and the audio comes on.

"I told you we couldn't trust her! She's a monster! Look what she's done to him!" Verantha screams, her face twitching as Amaetha no doubt shock collars her, "I will not be silenced, she must leave! Sorry goddess, goddess stop!"

I shake my head, "I've seen enough."

He swipes his hand and it disappears.

"So…" I begin, but he holds up a finger.

"I want you to think really hard before you request what you're going to request."

I smile, "During our agreement, we discussed the specific size of Abyss's storage."

"Yes."

"You did not specify which football field."

He sighs, he already knows where it's going, but he wants me to spell it out.

"It just so happens that the Earth has something called Cosmic Football, a sport that has been officially sanctioned and recognized by the leading government of Earth. A sport with a field that is designated as the entire space between two worlds."

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"That was not a sport during the time of our agreement."

"No, but you didn't specify that I couldn't make a new sport with a new sized field. You literally just agreed to a football field with the goal posts as the height. So as it stands now, the football field starts at the Eiffel tower on Earth and encompasses the entire area between that and the world that Ruther just scored a goal on."

Mythren rubs his temples.

"So, I'll be wanting the size of the storage to reflect that. Also, can I get a timeline on when you're going to be done with it?"

"No. I refuse."

"You refuse to honor our agreement?" I shrug, "That's fine, I guess it's null and void then, meaning Abyss should be returned in its original state."

"I am not refusing without reason, I will admit it was clever. More clever than I gave you credit for," he gives me a slow patronizing clap with his hands, his face still placid, "That being said, such a request would change the dynamic of your world yet again, flagging it a third time."

"A third time?"

"Once when Ulana gave you Abyss. And again when you slew a god."

"Technically, you killed that god. I just met the requirements for it to happen. Your energy, your problem."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Well either way, I'm not scared of another proceeding."

"It would not be a proceeding. One does not escape a formal audit after a third flag."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"The system would automatically request one of the high gods to review your world."

"And?"

"If you were lucky and it was left to one of the Holy Six, they would potentially eradicate you as a trouble maker and leave it at that. Especially if they found out that you killed a god."

"They don't know?"

"No, they do not know."

"Why not?"

"Because I redacted the file."

"Why?"

He doesn't answer, but there's something here. Something deeper, I don't think he did it for me. Why then?

"Something tells me that's against the rules?"

He cringes at the remark. What would cause the worshipper of rules to break them again?

"Regardless, it happened."

"I don't get it, why are you so concerned about me dying by one of the Holy Six? Wouldn't me dying be less of a headache for you?"

He ignores the question, "If you are reviewed by the Quorum of the Nine… it's easier to show you."

He slowly moves his hand through the air, a projection of a world burning endlessly appears.

"This world had a Hunter just like you, a rule bender and breaker. One who exploited the system to gain an absurd number of levels and call themselves a god. They even succeeded with the second rite." His eyes narrow at me, "Gods do not take kindly to mortals attempting to cross the boundaries without permission."

Damn. I shift uncomfortably, does he know what me and Sage talked about? No right? Maybe it's just a veiled warning in case I was thinking about it.

"So, he did tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Your lack of surprise at a mortal attempting to become a god is telling, deviant."

"I've seen demi-gods, I assumed there is some way to do that, why would I be surprised?"

He tents his hands, shaking his head, "Whatever you're planning, it will not work."

"Who said I'm planning anything?"

He raises an eyebrow at me, "You're quite the deviant, aren't you?"

My tongue presses against my cheek, wondering if I should keep quiet or just say how I'm feeling.

"Got a title that says that, still not sure what it means, you guys don't exactly advertise how shit works." A flare of anger rises up, "In fact, since you're here, can I submit a formal fucking complaint about that? You drop in unannounced, uninvited, and throw us all into some kind of fucked up game that none of us want to play. Tell us almost nothing about how it works, and when one of us finds a way within the supposed rules that you fucking made to get an advantage, you cry like a bunch of sore bitches."

He blinks, but he doesn't stop me, so I continue.

"That guy's crime on the world that one of the quorum of douches burned, his crime was ascending without permission. Why the fuck do mortals need permission to ascend to beat some divine ass, huh? Why is the system babying the gods and fucking us? You want fair? Take their godhood, shove it up their asses."

He doesn't seem offended by anything I've said.

"How the hell can you respect rules that don't respect themselves? Seems like rules are just price tags for gods to purchase, like some kind of paid game service, one that the majority will never even get access to buying. It's bullshit, and fuck all of you for shitting on people that try to level the playing field in ways that you allowed to happen. It's like getting mad about the rain because you forgot an umbrella."

He looks down, shifting in his seat, I think something that I said might have resonated, maybe not. He's hard to read.

"Anyway, we're not here to talk about how dumb and unfair this game is. What can you give me? I get that you can't give me what I just technically took, but I'm not leaving with nothing."

He sighs slowly, his purple eyes leveling in mine, "What do you want?"

***

Somewhat satisfied with what I bargained, I lean back in the chair again.

"When can I expect to use Abyss again? Seems kind of bullshit, like you're holding it hostage. Also, when am I going to get access to my Nexus? Or are you trying to stop me from spending what I earned?"

His eyes narrow, "They are not mine to take. If you granted me access to your Nexus, I could finish the recalibration more quickly."

"You're not getting that access, Mythren, not unless you give me something breathtaking."

His eyes narrow, "I'm not giving you anything else, you've already fleeced me."

"Then I guess we're at an impasse again."

"Indeed."

"Why do you want access to it anyway? What good will it do you?"

He looks down and doesn't answer the question. Almost like there's something weighing on him.

"Well, you should get back," he says, raising his hand, but his fingers stop before he snaps, like he's debating saying something he shouldn't. "When Abyss is usable again, ensure that you check your inventory thoroughly, there may have been some things that it consumed during detention. If you find something that shouldn't be there… it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bring it out of your inventory."

"Wait… what?"

His fingers snap.

Light bends and darkness follows.